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Thursday, March 4, 2010
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COLLEGIATETIMES
Nine percent of Tech students seek counseling, three percent more than the national average.
Cook employs one counselor for every 1,800 Virginia Tech students.
JOSH SON/COLLEGIATE TIMES
Cook center in line for peer approval BY CLAIRE SANDERSON | news staff writer or the first time in more than a decade, Virginia Tech’s Cook Counseling Center is seeking approval in an international counseling accreditation process. After its initial review by the International Association of Counseling Services during 2009, Tech’s application passed for the next stage of the accreditation process, an on-site inspection. Chris Flynn, director of Cook Counseling Center, received notice in October 2009 that the center had been approved for the visit. The center has been accredited before, but since the mid-1990s it has gone without accreditation from the International Association of Counseling Services. IACS is a nonprofit group that reviews university counseling centers through a professional peer-review, as opposed to a state or federally based inspection.
Among universities that have 25,000 to 30,000 students, 55 percent are accredited by IACS, according to the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors 2008 Directors Survey. “Being accredited validates that they’ve opened their doors to outside review,” said Nancy Roncketti, executive director of IACS. “They’ve met the highest standards of the profession.” The survey reported that among the unaccredited centers, cost was the biggest reason for not pursuing accreditation. Cost may also be a reason Cook did not seek reaccreditation in the mid1990s. “The state went through some difficult times and was looking for any way to save some money,” Flynn said. “There’s a certain fee that comes with all accreditation,” said Rick Ferraro, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and head of Schiffert Health Center. “They tend to be pretty reasonable, but they’re there because they’re providing a service that you need to pay for.” According to its Web site, IACS accreditation involves a $700 initial evaluation fee and an annual fee of $850 to maintain the accreditation. There is also a field visit fee of $1,500. These costs are paid by funds generated by students through the Health Service Fee, which covers Schiffert Health Center, Cook Counseling
This is part one of a two part series about Cook Counseling Center’s endeavor to earn accredation. Center and the VT Rescue Squad. This mandatory fee was $320 per full-time student for the 2009-2010 school year, or $160 per semester. According to the AUCCCD survey, 27 percent of schools in Tech’s size range also pay for the operation of their counseling centers through mandatory student health fees. According to Flynn, Cook’s annual operating budget of roughly $1.9 million is only about onefourth of the income generated from the Health Service Fee. Although Tech, like many universities, has been experiencing budget cuts in recent years, the cuts have not affected Cook. “We’ve gotten the support of the administration to make sure we’re not affected by the budget decrease,” Flynn said. “We don’t anticipate losing any positions; in fact, we’ve asked to add another position this year.” A possibility that Flynn and Provost Mark McNamee have discussed is to add one position a year for the next four years, according to Flynn. As the center works to match IACS standards, expansion of the staff is a significant step. The
New restaurants to replace Bogen’s, attract smokers and wine lovers GORDON BLOCK news reporter The former location of Bogen’s Steakhouse and Bar is taking on a new form as a bar and wine loungeequipped restaurant. The new eatery, run by the owner of Lefty’s Bar and Grille, is scheduled to open in April or May. The leased space, located on North Main Street, will be broken into three parts. The main area of the building will become 622 North, a restaurant aimed toward “adult” consumers. “It’s not that there aren’t nice places to go get dinner,” said Sam Cotran, a manager at Lefty’s who will manage the new restaurant, “but most adults and professors go out to Roanoke for a nice meal.” The restaurant hired George Cruz, from Blacksburg Country Club, to be its chef. A menu for the restaurant has not been finalized. The left side of the building will become a bar-like area, tentatively named Dirty Turkey. Along with three pool tables, the bar will feature arcade games, and a patio is set for construction on the side of the building facing Giles Road. Using a separate ventilation system to comply with new state regulations, the bar area will allow smoking. Other areas of the building will not permit smoking. The back of the restaurant will feature a wine lounge. Management has hired a sommelier, or wine steward, to
107th year, issue 27
DANIEL LIN/SPPS
The building formerly housing Bogen’s undergoes construction before welcoming a new restaurant. work its wine lounge area. John Boyer, a professor of geography and regular customer of Lefty’s, has discussed the possibility of using the space as a “lab” to teach students about wine. “I’d been planting the seed for a while,” Boyer said. “There’s a big wine drinking community here. I’ve been wanting anybody to open a winefocused establishment for a while now.” Boyer said that a change in culture involving wine consumption could have “a very positive impact on drinking behavior.” A second floor banquet room will remain open for group events. Work has been going on for about a
News, page 2
week on the building. While the building’s exterior has seen few changes other than a change to the electronic sign, the building’s interior has seen drastic renovations. Changes will be made to the flooring in many locations in the building, and areas throughout the restaurant will be repainted. Frank Perkovich, owner of Lefty’s and the new restaurant, said he felt no pressure in taking over the location from Bogen’s, which went out of business in May 2009 after operating for 27 years. Bill Ellenbogen, former Virginia Tech football player and owner of the building that housed Bogen’s and the new 622 North, could not be reached
Opinions, page 3
for comment. “Bill’s a friend of mine,” Perkovich said. “I hope he’s proud of how we bring in the next chapter of this building.” Restaurant management is taking its marketing of the restaurant online. Along with a blog featuring a walkthrough tour of the space, www. blog.622north.com, the restaurant has communicated to customers through accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Perkovich said he felt there was a market in Blacksburg for his restaurant. “There’s always room for better food, better space, better atmosphere,” Perkovich said.
Sports, page 6
IACS accreditation standards recommend that a university counseling center have a counselor to student ratio between 1:1,000 and 1:1,500. When Cook had originally planned to submit the IACS application in 2007, only 10 counselors were employed, and the ratio was almost 1:3,000 students. “One of the barriers that we had to accreditation was our size at the time,” Ferraro said. “With a ratio that was approaching 1:3,000, we weren’t in a position to really go for that. However, we have increased the number of counselors — we have 16 now — and that brings us into an area where accreditation is more practical.” The staff additions have reduced the counselor to student ratio to roughly 1:1,800. Though it does not quite meet IACS recommendations, Flynn believes that this will not affect whether the center will pass or not. “The average ratio, nationally, is 1:2,900. Other schools have been accredited that don’t meet that criteria, and we’ve certainly had more challenges than other schools,” Flynn said. In addition to counselors, the staff at Cook includes a psychiatrist, two nurse practitioners, and a case manager. According to Flynn, there are now about 30 people working at the center to help students. see COOK/ page five
Support is tenuous for genocide resolution MICHAEL DOYLE mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Torn between international diplomacy and domestic politics, the Obama administration is speaking softly and not using any stick as a House of Representatives committee moves toward approving a controversial Armenian genocide resolution Thursday. The House Foreign Affairs Committee appears poised to approve the resolution, which asserts that, “The Armenian Genocide was conceived and carried out by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923.” House committee passage, however, is only one step in a campaign that’s intended to get the U.S. House of Representatives on the record as calling genocide the 1915-1923 events in which, by some counts, more than 1.5 million Armenians perished. That goal still could be elusive. “I’m optimistic, though I never underestimate the power of the Turkish lobby,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the resolution’s author, said in an interview Wednesday. The resolution has 137 House cosponsors, far fewer than the 218 that are needed for approval by the full House. Obama supported an Armenian genocide resolution when he was campaigning for president, as have other candidates, but he avoided the term “genocide” in his official statement last April marking the events. His administration’s subsequent statements could be interpreted as suggesting, but only obliquely, that Congress should leave the issue alone.
Classifieds, page 4
“Our interests remain a full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts related to the historical events,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee last Thursday. “But the best way to do that, with all respect, is for the Armenians and Turkish people themselves to address the facts of their past as part of their efforts to move forward.” Schiff characterized the Obama administration’s apparent position as “neutral,” which he described as “a step forward” from the Bush administration’s vocal opposition to the genocide resolution. The resolution is a long-standing priority for the Armenian diaspora, politically potent and concentrated in Florida, New Jersey and California’s San Joaquin Valley. The 2000 census recorded 385,000 U.S. residents of Armenian ancestry, three times the number who claim Turkish ancestry. Supporters call the resolution a necessary recognition of a human-directed catastrophe in which more than a million Armenians were killed or forcemarched into the Syrian desert. The resolution, however, is perennially troublesome for presidents, who are pressed by worried U.S. military officers and diplomats, as well as by Turkish officials. The Turkish government considers the nonbinding resolution an insult to the nation’s 72 million people. “We don’t want anything to interfere with our relations,” Murat Mercan, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, said in an interview.
Sudoku, page 4
2 news
new river valley news editor: zach crizer university editor: philipp kotlaba newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865
march 4, 2010
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blacksburg headlines
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Medical school appoints research institute director Michael Friedlander, a neuroscientist and the chair of the Department of Neuroscience at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, has been named the founding executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. The institute will be housed with the new Tech Carilion School of Medicine in a $59 million building in Roanoke that is currently under construction. Friedlander, who takes his position on June 1, will help focus research and recruit researchers. The institute’s goal is to have 30 research teams of five to 15 members each within the next five to seven years. Medical students, who will begin classes in August, will be required to participate in research projects. by liana bayne, news reporter
Love Lost? Listen to our student-driven podcast about the show online at collegiatetimes.com
-In “Hokies host NC State in home final tonight,” (CT, March 3), “2. Clemson” should have read “2. Maryland,) in the ACC Standings graphic. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.
JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
In Blacksburg for spring break? Check out these events in and around the ’burg.
[Thursday, March 4]
[Saturday, March 6]
[Monday, March 8]
What: Sensational Glass Sun Catchers Workshop for Ages 5-8 Where: Taubman Museum of Art When: 4:30 p.m. Cost: $25 for members, $35 for non-members Note: Register by calling 540-204-4107
What: Josh Sizemore Where: Gillie’s When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free
What: Club — Womanspace Meeting Where: Women’s Center When: 5:30 p.m. Cost: Free
What: Daryll Shawn Where: Gillie’s When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free What: Dance Night Where: Attitudes When: 9 p.m. Cost: $8 for ages 18-20, $5 for 21+ Note: Ladies free before 10 p.m. What: Jerry Wimmer Where: Awful Arthur’s When: 10 p.m. Cost: Cover What: Massive Sound Where: Awful Arthur’s When: 10 p.m. Cost: $5 Note: Ages 18-20 must arrive before 10 p.m.
What: Billy-Goat-Gruff: The Musical Where: The Lyric When: 2 p.m. Cost: Free What: Men’s basketball vs. Georgia Tech Where: Atlanta, Ga. When: 4 p.m. Cost: Tickets vary Note: Watch it on Raycom Sports What: Square Dancing Where: YMCA When: 8 p.m. Cost: $8 at the door, children under 12 years old are free What: CALS Meet the Dean Event Where: Holtzman Alumni Center When: 5:30 p.m. Cost: $25 (21 and over) $15 (13-20), $10 (6-12), FREE (5 and under) Note: Register in advance at www.alumni.vt.edu
[Tuesday, March 9] What: Volunteer with VT-ENGAGE Where: 1350 Litton Reaves When: 8 a.m. Cost: Free
What: Access through the Arts for Children 5-8 Years Where: Taubman Museum of Art When: 4 p.m. Cost: Free Note: Register by calling 540-204-4107
What: VT Earthworks 2010 Growers Academy Where: Virginia Tech Roanoke Center in the Roanoke Higher Education Center When: 6 p.m. Cost: $215
[Sunday, March 7] [Friday, March 5]
CORRECTION
COLLEGIATETIMES
What: The Apatite, a jam band Where: Gillie’s When: 9:30 p.m. Cost: Free What: Lunch Discussion on Women Graduate Student Climate Issues Where: Torgersen Museum (1100 Torgersen) When: Noon Cost: Free
What: Book Sale Where: Radford Library — 30 W. Main St., Radford, VA, 24141 When: Friday/Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: Free What: Carolina Shag and Line Dancing Where: Blueberry Hill — 5301 Williamson Road, Roanoke, VA, 24017 When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free Note: Full schedule available at http://shaggin4fun.com
What: DJ Lil Fos Where: Sharkey’s When: 9 p.m. Cost: No cover
[Wednesday, March 10] What: Art Exhibit featuring Susan Hensley Where: Holtzman Alumni Center, 2nd Floor Gallery When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: Free
[All Week] This week, the Lyric is showing “A Single Man” fashion designer Tom Ford’s directorial debut. Check out TheLyric.com for showtime information.
What: Class of 2011 Ring Banquet Ticket Sale Where: Squires Ticket Office Cost: $15 a ticket
If you would like an event featured in our calendar, e-mail featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com with event details, including cost.
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nation & world headlines
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Obama backs plan to give health overhaul fast track WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Wednesday endorsed congressional Democrats’ plans to use a controversial process known as “budget reconciliation” to pass a national health care overhaul with simple majority votes, saying that he’s willing to stake Democrats’ fortunes on it. “I don’t know how this plays politically, but I know it’s right,” the president said in remarks from the East Room of the White House, flanked by white-coated nurses and doctors nearly a year after he began his push for a bipartisan bill. If Democrats pass an overhaul through reconciliation, it is conceivable that they could do so without a single Republican vote. Obama never used the term “reconciliation,” a process by which Congress bypasses Senate filibuster threats. Republicans object that the process isn’t intended to be used for major substantive policy legislation. by margaret talev and david lightman, mcclatchy newspapers
Dubai police calls for arrest of Israeli prime minister, spy chief JERUSALEM — The diplomatic fallout over the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh took a new turn Wednesday as Dubai’s police chief announced that he would seek the arrests of Israel’s prime minister and spy chief over the killing. Though Israel has refused to confirm or deny its involvement in the incident, Police Chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim said he would ask the United Arab Emirates’ prosecutor to file Interpol arrest warrants for the two, adding that he was “completely sure that it was Mossad,” Israel’s intelligence agency. by sheera frenkel mcclatchy newspapers
opınıons 3
editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
march 4, 2010
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letters to the editor]
Family influence more important
W
hen I was a sophomore at Virginia Tech, I saw a documentary called “Jesus Camp” about preteens who were oppressed by the extreme religious convictions of their parents. For example, a young girl had not been allowed to dance, even by herself, because it would “promote sexual urges.” In the documentary, children who were preteens and younger were relentlessly harangued about “sinning” with rules that even the Pope would have trouble obeying. I had hoped that I would never hear anything close to that kind of repression again, but the article “Retail stores shouldn’t capitalize on sexualization of young girls” raised some concern. (Brooke) Leonard blames Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister for promoting sex to preteen girls. In terms of the market for teen and preteen clothes, those stores are the most risqué mall offerings. In other words, using A & F and Hollister as the moral standard for preteen clothing is akin to using Hooters as the moral standard for sports bars.
Consquences of using coal
I
n Southwest Virginia, mountain top removal is a popular topic whether you are for it or against it. However, most people are not aware of the serious consequences that it can lead to. It comes up in class discussion, around the lunch table, on the local news and in Beyond Coal’s weekly meetings. Beyond Coal is a student run branch of the Sierra Club that promotes clean energy goals on Virginia Tech’s Campus. Not only does mountain top removal destroy natural habitats, but the burning of coal can also lead to dangerous health problems. Coal is one of the biggest contributors to ground level ozone, also known as smog, and air pollution leads to respiratory issues. According to the Clean Air Task Force, 24,000 deaths are caused by pollution from coal plants every year! As shocking as it is, clean ener-
VT should serve as leader
T
he most powerful argument that I can make against coal relates to mountaintop removal mining (MTR). This process, in which miners literally blow the tops off of mountains and deposit the debris in the valleys below, has devastating environmental and public health consequences. MTR often pollutes local drinking water sources with heavy metals that can cause cancer, birth defects, and neurological disorders. Waste products are held in impoundments that are often poorly constructed; failures have caused death, injury, property damage and environmental devastation. Though MTR is common across Appalachia, Hokies are lucky to be pretty much removed from it. But I urge you to consider how you would feel if you never knew whether your water was clean for drinking or if the air
Reconsider burning coal
V
irginia Tech is a leading research institution, and yet we still rely on fossil fuels instead of investing in long-term energy sources. As a sophomore here at Tech, I strongly believe that it is time to transition away from coal and instead move toward renewable energy. The process of burning coal is devastating to the environment as well as to human health, and we should lead the movement to switch to cleaner energy. When I came to Tech last year, I was (naively) appalled to learn that our school had a campus plant that burned 420,000 tons of coal a year. I began researching coal mining, particularly mountaintop removal. This process removes the top layer of mountains to expose coal seams and dumps the terrain, called “valley fill,” into surrounding valleys, often burying headwater streams. I was greatly disturbed by this, and I had to see for myself. I traveled to several mining sites to see if these claims were exaggerated. What I saw left me in complete dismay — entire mountains had been destroyed. What had once been a thriving mountainous ecosystem was now a barren landscape. I was shocked that this had been going on in my backyard without my knowing.
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
It’s not so much that these stores are promoting sex; they are giving younger siblings what their older siblings wear. As Leonard mentions that she is an older sister, it’s fair to assume that her younger sister wanted to wear the clothes and read the magazines that she does. While my younger brother didn’t choose to shop in Hollister’s junior department or read Cosmo, he joined boy scouts and received the president’s gold volunteer service award three years in a row by emulating me. TriCities.com reported about an incident in Bristol, Va., when a waitress had been handed a pamphlet saying that her clothes “make men want to be sinful,” along with suggesting that rape victims wouldn’t have been raped had they dressed more conservatively. Until Baby Gap and OshKosh sell clothes for juniors, is it fair to tell preteen girls that they can’t wear what their older sisters are wearing because it makes men want to be sinful? By selling clothes that older siblings wear and younger siblings want to wear, are clothing stores promoting sex?
Jacob Eberhart Senior Industrial design
gy is not at the top of Tech’s agenda. As I walk past the coal plant (located on Tech’s campus) every day on my way to class, I wonder when President Charles Steger is going to make clean energy a priority at Tech. Only with his support will Beyond Coal’s goal of eliminating Tech’s dependence on coal by 2020 be attained. My grandfather worked in the coal mines in a small Pennsylvania town over 50 years ago and suffered the health consequences in the long run. One would think that 50 or 60 years later, Virginia Tech, one of the leading research institutes in the nation, would be on the forefront of clean energy, but that is not the case. Only with the support of President Steger and the administration will Tech truly be able to “invent the future.”
Jenna Klym Senior Political science & Urban affairs planning around you was free from contaminants. Would you feel safe if you knew there was a waste impoundment just down the road filled with millions of gallons of toxic coal sludge? If it’s not okay to have an MTR site in our backyard, it shouldn’t be okay to have one anywhere. Energy is our generation’s challenge. I urge President Charles Steger to be a leader in clean energy and commit to moving off of coal by 2020. The administration should work with the Virginia Tech Beyond Coal campaign to immediately commission a taskforce to research energy alternatives. Other schools, like SUNY-Binghamton and Cornell, have made similar commitments. Our school needs to live up to its motto, “Ut Prosim,” by serving as a clean energy leader and supporting the well being of Appalachia.
Sarah Grant Sophomore Communication
One of the most nauseating experiences I had was seeing fluorescent-colored ponds of wastewater. Water is not supposed to be orange. It’s not supposed to be neon green, either. These unnatural colors are caused by metals like iron and manganese, which leach into streams from valley fill. Streams like these are the sources of drinking water for Appalachian communities. Obviously, not all mining sites are as polluted as this, but many are. This represents only one step in the coal life cycle, and there are others such as public health. Coal is a cheap and obtainable energy source, but it’s not necessarily the only one. We should research alternatives such as biomass, wind and geothermal sources of energy that could be applied to our campus. While I am proud to be a Hokie, it saddens and embarrasses me that our school continues to support this practice by burning coal on our campus. Because of what I’ve seen, I feel compelled to ensure that our school transitions off coal. Virginia Tech is a top research institution, and we have the means to find alternatives. In this crucial moment, I hope our leaders, including President Charles Steger, recognize the importance of moving toward cleaner energy.
Chrissy Barton Sophomore Equine science
Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries
Women’s issues still prevalent today, must be acknowledged M
arch is Women’s Month, and I am sure you will see all kinds of advertisements within the coming weeks to make this abundantly clear. I hope you will, because women’s issues are not things we should forget about, dismiss in our busy and frenzied lives. Really, women’s issues shouldn’t be called to attention in just one month out of the year, but I am glad March at least gives the excuse to flood campus and the community with genderrelated topics. We have all heard of them, these topics: the infamous “glass ceiling” and equality, reproductive health, violence against women. Too often do these important societal issues become politicized. We render the critical nature of the problems these issues encompass into things that people hear about, but do not care about; we think they have been solved. America is a progressive society that is exponentially improving gender relations. Reproductive health issues are not actually issues. Violence against women and violation of human rights is a problem in other cultures, not this one, and those things have never happened to me, someone I love, or someone I know. Sure, women’s issues used to be a big deal, but now they’re pretty much taken care of. The four previous statements are generalizations that I have heard people say, and I could argue that they are the generalizations many of us think of in reaction to “women’s issues.” Sadly, these statements destroy awareness of problems that no one should be ignorant about. Yes, gender relations have improved. But, considering the time since women fought for and got the right to vote in 1920, one has to wonder how far this country has truly come in protecting women’s interests. Consider this; within the last five years women have only earned between 75 and 78 cents to the dollar as men, sometimes even when a man held the same job position as a woman. For women of color, the amount earned in comparison to the wages of a man drops below 60 cents to the dollar. Sure, these numbers have increased since the inception of the Equal Pay Act in 1963, but barely by 20 cents in over twice as many years. That sure is some improvement. Now, with the state of the economy bringing many families lay-offs, the disparity in wages can be utterly devastating not only to them, but to their communities and society as a whole. Over her lifetime, a woman who has graduated high school can expect to lose close to $400,000, and a college and post-doc graduate $450,000 and $700,000 respectively to the disparity in unequal wages. Later, these figures translate into millions. Millions more women than men live at or below the poverty level in their elderly years. If women made equivalent wages to men, imagine the increase in taxable income for state and national
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on the web
Check out The Challenge Web site sponsored by the Women’s Center at www.womenscenter.vt.edu/ Challenge/index.html
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budgets, the increased stability of families, and the real improvement of gender-relations. Reproductive health, a women’s issue? I won’t spend much time here for the sake of those squeamish readers out there, and for the political ones itching for an argument on abortion. Abortion is a topic for braver feminists — Yes, I used the “f” word — than me. But, I do have something to say about condoms/contraceptives. When we think about women’s issues, safe sex practices and precautions should immediately come to mind. Due to our anatomy, women are more susceptible to STIs than men. In looking at just the disease Chlamydia alone, the rate for women is nearly three times that of men. Emphasis on reproductive health in proper use of condoms would improve these rates, and can positively influence the troubling numbers of teenage and unwanted pregnancies. That is not to say that condoms alone are the answer to the crises of unwanted pregnancies. You can look up the extensive studies on contraceptives and sexual awareness education that virtually solve unwanted pregnancies on your own. I will say this, though, everyone, not just women, must not be ignorant to contraception and safe sex practices. We need to protect ourselves and be more proactive about doing so. Violence against women, a tragedy that we mourn and ... well, that’s about all that many of us do. Each year close to 4.8 million women experience domestic violence that results in rape or other physical injury. Along with the psychological and emotional trauma that violent encounters cause victims, the lasting effects of domestic violence are inestimable. And that number is based just on the incidents that go reported. Since violence against women and rape are the most underreported crimes in the country, it is hard to say exactly how many women become victims each year. Overall, 11 percent of high school girls reported forced sexual encounters, 25 percent of women in college reported the same, and 1 in 6 women in the country verified they had been attacked or raped at least once in their lives. In other countries, especially conflict countries like Democratic Republic of the Congo, the rape statistics, if you can imagine, are much worse. In places like DRC, violence against women and rape are instruments of war, and therefore far more frequent, and brutal. Victims of violence or sexual assault are not just numbers, though.
check it out
What: The annual Take Back the Night Rally in honor of Morgan Harrington When: March 25th Why: Join the women of the world in solidarity in making the world a better place for all of us!
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We hear those numbers all the time, we are numb to them by now. Unless we see the violence for ourselves, the pain and desolation that violence against women creates is perpetuated. Even as the country and the Virginia Tech community mourn the loss of Morgan Harrington, how many of us fail to see the problem in our society that gives women cause to fear being alone after dark? So, I’ve rambled on about women’s issues, and I’m sure you’re wondering what any of this has to do with Women’s Month. Let me remind you of the generalizations I mentioned earlier. I hope I have given you a clearer picture of why they are absolutely wrong, and gotten you to think about how they can be dangerous to women. The truth is that women’s issues, and really any gender issues (but that is another topic), are not things of the past. As long as women continue to struggle for equality in patriarchal and modern societies, do not have access to the methods and tools to ensure their reproductive health, and have reason to fear their own communities and societies, we must not be ignorant or critical of women’s issues. They affect all of us in innumerable ways. As you read this, I hope you will have thought about your mother, your sister, your grandmother, whomever the influential women in your life are. Surely you must realize, and maybe appreciate more, how central they are to our society despite the obstacles they face. Whether you talk to them, avoid them, love them, or think they are subordinates, women in your community, state, country, and world desperately need you to care about them, their suffering, rights, and opportunities. Take Women’s Month seriously; check out all of the neat events planned this year, accept The Challenge sponsored by the Women’s Center, mark your calendars for the annual Take Back the Night Rally and March on the 25th in honor of Morgan Harrington, and find out how you can join the women of the world in solidarity in making the world a better place for all of us!
NICOLE FAUT -regular columnist -history -sophomore
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Cook: Center completes Elite program builds speedy race cars, slow and steady first steps toward goal from page one
Cook also has a counselor training program, as do 69 percent of centers across the U.S., according to the AUCCCD survey. There are post-doctoral residents, pre-doctoral interns, and practicum students, as well as an internship program accredited by the American Psychological Association. Of the 660 centers that were invited to respond to the AUCCCD survey, 72 also had accredited internship programs. However, IACS standards make it clear that these students should only be given tasks that are limited to their training, and must not have access to clients’ records for confidentiality reasons. According to the application that Cook submitted to IACS, trainees provided approximately 20 percent of direct services to students in the past year. Though the staff additions have helped, Flynn believes the center still struggles to meet the demands of all students who need services. Last year, 2,452 students, or nine percent of the student body, sought counseling at Cook for personal, developmental, emotional and social concerns, according to the IACS application. The AUCCCD survey found a national average of six percent. The IACS application also lists that Cook had 3,837 total intakes, or 13 percent of the student body. This number includes those who visited the center for academic counseling. The 2009 National Survey of Counseling Directors revealed that 48 percent of university counseling centers place limits on the number of sessions allowed per client in order to make room for more students as they come in for counseling. Cook does not employ such a limit, stating in its IACS application, “Although we do not have a limit on the number of sessions, we emphasize a focused counseling model (e.g., six to eight sessions) for individual counseling.” Across the U.S., clients received 6.2 sessions on average, according to the NSCD survey. However, Flynn stated in the IACS application that the average number of sessions that clients receive at Cook is 3.73. According to the NSCD survey, 96 percent of directors said they saw an increase in the number of students with severe psychological problems.
LIZ NORMENT Comparison Statistics Average number of sessions per client:
5.07
3.73
National average
Cook Counseling Center Courtesy of AUCCD 2008 Director’s Survey
JOSH SON/COLLEGIATE TIMES
In the AUCCCD survey, 80 percent of directors reported the same phenomenon. Dr. Hara Marano is the editor of “Psychology Today” and author of the book “Nation of Wimps,” which studies psychological concerns on college campuses, especially analyzing the recent rise in the number of severe psychological problems. Marano has developed a theory claiming the rise in these cases results from students coming to college with fewer and fewer coping skills than in years past. “Kids have no real experiences of difficulty or failure which help develop coping skills. Once they leave the protective, supportive cocoon of home they fall apart psychologically,” Marano said. She describes it as a mainly upper middle class phenomenon, in which overprotected children have been raised with many opportunities and extremely high expectations for success. Those expectations do not go away once they have been accepted into college. “The college experience has certain kinds of activities that sort of strip away defenses and can facilitate breakdown,” Marano said. “It’s a time that puts a lot of stress on students, and with fewer coping skills and social skills, one way this is manifesting itself is in much higher rates of depression disorders, anxiety disorders, self mutilation, eating disorders, and even binge drinking.” As reported in the NSCD survey, 100 percent of centers in Tech’s size range hospitalized students for severe psychological reasons in the past year. Flynn does not believe there is necessarily an increase in the number of these cases. “I’ve never really seen that here,” Flynn said. “I don’t think that students are more in need of services, I think they are more open to counseling, and that is really healthy.” He also noted that statistics may be
skewed because more students who have psychological problems are able to come to college than in years past because of better medication, better counseling services, and better help for students with disabilities. “One reason people talk about that is there is a higher percentage of students being referred for medication, partly because the medications are safer to prescribe than before,” Flynn said. According to the NSCD survey, 73 percent of directors reported administrative concerns over an increase of these cases. Nationally, one of the most common ways that directors are handling the rise in severe cases at their own centers is through increasing training for faculty and others on campus so they can respond more efficiently to students in trouble, according to the NSCD survey. The same survey showed 71 percent of counseling centers were represented on student assistance committees. Marano believes the best way for centers to combat this problem is simply treating the students that come in, as well as doing more outreach to help students before they get to that point. “Some schools don’t have the resources, and that’s a huge problem,” Marano said. “Counseling centers tend to be underfunded, though there are funding crises in colleges all over. But these are services that need to be paid for.” Cook began the process toward accreditation when it submitted the application to IACS in December 2008. Once a campus is ready for the on-site inspection, the director of the center is responsible for contacting field visitors and inviting them to the campus for a visit that must last at least one full day. “It is one thing to see it in writing,” Roncketti said, “but the field visitors go to see if what they saw on the application is actually happening.” Although these inspectors are allowed to see everything that happens at the center, “they sign a confidentiality agreement so that they can review materials without having students feel that their confidentiality is being compromised,” Flynn said. It is still unknown when the field visitors will come to Blacksburg, but once they make their inspection they will have one month to report back to IACS.
features reporter At the end of the year, people from many different majors are given the opportunity to display thesis projects at several outlets on campus. For a select group of engineers, satisfaction comes from watching their design project hit speeds of up to 80 or 90 mph and go from 0-60 mph in 3.5 to 4 seconds on the racetrack. Since 1989, groups of engineers have worked together on Virginia Tech’s Formula Society of Automotive Engineers team to construct a formulastyle racecar, from the extensive design process to the exhilarating test runs. “It’s crazy to see something go from thought to an actual tangible thing,” said senior Johnson Miles, a mechanical engineering student who has been interested in joining Tech’s team since high school. “I actually read an article in a magazine about Formula SAE in high school and thought it was really cool.” After visiting Tech and learning more about the program, Miles became determined to be part of the team. Taking the car from design to completion is a two-year process, so students who want to be involved show an interest early on. After a stringent application process, which only accepts around 17 out of nearly 100 applicants each year, the first year is spent strictly on design. “The best part is that there aren’t many limits on what you can do,” Miles said. “If you can think it up and it seems reasonable, then you can do it. You can build it.” Miles has been working on a team of 17 for the past year and a half, and the car is within days of the long-awaited test-driving process. One of the team members, senior mechanical engineering major Eduardo Pinto, said that this moment has been a long time coming. “Basically the first year you’re designing, the second you build, last semester you kind of test and build at the same time,” he said. Pinto, who has always had a passion for cars, got a taste for racing at a young age. “I did a little ATV racing when I was younger,” Pinto said. “Ever since I came to school here I knew this was something I wanted to get involved with.” The manufacturing and assembling of the car takes place on campus in the Ware Lab, located in the Military Building. Team members, who put in anywhere from 30 to 60 hours of work each week, must be truly dedicated to
GREGORY WILSON/SPPS
Michael Bromley, a senior in mechanical engineering and leader of VT Motorsports works on the 2010 version of the racecar. the project. “I mean, when you’re building a $60,000 car, it’s really exciting,” Pinto said, who also recognizes the undeniable benefits Formula SAE will have on his future. “Employers like it a lot, and I want to be an automotive engineer, so this is the perfect project.” Mechanical engineering graduate student William Burke became a member of the Formula SAE team his sophomore year. As part of the project, he saw his team’s car win 33rd out of 130 teams at an international competition in Detroit in 2008. Now in his second year of graduate school, Burke is still heavily involved with the team. “Now I’m sort of like a mentor for the team. I help a lot of the guys figure stuff out for design, introducing some engineering tools they can use,” Burke said. Burke was initially attracted to the group because of the international recognition it receives at competitions each year. “What really interested me was the competitive side,” Burke said. “Not many students have projects that are competitive at an international level.” The Tech Formula SAE team participates in the international competition in Detroit each year. Beyond the students who are designing and building, the team also has a marketing group that works to find sponsors for the project, as well as a sales group that performs a cost analysis for all of the funding. However, the most important part is the car’s actual performance. “At the competition there are static events and dynamic events,” Burke said. “The dynamic events are when you
drive the car on short track while being timed, and then the static events include presenting the design to judges, and defending the decisions you made.” This year, the team anticipates an exciting competition after making an unprecedented change to the car’s engine. “The car has always had a 4-cylinder engine, but this year we made it a single cylinder,” Johnson said, noting that the change will reduce the weight of the vehicle by as much as 90 pounds. “Basically it will enable us to enter and exit corners faster and have more lowend torque, being on the gas constantly instead of having to slow down on the turns.” Johnson, who went to the competition last year, was amazed at the diverse range of teams competing from all over the world. “We were competing against teams sponsored by Red Bull with a half a million dollar budget, as well as some start up teams of only six or seven guys,” Johnson said, placing Tech’s team around the middle of the two extremes. “We’re pretty well respected every year, which is impressive. Competing against so many different teams is definitely an eye-opening experience.” After attending multiple competitions, Burke feels that these experiences, along with all of the time that goes into building the car, has been the most valuable experience he has had as an engineer. “As far as my progress as an engineer,” Burke said, “I wouldn’t be even close to where I am today if I didn’t have the practical experience of working with Formula SAE.”
6 sports
editor: alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
march 4, 2010
Hokies on the run from Wolfpack
AUSTEN MEREDITH/SPPS
Tech junior guard Dorenzo Hudson hustles down the court on a fast break during the first half of Tech’s 71-59 win over NC State last night. Hudson finished with 21 points on seven of 14 shooting and 4 assists.
BASKETBALL TEAM SNAPS THREE-GAME LOSING STREAK THANKS TO HUDSON, ALLEN, DELANEY RAY NIMMO sports reporter With NCAA tournament hopes hanging in the balance, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team defeated North Carolina State University 71-59 Wednesday night in Cassell Coliseum. This was the last home game of the season, and the Cassell was defended well. With the win, the Hokies (22-7, 9-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) finish the year with a 15-1 record at home. “This was a win we had to have and we found a way to win it,” said head coach Seth Greenberg. Junior guards Dorenzo Hudson and Malcolm Delaney led the charge with 21 points each. Junior forward Jeff Allen also played a big part with 18 points and nine rebounds.
“We don’t want to live on the bubble like the last two years,” Delaney said. “We don’t control our own destiny on the bubble.” The win brings Tech one step closer to a first-round bye in the ACC tournament. “It’s good to have that first-round bye,” Delaney said, “especially with some guys being beat up on our team — we might need that day of rest.” NC State tried to keep the pace slow, allowing the shot clock to approach zero throughout the game, but the Wolfpack couldn’t convert shots when it needed to. Tech forced 20 turnovers and scored 15 points off of them. Another battle the Hokies dominated was points in the paint. Tech amassed 34 points in the paint com-
pared to the Wolfpack’s 22. “I feel like we just needed to get stops and get easier layups,” Hudson said. “I feel like we did a pretty good job of that tonight.” Things started out well for the Wolfpack, as it marched out to a 7-2 lead. That would be its biggest lead in the game, as Tech quickly responded and tied it up. After Julius Mays hit a three-pointer to give NC State a 20-17 lead, Tech went on a 14-2 run to close the half. The Hokies went into the locker room ahead 31-22 and wouldn’t relinquish that lead for the rest of the game. “We are hungry right now,” Delaney said. “We knew we couldn’t have a let down coming into this game. We had to play with the momentum we had. Even though we lost (against Maryland), we still had momentum coming in.” Wolfpack head coach Sidney Lowe had his team ready to fight back,
ACC Standings TEAM
CONF.
1 DUKE* 2 MARYLAND* 3 VIRGINIA TECH 4 CLEMSON 5 FLORIDA STATE 6 WAKE FOREST 7 GEORGIA TECH 8 VIRGINIA* 9 BOSTON COLLEGE* 10 NORTH CAROLINA 11 MIAMI (FL) 12 NC STATE
12-2 11-3 9-6 9-6 9-6 8-7 7-8 5-9 5-9 5-10 4-11 4-11
OVR.
25-4 21-7 22-7 21-8 21-8 18-9 19-10 14-13 14-14 16-14 18-11 16-14
*record does not reflect Wednesday’s late games
however. Tech saw its nine-point lead evaporate to a two-point lead quickly in the second half, as part of a 10-3 Wolfpack run. Shortly thereafter, though, Delaney made his presence known and converted three consecutive three-point-
ers to swell the lead to 11. “I’m starting to get my legs back,” Delaney said. “I’m healthy. I’m feeling a lot better than I was. I’m still a little sore, but I’m getting my legs back now. My body is starting to recover. Hopefully that will lead to more shots.” Delaney’s streak contributed to a 17-6 tear by the Hokies and with 9:22 left, the Hokies carried a 51-38 lead. Tech was able to withstand every ensuing NC State charge and earn the victory. It was an important win that ended Tech’s three-game losing streak. Seniors Lewis Witcher and Paul Debnam celebrated their final home game as Hokies. Both received slots in the starting lineup. With chants of “Lew” from the crowd, Witcher contributed four points and four rebounds on the night. “Definitely this game right here helped me boost my confidence,”
Witcher said. “It helped make me feel good about myself. I know I’ve had some adversity with not playing as much as I wanted, but I just kept working hard and kept doing the things I do. Now I guess it’s showing that the hard work is paying off, and that’s the biggest thing.” “I told the guys when we came back in the locker room to give Lewis Witcher a lasting memory,” Greenberg said. “He’s going to have a lasting memory of this game tonight. His career might not have been everything he wanted it to be, but he’s going to remember tonight.” The crowd also called for a final bow from Debnam at the end of the game. He drew a foul and made one of two free throws to close out his college career. The Hokies will travel to Georgia Tech to close out the regular season on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the game will be televised locally on Raycom Sports.