Wednesday, September 2, 2009 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
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COLLEGIATETIMES Watch a thrifting pro at work on www.collegiatetimes.com under multimedia 106th year, issue 77
News, page 1
1,764 noise complaints between Aug. 1, 2008, and Sept. 1, 2009
Features, page 2
Opinions, page 3
Classifieds, page 4
Seeking rhyme and reason Town to update noise ordinance lacksburg officials are revising the town noise ordinance in response to a Virginia Supreme Court decision declaring Virginia Beach’s ordinance to be “unconstitutional.” The court declared Virginia Beach’s noise ordinance based on a vague clause that relied on the judgment of a “reasonable person,” according to Blacksburg town attorney Larry Spencer. The plaintiffs also claimed that several terms in the ordinance, including “unnecessary,” “loud,” and “disturbing” were “purely subjective and unconstitutionally vague.” Spencer explained that Blacksburg’s noise ordinance, similar to Virginia Beach’s, also lacks specification on what constitutes a violation. “Most of our noise ordinance has examples like the noise cannot be audible at a certain distance, say 50 feet or 100 feet, but there are some places in our ordinance where we did use that same standard as Virginia Beach, so there are a couple places we had to trim out references to the ‘reasonable person,’” Spencer said. “We’re just making sure everything in it is as objective as possible.” Though Blacksburg’s noise ordinance is different from Virginia Beach’s ordinance in some respects, Spencer said there are some similarities that need to be clarified. “The Virginia Supreme Court decision from April 2009 invalidated Virginia Beach’s noise ordinance,” Spencer said. “I was following that case and our ordinance is somewhat different from theirs but also shared some elements. So these provisions are our reaction to the Virginia Beach ruling.” Revisions, though basic, will include changing phrases such as a “noise disturbance” to “excessive noise” and defining it as “any sound which annoys or disturbs humans or which causes or tends to cause an adverse
psychological or physiological effect on humans.” The ordinance also includes 19 examples of what noise would be deemed “excessive” in regard to radios, vehicles, mass outdoor gatherings and large party nuisances. Because Blacksburg is a college town, noise violations are often a problem. “Through the years, noise violations have always been a topic of discussion for Blacksburg residents and are usually one of the main issues,” said Sergeant Nathan O’Dell of the Blacksburg police department. “Noise violations definitely dominate the calls for the weekend.” According to records, 1,764 noise violation complaint calls were received from Aug. 1 2008 to Sept. 1, 2009. Of those calls, only 81 were issued a fine. “I think its better to tighten up the ordinance and for it to be in compliance with the state court,” said Matt Hanratty, Blacksburg housing and neighborhood service manager. “There are a fair amount of noise complaints and a lot of times it’s the folks living off campus because they don’t know the exact (noise violation).” O’Dell said revising the laws will help clarify boundaries within the ordinance for Blacksburg residents and help them to avoid getting a violation. “I think it will help spell it out better for the community and will specify what excessive noise is,” O’Dell said. If revised, town officials do not anticipate any change in enforcement or severity in consequences. “I don’t think the ordinance will be stricter than it was. I think it will be tightened up after getting rid of the vague phrases,” Spencer said. Blacksburg Town Council will vote on the ordinance revisions Sept. 8, and if accepted, the revisions will be effective immediately.
BY KAITLYN GLEASON | news reporter
Noise disturbance means any sound which by its character, intensity and duration: (1) Endangers or injures health or safety of persons within the town, or (2) Annoys or disturbs reasonable persons of normal sensitivities within the town.
81 noise violation fines between Aug. 1, 2008, and Sept. 1, 2009 PPS ES AND S EGIATE TIM L L O /C N O MAS AND LUKE JOSH SON
Sudoku, page 4
Sports, page 6
VTPD wins praise, seeks accreditation GORDON BLOCK ct news reporter The Virginia Tech Police Department received strong endorsements from fellow law enforcement officials and university administration Monday as it seeks reaccreditation. VTPD held a public comment session Monday as part of efforts to be reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agency for the first time since 2006. Gathering at the Inn at Virginia Tech, the department was praised by officials from the Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Roanoke County police departments for its work during the April 16, 2007, shootings on campus. Kevin Foust, an agent from the FBI office in Roanoke, commended the
department’s professionalism during the shootings. “What impressed me was not only their compassion for the victims and survivors, but also their professionalism in how they approached that investigation,” Foust said. President Charles Steger and other members of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors spoke briefly at the meeting. Following the meeting, Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum was positive about his department’s reaccredidation prospects. “It’s wonderful to have that kind of support,” Flinchum said. “We’re hopeful that it’s all gone well.” CALEA assessors will make final determination the department’s reaccredidation in November at their fall conference on Nov. 1821 in Salt Lake City.
EBay sells controlling stake in Skype FRANK MICHAEL RUSSELL san jose mercury news SAN JOSE, Calif. _ EBay, the San Jose Internet auction giant, is selling a controlling stake in its Skype online communication business for $1.9 billion in cash. The deal values Skype at $2.75 billion, according to an eBay statement Tuesday announcing the deal. A group led by Menlo Park private investment firm Silver Lake will own a 65 percent stake in Skype; eBay will continue to own the remaining 35 percent. The investors also will give eBay a note worth $125 million. The investor group also includes Index Ventures; Andreessen Horowitz, formed in June by Internet entrepreneurs Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz; and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. “This is a great deal, unlocking both immediate and longterm value for eBay and tremendous potential for Skype,” eBay CEO John Donahoe said in the statement. “We’ve acted decisively on a deal that delivers a high valuation, gives us significant cash upfront and lets us retain a meaningful minority stake with talented partners.” EBay acquired the company in 2005. It announced plans in April to spin off Skype next year in an initial public offering, but said it would consider other bids “that offered an attractive valuation,” according to today’s statement. “Selling Skype now at this great valuation, while retaining an equity stake, makes sense for the company,” Donahoe said. “And it allows us to focus all of our energies on the opportunities in front of PayPal and eBay.”
Pentagon worried about Obama’s vow to Afghanistan NANCY A. YOUSSEF mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — The prospect that U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal may ask for as many as 45,000 additional American troops in Afghanistan is fueling growing tension within President Barack Obama’s administration over the U.S. commitment to the war there. On Monday, McChrystal sent his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan to the Pentagon, the U.S. Central Command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and NATO. Although the assessment didn’t include any request for more troops, senior military officials said they expect McChrystal later in September to seek between 21,000 and 45,000 more troops. There currently are 62,000 American troops in Afghanistan. However, administration officials said that amid rising violence and casualties, polls show a majority of Americans now think the war in Afghanistan isn’t worth fighting. With tough battles ahead on health care, the budget and other issues, Vice President Joe Biden and other officials are increasingly anxious about how
the American public would respond to sending additional troops. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to the media, said Biden has argued that without sustained support from the American people, the U.S. can’t make the long-term commitment that would be needed to stabilize Afghanistan and dismantle al-Qaida. Biden’s office declined to comment. “I think they (the Obama administration) thought this would be more popular and easier,” a senior Pentagon official said. “We are not getting a Bush-like commitment to this war.” Monday’s assessment initially was to include troop recommendations, but political concerns prompted White House and Pentagon officials to agree that those recommendations would come later, advisers to McChrystal said. Although the White House took a hands-off approach toward Afghanistan earlier this summer, Pentagon officials said they’re now getting more questions about how many troops might be needed and for how long. Some White House officials said the administration feels it was pressured
to send the additional 17,500 combat troops and 4,000 trainers earlier this year, before the administration was comfortable with its plan for Afghanistan, because of the country’s election in August. Obama now feels that McChrystal and his superior, Army Gen. David Petraeus, the head of the Central Command, are pressuring him to commit still more troops to Afghanistan, a senior military official said. The official said that retired Marine Gen. James Jones, Obama’s national security adviser, told McChrystal last month not to ask for more troops, but that McChrystal still indicated in interviews that he may need more. McChrystal’s new assessment is the fifth one ordered since Obama’s inauguration. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that no details of the assessment would be released. Other officials called it a “political hot potato.” Advisers to McChrystal, who spoke to McClatchy Newspapers on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity, said the document is a little more than 10 pages long and broadly spells out
McChrystal’s assessment of conditions on the ground: “It says that this could get much worse unless we invest ourselves in this now,” one adviser said. “Then it says, ‘This is what we propose to do.’ “ On Monday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the Obama administration inherited an under-resourced war in Afghanistan, but he stopped short of promising more troops. Administration officials said that the White House is planning a series of “quiet discussions” among top advisers over the next six weeks or so about the way ahead. “What the president is going to want to do is review the report and then discuss and talk with all of those that have equities in it to get their viewpoints and to ensure that each and every person is heard on this, and that’s what the president intends to do,” Gibbs said Monday. McChrystal’s latest assessment calls for redistributing troops to focus more on protecting population centers and less on chasing Taliban fighters. It also says it will take several years to build a more professional and capable
Afghan security force, without saying how large that force should be. The assessment also calls for more U.S. government civilians to be sent to Afghanistan and for the streamlining of the military’s command structure, saying that too much bureaucracy is making it difficult for commanders to make decisions on the ground. “The situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable and demands a revised implementation strategy, commitment and resolve, and increased unity of effort,” McChrystal said in a statement Monday. Since Obama’s inauguration, when the war was hailed as a just cause, the administration has been bombarded by signs of a deteriorating situation. The deaths this year of 304 U.S. and NATO forces, including 179 Americans, makes 2009 the deadliest year for both U.S. and NATO forces since the war began eight years ago — and there are still four months to go until 2010. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released in August found that for the first time since the war began, a majority of Americans don’t think the war is worth fighting. Pentagon officials said that White
House officials have told them they fear that McChrystal’s expected request for more troops won’t be his last. The additional troops are “only a down payment on what would be required to turn things around, and everyone knows that,” said another senior military official, who said that’s true in part because estimates of what the Afghan forces can do — and when they’ll be fully capable of handling security threats — are being downgraded. Meanwhile, U.S. military commanders in Kabul feel the political clock ticking, saying they think they have no more than 18 months to show some kind of progress, even as most agree that they don’t have enough troops. Success could mean as little as achieving a plateau in the levels of violence, two military officials told McClatchy Newspapers. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said any discussion about what the Pentagon is proposing and the White House response is premature. “We are not there yet,” Morrell said. “Let’s see what Gen. McChrystal comes back and asks for.”
2 features
editors: topher forhecz, teresa tobat featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
Budget boutique: The art of thrifting W
ith go-green initiatives gaining more attention than ever, financial uncertainty haunting our every move and vintage styles dominating the runway combined with Blacksburg’s proximity to what can only be described as “the worst mall ever,” there is no better time than now to embrace secondhand style and start thrifting. HOW TO THRIFT Get over it. Many hesitant thrift shoppers just cannot get over the fact that the clothes are secondhand, explained Virginia Tech student and YMCA Thrift Shop employee Nancy Ballhagen. “They think, ‘Oh, it smells like grandma’s. It smells old and funky and you know I don’t want to touch things other people may have sweated in.’ The truth is, sometimes we do get things in that are dirty and gross, but those things end up being textiled and we don’t put them out on the floor. So you aren’t going to find dirty, disgusting items in the store.” Think about it: The employees do not want to be touching soiled items either — so you aren’t going to find them on the floor. Get into it. Once you have gotten over your fear of thrift stores, junior psychology major Maggie Savage recommends you tag along with a more experienced shopper to see how it is done. “I take my friends who aren’t so sure about it all the time,” Savage said. Leave your expectations at the door. “Unless I’m going to a theme party, I don’t go with an idea of what I’m look-
JOSHUA MILLER/SPPS
Left: Senior apparel, housing, and resource management major Nancy Ballhagen helps a customer. Right: Over the year, the YMCA Thirft Store collects an array of used items. ing for,” Savage said. “I just went the other day and found this great sequin-y butterfly top, for no reason.” If you go with an image of exactly what you want to find, you are likely to miss out on a lot of gems along the way or leave disappointed. Take your time. By taking the time to look through all of the racks, “I bet you I can find at least five items that still
have the tag on them that have never been worn,” said Suni Heflin, marketing manager of Goodwill. “People just don’t realize what’s really here. It does take a little more effort to find something.” Follow your instincts. “I just go in and grab things by color or pattern or if it’s sequined or something like that,” Savage said.
“If you go down the aisle and you look for a particular sleeve or something that catches your eye, and then that will start your creativity and imagination,” Heflin adds. “I usually find one good piece and build from it.” By looking for something unique, you will eliminate a lot of the excess time spent sifting through rack upon rack of lackluster clothing. Take a second look. “I look through everything,” Ballhagan said. “I’ll look through the fabrics of things even if it is really ugly. I’ll get it so I can cut it apart and make it into something else.” Clothing reconstruction and DIY projects allow you to put to use an item that otherwise might not fit, is damaged or is just out of style. But think twice before you buy. It’s easy to forget that you are spending money when things are only $2. But that money adds up and so do the piles in your closet. If you cannot think of several times you will use the item now, you won’t think about it after you buy it either. Complete the circle. Donate your old items too. When it comes time to clean out your own closet, give back to the thrift stores you frequent. In tough economic times, thrift stores have “seen a huge increase in shoppers,” Heflin said. “On the flipside, that means a decrease in donations.” So free up space for new items and protect our landfills from excess waste while providing your peers with a chance to thrift. WHERE TO THRIFT
The YMCA Thrift Shop A 10-minute walk from campus, the YMCA Thrift Shop is a student’s dream. From vintage cocktail dresses to restored computers, the Y has it all — furniture, books, housewares, appliances, clothing, shoes and jewelry. There are plenty of inexpensive finds to furnish your apartment and fill your closet. And unlike many thrift stores that disperse the items at a distribution
center based on income, everything in good enough condition that is donated to the Y goes straight on the floor — designer clothes, antique furniture and fine jewelry included, explained assistant manager Brian Anderson. Location: 1000 N. Main St. Hours: 8:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, Closed Sunday Pricing: The YMCA Thrift Shop has two basic price categories for clothing: Regular items are $2.50 and wardrobe items — typically nicer, higher quality items — are $5.00. In addition, there is the Thrift Chic Boutique, which offers designer and vintage clothes and accessories at slightly higher (generally $4 to $8) prices. Books, housewares and shoes all cost about $1 to $4 while appliances and furniture vary from very cheap $3 coffee tables to the occasional $600 armoire. Why You Should Give It a Chance: Beyond having the widest selection of items for student living, the Y is deeply rooted in the community. The staff is friendly, the prices are fair, and everything is incomparably sincere. Charity: Maintaining a longtime relationship with the Tech community and Blacksburg, the Y actively helps over 25 organizations, including “churches, women’s shelters and food banks,” Anderson said. “There is a massive variety.” Furthermore, they use the donations to sponsor individual families in need. “If someone’s house burns down, we will — for free — set them up with furniture, clothing ... basically items of necessity that you need on a daily basis,” Anderson explained. “We try to make it so basically anyone can have a computer, clothe themselves, have a couch to sit on and a bed to sleep in.” Green Initiatives: Recently, the Y has put a lot of effort into finding a way to recycle everything. Anderson said, “We now recycle (grades) one to seven plastics, paper, old computers, broken DVD players, batteries, fluorescent bulbs,” while donation drives and initiatives such as “YToss?” have saved tons of waste from ending up in landfills. Promotions and Upcoming Events: Once a month bag sales, featured on the first full weekend of the month, give the community an opportunity to fill a standard, brown paper grocery bag for only $4. Seasonally-themed book sales are offered once or twice a month. Each October, the Y hosts a massive book sale stocked with 2,000 to 3,000 books of all types. At the end of spring semester, they sponsor Y Toss? and collect unwanted furniture, appliances and assorted goods from students as they leave for the summer. The Y then cleans up and stores the items until the fall and host a sale for returning students.
Goodwill
With seemingly endless racks of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and locations in Blacksburg and Christiansburg, it’s no wonder Goodwill is a household name. Although the many racks may seem overwhelming to the novice thrifter, the conveniently fixed pricing takes out a lot of the guesswork. Locations: 1413 N. Main St., Blacksburg, and 255 Peppers Ferry Rd. NE, Christiansburg Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday Pricing: Goodwill has fixed pricing throughout all of its stores so “folks can know what to expect,” Heflin said. Jeans are $4, pants and blouses cost $3.50, shoes are $2.50, and purses, belts and ties are $1.00, with the exception of a few specially marked items in the counter display or on a rack reserved for brand-named items. This pricing system often works in the shopper’s favor because no matter how expensive the item originally was, it is going to be a standard price. On the flipside, you may end up overpaying for less valuable items, such as T-shirts, which no matter how worn and outdated they are, will be priced the same as a fabulous designer blouse. Why You Should Give it a Chance: “Because people immediately think, ‘Oh, I’m taking this to Goodwill,’” Heflin said, Goodwill gets a higher quantity of donations than many thrift stores. It is also a good source of clothing, books, CDs and housewares. Charity: Goodwill focuses on “helping people and families achieve a better life through work and independence,”
explained Heflin. “It’s all about jobs.” Through job training and job placement, Goodwill provides an opportunity for the disabled and disadvantaged to obtain valuable work experience. They assist “youth, adults and older workers in overcoming barriers to employment and achieving a level of independence to participate more fully in life,” said Heflin. Green Initiatives: Goodwill has partnered with Dell to create Dell Reconnect, Heflin said. Dell Reconnect breaks down and “e-cycles” computers, providing a convenient solution for the inevitable stash of clunky computer parts you don’t know what to do with, while saving our landfills from the harmful toxins computers contain.
Humane Society of Montgomery County’s Second Time Around
Cramped, brimming with knickknacks, and smelling of floral perfume, a visit to Second Time Around is more like rummaging around your grandparent’s basement than a trip to the thrift store. Shelves of Lucite napkin rings, metallic cat art and Mr. T paperweights make furnishing your apartment, adding to your stamp collection or scoring novelty gifts a cinch. They also have an entire room of floor to ceiling bookshelves boasting everything from Marcel Proust to Chuck Palahniuk. Second Time Around also offers a wide selection of craft materials, scrap fabric and linens, clothing, accessories and shoes. Location: 107 Ellett Rd. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Closed Sunday through Tuesday. Pricing: Prices are generally low to start and are always negotiable, with the occasionally overpriced item that leaves you wondering if you “just don’t get it,” and a slew of marvelous finds so cheap you feel guilty. Typically, housewares, clothing, books and linens are all under $4, while furniture is more expensive. Why You Should Give it a Chance: Second Time Around not only offers an unparalleled selection of kitschy stapes, but a host of enthusiastic volunteers who get almost as excited about your purchases as you do. They offer advice, assistance and the occasional cookie throughout your visit. Charity: According to the Humane Society of Montgomery County’s Web site, proceeds from Second Time Around “go directly to the support of the dogs and cats at our animal shelter,” a “No Kill” shelter and nonprofit organization devoted to public education and the welfare of domesticated animals. Promotions and Upcoming Events: - There is always a “free table” that features a variety of complimentary books, miscellaneous parts and trinkets. - Shoppers have the opportunity to enter a weekly drawing for a $5 gift certificate to the store with every purchase. - On Saturday, Sept. 5, Second Time Around will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with hourly drawings for gift certificates, homemade refreshments and an additional 10 percent off all items in the store, all day long. As the recession continues to affect our economy, everyone is looking for a way to save. For President Barack Obama, it means buying our old cars. For some, it means cutting coupons, and for Savage, it means thrift shopping. “I’ve been thrifting since my junior year of high school,” Savage said. “I had a very limited income and just liked older clothing.” In response to the economic uncertainty, Savage has continued to thrift even more, estimating that over a onethird of her wardrobe is second hand. Other students seem to be catching on, as local thrift stores suggest more customers than ever. “We did our highest grossing month ever in July,” said Brian Anderson, assistant manager of the YMCA Thrift Shop. Beyond saving your budget, buying second hand saves tons of waste from landfills and provides unique pieces for anyone’s wardrobe.
MARY ANNE CARTER -features reporter -junior, communication -XYZ gallery curator
opinions 3
editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 2, 2009
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Our Views [staff editorial]
Clarify what we can complain about Living in a college town, loud parties are inevitable. What constitutes loud, however, is often subjective. The question of how loud is too loud will hopefully be answered with ordinance 1537, which will set standards that specify what constitutes a noises violation. It also includes specific examples of what would be considered excessively loud in regards to radios, vehicles, and indoor and outdoor parties. These examples will offer a clear archetype for both potential noise offenders and frustrated neighbors. These standards are obviously necessary. So obvious, in fact, that we are wondering why uniformed standards were not previously in place. There were 1764 noise complaints between Aug,1, 2008 and Sept. 1, 2009. Of these complaints, only 81 were fined. That’s a perplexingly small four and a half percent of all complaints made for the entire year. It is not apparent whose fault this is. It is impossible to know whether residents called in frivolous complaints or police officers had low standards in punishing violations. In any case, this disconnect is unacceptable. Having uniform standards
will not only help validate residential complaints, but also allow neighbors to know if they should call the police. It will also force police to take action when necessary instead of brushing off complaints. It is very possible that the stereotype of the noisy college students may play a role in whether or not action is taken or if calls are placed in the first place. It is an unfortunate, though not always misplaced, stereotype that may cause neighbors apprehension when students move in next door, ultimately resulting in various complaints of too-loud televisions or boisterous conversations. Standards to gauge what constitutes a noise violation may prevent said complaints. Finally, these standards are significant to students themselves. Knowing exactly what they can be fined for will help to decrease the likelihood of receiving a fine. The purpose of the ordinance isn’t strictness, it’s clarity. It will benefit students and non-student Blacksburg residents alike. By outlining specific guidelines, everyone wins. The editorial board is composed of Debra Houchins, Peter Velz, and Sara Mitchell.
Your Views [student organization]
T
hink of the last time you sat around with a group of your friends discussing politics, complaining about classes or just goofing off. Of all the topics that came up in conversation, I highly doubt mental illness was among them. Mental illness is far more common than we all recognize. Out of your group of friends, at least one of them is probably dealing with a mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in five Americans age 18 and up experience a mental illness. College students in particular are at high risk for developing mental health issues during their four years of school. Mental health is an issue that is more widespread than you might think. Mental disorders are the leading cause for disability in the United States for ages 15-44, according to NIMH. Also, the Global Burden of Disease Study conducted by the
World Health Organization, the World Bank and Harvard show that mental illness accounts for about 15 percent of all illnesses in established marketing countries (including the U.S.). This number is higher than all diseases caused by cancer. Active Minds is a student organization dedicated to raising awareness and removing the stigma about mental illness. Our goal is to inform the student body about mental illness and the different resources available to seek assistance. Although we take raising awareness and removing the stigma of mental health very seriously, we have a lot of fun with socials, movies and outdoor activities, not to mention it’s a great place to meet new people of all majors. Watch out for us on campus. Have a great beginning of the semester!
CANDACE LOHR President of Active Minds
Most important aspect of reform is human rights T
he argument against health care is not about money, socialism or big government. In truth, congressmen against reform see this as an opportunity to achieve two goals: to pay homage to the health care lobbyists who fill their coffers and to do as much damage to their opposition as they possibly can. These two goals are so all-consuming to them that they will lie, cheat and steal to obtain their goals even at the expense of their constituents. To anyone who pays attention to the news, this should come as no surprise. Several Republican senators have said as much. Sen. James Inhofe of Okla. made no qualms about his feelings when he said, “I don’t have to read it, or know what’s in it. I’m going to oppose it anyway.” Possibly more tellingis the stances that two of the three Republican senators in the group of senators trying to form a bipartisan bill known as “Gang of Six” took. Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyo. admitted that he was not there to compromise, but to block reform. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa went even further trying to spread Palin’s death panel lie. If these are the people that we are looking to for a bipartisan solution, we are looking in the wrong place. These are the same kind of lies that opponents of reform pushed during the civil rights movement, such as when some proposed that treating our fellow man as equals was just a secret plot to enslave the whites. The purpose of these lies is not to provide a rational debate, but to destroy it. If the Republicans have a real reason
solution: write a column for the ct.
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day appointment with their doctors when they were sick, compared to 60 percent of New Zealanders. In the same study, researchers also found that 26 percent of Americans had to pay more than $1,000 in health care expenses out of their own pockets compared to UK citizens, only 4 percent of whom paid more than $1,000, as reported by Fox News. Other countries provide health care not because they are socialist, but because they see it as necessary to guarantee their citizens a right to life. When a nation is fortunate enough to pull itself out of the third world, it has the means to realize its responsibility to its people. This is not some high ideal but basic human compassion. Where is America’s responsibility? From birth I was taught that America can do anything because we are truly the greatest nation on Earth. Why is it that our can-do attitude evaporates when health care opponents talk about something they don’t like? When other countries can provide better and cheaper health care, why can’t we? The answer is that we can and should provide for our citizens, and we should not bow down to cowards who hide behind lies and disruptive tactics.
PATRIC BUTLER -regular columnist -graduate student of computer science
Determining identity through daily interactions I
part of a student org and want to get your voice heard?
not to support health care reform then why do they insist on lying? These tactics are more appropriate for determining the outcome of schoolyard games than for our nation’s capital where our lives and our health are heavily affected. As an engineer and a scientist, I rely every day on hard facts. When I see hyperbolic statements, which compare giving people basic human rights such as health care to Nazism, I am forced to question the intelligence and honesty of the debater — although it is hard to think of people who scream talking points but don’t listen to the opposition as debaters. So let’s talk facts. I’ll save you, my astute reader, from the regurgitation of the typical points of our pathetic infant mortality rate and life expectancy statistics. Instead, I want to talk about how we provide health care to our citizens. A recent study conducted by the Commonwealth Fund on 19 industrialized nations showed that the United States was 19 out of 19 in amenable deaths per capita. In fact, compared to France, we have nearly double the number of amenable deaths. The amenable death rate is really just a fancy term for the number of people who died because they could not get timely access to effective health care. This number includes deaths caused by having to wait for care, a problem that we have supposedly solved. In a separate study, however, even waiting times are poor in the U.S. Researchers found that only 33 percent of Americans were able to get a same-
n one line, your identity is who you are. It is what you have done and what you are capable of doing, what you think and what you say. It is what you and others have made people think you can say and do. And it is also what people want you to say and do. That’s you — your personal identity. And then there’s your identity in society, your professional competence and aspirations, and the way you dress up on a Friday night. Everything goes into this giant box. Identities and roles change rapidly — from the cradle to the graveyard. We don many caps — from that of a diaper consumer to the game programmer to the doting grandfather and grandmother; we do it all. All along the way, we build for ourselves an identity matrix — a complex, intricately mysterious boxcart of ideas, principles, emotions, aspirations, achievements, contradictions and much more. We build the matrix for ourselves through our thoughts and actions, and we update it with more every time we drink a can of juice or tap the remote. But there’s more to it. Our matrix also contributes in varying proportion to another larger, even more bewildering societal identity, building itself much slower but firmer than the individual, weaker entities. As this societal identity grows stronger, several other parallel identities emerge — civilizations are born, nations and institutions created and religious identities strengthened. And being magnified versions of their individual contributors, they — the identities, compete. As society leaps and marches to change and tries to be more representative of the individual identities themselves, the matrix finds itself
“
And the question to ask is precisely this: Which ones matter for your individual matrix. Which ones are real and which inconsequential?
having to choose between several ideologies vying for attention, multiple belief systems and numerous avenues through which it has made contributions or derived its innate matter from. To come out of the metaphor, we as individuals find ourselves thrown between thousands of affiliations and roles that are overlapping and simultaneous, but sometimes even competing and unhelpful. For example, when you wake up to brush your teeth, you are a toothpaste consumer. When you walk down the sidewalk to your car, you are a pedestrian. If you are thinking about your next term paper when you stop at a crosswalk for a pedestrian, you are a motorist and a student at the same time. And if you chat with your girlfriend at work while having lunch, you are quite a few of them — all at the same time! For most, these are evidently fleeting, part-time affiliations with probably nothing to do with anything, like this article. But there are macro-affiliations that run through everyone — national identities, religious beliefs, ethnic inheritance, cultural threads or even trade, sport and professional links. And the question to ask is precisely this: Which ones matter for your individual matrix. Which ones are real and which inconsequential? Sometimes, like the Bradley effect
proves, we lie to ourselves — each individual matrix is an inordinately complex entity with our attempts at continuous manipulations. We want to hold on to some ‘stuff’ and clear up other ones forever. We open it up to some “stuff” and push at the gates to keep away others. We push and heave and try our might to make it listen to what nobody can hear. And at some extraordinarily baffling moments, we disown it. More interestingly, we want the matrix to look like we want it to and sometimes wish to tweak it to make it like somebody else’s. So the question, again, is simple: When stripped of all the fake posturing, image projections, false pursuits and insanely wasteful meetings and deliberations, what is it really that we as individuals truly care about? What is it that moves an individual beyond imagination? What is that impossible dream — what is it that you always wanted to do, but your own matrix trapped you into not doing? What is your true identity matrix, free from the mold and clutter of ignorance, harmless deceit and passivity? Why do we care? Well, it’s simple. Those are the only bricks that go into the grand construction of the societal identity. It is only what we truly care about, what we truly believe in, and what we truly believe will happen that inspires us to make the right decisions and achieve the impossible. Perennial gusts of tokenism can do nothing more than erode our own footprints on the sands of time. Who are we kidding?
BALASUNDAR BALASUBRAMANIAN -regular columnist -graduate student of electrical, computer engineering
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ACROSS 1 PDQ relative 5 Violin virtuoso Zimbalist 10 Out of harm’s way 14 “To Sir With Love” singer 15 Decorative sofa fabric 16 Dagger handle 17 Narrow cut 18 “Little” comedian’s big brother? 20 Blink later than, in a contest 22 Scooter favored by ’60s British mods 23 “That __ hay!” 24 Was indebted to 26 “Big” wrestler’s little brother? 30 Road trip guide 33 Homeric epic 34 Liberal faction, with “the” 35 Valuable rock 36 Whirling water 37 Streaker with a tail 39 Grease target 40 So-so test grade 41 “Horrors!” 42 Tabloid creature 43 Mess up 44 “Thin” character actor’s big brother? 47 Big hair style 48 Conscription category 49 Words of sympathy 52 Trivial 56 “Heavy” R&B singer’s little brother? 59 Computer symbol 60 Put in the hold 61 Piebald horse 62 River through Saint Petersburg 63 Gave the once-over 64 Libidinous deity 65 State, to Sarkozy DOWN 1 Likewise
By Jerome Gunderson
2 “Star Trek” navigator 3 Got down 4 Saves 5 Odorless gas 6 Stick shift gear 7 Irritate 8 Yellowstone grazer 9 Slangy word of indifference 10 Destroy, as a paper trail 11 Intentions 12 Brouhaha 13 Europe’s highest active volcano 19 It’s what’s happening 21 Made, as a knot 24 Decoratively curved molding 25 Drift gently 26 Pie serving 27 Church leader 28 Sea duck with prized plumage 29 “American Me” actor/director Edward James __ 30 Courage, in slang 31 Senator Specter
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32 Hammerhead parts 37 Burn slightly 38 Not fooled by 39 Like some batteries 41 Rubbed out, gangster style 42 Did very well on 45 Like a spitz’s ears 46 Not alfresco 47 Packing heat
9/2/09
49 Key 50 Modeling medium 51 Assistant 52 Pub order 53 Hip-hopper born Tracy Marrow 54 Source of a stellar explosion 55 Pesky biter 57 Special __: military force 58 “Mamma __!”
features 5
editors: topher forhecz, teresa tobat featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
The great debate: Is it better to sit or stand at a concert? CHRISTOPHER BORRELLI chicago tribune Sit down and shut up. Why? Because, folks, today, have we got a rumble for you — a debate that has been brewing for ag es, both sides entrenched and livid, and both positions questionable. Indeed, for as long as humans have assembled to enjoy live music this argument has raged, a salvo of beer cups and shouted derision all around: Is it OK to stand and dance at a concert when everyone around you is sitting? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let’s consider this rationally. Both sides make good points. On the one hand, if you buy a ticket to a concert and standable music is played, you should be able to dance and sway and throw your hands in the air as generations before you have done rocking out should be your prerogative. On the other hand, if you spend $132 on a ticket to a concert, you should be able to see that concert, and if the audience is in a sitting mood, who are you to block the sightlines of the 56 people behind you?
Take note of your undies DEBRA BASS st. louise post-dispatch The Doodle Bra: It’s a regular white cotton bra that comes equipped with six non-toxic erasable markers and stencils, $9.99 online at doodlebra.com. There are matching white cotton undies, including socks, stockings and panties, but you can also opt for shorts, tank tops, canvas shoe and even skirts. However, this silliness all started with the bra and some attempt at female bonding, I suppose. The company sent me a note about the product as a great game for a bridal shower. Draw the party theme on your underwear or otherwise express yourself ... and then what? In my opinion, if you are old enough to get married and you are writing on your underwear with orange marker, we need to talk. But then again, I’ve done dumber things at bridal showers. And then perhaps the oddest part of this equation is that once you throw the bra in the wash, it all disappears. So, you can now draw on that bra again at a later date when you’re bored. A colleague pointed out that this might be entertaining at a frat house, but she imagined that they would write obscene things on the bras and panties to decorate their house. I countered that it would be cheaper and more efficient to buy thrift bras and permanent marker. Not that I would encourage that. But I’m so confused. Somehow, I kind of liked the idea better (only marginally so) when I thought the marker was permanent. But no, this product turns your underwear into a wearable dry erase board. And nothing says sexy like that.
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Let’s argue both sides of the issue: KEVIN WILLIAMS: Hey, you! Sit down! Down in front! Do you think the show is any better because you’re standing? Aw, poor babies. Are your feelings hurt? Too bad. Now sit the hell down, because your concert-going experience is in no way enhanced by standing. Here’s why. Intensity: This quality isn’t defined by whether you sit or stand. I have been rocked harder by Chicago Symphony Orchestra Mahler concerts than metal bands. Musicians get off on crowd engagement and applause. There’s been only one concert at which I have stood that I couldn’t have imagined wanting to sit: Electric Wizard at Chicago’s Double Door, eons ago. Because there were no seats. But also because it’s easier to hold your arms in the air, devil horns fully extended, when standing. Aesthetics: Trust me, seeing a field of rhythm-less, droopy-bottomed hipsters twitching spasmodically makes you wish for enough mouth guards to
keep them all from swallowing their tongues. Not a pretty sight. If the music is danceable, that’s one thing. When Sea & Cake played Orchestra Hall, some of the crowd, seized by the magic, found space along the edge of the room and shimmied to their hearts’ content. Enough, already: Standing is like a trap. If the band goes on longer than expected, what then? It can’t be any less intense, right? And so you stand. And stand. And stand, because sitting at that point is like giving up or something. But you could be sitting, ya’ dummy. Fairness: The person sitting behind you might not want to stand. By choosing to stand, you force the person behind you to stand. Then the person behind him or her stands and, voila, you have a room full of people who aren’t standing because they’re reallyreallyreallyreally into the music. They’re standing because they have to, in order to see, sort of a Dork Domino Theory. But the person behind you might subscribe to the Sit It, Ya’ Knucklehead Theory. Like me. Because my worldview at concerts is like my driving worldview:
I don’t care what you do, just don’t do it in front of me. CHRISTOPHER BORRELLI: First, let me just say I’m a bit of a hypocrite. I’m here to defend standing at concerts and dancing when everyone around me is sitting on their hands, but I probably wouldn’t stand myself. I prefer not to have eyes on me; I have witnessed enough heated back-andforths between concert standers and sitters to know sitters always prevail. Peer pressure is powerful. And yet, if you need to dance, even if it’s right in front of me and I’m sitting, you should dance all night. There are exceptions, of course, like don’t dance during any performance in which the band is sitting. Anywhere else, dance. Dance at inappropriate times. Be that wacko in the front row who won’t sit down. The “live” in live performances already feels as though it’s bleeding from a million tiny cuts. Video screens, vocal tracking, teleprompters. Unless you’re in a venue where sit-
ting isn’t a real option, it’s easy to feel removed from performers these days. Next time you’re in a balcony of a theater and someone in the front row is standing and you’re annoyed and wondering if he knows everyone behind him is sitting, remember where you are. No matter how much the concert industry has done in the name of convenience, a live show is still not hermetically sealed entertainment. If you just sat we wouldn’t be arguing? True. But none of this is going away. As older performers acquire generations of fans many of whom have reached the age where sitting is preferred, and many others for whom concert-going remains a leave-your-seat experience concert venues say awkward confrontations between standing fans and fuming sitters are just getting worse. What’s that? Standers should get their own section? Well, there are forward thinking concert halls and performers: For years, Bruce Springsteen has set aside thousands of tickets every show for a general-admission, standing section on the floor. What? Majority rules? Thoughtful.
But wasn’t it buttoned-down proletarian thinking that gave birth to pop music in the first place? Remember when rock was about stepping out of line? Besides, a quick survey of venues suggests enforcement is random and etiquette murky. Yes, energy and engagement are a two-way street even when the performer’s knees are older than Brian Wilson. I’m reminded of the time I saw Wilco, and a man in the front row ate a sandwich, and Jeff Tweedy stopped mid-song to ask, “Do I come to where you work and eat a sandwich on your desk?” I’m reminded of my 14-year-old self, who thought quiet, obedient audiences were something other cultures endured because they weren’t democracies. I’m reminded of the woman who recently told me she tried to dance at an Eagles show and security sat her down. Which is sad. Surely, if you’re attending an Eagles concert in 2009, you need your exercise and you probably won’t be mall walking the next morning. Next time, stand your ground.
sports 6
editors: joe crandley, alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ telephone number: 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 2, 2009
Tech women’s soccer star returns from season-ending knee injury MELANIE WADDEN ct sports reporter
In late September of last year, the Hokie women’s soccer team was off to a great start — it was 5-2 and coming off a three-game win streak. In its next game, on Sept. 1, it suffered a dramatic double-overtime defeat to the James Madison University Dukes, but that was not the biggest loss it suf-
fered that Sunday evening. Then-sophomore Marika Gray, a star forward who had been a regular starter since arriving at Virginia Tech as a freshman in the fall of 2007, left the game with just minutes remaining in regulation. What was thought, at first, to be only a minor knee injury ended up being a season-ender for the attacker. As a freshman, Gray not only started
16 of the Hokies’ 18 games, but she became the first player in five years to lead the team in both goals and assists, with eight and six, respectively. Gray represented the future of the Hokies and had proven that she was instrumental to the Tech attack. In her first eight games of 2008 leading up to her injury against JMU, Gray recorded eight starts. Even though she missed 15 of 23 total games, she fin-
ished third at the end of the season in goals and assists on the team. Despite the loss of Gray, the Tech women’s soccer team finished the season with a winning record, including five victories over ranked opponents and a trip to the NCAA tournament — all without its former-leading scorer. This fall, Gray is back and ready to make her presence felt again. “I’m feeling pretty good,” Gray said. “Not 100 percent, but just getting back. It’s just good to be out here playing and stuff. Even though fitness is hard, it just feels good to be able to do it.” Senior attacker, and last year’s leading scorer, Emily Jukich is eager to see how the return of Gray will impact Tech’s season this year. “She’s awesome. We’re so happy to have Marika back,” Jukich said. “I love playing up front with her, and she’s just a force to be reckoned with. I know she’s going to do damage in the ACC.” Three games into this season, the Hokies have a 2-1 overall record. Gray has already made her presence felt, scoring her first goal of the season and the lone goal in the Hokies’ victory over Lehigh on Sunday. “We’re really pleased, mostly with her attitude and willingness to kind of jump back on. You never know psychologically how people are going to come back,” head coach Kelly Cagle said. Gray is, however, still recovering from her injury. “Soccer-wise (it’s been tough) because you have that nervous excitement, but you’re kind of hesitant to go for this or that,” Gray said of the fear of re-injury. “But, the best way is to just go into it because the minute you start being nervous or hesitant, that’s when you get hurt again.” Though Gray admits to not being 100 percent back yet, she has to work
JOSHUA MILLER/SPPS
Tech striker Marika Gray runs past an Evansville defender last week out more than her teammates as she continues her physical therapy. “I still haven’t got back to where I was before, but it’s expected,” Gray said of her stamina. “So, I’m still working on it. I do extra fitness, things like that, just work on it in practice, and it’ll come. (I’m) still doing rehab because my muscle mass still isn’t 100 percent. Like, my legs — if you look really closely, they’re not the same size. But, the stronger your muscles are, the less likely you are to get hurt so (I) keep doing that rehab.” Despite the obvious slip-ups associated with coming back from an injury, the coaching staff is impressed with her progress. “I think she’s really good,” Cagle said. “I mean, I think she probably is a little bit bummed with some of the opportunities she had, not to put one away,” “She scored a great goal for us against JMU and had a ton of chances, especially in the first 20 minutes, and I think some of that is just a lack of play-
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ing,” Cagle said. “You know, you choose different services or you tend to be able to put away chances when you’re just used to playing in those situations, and she hasn’t been there. So she’s just going to need to keep putting herself in those positions, and she’ll learn from each opportunity and then put her chances away. I know she will.” As a team leader and now a junior on the squad, look for Gray to make a name for herself in a big way this season. “Obviously, her God-given traits are things that make us (as a team) so dangerous,” Cagle said. “But, equipped with her fitness and her attitude and then just her coachability, I think she’s just going to have a really good year. She’s having fun and enjoying herself, and I think, for her, that’s a really important part.” Gray and the Hokies will next face off in North Carolina this weekend for the UNC-Greensboro Tournament.