Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Print Edition

COLLEGIATETIMES Tuesday, November 17, 2009

EXAMINING THE BLUEPRINT FOR A NEW DECADE IN BLACKSBURG TIMES EGIATE L L O C H/ BAKHS NOOR A IN M

ALL STORIES BY ZACH CRIZER | nrv news editor in

Ideals await successful implementation “Smart growth”

policies appear

certain to shape Blacksburg’s future, but the policy makers who used those buzzwords to earn seats on the town coun-

cil must now define them in tough economic times.

The seven-member Blacksburg Town Council will not have to argue the merits of smart growth, as all the members have advocated for or practiced aspects of the local governing strategy.

By its broadest definition, smart growth consists of concentrating development near the center of a town to avoid sprawl. The strategy tends to encourage mixed-use land development near established transportation infrastructure, as well as the conservation of green space.

Mixed-use development typically involves a combination of residential and commercial space.

The council will be tasked with expanding business opportunities in a down economy.

Many retail tenants may be hesitant to consider Blacksburg since the Virginia Supreme Court decision in March that ruled Fairmount Properties, the developer of First & Main, could not build a big-box store without applying for a special-use permit.

Mayor Ron Rordam, who won an unopposed bid for reelection on Election Day, said smart growth does not work against larger developments such as First & Main.

“I think there is plenty of middle ground,” Rordam said. “I think First & Main, South Main Street, University Mall and downtown Blacksburg ... don’t compete. If something goes on at First & Main, it’s not going to take away from downtown.”

Instead, Rordam envisions bringing the areas together into a continuous downtown area.

“I think they all complement each other,” Rordam said, “but we need to find a way to tie them all together.”

He said First & Main is a key development for the town’s future.

“I think it is vital to the town that First & Main be successful,” Rordam said. “I think we need to start working in tandem now to see how we make them successful. The last thing you want is a vacant shopping center as you come into town.”

Karen Hult is a political science professor at Virginia Tech and a local government scholar. According to Hult, the First & Main area’s potential is currently limited because of its isolation.

“I think what would really benefit First & Main is to develop better links with the rest of downtown,” Hult said.

The Nov. 3 elections saw incumbent councilwoman Susan Anderson reelected, with Cecile Newcomb, Krisha Chachra and John Bush also grabbing seats on a council already consisting of Vice Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith and council member Don Langrehr.

Rordam completes the future council, which will take office in January and seems likely to continue the incumbent administration’s growth policies.

Only Chachra has shown support for any sort of large format development at First & Main. During the campaign, Chachra said she would

push for a movie theater to anchor the center of the area.

Hult says the town needs to begin filling the downtown area.

“The downtown area looks as though it’s dying to the outside eye,” Hult said. “(There are) lots of vacant storefronts and lots of arguments about what goes into those vacant storefronts.”

Opportunities appear to be on the horizon for the council to fill some town locations with smart growth projects, however. The town’s most notable infill site, or a vacant site inside the range of town development, may soon be in the council’s hands.

The town could soon acquire ownership rights to the old Blacksburg Middle School property, which is currently held by Montgomery County Public Schools. School board officials could discuss the transfer at tonight’s meeting.

Bush, who advocated for a mixeduse development on the property during the campaign, said green space should be a major consideration because of the property’s scenic locaBLACKSBURG 2046 tion.

Blacksburg’s Comprehensive Plan, which visualizes land use in 2046, shows goals for increased residential and mixed-use space in town.

“I’d like to see as much of that saved as possible, having it be a part of the town and maybe the county’s recreation and parks system,” Bush said.

He also said the large site could be divided up into portions for commercial development and mixed-use housing. irginia Tech’s Center for “I think it is important that what we the Arts is expected to set a do there meets the needs of the town new tempo for Blacksburg, but doesn’t infringe on established although many other supporting neighborhoods,” Bush said. parts are needed for the new venue The middle school property would to revitalize North Main Street. offer another chance for the town to Ruth Waalkes, executive director create mixed-use land by working of the center, said many people hile Virginia Tech’s Center with a developer. Bush said the town’s anticipate an increase in local activfor the Arts is planning ways citizens voted for him, Newcomb and ity as a result of the new venue. to draw customers, the town of Anderson because they would put “There is a lot of conversation, Blacksburg is looking for ways to strathe community’s initiatives above the and I think expectation, that havtegically place the customers’ vehicles. developer’s hopes for profit. ing the Center for the Arts here, Ruth Waalkes, executive director of “We need to be in control of that having that presence, will actually the arts center, said local developer destiny,” Bush said. “This is a huge be an engine for economic develBob Pack is working with the school COURTESY VIRGINIA TECH opportunity and I think one we need opment in the town,” Waalkes said. An artist’s rendering conceptualizes the performance hall. and town to create parking structures to embrace fully.”

“If you bring more people into geared toward the Center for the Arts.

He said a successful middle school that area, if people have a reason the location holds the potential to said. “All the successful ones, and I Pack is planning to construct a property, which he characterized as was able to go to several of them, it to be there, then there becomes create excitement in Blacksburg. parking structure near his Collegiate sustainable, green and community“I think one of the best decisions was designed not to be that way, to reason to develop properties or Square development at the intersecdriven, could serve as a model for pay more attention to that part of people here made was to put it in be part of the fabric of downtown.” tion of Turner Street and Prices Fork future projects while finally accomRordam said multiple arts facilithat location,” Waalkes said. “We Main Street.”

Road. plishing a goal that has often gone The center, with its expected actually are working now on the ties in Blacksburg’s downtown area Another possible structure could be awry in Blacksburg. completion set for 2013, would possibility for parking structures, would create an environment more built near the Graduate Life Center, The council has approved mixedbe located at the intersection of which would not be on campus conducive to small businesses. although no formal plans have been use developments before, but many “They’re walking around and Alumni Mall and Main Street, but would be on the edge of announced. have not fulfilled original expectathen all the little businesses start town.” near Shultz Hall.

Pack’s Turner Street parking tions.

She said the performing arts coming in,” Rordam said. “It’s like It is the centerpiece of the town’s structure is expected to offer 600 First & Main, prior to igniting plans to expand the downtown center at Maryland is located a mall. You need anchors. The parking spaces. However, the center’s Blacksburg’s big-box controversy, was area up North Main Street toward near the school’s football stadium Lyric and the Armory are the construction will likely eliminate 350 proposed as a mixed-use developPrices Fork Road. It will be work- and encourages automobile traffic anchors and then hopefully the parking spaces currently housed by ment that would include retail and Performing Arts Center will be the ing in tandem with an $11 million rather than foot traffic. the Shultz lot. residential space. No residential aspect Ron Rordam, the mayor of main anchor.” plan that would create a safer enviBlacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam has been developed. ronment for pedestrians through Blacksburg, hopes Tech’s center sees the center as an opportunity to Waalkes echoed that sentiment, Smith’s Landing, an apartment traffic changes and sidewalk can take people out of cars and into saying the center could draw people start Blacksburg’s transition to a new complex built off of Prices Fork Road local businesses. He applauded into Blacksburg as a whole. expansion. parking scheme. by former Tech football star Bruce The plan would close Old Main Tech’s agreement to limit on-site “This has been a long-term goal of “Part of the design in that is in fact Smith, has developed residences but Street to through traffic and cre- parking. ours, to go to the concept of nodal so people will come into Blacksburg, no retail.

“The worst thing for downtown they will park their cars, they will ate a roundabout at the North parking, to have parking in differKent Square, a development of Bob Main Street and Prices Fork Road would have been to have it where walk through town past restauent parts of downtown and begin to Pack, has accomplished the idea of you drive to the arts center, down rants, hopefully into restaurants,” intersection. reduce the amount of on-street parkmixed-use by combining residences Waalkes, who began work at into the parking garage, you go to Waalkes said. “Their experience of ing and begin to get a mindset that with retail and restaurants.

Tech in September after leaving the elevator, go to the performance the Center for the Arts won’t be just you’re not going to park right in front the University of Maryland, said and you drive back out,” Rordam of your destination,” Rordam said. see ARTS / page two

Arts center to set tone for downtown changes

V

see GROWTH / page seven

Parking situation remains uncertain W

page 2

november 17, 2009

in

No history in the making as many sites remain vacant

MICHAEL MCDERMOTT/SPPS

The property at 103 S. Main St. is required to remain on sale until February before being demolished or relocated under Blacksburg’s guidelines for historically significant homes in the downtown area.

TOWN POLICIES DISCOURAGE POSSIBLE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR DOWNTOWN HISTORICAL SITES

O

n a hill behind the parking garage that took its place, the Alexander Black House is sitting on stilts, waiting to be put back to use.

The house, named after the prominent Blacksburg businessman who built it in 1897, was in one of the town’s original 16 blocks.

Black’s grandfather originally owned the land now occupied by the downtown area.

Black’s family lived in the house until 1935. Following his death, the Queen Anne Victorianstyle house was used RORDAMas a funeral home until 2002.

When the Kent Square development was planned, the Blacksburg Town Council approved a parking garage. The council then bought the Black House and moved it across Draper Road to its current location behind the Tech Bookstore.

Town officials plan for the house to hold the proposed Blacksburg Museum, but a restoration of the building has not been completed.

A campaign to raise money for the project was a goal for the 2009-10 fiscal year. Earlier estimates set the price tag for the restoration at more than $400,000.

Virginia Tech political science professor and local government scholar Karen Hult said the delay does not reflect well on the town.

“The town either hasn’t had the resources or put on its priority list doing something with the buildings that can’t be used until more effort is taken with them,” Hult said.

While the Black House and early African-American social center

Odd Fellows Hall figure into future town plans, other historical buildings sit vacant. High costs of bringing them up to code and town historical standards ward off potential developers.

Historical buildings in Blacksburg cannot be demolished or relocated by owners without a long process. If the owner is denied a Certificate of Appropriateness by the Blacksburg Historic Design and Review Board to demolish the building, he may appeal to the town council.

If the council denies the appeal, owners may file a statement with the town’s Planning and Engineering Department giving the property’s sale price, appraisal and listing date.

Depending on the price of the property, an owner would have to wait between three months and a year before gaining the right to demolish the historical building.

Any site with a sale price of more than $90,000 requires a 12-month waiting period.

Hult said the lengthy process has stopped many historical sites from becoming locations for potentially beneficial developments.

“That raises the issue then of needing to reopen the issue of whether every building that’s old needs to be kept for historical purposes,” Hult said.

Still, some other historical buildings are simply set back by ownership battles.

“The buildings downtown, at least as I understand it, some of them are in ownership kinds of messes. If that can get resolved, I think as the economy comes back, those could be seen as relatively attractive office space,” Hult said.

A potential ordinance could

“

The buildings downtown, at least as I understand it, some of them are in ownership kinds of messes. If that can get resolved, I think as the economy comes back, those could be seen as relatively attractive office space.

KAREN HULT PROFESSOR

require owners to get a redevelopment plan approved by the council prior to demolishing a historical building. The council will vote on the ordinance at its Dec. 8 meeting.

Blacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam said many potential owners do not have the funds to bring the aging buildings up to state code standards.

“The problem that we run into with older buildings is the retrofitting and how to make it work,” Rordam said. “We go by the same building code the rest of the state goes by, so where you run into problems is a building built in 1890 is not necessarily up to code.”

He said the town has considered incentive plans to encourage businesses to open, but safety improvements must be made before businesses can occupy the buildings.

“It’s a delicate balance because you want to encourage businesses to open, and we have incentive plans that we’re working on to help them defer the costs, we have facade improvements that we have grants and loan funds for, so we’re doing what we can,” Rordam said. “But that the same time, our primary duty is to safety.”

MICHAEL McDERMOTT/SPPS

Arts: Center to break ground next year, aims to attract patrons to surrounding area from page one

Center for the Arts won’t be just in the Center for the Arts, but in the town.”

She also said the multiple arts facilities create opportunities for collaboration.

“With Henderson Hall, Theatre 101, Squires (Student Center) and the Lyric, we have this wonderful cluster of arts facilities in such close proximity,” Waalkes said. “I’m sure we’ll have possibilities to do some more festival-like programming that takes advantage of the quality of the facilities.”

However, Tech political science professor and local government expert Karen Hult said it could be an uphill battle to attract people to the arts events because of the area’s lack of a reputation as an arts destination.

“I do think it’s going to take some time to develop the followership and the attention to any kind of performance arts at Virginia Tech,” Hult said.

Hult pointed out the struggles of

Roanoke’s Taubman Museum of Arts, which Waalkes also mentioned as a possible collaboration partner.

“We know the Taubman Arts Museum in Roanoke is really suffering from low levels of attendance,” Hult said. “It’s had to cut staff and so on. At least until the economy does better, that may lag some of the aspects of development.”

Waalkes said Tech’s Center for the Arts would have an extra dimension compared to the Taubman, as the plans for the Center for the Arts features a performance hall.

“We’re still in the design stage and finalizing that, but we do know we will have a beautiful 1,260-seat performance hall,” Waalkes said. “We’re really working with the consultants to design that in such a way that it will have the best acoustics. It will also have the flexibility so we can be presenting orchestras and classical music and large ensembles like that, theater, dance — quite a variety.”

Despite potential struggles, Hult said the facility would still help

safeguard businesses from swings in business.

“Nonetheless, I think anything that brings differing kinds of people to the university area is probably a good thing,” Hult said. “That means you don’t have the seasonal ups and downs that has caused restaurants and businesses to close down.”

Waalkes hopes to see the center become a “hub” for student life, as well as a host for performances.

“Something that’s really unique about the center is that there will be facilities in there, collaborative research laboratories, media lab spaces and the Center for Creative Technologies in the Arts, CCTA, will be housed there,” Waalkes said.

The center, which is scheduled to break ground in 2010, has not yet released a full physical design plan. The potential benefits are many, but its economic impact will likely be a work in progress in 10 years.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 106th year, issue 117

News, page 1

New details released in Harrington investigation

Opinions, page 4

Sports, page 6

Classifieds, page 5

Sudoku, page 5

Women in architecture honored

Students arrested for Lee Hall fire incident LIANA BAYNE news reporter

COURTESY OF VIRGINIA STATE POLICE Harrington was wearing this

Swarovski necklace on Oct. 27.

KATIE ROBIDOUX news staff writer Morgan Harrington was seen hitchhiking for a ride on the Copeley Road Bridge on the night of her disappearance, according to a police brief released Nov. 13.

“After the 9:30 (p.m.) timeframe, we can’t seem to establish any other sightings of her,” said Corinne Geller, spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police.

It was also released in the brief that she was wearing a Swarovski Crystal necklace on that night.

Harrington might have received a ride or approached someone to borrow a cell phone, Geller said.

“She was wearing it that night,” Geller said. “She dropped her purse and her cell phone, so maybe she might have dropped her necklace also.”

Police reviewed individual witness claims to arrive at the new conclusions. Investigators are asking anybody that was on or near the Copeley Road Bridge and may have seen a woman hitchhiking to contact them at 434352-3467.

The police are also looking for people who might have let Harrington use their cell phone that night.

“These are all things relevant to developing any more information on the case and bring her home safely,” Geller said.

The existing police timeline of Harrington’s whereabouts includes leaving the arena around 8:30 p.m. and being sighted on the Copely Road Bridge near Ivy Road around 9:30 p.m.

Harrington disappeared Oct. 17 during a Metallica concert in the John Paul Jones Arena on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, Va. A reward of $150,041 has been established for information that leads to Harrington’s recovery.

BRAIN CLAY/SPPS

Donna Dunay, director of the International Archive of Women in Architecutre, helps maintain the archive’s 300 submissions.

THE MILKA BLIZNAKOV PRIZE ENCOURAGES FEMALE ARCHITECTS TO SHOWCASE WORK RYAN ARNOLD features reporter Two decades ago, Milka Bliznakov noticed something was missing from Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Having grown up in Bulgaria, Bliznakov understood men and women to be professional equals.

Yet as an architecture professor in America, she seldom heard colleagues reference the work of women.

In 1985, encouraged by the obscured female reputation, Bliznakov founded the International Archive of Women in Architecture, a collaboration between the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and the University Libraries.

To entice new archive contributions, the International Archive of Women in Architecture created the Milka Bliznakov Prize in 2000, which honors the professor emeritus. The $1,000 award is given to original projects, research and other scholarly compositions.

Newman Library houses the catalog, which now offers more than 300 archives ranging from simple resumes to complete career portfolios.

The winners for 2009: the book “A Woman’s Berlin, Building the Modern City” by Despina Stratigakos; and the report “Odilia Suarez: The Exemplary Trajectory of an Architect and Urbanist in Latin America” by Martha Alonso, Sonia Bevilacqua and Graciela Brandariz.

Archive director Donna Dunay recently spoke with the Collegiate Times about the prize recipients and the organization.

COLLEGIATE TIMES: While the author of “A Woman’s Berlin” lives in New York, the three authors of “Odilia Suarez” hail from Argentina.

How does the International Archive of Women in Architecture have such a broad reach?

DONNA DUNAY: One, because our advisory board has a broad reach, has broad representation. And we have women from many of the continents and have had past advisers from those continents. So for instance, one of the original advisers, Susana Torre, is both from New York and South America. She’s largely known in this country, now residing in Spain. In the last board of advisers we had ... Martha Thorne. She’s the executive director of the Pritzker Prize, and she was in Chicago and

[

on the web Check out the CT’s Web site at www.collegiatetimes.com to see the entire Q&A.

now she lives in Madrid. Other advisers: Ute Westrom is from Berlin; Junko Matsukawa is from Tokyo; and (Ochirpureviin) Sarantsatsral is from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. So the reach is there through the advisers.

The reach is through information going out on the Web as to what we have. And also the reach is through the archives that we have, and people that know of the archives and come and visit.

CT: What is particularly extraordinary about this year’s winning entries?

DUNAY: I think in the case of Odilia Suarez, where the title is “The Exemplary Trajectory of an Architect and Urbanist in Latin America,” I think it’s about that: that her trajectory, or her life, was extraordinary. And when you look around and you see that this is not well known, we want to have that information become more widely known and more available. In the case of Despina Stratigakos’ work, “A Woman’s Berlin,” I think it was unknown how much women changed the way cities are lived in

Flu survey shows weak student flu interest, concern PRIYA SAXENA news staff writer

H1N1 vaccine arrives at Tech KRISTEN DOPIERALSKI news staff writer Ending months of uncertainty, Virginia Tech will make the H1N1 flu vaccine available to students, faculty and staff on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in McComas Hall.

With the flu season well under way, Intravene Travel Clinic, Tech’s H1N1 supplier, received a limited supply of the vaccine for the Tech community, according to an e-mail sent to the campus body.

The Schiffert Health Center and the Office of Human Resources was notified of the availability on Tuesday.

High demand this season and the length of time needed to make the vaccine has hampered its supply.

There will be an additional vaccine clinic on Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in McComas Hall.

The clinic on Nov. 16 that was supposed to be held was cancelled because of the unavailability of the swine flu vaccine.

However, concerns still remain with the seasonal flu.

At the Oct. 27 immuniza-

tion clinic, the supply of the vaccine had run out by 5:30 p.m., leaving many people wondering if Schiffert was failing to provide enough vaccines.

Meagan Monte was one of many students frustrated with the shortage.

“I had class all day and the first chance I go to go to the clinic the vaccines were all gone,” Monte said. “It was very frustrating.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, each state is allocated a certain number of vaccines that it is allowed to order, the minimum amount being 100.

From there, the CDC ships the vaccines to hospitals, offices and other providers designated by the state — a process not controlled

by Schiffert.

According to the American College Health Association, colleges are experiencing surges in the flu.

A total of 8,861 new flu cases were reported during the week ending Oct. 23, according to the American College Health Association. These included 20 hospitalizations but no deaths.

The 270 reporting cam-

puses have more than 3.1 million students.

Schiffert statistics identify 101 cases of the flu, 1095 flulike illnesses and hundreds of students coming to the clinic every week with flu- or coldlike symptoms between Aug. 24 and Oct. 24.

Despite these numbers indicating low flu cases, the H1N1 virus is thought to be behind the majority of them.

The vast majority of reported cases are believed to be due to the H1N1 virus since the seasonal flu virus is yet to achieve its greatest impact, according to the College Health Association.

As a result, Schiffert has taken measures to alleviate some of the anxiety and help with prevention.

Partnering with the residence halls every year since 2004, Schiffert handed out nearly 10,000 flu prevention kits bundling information on proper hygiene, tissues, Clorox wipes and a thermometer, among other items.

Schiffert urges students to check out the resources section of the Health Center Web site that contains information on immunizations and proper hand washing.

]

Recent polls from various news organizations suggest there may be a significant number of people who are not taking the H1N1 virus seriously.

A CBS News Poll from Oct. 5-8 suggested that fewer than half of the individuals who were surveyed were likely to get vaccinated.

Despite the number of deaths having increased because of the swine flu, the illness also seems to have little effect on some students at Virginia Tech.

In an informal survey conducted by the Collegiate Times in New Hall West, the majority of 28 participants said that they only cared “somewhat” about the swine flu.

More students surveyed said that they did not care “at all” compared to students who cared very much about it. Also, the majority had not used flu prevention kits provided in dorms, which were distributed by Schiffert Health Center in early October.

Andrew Gibbs is a sophomore majoring in history. Gibbs said he was pleased with the prevention kits and was somewhat concerned about swine flu. However, he is also somewhat concerned about the seasonal flu, “since apparently it’s about as lethal as the seasonal flu.”

“I was more worried when it first started than now,” Gibbs said. He said he was washing his hands more and was willing to be vaccinated.

“I care about what the swine flu is doing in the U.S., but I don’t really care about it personally because I’m pretty healthy,” said Kirsten Higareda, a business sophomore who had not yet used the kit. “It’s going to pretty much affect me just like normal flu would.”

Although Higareda was willing to be vaccinated, she mentioned cost as a factor.

by both women and men, and how their coming into the urban life in fact changed urban life. So those two in particular were really outstanding.

The third one was the commendation was a collection of work by emerging women in architecture, and it traveled to a series of schools in the United States. And we felt that was strong as well and wanted to recognize it with a commendation.

CT: Do you think College of Architecture and Urban Studies students utilize the International Archive of Women in Architecture resources adequately, or would you like to see it increase?

DUNAY: (laughs) Of course. It would be nice to see that. It is happening. In fact, this semester we are working on an exhibition that will be mounted in Richmond, Va. Center for Architecture. And as a key component of the exhibition, we have a seminar group that is utilizing the archive and they are making 100 postcards or small exhibition panels deriving material from the archive.

We met in fact today with the exhibition curator and went through the archive and met with the students and faculty and reviewed some of the work to date. So it’s being utilized. They’re going over there and investigating. We’re all learning in this process, and that was the point.

Three individuals have been charged for intentionally setting fire to furniture on the third floor lounge of Lee Hall.

William Yost, Steven Kadak and Christopher Schram were charged with the felonies of burning or destroying a dwelling, grand larceny, and destruction of property after smoke and minimal damage was discovered in the lounge during the investigation of a fire alarm set off at 4:18 a.m. Saturday.

A table, rug and sofa were burned and a hand sanitizer machine had been taken from the first floor entryway. The sanitizer was evidently utilized as the accelerant for the fire.

Damage was minimal and no injuries were reported.

Yost and Kadak are Tech students and are currently being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail. Schram is a student at HampdenSydney College.

Anyone with information related to this event is encouraged to contact the Virginia Tech Police Department at 540-231-6411.

Correction -In “Companies selected for biotech conference” (CT, Nov. 11), the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Biotech Conference was at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Next year’s conference will be in Bethesda, Md. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

Muslim students launch Fast-a-Thon charity fundraiser KATIE ROBIDOUX news staff writer Aiming to replenish a local food pantry’s coffers, the Virginia Tech Muslim Student Association is launching its annual fundraiser and day of fasting today.

The Hungry Hokies Fast-a-Thon collects $7 to benefit the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry from participants who refrain from consuming food for a day.

Those participating in the fast are pledging to not eat anything or drink water from dawn to dusk, which is consistent with the customs of Muslim culture.

“It incorporates the traditional Muslim traditions of fasting,” said Asif Akhtar, president of the Muslim Student Association.

To break the fast, there will be a feast for all participants in the Squires Commonwealth Ballroom at 5 p.m. Food will be served from local restaurants including India Garden, Souvlaki and Napoli’s Italian Restaurant.

Nikki Giovanni, who is also participating in the fast, will be present to give a speech. Mixed Emotions, a campus a capella group, will also perform.

“It was very important to find some kind of activity program around which we could build community spirit and a sense of oneness within our community,” said Ray Williams, director of multicultural programs and services, “particularly around our holiday season when a lot of us will be around our family and share food while others around the community may not.”

All the proceeds raised through the event will be directly donated to Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry,

located on Main Street. The pantry deals only with families affected by hunger in Blacksburg. More than 1300 local residents are served, and the number is continually increasing.

The pantry took in five new members per week in the past year, said Jenine Kotob, MSA member and head of this year’s Fast-a-Thon.

“More regular people are going to the pantry mainly because of the economic downfall,” Kotob said. “When we went and visited, most of the shelves were empty. So all donations are very helpful.”

This is the third year the event has taken place on the Tech campus. The first and second years yielded about $1,000 and $1,200 in donations, respectively. This year’s goal is set at $5,000, and three-fifths of that amount has already been raised.

A nationwide event, the Fast-a-Thon has raised thousands of dollars to support the hungry.

“We personalized it and called it Hungry Hokies so it’s personal to our campus,” Akhtar said. “Our goal was to make it bigger and better than previous years.”

This year, more groups on campus are participating in the event as opposed to previous years.

“One of our first goals was to get more students engaged,” Williams said.

In addition to raising money for the pantry, the event will also serve as a chance for students to become more aware of the diversity that thrives on campus.

“We also wanted to give students who may not have had ability to mingle with students of Islamic faith to be able to put a face with the religion,” Williams said. “This is a chance for us to educate and unify ourselves because at the end of the day, we’re all Hokies.”

opınıons 4

editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

november 17, 2009

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

Your Views [letter to the editor]

Response to Friday’s guest column

A

ndrew Buyalos, author of “Statistics show concealed carry saves many lives, takes few” (CT, Nov. 13), makes a number of statements, which misrepresent concealed carry laws.

While undoubtedly a responsible permit holder, he takes for granted that everyone else is.

The fact that he has taken the classes does not demonstrate that everyone else will. He asserts that all his friends have taken the class, but this seems natural — because his friends probably applied before the online option (recently added, he admits) was available.

The author mentions a background check is required — but tier one universities mostly only admit students who would pass background checks anyway; even Cho would have passed a background check when applying to Virginia Tech.

Frankly, a background check does nothing to assure me that keg-stand guy next door knows how to exercise proper restraint or firearms safety. (Sorry, kegstand guy, I’m sure you’re still awesome.)

There are several outright falsehoods in the column. The piece comments on the four occurrences of murders committed by licensees — but, in fact, Elilta Habtu was citing four mass murders by licensed individuals in her column. We have no way of knowing how many murders have been committed by licensees because of the so-called firearms “privacy” laws, which exist in most states.

Further, Virginia does not require fingerprinting of applicants, as the column’s author claims.

He also says felons would never submit to background checks, but between 1994 (when the Brady Act became effective) and 2008, 1.8 million ineligibles have applied.

Around half of those rejected at the federal and state levels were felons (according to the Department of Justice), as well as 23 percent at local levels.

Indeed, the LA Times reported in 2000 that Texas mistakenly gave out hundreds of concealed handgun licenses to felons in the first five years of its concealed carry program.

Note that Texas concealed handgun licenses are valid in Virginia.

But the biggest problem is that so few reliable statistics are available. The NRA claims having a gun makes a person less likely to be shot. When statistics contradict that claim, the NRA introduces a bill to prevent reporting of those statistics, citing individual privacy. The LA Times analysis from 2000 could not be repeated today in Texas because of NRA-sponsored “privacy” laws.

Buyalos holds up Texas as a shining example of concealed carry states. Yet, “From 1996 to 1999,” — pre-“privacy” laws — “Texas concealed handgun license holders were arrested for weapon-related offenses at a rate 66 percent higher than that of the general population of Texas, aged 21 and older,” according to a Violence Policy Center study using statistics easily obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Buyalos cites further unreliable statistics. Kleck’s study claims 2.5 million uses of firearms for self-defense; however, David Hemenway of Harvard demonstrated in 1997 that by applying Kleck’s own methodology “we might conclude that 20 million Americans have seen alien spacecraft, and 1.2 million have been in actual contact with beings from other planets.”

The data does not support Students for Concealed Carry on Campus’ conclusion that concealed carry would make campus safer. Indeed, 93 percent of violent crimes against students happen off campus, according to the DOJ. By introducing additional guns to college campuses, we stand not to prevent mass shootings — which are extraordinarily rare — but to facilitate smallerscale crimes of passion.

The 22 states with the highest levels of gun violence are all “shall-issue” (law enforcement has little or no discretion about who gets to carry). The six states with the lowest levels are either extremely restrictive with permits (“may-issue”) or do not allow concealed carry at all (“no-issue”), despite mostly having much higher population densities.

JOHN WOODS tech alumus ’07

we’re YOUR newspaper. send a letter to the editor and express your views.

send an e-mail to opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.

MCT CAMPUS

Consider more than just the local aspect of business B

uy Local. Be Local. Eat Local.” It sounds great — honestly, it really does. These stickers are seemingly everywhere, uniting the Blacksburg community and economy with this little subtle encouragement to support your friends and neighbors. Part of me really likes this entire concept.

In my home state of New York I live in a hippie town called Ithaca.

People in my community are so vehemently trying to unite the local community that they even went so far as to invent their own currency called the Ithaca Hours. I’m not making this up. The information on this alternative currency can be found at http://www.ithacahours.org.

I urge the Blacksburg community not to make their own currency. No one will use it, except as a tool to make fun of the town. Please, let’s not have the “localites” (advocates for buying local — use it) in Blacksburg follow the examples from my hometown localites.

The philosophy behind this fiat currency is that it will assure that money spent in the community stays in the community. How restaurants and other businesses buy their products beats the hell out of me. I know that the Ithaca Hour is purchased in — and has an exchange rate for — the traditional competing Federal Reserve note that we all use and love.

This probably defeats the purpose of the currency completely, but it makes all the hippies feel really good about themselves. The “neo-hippies,” which is a fictional category I include myself in, are people who value common sense, and we will always find this system to be foolish.

Much like the “Be Local” concept itself, the Ithaca Hour is destined to never keep money in the community, as there are constantly products and services entering the community that must be purchased with cash (not the locally invented kind), creating a constant exchange between the community and the rest of the world.

How can this be? People are spending money locally; shouldn’t this mean that money stays local? Isn’t this better for the economy? Well, everyone with a Blacksburg “Buy Local. Be Local. Eat Local.” sticker needs to turn his brain back on for just a moment and examine exactly what false implied claims are being made by this campaign and whether any of it holds up in reality.

The idea implied by the “Be Local” people is that somehow the community will benefit as a whole from money being spent at local restaurants, bars and other businesses. In the end this benefit somehow trickles down magically to the rest of us, and the wealth is spread back to the

community in terms of products and services. As people make new money every week at their jobs, spending that money locally keeps the cycle going, building the economy locally into a fighting force ready to dominate the Wal-Mart threat.

Also, you become a better person by spending money at your local momand-pop restaurant instead of going to Olive Garden. This allows you the privilege of pasting a sticker on your car, and lecturing others as to the values of keeping money in the local economy.

If only any of that were true.

First, we need to define what it means to be local. Obviously the implication is that local business means locally-owned and locallyoperated by small business owners. In many cases this is true in Blacksburg.

However, there are many businesses in Blacksburg that don’t meet this implied criteria. For example, Moe’s and Jimmy John’s are both national chains, serving the Blacksburg community at local locations.

Do these places count? They employ local citizens and Virginia Tech students. Yet, they are national chains that are competing with businesses that are owned and operated by locals.

Perhaps Jimmy John’s and Moe’s are the enemy. Grab your torches and follow me; we need to remove this incognito blight from our town!

Let’s also define exactly what it means to eat and buy local. If I head over to The Cellar Restaurant, one of my favorite restaurants in Blacksburg, I may be spending my money at a local business that benefits that business.

However, none of the products served there are likely local. Like any other business in Blacksburg, the products sold at local businesses are made worldwide, grown worldwide and money exchanges hands worldwide.

Thank “Reason” for blessing local businesses with common sense.

Buying all food grown and slaughtered in Virginia would create higher costs for the consumer, thus making local business uncompetitive against its incognito enemies.

My point is this: Wealth can never stay local, and it isn’t healthy for it to do so. The community will always be better off competing and doing business with national companies, as it assures that local business will remain competitive and continue to give the community a quality product or service.

This fantasy world idea that people will make money locally, spend it locally and somehow this will benefit the community by itself is outrageous

and makes no logical sense at all.

I don’t think it’s healthy for anyone to simply eat and buy local on the basis that citizens are somehow obligated to do it. The people who somehow feel this is a matter of ethics are standing on very weak ground and probably — like the people in my hometown — have a lot more expendable income than I do.

I look for the best service and price when I am buying the things I want and need. If a local business has average service and a higher price, chances are very good that I will not be purchasing anything from that business.

It really comes down to cost sometimes.

Two local businesses that I frequent constantly are the Lyric and She-Sha Cafe & Hookah Lounge in Blacksburg. The reason is based on simple free market values, as opposed to an implied ethical obligation: The price is right, and the service is fantastic.

The employees of She-Sha have provided me excellent service over the last two years, even knowing me by name and choice of beverage. With the good prices, fine atmosphere, and excellent service, I have become a loyal patron to this establishment.

They compete well and have earned me as a customer.

It all comes down to the quality of the product and service for me — as it should.

Competition is the key to everything. It assures that the community is receiving the best service possible.

The “Buy Local. Be Local. Eat Local.” campaign encourages local businesses to not only end all competition with each other, but to take a page from my hometown by just assuming customers have an ethical obligation to finance their establishment, thus causing quality of service to diminish.

In short, the philosophy behind the “Be Local” slogan is not only unhealthy for an economy, but the concept itself is virtually meaningless.

It gives the community something to feel united behind; however, the concept is simply void of reason.

The slogan does not hold up when put to even a basic observational test.

I’m afraid this cool looking bumper sticker and slogan serve only to make some people feel good about themselves — it all means nothing.

CHAD VAN ALSTIN -regular columnist -senior -communication major -president, Libertarians at Tech

News networks should be responsible with broadcasts F

or those who watched last week’s episode of South Park, you will remember a stinging commentary on Glenn Beck and Fox News. However, sadly enough, this is the state of most television news organizations today, left and right.

Rather than giving the American people the facts that they need to make an informed decision, today’s television news networks sensationalize and exaggerate every story, big or small. Whenever I happen to turn on CNN, Fox News or CNBC, I usually find that they are covering scandalous and exciting stories of little relevance, about obscure topics and useless events.

While they could be properly informing the American people about the current state of the health care bill in the Senate, or nuclear relations with Iran, we instead learn of numerous sex scandals around the country and how much John F. Kennedy’s autograph went for at an auction. Neither of these stories

is relevant to anyone but the people directly affected. Also, some of these stories are private personal issues that I am sure those negatively affected do not want making national headlines.

One of the biggest problems in televised news today is the problem of ratings. At some point, the major news networks decided that they were going to become dependent on ratings because they were not making enough money, and they therefore became more like television shows rather than news broadcasts. These networks now only cover those stories that will get them the highest ratings and have the most shock value.

However, the most important stories and those that matter most to all Americans are not covered properly — they are not covered enough, but more importantly they are not covered in the depth that is needed for people to completely understand the issue or event.

There are some programs such as “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” that do give Americans the facts, but these are publicly-funded by organizations like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They do not depend on ratings, so they can therefore present the facts as objectively as possible. “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” spends one hour each week on the most important national and international news stories. While it covers fewer topics, it covers them more comprehensively than any television news network could even dream of. As an added bonus, the top story of the week is often an international story of great importance, a story that would not earn the high ratings that other networks are looking for. This concentration on ratings is one of the largest contributors to the pathetically misinformed American population today.

But there is another significant and alarming problem with television news networks today, and that is

political and ideological bias in the news. The worst offender, as most would agree, is Fox News, which claims to be objective and unbiased while having a ridiculous right-wing slant that plagues every program on the network. It claims in its primetime broadcast to be balanced and fair-minded, but it is clearly and ludicrously slanted to the right.

Even the supposed “experts,” such as Bill Bennett, that are on its programs are conservative and are historically involved with former Republican governments or organizations.

While CNN and MSNBC do have a left-wing bias, they do what they can to keep it out of their prime time broadcasts, and the other programs with a clear bias do not claim to be neutral, as all of Fox News’ programs seem to. Wolf Blitzer’s primetime broadcast on CNN does its best to keep from having a liberal slant and additionally does not consistently claim to have no bias. He gives the

news, and while it is mostly underdeveloped and superficial, it is usually not prejudiced.

Americans today often wonder why there is so little being done politically, and people are so utterly misinformed about America’s most important issues — I say it’s caused by our television news networks. We need the straight facts presented in the most objective manner possible to become properly informed about national and international issues.

Ratings need to be eliminated as a concern when presenting the news, or many news networks are destined to become no more than propaganda outlets.

GABI SELTZER -regular columnist -sophomore -philosophy major

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Sara Mitchell Managing Editors: Peter Velz, Bethany Buchanan Production Manager: Thandiwe Ogbonna Public Editor: Justin Graves News Editors: Zach Crizer, Philipp Kotlaba News Reporters: Liana Bayne, Gordon Block News Staff Writers: Hope Miles, Billy Mitchell, Katie Robidoux, Allison Sanders, Claire Sanderson, Priya Saxena Features Editors: Teresa Tobat, Topher Forhecz Features Reporters: Ryan Arnold, Mary Anne Carter, Dan Waidelich Features Staff Writer: Joyce Kim Opinions Editor: Debra Houchins Sports Editors: Joe Crandley, Alex Jackson Sports Reporters: Ed Lupien, Ray Nimmo, Ryan Trapp, Melanie Wadden, Thomas Emerick Sports Staff Writers: Garrett Busic, Matt Collette, Hattie Francis Copy Editor: Kelsey Heiter, Dishu Maheshwari, Mika Rivera Layout Designers: Kelly Harrigan, Josh Son, Lindsey Bachand, Sara Spangler, Cecilia Lam Illustrator: Mina Noorbakhsh Multimedia Editor: Kevin Anderson Multimedia Reporter: James Carty, Riley Prendergast Online Director: Jamie Chung Online Programmer: Zach Swasey Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries College Media Solutions Advertising Director: Tyler Ervin Asst Ad Director: Kendall Kapetanakis Account Executives: Nik Bando, Brandon Collins, Lee Eliav, Wade Stephenson, Kelly Burleson Inside Sales Manager: Judi Glass Office Manager: Kaelynn Kurtz Assistant Account Executives: Maddie Abram, Katie Berkel, Diane Revalski, Spencer Martin Creative Director: Sarah Ford Asst Production Manager: Chloe Skibba Creative Services Staff: Jenn DiMarco, Kara Noble, Jennifer Le, Laiken Jacobs Student Publications Photo Staff Business Manager: Luke Mason Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters and comments to the Collegiate Times.

365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, Va. 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include name and phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department.

All other submissions must include residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e. alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format if possible.

Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times.

Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, composed of the opinions editor, editor-in-chief and the managing editors.

Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason.

Anonymous letters will not be printed.

To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, e-mail spps@vt.edu.

Have a news tip?

Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations.

The Collegiate Times receives no funding from the university.

The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com.

Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff.The Collegiate Times is located in 365 Squires Student Center, Blacksburg, Va. 24061. (540) 231-9865.

Fax (540) 231-9151.

Subscription rates: $65 semester and $110 for the academic year. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2009. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

november 17, 2009

page 5 Policies: The Collegiate Times reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement it deems objectionable, at any time.

No refunds are available.

Place An Ad Today

CLASSIFIEDS WWW.COLLEGIATETIMES.COM 540.961.9860

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

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

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

Rates:

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

Rates as low as 32¢ per word, contingent on the number of days to run. Prepaid. 15 word minimum.

Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

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

FREE CLASSIFIEDS FOR VT STUDENTS! students must come to 618 N Main ST to place the ad Sub-Lease Travel Rides Campus

Childcare Tickets for Sale Tickets Wanted Volunteers

Sub-Lease A PHEASANT RUN SUB-LEASE Rooms available for rent Spring and Summer 2010 at Pheasant Run Townhomes. Rent is $300/ month. Contact cnk87@vt.edu for interest in renting one or multiple rooms.

CHEAP SPRING SUBLET Great Location!

Graduating seniors looking to sublet their apartment. Up to 3 rooms available January-June 2010. $350 per month (includes rent, cable/ internet, and utilities). Located in Center St. apartments next to Lane Stadium: less than 2 minute walk to campus. Call Joey @ 571-331-1212 if interested.

Textbooks for Sale Textbooks Wanted Lost & Found Help Wanted

FOR SUBLEASE Available December 1st through July 23rd 2010. 2 BR 1 bath on Tee St. Five minutes from campus, close to bus stops. Rent is $610 per month. $300 security deposit. 2 pets allowed w/ no extra charge, pet deposit already paid. Call 804.536.1879 LARGE HOUSE SUB-LEASE 3Bd, 3bth, 2 living rms, large dining rm, heat pump/central AC, hardwood floors, 2-car garage, washer&dryer, unfurnished house on wooded lot. 2 large decks on upper/ lower levels. Wood & gas fireplaces. In Blacksburg. Avail. Mid Dec. Call Corey (305)434-0230 or coreyk9@vt.edu

SPRING SUBLET AVAILABLE 1BR available in Foxridge for spring semester.

Second-floor apartment w/ balcony and bus stop right across street. $293/month includes rent, heat, water and trash. Free unlimited parking. Available from midDecember to June. Call or email Matt at 703-314-7358 or mhiser@vt.edu

For Sale Events Health & Fitness Automotive

Notices Wanted Musical Roommates

Greek Notes For Rent Personals Furniture for Sale

Travel

Events

GETTING COLD TIME to Plan your Spring Break 2010 Get Away! Learn how to travel to beautiful locations like Jamaica, Acapulco and the Bahamas on a party cruise. Find out what other Virginia Tech Hokies are headed to your destination.

-Adrian Email: Awhite@Studentcity.com for more information

VETERAN’S 5K WALK/RUN Come out this Sunday November 15 10AM at the VT Cross Country Course and help us raise $12,000 to buy a new 12-seater van to provide transportation to hospitals for our veterans.Entry fee to run is only $5. Food and prizes are included!Go to walkfordisabledvets.org for more information. 540.961.9860

SKYDIVE! One Day First Jumps! 22jumper airplane goes to 13,500’ Gift Certificates! www.skydiveorange.com 540.943.6587

For Sale TOWNHOME FOR SALE Pheasant Run Townhome located on Janie Lane: 4BR, 2.5Bath.

GREAT condition!

Call Tony for more details. 304.281.0006

Downtown Living South Main Living North Main Living Prices Fork Living

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DEGREE COMPLETION PLAN. Let the Navy pay for your education - financial relief w/ o summer commitment or ROTC involvement. Earn $3200 per month while attending school for your last 36 months.

800-533-1657 or http:// vanavyofficerprogr ams.com/ for info.

LEGAL TROUBLES Free Consultation with attorney. Assault, Traffic, Alcohol and Drug Charges, VT Student Conduct Review. Joel S. Jackson, PC. 961-5297, joeljacksonpc.com.

Patrick Henry Living Christiansburg Living

For Rent IMMACULATE, BRIGHT, NEW HOUSE, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 5 appliances, garage opener, large yard, view, 3 min to NRV Mall, peaceful neighborhood, quality landscaping, deck, water feature. $1100/ mo obo, plus utilities. Sorry, no smoking or pets. References, first and last. Tel. 434.713.0027 or 540.231.6323

Personals ADOPTION

Notices *****BARTENDING***** MAKE UP TO $300/ DAY. No Experience Necessary.

Training Available.

1-800-965-6520 EXT210

HEY YOU! yeah, you up there, the person doing the sudoku puzzle. are you looking for a part time job? are you available on wednesday and friday mornings? are you looking for a work study?

distribution assistant help us drop papers in local businesses and help the ct business manager with tasks.

GOOD NEWS! WE'RE HIRING! Apply today at

www.collegemedia.com/join

WANTED 23 PEOPLE TO LOSE 5 - 100 LBS.!

I LOST 40 LBS. IN 8 WKS.!

800-201-2507 www.30daystoslim.com

Pediatrician and hubby in northern Virginia wish to adopt newborn.

Approved by licensed child-placing agency. Med/legal expenses. Loving home! Contact us toll free 1-866-5815494 www. EdandMargaretB.freeho mepage.com

sports 6

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

Volleyball loses to Duke, bounces back against Wake Forest RAY NIMMO sports reporter The Virginia Tech volleyball team split its weekend home series, losing to Duke University on Friday and defeating Wake Forest Saturday.

The Hokies (18-10, 8-9 Atlantic Coast Conference) battled against the Blue Devils (24-5, 14-3 ACC) first, but were doomed by costly errors and mistakes. The Hokies lost to Duke (20-25, 24-26, 25-23, 21-25).

The following night, the Hokies regrouped against the Demon Deacons (9-19, 7-10 ACC) and defeated Wake 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-18).

In the first three sets against Duke, there were only three lead changes.

Tech put up a valiant effort, but 33 attack errors were too much to overcome.

“It is a buzzkiller when you have all this momentum,” junior middle blocker Felicia Willoughby said, “and then you have an unforced error. We need to fix that.”

The turning point in the match was the second set. After being down 2116, the Hokies went on an 8-3 run to tie the set at 24. Unfortunately, the Hokies couldn’t finish and suffered a heartbreaking loss going into halftime.

“The second set was a disappointment to lose because we put a fight,” freshman right side Cara Baarendse said. “After all the hard work, we couldn’t finish.”

“I think towards the end of games we played with a lot of effort and energy,” Willoughby said, “but I think we just need to come out with that same intensity. We can’t keep starting out slow and catch up.”

The Hokies won the third set to keep the match alive and kept the fourth set close, but they couldn’t win the important points when it mattered.

“We just have to be mentally tough,” Willoughby said, “and push through those tight points. I think volleyball is more a mental game than physical game.”

Another factor in the Hokies’ loss was the lack of production from outside hitters.

“We made bad mistakes at bad times,” head coach Chris Riley said.

“For the first match in a long time, our outside (hitters) were not our strength.”

Willoughby and Baarendse instead were the strength of the team.

TRAVIS CHURCH/SPPS

Tech junior Amy Wengrenovich goes for a hit Saturday against Wake.

Willoughby recorded a season-high 21 kills and hit .348 for the match. She also added six blocks. “(Sophomore setter) Erin (Leaser) gave me sets I really liked,” Willoughby said, “and I give my credit to back-row players.”

Baarendse continued her great freshman campaign by hitting .476 with 11 kills.

“I think I came out this game just being able to see the court well visually,” Baarendse said. “Erin set me up to be one-on-one and swing wherever I want, and I put the ball down.”

As deflating as the loss was, Willoughby, Baarendse and company were able to refocus against a Wake Forest team they lost to earlier in the season. Revenge was definitely on the mind.

“I hate losing to Wake Forest,” Leaser said. “I hate losing to anyone, but since we lost to them earlier, I really wanted to get revenge on them.”

“That made me so mad when we lost to them the first time,” sophomore middle blocker Kirsty Blue said.

“We needed to come back and win.

We should have beat them the first match.”

Leaser and Blue showed strong chemistry. Out of Leaser’s 52 assists, Blue scored on nine. She finished hit-

ting .471.

“I just wanted to come out, when I finally got a chance to play, and show that I should be out there,” Blue said. “I was so excited to play, get a chance and just have fun.”

“Kirsty was great,” Riley said. “She blocked well, moved well, did the things we needed her to do, made some good swings and was smart with her attacking — she wasn’t trying to overpower, tipped when she need to tip and swung when it was available.”

Besides her 52 assists, Leaser also played well defensively. She registered seven digs and five blocks in the match.

Leaser said it’s all about having fun.

“I always go out and try to be the best that I can be,” Leaser said. “Tonight it was fun. I think when I’m having fun I do really well, and I think that goes for the other girls too.”

It wasn’t until the second set that the Hokies locked in and suffocated the Demon Deacons. The first set was hotly contested with 17 ties and three lead changes. It seemed like deja vu when Tech made unforced errors and couldn’t capitalize on its serve.

Riley made some crucial adjustments before the second set that changed the entire game.

“I thought we made adjustments well

TRAVIS CHURCH/SPPS

Amy Wengrenovich celebrates a score with teammates during the volleyball team’s 3-1 win Saturday. in this match,” Riley said. “We changed our blocking scheme from cross to line, and it made a big effect. We made some more adjustments within the match to be more disciplined, which we always haven’t been able to do.”

Riley also issued a challenge to Record, the Hokies’ best server.

“After game one making three (service) errors, we told her another jump-

serve error and you’re down to float serving,” Riley said. “She didn’t make another error the rest of the match.”

Perhaps the most interesting factor in the win over Wake was the Demon Deacons’ setter Kelsey Jones. Jones kneeled on a lot of her sets, and Riley noticed why she did it. He told the team to take advantage of it.

“We were talking about that,” Leaser

said. “I guess she does it so she can get under the ball to set it back. So our coach said every time the setter goes to her knees, she’s setting back. So that was a dead giveaway, and she really helped us out.”

The Hokies travel to Clemson and Georgia Tech this weekend. Tech defeated both teams earlier this season at home.

Women’s soccer beats Murray State, Dayton, advances to Sweet 16 for first time HATTIE FRANCIS sports staff writer The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team won two games this weekend in the NCAA tournament to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in the program’s history.

On Friday, Tech took down Murray State 2-0 to advance to the second round off of goals by juniors Marika Gray and Jennifer Harvey. The Racers had only allowed two total goals in their last eight games, including seven shutouts.

Gray scored the only goal needed early on in the 13th minute to take the lead.

“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Julian (Johnson) had a great cross,” Gray said. “It felt great to score, but it’s a

team effort.”

It was Gray’s eighth goal of the season and first tournament goal ever.

On Sunday afternoon, Tech defeated the Dayton Flyers 3-1 for its second victory of the weekend.

“I think we were really confident because I think that if you focus on yourselves you can constantly control it,” said head coach Kelly Cagle. “We knew that we were a little bit the underdogs. We’ve played that card to ourselves a little, having gone 0-8 against (Dayton) in the A-10 when we were there and then having no losses at home.”

The Hokies handed Dayton its first loss of the season and did so while playing on the Flyers’ home field.

Gray again powered the Hokies to victory, scoring twice for the Hokies.

Gray put Tech on the board first in the fifth minute of the game and added her second goal in the 69th minute. Freshman Kelly Conheeney also scored in the 59th minute.

“It was good that I could put us on the board,” Gray said. “Julian hit the ball, and it bounced out somehow, and I think it was just a miscommunication between them, between a player and the keeper, and I just happened to run on it, and I just happened to be there at the right time.

“Robin (Chidester) got a good cross off, and I turned and shot, and the keeper made a great save, and it bounced off of her, and I got it back and was able to score,” Gray said of her second goal.

The Flyers remained scoreless until the 79th minute of the game

when Allison Giner scored off of a rebound.

Though the Hokies outscored the Flyers, Dayton out-shot the Hokies 16-15. Tech’s keeper Kristin Carden had a total of five saves.

“We had a great balance of humility and then great confidence,” Cagle said. “They’ve got it in check, and that can be a hard thing to find — to be confident enough but know that you have to work for it.”

The Hokies will face West Coast powerhouse Portland (20-1) next weekend. The team must travel across the country to face the Pilots on their home field.

Portland’s only loss this season came against Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and the Pilots have made the Sweet 16 in nine straight seasons.

MARK UMANSKY/SPPS

Junior Marika Gray runs past a Boston College defender on Oct. 18.

Reason #72 to buy your 2010 Virginia Tech Bugle Yearbook

Because we have a close-up view of the game.

Live the tradition. Together.

The 2010 Virginia Tech Bugle Yearbook

On sale now bugleonline.com

november 17, 2009

in

page 7

Budget cuts, meal taxes strain relations

COURTESY BLACKSBURG

BRIAN CLAY/SPPS

Tech budget struggles hinder economy

T

he region’s chief economic driver is scrambling to make ends meet, putting Blacksburg’s financial future in question.

Virginia Tech, the largest employer in the New River Valley, has seen state budget funds cut by more than 26 percent over the past two years.

“We know that from the state level, the amount of state funding that will continue to flow to Blacksburg will continue to be curtailed,” said political science professor and local government scholar Karen Hult. “We’ve already been cut at this campus over $68 million in the last biennium.

More is coming.”

Employees of the university, a major portion of the area’s population, are unlikely to see any increases in the money they have to spend.

“To some extent, it means somewhat less dollars flowing in this area,” Hult said. “Faculty and staff have not had raises for 2-3 years, we’re told we’re going to go another 3-5 years

without increase.”

Faculty and staff are also set to lose money because of state mandated days of unpaid leave.

“One day of furlough is coming,” Hult said. “More days of furlough are coming. That feeds in to the local economic base.”

Hult said governor-elect Bob McDonnell’s campaign promise to issue 119,000 additional degrees in the next 15 years could alter the university’s plans.

“If you listen to governor-elect McDonnell, he says he wants to see the number of degrees being given by public universities and community colleges in the state increase dramatically,” Hult said.

“Well, if that is the case, and if the main research universities like Virginia Tech are part of that plan, that would mean the student body at the undergraduate level could grow dramatically. The university doesn’t want to do that and for good reason.”

University officials have stated

Tech’s undergraduate population is he town’s loudest comnearing a maximum desirable capacplaints against Tech have ity of about 30,000 students. related to the meals “Pretty clearly, that raises all kinds taxes that Tech does not of infrastructure issues,” Hult said. collect for its on-campus dining “There are not nearly enough faculty facilities. and staff as it is now and the dollars “It won’t go away,” said Mayor for research assistants, teaching Ron Rordam. “I think we need assistants and adjunct faculty need to have a serious discussion to come with the and we’re starton the web students and that ing that discusis one thing that Check out the CT’s Web site at sion. You’ve got doesn’t come from to admire the www.collegiatetimes.com to Richmond.” u n i v e r s i t y.

Hult also said Tech see our salary database.

They’ve done a may not cooperate very good job in the downtown building an building strategies Blacksburg hopes environment that students want to enact. to be in as far as where to eat, how “Old Blacksburg has a solid group to eat.” of developers that can be interpreted Blacksburg restaurants collect a six as saying Virginia Tech’s only purpercent meals tax on all sales. The pose is to put people in condos and university is not required to collect apartments,” Hult said. “So, that the taxes because it is an arm of the conflict is there, with the town havstate government. ing to be almost an intervener and so Rordam said Tech’s multhat feeds into the whole Blacksburg tiple brand name food locations conflict as well.” on campus give students exciting

[

Growth: Town seeks to reap benefits of adopting popular land use strategy from page one

Pack, a Blacksburg developer, has had discussions with the Virginia Tech Foundation about developing a new mixed-use project near his Collegiate Square development. Pack did not return phone calls from the Collegiate Times.

Blacksburg’s struggle to execute smart growth ideals is not an uncommon one, Hult said.

“This so-called ‘smart growth’ movement has been going in the United States at least since the early 1960s in Hawaii and had picked up momentum in Maryland in 1997 when they passed smart growth legislation,” Hult said.

A study of Maryland’s smart growth areas, published in the autumn 2009 Journal of the American Planning Association, shows many intended effects have not come to fruition.

A statewide program enacted by then-Gov. Parris Glendening set up Priority Funding Areas, so state funds would only be used for growth within those designated areas.

The PFAs would receive funding aimed at increasing population density and improving infrastructure, while areas outside the PFAs would not receive aid for additional development.

A decade after enacting the policies, areas outside of PFAs have seen the average residential parcel size decrease slightly. The results showed those areas, which were designated to avoid urban sprawl, had actually seen an increase in development.

These statistics show that sprawl was not limited by the funding conditions.

“Ten years is not a long time to wait before evaluating a policy; the data are incomplete, and it is difficult to ascertain what would have happened had the Maryland smart growth policies not been adopted,” the study’s conclusion read. “That said, it is clear that PFAs have not produced the intended effects over the last 10 years.”

Blacksburg’s situation is decidedly different, as it is a locality with more direct control over the fate of individual developments. However, it faces similar struggles with developing residential opportunities inside its town limits.

Many apartment complexes have placed affordable housing opportunities toward the edge of Blacksburg.

“The affordable housing market is always going to be a struggle,” Rordam said. “So, we’ve got to continue to find

Land use as mapped by Comprehensive Plan: 2006 vs. 2046 Total developed area 2006: 74.7 percent 2046: 100 percent

High Impact Commercial 2006: 1.6 percent 2046: 4.3 percent

Non-residential 2006: 34.5 percent 2046: 63.6 percent Light Industrial/ Research & Development 2006: 3.8 percent 2046: 10.5 percent

Parkland 2006: 5.7 percent 2046: 6.5 percent Residential 2006: 65.5 percent 2046: 36.4 percent SARA SPANGLER/COLLEGIATE TIMES

ways to encourage affordable housing, to build it in an intelligent way that is close to the core of town so it doesn’t just go out into the county.”

In the town’s 2009 annual review of its comprehensive plan, the planning commission recommended amendments including amending the Blacksburg Zoning Ordinance to “provide appropriate incentives that encourage a mix of uses.”

Another recommendation encouraged “housing as a development option and a component of mixed use development for infill sites.”

Current downtown business owners are also offered funding to improve their business location.

This year, the council enacted the Commercial Facade Program, which offered forgivable loans of up to $25,000 to downtown businesses seeking to upgrade their exterior appearance. The program is funded by federal Community Development Block Grants.

National food chains have recently filled some Blacksburg storefronts.

D.P. Dough has moved in on South Main Street near the College Avenue intersection. Chipotle announced plans in June to open a franchise on Old Main Street near The Cellar Restaurant by January.

While Rordam said he prefers local businesses, certain chains help attract new customers to the downtown area.

“I think there is a balance there, too,” Rordam said. “Unfortunately, and it’s just a mindset that we have, I know when I travel it takes a special effort to go to some place you don’t know. We all like familiarity. So, when you have a smattering of chains, I think that helps bring people into the area.”

“I don’t think we want chains to dominate. I don’t think they will

Meal tax creates rift between Tech, town T “

because it is very hard for chains to fit within an older downtown area.”

Rordam cited Awful Arthur’s as a chain restaurant that fits with the community because of its local ownership. Hult said a “handful” of additional chains may consider downtown Blacksburg, but would not fill all of the storefronts.

Blacksburg offers few retail choices, and Hult said there is “no doubt” that some retailers have been discouraged by the town’s actions in the big box case.

“I think Virginia State Supreme Court’s decision in favor of Blacksburg has already done that in terms of chilling, at least for a while, some developers’ willingness to even look at Blacksburg,” Hult said.

Rordam said the town is working to change its image to businesses.

“We have to change the mindset, and I think we’re doing it, that people never thought to come to Blacksburg to shop, to be part of our retail,” Rordam said. “They came to Blacksburg to come to a football game and leave. Once you start changing that perception of what you want to do, then it expands that notion.”

Many council members hope to make Blacksburg more “livable.”

Hult said the town would need more mainstream retail outlets to make Blacksburg appeal to a larger constituency.

“There has to be a greater diversity of retail in Blacksburg,” Hult said. “It doesn’t have to be a Wal-Mart. It doesn’t have to be a Target, but it has to be something that allows people to do more than buy flowing skirts that certain kinds of women wear, or particular kinds of video games and things like that, to make all of this work more constructively.”

]

I think we’ve got to work with restaurants too, — to help them be competitive, and how do you attract students downtown?”

RON RORDAM MAYOR OF BLACKSBURG

options that are owned by the university.

“They’ve done it in a unique way, which is the university owns the franchises and runs the franchises,” Rordam said. “Because of that, they’re not subject at all to meals tax and I think there are downtown restaurants that have felt the impact of that.”

He said downtown restaurants are offering options unavailable on campus, but they need to work to pull students off campus.

“It’s not just the 6 percent difference,” Rordam said. “It’s just the choices that are offered.

I think we’ve got to work with restaurants, too — to help them be competitive, and how do you attract students downtown?”

Local government scholar Karen Hult said the university is unlikely to make any changes in its current economic situation but could be persuaded to pay the taxes as a good faith gesture once the economy recovers.

Town officials plan to continue discussions with the university but emphasize that student plans would not be taxed. The town does not have the ability to impose any taxes on the university.

“I think we have to be proactive and continue that discussion,” Rordam said. “There is absolutely no discussion about trying to impose a meals tax on student plans or student purchases on campus.”

page 8

Young professionals, retirees jockey for position in Blacksburg

45

65 to 74 years 75 to 84 years 85 years and over 0.6% 1.8 percent 2.6% Under 5 years 60 to 64 years 2.9% 1.6% 5 to 9 years 55 to 59 years 2.5% 1.8% 10 to 14 years 2.6% s ear 4y to 5 7 % 5.

35

to 4 6.6 4 yea % rs

15 to 19 years 20.0%

25 to 34 years 12.3%

20 to 24 years 39.0%

THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATE TIMES

At the time of the 2000 census, Blacksburg’s demographics were highly concentrated in the student population. A new census is set for 2010

TOWN POLICIES ATTEMPT TO WELCOME MULTIPLE AGE DEMOGRAPHICS INTO LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

B

november 17, 2009

in

lacksburg’s status as an attractive spot for Virginia Tech alumni is unquestioned, but as more seek to use the town as a springboard into the workforce, its traditional status as a landing pad for retirees may be altered.

“I think our biggest challenge, is how do we — especially within the core area of town — how do we find an appropriate mix, or change the demographics of downtown,” said Ron Rordam, mayor of Blacksburg.

Tech political science professor and local government scholar Karen Hult said the town has made some deliberate attempts at attracting an older demographic to go with the university’s student body.

“Blacksburg for a while was really trying to position itself as a retirement community, and there is still some of that out there,” Hult said.

Rordam acknowledged previous campaigns to attract retirees, but he also said the current movement is a product of Blacksburg’s comparatively low cost of living.

“Blacksburg had a real effort 15 or 16 years ago to market the town as a retirement community, and it didn’t go very far,” Rordam said. “I think its happening now simply because alumni want to retire and because it is a great place to retire. The costs are low compared to metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C., and other metropolitan areas, and you have all the benefits of the university.”

Still, the town has noticed the surge.

In the 2009 annual review of the town’s comprehensive plan, one planning commission recommendation was to “increase the number of housing units attractive to and suitable for retired |people.”

Hult said Blacksburg is not the only college town experiencing this phenomenon.

“A lot of university communities are becoming magnets of sorts for particular kinds of retirees who like living near a university for the athletic possibilities, the humanities and performing arts possibilities and being in an area where there is a little more

interesting range of people to talk to,” Hult said.

The excitement of the college atmosphere was even part of Rordam’s reasoning for residing in Blacksburg.

“Students are a very important part of Blacksburg,” Rordam said. “My family is one of the few that doesn’t work at the university, but one of the reasons we are in Blacksburg is because of the vitality the students bring to the community.”

Tech is bringing one more possible demographic to the forefront: young professionals. Many students are seeking to stay in Blacksburg to start a career or work at the expanding Corporate Research Center.

“That’s a significant portion of the community, increasingly, that hasn’t really gotten as much attention,” Hult said. “I think they’re going to get more attention than they have been getting. That really is a source of possible conflict, but also a source of real diversity and vibrancy if one is thinking only in terms of senior citizens and those linked to the university.”

The second phase of the CRC is planned to house an additional 3,000 employees.

Town councilwoman-elect Krisha Chachra accentuated a commitment to young professionals in her campaign.

Hult said appealing affordable housing was the major hurdle for the town.

Rordam said the town is capable of hosting more than one major demographic group.

“But I think it’s also important that we expand the demographic downtown so that we don’t just have one population downtown, but three or four together,” Rordam said. “I think that’s happening now, and I think it’s very doable.”

Rordam said an upscale eatery would put the final piece in place to sustain a diverse community.

“One thing I think that both need, and I haven’t quite figured out how to do it yet, is a good restaurant,” Rordam said. “That’s on the top of my priority list.”

Town aspires to close College Avenue, open pedestrian mall As

a compliment to other downtown road improvements, College Avenue may transition to a pedestrian-only mall or a one-way street with expanded sidewalk space.

“One of those two will definitely happen,” said Mayor Ron Rordam. “I think it will either be one way or closed altogether, and I’m torn between which one. We have to do a traffic study. In my heart, I would love to see it be closed and to become just a pedestrian mall, but in terms of traffic flow, we aren’t quite sure yet.”

Steve Miller, owner of Mish-Mish and member of the project’s steering committee, said a traffic study was completed in the spring, but results have not yet been reported. From that study, Miller said the town would determine if the road could be closed or which way traffic should flow.

“I think it has great potential, but one of the criteria is that we get a parking garage at the site of the current Squires (Student Center) lot,” Miller said.

The current plans call for the road to be closed from its intersection with Otey Street in front of Squires to the intersection with Main Street. A temporary estimate made in Blacksburg’s 2009 review of the comprehensive plan said the project would cost about $2.5 million.

“The latest proposal was that College Avenue would be designed to be closed, but be available for one-way traffic,” Miller said.

A lack of parking could prohibit the road from closing completely.

Miller said Draper Road would also be partially closed in the project, and the entrance to the proposed parking garage would be near She-Sha Cafe & Hookah Lounge.

If the garage is not built, Miller said College Avenue would feature parking on the Henderson Hall lawn side.

Rordam is hopeful the project will give businesses, such as the Lyric and downtown restaurants, enticing business opportunities.

“If it can’t be closed, it will be one-way, and the sidewalks will be expanded,” Rordam said. “That will give more opportunity to put tables out, and if we can’t close it 24 hours a day, my goal is that as we redo College Avenue — we have bollards that are in place that go into the ground and come out. So, five o’clock on Friday, it’s closed.”

JOSHUA MILLER/SPPS

Freshman engineering major Aaron Turner performs during Gobblerfest as part of the theater arts improv group, one College Avenue’s festivals.

Miller said the change would offer more opportunities for the town to host events such as the Downtown Tailgate, an event held prior to the Nebraska football game this September.

“We could do a lot more of those things if the street were available to be closed or closed completely,” Miller said.

He said more day-to-day benefits would fall to restaurants on the street that would be able to add outdoor dining.

Immediate.

Unfiltered.

Linkalicious.

21st century news doesn't wait for a print run.

The Collegiate Times regularly updates its news blog with breaking news, interesting info, guest blogs and commentary.

Citizen reaction at a public hearing showed enthusiasm for the project, Miller said.

“When we did the public hearing and they presented the different scenarios, the public voted overwhelmingly to close College Avenue,” Miller said.

Other infrastructure issues also must be resolved, including emergency vehicle access.

Miller said curbs would likely be flattened to offer a more pedestrian-friendly area.