Wednesday, March 3, 2010
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
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COLLEGIATETIMES 107th year, issue 26
News, page 4
Features, page 2
Opinions, page 5
Sports, page 7
Classifieds, page 6
Sudoku, page 6
Jumping through hoops
) e r e h (to get
LUKE MASON/SPPS
The Cassell Guard, a group specially selected to lead the student section at basketball games, cheers on the team. A randomized lottery system determines which students are able to join them for the games.
VIRGINIA TECH
Athletics department pressured to alter student ticket process news reporter The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team has experienced a successful season, especially at home, where the Hokies are 14-1. Some of their most loyal fans, however, were not able to witness the Hokies’ victories in Cassell Coliseum. Since last year, the SGA has made efforts to hear and deal with complaints about the way students get tickets to basketball games. Brandon Carroll, SGA president; Eric Rucinski, SGA representative to the athletics committee; and Abby Boggs, Hokies on Fire president, have been working to make the home basketball games more accessible. Talking with students, collecting data, examining practices employed by other schools and running test programs through Hokies on Fire are just some of the ways the SGA is trying to come to a conclusion. Athletics, however, hasn’t seen the need to change the current ticketing system because of the issue of fairness to all students. SGA has proposed Tech look to ACC peers for ideas. NEIGHBORS’ PRACTICES The procedures in place at other ACC schools offer alternative systems for Tech to consider. Many schools utilize a hybrid of an online lottery system and waiting in line. And although Tech doesn’t use a loyalty point system, many schools do. At the University of Maryland, the online system “Ticket Return” tracks the number of ticket requests for certain games. Students can apply for a ticket online two weeks before a game. If more tickets are requested than seat capacity, the system automatically turns the requests into a lottery. This “doesn’t usually happen” in the case of football, according to assistant athletics director of ticket services, Matt Monroe — but it usually occurs for men’s basketball. This lottery is 25 percent based on a weighted loyalty system. Students get two points for every UMD sporting event they attend, so students who attend a game are 25 percent more likely to win the lottery than students who do not attend any games, and those who attend more games have an advantage over those who attended fewer games. Monroe said UMD considers its system “safe and easy.” Florida State University runs firstcome, first-serve, with students being able to walk up to the ticket distribution window on the day before and the day of a game. “The walk-up line before the game can get pretty significant,” said Ben Zierden, director of ticket operations at FSU. FSU’s system is similar to the system in place at Duke. Two separate systems for undergraduate and graduate students control who can wait in line for tickets. Many Duke students camp out for days waiting for tickets. The camping area is traditionally known as “K-ville” and is controlled by student line monitors. “There’s also a culture in the camp
out area,” said Bart Smith, Duke’s director of promotions. “There’s a lot of community there.” Getting points under UVa’s loyalty-based SHOTS system through attending Cavalier sporting events not only improves fans’ chances of winning tickets in lotteries but also grants them priority seating. “Students receive points for attendance at men’s basketball games as well as selected Olympic sports events that help them with priority for men’s basketball tickets. UVa uses a timed entry system so that those students with the most points get both more chances in any lottery and the best time to enter for the general admission seating,” Jim Daves, assistant director of athletics for media relations, said in an e-mail. Different schools have reported different issues with their ticketing systems. At UMD, some ticket scanners have malfunctioned, Monroe said. He also said sometimes if the ticket request system gets overloaded, students couldn’t access their accounts, adding that the system also occasionally fails to count the points students receive from attending games. At FSU, the walk-up lines for basketball games can sometimes get long since it doesn’t use an online ticketing system for basketball. Zierden said many SEC schools use general admission whereas most ACC schools use the block or assigned seating methods. HOW TECH STUDENTS GET TICKETS Currently, Tech students can only get tickets via the online lottery, which is entirely random. Students can first enter a lottery for season tickets, which cost $78 if the students win the right to buy them. If they do not win those, they can then apply for a random lottery on a game-bygame basis. Students go online during a twoday window to apply for certain games. They sign in using their PID and indicate which games they want to attend. If selected to win, students receive an e-mail telling them to pick up their ticket from the ticket window at Cassell Coliseum. If not selected to win, students are entered into a second round lottery after the unclaimed number of tickets is determined. After the second round lottery, the remaining tickets are given away on a first-come, firstserve basis. If students are not selected for the lottery and do not receive the thirdround, first-come first-serve tickets, they are e-mailed stand-by passes that could admit them to empty seats in the student section once the game starts. Students with stand-by passes wait outside until after tip-off. If there are empty seats in the student section, students are placed in those seats. Assistant athletics director for ticketing services Sandy Smith said the current random lottery system is the most effective since it is the fairest way to distribute tickets to students. “A lottery is the only way you can be fair to all students,” Smith said. “We’re giving out every ticket we can.” see TICKETS / page four
Students go online and apply for the season ticket lottery. If those are won, students receive a confirmation e-mail that allows them to place their season order for $78. They can then pick up tickets prior to each game.
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If not won, students can go online during a two-day window and apply for a game-bygame lottery (random lottery).
If students don’t win the lottery, there is often a second round lottery for unclaimed tickets. After the second round lottery, extra unclaimed tickets are given away first-come, first-serve.
4 If students are not selected for the lottery they are emailed stand-by passes. Stand-by passes are admitted to empty seats in the student section after tip-off.
HOW STUDENTS GET BASKETBALL TICKETS Students have two days to go online and register before each home game. If requests are fewer than available, all students get tickets. If requests exceed availability, tickets are awarded on a loyalty-based lottery.
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Students have two days to print at home if won. If not won, after the two days, left-over tickets are awarded to students on the waiting list based on their loyalty points. They then have one day to claim their ticket online.
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If no lottery, students who didn’t register initially can print “on demand” until all tickets are gone. If there was a lottery, print-on-demand begins after the waiting list claim period until all tickets are gone.
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Students must attend the game to get loyalty points. If they choose not to attend, they must cancel one day before the game. If they don’t cancel in time, they lose points they would have gained by attending, harming future eligibility to register.
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CLAY COLLIN/COLLEGIATE TIMES
LIANA BAYNE
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MARYLAND
GTA honored by university LOVE OF MATHEMATICS PROPELS GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT TO WIN TECH AWARD GORDON BLOCK news reporter For one graduate student teacher, a love of teaching and mathematics was an equation to take home a major university teaching award. Rachel Arnold, a Ph.D. candidate ARNOLD studying math-
ematics, was named the recipient of Virginia Tech’s Graduate Student Teaching Excellence Award. The award recognizes good teaching evidenced through criteria such as “effective communication skills,” “enthusiasm for the subject,” and the “ability to motivate students to learn.” In addition to faculty and staff recommendations, nominees are judged based on student evaluations. The award comes with a $1,000 prize.
Students plead out of bus theft ANDREYEV
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TELKOWSKI
irginia Tech students accused of stealing and damaging a Montgomery County school bus pleaded out to lesser charges Monday. Civil engineering major Alexander J. Telkowski and engineering science and mechanics major Aleksander V. Andreyev were arrested in October after police said they took a school bus from Gilbert Linkous Elementary School and drove it around the Tech campus before returning it “heavily
damaged.” After Monday’s hearing, neither will serve jail time. They were each originally charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, felony destruction of property, grand larceny of a church sign, trespassing upon school property, underage possession of alcohol and public intoxication. The three felony charges against each were amended to misdemeanors, and both men were sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty. However, their sentences were suspended. Each was ordered to pay $300 in fines. Both were placed on probation for a year and ordered not to return to Gilbert Linkous Elementary. Other charges, of public intoxication and trespassing, were dropped in December.
Arnold, who had previously won a teaching award within the mathematics department, said winning the university award was “really exciting.” “I’ve always been very interested in teaching,” Arnold said. “Personally, I’ve been lucky to have many good teachers throughout my life.” Arnold, who currently teaches an honors multivariable calculus class, said she noticed a lack of analytical thinking in students. “I’ve done a lot of tutoring,” Arnold said. “It’s sort of a rote process,” Arnold said she wanted to work with
students beyond the material itself. “It’s more so the opportunity to impact students and excite them about lifelong learning,” Arnold said. Despite her award, Arnold has no plans of slowing down. Expecting a child during the summer, Arnold is planning on teaching a class for the first summer session before stepping down. “I only have a week off between spring semester and the summer session,” Arnold said. Arnold will accept her award at the Graduate Student Awards Banquet Mar. 25, a part of Tech’s Graduate Education Week.
Bunning drops objection to jobless benefit funds HALIMAH ABDULLAH & DAVID LIGHTMAN mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim Bunning on Tuesday ended his often angry, highly unpopular one-man stand against additional funding for jobless benefits, highway and transit programs and other government initiatives Tuesday night, finally agreeing to permit a vote on the measure. The Kentucky Republican had objected last week to the $10 billion package, which would have extended several expiring government programs for a month. He wanted the provisions paid for, but other senators said these were emergency measures and didn’t need to be offset. The pressure steadily grew. On Tuesday, the Senate spent most of the day debating the measure — with most senators, pleading for him to relent.
Tuesday evening, he did. “I hope Senate Democrats tonight vote for their own pay-fors and show Americans that they are committed to fiscal discipline,” Bunning said. Tuesday night’s vote focused on Bunning’s amendment to offset spending in the Democrat-backed 30-day extension for funding for jobless benefits among other government initiatives. Later this week, there will be two additional votes on his proposals to offset the costs of a longer-term benefits bill. Earlier in the day, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, along with other Republicans, joined Democratic lawmakers in publicly urging the retiring Republican senator to release his “hold,” which resulted in nearly 2,000 Department of Transportation employees being furloughed without pay Monday and which affects jobless benefits for thousands of unemployed workers.
2 features
editor: topher forhecz featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
march 3, 2010
COLLEGIATETIMES
WUVT DJs picks for the top albums of last decade was a decade marked by economic fluctuation, pharmaceutical emotional-suppression and easy weight-loss diets. It was also the time for some really incredible music to be released. Here are the top 10 albums of the
THE STROKES — “IS THIS IT?” (2001) You could probably trace the explosion of the ’60s rock throwback movement back to the hype surrounding this New York quintet. Its reputation is well deserved, as these songs are reckless and skuzzy with lyrics to match from frontman Julian Casablancas. The overall effect of the sound is that the album emanates cool — the
RADIOHEAD — “KID A” (2000) There’s nothing to say about this album that you haven’t already heard. You know, just that “Kid A” is the euphonic manifestation of
TV ON THE RADIO — “RETURN TO COOKIE MOUNTAIN” (2006) The New York-based TV on the Radio is just messing with you with its third album, “Return to Cookie Mountain.” What genre don’t they sample? The general rules of genre-bending: First, leave it to Radiohead. Second,
the predicted chaos that did not happen as we rang in the new millennium. Paranoia, discomfort and incoherence echo throughout the album and congeal with the metallic tone of the music. Take a deep breath. Just marinate in that. Yeah, this is what Radiohead is making you do with this album. This is “Kid A.” — Matt Clark
the more genres, the worse it is. (See “post-avant-electro-prog-punk rock.”) But TV on the Radio has the formula figured out. Tracks such as “I Was a Lover” and “Wolf Like Me” prove that “Return to Cookie Mountain” was not built for little iPod headphones. Honestly, I’m not sure if there is a system that does this work of art justice. You will dance. You will rock. You will swing, sway, swoon and sweep your bad day under the carpet when you hear this album. Who do we thank for such a unique sound? — Ben Woody
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To find the whole list, visit www.wuvt. vt.edu/woove.
WILCO — “YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT” (2002) Wilco’s fourth album really drives home the essence that is, you know, Wilco. Its struggle for self-worth, the analysis of romance and even its sarcastic perception of religion are all
motifs you will find throughout its work, but you’ll definitely notice it here. Songs such as “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” “Jesus, Etc.” and “Heavy Metal Drummer” examine the conscious human experience. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t easy to describe its themes. Wilco’s legacy has its roots in this album. Jeff Tweedy and company don’t rest on its laurels, but work harder to build on its reputation as one of the best bands of this decade. — Ben Woody
TOM WAITS — “BLOOD MONEY” (2002) Disclaimer: This album’s genre is unclassifiable. “Blood Money” compiles elements of jazz and blues, among others, to craft a summary of the musical innovation of the 20th
century. The level of craftsmanship in his songwriting is unparalleled in his capability to incorporate various styles of music. His blunt, minimalist lyrics leave but one question to his audience: How come nobody said this earlier? “If there’s one thing you can say about mankind / There’s nothing kind about man.” His cynical, transcendentalist axioms drive this album to greatness. Tom Waits is the greatest songwriter of this century thus far. — Matt Clark
JAY-Z — “THE BLUEPRINT” (2001) It’s not secret that 2001 was a tumultuous year for Jay-Z. With criminal trials pending and fellow rappers dissing, Jay-Z wasn’t getting any love from anyone, not even in the heart of New York City.
Jay-Z’s The Blueprint went live on Sept. 11, 2001. Despite its release in the shadow of the worst terrorist attack on the United States, the album received intense critical acclaim. It samples the likes of Slick Rick, David Bowie, and even The Doors. It publicly disses Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. It is revolutionary. With its radio-friendly nature, farreaching samples and revolutionary diss tactics, “The Blueprint” remains one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. — Ben Woody
KANYE WEST — “LATE REGISTRATION” (2005) Kanye did not fall prey to the typical rapper’s sophomore slump, but instead outdid himself with his sleek multi-faceted second album, “Late
Registration.” How can you do wrong when you’re a musical genius? Collaborating with producer Jon Brion, Kanye pushed the boundaries of the rap and hip-hop genre in the yearlong production of this album. It’s also a wonderful album packed with sharp criticism for his contemporary social climate. “Gold Digger” and “Touch the Sky” especially stand out, but with each song different from the one before, the entire album is worth an attentive listen. — Staff
2000s as decided upon by “The Woove” editorial board — Peter Tesh, Chelsea Kilburn, Ben Woody, Stu Ruiz, Elizabeth Spencer, Alex Tallant and Matt Clark. Check online for the full list of 25 albums.
kind of cool that likely drove leather jacket sales to record highs for a few years. This album isn’t just about debauchery and the occasional worldly musings that come afterward; it’s about the music. Every song is made up of extremely simple parts, but they’re put together in ways that make songs that may have been done a million times before sound completely fresh. This album may not be the most original sounding one, but there’s a level of craftsmanship rare in most garage bands. So maybe “Is This It?” didn’t change the rock world in the long term, but it was the closest we got this decade. — Stu Ruiz
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on the web
RADIOHEAD — “IN RAINBOWS” (2007) Radiohead again? If this list displayed the top albums of the 1960s, multiple Beatles’ albums would make the list. Radiohead is the equivalent of
The Beatles for the decade. This album takes another direction in the band’s history of everchanging musical landscapes. In this case, electronically fused alternative rock designed for digital consumption for the price of a donation. Aside from being a musical masterpiece, this album shows the trivial role major record labels play in marketing. There is not a single track on this album below excellence. Thank you Radiohead, this album is “All I Need.” — Staff
9. MODEST MOUSE — “THE MOON & ANTARCTICA” (2000) “Good News for People Who Love Bad News” gave us some polished, radio-ready gateway to the Modest Mouse experience. This overexposure for the band was a nightmare, especially given the band had just received immense critical acclaim for its third studio album, “The Moon & Antarctica.” This album offers more than simply a less sterile production environment from its preceding
album. Explorations into existence, life, death and the great beyond define this album. The music is all but simple as atmospheric sections are contrasted with much more lively marches and spastic vocals from Isaac Brock. The result of such diligence yields a homerun, and Modest Mouse hits its ponderous ball right out of the park for all fans to watch fly out with eyes wide and jaws dropped. Though generally a hard pill for the common music fan to swallow, this album has a massive appeal to those musicians looking for new approaches to rock music, both structurally and proximately. This album is Modest Mouse’s magnum opus, and that’s saying a whole lot. — Staff
ARCADE FIRE — “FUNERAL” (2004) The Arcade Fire’s acclaimed album definitely deserves all the hype it has received — after all, the love is still rolling in the six years after its release. Supposedly based on the process of coping with the death of family members, the aptly titled album presents a fantastic journey through hand clapping, ominous guitars and gruff vocals. The “Neighborhood” tracks truly grip the listener with its sorrowful lyrics yet operatic style, which surprisingly doesn’t come off
as over-the-top, but rather as a wonderfully executed work of art and sound. Even though “Neighborhood #2 (Laika),” “Rebellion (Lies)” and “Wake Up” have garnered the most attention, “Haiti” and “Une Annee Sans Lumiere” offer an equally beautiful, delicate blend of English and French. “Haiti” especially incorporates an eerie contrast to the rest of the album. The final track on “Funeral,” “In the Backseat,” completes the album with its fading strings that make it seem impossible for the band to produce another album with such intensity. Still, the group strikes gold again and manages to achieve the same brilliance in its sophomore release, “Neon Bible.” — Staff
march 3, 2010
page 3
Sept. 11 survivor recalls experiencing horror, relief LINDSEY BROOKBANK features staff writer As part of the marketing department for a telecommunications company in New York City, Sujo John had etched out a part of the American Dream for himself in the beginning of the decade. Originally from Calcutta, India, John worked near his wife on the 81st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. His wife, who was pregnant with their son at the time, worked on the 71st floor of the South Tower. As with many Americans, John’s and his wife’s lives changed on Sept. 11, 2001 with the most devastating terrorist attack on United States soil. Now both live in Dallas and John JOHN has begun an evangelical ministry that finds him touring around the country to give speeches and working with outreach organizations. The speech that he will deliver this Wednesday, “Out of the Ashes of the World Trade Center,” John hopes to share with Virginia Tech what happened to him in, during and after the events at the World Trade Center, and how this has transformed his life. John spoke with the Collegiate Times over the phone days before his speech. CT: Can you briefly describe the events of that day? JOHN: It was a beautiful day on the East Coast; it looked like the start of a normal day. At 8:48 a.m. I’m standing by the fax machine and sending some documents out to our office in Pennsylvania when I hear this incredible explosion, and this was American flight 11 that was flying from Boston to L.A. This huge plane had crashed into our tower. The plane struck a few floors above us, but all the debris of the plane tears into our floors, fire broke out, jet fuel spreading throughout floors, the building was shaking. We thought we were going to die. It took me more than an hour to come down 81 floors to get down to the lowest level and see all these people jumping out of buildings. The engine of the plane was flying right into the plaza. I decided to walk to the South Tower to look for my wife, and in a way, that is where my story begins. I’m 20 feet away from the building and the South Tower is collapsing. I was looking for my wife, and I was huddled with 15 to 20 people; we knew we were going to die. All kinds of soot, stuff, glass, debris was falling around, and I was there for 15 to 20 minutes. And afterward, I was surprised I was alive. Trying to get up and plastered with soot and glass, I could not breathe. The people that were with me, I got an opportunity to challenge them to pray with me, and we had kind of scattered from that group, they were all dead. There was one man alive who was an FBI agent, and we both helped each other and saw red lights flashing through the smoke and soot. That light was a flashing light coming out of an ambulance. That light what was actually what saved my life. He could have stayed with me, but he went back saying, “I got to go back and get more people.” So he runs toward the North Tower. The North Tower collapsed and he died that day. He was actually the only FBI agent that died. I spent many hours in NYC saying, “God, why don’t you spare my life? I’m sure my wife is dead,” because the towers didn’t exist anymore. But little did I know that my wife was late to work by two minutes. CT: What actually went though your mind when all of this began? JOHN: When it began, we had no idea that it was a terrorist attack. I thought it was a small plane that had crashed into the building. I had no idea it would be a jet plane. I couldn’t even fathom the magnitude of what was going on around us. My thoughts were definitely with my wife (who was) four months pregnant, going through a really hard pregnancy. So if she has made her way to the building, then there is no way she will come down. I thought of my wife, the child she was carrying, my parents from India that were probably watching the whole thing on TV. But when the building started collapsing, for the first time in my life I was confronted with the reality of my mortality. I had never thought about death before, and now I realize I could be dying. And what I realized that day was you can chase stuff, and you can chase success and you can have it all, but then one day when you leave this world you’re going to leave it all behind. The only thing that you can take with you, and for me — I say this because of my close relationship with Jesus — is your faith. So faith was definitely very important for me that day and that’s what really helped me pull through. CT: What was it like when you got that phone call from your wife and you realized that she was alive? JOHN: That was the most unbelievable call. I had given up hope on her. She had given up hope on me. What was so crazy was, when she called I said, “Hello.” She heard my voice, but her first words to me were, “Babe, are you alive?” That kind of explains what we thought had happened to each
other. That was just a miraculous thing when I heard her voice because of everything that had happened. It was surreal. It was amazing how God had spared her life a minute early. If she had been on time she would have been gone. It was just amazing to know that God spared her life. God spared my life and the child she was carrying. CT: Did you have any friends or close colleagues who did not escape? JOHN: The story of the folks on my floor from my company is amazing. Ours is the only company to have survived from that; everyone survived from that height. I didn’t lose any co-workers, although we had several that died on our floor. But, I knew a lot of other folks, people that would run into the World Trade Center, people that would ride the trains with me, so there were definitely people that I knew. When you think about what happened on 9/11, and you think about issues like what goes on with war and so many terrorist attacks, it just brings it all back for me because whenever there is an unnatural death, whether it’s caused by terrorism or an
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check it out
What: Out of the Ashes of the World Trade Center When: 8 p.m. Where: Squires Commonwealth Ballroom
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earthquake, it’s just honoring people who go to work in the morning, not anticipating that they’re facing death that day, and suddenly getting caught up, gone and separated from their loved ones forever. So going through the experience has given me a lot more compassion for people who go through stuff. We all have stories. My story is about a building collapsing, but we all have stories. Young and old, every human being has a story. What is important right in the middle of our stories is finding purpose, a reason to be waking up when you’re going through the roughest phase in your life. And that’s kind of my mission, to challenge people to examine where they are in their journey of life. We are all in this journey, and it’s a spiritual journey. In this spiritual journey, as we deal with the stuff around us, as
we deal with heartbreaks, and pain and things like that. I think what’s helped me is my faith. CT: What has your life been like since Sept. 11? JOHN: I knew that day our lives would change forever. Prior to 9/11, I was trying to go up the ladder and conquer America, but that day was a wake up call. A lot of media covered our story, from TV stations to newspapers. So people started calling us, especially in the beginning, churches started calling us to share our story about how God spared our lives. That began this journey that has lasted the last eight and a half years. God has taken me to over 450 cities in different parts of the world. And what I get to do is challenge people to start their journey with Jesus of Nazareth. And what I spread is not a message for religion, but it’s an offer of friendship that God has for mankind. Here in America I speak for Campus Crusaders, which takes me to different universities across this country. I speak at churches and do other events. It takes me to different parts of the world. Right after your
event, I’m headed to India. There we have different projects we work with: children that are caught up in sex trafficking. That’s in my heart how you rescue children that are trapped in that. Thousands of children are sold into the sex trade, so we’re starting a non-profit there to rescue those children. We build schools in the slums of India. It’s just an expression of God’s love. I never thought I would be on this planet. I never thought I would do public speaking. But what I enjoy most about what I do is that I meet people. I love people. It’s fun to meet all kinds of people from all walks of life knowing that no matter where we come from, our background, how we look, we are all created in the image and the likeness of God. Every human being has a beautiful destiny. Some of us may not be awakened to that reality, and my whole plan is to awaken that reality. Life is just beautiful. Sometimes we make choices, but the beautiful part of life is that we can start fresh again. The person who helps us start fresh is God, who allows us to pick up those broken pieces and create a beautiful mosaic of our lives.
4 news
new river valley news editor: zach crizer university editor: philipp kotlaba newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865
march 3, 2010
COLLEGIATETIMES
Tickets: SGA seeks new loyalty-based system ]
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national & world headlines Berkeley joins other UC campuses in starting waiting lists LOS ANGELES — The University of California, Berkeley will join six other University of California campuses in compiling a waiting list for freshman admissions this month, officials said. Previously, UC Berkeley had said it was studying whether to use the backup lists, which are a break with UC tradition but are being adopted this year to help campuses better hit their enrollment targets during the budget crisis. Of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses, only UC Los Angeles and UC Merced have decided against using the lists. by larry gordon, mcclatchy newspapers
Cook Counseling Center seeking accreditation A two-part series beginning tomorrow will explore Cook Counseling Center’s quest for accreditation. Cook, which is housed in Schiffert Health Center, with a satellite office in Eggleston Hall, has not been accredited since the mid 1990s. The first part of the series will compare Cook to other university counseling centers across the country. The second installment explores the ways in which the April 16, 2007 shootings and subsequent investigations changed Virginia Tech’s counseling services.
CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
from page one
Carroll favors some type of weighted lottery based on seniority or loyalty, as opposed to the current system. “Seniors who are really big basketball fans have the same chance of getting season tickets,” he said. “A way to reward loyalty or seniority would be good.” Rucinski said he is in favor of some type of hybrid system that would combine both seniority and loyalty factors. “Seniors should get first dibs on leftover season tickets that didn’t get bought,” Rucinski said. Boggs said it would be hard to differentiate loyalty and seniority, but admitted that the current system is frustrating to students. “There’s nothing more frustrating than complaining and nothing being done,” she said. Brent DiGiacomo, director of sports marketing and promotions for Tech athletics, said the SGA came up with the current lottery system years ago and that it was in place when he was a student at Tech in 2000. However, he said, the student body has grown since then, and the Tech men’s basketball program has also become more nationally recognized. Demand for student tickets has risen significantly as a result. “It’s a great problem to have,” DiGiacomo said. Smith said the SGA and the athletics department switched to the current random lottery system because the previous system was not working. Students waited in line outside of the ticket offices for hours or often days on end, camping outside in a style similar to the notable “K-ville” tradition at Duke University. Associate ticket manager Stephen Medley, who attended Tech, said he camped out for tickets when he was a student in 1991. He recalled standing in line in the cold for eight hours to try to get a ticket for one game, then being told all the tickets were gone. “A lot of people had been there for days,” he said. “Then I said, well, why did I do that?” Smith said the current system is far more convenient for students because they can enter the lottery online and have their tickets e-mailed
to them. Other options that many schools use are weighted lotteries, some based on loyalty and others on seniority. Currently, admittance to all Tech sports other than football and basketball is free. If a loyalty system were adopted, the athletics department would need to track attendance at all home events. Smith said a loyalty system would be hard to introduce because of the costs that would be associated with installing wireless student ID scanners at sporting venues other than Lane Stadium and Cassell Coliseum. “It’s not a great time to be spending money,” Smith said. DiGiacomo said it would be easier to switch to a seniority-based system because of the costs associated with software that would have to be installed to handle a loyalty-based system. “I think if any move was made, it’s the easiest one to do,” DiGiacomo said. Smith said it would also be difficult to switch to a seniority system because it is hard to classify students. Medley said they had asked the bursar’s office for demographic information on students signing up for tickets, not to use for seniority purposes but to track students applying for tickets. “You’d think there are four classifications,” he said. “But there were 45 between freshmen and Ph.D. students.” Smith said it is often unclear which “level” of students should take priority. “Classification becomes a nightmare,” Smith said. “What would you do with a graduate student, or a fifth year senior?” ATTEMPTING TO EFFECT CHANGE Rucinski, the SGA’s representative to the athletic committee, is trying to determine the student body’s opinion on the current basketball ticketing system. He initially began gathering data through last semester’s SGA Extreme Makeover survey, which polled students on a number of factors regarding satisfaction levels with student seating and opinions on various other systems of ticket distribution. According to the numbers, only 2 percent of freshmen and 6 percent
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I really think if we would have had more student seating, or filled to capacity at all the games — which there is demand for — we would have been in the tournament last year. BRANDON CARROLL SGA PRESIDENT
of seniors feel “positively” about the current seating arrangement, while 41 percent of juniors and 42 percent of seniors felt “negatively” about the seating along with 47 percent of sophomores. The vast majority of freshmen, 82 percent, were “unsure,” along with 49 percent of sophomores, 54 percent of juniors and 51 percent of seniors. Perhaps not surprisingly, 62 percent of seniors and 50 percent of juniors favored a seniority system whereas only 41 percent of sophomores leaned toward a loyalty-based system. Among freshmen, a group that would be at a disadvantage under seniority and loyalty rules, 36 percent favored the current random lottery, 20 percent favored the seniority system and 32 percent favored a loyalty system. In a separate survey conducted by Hokies on Fire last September, 43 percent of respondents favored a seniority system. About 35 percent answered that they were “very dissatisfied” with the current basketball lottery system, and 76 percent of participants supported improving the ticket lottery. However, “improving” the lottery system is not a simple undertaking. “I don’t know what the best solution would be,” Rucinski said. “It should be based on either seniority or loyalty.” Rucinski wants to have as much information as possible before presenting his data to the athletics department because, he said, it is hard to effect change within the department. “Students have to take responsibility and show the athletic department that they want to be at every game,” Rucinski said. “We need thousands of students to answer (surveys),” Boggs said. “The more work we can do, the more data we can collect, the more successful it will be.”
THE FUTURE OF TICKETING Carroll said he hopes to find solid data to present to the athletics department so changes can be made in the seating system, and, eventually, to the actual student section within Cassell Coliseum. Carroll said he would like for the student section to be fuller and possibly larger. “I really think if we would have had more student seating, or filled to capacity at all the games — which there is demand for — we would have been in the tournament last year,” Carroll said. Boggs also said she thought it “might be beneficial” if the student section were rearranged or enlarged in Cassell. “It would be beneficial if we had opposing student sections with the (Cassell Guard) generals who can help to lead a banter between them,” she said. “A lot of students have had interest in moving the student section or having a new section behind the rim.” However, DiGiacomo said it would be difficult to expand the student section because Cassell Coliseum, which has a maximum capacity of 10,052, already allots 30 percent of seating for students. “The building’s not getting any larger, but the student population is getting larger,” DiGiacomo said. “We don’t have the facility to let 26,000 people in.” Smith said there is “no way” every student can come to every game. Furthermore, seats have been left empty in the student section at each game this season. DiGiacomo said although many neighboring ACC schools allow students to sit at center court or behind both baskets, Cassell Coliseum is not configured to harbor that kind of distribution, mainly because of students’ desire to stand during the games. “At UVa and NC State, they have lower seating,” DiGiacomo said, which allows students to stand and not block the views of others seated higher up. Smith said many alumni who donate large amounts of money to the program wish to sit during the game, and don’t want their view blocked by students standing in areas of the area other than the student section. Cassell Coliseum was not built to allow for students to stand in lower areas of the arena and
not block the view of those sitting higher up. “We can’t change the building,” Medley said. Boggs, sister of freshman guard Ben Boggs, said that based on her experiences as a high school basketball player as well as conversations with the men’s and women’s teams at Tech, student attendance at games is crucial. “More students really make the game,” she said. “(Men’s basketball head coach Seth) Greenberg is a proponent of packing the stadium with students. Alumni are great and they support the program, but students are the key.” DiGiacomo said many students are not utilizing the stand-by pass system as effectively as he would like. “If we see 30 or 50 empty seats, we let students in,” he said. “(Stand-by seating) is in place and it’s been in place.” Smith said stand-by seating works for students who truly want to attend games. “If they were a true, avid fan, they would use it,” he said. “We’ve let people in at every game.” Smith said nearly every two or four years, there is a push from the student body to change the current system. However, he said, he has heard nearly every proposal because of the amount of time that he has worked in athletics. Smith feels that although no solution is every perfect for every student, the current lottery works well for the majority. “We treat out students as good as we treat our highest donors,” he said. He also said many other schools in the ACC look to Tech as an example of a lottery system that generally works. Smith said that the SGA has not recently contacted the athletics department to discuss possibly changing the current system. Carroll, however, said he is trying to work toward a better solution. “The entire student body should work on ways to work with the SGA to figure out an optimal solution,” Carroll said. DiGiacomo said that although there is currently not a strong push within the athletics department to change the way students receive tickets through the lottery, there is always a possibility for change. “They’re always willing to tweak it,” he said.
opınıons 5
editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
march 3, 2010
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Letter from Greenberg
A
s we prepare for the final home game of the season, I would be remiss if I did not express my genuine appreciation for your support throughout the season. Cassell Coliseum is a great venue, but the venue is only as great as the people who create the atmosphere and energy. I am not overstating the obvious fact that Cassell is one of the most unique and best home courts in all of college basketball because of you. As I look at the season, rain, snow, sleet, ice and even the inconvenience of not having restroom facilities haven’t kept you away from supporting our program. The level of energy you created this weekend was second to none in any venue in all of college basketball. Having said that, we have a huge game tonight with North Carolina State. It is a huge game for many reasons. First and foremost, it’s “Senior Night.” It is a night when a player’s career culminates with his final journey onto the hardwood floors of Cassell. Tonight, we are honoring Lewis Witcher and his contributions to our basketball program. Lewis committed to Virginia Tech when we were a question mark. We were still in the infancy of building a program. Lewis was instrumental in our upset win at North Carolina his freshman season. He leaves Tech playing on teams that have won 83 games entering tonight’s con-
test. He has helped create an expectation. We also are honoring Paul Debnam tonight. As a player who brings great energy to practice each and every day, Paul has become an emotional and inspirational leader of our team. He is an important part of who we are and a walk-on that represents you, the student body. This is a huge game because our goal of making the NCAA Tournament is still within our reach. Two of the last three games, we have played at a very high level, although we have been unable to come away with a win. That’s life in the ACC, which is the most competitive conference, top to bottom, in all of college basketball. It’s easy to get down, but that’s not our nature, and I hope that’s not yours either. It’s more important to be part of the solution, rather than to be disappointed in the heartwrenching losses of the last week. We need you there early to help Lewis celebrate Senior Night and to create the energy and excitement needed to close out our home season with a win. We need you there early and loud and ready because that’s who you are and that’s who you have been all season. I appreciate everything you have done to help us build our program. Our goals are well within our reach and your support is helping us get there. It’s a great day to be a Hokie!
Seth Greenberg Men’s basketball head coach
Go ahead, tax the indoor tanners B
eing of pale skin and Celtic blood — and thus unable to turn any color other than bright red after exposure to ultraviolet radiation — I wholeheartedly applaud the provision in the Senate’s healthcare bill to tax indoor sunbed treatments at 10 percent. As far as I’m concerned, this is the best and most effective kind of tax, i.e., the kind that someone else will have to pay. (And the orange-hued among us will pay dearly — to the tune of about $2.7 billion over the next decade, according to projections.) Given the opportunity, I’d be happy to suggest some other money-raising initiatives to the Senate along the same lines. Like a tax on people who don’t live in my house. Or a tax on everyone whose name isn’t Chris. Or a special, one-off levy for those who weren’t dumped by a girl named Katy (if only I’d had a tan) circa 1994. And with the federal deficit projected at $1.6 trillion, the Senate is unlikely to stop at sunbeds. In fact, it has already attempted to impose a “Botax” on the cosmetic surgery industry, which would have added 5 percent to the cost of attending a dinner party. The initiative failed only after industry groups lobbied hard to kill it. The American Academy of Dermatology alone spent $1 million on lobbyists, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The campaign convinced lawmakers that Botox — unlike the ridiculous frivolity of tanning treatments — is a marvel of modern medicine, right up there, presumably, with buttock implants. I suppose you can’t blame the senators for having a go. I mean, someone has to do something about reducing the deficit, not to mention the cost of health care. Spending cuts would be the obvious solution, of course, but the federal government, like Oprah Winfrey, seems capable only of getting bigger these days. As for old-fashioned income tax hikes, the “tea party” movement, combined with the Democratic thrashing in Massachusetts’ election to fill Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, has made them all but impossible. Which leaves only one other kind of taxation the kind you can get away with because the people being shaken down are even less popular than the people doing the shaking. Thus we get the tanning tax, which ingeniously targets the second-most-reviled people after Wall Street bankers. And by that, of course, I mean the cast of “Jersey Shore.” But what happens if, at some point in the future, lawmakers decide that your indulgences are unpopular enough to be taxed? Imagine that you walk into a Starbucks one day
“
Thus we get the tanning tax, which ingeniously targets the second-most-reviled people after Wall Street bankers.
and all of a sudden there’s a doubleshot mochaccino tax, or a poppyseed bagel tax. And what about the broader question of whether tax laws should really be so micro-specific _ sparing one industry while obliterating another? “But sunbeds have been linked to skin cancer!” squeal the tanning tax advocates. Fine. Prove it, then ban them. Otherwise, everything that’s bad for you should be legal but “discouraged” through taxation. This will never happen, of course, because in congressional offices throughout the capital there are too many Ivy League grads whose task it is to sit around all day, chugging energy drinks and saying things like, “Beagles! We haven’t taxed beagles! No one likes beagles!” Yes, it’s these creative nerds, along with their lobbyist counterparts, who are primarily to blame for the federal tax code being 17,000 pages long and such an assault on the human brain that even Douglas H. Shulman — a.k.a. the commissioner of the IRS — has to use a tax preparer. (“I find the tax code complex,” he explained, rather sheepishly, to C-SPAN.) But how can the Little Man (or Woman) fight back? Well, you could always take your cue from Rhiannon O’Donnabhain, a 65-year-old transsexual from Boston, and adopt the nerds’ strategy as your own, by coming up with deductions as creative as the federal government’s new taxes. And if you’re challenged, sue. That’s what O’Donnabhain did when an auditor questioned her $5,000 deduction for “gender reassignment surgery.” As she later pointed out in court, no one is going to amputate their genitalia just for the sake of sticking it to the IRS. Caution is advised, however. While O’Donnabhain won her case, you don’t want to end up like the Pittsburgh businessman of CPA folklore — his name has been lost to history — who attempted to deduct the $10,000 he gave an arsonist to burn down his store (with scrupulous honesty, he also declared the $500,000 he received from the insurance policy). Having said that, such a ruse might at least get you out of paying the tanning tax for a while. They don’t have sunbeds in prison.
CHRIS AYRES -mcclatchy newspapers
MCT CAMPUS
Health benefits of caffeine outweigh any negatives I
am writing in response to Mark Goldstein’s column, “Caffeine may be more dangerous than marijuana” (CT, March 2). I have recently done a great deal of research on the health benefits of coffee and caffeine and have found that the benefits far outweigh the negatives that are experienced by simple addiction. As far as addiction is concerned, the World Health Organization said “there is no evidence whatsoever that caffeine use has even remotely comparable physical and social consequences which are associated with serious drugs of abuse.” That includes marijuana, the drug Goldstein chose to contrast. With any drug or substance that alters a person’s physiology and minor biological functions, there will be opponents who are convinced that nothing healthy could ever come of it. Within the last ten years, however, there have been a variety of credential medical studies that disprove the many misconceptions that exist in regards to negative health benefits of coffee and caffeine. As America’s No. 1 source of powerful antioxidants, coffee not only wakes you to get you through an early morning commute or mind numbing classes, but it has also been proven to improve memory and alertness, increase an athlete’s physical performance, decrease your risk of disease and boost your mood. Coffee can even prevent cavities and headaches. A common misconception involving coffee includes ailments and diseases that can be brought on by its consumption. However, within the past 20 years there have been countless medical studies proving that only people sensitive to caffeine or those who over consume caffeine in absurd amounts will experience any harmful effects. There are actually more disease-preventing components that far outweigh whatever issues a minor portion of the coffee-drinking population may encounter. With more than 125,000 participants, a 20-year-long study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham & Women’s Hospital have found that individuals
who regularly drink coffee have a significantly reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, compared to the non-coffee drinking participants. The researchers found that for men, those who drank more than six cups of caffeinated coffee per day reduced their risk for Type 2 diabetes by more than 50 percent. Women who drank the same amount reduced their risk by 30 percent. Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association conducted by Hawaiian doctors that lasted for more than 30 years provides more evidence in support of coffee’s ability to prevent disease in humans. Based on data collected at the time of the study’s enrollment, men who consumed 28 ounces of coffee or more per day were five times less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than noncoffee drinkers. At each examination, increasing amounts of coffee consumed were associated with a larger decline in Parkinson’s disease incidence; thus, the more coffee the participants drank, the less likely they were to develop the disease. It is believed that caffeine reduces the amount of damaging neurotransmitters produced by the brain, which then lowers the incidence of brain tissue degradation. It has been suggested that caffeine may also interfere with the uptake of other transmitters, allowing the levels of dopamine to increase. Both of these occurrences in the brain are believed to be the cause for the decline in Parkinson’s disease. If that isn’t enough, a research study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the world’s largest scientific society, indicates that coffee might also help prevent cavities because of its antibacterial qualities. Almost 90 percent of college students regularly consume coffee. However, it’s not that students are addicted to this substance; they are actually helping their mental abilities by consuming coffee before classes or an exam. According to the January 2002 issue of Psychological Science by the American Psychological Society, research found that the stimulant effect of caffeine could help boost
memory. Twice daily, 40 participants were tested with the California Verbal Learning Test after being given either 12-ounce cups of regular coffee containing approximately 220 mg to 270 mg of caffeine or a control beverage of decaffeinated coffee. The researchers discovered the group that drank decaffeinated coffee showed a significant decline in memory performance from morning to afternoon. Another study, conducted by the Division of Sleep Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, investigated the effectiveness of caffeine in aiding mental alertness when the patient was kept awake for long periods of time. Participants were observed after they were kept awake for 42 hours straight while given coffee. The individuals were able to remain awake with increased mental alertness and complete tasks efficiently because of the stimulant caffeine. This study was successful in proving that taking low doses of caffeine over a prolonged period of time is helpful in increasing mental alertness when one needs to be awake for a considerable amount of time. The University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands also did a similar study on alertness and caffeine, but it examined the direct parts of the brain that were affected. It discovered that caffeine improved brain function without negatively affecting non-related portions of the brain and the health of the patients. Portions of the brain that affect mental alertness and the ability to prevent negative actions were positively affected after drinking just a few cups of coffee. I could go into more detail on the athletic benefits of coffee and caffeine, but I feel that is not as relevant as the previous information I have provided.
EMILY BROWN -guest columnist -freshman -biology major
nyone remember that movie “Clueless” from the mid ’90s? You know, the one about the bubbly blonde who could not wait to have sex with her gorgeous but — as it turned out — gay friend? Remember how old she was? 19? 18 maybe? Actually, she was 16. Perhaps this is when it began: The media’s obsession with sexy, jail-bate co-eds wearing barely-there dresses with sky-high stilettos as they sashay past hormonally incapacitated boys. Call me prude, but does this not strike anyone as, let us say, perverse? The topic of “oversexed and under-aged” has been beaten to death for over a decade, yet the more the media is scorned for its suggestive material, the greater the number of racy television programs, commercials, songs and films emerge. To meet the demand for “thirteenyear-old Alexa” to sport the latest minidress with thigh-highs and a Fendi bag, retail stores have thrived on their dedication to providing miniature sized provocative attire. Do popular retailers such as Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch that cater to preteen and early teen girls have a responsibility to provide trendy yet age-appropriate clothing to their clientele? After spending several hours in such a store with my 11-year-old sister, I became deeply concerned, if not a bit perturbed, to discover not only the population of scantily clad juniors flooding
the store but also at the reading material strewn throughout the premises. On several of the coffee tables lay copies of Maxim, Cosmopolitan and GQ, all of which advertised on their front pages articles how to, and I’m paraphrasing here, “spice up your sex life.” These magazines have consistently contained material very similar to the current content that, while unsavory to some, I find no issue with. What concerns me is why they were strategically placed in a store that middle school-aged children frequent on a daily basis. Maybe it is being paranoid to think that the retailers deliberately bought the magazines and placed them within reach of preteens because they know the power of media influence on their revenue is driven by the wanton desires of girls to look sexy. Negligent at best, these retailers are manipulating an era of children whose desire to fit in leads them to not only dress scantily and inappropriately, but also to have false expectations about sex, to have sex at an increasingly earlier age and possibly become infected with sexually transmitted diseases that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Nowhere in magazine articles does it provide a truthful glimpse into the life of a teenage girl who began having sex at an early age, who had children earlier than most of her abstinent counterparts and then subsequently relinquished her childhood aspirations for a career and
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Retail stores shouldn’t capitalize on sexualization of young girls A
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life beyond caring for children. Frankly, the truth behind preteen sex is more than unpleasant — It is tragic. Why would the media continue to push the lie that teen sex is not only thrilling and exciting but ubiquitous as well? As always, it all comes down to the bottom line. As long as retailers see spikes in revenue driven by their pandering to new-age sex appeal, they will continue to uphold the “sex sells” motto even at the risk of wrongfully influencing the futures of countless girls around the world. Asking the media to compromise revenue for morality is not only futile, but it is also laughable, which means the responsibility to educate underaged girls lies with us. Young women: have frank, honest conversations with the girls you know. Be earnest, be heartfelt and be candid. Sharing your experiences, fears and anxieties can help to debunk the glamorous myth that the media has forged at the expense of preteen innocence. As many of us have discovered through our own experiences, life has a way of removing the happy endings from fairytales.
BROOKE LEONARD -regular columnist -sophomore -economics major
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sports 7
editor: alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
march 3, 2010
Hokies have little room to slip in final days of competition F
or those of you who haven’t been checking your calendars, we have officially entered the month of March, and we sit less than two weeks from college basketball’s “Selection Sunday.” This is a big day for a lot of programs, but it is also the most nerve-wracking day of the year if you happen to be one of the programs sitting on the bubble, unsure of whether or not you’ll be one of the 65 schools selected for the NCAA Tournament. After three straight losses, not only is the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team on the bubble, it is just a couple of losses away from trade marking another monumental collapse. It’s funny how much things can change in just two weeks. After a victory against Wake Forest on Feb. 16, the Hokies were 8-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and had a perceived lock for a tournament bid. Since then, Tech has entered a freefall, including road losses to Duke and Boston College, and a disheartening double-overtime loss at home on Saturday to Maryland. The loss to Duke wasn’t a huge blow to the Hokies resume — this is true. You could even argue that the loss to Maryland wasn’t all that bad, even though it was a home game. However, if you combine those losses and sandwich a 20-point loss to Boston College between them, there exists a resume killer. Throughout the Hokies’ losing streak, everyone knew that the team was trying to compensate for an incredibly weak resume. With a Ratings Percentage Index mark of 52 and a 156th-ranked strength of schedule (343rd-ranked out of conference), Tech knew that there was little margin for error. That margin dwindled even further when people started to realize how weak the ACC truly is. Many felt that the Hokies would need at least 10 wins in the conference to get a tournament bid. Weeks ago at 8-3, with five games remaining to earn just two wins, that didn’t seem like too difficult of a task. Now, at 8-6, Tech needs to win its last two games against North Carolina State and a very good Georgia Tech team to get to 10 wins. As it stands right now, ESPN’s college basketball expert Joe Lunardi has the Hokies in the field of 65 and listed as one of the “last four in.” While that is a good sign, especially considering Lunardi is the best in the country at predicting who will be dancing in March (he actually teaches an online class called “Fundamentals of Bracketology” at Saint Joseph’s University), there is still a lot more basketball left to be played. But with the way the Hokies have played over the past two weeks, that may not be such a good thing. Over the years, the way a team finishes the season has become more and more of a critical factor in making it into the tournament, and the Hokies aren’t exactly dominating in this category. Unfortunately for the Hokie Nation, recent history also tells us that Tech’s season may be defined as one where the team won all of the easy games early on, but collapsed when the competition got harder. Last season, the Hokies finished the year by dropping six of their last seven regular season games, including their last three against ranked opponents. When there was a faint glimmer of hope left last season, Tech fell to No. 1 North Carolina by three points in the second round of the ACC Tournament and kissed an NCAA tournament bid goodbye. Although this year’s team is better and its resume looks stronger, its finish will be just as important in deciding Tech’s postseason fate. There are still two regular season games and an ACC Tournament remaining before the Hokies sit down in front of the television set to see if they’re a tournament team. One could spend hours discussing issues such as the “eye test,” record against the RPI top-50, and critical wins and losses, but the Hokies’ season will undoubtedly be decided in the last few games. Even though we say that we are only two weeks away from “Selection Sunday” because we have been waiting 11 months for it, it is still a lot of time. Over that span, Lunardi’s field of 65 will probably change a dozen times over. For now, the Hokies remain on the bubble. How they perform in the final two weeks of competition will decide their fate. A win tonight against NC State will be a good start, but Tech will certainly have to win at least one more game, if not two, to secure a tournament bid. If Tech defeats NC State, then falls to Georgia Tech, a first-round win in the conference tournament will be a must. If the Hokies fall to the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, depending on how they lose, Tech may need two wins in the ACC tournament to solidify a bid. As I left Cassell Coliseum after the Hokies’ win over Wake Forest on Feb. 16, I thought to myself how awesome it was that Tech wouldn’t have to worry come “Selection Sunday.” When I left Cassell Coliseum after Tech’s double-overtime loss to Maryland
on Saturday, I thought to myself, ‘‘Here we go again.’’ Is it time to panic? Maybe. But there is still a lot of basketball left to be played and a lot of bracketology left to be studied. How that plays out is not up to Lunardi or my constant deliberation after games, but it is up to the Hokies and how they handle the next 12 days.
NICK CAFFERKY -sports staff writer -freshman -communication major
Tech football players leave mark at NFL Combine Cody Grimm Linebacker Drill 40-yard dash: Bench press: Vertical jump:
Jason Worilds Defensive End Drill 40-yard dash: Bench press: Vertical jump:
Result Position Rank 4.64 sec 4th 21 reps 21st 35.5” 11th
Result 4.72 sec 24 reps 38.0”
Position Rank 9th 18th 1st
......radio for
Ed Wang Offensive Tackle Drill Result 40-yard dash: 5.14 sec Bench press: 29 reps Broad jump: 8’00
Position Rank 7th 11th 21st
Kam Chancellor Free Safety Drill Result 40-yard dash: 4.62 sec Bench press: 22 reps
Position Rank 7th 5th
everyone
march 3, 2010
page 8
Hokies host NC State in home finale tonight
CHRISTINA NESTOR/SPPS
Tech junior forward Jeff Allen faces off with Maryland senior forward Landon Milbourne during the Hokies’ 104-100 double-overtime loss to the Terrapins on Saturday night in Cassell Coliseum.
TECH LOOKS TO END THREE-GAME LOSING STREAK, ENTER FINAL STRETCH OF SEASON WITH CONFIDENCE MICHAEL BEALEY sports staff writer The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team can ill-afford to hit the panic button amid a three-game losing streak. Tonight, the Hokies will play host in Cassell Coliseum to North Carolina State, a team coming in hot off of two straight ACC victories over No. 25 Wake Forest and Miami. “I thought that this past weekend we really played at a very high level,” aid Tech head coach Seth Greenberg. “I thought it was a terrific basketball game (against Maryland). Both teams I thought executed and competed. ... there’s a very fine line between winning and losing. We’ve been on the good side of that line a number of times this year.” The last meeting between Tech and NC State, on Feb. 10 ended in lopsided fashion. Tech guard Dorenzo Hudson’s 23 points propelled the Hokies to a 72-52 thrashing of the Wolfpack — the Hokies’ first victory in Raleigh, N.C. since 1917. Tech locked down defensively in that game, limiting NC State to 28.6 percent
shooting from the field, including zero for 11 from beyond the arc. “I think we certainly have to shoot the ball better,” said NC State head coach Sidney Lowe. “One way to eliminate fast break points ... is by making some baskets, and we didn’t shoot the ball well in that ball game. “I think we’re going to have to certainly be better transition-wise on our defense,” Lowe said. “We’re going to have to get back and not allow them to get easy baskets. I think they do a great job, I think Hudson really thrives off of getting down the floor, of course (Malcolm) Delaney finding him for those open threes or ... to the basket.” NC State forward Tracy Smith, who leads the team in scoring with 17.1 points per game, was held in check in the Wolfpack’s last contest against the Hokies. Smith was limited to 12 points on four of 12 shooting and turned the ball over a season-high of five times. “We really defended with a great purpose, we defended the three-point shot really well and we had good ball pressure,” Greenberg said. “You can’t stop Tracy Smith; he’s such a good player. He just uses
ACC Standings TEAM
CONF.
12-2 1 2 CLEMSON* 11-3 3 VIRGINIA TECH 8-6 4 CLEMSON 8-6 5 FLORIDA STATE 8-6 6 WAKE FOREST 8-6 7 GEORGIA TECH* 7-7 8 VIRGINIA 5-9 9 BOSTON COLLEGE 5-9 10 NORTH CAROLINA* 4-10 11 NC STATE 4-10 12 MIAMI (FL)* 4-10 DUKE
OVR.
25-4 21-7 21-7 20-8 20-8 18-8 19-9 14-13 14-14 15-14 16-13 18-10
*record does not reflect Tuesday’s game
his body, he’s got great hands. “We just got to defend. Defending is defending. Defending is riding on a catch. Defending is contesting shots. Defending is defending the post early. Defending is limiting people to one shot then converting those missed shots into scoring opportunities. This is not rocket science, we’re not curing cancer, we’re just trying to get some stops and some rebounds.” As of late, however, the Hokies’ post-
defenders in particular have been plagued by foul trouble, injuries and ineffectiveness. Forward Jeff Allen managed to stay out of foul trouble in the double overtime loss against Maryland, playing 44 minutes and registering only three fouls. On the other hand, in the three games prior, Allen averaged 17 minutes per game and had at least four fouls in each of those games. Hokies’ freshman Cadarian Raines, who has provided valuable minutes off the bench, has a sprained shoulder and could have torn ligaments, Tech’s team trainer Chad Hyatt told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Raines’ effectiveness on the defensive end and his ability to substitute in for Allen in case of foul trouble have both been important assets to the Hokies. Tech starting forward Victor Davila has also had his fair share of struggles down the stretch, scoring as many points as he has personal fouls in three of his last four games. Davila has scored just 18 points in his last seven games on seven for 28 shooting, and has yet to score in double-figures since his season-high 13 points on Dec. 9 against VMI. “I think you always worry about the mood, whether you’re on a five-game
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tonight’s game Tip-off is at 7 p.m. The game is “Senior Night,” honoring Paul Debnam and Lewis Witcher
]
win streak or you’ve lost three in a row,” Greenberg said. “I think that’s something that you’re always kind of trying to have a handle on and trying to work. The biggest thing is just kind of, letting them know that they’re playing well and that you’re playing in the ACC. “You can play well and lose a game because of the teams you’re playing against or if you’re on the road. We’ve had the same approach from day one and that’s been the next game,” he said. NC State, on the other hand, is surging after two important victories over Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. After seemingly looking dead in the water with a 1413 record overall including a league-worst 2-10 mark in conference-play, “I think we’re playing smarter basketball,” Lowe said. “We’re being more patient from an offensive standpoint. We’re not forcing shots; we’re not just trying to get a shot because we haven’t had one in three or four trips down.”