Friday, February 26, 2010
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COLLEGIATETIMES 107th year, issue 24
News, page 2
Features, page 5
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 6
Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
Need for Speed
COURTESY OF DANIEL LIN
DJ Reid Speed builds the power of her music during Saturday’s performance at Awful Arthur’s in downtown Blacksburg. She played for two hours after bolting from a plane in Roanoke and driving to Blacksburg.
‘Nasty’ beats, ‘filthy’ bass make their way to the ’burg RYAN ARNOLD features reporter Reid Speed’s ponytail bounced as frantically as the Awful Arthur’s crowd she entertained Saturday evening. Behind a turntable setup, the petite performer aggressively bobbed her head while the speakers pulsed. Based out of Los Angeles, DJ Reid Speed creates dance ready music mixes that fuse a breadth of styles. “In the flow of a two-hour set,” she said, “if you’re going from 170 (beats per minute) to 140 to 130 and back up again, you can keep it interesting and it doesn’t have to get boring.” At the slower end of that beat spectrum resides a rising musical genre called “dubstep.” The dubstep sound is unhurried and loaded with heavy, nearly omnipresent bass — its advocates describe songs with words including “nasty,” “filthy” and “grimy.” Born of this millennium, dubstep permeated Blacksburg in recent years through several conduits. During his 2008 abroad studies, senior marketing major Ian McGlumphy glimpsed dubstep in an Amsterdam coffee shop. Once stateside, he promptly broadcast his new tunes. A radio DJ for WUVT since freshman year, McGlumphy released dubstep into southwest Virginia airwaves. Yet while McGlumphy had considerable reach, he said his showcase wasn’t the original. Houseparty audiences peeked dubstep through local acts such as DJ Chup and DJ Class-A. A taste for Chupa Chups lollipops led to the name DJ Chup, while Class-A refers to top-level audio amplifiers. Like McGlumphy, both DJs latched onto dubstep in Europe, which is where its roots formed in the early 2000s. DJ Chup, senior electrical engineering major Sam Wells, worked near London in summer 2008. Class-A, senior chemical engineering major Steve Morris, had a more ingrained experience. “Pretty much my entire teen years (were) in the U.K.,” Morris said. “It’s definitely influenced my music tastes I feel like more to the electronic side.” Although dubstep has a detailed ancestry of electronic music styles, the DJs said certain characteristics make it unique. They acknowledged a layer they call the “wobble.” Dubstep producers often manipulate bass with computer software to create a fluctuating effect. To get an idea, say “womp” repeatedly at varying speeds. Granted, the “womp” plays at rumbling frequencies that approach human auditory limits. “Hope you got some real speakers for this one,” McGlumphy said on WUVT last Thursday, “that’s the only way you’re going to hear it.” The growing infusion of vocal clips also differentiates dubstep from its instrumental relatives. “A lot of producers will just take a sample and build a song around that sample,” Wells said. Snippets from British film are common. McGlumphy said he recently heard morsels of animated sitcom “Family Guy” in a dubstep track. see REID SPEED / page two
International tension strands students IRANIAN STUDENTS FACE DAUNTING PROCESS TO RENEW VISAS, CANNOT RISK RETURNING HOME LIANA BAYNE news reporter Virginia Tech graduate student Ali Tamijani hasn’t seen his family since August 2007. “There is no way I can go back home,” he said, “because I cannot tolerate the risk of not being able to return.” Tamijani, the current president of Tech’s Iranian student society, is just one of many Iranian students who study in America but are not able to visit their families back home in Iran while on breaks from school. He, along with former Iranian student society president Alireza Salmanzadeh, also a graduate student, have been working with the GSA to try to publicize and address problems facing Iranian students studying in the United States. Tamijani said the Iranian student society has been trying to meet with congressman Rick Boucher to speak with him about its issue. “It is difficult,” he said of arranging a meeting, “but possible.” In September 2009, the GSA issued a statement of support for the Iranian student society’s cause. “The Graduate Student Assembly recognizes that Tech has a large number of Iranian students who contribute significantly to the mission of the university and their respective departments,” the statement read. “Therefore, the Graduate Student Assembly supports a change in the current Iranian student visa policy which would allow Iranian students more flexibility when they return to Iran for obtaining a new student visa to re-enter the U.S.” “I was happy that the majority voted,” Tamijani said. “At least we brought up this issue at Tech.” There are about 100 Iranian students studying at Tech, Tamijani said,
making the Iranian community the fourth largest international population on campus. However, Iranian students frequently have problems with getting student visas. Currently, all Iranian citizens can only be issued single-entry visas because the country is classified as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department. Other countries that fall into that category are Cuba, Sudan and Syria. All international students, including Iranians like Tamijani and Salmanzadeh, who wish to study in the U.S. must apply for a F-1 student visa through the state department. Because there is no American embassy in Iran, Iranian residents wishing to apply for this visa must first travel to a nearby country such as Turkey, Cyprus or Dubai. “It’s very costly,” Salmanzadeh said. “I paid $15,000 going back and forth.” Salmanzadeh said he waited four months to get visa clearance. Because of the long wait, he had to defer from fall semester to spring semester. Tamijani was slightly luckier. His clearance only took two months. However, he said, some students experience a wait of up to a year. Once students are cleared to enter the country, they effectively cannot leave. The visa clearance lasts for three months and students are allowed to stay in the country with an expired visa for the duration of their schooling. If they choose to leave the country, however, their visa almost certainly will have expired and they will have to go through the application process all over again. Salmanzadeh said he has not seen his parents for two years. “There are some specific times you want to be with your family,” he said. “My only sister is going to be mar-
GREGORY WILSON/SPPS
Iranian graduate students Alireza Salmanzadeh and Ali Tamijani are working to make the process for renewing a visa easier for those studying in the U.S. They are two of 100 Iranians at Virginia Tech. ried in the summer, and I cannot go home.” Tamijani said while “it’s very stressful,” he “recognizes issues between two governments.” The U.S. and Iran have not had official diplomatic relations since 1980. Yannis Stivachtis, director of the international affairs program at Tech, said the issue between the U.S. and Iran is suspicion. “The collaboration is not good,” he said. “You don’t know how the student will be used.” Stivachtis said many officials from both governments are nervous about the possibility that international students could be agents for either side. “You have only good faith,” he said. “When you have paranoia, anything’s possible. Mistrust creates paranoia.” “Students are the victims in this situation,” Stivachtis said. The Iranian student society has
been working with the National Iranian American Council, a nonprofit advocacy group that lobbies for Iranian-American interests. One issue it has been working on is helping students receive multiple-entry visas. “These kids would jump through hoops to be able to go home,” said Michelle Moghtoder, director of community outreach for NIAC. “But there are no hoops even to jump through.” Moghtoder said the group is looking forward to working with Tech students. “We’re very excited to be working with such passionate students,” Moghtoder said. NIAC has worked with college groups at Georgetown, UC Davis, and UCLA, among others. “We’re trying to teach them the skills needed to get involved in politics,” Moghtoder said. “Iranians as a whole are skeptical ... older generations are
skeptical, and they’ve seen politics take a turn for the worse.” Moghtoder said younger students, especially those studying in America, are becoming more active in democracy. On April 17, NIAC will host a workshop about civic participation that will help students learn how to effectively participate in the democratic process. “Even someone who grew up in the U.S. might not know about writing letters or calling their representatives,” Moghtoder said. In addition to hosting representatives from NIAC, Tamijani also said he hopes to bring Iranian professors from Columbia and Duke this semester to talk about Iranian politics and the issues Iranian students face in the U.S. “I think of myself as a cultural ambassador,” Tamijani said. “We are trying to introduce our culture and define diversity.”
Community rallies to find bone marrow donors LIZ NORMENT & LIANA BAYNE ct staff When he graduated from Virginia Tech with a master’s degree in horticulture, Paul Stevens was searching for a job, but he has now found his calling — trying to save his life and the lives of those who suffer with him. Tech alumnus Paul Stevens spent last summer like many other graduates — relentlessly applying for jobs in a less than booming economy. “I applied for 26 jobs and only got one interview,” Stevens said. Having taught biology at the community college level, Stevens was invited back to Tech to teach freshman biology and gladly took the opportunity, teaching four classes last semester. Within a few months of teaching, Stevens realized that even teaching would become a challenge. His worries over getting a job in a troubled economy soon seemed trivial as Stevens was faced with finding the strength to get through each day. “I’d noticed some pain in my hip for a while, and when the doctor took an X-ray, he found a tumor the size of a tennis ball,” Stevens said. “I was immediately taken to Wake Forest hospital.” After two weeks of tests, Stevens received word of his grave diagnosis: multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow. “It’s very rare for someone my age,” Stevens, 26, said. “The average age is around 60 or 70;
LUKE MASON/SPPS Suzanne Stevens helps her son, Tech alumnus Paul Stevens, at Thursday’s bone marrow donor drive.
they’re calling me a case study.” With the necessity of beginning treatment as soon as possible, Stevens moved back home to North Carolina to be closer to the hospital. Now in his third cycle of chemotherapy, Stevens cannot deny the severe effect the strong drugs have had on his body. “The chemicals build up in your body over time, so the longer I go, the weaker I get,” Stevens said. “I’m constantly nauseated, always tired. Just going to the mailbox and back, I get worn out.”
Reducing the number of classes he teaches from four to two this semester, Stevens makes a commute of over two hours for two days each week. “I feel bad that my students only have two days access to me in terms of office hours,” Stevens said. The frustration he experiences with the inconvenience of a lengthy commute and constant fatigue is rivaled only by the passion he has for teaching and for the university. “I love Tech and I love the students here. That’s the main reason I’m back,” Stevens said.
He admitted that somehow, despite all of the physical effects, not much has changed for him professionally. “If anything, I’m more motivated now,” Stevens said. “A lot of people I’m teaching will become doctors and workers in health sciences. Who knows, one of the students in my classes could eventually find a cure for my disease.” Senior Derek Rose got to know Stevens through his work with the Latter Day Saint Student Association. “I have been inspired so much by Paul throughout all of this,” Rose said. “I can’t even describe how positive his attitude has been, and I think it’s what has helped him respond so much better than the doctors originally hoped.” Because of his type of cancer, Stevens’ doctors informed him that he will need a stem cell donor in order survive the destruction that multiple myeloma has caused on his own plasma cells. Rose, now president of the LDSSA, has helped organize a drive with the National Marrow Donor Program to help find a donor not only for Stevens, but for the thousands of cancer patients nationwide who’s lives are depending on finding the right match. The drive, which was held Thursday in Squires Student Center, aimed at building up the waning donor registry in the New River Valley. “I think the biggest thing is that no one knows about donating,” Rose said. Freshman biology major Alex Paulini learned see STEVENS / page two
2 news
new river valley news editor: zach crizer university editor: philipp kotlaba newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865
february 26, 2010
THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS
Reid Speed: Restaurant leaps onto music scene from page one
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CURRENT MEDAL COUNT as of 9:22 p.m. Thursday
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gold | silver | bronze | total
USA GER NOR
8 11 12 31 8 11 7 26 7 6 6 19
General Assembly houses pass initial budget proposals The Virginia House of Delegates and Senate each passed their versions of the biennial state budget Thursday. Neither of the final versions included an earlier so-called “student tax,” which would have taken five percent of Virginia Tech’s student fees to balance the state’s budget. The House also scratched $145 million in fee hikes proposed by former Gov. Tim Kaine in December of last year. Key parts of the bills would cut K-12 public school funding and health care in an attempt to correct the state’s $4.2 billion shortfall. The Democrat-controlled Senate passed its version in a 30-10 vote, whereas the Republican-held House passed with 61-38 following much more deliberation. The two chambers must now consult with each other to form a compromise bill that then must pass both houses. The General Assembly is in session until Mar. 13. by ct news staff
CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
COLLEGIATETIMES
But how do “womps” and cartoon comedies translate on the dance floor? “That’s almost kind of like a joke in the culture,” Wells said. “How do you dance to dubstep?” McGlumphy said rarely are there intimate dance partners. Because of dubstep’s often deliberate pace, people tend to find their personal groove, which includes what he calls a contorted “bass face.” And he’s seen many grimaces this academic year. McGlumphy helped organize performances that featured dubstep at establishments including Ceritano’s, Abella Cafe and Awful Arthur’s. Atop locals such as DJ Chup and DJ Class-A, McGlumphy reeled in Finland dubstep producer Tes La Rok. McGlumphy said although Tes La Rok’s January show at Awful Arthur’s fell just after snow caked Blacksburg, the turnout was substantial. “The crowd that’s interested in this type of stuff is loyal and they get so ramped about it,” said Jen Morrison, general manager of Awful Arthur’s. “They bring out a great crowd, and most importantly, they bring out a good crowd.”
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“The crowd that’s interested in this type of stuff is loyal and they get so ramped about it. They bring out a great crowd, and most importantly, they bring out a good crowd.” JEN MORRISON GENERAL MANAGER OF AWFUL ARTHUR’S
Awful Arthur’s has a well-rounded schedule of artists, but Morrison said dubstep has skirted the problems she sometimes encounters with other musical acts. “Packing 300 plus people upstairs,” she said, “(there’s) never a fight, never a harsh word.” Morrison said she didn’t first hesitate to host a sound that DJ Reid Speed said is meant to “melt your face off.” “We’re Awful Arthur’s, you know,” Morrison said. “I’m not going to say we’re the classiest joint in town. As a company we have a reputation for taking risks and not being afraid to be a little bit offensive in the interest of doing something cool.” And dubstep has offended at least
a few. Morris absorbed an insult at a recent DJ gig. “Some girl came up to me and she was like, ‘Hey, are you going to play music that people actually like?’” he said. Wells said he receives occasional requests for mainstream hits by names such as Lil’ Wayne. But the DJs said they don’t expect to lasso everyone. With dubstep still in its infancy in Blacksburg, the foreign noise can startle newcomers. Still, a Blacksburg niche exists for dubstep and other related genres; it’s that pocketed enthusiasm that draws bigger names. “You’ll find many artists who share the same sense that I do,” Reid Speed said, “where it’s not just about the biggest crowd possible but it’s more about a vibe. And if you have 100 people in a city that really like a certain kind of music, you can have better nights than venues where there’s 100,000.” McGlumphy said he hopes fandom grows after his spring graduation. Wells and Morris said they plan to stay in the area, though Morris joked about finding new dubstep COURTESY OF DANIEL LIN help. “I’m looking for an apprentice,” Reid Speed said: “You’ll find many artists who share the same sense I do, where it’s not just about the biggest crowd but it’s more about a vibe.” he said.
Stevens: Registry drive exceeds turnout expectations from page one
about the drive through Stevens’ biology class. “Paul is my TA and he told us about this,” Paulini said. “The Tech community cares and can hopefully impact Paul.” Paulini stood in line with about 1,000 other students Thursday waiting to perform the matching process. Students filled out an application and performed a cheek swab to collect DNA data, which could match them with someone who needs bone marrow. Second year masters student Sarah Lapp, a biomedical engineering major, said the cheek swab process “was very quick and easy.” “If I need something, I hope someone could help,” Lapp said. “If I can be the person to help someone else, that’s great.” Besides growing the National Marrow Registry, Thursday’s drive had a more important goal in mind
— battling the misconceptions surrounding the process of being a stem cell or bone marrow donor. “People think that donating involves a painful procedure, but chances are it’s as easy as giving blood,” Rose said. The majority of patients like Stevens, 80 percent, only need stem cells, which come from plasma. “It’s as easy as donating plasma, and then they ship those cells off and put them in someone who needs them, like me, and hope that they stimulate the growth of new bone marrow,” Stevens said. The remaining 20 percent that need bone marrow require a slightly more complicated procedure, but still one that does not cause excruciating pain. “I’ll be the first to say that I had these same misconceptions before I was diagnosed,” Stevens said. “The way things work is they call and let you know you’re a match, and you still
have the option to say no or to say yes and save someone’s life,” Stevens said. The procedure involves a doctor applying a local anesthesia to the hip and then extracting a small amount of marrow from that area, where bone marrow is harvested. “I was sore for a day or two, but it didn’t put me out of any of my daily activities,” Stevens said. After losing a close friend to leukemia four years ago, second year Ph.D. student Sarah Surak and her husband didn’t hesitate to sign up for the national registry to donate bone marrow. “If they had been able to find a donor she could have been alive today,” Surak said of her friend, who was only 24 when she died. Still grieving over this untimely loss, Surak and her husband recently got word from the National Registry that her husband is a match for a 23-yearold male from North Carolina.
The two will be traveling south over spring break to have the procedure done at Vanderbilt hospital. “When we found out, my husband was nervous at first,” Surak said. “Now, though, he’s pretty excited that he will be able to help save a life.” Stevens has turned to his faith for strength throughout his treatment. “If anything, this experience has given me a stronger knowledge that there is more to life than just this earth; this is just a small bit of our existence,” Stevens said. “When you face your own mortality, regardless of what religion you practice, I believe you have to face it spiritually.” A record-breaking number of potential donors came to support Stevens during Thursday’s bone marrow drive. Although Stevens has participated in four or five different drives, including one at UNC Charlotte and one at Appalachian State University, he said
this was the largest turnout he’d seen at any drive. “We’ve had nearly 1,000 come out today,” he said. “The largest drive the national bone marrow people had been to was 800.” Stevens said students had been “happy to help out.” “There really is a Hokie spirit,” he said. Stevens said although he was “pretty tired,” after a long day of teaching and then greeting potential donors at the drive, he was hopeful the event could connect donors with persons needing bone marrow. “All it takes is one person to save somebody’s life,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be mine, although that’s obviously what I’m hoping for. I wish I wasn’t sick so I could donate to help someone else.” Stevens will be participating in another bone marrow drive at Radford University on March 24.
opınıons 3
editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
february 26, 2010
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Support Hokie basketball
T
he value of our home court and the energy that our players feed off of was never more evident than Wednesday night in our loss at Boston College. Many of our players struggled with the lack of energy in the building at the Conte Forum. That is no excuse. At this point in the season, you need to be self-motivated and not rely on outside stimulus to take your game to another level. Having said that, Saturday’s game against the University of Maryland becomes as important a game for our basketball team that we have played this season. It’s the next game, it’s a home game, it’s a game against a top 25-caliber opponent and it is a game that could put us in a position to earn a bye in the upcoming ACC Tournament. This season has been a special one. Our players have found ways to stay in games and earn victories. But they’ve done it with your help. We’ve done it with your energy, your passion, your ownership, your commitment and your support. This time of the year, when you are having a special season, each game takes on a greater significance. Basketball is an inexact science. Teams lose
games. Just look at Pitt losing at Notre Dame this past week without Luke Harangody. It’s hard to win on the road and it’s hard for our opponents to win at the Cassell. Your support has been unwavering throughout the course of the season and I am, once again, asking you to help us take the next step toward reaching our preseason goal. Cassell Coliseum is one of the great venues in all of college basketball. Our 14-0 record has been made possible with the combined effort of our players, our student body and our season ticket holders. But make no mistake about it. You set the tone. You raise the bar. You create the energy that is so pivotal to our players’ success. I look forward to seeing you in the Cassell and having the Cassell at its highest level and its electric best as we take the floor Saturday at 4 p.m. against Maryland. Chalk Talk will be today at noon at D2. Get insights into our game plan, match-ups and preparation for the Terrapins. The record of 21-6 is one I am extremely proud of. Please be there early to help us keep the Cassell streak alive and get number 22. It’s a great day to be a Hokie!
Seth Greenberg men’s basketball head coach
Laptops distract fellow classmates M
y laptop broke recently. I can’t say I was entirely surprised. For the past year or so the screen used to flicker on and off, it would shut down at random points (usually when I was just about to save) and the Internet history was full of visits to Web sites that I certainly didn’t go to (wink wink). So when the moment came when I pressed the on button and found out that it had changed overnight into the stay off button — I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. Lucky for me though, my dad works for HP. Through some process I don’t fully understand, and judging by his vague and confusing account, he doesn’t either; there were three shiny new desktops sitting in our basement. They had been intended for delivery to some trade show or seminar and somehow, most likely by fate/divine providence, they were delivered to my father. After sitting in the basement for three years, he finally decided to mention that there were some computers downstairs and asked if I would like to have one. Of course. Yes. By all means. Why would I not want another computer? My laptop had not yet broken but as its rapid degradation and potential deliquescence was close at hand, it only made sense to snatch up a desktop. So we dug a monitor out of the attic that hadn’t been dusted off since 1997 and I packed the new machine and ancient monitor up and took them with me back to Blacksburg. So that’s the story of how I got a desktop. Let me tell you, it’s awesome. It’s too big to fit in my backpack so there’s no question of whether or not I’m going to bring it to school. The monitor is old and shines like a light bulb. There’s no way I can stare at it for an extended period of time. Plus the monitor is big enough that I can hide liquor behind it. I need to be at my desk to use it so if I’m there, its work time. No more getting in bed to “do my homework” and then
spending hours on YouTube. Now I know what you’re thinking. It all sounds well and good but how could you actually survive in a college environment, where performance must be maximized at all costs? Well I’m about to blow your mind. I’m an aerospace engineer. That’s right. No joke. If a member of the most overworked caste at Virginia Tech can get away with not having a laptop, you probably can too. I’ve seen you and I pity you. Yes, you. There, sitting in your 3000-level English class. Notebook full of sparkly pink lettering, pushed to the side. Your computer sits in front of you, but what are you working on? Are you checking up on the Foucault reference your teacher just pompously made? Are you researching the history of the suffragette movement in order to fill your next paper full of elucidating, accurate historical details? No, you are playing Bubble Spinner. Seriously, I pity you. In the first place, what good is an English degree at all? (Disclaimer: I’m staying at Tech for another year for an English degree.) Secondly, what good is an English degree earned playing games on the Internet? Why are you in class? Why are you in college? Why are you distracting me? Oh wait, no! Not there! Jump over the pit! Hit the dragon with the sword! Block! Block! I can’t stop watching your screen. So now I have a desktop. And from now on I’m going rant about it like a pompous self-serving jerk. But you know, I wouldn’t have an unjustified sense of superiority about my technological immobility if I didn’t really, really like it.
JEFF CRALEY -guest columnst -senior -WUVT program director
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Government should handle all student lending with tax subsidies
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, Katie Robidoux, Allison Sanders, Claire Sanderson, Priya Saxena Features Editor: Topher Forhecz Features Reporters: Ryan Arnold, Liz Norment Opinions Editor: Debra Houchins Sports Editors: Joe Crandley, Alex Jackson Sports Reporters: Thomas Emerick, Ed Lupien, Ray Nimmo, Garrett Ripa, Melanie Wadden Sports Staff Writers: Garrett Busic, Hattie Francis Copy Editors: Taylor Chakurda, Erin Corbey, Kelsey Heiter, Dishu Maheshwari Layout Designers: Kelly Harrigan, Josh Son, Sara Spangler Illustrators: Mina Noorbakhsh, Jamie Martyn Multimedia Editor: James Carty Online Director: Jamie Chung
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Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries
MCT CAMPUS
iven a choice, would you use taxpayer money to subsidize banks, or to help students pay for college? It’s rare for a public policy question to be this big a no-brainer. But that’s the right way to describe the Obama administration’s proposal to save an estimated $80 billion over 10 years by making all student loans directly through the government rather than private lenders, and direct that money toward education programs. The House has passed legislation to eliminate the middleman — companies such as Sallie Mae — from the process, but the proposal is stalled in the Senate amid filibuster threats. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wants to use the money for programs that help students get to college and succeed there, crucial steps for the country if U.S. companies are to compete globally long-term. The biggest of these programs is a $40 billion increase in Pell Grants, which would improve affordability for students now and reduce indebtedness later. The plan also includes $8 billion for early childhood education, an essential ingredient for success later in life, and
more money for community colleges, low-interest Perkins loans and collegetuition tax credits. In concept, the proposal isn’t that dramatic; the government already makes the majority of student loans. However, a very profitable slice currently goes through private companies that lend out federal money and collect fees and interest, even though taxpayers bear the risk of default. This piece of the market would be eliminated. Lenders, supported by some lawmakers from both parties, are arguing against the plan, trying to protect what Duncan calls their “free ride.” Perhaps sensing that public opinion isn’t on their side, they’ve suggested an alternative that would limit their profits but also save the government far less. One of the primary arguments against the bill is that it represents a government takeover. But this argument is purely political, not substantive, as the government provides virtually all the capital for student loans already. The industry also says the bill will cost jobs. Sallie Mae estimates it would be forced to lay off some 2,500 people, though it doesn’t account for positions
that would be regained because the plan calls for private companies to service the loans. Regardless, saving these jobs isn’t worth $80 billion. The lenders argue they can serve students better, and they’re at least partly right, which is why the government would still contract with them to service the loans. But during the economic collapse, many private lenders stopped offering loans altogether, forcing colleges to turn to the more reliable direct lending programs instead — hardly a shining example of excellent customer support. It’s one thing to lose your car loan when credit markets freeze up. It’s quite another to be unable to attend college. Student lending is too important to be left to market vagaries. This plan eliminates corporate welfare and funds key education programs without adding to the deficit. The Senate should pass it without delay so that colleges will have time to implement it in time for the next school year. The following editorial appeared in the San Jose Mercury News on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Black History Month still important in 21st century B
lack History Month is almost over. I’m glad we still observe what some consider an anachronism that has outlived its usefulness. I used to feel that way, too. After all, the celebration has become a cliche. Each February, students and teachers go through the motions of acknowledging the contributions of African-Americans in U.S. history with trite essays, tortuous poetry, and often talentless artwork, always celebrating the same familiar characters — among them Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, and, of course, Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Once in a while, a student will hand in a paper about an obscure, famous (oxymoron intended) AfricanAmerican, like Jan Matzeliger, inventor of the machine that lasts shoes; that means it attaches the upper part of a shoe to the sole. Or Dr. Charles Drew, the physician who figured out how to separate plasma from whole blood, refrigerate them separately, then combine them up to a week later for a blood transfusion. Two years ago, I suggested that the contributions of whites need not be denied a place in celebrating Black History Month. My example was President Harry S. Truman, whose 1948 executive order desegregating America’s armed forces was as crucial to African-Americans as the 1960s civil rights and voting rights acts. But forget about the white folks, if you want to, because there are so many more important African-Americans than Booker T. or Malcolm who should be studied, celebrated and held up as examples to emulate. Start with the first blacks to ever serve in Congress. Can you name one? I couldn’t either, until I read Philip Dray’s brilliant book “Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen” (Houghton Mifflin, 2008). It should be required reading in any American history course, to fully understand how the impact of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination reached well into the 20th century. Consider that President Andrew Johnson refused to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1865, leading to Congress’ firstever override of a presidential veto. Subsequent presidents pulled federal troops out of the South and abandoned blacks, who were brutalized, lynched and otherwise intimidated. Districts
where blacks were the majority were gerrymandered to dilute the effect of any who still dared vote, setting the stage for the eventual departure from Congress of every black member. These men have become nonentities in American history, hardly mentioned if at all, even during Black History Month. As if that weren’t bad enough, the only lasting image of these and other African-American legislators during Reconstruction is from D.W. Griffith’s epic silent film “The Birth of a Nation,” which romanticized the Ku Klux Klan while depicting black lawmakers as chicken-eating buffoons manipulated by Northern carpetbaggers. It was a gross exaggeration, but because there is little recognition of the hardworking, decent black congressmen who served during this period, Griffith’s images from his 1915 movie remain strong. There are people today who believe no blacks served in Congress after Reconstruction ended because none was qualified. Wrong. It was gerrymandering, poll taxes, and literacy tests arbitrarily given to black voters that did that. After Rep. George Henry White of North Carolina left office in 1901, no blacks served in Congress until 1929 when Rep. Oscar Stanton DePriest of Illinois took office. The South didn’t send another black to Congress until 1973, when Reps. Andrew Young of Georgia and Barbara Jordan of Texas arrived. Any of these men’s stories is worth a Black History Month essay. Heck, most of their lives would make a good movie. So would the lives of the second wave of black congressmen. Take Robert Smalls of South Carolina. As a slave, he was trained to pilot steamboats. He used that knowledge in 1862 to take a Confederate transport and steer it and his family to freedom in Union waters. As Dray notes, “Smalls’ daring act not only boosted Northern morale but also represented a decisive victory for his people ... when even many abolitionists were uncertain about former slaves’ potential as independent workers and citizens.” After the war, Smalls was elected to the South Carolina House, then the State Senate, and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1874. The dark-skinned Elliott’s oratory mesmerized whites who believed that only those beige African-Americans with more Caucasian blood in their
veins were intellectually capable of such. Elliott eviscerated the argument of Rep. Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, former vice president of the Confederacy, who said civil rights should be subservient to the “social rights” of whites to segregate themselves. Of Stephens, Elliott said, “It is scarcely 12 years since that gentleman shocked the civilized world by announcing the birth of a government which rested on human slavery as its cornerstone. The progress of events has swept away that pseudo-government which rested on greed, pride, and tyranny; and the race whom he then ruthlessly spurned and trampled on are here to meet him in debate, and to demand that the rights which are enjoyed by their former oppressors ... shall be accorded to those who even in the darkness of slavery kept their allegiance true to freedom and the Union.” Elliott’s summation leaned on the Book of Ruth to characterize what should be the relationship among America’s fellow citizens, black and white: “For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people; and thy God my God; where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.” The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was passed, and Elliott’s speech made him as famous as Barack Obama after his keynote address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. But there was no presidency in Elliott’s future. In 1884, he died a virtual pauper at the age of 41 in New Orleans, where his last job was as a U.S. customs agent. Others among the first black congressmen fared better. Some who followed them fared worse. Take Alonzo Ransier, who after serving with Elliott as a South Carolina congressman was a street cleaner in Charleston until his death in 1882. These men’s stories should resonate in a nation that — as it did in prematurely abandoning Reconstruction — appears to have grown weary with addressing problems rooted in the enslavement, segregation, and disenfranchisement of its African American citizens. It will take more than one month to study this lesson, but February is as good a month as any to start.
HAROLD JACKSON -mcclatchy newspapers
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features 5
editor: topher forhecz featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
february 26, 2010
COLLEGIATETIMES
He said: Apparel can set you up for the future or failure I
JAMIE MARTYN/COLLEGIATE TIMES
imagine your clothes are somewhat organized in a dresser. Socks team up in this drawer, shirts stack in that drawer and pants layer like lasagna in another. Well I haven’t used that last slot all winter. Rest assured I’ve donned pants, but I own just a single pair of jeans. When I discovered the Levi’s 511 fit, I was sold — once, specifically. I’ve faithfully sported the “worn grey” slacks every day. Overnight they collapse onto
my carpet; why pack them away if their legs will be my first steps out of bed? “Ew,” you might think. Lay off. I wash them — every few-ish weeks (during which I wear shorts). But come on, denim is the fallen hamburger you give the 10-second rule to, except you multiply it by a couple hundred thousand. Ladies aren’t checking out my sunken backside anyway, so variety doesn’t seem important. But I’ve come to realize most all my apparel is stale. While some people have decorative candles or pillows, I have decorative clothing; I wear a fraction of what (little) I own. Cartoon-great Doug Funny apparently inspired my closet. His many hangers held identical green sweaters and khaki shorts. I have a flannel shirt series of a similar vein, and I’m ignorant to the other items, one of which I’m pretty sure is a women’s polo. During warm months, I forgo graphics for revolving white T-shirts. A “style change” is switching out crew necks for V-necks, and both come in economical packs of five. Only recently did I retire a pair of shoes I wore exclusively for 15 months (I found the duct-taped toe a nice accent). Such minimalism — or maybe laziness — isn’t readily mocked in the col-
She said: Your inner punk doesn’t look so professional S
ometimes, I wish I were a tattoo artist. Like the dark star of “L.A. Ink,” Kat Von D, my job would allow me to be coated in art, eye-popping shades of makeup and astonishing amounts of leather. But time, and an encroaching sense of professionalism, has dashed my dreams of becoming a punk princess. Instead, my stint as a secretary has slowly conditioned me to be less like Kat Von D and more like Pam Beesley in earlier seasons of “The Office.” Five years ago, I would have been shopping for that perfect pair of sleek Doc Martens boots. Now, you’re more likely to find me in the mall in pursuit of a cardigan that will add some color to my otherwise lackluster office attire. But I hadn’t anticipated this change. Had you asked the 18-year-old mohawked me, I would’ve guffawed at the idea of “business casual” and instead shown you a ratty, black T-shirt of some relatively obscure band. Trust me — sinister Laken never thought that she’d actually have to “grow
up.” But honestly, it was less of “growing up” and more of “growing out.” When we were younger, we could get away with anything — anything. For example, one of my best friends, Jeff, tried desperately to grow a mullet on the principle of hideousness. Jeff’s alopecia prevented him from achieving said mullet, but instead he grew a tangle of long, thin hairs that slumped on the top of his head like a depressed parakeet. The last time I visited Jeff years after he had the “cotton-candy updo,” he asked me to cut his hair because he had no desire to relive his redneck past. Of course, the same goes for clothes. Ladies, have you ever really, truly looked at your Ugg boots? They might look precious now, but when you’re older, you’ll realize you spent your better years wearing what is essentially a leather sock. I don’t tell you this out of meanness. I tell you this out of experience. Like Jeff’s hair fiasco, I went out of my way to be ugly. To the world, I proclaimed it was because I was an individual. In reality, it was because I had no
money. Ugly clothes are cheap. In the winter, I would wear a hulking, stinky, patchwork coat with a giant shearing collar that was left over from my family’s leather factory. I’d Frankenstein my old clothes together with safety pins and band buttons. Gaudy-colored shoes went with every outfit. I’d use drab thrift store ties as hair bands and often took whatever articles of clothing somebody had forgotten on campus, whether it was a single glove or a puke-colored hat. And almost everything I owned was encrusted with my obsession: skulls. Even the nose stud I scored on sale was a skull that I nicknamed “Boney.” So maybe I did the best I could while being thrifty. Maybe I was just youthfully expressing myself through clothing. But now, I look back at my pictures and wonder why somebody didn’t take pity and send me to Stacy and Clinton of “What Not to Wear.” Now that I’ve entered into the realm of “the young professional,” I can’t be quite so avant-garde. Making money is also a huge incentive to look presentable. My working attire now consists
of camisoles, cardigans, sweaters, dress pants and plain flats. When I’m feeling casual, it’s skinny jeans, a zip-up hoodie and a pair of Chucks. My punky past still springs up now and again. I still paint my nails black, and long for loads of dark eyeliner. In the mall, I still ogle the lacey tank tops in Hot Topic. And no matter how hard I try; I can’t rid my wardrobe of all the different pairs of Chucks I own, even if I have multiple pairs of the same color. Even though I might not be able to be a scene kid anymore, I really don’t mind growing up and looking more like Pam Beesley from “The Office.” She has Jim Halpert, didn’t she? That’s enough to assure me that maybe — just maybe — I’m on the right track.
LAKEN RENICK -features staff writer -senior -English major
legiate context. Conversely, I’m guilty of scoffing at those who spend more than 90 seconds on an outfit. Regardless, our central purpose is to absorb some knowledge, and there isn’t a dress code for note taking. You’ve likely seen some unique pajamas in Virginia Tech classrooms, and that’s entirely normal. Yet, gear that’s heavily recycled can unconsciously make you feel similarly deteriorated. The relentless pattern of school already strains your enthusiasm, and an uninspired wardrobe encourages your slouching, disinterested posture a bit more. While an upturned sweatshirt hood might yield concentration for some, it’s a portal for escapism for many others. A victim of such daydreaming myself, I tried to combat the tendency last week for an exam. That Wednesday morning I slid into a hand-me-down button-up shirt and popped on a vest honoring Mr. Funny. Needless to say, I crushed the test. And I’m not suggesting a crisp collar is a magical injection of IQ steroids; I applied myself to the material. But I do think it affected my mindset, squelched my nerves. Atop a mental grasp of the content, my clothing reinforced: I own you, short answer questions. As one of my friends prepared to graduate last year, he interviewed with several potential employers over the phone. For each chat he dressed in a shirt and tie to model a professional demeanor. (I think he sat at his bedroom desk with only boxers on under-
neath.) He was hired, and maybe the tie — or the dollar signs on the skivvies — somehow influenced that outcome. If anything, these tactics are a taste of the future. Most internships or fulltime jobs expect decent attire with a hint of diversity. Your “drinking town with a football problem” T-shirt had a good run, but it’ll soon meet the shelf — or just make it the base layer of formal pinstripes (Bonus: Remove and you’re ready for happy hour.) Considering my favorite top is classified as underwear by most establishments, it’s about time I explore aisles with more assorted brands than Hanes and Fruit of the Loom — it’s unsettling that I pass male thongs to find the core of my summer gear. And people call my yellow sneakers bananas; another pair that doesn’t look like it has grocery store origins might be worthwhile. My first step, though, should be more trousers. I see a little hummus residue on one thigh. Oh, and a spot of gum from the underside of a McBryde desk. At this point I’m more representative of a trashcan than a thrifty student.
RYAN ARNOLD -features reporter -senior -communication major
sports 6
editors: joe crandley, alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
february 26, 2010
Tech, Cassell Coliseum hope to white out two straight losses MELANIE WADDEN
ACC Standings
sports staff writer After two disappointing road loses at No. 6 Duke and Boston College, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team returns home to defend Cassell Coliseum in a White-Out night against the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday. While the Hokies (21-6, 8-5 ACC) are returning to Blacksburg after a 20point loss to the Eagles, the Terrapins (20-7, 10-3 ACC) are making the trip south following a four-game winning streak. “That game is over with, it’s in the rearview mirror and in this league, you have to very much stay in the present,” said Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg. The Terrapins are currently seated near the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference, just below Duke, in second place. The Hokies are currently fourth place. In their first and only scheduled meeting of the season, the Hokies are looking to avenge not only their recent loses, but also last season’s loss to the Terps in College Park. Last year marked an unhappy Valentine’s Day for Tech fans as the Terrapins took care of the Hokies, leading by at least six the entire game and finally winning 83-73. Statistically, everything is in favor of the Terrapins — they average 79.1 points per game to Tech’s 71.5, 39 rebounds per game to Tech’s 37.7, 16.5 assists per game to Tech’s 11.6; and they shoot 39 percent from the three compared to Tech’s 30.3 percent. There will be several keys in Saturday’s game for the Hokies, mainly containing the Terps transition game. Maryland likes to run the fast break and press full-court for the majority of the game. The Hokies will need to negate the transition battle by stopping the break but at the same time, they cannot lose track of themselves during the press. If Maryland wins the transition battle, Tech will lose LUKE MASON/SPPS this game. By playing such a fast-paced game, Junior forward JT Thompson attempts to draw a foul and make a shot during Tech’s loss Sunday night to the Hokies need to frustrate the Terps
the Duke Blue Devils. Thompson is averaging 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Hokies.
TEAM
1 2 3 4 5 6
DUKE*
MARYLAND FLORIDA STATE
VIRGINIA TECH WAKE FOREST CLEMSON
CONF.
11-2 10-3 8-5 8-5 8-5 7-6
OVR.
TEAM
CONF.
23-4 7 GEORGIA TECH 20-7 8 VIRGINIA 20-7 9 BOSTON COLLEGE 21-6 10 MIAMI (FL) 18-7 11 NORTH CAROLINA 19-8 12 NC STATE
6-7 5-8 5-8 4-9 3-10 3-10
OVR.
18-9 14-12 14-13 18-9 14-14 15-13
*record does not reflect Thursday’s game
by slowing down the tempo and keeping the score down. In games where Maryland has scored over 75 points, it is 16-3. In games where Tech has allowed more than 75 points, the Hokies are 2-4. Another key area for the Hokies is free throws. In their 2009 rendezvous, the Terps made 24 of 26 free throws, shooting 92.3 percent from the line while the Hokies shot a mere 62 percent. Maryland has traditionally been a very good free throw shooting team, while the Hokies have struggled in recent years. Also, something that can buoy the Hokies is getting Maryland into foul trouble. Terps head coach Gary Williams likes to run a seven-man rotation, which leaves little room for foul-trouble substitutions. Maryland guard Sean Mosley is a very solid defender, but does foul when frustrated. While trying to put Maryland’s team in afoul trouble, the Hokies must also keep their own key players out of it in order to keep the game competitive. Hokies’ forward Jeff Allen will have his work cut out for him, battling with Landon Milboune, who has shown that he can hit the mid-range jumper. Expect a battle between Allen and Maryland’s Milbourne underneath. “We’ve got to figure out how we’re going to block and contain (them),” said Greenberg. “It is going to be a physical game.” Allen must have help inside and remain composed in order to stay in the game and stay out of the constant foul trouble that has plagued him
thus far in ACC play. Both teams struggle with their rebounding, so look for a decent number of second-chance opportunities on both sides of the court. Finally comes Maryland star guard Greivis Vasquez. Hated by many, loved by few, Vasquez is the face of this Maryland team. The Terps’ senior controls the tempo and while he has the ability to score well into double figures, he also consistently posts high assist numbers. Frustrating Vasquez will frustrate Maryland and above all, could be Tech’s most important duty come Saturday afternoon. Saturday’s game might be Tech’s biggest matchup on its remaining schedule. In need of another top-50 RPI win to secure its tournament bid, a win over Maryland would be huge for its postseason hopes. One thing that rests in the Hokies’ favor is their home-court record of 14-0. With only two home games to go in the regular season, this game means a lot in terms of pride and NCAA tournament possibilities. “If you look around the league, I don’t think there’s many places you can go and say there’s not a home court advantage,” said Maryland Coach Gary Williams. “You look at Virginia Tech now ... that’s a very tough place to play when it’s rocking in there. Tech will welcome the Terrapins Saturday at 4 p.m. in Cassel Coliseum and fans are encouraged to participate in the White Out theme. The game will be televised locally on Raycom Sports.
Women beat Clemson, 70-69
KUMAR VEETRAG/SPPS
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