Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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COLLEGIATETIMES 106th year, issue 99
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Derby girls roll quick and dirty Club presents fun, personality on wheels TERESA TOBAT features editor They skated out to Lenny Kravitz’s cover of “American Woman.” This song introduced the NRV Roller Derby girls to the Adventure World crowd at their Sept. 27 bout against the RockTown Rollers from Harrisonburg, Va. Ten women, five from each team, all dressed in fishnets and short skirts, skate around a rink in a pack with one objective: get the “jammer,” who is marked with a pink star on her helmet and skates around the rink and past other players. The goal of a derby game may seem simple, though the sport is anything but. “There’s a lot of skill involved in derby — a lot of strategy,” said Jennifer “Slingin’ Gritz” Smith, who joined the team in May 2008. “A lot of technique. This is really the only sport where players are constantly playing offense and defense at the same time. We are trying to get our jammer through to score points, while stopping their jammer though so they won’t score points.” Derby is also a game of continual motion. “There’s a constant action 360 degrees around, and you have to be aware of everything that’s going on,” Smith said, see DERBY / page two
LUKE MASON/SPPS
Pam “Sonic Wave” Ashley, mother of three, skates against the Rocktown Roller’s at Adventure World in Christiansburg. She said she painted her face to intimidate opponents.
Ringing in a new century
Town contemplates new tourism district KATIE ROBIDOUX news staff writer
The class of 2011 ring premiered Tuesday night in Burruss Hall, marking the 100th anniversary of the first Virginia Tech class to receive rings. photo by mark umansky
Researcher in Tech program shares economics Nobel Prize JENNIFER DAWOOD news staff writer A researcher for Virginia Tech has become the first woman to be awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Elinor Ostrom, 76, was awarded the honor along with Oliver E. Williamson, professor at the University of California, Berkeley. As a researcher for the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program, Ostrom set out with a team to examine how policy reforms in varying communities around the world affect forest sustainability and survivability for forest users. Working with a $1.2 million grant issued by Tech from January 2006 to December 2009, Ostrom has worked in Uganda, Kenya, Mexico and Bolivia. Tech’s Office of International Research, Education and Development is managing the program. Ostrom analyzed different government and policy systems in varying communities that are all dependent on the health of
WILLIAMSON
OSTROM
forestry for survival. Her research included interviewing the actual members of the communities to understand their needs and concerns as forest users, and further, measuring the health of the forests and the forests’ economic returns to the people. In determining what government policies will best protect and sustain the health of forests while efficiently regulating their use, Ostrom and her team found that the gains of resource management and ownership vary greatly between local and centralized government control in differing communities. “Ultimately, the team discovered there is no ‘universal best policy’ that will work
for all communities,” said Theo Dillaha, program director. He has traveled to Southeast Asia and Latin America with Ostrom. By taking into account the livelihood of the forests and the history of the people who use them, Ostrom’s team is able to develop and propose policies in varying communities that affect positive management of resources, and subsequently reduce and resolve resource conflicts. While some areas work well with strong, centralized government policies to manage resources, others are promoting the decentralization of government control to give the local people greater ownership of resources — something that often times results in a greater protection of the resources. “A large reason for exploitation of resources,” Dillaha said, “is due to the insecurities of forest users due to (experiencing) inconsistent resource management policies.” Ostrom still shows no signs of stopping. “Her team has this incredible respect and love for her,” Dillaha said. He also said Tech offered her the grant because of her incredible work in this field of study.
Town officials are considering a proposed downtown incentives program to establish downtown Blacksburg as a tourism district. The ordinance would offer incentives and rebates to encourage certain retail and arts businesses to open in the downtown commercial area. A public hearing on the tourism district is scheduled for Nov. 10. “Our goal is to establish a tourism district and provide incentives for qualified businesses in that tourism district,” said Anne McClung, Blacksburg director of planning and building. Virginia allows for certain special purpose districts to be created in each town. In Blacksburg, the tourism district would cover virtually the same area as the downtown commercial zoning area. This area starts around the currently vacant Blacksburg Middle School and runs along Main Street until it meets Prices Fork Road. The businesses that are qualified under this ordinance are mainly arts-related or are general retail sales. The qualified arts-related businesses include fine arts studios, personal improvement services, such as dance lesson centers or art instruction facilities, and theaters or concert halls. Each business that wishes to open in this district must have a minimal capital investment in its plan of $15,000. “We felt like this was a minimal investment for someone to be serious about improving the downtown district and building new businesses downtown,” McClung said. This money, however, can be reimbursed or rebated through the town of Blacksburg. Monetary factors, such as certain taxes, permit fees, site plan fees and water/sewer connection fees, can later be reimbursed through the town. If the town council passes the ordinance, an education program will be implemented to further communicate the benefits and opportunities new businesses have in the district. Its purpose will be to encourage new businesses to come downtown and promote the incentives embedded in the ordinance. “We would want the program to be easily digest-
ible and to serve as a recruitment guide for new businesses,” said Leslie Hager-Smith, vice mayor of Blacksburg. If the ordinance should pass, the education program would be immediately put into place upon its adoption. The ordinance has been in the works since August when it was first discussed. The Nov. 10 hearing will bring public opinion before the town council. “We did a marketing survey a few years ago and found that a third of the people who come downtown are students, a third of them are permanent residents and a third are people who come to town to visit as tourists,” said town councilwoman Susan Anderson. “This gives you a nice mix of people coming downtown. There’s a target audience to pick up on.” Although restaurants are not a part of the qualified businesses for the district, plans to recruit some restaurants to occupy space in the district are being made for the future. “We won’t be courting more calzone restaurants, since we already have those downtown,” Hager-Smith said. “We will target our interests in fine dining, which is the sector more and more people keep asking for.” The incentives ordinance will also provide opportunities for further initiatives in the future, such as a proposed arts district. “This incentives package is part of a bigger plan, and this is only one piece of trying to work on downtown,” Anderson said. “Our downtown is in great shape. It’s not because it’s in terrible shape, but we can make it better.” The town council will further discuss the proposed ordinance at the public hearing. If it does pass, it will be effective immediately, and qualified businesses will start planning and eventually building. “We’ve done some research in looking at other downtowns, and our downtown is delightful,” McClung said. “Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses, and everyone is unique. The biggest lesson is what is the character of your downtown and how do you support and promote that. But I always come home and say, ‘I love our downtown.’ Downtown is the heart of your community. Anytime you have a throbbing, successful downtown, it benefits the entire community.”
Hokies in the line of ‘Fire’
Hokies on Fire held auditions Tuesday night. The 55 candidates went through an interview process, attempting to win one of 15 spots. photo by roy higashi
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new river valley news editor: zach crizer university editor: philipp kotlaba newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
october 14, 2009
COLLEGIATETIMES
Derby: Like rugby, with more fashion from page one
“and execute your blocks and get your jammer through and not be penalized and not cause fouls. All the while trying to stay in bounds, so it’s pretty intense.” Smith, a Virginia Tech alumna, leads an active life outside of the playing field. She’s also a Weight Watchers team leader and a mother of three. She said playing derby helps relieve her of stress. “As a mom with three young kids whose husband’s on the road all the time,” Smith said, “I needed something just for me — for stress relief, and you can’t have a stressed-out mom.” She played competitive sports as a child and said derby has given her something that many other sports can’t. “There isn’t a lot of options out there, especially for women,” Smith said. “There’s nothing that’s kind of hardcore competitive. So you have a choice: You either find something like derby or you live your sports through your kids. You can be one of those psycho soccer moms that’s yelling ‘kill the other kids.’” Smith said that it’s better for her to be on the playing field because she can be aggressive, knock people down, relive stress and exercise. As soothing as derby is to Smith, she and her teammates aren’t afraid to take hits, and getting bruised is just part of the game. Indeed, Smith fell on her back during their Sept. 27 bout and got right back up afterwards. The NRV Roller Girls wear the scars and bruises with pride. “It’s kind of like badges of courage and war wounds,” Smith said. One of the most common team ailments is derby rash, which is defined as marks the fishnets leave after the girls fall and slide across the hard floor of a rink. While Smith has never been injured during a game, her other players cannot say the same. Kacey “I.M. Pain” Huntington, who takes her nickname from architect I.M. Pei, joined the team in July and broke her ankle in a September bout. A master’s student in architecture, Huntington said that even though it might get nasty on the rink, derby is ultimately a team sport. “No matter what happens on the track, after the bout everyone is friends,” Huntington said. “After the last bout, the girl that knocked me down and essentially broke my leg, she came up to me, and we talked, and there’s, like, no hard feelings with it. The girls we’re skating with today, I’ve already talked to half of them and given them hugs.”
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Schiffert to stop verifying absences
Check out the CT’s website at www.collegiatetimes.com to see a video of the derby girls.
She plans to get back into the rink after she has healed and said the sport helps more than just her body. “You get an instant confidence boost as soon you step out there,” Huntington said. “People are coming to watch you, and you are slamming into these girls.” Meghan “Ms. Feminazti” Jones works at Rainbow Riders daycare in Blacksburg and said she feels resilient in the rink. Her nickname encompasses both sides of her dual personas, which derby allows her to play. “I think I’m a strong, empowered woman, and I’m a hard hitter,” Jones said. “I’m a force to be reckoned with, and I’m a little nasty out there. I think the ‘Ms.’ part came because I’m a teacher, and I get called ‘Ms.’ every day.” She said derby promotes not only sportsmanship and athleticism, but strengthens the players’ feminine sides. “This is a sport that really promotes individuality and being a strong woman, and it’s just our way of getting to express ourselves out on the track,” Jones said. “I just like skating in a tutu. I don’t think to be a feminist or a strong woman you have to come out in camo pants. You don’t have to look like a typical feminist. You can look feminine and be strong.” Although the sport promotes each player’s unique characteristics, Jones said they still play as a single team. “It’s a strong woman’s sport where you’re promoted to be an individual in it, but at the same time play as a team,” Jones said. “For the women that participate in it, it’s really changed a lot of people’s lives. It’s also given me an outlet. I don’t have to worry about being myself around these people and worry that I’m being judged for it.” Kimberly Andersson, a second year industrial design major said her nickname “Geek Gone Wild!” refers to her studiousness. “I’m a pretty dorky girl,” Andersson said. “My entire time is spent in studio or here.” Andersson said she has yet to skate in an official bout, but she enjoys derby and has seen it change her physique. “My thighs are pretty much rock-hard right now,” Andersson said. “It’s a really hard workout. It’s a lot of cardio and a lot of strength. I built up muscle pretty quickly. It hurts your shins when you first start because it’s a lot of different movement.”
[news in brief] Schiffert Health Center and the Dean of Students Office will no longer issue absence verification notes for students who miss class for the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu. An e-mail sent to faculty and staff Friday morning stated that this change of policy is because of the overwhelming volume of flu cases on campus. Ed Spencer, vice president for student affairs, said the volume of students seen for flu-like symptoms is “so high. They just couldn’t keep up.” While the health center is generally able to issue absence verification notes, the e-mail stated that they are currently too busy seeing and treating patients to take the time to write a note for every student. Additionally, many students who think they are sick self-isolate themselves and seek verification notes via telephone. The health center, however, cannot write notes without having face-to-face contact with sick students. “If students think they are sick, it may be best not to come to the center,” Spencer said. The Dean of Students Office writes non-medical-related absence notes as well as verification notes
for long-term medical situations, such as hospitalization, and it will continue to assist students in those areas. However, the email stated that “Dean of Students staff members are not medically trained” and are therefore unable to provide shortterm absence verification notes associated with contracting the flu. The statement went on to say that “reliance on the honor system is the logical alternative” and that “the final decision as to whether an absence is legitimate remains the prerogative of the faculty member.” Spencer said the health center has seen around 1,000 students with flulike symptoms so far this semester. This estimate does not include students who have called to be triaged via telephone. An estimate on confirmed cases was not available. The Schiffert Health Center encourages students to self-isolate until at least 24 hours after their fever is gone. Students with more severe symptoms should call the health center for guidance rather than going to the health center in person. The first flu vaccine clinic will be held Oct. 27 in Squires Student Center. by liana bayne
LUKE MASON/SPPS
“KILLnitzki” from the Rocktown Rollers, a team from Harrisonburg, Va., puts on makeup before a Sept. 27 bout. The Rollers lost, 139-64. As a former rugby player, Andersson has participated in aggressive sports, but she said derby holds a special place in her heart. “I love derby,” she said. “I absolutely love derby. It’s just as violent, but we get cooler outfits.” Team captain and founder Shilo “Speed Junkie” Atkinson said her favorite part of her outfit was her checkered underwear, which is reminiscent of a racecar flag and meshed well with her other checkered clothing. Atkinson, who is also a nurse at the Western Virginia Regional Jail, founded the team in February 2007. There were only four women at its first practice. Now it has 21 people on the roster. Atkinson, is hoping to get her team certified, have it qualify for regional and national competitions, raise awareness of roller derby and increase their fan base. About 30 people watched the NRV Roller Girls’ Sept. 26 bout. Kimberly
Taylor, fan and cousin of teammember “1/4 Pound-Her,” said she stands by her relative’s sport of choice and enjoys watching roller derby games. “It’s fun to see her and support her and to watch the girls on the opposing team get their ass kicked,” Taylor said. Pam “Sonic Wave” Ashley, has been a team member for one year and spent 35 minutes painting her face to look like a skull. When asked what she was going for with her look, she answered with one word: intimidation. Ashley, a stay-at-home mom, said she wasn’t sure how the opposing team felt about her makeup, but she was sure she scared a few of the younger derby spectators. “I feel bad for that,” Ashley said. “I’ve skated against them before, and I feel like they knew what to expect out of me.” Her final thought before she headed out on the rink: Kick ass.
Dining hoping to hear student opinion Students can give feedback about Virginia Tech dining services today during Table Talk Live. Throughout the day, students will be able to give their opinions in person to members of Housing and Dining Services. Students who participate also have a chance of winning a football signed by Frank Beamer. The purpose of the event is to get as many student opinions as possible about how dining services is doing its job. The feedback that it receives will potentially make changes in what is served and how it is done. “It’s something that we do annually, and it’s a way for us to reach out to the students,” said Ted Faulkner, associate director of dining services. “Some changes can be implemented immediately and will be seen in a matter of days, and others may take weeks or months.”
For breakfast, Table Talk Live will be in D2, Deet’s Place, Shultz Express and Squires Food Court. During lunch and dinner, it will be at all dining services locations. There is also a late night session, which will be in both Deet’s Place and DXpress. Table Talk Live will consist of special tables set up so that students can walk up and talk with Dining Services management. “We’ll have tables manned with management and we’ll have chairs so that students can come over and sit down and talk with us,” Faulkner said. “Each case is individual, and we’ll take the time to speak with all of them for as long as it takes.” Students who cannot attend any of these sessions can make an appointment with a manager to give their feedback. by claire sanderson
opınıons 3
editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 14, 2009
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letter to the editor]
‘Smart growth’ in Blacksburg What does “smart growth” mean, anyway? In 2002, developer Bob Pack made plans for a 100,000square-foot, two-building complex known as Kent Square. He envisioned office, retail and residential spaces in close proximity and sought $2 million in public funds for a 380-space parking garage for downtown shoppers and residents. While some described the compact, mixed-use development as a prime example of “smart growth,” not everyone supported Pack’s vision for downtown Blacksburg. Opponents argued that the three-story structure would erode Blacksburg’s small town charm. With time the controversy subsided, and the two Kent Square buildings opened in 2004 and 2005, respectively. But the tug of war between developers who stand to profit from new construction and residents who wish to protect the character and property values of their neighborhoods continues, with the renewed debate over a big-box store in Blacksburg as the latest struggle. The term “smart growth,” which has particular importance as Virginia Tech and the town of Blacksburg celebrate Sustainability Week, appears as both rallying cry and pejorative in the public debate, often without sufficient explanation. Before the 1970s, most community leaders took an approach to urban planning that moved neighborhoods farther and farther from the city center, relied on automobiles as the primary form of transporta-
tion and divided commercial and residential areas based on use. Smart growth — which favors long-range planning, regional needs, public health and environmental stewardship — emerged as an alternative to urban sprawl. Smart growth does not mean “no growth,” but it does mean that we should encourage economic development and maintain our quality of life at the same time. We must elect leaders to the Blacksburg Town Council who will support mixed-use development, preserve our neighborhoods, offer housing opportunities for residents of all income levels, conserve green and open space and improve access to public and alternative transportation. Yet, smart growth is not the only way to ensure that Blacksburg has a sustainable future. For starters, we must find a way to extend the downtown recycling pilot program to the rest of Blacksburg, reduce greenhouse gas emissions as promised under the Cool Cities initiative and Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and lead by example with green, energy-efficient building practices. Most importantly, though, we must educate citizens about how their decisions affect the community at large and empower them to make choices that, using the United Nations’ definition of sustainable development, “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Michael Sutphin Town council candidate Alumnus, communication ‘06
Peace Prize will add pressure to Obama T
he Norwegian Nobel committee has done President Obama no favor by awarding him the 2009 Peace Prize. The committee bestowed the prize for Obama’s intentions, not his achievements — since nominations were closed right after he took office. Committee members wanted to build support for his efforts to promote “a new climate in international politics.” The award is an obvious rebuke to the unilateralism of the Bush presidency, and an endorsement of Obama’s pledge to pursue diplomacy and dialogue and to seek a world without nuclear weapons. Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said the members wanted to act now to boost Obama’s policies because “it could be too late to respond three years from now.” But can the award really advance Obama’s goals? Nothing more clearly demonstrates the gap between Nobel hopes and on-the-ground reality than the fact that the prize was announced on a day when Obama was holding White House talks about strategy in Afghanistan. Obama may seek dialogue, and may even encourage Afghan reconciliation with low and mid-level Taliban. However, senior Taliban leaders and al-Qaeda aren’t interested in compromises. They want to take control of Afghanistan and use it to destabilize Pakistan, and get hold of that country’s nuclear weapons. Nobel Prize be damned. The peace prize may enhance Obama’s appeal to rational actors in the international community who play by global rules. But the ideologues of the current Iranian regime want to play by their own rules. Leaders who are focused on narrow national goals, like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, don’t act like good global citizens. Any Kremlin deal on cutting nuclear weapons will be based on realpolitik, not Nobel medals. It will symbolize aspirations that President Obama can’t meet for reasons that are often beyond his control, and reflect the mess he inherited from his predecessor. It will intensify the weight of global expectations on a president already overburdened. And the award has already sparked a round of churlish charges that the president didn’t deserve it from some Republicans and a few Democrats. (Mercifully, Sen. John McCain pointed out, with characteristic graciousness, that Americans should be proud when their president “receives an award of that prestigious category.”) No wonder senior U.S. officials were stunned by the unexpected announcement. No wonder
Obama said, “This is not how I expected to wake up this morning.” I’ll bet he was also thinking: “Do I really need this?” The president rightly observed that the prize was not a reward for his accomplishments but rather “a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century,” including the twin threats of terrorism and nuclear weapons, and the dangers posed by climate change. He repeated his call for “a new era of engagement” in which all nations take responsibility for confronting these threats. Yet the reason the Nobel committee rushed to give him a premature peace prize is the same reason his calls for engagement often ring hollow: most nations are unwilling to engage. They don’t want to take up their global responsibilities, don’t want to give up their economic advantages, don’t view the threats the same way. The Norwegian Nobel committee is desperately looking to Obama because he embodies their last best hope in a world that seems condemned to continued ethnic and religious conflicts, as the global economy flounders. The committee realizes the danger of a world without any superpowers, in which Russia, China, Europe and emerging nations go their own selfish way. It wants an American superpower to lead, but wants a leadership whose vision it admires. This puts a huge burden on Obama: his vision requires the great powers to recognize their common interests. “He has changed the tone of U.S. foreign policy,” as former Sen. Sam Nunn said, “and reshaped the global focus and debate.” But will others follow his lead? The answer will depend on Obama’s strengths, about which we’re still learning. At best the prize will burnish his overseas aura and may help on the margins. At worst, it will serve as a sobering reminder that dialogue is not magic, even though it’s worth trying. So Obama was wise to downplay the prize, and stress that it was awarded for a vision, not an individual. He was also wise to stress that he must focus on America’s problems. The Nobel is nice but won’t help resolve his most pressing issues. Despite the good intentions of the Nobel committee, Obama must operate in the real world.
TRUDY RUBIN -McClatchy-Tribune
MCT CAMPUS
Graduates students’ needs in housing must be priority A
s a master’s student and member of the Graduate Student Assembly, I care a great deal about the maintenance of a thriving graduate community at Virginia Tech. One of the most important things that can be done to continue the great work that has made the graduate student population so vital for this institution is to provide more appropriate housing opportunities. Much has been done in recent years to create a truly special graduate community at Tech. Under the leadership of Dean Karen DePauw, the uniquely beneficial Graduate Life Center has been implemented, as well as programs like Transformative Graduate Education, which has introduced a host of interdisciplinary educational opportunities that were not previously available. However, in order to accommodate the large student body within this graduate community, both Tech and the town of Blacksburg have to work together to provide more realistic housing opportunities. “Most of the recent increase in enrollment, proportionally, has been with graduate students,” DePauw said. At the very base of the issue we have more grad students entering school each year, which alone would justify a serious look at new housing. Yet, merely addressing the sheer amount of housing is not the solution. What grad students at Tech need are more options for a type of living environment that is conducive to the lifestyle that most of us live. With many grad students having spouses and children, and
virtually all of us needing a relatively quiet atmosphere to accommodate our studies and a generally more standard day schedule, the more undergraduate-oriented housing options throughout Blacksburg are less than ideal. The massive apartment communities around town — such as Foxridge — are great for those in the midst of their undergraduate years, but they don’t provide a great environment for family life or for those on a businesslike schedule. On-campus housing is, understandably, not an ideal family environment either. With dorm and suite living arrangements, the logistical problems for families, or even couples (no kitchen, often no private restrooms, etc.), are difficult to overcome. With the combination of our need to accommodate the massive undergraduate population at Tech and the geographically compact nature of the campus, it isn’t easy to just build more living space strictly for graduate students. Additionally, according to Rebecca French, graduate representative to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, since the New River Valley lacks many of the firms and industries that could employ many young professionals, it is even more difficult for graduate students with spouses and family members to find work opportunities. French also said, “You can live inexpensively in Blacksburg, but it usually requires roommates to be affordable. And renting an entire house on a graduate student’s stipend is not at all affordable.” So for a student, or couple, or an entire
family, where do they go to find quiet, affordable living space? Fortunately, the university administration is considering some innovative proposals to address the housing issue, such as with the notion of public/ private housing partnerships. DePauw said this type of arrangement “doesn’t necessarily need to be on-campus, but has to be connected to the university.” Therefore, new off-campus housing (where there is more space and flexibility of planning than on-campus) could be planned with the input of university decision-makers, which could pay big dividends for graduate students looking for new housing options. In the end, we want to be able to recruit the best possible master’s and doctorate candidates. To do this, we must provide greater opportunities to secure housing arrangements conducive to how most graduate students live. And if both Tech and Blacksburg can work together to accomplish this, we might just create a full niche of students whose careers and family lives prompt them to stay in Blacksburg for the long term, which would benefit both the institution and town tremendously.
MICHAEL SAGE -regular columnist -grad student -international affairs
News channels should not be like entertainment networks T
he news we get, especially news comes from the large 24-hour network television stations, has become less and less about news and more and more about entertainment. In an effort to fill the complete 24 hours of the day, the news has become diluted with less substantial pieces, and the news channels have traded journalism for something akin to reality TV. While this is a problem that is seen mostly in television, it is one that affects all branches of our news as print and electronic media try to compete against their television counterpart. News agencies have started creating controversy where there should be none. When they cannot create their own controversies, they quickly find someone who is willing to do it for them. At the best, these so-called controversies are a waste of time as they supplant more important news, and at the worst they distract from or entirely destroy rational debate. In creating these controversies, it is often a requirement to raise one side up to a more believable level no matter how unreasonable the person’s position is. As a prime example, Orly Taitz, one of the leaders of the right-wing movement known colloquially as the “birther movement,” has gotten hours upon hours of air time — and not just on the right-leaning news stations where she might find the most sympathy for her views. For those of you who don’t know this woman, she has claimed that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S., making him an illegitimate president. She claims all this despite the fact that Obama presented a birth certificate during the elections and
produced two separate newspapers announcing his birth in Hawaii in 1961. She has tried so hard to grasp at straws that she has used obviously forged evidence to try to prove her theories. While Taitz’s time in the sun has begun to recede, she stands as a testament to the lack of intellectual discretion of our media. To make matters worse, we have entire stations devoted to telling us exactly what we want to hear. We watch them in order to stoke the fires of our passions that we think we want stoked. Many people watch these heavily biased stations not just because they want news, but also to validate their fears and hopes. The people who rely solely on these news outlets are rubes, suckers and fools. By relying too strongly on a single source, people become beholden to that source. In exchange for having our egos stroked, we find it too easy to give up what we need the most: truth. We choose to forget that, when we tune into partisan blowhards, we risk — and often succeed — in giving up real news for entertainment. The result of this form of news is that we have partisan commentators who are often not delineated from actual news anchors and journalists, whose opinions are often intermixed with or sometimes presented as the news in confusing ways. In evaluating the comments of these people and their guests, we cannot afford to give them the same credence that we would give to a true journalist. In other words, to find the truth it is not simply a matter of averaging together different reports as some might have you believe. Some
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Opinions and persuasive debate are an important part of an open society; however, it is important that we take note of when opinion starts and the news stops.
sources are just too unbelievable to even accept as possible. Fortunately, it can be as easy as looking at the bias of a source and comparing it to other non-biased sources. Opinions and persuasive debate are an important part of an open society; however, it is important that we take note of when opinion starts and the news stops. Fortunately, in many newspapers, this delineation is clear and pieces such as this column and many like it are in a clearly marked “opinions section,” although in other forms of media it may not be so easy. Sometimes opinion becomes all that an agency offers. Such agencies can be dangerous. While an unbiased source is always best, when one is unavailable it is important not to consume news from only one kind of bias. Sometimes the best thing we can do to educate ourselves is to avail ourselves of the news that we like least.
PATRICK BUTLER -regular columnist -grad student -computer science
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features 5
editors: topher forhecz, teresa tobat featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
Cut, light and puff: Cigar club catches breath at Champs MATTHEW BORYSEWICZ features staff writer Club obligations don’t get much easier than Virginia Tech’s Cigar Club. Nearly 20 students gather every week at Champs Sports Bar downtown to do what they love: smoke cigars and chat with friends. “That’s what it’s about, getting together and smoking cigars,” said club member and senior aerospace engineering major Sam Kantor between puffs on his cigar. “Occasionally we meet at places other than Champs or get together and play poker or mini golf. It’s like a fraternity, only less expensive.” The Cigar Club was founded seven years ago with the help of Joe Nazare of Blacksburg Pipe & Tobacco, who at the time owned Champs. Since then, it has been tradition for the club to meet there and the club is lucky to have Champs considering the recently-passed legislation banning smoking in restaurants and bars unless there is a separate smoking room with a separate ventilation system. “(The new law) was a big concern last year,” Kantor said, “but Champs set up proper ventilation down here.” The downstairs ventilation system is separate from the upstairs bar, which means smoking is allowed. “Champs actually used to be three separate stores which means it already had separate ventilation so it was easy to set up,” said Judson Stutts who tends the bar for the club every Wednesday. “It’s actually one of the
MICHAEL MCDERMOTT/SPPS
Junior in aerospace engineering Tom Kasmer, Cigar Club president, enjoys a cigar while Cigar Club vice president Ariel Brown, a sophomore in geosciences, enjoys a pipe at the club’s meeting in Champs. few bars in Blacksburg that could do that and I enjoy having the club here.” The club has grown from a couple of cigar aficionados to a group that nearly fills the smoking bar, and this year seems to show the largest club yet, said junior aerospace engineering Tom Kasmer, the current president of the club. “Cigars are different from cigarettes,” he said. “I don’t smoke cigarettes.” “When you smoke a cigar, you’re not getting all the artificial things put into cigarettes,” said former president and senior accounting major Zac Kelly. “It’s an artisan product, someone crafted it by hand.”
The club isn’t solely about relaxation though. Once a year the club hosts a fundraiser for the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation called “Smoke Out Poverty.” The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation is a charity that funds education as well as health care and nutrition funding to poverty-stricken communities in the Dominican Republic where tobacco and cigar making comprises a large portion of the economy. The club sets up on the Drillfield with a table and a few signs, giving away cigars in exchange for donations. The event takes place Nov. 18 and cigar company representatives will be present.
[ HOW TO SMOKE A CIGAR PROPERLY ] 1) CUT a small portion off the tip. It is important that the cigar does not come apart. 2) LIGHT with either matches or a butane lighter. Normal lighter fluid will affect taste. 3) PUFF lightly while lighting the end uniformly so the cigar does not burn unevenly.
MICHAEL MCDERMOTT/SPPS
Cigar Club President Tom Kasmer, a junior in aerospace engineering (center), enjoys a cigar and conversation with Gregg Allen, sophomore in building construction (left), and Dave Powell, senior in mechanical and systems engineering, at Champs.
6 sports
editors: joe crandley, alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 14, 2009
Men’s soccer falls to best team in the land in tough outing The Zips sealed the victory in the 80th minute when midfielder Blair Gavin scored top-shelf on a penalty kick, which resulted from a foul by the Hokies’ senior defender Alexander Baden. “Obviously it was tough to garner any momentum after the second goal,” Brizendine said. “It’s very difficult to get anything going against a team like Akron that late into the game. We were worn out by that point as well. We put all of our energy into trying to score an equalizing goal. When they scored again, that was really the dagger.” Akron out-shot the Hokies 18-9 in the contest. Junior defender James Shupp led Tech with two shots. “I think we had ample opportunities,” Brizendine said. “I was happy with those. We just didn’t finish any of them.” Tech committed 11 fouls to the visitors’ five. Redshirt junior midfielder Charlie Campbell and freshman defender David Fiorello each received yellow cards. Making his second consecutive start between the pipes for the Hokies, Caulfield collected six saves, doubling his total for the season. In his second contest since being regulated to play in the field, goalkeeper-turned-forward Brendan Dunn notched one shot on the night. “If I don’t like how any of our players are playing, I’ll pull them off. I thought (Caulfield and Dunn) both played very well.” The unanimously-voted topranked team in the nation made the nearly five-hour-and-45-minute drive from Akron, Ohio, to Blacksburg accompanied by nearly 50 student supporters.
ED LUPIEN sports reporter The opportunity to play spoiler and massively impact the college soccer landscape eluded the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team Tuesday night as the Hokies lost to No. 1 Akron 2-0 at Thompson Field. “We’ve come a long way (since the beginning of the season),” head coach Michael Brizendine said. “Defensively, although we gave up two goals, we’re starting to figure some things out. Akron is the best team in the country and I thought we put them under some pressure at various points of the game, but we just weren’t able to sustain any momentum.” Tech played the Zips scoreless for the first 36 minutes of play before highly-touted Akron forward Teal Bunbury netted a ball from 40 feet out, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Bunbury was assisted by teammate Kofi Sarkodie, who lobbed the ball over the Tech defense to his teammate who in turn found himself all alone with the Hokies’ senior goalkeeper Stefan Caulfield. “He’s extremely talented,” Brizendine said of Bunbury. “I could say that for a lot of their players though. They move well and are very technical. Their coach has done a very good job of recruiting excellent players.” Tech was unable to produce a successful offensive attack on the Zips’ defense, which limited the Hokies to four shots in the first half. “Even after we went down a goal, I thought we responded well,” Brizendine said. “We kept them off the board early in the second half and kept our composure.”
NIELS GORAN BLUME/SPPS
Redshirt junior midfielder Charlie Campbell chases an Akron player. The zips maintained their No. 1 ranking despite Tech’s best effort. For his 10th shutout of the season, Akron goalkeeper David Meves saved three shots-on-goal. The freshman leads the nation averaging 0.19 goals allowed per game. Currently, Akron, now 12-0-0, is averaging three goals scored per game while allowing two goals all season. As a team, Akron leads the
Mid-American Conference in nearly every offensive category. The Hokies have lost their last four contests and are now 3-7-2 on the season. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve lost four in a row,” Brizendine said. “The effort has been excellent, and we’ve really come together. I thought in our last contest we made great strides, although I
wasn’t pleased with the result. We still have some very important games, especially in our conference. I think we are going to do some things. “It doesn’t matter if you are winning games outside of the conference,” Brizendine said. “All our eggs are in that ACC basket. We are going to attack the conference, try to get into
the middle of the standings, and get into a good position for the conference tournament. At this point, if we’re going to make the NCAA tournament, we’ve got to win our conference tournament.” Tech returns to conference play when it hosts in-state rival No. 13 Virginia Saturday night.
Tech basketball kicks off practice with ‘Late Night’ MICHAEL BEALEY sports staff writer Each year, Virginia Tech fans are treated to the intensity and competitiveness of Atlantic Coast Conference basketball inside Cassell Coliseum. On Friday, Oct. 16, the Tech men’s and women’s basketball teams will host “Late Night with the Hokies,” which will show a different, more relaxed side of the teams. The event will kick off at 9 p.m. following the Tech volleyball match against Georgia Tech and will last approximately one hour. The event is free, and the first 3,000 fans will receive a special “Late Night with the Hokies” T-shirt.
There will be introductions from both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. In addition to the introductions, an imitation dunk-contest, a “Dancing With the Stars”-style competition and a scrimmage featuring the men’s basketball team will take place. One lucky student gets the opportunity to shoot a half-court shot to win free textbooks for a year. Senior guard Paul Debnam, who entertained the crowd last year with an impression of men’s head basketball coach Seth Greenberg, is looking forward to “fun and laughter.” “Honestly, it’s kind of like a chance for us to let our hair down because practice actually starts the next day,” Debnam said. “So, we’re just going
to have fun and have a good time with it, and we have something special in store for the freshmen. I feel like ‘Late Night with the Hokies’ ... brings that extra anticipation for the season.” This is the second “Late Night with the Hokies” event under Greenberg. “I think it’s just a great way to gain ownership from our student body, give our players a chance to interact with our student body, and also for our students to see another side of our players because it’s not just about basketball, it’s about having fun,” Greenberg said. “I’m not a big Midnight Madness guy, but this is a small thing I can do for them to give them a sneak preview of our team and also have some fun with it.” Midnight Madness signifies the first day the NCAA allows formal basketball practices, and many of the top basketball programs schedule special events to celebrate this. For example, the University of Kansas’ “Late Night in the Phog” and University of Kentucky’s “Big Blue Madness” will be broadcast on ESPNU. The basketball tradition surrounding these schools is so incredible that fans from Kentucky even camped out for their Midnight Madness tickets weeks in advance — they sold out in 45 minutes. “I think we’re still in the developing stages,” Greenberg said. “We’re not where we want to be, but we’re sure not where we were.” “We need to establish some traditions, and I’m hoping ‘Late Night’ is one of those,” he said. “We want it to be a fun evening with surprises. I use ‘Late Night’ as kind of like an exhibition game for the students in that we’ve got unbelievable energy on our campus right now. Our team is in the midst of competing and
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having a chance to compete for a national championship in football one game at a time. Well, we’ve also got to get them now to ... get ready to whoop and holler and get excited about basketball.” Midnight Madness has also been a significant event for basketball recruiting. According to Scout.com, 160 of the top basketball recruits attended Midnight Madness events in 2007. “We’ve had recruits (go) to it,” Greenberg said. “It will help recruiting when we put 10,000 in Cassell for it. ... We don’t have the traditions those places have, but we’re building a tradition, and we’re building it one student at a time.” In August, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams moved to a new $21 million practice facility. The 49,000-square-foot facility and the continuing tradition of “Late Night” are aimed to help Tech compete with other teams in the ACC. “It’s going to help us prepare for the season,” Debnam said. “We actually have our own space now. I feel like we got a point to make. ... We have our own little foundation.” Arguably the highlight of the evening will be when players from the men’s and women’s teams participate in a “Dancing with the Stars” competition. Although coach Greenberg will not be participating in the dancing portion of the competition, he gave his thoughts on a dance battle between himself and head football coach Frank Beamer. “We would probably have different styles,” Greenberg said. “Coach (Beamer) would probably be a little more laid back. That would not be a pretty sight for either of us I would suspect.” Paul Debnam had only one final thought on the festivities of “Late Night with the Hokies.” “Get your popcorn ready ’cause it’s going to be a show,” Debnam said. “That’s all I can tell you.”
LUKE MASON/SPPS
Utahya Drye drives to the hoop against USC Upstate on Feb. 2.
KYLE MAXEY/SPPS
Malcolm Delaney puts up a shot against Baylor on March 21, 2009.