Getting intimate with Kellogg see page six
TRAVIS CHURCH/SPPS
Thursday, December 3, 2009
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 106th year, issue 123
News, page 2
Features, page 6
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 5
Classifieds, page 4
Tech architecture program best in US HOPE MILES news staff writer The landscape architecture program at Virginia Tech has beaten out hundreds of competitors to secure a No. 1 nationwide ranking in the eleventh annual America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools. Other than Tech, which earned the highest distinction, other schools, including Harvard, Columbia and Yale made the list, which examined 381 programs. Additionally, Tech’s graduate program was ranked second in the US. “We are obviously very pleased,” said Brian Katen, associate professor and chair of the landscape architecture program.
Charges brought in Fort Hood shooting LEE HANCOCK & BROOKS EGERTON mcclatchy tribune The U.S. Army has formally levied 32 charges of attempted murder against alleged Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, a career Army psychiatrist and Virginia Tech alumnus. Hasan, 39, already stands accused and charged for 13 counts of premeditated murder resulting from the Nov. 5 massacre on the Texas army base, one of the largest in the world. He is a 1995 graduate of Virginia Tech, having earned a degree in biochemistry and nutrition. Hasan, paralyzed from the waist down, is currently being treated at a San Antonio military hospital’s intensive care unit after being shot by military police during the shootings. In the meantime, the U.S. military is questioning the sanity of the Fort Hood gunman and wants a formal psychiatric review to determine whether he can stand trial on murder charges, his lawyer said late Tuesday. Hasan’s Army commander notified lead defense counsel John Galligan by e-mail that he would ask a special court martial today to order an evaluation of Hasan’s mental state. The formal request for a “sanity board,” known in the military as a mental responsibility inquiry, cites the “magnitude and seriousness” of the attacks at Fort Hood, Galligan told The Dallas Morning News. The one-page document, emailed and signed by Capt. James Huber, says that Hasan’s “alleged conduct makes me believe that reason possibly exists to believe the accused lacks mental responsibility and capacity,” Galligan said, reading from the document. “I’ll agree with him that there’s reason to believe that. But the manner in which he wants to go out and assess that is premature,” said Galligan, a retired colonel and former chief judge for the military district that includes Fort Hood. According to the Army document, Galligan said, Hasan’s Army medical team has cleared him for an immediate mental evaluation. But Hasan is unable to converse for more than a half hour at a time and dozed off repeatedly during a recent pretrial detention hearing, Galligan said. see FORT HOOD / page two
All of the Tech students that were surveyed claimed that after completing their studies, they would be prepared to go out in the real world and take on a professional job. Among the “25 Most Admired Educators in North America” for 2010 were Tech’s Brian Katen, associate professor and chair of the landscape architecture program; Ronald Kemnitzer, professor and program chair of industrial design; Patrick Miller, professor and associate dean for graduate studies and outreach; and Lisa Tucker, assistant professor of architecture. “We are very pleased for alumni and all of our students and faculty as well,” Katen said.
report from the Design Futures Architecture rankings Council, a Washington, D.C., based think tank exploring trends in design Architecture rankings (2009) and architecture. undergraduate program is #4 Last year, DesignIntelligence initiated a classification system for graduate program is #8 architecture programs that would #1 in construction methods and materials look beyond a one-year ranking to a more multi-dimensional standard of #2 in analysis and planning and computer applications comparison. The new system looks #3 in communication and design at a longer history of performance than comparable school ranking #2 for well-rounded preparation of students, integrated design systems. approach and comprehensive balance of design and technology A study was administered to SARA SPANGLER/COLLEGIATE TIMES participants in the programs that The rankings are based on experi- and computer applications, No. 2 in questioned them regarding issues ence in a range of vital areas, includ- design concepts and No. 3 in sustain- of preparedness for practice, ing communication, computer appli- able design concepts and principles, admired educators, how programs rated in teaching various skill cation, design, and sustainable design Katen said. This ranking was given by sets and sustainability education concepts and principles. Tech overall ranked No. 1 in communications DesignIntelligence, a bi-monthly trends.
Canned colors “ Brewer pulls ‘fan cans’ after outcry
Who else would want a maroon and orange can? ... As far as I’m concerned, this was really a run around the trademark process. LARRY HINCKER UNIVERSITY SPOKESMAN
GORDON BLOCK news reporter After protests from university administrators, cans of Bud Light colored in orange and maroon have been removed from local shelves. Virginia Tech’s orange and maroon color scheme was one of 26 schoolthemed designs as a part of the “Fan Can” promotion. The cans have run into similar complaints at other schools whose colors were used in the campaign, including the University of Michigan, Texas Christian University and Penn State among others. Food Lion on North Main Street, 7-Eleven on Draper Road and Kroger at University City Blvd. no longer offer the maroon and orange Bud Light cans, instead selling the beer in its regular blue and silver cans. In an Aug. 27 letter to the beer’s manufacturer, Anheuser-Busch, university spokesman Larry Hincker requested the company end distribution of the colored cans, calling them an “attractive nuisance.” Noting the issue of underage drinking on campus, the letter also chided the company for creating a false impression of school affiliation through the cans. “While one cannot trademark colors, the general public still perceives school colors as part of a university’s identity,” wrote Hincker. “It must be apparent to Anheuser-Busch that only a Hokie or Hokie fan would intentionally purchase an orange and maroon product!” A Sept. 10 return letter from AnheuserBusch stated that the cans would be removed from the community “in the near future.” At least 10 NCAA Division I-A universities have the color orange as a part of their school colors, including Atlantic Coast Conference rivals the University of Virginia and the University of Miami, and at least nine schools use the color maroon, including Arizona State, the University of Southern Mississippi, Minnesota and inconference rival Boston College. However, no other schools use the two colors in combination as it appeared on the can.
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news in brief
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Running back Williams named ‘Rookie of Year’ Redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. Williams rushed a record 1,538 yards this season, breaking the ACC’s freshman rushing record of 1,265 yards. The record was set last year by Tech running back Darren Evans, who is out on injury this season. Williams also scored 19 touchdowns this |season. He received 34 out of 40 possible votes, beating out Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who won 29 votes. The votes were cast separately for offensive and defensive awards, then combined to find the overall winner. The announcement comes on the heels of another important turn for Hokie football fans. Although it has not been officially confirmed, multiple media reports indicate Tech will face the Tennessee Volunteers in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve. The Vols went 4-4 in the SEC and 7-5 overall this season. The matchup should be confirmed within the next several days. by liana bayne, news reporter
Internet pioneer to give lecture
LUKE MASON/SPPS
“Who else would want a maroon and orange can?” Hincker said. Director of Athletics Jim Weaver said the cans “brought the wrong message forward.” “When they shipped them here in our color, they obviously targeted Virginia Tech,” Weaver said. Packs with the colored cans were available in Blacksburg-area stores through the middle of November. “I have to assume that those that were in stores were something that was already in the pipeline,” Hincker said. A poll on a Bud Light Web site, TailgateApproved.com, still features the maroon and orange can as a part of a poll for fans to select their favorite color scheme. With only 2 percent of the vote, the “maroon and burnt orange” can
is among the lowest-voted cans. A can colored “black and gold,” similar to the colors of Purdue University, the University of Central Florida and West Point holds the lead with 10 percent of the online vote. Despite the uproar over the Bud Light promotion, Tech’s name has been associated with other alcoholic beverages, including Hokie Bird Red and Hokie Bird White wines through Floyd County-based Chateau Morrisette Inc. Hincker said that Anheuser-Busch did not ask for permission from the university as a part of the promotion. The university licensed Chateau Morrisette to use the name in 2004. “As far as I’m concerned, this was really a run around the trademark process,” Hincker said. Hincker said that Tech would have turned down the promotion had it been asked, noting that Tech’s policy states it does not license beer products.
Google “chief Internet evangelist” and Vice President Vinton Cerf, will visit Virginia Tech and give a lecture on Dec. 7. The lecture, entitled “The Unfinished Internet,” take place at 11: 00 a.m. in the Assembly Hall in Holtzman Alumni Center. In 1994, former President Bill Clinton granted Cerf the U.S. National Medal of Technology and credited him and his colleague with creating the Internet. He also was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, under former President George W. Bush. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in computer science, Cerf served as the senior vice president of technology strategy for MCI, Inc., a Verizon subsidiary. He is credited with having created MCI Mail, which was one of the first forms of e-mail to exist on the Internet. Cerf’s lecture is being sponsored by the College of Science. No tickets are required to attend the event, and it is open to all interested students and community members. by katie robidoux, news staff writer
2 news
new river valley news editor: zach crizer university editor: philipp kotlaba newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
[Monday, December 7]
LooP In the
Need a break from studying? Check out the events of the upcoming week.
[Thursday, December 3]
[Saturday, December 5]
What: Student Ensemble Concert: University Jazz Bands Where: The Lyric When: 8 p.m. Cost: General $5, student/senior $3
What: Colorado Quartet Where: Squires Recital Salon When: 8 p.m. Cost: General $15, seniors $10, students $5
What: Virginia Tech student section of the American Nuclear Society presents: “Nuclear Power: Part of the Green Future” Where: McBryde Hall, Room 113 When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free
What: Mike Butera Where: Gillie's When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free
[Friday, December 4]
[Sunday, December 6]
What: “Glory in the Highest” Acoustic Christmas tour w/ Phil Wickham, Shane and Shane and Bethany Dillon Where: Burruss Hall Auditorium When: 8 p.m. Cost: $9 in advance, $12 at the door
What: Student Ensemble Concert: University Choirs Holiday Concert Where: Blacksburg Presbyterian Church When: 3 p.m. Cost: General $5, student/senior $3
What: Linux Laptop Orchestra Where: Squires Studio Theatre When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free
Check out the Department of Theatre & Cinema's workshop production of "The Increased Difficulty of Concentration" by Vaclav Havel, former prison inmate and president of the Czech Republic, Dec. 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. All performances will be held in Theatre 101 and admission is free.
Fort Hood: Military urges mental examination of gunman before trial from page one
“I’m asking myself, is this the appropriate time to do a mental responsibility exam when the guy’s in an ICU, when we still don’t know what all the charges are?” Galligan said. Fort Hood spokesman Chris Haug told The Associated Press he had no information on the request. Patrick McLain, a Dallas defense lawyer and former military judge not involved in the case, said there were several possible reasons for the
Army’s action. One is tactical. Prosecutors might want to force the issue of mental competency quickly, given that Galligan has said he was considering an insanity defense but has not sought a hearing himself. “The prosecutor may think that the longer the defendant is conscious and talking, the more he might get the notion of trying to game the system by trying to come up with things to mimic mental disease or defect,”
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Where would this board be? Who would convene on it? Who would they direct to be on it? JOHN GALLIGAN LEAD DEFENSE COUNSEL
McLain said. Or there could be political reasons. Army leadership could be anxious to put the tragedy behind it and to focus on the larger military mission,
McLain said. And Obama administration officials “really want to deemphasize the Muslim component to this whole thing,” he added. Hasan, born in Virginia to Palestinian immigrants, had argued that Muslim soldiers should be given a military discharge rather than forced to fight in predominantly Muslim countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In the months leading up to the shooting, Hasan also had corresponded via e-mail with a radical imam in Yemen who urged Western Muslims to practice jihad and advocated killing soldiers. Galligan questioned where Hasan would be able to get an impartial psychiatric assessment. Mental exams for soldiers accused of crimes at Fort Hood usually are done at the post hospital, Galligan said, but Hasan was stationed there for several months before the shooting. Soldiers can also be evaluated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but Hasan also worked there. “Again, we’re back to some difficult questions: Where would this board be? Who would convene it? Who would they direct to be on it?” Galligan said. “The Army psychiatric community is itself under scrutiny in this case.” ct news editor philipp kotlaba contributed to this report
What: Vinton G. Cerf, Vice President of Google presents “The Unfinished Internet” Where: Holtzman Alumni Center Alumni Assembly Hall When: 11 a.m. Cost: Free
[Tuesday, December 8] What: Stephen Kellogg Acoustic Show Where: Squires Haymarket Theatre When: 7:30 p.m. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door
[Wednesday, December 9] What: Holiday Show Where: Squires Perspective Gallery When: noon-5 p.m. Cost: Free What: Student Recitcal: Low Brass Ensemble Where: Squires Recital Salon When: 8 p.m. Cost: Free If you would like an event featured in our calendar, e-mail featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com with event details, including cost.
GOP demands probe over climate e-mails JIM TANKERSLEY & ALEXANDER C. HART mcclatchy tribune WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans called on the Obama administration Wednesday to suspend its efforts to combat climate change until the controversy is resolved over recently disclosed emails that critics say raise questions about the scientific underpinnings of the climate change issue. In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, the GOP lawmakers requested that a pending move to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act be halted, along with plans to limit emissions from vehicles, power plants and other sources “until the agency can demonstrate the science underlying these regulatory decisions has not been compromised.” The e-mail controversy centers on more than 1,000 electronic messages that were apparently obtained and released by a computer hacker. Most of them involve scientists at the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit in Britain, one of the few institutions in the world that collects the historical temperature data relied on by climate researchers. At the heart of the controversy is the role of human activity such as burning coal and petroleum in climate change.
Skeptics argue that global temperatures may be warming naturally. They say the e-mails suggest scientists may have cooked the books and manipulated evidence to bolster their claims. Among the e-mails are messages that show a prominent climate scientist urging colleagues to destroy records to avoid releasing them under public disclosure laws. In others, scientists appear to discuss how to discredit published research they disagree with. One of the leading figures in the scandal, East Anglia climate scientist Phil Jones, stepped down temporarily this week in the face of a government investigation into his work and e-mails. In a 1999 e-mail, Jones wrote of using a “trick” to hide an apparent decline in recent global temperatures on a chart being prepared for use by a meteorological organization. Warming skeptics seized on the line, which Jones said has been “taken completely out of context,” because he was simply looking for a clearer way to chart global warming. Critics have also focused on an e-mail from Penn State University scientist Michael Mann as evidence that climate researchers have sought to play down evidence that the Earth warmed naturally 1,000 years ago. In a 2003 e-mail, Mann said “it would be nice to ‘contain’ the putative” Medieval Warming Period. Mann told Tribune Newspapers last month that the e-mail reflected his desire to identify exactly when the period began — not to downplay it. He also said he declined to act on a request from Jones to destroy e-mails sought under Freedom of Information laws.
opınıons 3
editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
december3,3,2009 2009 december
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letters to the editor]
Fun should not require drinking
W
e are nearing the end of the semester, and the festivities are abundant. Some may be going to parties more frequently with the intention of having a good time. The message toward students when it comes to the definition of fun at such parties is this idea of drinking to get drunk. Is there no other conceivable way to have a good time? This is college — I understand that it may be inevitable for people to drink at these social events, and I am not saying that we need to stop drinking altogether, but why aren’t we doing more to prevent subsequent toxic drinking and alcohol poisoning incidents? I feel that while Virginia Tech does have a few places for us to go to, programs that we can participate in, and classes we can take, we need to do more to prevent overdosing among students. “How to drink and not get caught,” an event executed by the Tech Police Department, sends the wrong message and does not address the health risks. It does not explain how to handle an alcohol-related emergency, and it certainly does not explain when you’ve had enough. “How to drink and not get caught,” achieves the same goal as “drink responsibly” from the alcohol advertisements. Both are used to convey “acceptable behavior” — the dangerous consumption of alcohol — by soliciting people not just to drink, but to keep drinking; there is no responsibility, and the consequences are not limited to the person who is drinking. According to Red Watch Band, 2.8 million college students say they drink and drive. While this does not necessarily involve those of us who ride the bus, we are not immune to victimization by a drunk driver. We do not know when enough is enough, and considering the number of rapes and violent incidents reported on college campuses, 90 percent and 95 percent involve alcohol, respectively. And we certainly do not know, if anything else, how to react to a toxic drinking emergency, which leaves me wondering just how many 911 calls are overdoserelated. We do not question the messages that our school and peers convey, or the amount of crime that is derived from these events until one Sunday morning when we find someone passed out on the bathroom floor in our hall — an event where we would have to call the Tech Rescue Squad. What happens then? What if it is too late? We can do more on the microlevel, where student-to-student interactions have a more positive role in the decisions we make. I think that Tech, and it’s student body, accommodate too many to show anything less than apparent concern. We need to endorse in programs such as the Red Watch Band, which can help students to recognize and respond to alcohol-related emergencies. We should have fraternities and sororities sponsor more events with less alcohol or more control, which may decrease “drinking to get drunk” demands. We should work on the student and friendship levels with our peers to create more positive public situations and statements; friends don’t let friends get too drunk. Perhaps once we begin to understand the true consequences, who the victims are, and that we are putting ourselves in a position where multiple lives are at stake, then the choice can be easily made — people can begin to ask why nothing more is being done.
ERICA LEE Freshman sociology major
Tech should be on cutting edge
T
his letter is a response to Gabi Seltzer’s column, “Moving ‘Beyond Coal’ must be cost efficient for future students” (CT, Nov. 30), which is about a very controversial issue, especially at a traditionally conservative southwest Virginia university. We are, in fact, in the heart of coal country. Your concerns are ones that many students have regarding how switching away from coal will affect their pockets. However, rather than saying moving off our dependency on coal is unrealistic and not cost effective in 10 years, why not see it as a challenge? Virginia Tech is a leading institute in research and technology. We are smart problem
solvers. We work hard. Like I said, we invent the future. In the Environmental Coalition we like to say that Hokies invent the right future. I am optimistic and excited about the new Virginia Tech Beyond Coal campaign. Its goals are ambitious, but its grassroots energy and visibility in a mere six months is phenomenal. It is inspiring to see campus activism on such a pressing energy issue. Even more respectable, the students in Beyond Coal are not just crazy liberal hippies who are protesting the campus power plant. Beyond Coal is a campaign, and thus a strategic political plan is being formulated to propose to the administration. The proposal will have realistic goals and a timeframe, but will also emphasize that moving off of coal is crucial in the greater global climate change picture. Yesterday, Beyond Coal student leaders met with Mike Coleman, the facilities manager, to discuss how Tech has the responsibility and capacity to move away from coal. Just think, Tech could lead the way for renewable energy technology with all our engineers. With passage of the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment last spring, there is no doubt in my mind that the administration is ready to be a leader in sustainability. Sure there are budget cuts and the economy is unstable, but with great student-led campaigns like the SGA Sustainability Committee’s Green Fee, how could we lose? Wouldn’t you be willing to designate $5 of your Tech tuition toward energy efficiency and conservation? I don’t think this would hurt our pockets. Funds generated from a Green Fee could fuel the transition to change campus energy infrastructure. And that’s only one idea of how to raise money to address our addiction to dirty coal.
LYNDSAY McKEEVER Humanities science and the environment major Intern, Sierra Club
Switch from coal sooner not later
T
uesday’s column “Moving ‘Beyond Coal’ must be cost efficient for students” (CT, Nov. 30), by Gabi Seltzer has a point. We must consider the cost to future Hokies as we look to move beyond coal. As part of that equation, any honest accounting would include the cost of continuing to burn this toxic fuel. Not only does the coal plant emit toxic pollution into the air we all breathe here in Blacksburg, coal is the No. 1 contributor to global warming causing CO2 emissions in the U.S. If we are going to have any chance of preventing the worst consequences of global warming — like sea level rise, severe weather and extreme drought — we have to stop burning coal as soon as possible. That’s not going to happen unless universities like Virginia Tech lead the way. The university’s current plan doesn’t set a deadline for Tech to get off coal until 2050. That is simply not acceptable, and it fails to protect the future of all Hokies. We can’t afford to wait to get off coal, and we don’t have to. The current university plan calls for the existing boilers at the coal plant to be massively repaired or completely replaced by 2025 at the latest. We already have to make a huge investment. At Virginia Tech Beyond Coal, we propose that we simply tackle the problem now and be off coal by 2020. A recent report by the International Energy Agency states that every year the world fails to take serious action to stop global warming adds another $500 billion to the eventual cost. Unless we prefer to bankrupt our global economy, we must start now. Virginia Tech is one of the top research institutions in the world, and we can lead the way to a clean energy economy by getting off of coal as soon as possible. At Beyond Coal, we say “let’s invest in the right future for all Hokies.” Instead of pouring our money into mountaintop removal, global warming and toxic pollution, let’s do the right thing and invest in a renewable energy future for all.
ALLISON STILL Beyond Coal at Virginia Tech
MCT CAMPUS
Capitalism must change, or face system’s destruction W
e should be screaming from the rooftops, “Capitalism is dead, long live capitalism!” The truth is capitalism of the form that had arisen by 2008 is flawed and has always been flawed. By that year, as a result of over 20 years of lobbying, we had one of the most regulation-free economic systems since before the Great Depression. Instead of a capitalist utopia, we were met with the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Even Alan Greenspan, the chief economic adviser to five presidents and an Ayn Rand devotee, was forced to admit that he had found a flaw in the thinking that caused him to deregulate so many facets of our economy, specifically in the banking industry. Capitalism is an important part of our society and history. It provides us with an incentive to work, innovate and create. It has provided us with an economy that has allows us to work with each other toward building a better world for ourselves and for our families. However, capitalism has a very large drawback: It leaves each person at the mercy of another person’s greed. On a small scale this isn’t so bad. It’s not hard to learn who is likely to give you a bad deal and then avoid them. However, in a more complex system, the outcomes of transactions are often harder to understand until months or even years down the line, and by then it’s too late. Furthermore, since our economy is so interdependent, a failure in one sector can lead to failures elsewhere. This problem can often be exacerbated by fact that corporations almost always award people for near term profit. A good example of this practice is at General Motors where the company offered workers lower wages in exchange for larger benefits packages. In the short term it was able to make more money as it was paying its workers less, but in the long term it ended
up being unable to fulfill its promises to its workers. While this was not the only reason for GM’s failure, it was one of the largest contributing causes. By the time that GM failed, the people responsible for negotiating the terms had long since moved on. While capitalism has many glaring holes, I would not venture to call it a failed system. However, it is clear that in its current form, capitalism cannot stand. The government has a role to play in this new form. It needs to achieve three goals: 1) remove lobbyists from the regulation process, 2) enforce transparency and 3) regulate the current industries and be ready to regulate new ones. Lobbyists can be like a doubleedged sword. They serve to educate lawmakers, but they also exist to advocate for a particular company, and in doing so they only present one side of an issue. President Barack Obama has made some headway on this first goal this fall by forcing lobbyists off federal advisory boards. Obama has also created a stringent set of guidelines to prevent lobbyists from having too much access to people in his own administration. While lobbyists still have a part to play in Washington, these guidelines and ones like them should make a significant dent in how the lobbyists do business. Transparency is more important than ever. Even before the dust had settled from the banking crisis there were new scams in the works. Two new scams that have made recent news are high frequency trading and life insurance securitization. High frequency trading works by using faster access to the stock market to unfairly manipulate it for a profit. In theory no one should be able to have an advantage of speed in the markets and such practices, in part because they don’t require transparency, can cause instabilities in the market. Life insurance securitization is essentially the same
scam we saw in the mortgage sector where companies tried to bundle high and low risk investments in order to hide the high risk investments. This kind of scheme is exactly what caused so many problems for us today. Obama has talked about requiring new regulations but has yet to implement them or propose any specifics. It is time for him to put his money where his mouth is. A good first step would be to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act, which prevented banks from engaging in the activities that caused the banking crisis and, in turn, our current recession. It was at best extreme short-sightedness and at worst downright corruption that Glass-Steagall was ever repealed. Regulators also need to be ready to educate themselves on new sectors of the economy as they appear. As our economy becomes ever more complex and the modes of trade ever more varied, we need to be more careful about how they are allowed to affect the rest of our economy lest we have another banking and mortgage crisis. Most of the economic indicators say that our economy is improving. While this is good news, it does not speak to the stability of our economy. We need to put structures in place to prevent a relapse. I do not claim that creating these structures will be easy, but it is necessary. Capitalism serves a purpose, but it is not perfect. Government may not be perfect, but it does serve us, and it should be used to help provide us with stability so that all actors in our economic system can act in good faith.
PATRICK BUTLER -regular columnist -graduate student, computer science
Stress, anxiety important health concerns for college students W
e all have those days that seem like they last forever, and with the oncoming holiday season it seems like finding easy, short days are a rarity. Searching for the perfect gift for someone, making holiday plans, family gatherings and not to mention final papers, presentations, and exams are all pressing issues. The last few weeks before the end of the semester wind up in a whirlwind of papers and grades intermixed with goodbyes from roommates and friends. All of these things are exciting and busy but also very stressful. At some point in our lives, we have all experienced stress. The American College Health Association announced stress and anxiety have ranked in the top four factors that affect college students’ academic performance. This ranking has not changed in the past nine years. For many college students, this is not surprising. Not only is stress highly correlated with academic performance, but also with physical and mental health. Stress triggers the fight or flight response that came in good use when we were fighting prehistoric animals. For example, when faced with a saber-toothed tiger your eyes would dilate, blood flow would increase and a chemical release of adrenaline would help you to avoid
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on the web
For more ideas on how to keep stress levels down this holiday season you can visit http://www.uhs.uga.edu/ stress/wellnesslifestyle.html.
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being lunch. But, in the age of cars and electricity, this instinct is no longer the basis for survival. High stress rates from school or work may trigger this natural response resulting in the opposite effect. Chronic stress can lead to a lower immune system, which can increase your chances of getting sick. High stress rates are also associated with high blood pressure, high blood sugar and a multitude of other disorders. In fact, according to the American Institute of Stress, 75 to 90 percent of all visits to a family physician are related to stress. Stress is also strongly associated with mental health. Stressful situations or environments have been found to be positively correlated with most mental
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health disorders. Stress is not a diagnosable disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but anxiety disorders can be very similar to the feeling of being stressed all the time. There are many different subcategories of anxiety disorders with a wide array of paranoia degrees. It is important to know that there is treatment available whether it’s through counseling or medical treatment. Although the holiday season can bring a feeling of wellbeing and cheer, it is important to take care of yourself, especially with finals right around the corner. A few ideas that may help you feel less stressed are creating a to-do list and checking off the items as you finish them. This way you don’t forget about anything and save it for the last minute, not to mention crossing items off makes you feel like you’re progressing. Also, resisting the urge to over eat on all the holiday goodies or restricting your diet to purely coffee may contribute to increased stress. Making sure you eat balanced meals each day will help keep you healthy and focused.
CANDACE LOHR -guest columnist -president of Active Minds
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis ACROSS 1 Debacle 7 Fish used in sashimi 11 “Good Will Hunting” setting, briefly 14 Racket 15 Denpasar is its capital 16 Sumac from South America 17 Flared garb for Tarzan? 19 Old platters 20 First woman to land a triple axel in competition 21 Crumb 22 Levels 24 Manage to provide morning refreshment? 26 Orbital point 29 Keisters 30 Alphabetical orders? 31 Mogadishu native 35 Actress Wray 37 Scarf makers? 40 Wheat beard 41 Short stops 42 Silk, in St.-Étienne 43 Finely contoured 45 Ulan __ 46 Wrinkle on a dessert topper? 51 Clapton hit that won the 1992 Best Rock Song Grammy 52 Off-the-wall piece on the wall? 53 Humanities degs. 56 Tolkien creature 57 Wolves full of themselves? 60 Modern, in Mannheim 61 Tales and such 62 Yacht spot 63 Sixth of five? 64 Odessa-to-Waco direction 65 Lacing aid DOWN 1 Big film maker 2 “__ a Spell on You”: 1957 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins song
12-3-2009 5/29/09
By Dan Naddor
3 Florentine flower? 4 Soak, in British dialect 5 “We want to hear from you” 6 Ingredients in a McFlurry, perhaps 7 Very heavy 8 Not so bright 9 Every 10 Memorable 11 1989 Daniel Day-Lewis film 12 One putting on a show 13 Café cup 18 “Despite what I just said ...” 23 “__ tree falls ...” 24 Odds and ends: Abbr. 25 Not quite a B 26 “Dancing Queen” group 27 Cutting-edge farm parts 28 It’s hoisted on ice annually 31 Serpentine 32 Home of the NCAA’s Buckeyes
Wednesday’s Thursday’s Puzzle Solved
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33 Whitney et al.: Abbr. 34 “You __ here” 36 River to the North Sea 38 In working order 39 1917 abdicator 44 Goethe’s “The __-King” 45 Sell out 46 Knockoff 47 Falls heavily
5/29/09
48 Discomfit 49 Ailurophobe’s dread 50 Last word in doughnuts 53 Rescue, with “out” 54 Teen breakout? 55 Game with no card lower than seven 58 Mauna __ 59 Ante-
sports 5
editors: joe crandley, alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
Last second losses a thing of the past for Hokie hoops P
rior to the start of its season, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. After closing out the 2008-09 campaign with numerous letdowns late in games and later losing A.D. Vassallo and Cheick Diakite to graduation, the Hokies weren’t necessarily the hottest college basketball search on Google to begin the season. And some would say deservingly so. The Hokies face a tough Atlantic Coast Conference schedule as always this year, and the average age of their roster, which lacks a senior who gets any legitimate playing time, is only 20. Some, however, disagreed with Tech’s predicted finish from the get-go. “We’re better than most teams,” said point guard Malcolm Delaney the week before Tech’s first game. “I mean, look at the stats from the last couple years. We’re like the third or fourth winningest program in the ACC. It doesn’t matter if we get picked eighth in the preseason — they do that every year. “If you look at it on paper, the teams we beat and the teams we lost to in close games. ... I ain’t really worried about that,” Delaney added. “We’re better than most teams in the ACC.” Six games into the season, Delaney’s point is slowly being made now that the Hokies stand at 5-1. While many of Tech’s opponents have proven lackluster, coaches will tell you at the start of the season that wins are wins. Last season, the Hokies dropped four out-of-conference games by four points or fewer before they even sniffed the better competition on their in-conference schedule. While many fans expected last season’s team to be one of the best Tech had ever seen, the Hokies couldn’t catch a break all year. In San Juan, Puerto Rico last year, the Hokies lost back-to-back games against Xavier and Seton Hall on their first road trip of the season. Against Xavier, Tech forward Jeff Allen forced a two-point lead with 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Hokies looked like they were going to earn a valuable win early in the year. Instead, it wasn’t a missed assignment or a bad foul that led the Hokies to relinquish their lead, but it was as close as you can get to an act of God in the game of basketball that sent the Hokies home when Xavier hit a half court heave at the buzzer for the win. Two days later, the Hokies looked flat and shot 9-20 from the free-throw line in the second half against a flat-out
KUMAR VEETRAG/SPPS
Hokies starting junior point guard Malcolm Delaney dribbles down the court during Tech’s 69-55 win over Brown University on Nov. 15. worse Seton Hall team, lollygagging to their second loss. After beating Elon by just nine points in their next game, the Hokies lost yet another close game days later against Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. This time, the Hokies showed the fight people expected but did not see against Seton Hall, coming back from a double-digit deficit in the second half and tying the Badgers at 72 with just seven seconds remaining. Just before time expired, though, Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes drove to the top of the key and hit a running jumper despite Delaney’s hands being in his face to give his team the win over Tech with just under a second remaining. Another one-point loss against Georgia just before the start of their in-conference schedule set the tone for what would be a year of “what ifs” for Tech basketball fans. Had Tech defeated Xavier, an eventual four-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and had the Hokies beat Wisconsin, an eventual 12-seed, things may have been different. Those close losses, as Delaney noted, dictated the predictions made for Tech this season. Six games into the season, though, the late game losses have not appeared.
The Hokies’ one loss this year comes against a Temple team that very well could be in the tournament this March. Like last year, Tech took its first three out-of-conference games with ease this season, defeating Brown, UNCGreensboro and Campbell with little problem. Like last year, the Hokies lost their first game against real competition on the road. Against Temple in Philadelphia, the Hokies got 32 points of production from Delaney, but the rest of the team combined to shoot an inexcusable 836 from the field en route to a 61-50 defeat. Unlike last year, the Hokies bounced back and continued to fight until the very last millisecond in wins against Delaware and Iowa on the road. In their game against Delaware, the Hokies were out-shot 45.5 percent to 35.5 percent in the second half. While the Hokies were expected to win, they were forced against the ropes, and a late run by Delaware sent the game into overtime with all the momentum shifted to the Blue Hens. In overtime, the Hokies took care of business and won by eight. Against Iowa, the Hokies were pressured multiple times but never let up. The Hawkeyes began the game Tuesday night with an 11-3 run to
KUMAR VEETRAG/SPPS
Delaney reaches for a rebound over Brown sophomore guard Jean Herbert-Harris on Nov. 15 at home. which Tech answered with a 10-2 run of its own, but whenever it seemed Tech was ready to pull away, Iowa had an answer. Iowa shot 44.9 percent from the field and a shocking 44.4 percent from three-point range, connecting on 12 of 27 shots from beyond the arc. Even in a home game and against a team picked to finish eighth in the ACC, that wasn’t enough for the Hawkeyes. When the Hawkeyes took the lead with 6:27 remaining in the game, the Hokies kept fighting and it paid off when Tech strung together six straight points off a 30-second timeout to take back the lead for good. This season seems different.
Last season, the Hokies had four players average more than six points per game, with Vassallo, Delaney and Allen all in double-figures and J.T. Thompson clocking in with a mediocre 6.5 points per game. So far this season, six Hokies are averaging more than six points per game, and there’s a much deeper rotation at head coach Seth Greenberg’s calling. Even players who aren’t averaging more than six per game, such as freshmen Ben Boggs and Erick Green, are contributing. Tuesday, Boggs knocked down two three pointers early in the game to spark the Hokies’ comeback from an early 11-3 deficit. While there’s still a long road ahead for the Hokies, some are beginning to
understand why Delaney brushed off the predictions made for his team before it even stepped foot on the court. If close losses turn into close wins for this Tech team, the postseason destination will be different at the beginning of March, and as for the talking heads who don’t mention the Hokies name when discussing ACC basketball — well, Delaney isn’t too worried about that.
ALEX JACKSON -sports editor -senior -communication major
6 features
editors: topher forhecz, teresa tobat featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
december 3, 2009
COLLEGIATETIMES
Workshop play offers community comedic stress relief DAN WAIDELICH features reporter Finals are approaching and students across the Virginia Tech campus feel the pressure. To help ease the stress, the Department of Theatre Arts and Cinema offers a theatrical solution. “The Increased Difficulty of Concentration” by Vaclav Havel is an absurdist comedy and the latest workshop production from the department. David Johnson, the director of the play and a theatre department faculty member, chose to stage the show because of his appreciation of Havel’s work and a desire to cap off the season with humor. “Audiences should expect to laugh a lot,” Johnson said. “This is not a message-filled play even though there is a message. We are emphasizing the comedy.” “The Increased Difficulty of Concentration” is the story of social scientist Eduard Huml, a womanizing philosopher caught in multiple tumultous relationships. Absurdist theater tends to feature comedic characters in hopeless plots who must deal with the stresses and nonsense of life. Many plays in the MICHAEL MCDERMOTT/SPPS genre jump through time, offering a narrative that does away with chronoMr. Kreibl, played by Jarreau Williams prepares to press the final button on the machine in front of him logical storytelling, and this play is no exception. during Monday’s run-through of the workshop production, “The Increased Difficulty of Concentration.”
“I’m calling it a quantum physical comedy,” Johnson said. “Havel plays with space and time. All of the sudden we’re back in a scene we already saw. It hit me the other day with the title that as the play goes it becomes increasingly harder to figure out what is going on. It’s funny.” With the constant jumps in time and the quick scene changes, the actors need to stay focused to keep pace with the production. Jarred Murray, a Tech graduate, plays the lead role of Huml and has around 13 costume changes in the hour-long show. “This isn’t my first time doing things like this,” Murray said. “It’s a lot of work, and it takes getting used to. “I think if the audience realizes, ‘Wow, he just ran out that door, changed his outfit and knows his line,’ they will really appreciate the piece.” The hard work of the actors produces a show that will not only make audiences laugh but think about the humor as well, Murray said. “The Increased Difficulty of Concentration” will be performed in the new workshop space in the Theatre 101 building. This is the first piece starring students that will be performed in the new space. The cast and crew are using the flexible area to their advantage.
“We’re using the whole space,” said Chloe West, a cast member and junior theatre arts major. “We’re using all the doors as entrances and exits. We wouldn’t be able to do this show in the Performing Arts Building. It just wouldn’t be as fun.” Audience members will view the action from seats on the walls of the theater while the actors will perform in the middle of the room. In this configuration, between 80 and 100 people will have the opportunity to enjoy the farce and follies of the characters. “We’ve got some really talented actors, and it’ll be fun for people to come see a play in this new space,” Johnson said. “People should expect a good time.”
information Play: “The Increased Difficulty of Concentration” When: Dec. 3-5 Time: 7:30 p.m. Cost: Free Info: Audiences can show up to grab their seats an hour before showtime. Where: Theatre 101
Lead singer of four-piece band comes to Tech for solo show LIZ NORMENT features reporter Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers describe their sound as a combination of Americana Rock and IndieCountry. “Kind of Ryan Adams meets Guster,” said lead singer Kellogg, who will perform solo acoustic show on Dec. 8 in Haymarket Theatre in Squires Student Center. Having just released a third album, the band owes much of its success to very humble beginnings. Each of the four band members has had his share of bad jobs. Stephen ‘Skunk’ Kellogg, the group leader, found himself sitting in a kiosk selling tickets to shows he felt he should have been playing in. Brian “Boots” Factor spent time temping at truck lot, Kit “the Goose” Karlson worked at a coffee shop and Sam “Steamer” Getz worked at a Papa John’s. Their tour manager invented many of their aliases. “Most of them came from our tour manager Jess Kellogg,” Factor said. “She’s like the barer of nicknames.” Each originally from different states, the four met more or less by coincidence. Karlson met Kellogg at a rest stop on the Massachusetts Turnpike. “I was touring with a band that was dissolving, and Stephen asked if I wanted to play with him sometime,” Karlson said. Bored at work, Factor found Kellogg’s information on the Internet and asked if he needed a drummer. They began playing together that night. Getz, the newest member, met the
others last year on the Rock Boat, a four-day music festival on a cruise ship. “I really enjoyed their music and wanted to play with them,” Getz said. He caught up with lead singer Kellogg after the show. “I remember we were eating latenight pizza,” Getz said, “talking about music, talking about our lives.” Although each member specializes in playing a certain instrument, the Sixers often alternate playing as many as four different instruments in a set. For example, Karlson mainly plays piano, but for certain songs he plays the bass, accordion or even tuba. After forming in 2003, the band has taken a rather unorthodox path that has led up to the release of their latest album, “The Bear.” “It’s been more of a slow and steady thing,” Kellogg said. “We tour relentlessly, and we work hard. It’s made us appreciate everything so much more.” Kellogg is content with the band’s position and optimistic about the future. “I heard this quote on ‘The Office’: ‘I’d rather be at the bottom of a ladder I want to climb than in the middle of a ladder I don’t,’” Kellogg said. “I mean that’s the whole enchilada right there.” Kellogg recalls the hope he had in the beginning of his career. “I remember playing gigs in steakhouses and it would feel incredible if I sold a few CDs,” he said. The band’s latest album encompasses these changes in what Getz feels is its most mature and dynamic
stephen kellogg Where: Haymarket Theatre When: Dec. 8. Cost: $10 for student tickets, $15 general admission Time: Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m. record yet. “You can feel everyone’s personalities and energies even more,” Getz said. The band made its first appearance at Tech when touring with O.A.R. in 2007. Although Tuesday’s show will be his only solo act on the fall tour, Kellogg values the intimacy of playing an acoustic set in a smaller venue.
“When I play solo I get to connect with people and share the stories behind the songs,” he said. “It’s so personal.” The band will finish the year with more shows along the East Coast, as well as appearances on daytime talk shows. “We’ve done a few morning news shows, which is cool but it’s like you play a song, then someone tells you how to cook something,” Kellogg said. The band is hoping to tap into the late-night lineup as musical guests “We want to be on Conan,” Kellogg said. “That’s the big potato we’re trying to get.”
COURTESY OF MEGAN BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY