Sunday, March 14, 2010 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

China Inn reviews see page seven

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

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

www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 29

News, page 2

Food & Drink, page 5

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 8

Study Break, page 4

Battle over interpretation stalls April 16 trial Differing views of Virginia Tech’s responsibility to notify students of initial shootings shape ﬁnal day of testimony ZACH CRIZER editor-in-chief The final evidence in the civil suits over the April 16, 2007, campus shootings was presented yesterday, but arguments over the instructions for the jury brought the proceedings to a halt. After the end of testimony, attorneys from the two sides had an extended meeting with Judge William Alexander in his private chambers attempting to create a guide for the jury on how to decide the case based on the relevant laws. Alexander released the jury for a break in the early afternoon and instructed them to return at 3 p.m. to continue the

proceedings. Between 5:30 and 6 p.m., the jury was called into the courtroom and dismissed without the trial making any on-the-record progress. In Alexander’s chambers, attorneys for each side were arguing for vastly different iterations of the instructions for the jury. The sides eventually returned to the courtroom with the instructions that will be given this morning and stated their objections for the record. Attorneys for the state are defending Virginia Tech against matching civil suits brought by the families of Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde, two students among the 30 people who died in Seung-Hui Cho’s shootings in Norris Hall. They are arguing that university officials made

reasonable decisions based on the information available to them in the two-and-a-half hours between the initial shootings in West Ambler-Johnston Hall — where two people died — and the mass shooting in Norris Hall. The victims’ families assert university officials were negligent on the morning of April 16 because they failed to provide an adequate notice to the campus of the incident in West AJ. According to their arguments, if the university’s warning had been more timely and informative, the two students would have had a chance to take precautions for their safety. When the legal teams finally emerged from the judge’s chambers, Tech’s defense team was left with a lengthy list of objections to the way jurors will be see TRIAL / page two

AP POOL

(Left to right) Jeremy Byrum, Bill Broaddus, Mike Melis and Kay Kurtz Heidbreder confer over a document.

Number of Tech women Some buildings able to read scannable Hokie Passports in Greek life increases Average Sorority Chapter Size 2012: 183 MEMBERS

2011: 152 MEMBERS 2004: 116 MEMBERS

Tech to meet demand of more women interested in joining sororities by introducing new chapter PRISCILLA ALVAREZ news staff writer Greek letters are not an uncommon sight on campus, and they will continue to have a strong presence with sorority recruitment on the rise. In recent years, there has been a considerable increase of women joining Greek life on college campuses, and Virginia Tech is no exception. Spring sorority recruitment at Tech has shown a steady increase in numbers since 2005. The average chapter size has grown from 152 women in 2011 to 183 this year. Seven years ago, there were 116 women per chapter, said Heather Evans, director of fraternity and sorority life. Incoming freshmen and upperclassmen have showed a profound interest in sorority life, resulting in more women registering for recruitment — last year, there were 10,000 full time female undergraduate students, and 19.6 percent of that group joined a sorority. This interest fueled the initiation of a new chapter at

Tech, Gamma Phi Beta, which was put in place two years ago. Women can explore the possibility of joining the Greek community through promotional booths scattered throughout campus and at Gobblerfest. However, word of mouth has been the most powerful mechanism in attracting women to sorority life, said Ashley Burke, vice president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, or PHC. Because each sorority met its quota for this year’s spring recruitment, a new chapter will be brought to campus, Burke, a junior communication and psychology major, said. Kappa Alpha Theta will be the next sorority to join the Oak Lane Community, as decided in fall 2010. The PHC is partnering with the sorority to eventually bring it to campus, which would be in 2014 at the earliest. Tech isn’t the only university experiencing an increase in students joining Greek life. The National PHC recorded an overall increase of 6.2 percent of female students

rushing a sorority compared to last year, according to a press release. It also reported a rise in numbers for the past four consecutive years. “In general, there are more women going to college and the National Panhellenic Conference makes changes to the way recruitment is done so the placement opportunity for formal recruitment is higher,” said Nicki Meneley, executive director of the National PHC. The University of Arkansas, for example, has seen large recruitment numbers for the past two years, Meneley said. “We are thrilled that the women who are in college continue to see the sorority experience as a positive and valuable student engagement opportunity,” she said. Students at Tech, such as Jen Richman, a freshman university studies major, seem to share the same opinion about being in a sorority. “I like seeing people on campus who I know through my sorority,” Richman said. “I also enjoy participating in a philanthropy.”

of those are picked up by designated owners. Losing cards is not uncommon even when cards are scanned. Other universities have transitioned to this system and have received positive results. Five years ago, Highpoint University implePRISCILLA ALVAREZ mented the scanning system. Before, students news staff writer at Highpoint used keys to enter buildings. Every building on its campus now has a readSwiping Hokie Passports has become a daily er that students can to tap their IDs on, some activity for most Hokies, but there may be a of which even work when an ID is still in a possibility of scanning them in the future. wallet. IDs are also scanned in dining halls. Hokie Passports have magnetic stripes, Highpoint students, however, still lose their meaning they must be swiped. IDs, and there are times when scanning “While many technological improvements cards don’t work correctly. But there is a stuhave been made over the years, Virginia dent services desk nearby to assist students, Tech started using the said Jessica Kelly, mag stripe card system campus concierge at for meal plan access in Highpoint. 1985 and began using Prox cards at Tech the system for electroncould increase tuition. I feel like it’s inconvenient ic door access in 1994,” Seth Cannon, a freshsaid Joseph Griffitts, to take (a mag stripe card) man computer science director of student serdoesn’t think out and swipe. I’ve lost my major, vices. paying a price for the Mag stripe cards have passport 12 times from tak- cards would be worth proven to be very useit. ing it out of my pocket and “I wouldn’t preful, but there are also cards known as proxscanning any misplacing it after swiping.” fer imity cards —or prox more than swiping. cards — that may be If upgrading signifiVincent Ly cantly raises the price, more advantageous. Prox cards have coils sophomore biology major it would be unnecesof low and high fresary,” he said. quency that allow Currently, the mag readers to detect them strip cards are the through direct contact and up to three inches most cost effective for students. Regardless, away. The advanced technology contributes changes are being considered for the future, to its high cost — they are four times more and Tech is receptive to new technologies. expensive than those for the current mag “We are aware of prox technology and stripe system, Griffitts said. would not be surprised to see it on campus in However, some buildings, such as the the near future,” Griffitts said. Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, New Hall West and East AmblerJohnston, can read both cards. “Departments dictate what reader they want, and they are responsible for paying the extra cost,” Griffitts said. Magnetic stripe cards Students are given the option of prox cards, This technology allows students to but they are based on need and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Currently, swipe their Hokie Passports to gain there are 22 students who have prox cards. access to buildings. Nevertheless, the alternative may be convenient to several students. vs. “I feel like it’s inconvenient to take (a mag stripe card) out and swipe. I’ve lost my passProximity cards port 12 times from taking it out of my pocket and misplacing it after swiping,” said Vincent In difference, these cards have Ly, a sophomore biology major. frequency coils, allowing students to Shauna Erickson, a freshman business major, shares the same concern. scan them. A reader detects them ”It’s always a hassle to get out, and somethrough direct contact or from up to times it gets stuck,” she said. three inches away. Student Services receives 20 to 25 Hokie Passports a week that have been lost, and 10

Proximity cards may fully replace magnetic stripe cards in near future

card info

news

march 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

editors: nick cafferky, michelle sutherland newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

Trial: Closing arguments set for today from page one

what you’re saying On stadium woods:

instructed to decide the case’s outcome. The defense — composed of attorneys from the Virginia Attorney General’s office — declared a standing objection to instructions defining what types of threats would require the university to issue a notification about a crime. The plaintiffs’ attorneys — and the jury’s instructions — use the phrase “foreseeable possibility” of harm, while the state insists a university should not have to issue a warning unless there is an “imminent probability of harm.” Attorneys for the victims’ families also objected to several instructions, including an instruction that they said does not separate the definitions of “warning” and “notification.” They also objected to an instruction related to the requirements for proving negligence. Both sides’ objections were taken into the record and could be used to appeal the case. Conflict over the necessity of an alert was at the heart of much of the testimony in the case. Attorneys for the victims’ families repeatedly pressured officials to explain why a warning wasn’t issued sooner and why it didn’t include the severity of the West AJ shootings. The witnesses and the defense team responded by recalling that the initial shootings appeared to be “isolated” and “domestic in nature.” According to defense witnesses, the university followed the prevailing standards of the time. Mike Melis — a state attorney on Tech’s defense team — argued yesterday evening that Virginia’s standard for the situation only required university officials to provide a warning if there was an imminent probability of harm. The defense witnesses and arguments have asserted that officials did not deem any further violence likely because they believed the West AJ shootings to be a domestic dispute. However, the plaintiffs have set out to prove that the officials making the decision did not have adequate information to declare further violence unlikely and should be held liable for not issuing a notice to the campus sooner. They have probed the controversial timeline of events from the West AJ shootings at about 7:10 that morning to the first Tech notice at 9:26 a.m., and attempted to convince the jury that officials should have seen a possibility for further violence based on the lack of information known about the shooter.

Mike: Are there not already 3 or 4 football fields to practice on? I swear, all I see on the south end of campus is sport fields. Why doesn’t Tech just convert one of these to an indoor facility? Ohhhh I see, then they wouldn’t have a place to practice outside when the weather is nice. Anonymous: Intramural fields aren’t used

by VT Football....

Anonymous: I walk through these woods

often. I would hate to see even part of them cut down for any reason. I hope we can keep these trees - once trees like this are cut down, they are not replaceable in our lifetimes, and not replaceable at all if there is a building in their place.

Karen: VT isn’t an urban campus that’s

AP POOL

Lori Haas, whose daughter was injured in Norris Hall, testiﬁes as a plaintiffs’ rebuttal witness yesterday. The controversial timeline was the main point of discussion during the case’s last bit of testimony. Kay Heidbreder, the university’s general counsel, was among the group of officials — known as the policy group — making decisions. She returned to the stand yesterday after also testifying on Monday. Yesterday, she recalled the process of correcting the timeline to accurately state when police identified Karl Thornhill — the boyfriend of West AJ victim Emily Hilscher and the subject of the domestic incident theory. Heidbreder’s Monday testimony ended with a contentious discussion of her ability to testify about Tech President Charles Steger’s reputation. Yesterday, the judge ruled she could answer certain questions about Steger. She briefly testified that Steger had an excellent reputation for being truthful. Steger’s speech at a press conference on the evening of April 16 was under fire for stating that police had identified Thornhill as a person of interest by 7:30 a.m. That version of events also appeared in the report by the Governor’s Panel assembled to investigate the shootings.

The Governor’s Panel eventually corrected the report to show that officers did not identify the person of interest until at least 8:15 a.m. But the contention over the timeline remains. The victims’ families claim they had to lobby the governor’s office to correct the report. Lori Haas — whose daughter was injured in Norris Hall — testified it required many requests, and only new information revealed in July 2009 allowed the families to “make a lot of noise” and reconvene the panel. Heidbreder testified that the university was simultaneously lobbying for corrections to the report’s timeline. The defense showed evidence that Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum had given the correct timeline in a presentation to the panel in May 2007, but Haas testified the families were not aware of the correct timeline until October 2008. Robert Hall, an attorney for the victims’ families, crossexamined Heidbreder about a document prepared by the university in April 2011 that still said the investigation at West AJ “immediately revealed” Thornhill as a person of interest. “It was not immediate in the sense that no, there was not

a person of interest at 7:30,” Heidbreder said. However, she added, “There was no thought there was an ongoing danger to campus.” Hall then proceeded to probe the rationale behind her statement. Over a strong objection from Bill Broaddus — an attorney representing the university — Heidbreder was asked to explain how officials felt confident the “perpetrator” had left the campus when they hadn’t identified the perpetrator. She testified that police advised Steger that perpetrators “generally” put distance between themselves and the scene. Specifically, they were referring to domestic perpetrators because that was the theory of the crime at that time. Hall later returned to the topic, and Heidbreder replied that the president was following the professional opinion of the police. The policy group sent a notification at 9:26 a.m. that alerted the campus community to a “shooting event” in West AJ, but did not include the severity of the shootings. Cho began shooting in Norris Hall minutes later. The sides are expected to present closing arguments this morning and then leave the jury to deliberate.

constrained by the town in all directions. We have plenty of land to build on. Put the training facility in the parking lot (so the precious athletes don’t have to walk TOO far in order to exercise/practice...) and move the parking lot somewhere else. Or put the practice facility a little farther away and the football players can run there in order to get in a warm-up. But of course VT is competing for recuits who are considering schools that have adjacent training facilities.

Mary Jane: Save the trees! Not because I care about them or anything. I used to smoke back there when I lived on campus. They hold sentimental value to me. Anon : Save the trees for smoking tree!!!!! Chronic tree lover: Couldnt agree more. Jeff Kirwan: Thanks to the CT for covering this issue. We now know that stadium woods is just 14 acres, and, based on the construction footprint of the Performing Arts Center, we think the building will destroy 7 acres, roughly one-half of the forest. As I understand it, the Board of Visitors has approved construction of the facility, but not in Stadium Woods. That is a whole new scenario being proposed by the Athletic Department, despite the fact that Stadium Woods is listed as an environmental area in the long-range plan.

John Seiler: ClarificationStadium Woods is

approximately 14-15 acres.The facility would destroy approximately 3 to 7 acres. No one knows for sure because no plans for staging, ingress/egress, parking, dumpsters, sidewalks etc. have ever been shown. It will certainly be much larger than 2.75 acres cited by athletics. No trees anywhere on campus are 500 years old.

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

arrestees

3/12/2012

12.27 p.m.

destruction of property

Drillfield Drive

arrested

Jacob Beale, 37

3/12/2012

unknown

larceny of a bicycle

Pritchard Hall

active

3/12/2012

1.40 a.m.

simple assault

Dietrick Hall

inactive

opinions

editors: scott masselli, sean simons opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

march 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

MCT CAMPUS

Your Views [letter to the editor]

Faculty defend Zenobia Hikes This letter was originally published in The Roanoke Times.

members of the Virginia Tech community, we wish to express our concern about the way in which the late Zenobia Hikes, former vice president of student affairs, is being characterized in the media as a result of the lawsuit brought by the Pryde and Peterson families against Virginia. In spite of the risks involved in speaking out, we feel a moral obligation to write on behalf of Hikes, who, due to her untimely death, is no longer able to speak on her own behalf. Zenobia was our beloved friend and colleague. When she died in 2008, it left a grievous wound in our community. In the past week, it pained us to see her characterized in a headline in The Roanoke Times as the “Virginia Tech official” who “delayed the issue of a shooting alert” (March 7). In this article, and again in court, Hikes has been presented as the main voice for delaying notification of the shootings and stripping the email notice of important details before it was sent out to the campus community. The revelation about Zenobia’s central role in this process comes as a shock to many of us who spoke with her following the tragedy. We are puzzled as to why the burden of the decisionmaking process appears to have been laid upon Zenobia, who was, in 2007, a relatively recent hire at Tech. Emergency and safety protocols dictate that policy decisions of this magnitude are made by others in positions superior to hers, so it is distressing to us that she is the only member of the Tech Policy Group to have been singled out. The claim that she was “the official”

Technology to perform jobs S

who delayed the alert has been picked up by media outlets across the country and could do serious harm to her reputation. Roanoke Times reporters Katelyn Polantz and Tonia Moxley have pointed out in their detailed coverage of the lawsuit that other administrators — Kim O’Rourke, Larry Hincker and Ralph Byers — have testified that they are unclear about how the decision to delay notification was reached. But President Charles Steger has been very clear about this issue, citing Zenobia as the catalyst for the delay and the dilution of the email — an especially troubling disclosure because it comes five years after the tragedy. We had not expected to see Zenobia pushed to the foreground and are alarmed by what this implies. At the memorial service for Hikes, Steger spoke of Zenobia in the most exemplary terms, praising her dedication to students and her loyalty, in particular. A proud graduate of Spelman College, Zenobia Hikes was not only our friend, she was a friend to students and a loving mother to her two beautiful daughters. We trust that clarification will be forthcoming as to why she has been singled out as the main catalyst for the delayed and diluted email notice issued to campus on that tragic day in 2007. -Larry Jackson, computer systems engineer, chemistry This letter also was signed by Lucinda Roy, alumni distinguished professor of English; Glenda Scales, associate dean of engineering; Wayne Scales, professor and director of the Center for Space Science and Engineering Research; Tonya Smith-Jackson, professor, industrial and system engineering; and Bevlee Watford, professor, associate dean of engineering.

ociety is on the cusp of a paradigm shift, as it is moving toward one where work will require the mind more than the hands. The manufacturing industry has long been replacing employees with robots, and in the next five to 10 years there will be a massive shift to automated manufacturing systems. 3D printers will be key drivers of the shift. A 3D printer reads a design from a file made in a drafting software like AutoCAD, and in current models, it prints out the designed object in plastic, metal or some other material. Boeing uses 3D printers to fabricate components for its planes. With this new technology still in its infancy, companies are already finding ways to use it. When this grand new idea takes on its mature form, manufacturing of all things smaller than a car may be eliminated. Once 3D printers can be made to handle printing an object made up of different materials, then people can “print” almost anything in their own homes. Need a new laptop? Go to the store, grab a few cartridges, download a design and you have yourself a laptop. These printers have already dropped to prices as low as $1,300, which is a steal when you think about the thousands of dollars of merchandise you can “print out.” In the future, people will practically think things into existence, and many other practices will become marginalized. Artists will have to adapt to learn design software because a 3D printer can make precision cuts and shapes that no human being can make. Welders, machinists and most other skilled hand laborers who use blueprints will become unnecessary. The one industry that will likely see a temporary boom is mining. As the manufacturing step is taken away from the manufacturers and people begin to create things at home, their desire and need for raw materials will increase and consumers will be in the market for them. This will draw outof-work manufacturing workers to mining. But the mining industry will eventually replace humans with robot workers that can take voice commands and work without break. In the world of robotics, there

are emerging strides into science fiction-like realms of creation. A robot dubbed “Justin” has demonstrated that it can play catch and even make coffee. Another robot that can help move potted plants was taken on a field trial to several greenhouses and nurseries where it performed so well that despite the sticker price of $25,000 to $50,000, orders for the robot were placed by every site at which it was demoed. The two types of robots are a magnificent sign of progress. They also show how many menial tasks will be “dehumanized” in the future. Justin indicates that, in the future, people will have personal assistant robots in their homes to help them with basic housework, cleaning and repairs, a la “The Jetsons.” As robots decline in price, handymen and maids will become jobs of the past. Another robot that can intelligently move objects around will likely be adopted quicker — corporations will see the savings over time of buying robots that can stock shelves for free, 24 hours a day. The trend will eliminate freight workers in several settings. For simple tasks, such as grabbing a morning paper, fixing a leaky pipe or putting a heavy box on the top shelf, these robots will perform better than their human counterparts. After a robot cleans your house, cuts your lawn and waters your plants, leaving you with a full wallet and a full day to seize, I don’t think you will go and hire someone to do the same for money, much less do it yourself. Now you may be thinking, as I was, there is one realm robots cannot compete with humans in: retail sales. No robot, no matter how charming, will be able to convince you to buy an ASUS laptop over an HP laptop. And it definitely will not be able to talk you into buying the two year warranty. But 3D printers, as I mentioned, will eventually give people the power to “print” a downloaded laptop design. So there will be no robot retail sales people, but there will also not be people retail sales people. People with retail jobs will be replaced with self checkout counters. Transportation will even be affected.

Google has created a rig for cars equipped with radar, LIDAR, and cameras that drive cars for people. In testing, three cars drove a collective 3,000 miles in California, with only one accident, which was caused by someone rear ending one of the cars. Nevada has just legalized the use of these cars, and after the efficacy of these rigs is proven en mass, I am sure many other states will follow. Making a car or truck drive poses different problems. But it will just be a matter of time before these problems are identified, solved and packaged into a rig for large shipping trucks. However, there will still be reasons to hire humans in the future. Small businesses will likely be unable to afford a fleet of robots, or may not want to. Waiters are not likely to be replaced by robots because, well, that would just be kind of weird. Secretaries and actual personal assistants people employ will probably be mostly human. Food delivery will probably stay as a human position, and food preparation will probably see a near 50/50 split. Do you think a McDonald’s cheeseburger tastes any better if it is made by a human? There will still be jobs, but they will require some sort of skill, even if it is just human touch. This world of the future into which we are wading is full of wonder and time. The technologies discussed are all at different stages in development, but if I had to guess the order of mass implementation, it would go as follows: First, 3D printers will take over the manufacturing process; second, robots will serve as stockers and movers; third, robots will act as miners; fourth, there will be automated shipping trucks; and fifth, people will begin hiring robots as personal assistants. This progression should be viewed as a job shifting process — a move from human beings performing unskilled tasks that rely on their physical condition to carrying out skilled maneuvers that rely on their mental processes. These will be the skills needed for the future, and those without skills will find themselves left behind.

ETHAN GAEBEL -regular columnist -sophomore -computer science major

Compromise between parties needed to make decisions O

ne of the greatest and most talked about problems with America’s current political system is the absurd level of polarization between the Democrat and Republican parties, leading both to become overly ideological. The extreme liberal position has become the standard among Democrats, and likewise, the extreme conservative position has become standard among Republicans. The extremism has made both parties unwilling to compromise with each other, as they stick to their ideological extremes instead of finding common ground and practical solutions to the nation’s problems. The parties seem to consider the task of finding answers to the nation’s problems the Congress’ and Senate’s responsibility. Because the parties aren’t willing to compromise, good ideas put forth are ignored. If the parties

came together, they could develop excellent solutions to the nation’s issues, including that of public education. Many rational individuals in America would agree that the public education system in the United States has major issues. It is far behind in comparison to the education systems of other countries. Both parties have their own solutions to the problem, but a combination of both ideas would be a far better. Democrats see the solution to public education as giving more money to public school systems to use to provide larger salaries for teachers. Greater salaries for public school teachers would attract more qualified candidates to teaching — people who might like to teach but will not because the pay is too low. In other western countries with higher education success, teachers are some of the highest paid

professionals, as opposed to the U.S. where it is a lower paid occupation. The Democrats correctly see that better pay would attract more qualified candidates to be the teachers of the next generation of the country’s leaders. Republicans see the public education issue surrounding the fact that public school administrations cannot fire bad teachers. Teachers unions make it so public schools cannot fire teachers who frankly do not deserve their jobs. For Republicans, the solution is to eliminate teachers unions in public school systems, so administrations can have the power over whoever they choose. Neither political party will compromise and accept the other’s position, which is unfortunate. Public school teachers need to be paid better so more qualified individuals are willing to pursue the profession. And public school

administrators need to be able to fire bad teachers. The issue of America’s budget deficit also deserves party agreement. Republicans think cutting entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — which will soon make up more than half of the federal budget — is the solution to the nation’s budget deficit and debt. And they are correct. These programs have become inefficient. Cutting major funding is necessary to control the massive budget deficits the country currently faces. The Democrats think the government should raise taxes, particularly those of the wealthiest Americans who can afford to pay more. And the Democrats are right. An increase of revenue would help the federal government collect more money, reduce budget deficits and help to pay off

some of the massive national debt. Again, compromise between parties is the best solution. The inefficient and counterproductive entitlement programs — products of an earlier era — need to be cut, if not eliminated, to allow for more efficient uses of federal expenditures. At the same time, an increase in federal funds via higher taxes would also be a major way to reduce deficits and pay off large portions of the national debt. The unfortunate reality is that both political parties have become too polarized and idealistic to agree to such compromises on major policy issues, which greatly reduces their ability to solve serious issues.

DEVIN MILLER -regular columnist -senior -political science major

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Zach Crizer Managing Editor: Lindsey Brookbank Design Editors: Danielle Buynak, Victoria Zigadlo Public Editor: Justin Graves Web Editor: Sarah Watson News Editors: Nick Cafferky, Michelle Sutherland News Reporters: Josh Higgins, Cody Owens, Erin Chapman News Staff Writers: Priscila Alvarez, Abby Harris, Gina Paterson, Ashley Seagar Features Editors: Chelsea Gunter, Patrick Murphy Features Reporters: Nick Smirniotopoulos Features Staff Writers: Courtney Baker, Torie Deible, Dane Harrington, Kevin McAleese, Andrew Reily Opinions Editors: Scott Masselli, Sean Simons Sports Editors: Matt Jones, Zach Mariner Sports Reporters: Michael Bealey, Josh Parcell Sports Staff Writers: Eric Avassi, Zander Baylis, Alyssa Bedrosian, Cody Elliott, Taylor Hay, Alex Koma, Ashleigh Lanza, Brian Marcolini Photo Editor: Daniel Lin Enterprise Team Editor: Liana Bayne Public Information Director: Dishu Maheshwari Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Chief: Spenser Snarr Copy Editors: Nora McGann, Luther Shell Layout Designers: Bethany Melson, Alicia Tillman, Tanja Vogel Online Director: Alex Rhea Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Philipp Kotlaba Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Paul Kurlak Lab Manager: Austen Meredith College Media Solutions Ad Director: Brandon Collins Asst Ad Director: Matt Freedman Account Executives: Johnson Bray, Kevin Jadali, Alyssa Brown, Brian Dickson, Janssen Claudio Inside Sales Manager: Mario Gazzola Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Adam Shata Office Manager: Kayley Greenday Assistant Account Executives: Alex Perry, Kacie Nolan, Jordan Peugh Creative Director: Casey Stoneman Asst Production Manager: Colleen Hill Creative Services Staff: Danielle Bushrow, Michael Craighead, Alyssa Morrison, Molly Vinson

Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 fall/spring. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2011. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

march 14, 2012

There’s still time to snap your senior photos!

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Love is the answer. Where do you want

sponsored by

to grow this year? Set goals for finances and career, and aim for what you love. In the second half of the year, home and family exert a stronger pull. Pay down debt and conserve resources. Figure out the costs, and save up for you dreams.

THE YEARBOOK OF VIRGINIA TECH

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham 8

6 4 7 4 2 2 9

3 5 9 8

9 1 5 8 3 8 6

6 2 3 1

XKCD by Randell Monroe This could be you . . .

Crossword

want your comics featured in the collegiate times?

submit them to: studybreak@collegemedia.com

Week ending Feb. 18, 2012

Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

We are Young (Feat. Janelle Moneae) • Fun

(1) 1

Glad You Came • The Wanted

(3) 2

Stronger (What

(2) 3

Doesn’t Kill You)

• Kelly Clarkson

(5) 4

Set Fire to the Rain • Adele

Somebody That I Used to Know • Gotye

word

WORDSEARCH: Relative Religions Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid. W J

M H

M C

O X

Q E

M S

O M O M I

O E

M Z

M J

M S

O C

N T

M A

Q S

M T

W M

Q D

O D

M G

M E

M L

M W H

O T

M V

M A

O N

W C

M F

Q A

W K

M S

O T

M S

O R

M A

O A

WORD BANK 1 Bahai 2 Buddhism 3 Christianity 4 Confucianism 5 Hinduism 6 Islam 7 Jainism 8 Judaism 9 Shinto 10 Sikhism 11 Taoism 12 Wicca 13Zoroastrianism 14 Druidism 15 Satanism 16 Sumerian 17 Ancient Greek 18 Gnosticism

UNSCRAMBLER

Unscramble the letters to solve the category “Baseball Terms” Have a set of words you want to see in puzzles section? Email your lists to ctadsproduction@gmail.com.

1. vleog

2. bta DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE COUPLE OF THE WEEK?

3. tirchpe

SEND US:

5. ouemhnr

YOUR NAMES WHEN YOU STARTED DATING WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT EACHOTHER ABOUT YOUR FIRST DATE

studybreak@collegemedia.com

4. seba

e e

n p

6. ssrohptot 7. difloeut

8. etarbt

Check out tomorrow’s paper on page 5 for the answers!

Wed, March 14 – Thurs, March 15 Squires Cardinal Room Walk-ins Welcome 2pm-7pm

editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

food & drink

Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie

march 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Drink of the week

EMMA GODDARD | features reporter

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, ES here is a dish common TIM E T IA to the Irish. This meal may LEG COL / not sport much greenery, but D R A DD nonetheless, it is a good recipe to A GO celebrate the holiday. Shepherd’s Pie is EMM sure to win over any crowd and embodies an appetizing entree for dinner with friends. Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped 1 full onion, chopped 3 carrots, chopped 1/2 package peas 1 pound lean ground beef 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, and add potatoes. Cook until tender but still firm. Drain potatoes, and mash until soft but not quite whipped. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Mix in the butter and finely chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. 3. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, and add carrots. Allow them to sit until they are cooked through. Drain when finished and set aside. Repeat these steps with peas. 4. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add chopped onion, and cook until clear. Add ground beef, and cook until well browned. 5. Mix together onion, carrots, peas and ground beef. Spread mixture in an even layer on the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch dish. Add mashed potato mixture to the top of beef and vegetables. 6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve when ready. Note: “Plowing the field” will help give a Shepherd’s Pie its golden brown surface. Using a knife, make a row of lines across the mashed potatoes. Melt a little butter, and spread across the top.

Furniture for Sale \

BRAND NEW mattress sets: twin $89, full $99, queen $119, We can deliver 540.260.9091

Notices IF YOU USED Yaz/Yazmin/Ocella birth control pills or a NuvaRing Vaginal Ring Contraceptive between 2001 and the present and developed blood clots, suffered a stroke, heart attack or required gall bladder removal, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles Johnson, 1-800-535-5727.

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

White Russian JIMMY HUDNALL | features staff writer The drink of choice of the

The drink itself is rather

Big Lebowski himself, the

sweet, and tastes like a mix-

Ingredients 3/4 ounces Kahlua

White Russian is the result ture of coffee and milk. The

1 1/2 ounces vodka

of a longstanding evolution

3/4 ounces cream

alcoholic content is almost

of ingredients that began completely masked by these

Ice

around 1950. Therefore, the

flavors, so make sure you

recipe is eerily similar to

exhibit caution before over-

1. Combine Kahlua and vodka into a glass.

the Russian (which uses gin indulging, or at least have

2. Stir mixture until the drink has a consis-

and creme de cacao), Black

a contingency plan ready in

Russian (which lacks the

case you wake up the fol-

cream) and the Russian Bear

lowing morning in the

(which replaces the creme de

presence of questionable

cacao with Kahlua).

company.

Directions

tent color throughout. 3. Top with cream, and enjoy.

Lifestyle & Community have a big announcement, selling things, need help? Free for VT students! Place an ad or announcement at collegiatetimes.com, visit our business office at 618 N. Main St. 9 am- 5pm Monday-Friday, or call (540) 961-9860. Students can come into 618 N. Main St. to place a free ad. Rates as low as 32 cents per word, contengent on the number of days to run. Prepaid. 15 word minimum. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Deadline: 3 pm 3 business days prior to publication.

RENT AT UNIVERSITY TERRACE

Room(s) at $325 each per month, available summer/fall semester 240.481.0349 RENT SMART WITH FOXRIDGE Collegiate Apartment Homes. FREE Open parking! Over 60% of utilities INCLUDED! GUARANTEED Housing for fall semester! Call us at 888-260-6987

Tying thetell theknot? world.

collegiate times presents

nam // Max name info // Five year old

Help Wanted

Beag Beagle

LAWN/ LANDSCAPE

interests // loves to inte

Landscape/ Maintanence positions available for motivated self starters. Valid VA driver’s license required. Please call WEMOW, Inc., Blacksburg, VA. 540.951.8925

on long walks with go o the ffamily and bark at squi squirrels after dark. Max is an all around lovin loving dog, who will do anything for attention anyt and a good back rub.

For Rent Send your information and a photo to the Collegiate Times at studybreak@collegemedia.com to make an announcement.

PHEASANT RUN TOWNHOME Last unit for 2012-2013. 4 bdrm. 2.5 baths. Refurbished. Greatroom www. techtownhomes.com, techtownhomes@ gmail.com

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Enjoy home. Give your career more lavor by adding some passion. The more you enjoy your work, the better you’ll do and the happier you’ll be. It’s a winning cycle.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Study, grow and expand early today with ample energy to get you moving. Others get magnetically drawn into your game. A quiet night refreshes. Share love.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Decide where best to put your energy. You can get whatever you need. Compromise will be necessary. Be careful not to overspend. Time spent reviewing the plan pays off.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You’re becoming more attractive with age. Your willingness to solve problems and take action is inspiring. Give yourself permission to be creative and look good.

Aries (March 21-April 19) You feel good in your skin today. Your magnetism and charm attract what you ask for, so consider your requests. Challenge: utter not complaints. Only speak your dreams.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) People seek you out for advice. It could be your philosophical view or your brilliant wit. Take advantage of the interest to move a pet project forward.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You’re inspired by freedom and justice. Apply your passion to a current project. Continue to gather data. If the reality doesn’t it the vision, alter the vision.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don’t be afraid to pull the necessary strings so the music plays your way. Prepare your lessons well, and go for the honor roll. Live and learn.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’re especially persuasive in the morning and easily convince others that you’re right. Build up resources, and add players to the team. cool off in the evening.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Your charm and enthusiasm are getting attention. Figure out your strategy, and make your move in a way that everyone bene its. Leave your money in the bank. Patience.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You’ve got someone under a spell. Ignore that little voice in your head. It’s not very nice, usually. Trust your real intuition. go with your heart.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Friends help you solve great philosophical problems. Combine your powers and dreams for more effectiveness. There’s plenty of room for romance.

Max is the sweetest dog dog, he is lovin loving, caring, and a trouble maker. When we went to pick him out, there was a huge batch of puppies running around. Max was the only one that stopped playing with his siblings to play with us. From that point on, we knew that he was the perfect dog for us. To this day, Max loves spending time with the family, going on walks, and running in the yard.

Have a question you need answered about your pet? Or want your pet featured in next week’s paper? Email your questions to studybreak@collegemedia.com with the title ‘Pet of the Week.’

editors: nick cafferky, michelle sutherland

march 14, 2012

newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

COLLEGIATETIMES

Food companies switch from cans, bottles to pouches Cheaper packaging and shipping costs are causing food organizations to reconsider container choices EMILY BRYSON mcclatchy newspapers CHICAGO — Package food makers are thinking outside the bottle and can. More to the point, they’re increasingly partial to pouches. Kitchen staples from Campbell Soup Co. and H.J. Heinz Co. will be joining other consumer products in pouches this year. The trend is being driven by savings on packaging and shipping costs as well as aesthetics — an upscale pouch sporting elaborate graphics offers a modernized look and premium appeal, marketers say. John Kalkowski, editorial director of Packaging Digest, said pouches also are becoming more prevalent because technology has improved, doubling average shelf life from one year, to two. Manufacturers can cut packaging costs 10 to 15 percent by going to the pouch, he said. Overall pouch use in consumer products, including shampoo and pet food, has increased 37 percent since 2007, according to Mintel Group, with particular growth in snack pouches. For Campbell, the move is part of a battle for credibility with millennials, aged approximately 18 to 34, who tend to associate its iconic red-and-white cans with Grandma’s house. This summer, the Camden, N.J.-based company will launch Campbell’s Go Soup, a premium line with trendy flavors like coconut curry with chicken and shiitake mushrooms. Go Soup comes in an edgy, graphically intense pouch with funky fonts and pictures of young people making quirky faces, seeming to enjoy the soup. Informal notes at the bottom try to eliminate confusion about the product, like “shiitake happens, but this soup is ready to eat.” A company spokesman said Campbell has yet to set prices on the new soups. The soup giant is looking

to turn its primary business around, after years of volume declines. While officials said Campbell’s first goal is to support its iconic can, the company is looking to baby boomers’ children as they’re starting to set up households, and making a big bet on pouches to catch their attention. “We want to fire some bullets, and if they become cannonballs, we’ll put our money down,” said Campbell’s CEO Denise Morrison. “It’s a different approach for us, but we’re going to listen to consumers; we’re going to develop the products that they want. But then they need to buy them.” Morrison said Campbell’s is outsourcing pouch production to a third party until sales are strong enough to warrant the investment to bring production in-house. The company also will launch a line of skillet sauces in pouches this fall, designed to make dishes like shrimp scampi or Thai green curry chicken easy when the right protein and starch are already on hand. Charles Villa, vice president of the consumer and customer insights department for Campbell’s USA, said pouches have broad appeal to consumers, and particularly those under 35. “They see the pouch as a very contemporary packaging alternative and they relate that packaging to a better quality experience coming from the food that’s in,” Villa said, adding that they expect “a better quality experience for the food,” and even a “fresher” product. For the H.J. Heinz Co., however, a flexible pouch is being used to introduce a smaller size of its namesake ketchup. With a squeezable pouch and nozzle, the 10-ounce product will sell for 99 cents compared with $1.99 for a 20-ounce bottle. The typical shopper in a

developed market like the U.S., said CEO William R. Johnson “is now intensely focused on value,” adding that buying decisions are based more on price, “and less about product design.” In this environment, the world’s largest ketchup company has been looking for ways to maintain dominance as families look for food bargains at discount retailers such as Aldi and Save-a-Lot and even dollar stores. With the pouch’s lower price, Heinz is hoping to give budget-minded families a reason to buy its product rather than a private-label offering. Johnson said the company is optimistic about the pouches, given evidence that U.S. shoppers are looking for smaller sizes, and the success Heinz has had with pouched sauces and other products, like baby food, in developing markets like Russia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Brazil. Both Heinz and Campbell declined to comment on any savings associated with pouches. While pouches have been prominent in Europe, Central and South America for five years or more, they’re beginning to gain traction in the United States, which is notoriously slow in adapting to trends, said Lynn Dornblaser, director of CPG insights at Mintel. In Europe, she said, consumers are accustomed to buying milk in pouches, too. The trend got going in 2007, with more snacks popping up in pouches, Dornblaser said. She pointed to the arrival of StarKist tuna in pouches in 1999, as disruptive innovation in the tuna section. But because the pouch was a novelty here, it took time to get the Starkist business off the ground. Jennifer Albert, director of marketing at StarKist, said the pouch business took about five or six years to be self-sustaining. While it’s now a solid success story for the company,

MCT CAMPUS

she said there are still consumers who are either unaware of the pouch, or haven’t thought about the convenience of keeping pouches in a desk drawer for lunch at work. Albert said seeing more products in pouches now is “exciting.” “It took over 10 years to get people to accept it and now other big brands are going there,” she said, pointing to Campbell and Gatorade, which uses a pouch for its G series and

G series Pro. “It makes you feel good,” she said. Dornblaser said the latest wave of pouch conversions appears to be about “providing creative consumer solutions,” as opposed to simply introducing a new package because technology was available, as StarKist did with tuna pouches. Heinz, she said, is working with consumers who need to

save money, and fighting off private labels in the process. Campbell, she said “has been really pushed by its competitors,” and needs to offer something new. She expects to see more nonfood items in pouches in the future. “We’ll begin to see more refills in home cleaning products,” she said. “And also we’ll begin to see more refills in personal care like shampoo.”

Analysts expect Afghan fallout Mexico may begin cracking MATTHEW SCHOFIELD & NANCY A. YOUSEF mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Pentagon officials insisted Monday that the weekend’s Afghanistan killing spree was an “isolated incident” and said that a 38-year-old Army staff sergeant would soon be charged in connection with the deaths of 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, traveling to Krygzystan, said Monday evening that the soldier could face the death penalty. “We seem to get tested almost every other day with challenges that test our leadership and our commitment to the mission that we're involved in,” Panetta said, according to an Associated Press reporter traveling with him. “War is hell.” Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a premeditated murder conviction could carry the death penalty. Regardless of what the soldier is charged with, defense and security experts worried Monday that the fallout from Sunday's massacre in southern Kandahar province will be anything but isolated. In the perception of Afghans, the experts said, the rampage merely adds to previous nightmares: the recent burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers, eight children killed in February by NATO bombs, a video of Marines urinating on corpses, and others. Each incident separately posed problems for the Obama administration’s plans for an orderly end to the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan, but the question now is whether, taken together, the incidents have made the American presence there untenable. “The cumulative effect of these events makes it harder to climb what was already a very steep hill,” said John Nagl, an expert on military counterinsurgency strategy and a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy. The pillars of the Obama administration’s plans to wind down the decade-long Afghan war seem increasingly shaky. As news of the killings sparked outrage in Afghanistan — prompting U.S. forces to beef up security precautions — it seemed increasingly unclear whether the United States could reach an agreement with the Afghan government for a long-term role for the American military, which U.S. officials are seeking to ensure that al-Qaida

militants don’t regain safe haven there. The incident also undermined U.S. efforts to push Taliban leaders into peace talks with the Afghan government, analysts said. As calls grow for U.S. forces to exit Afghanistan, a growing number of Afghans believe the Taliban are content to wait out the end of the American presence. “Our strategy is based on building trust and goodwill,” Nagl said. “That trust takes a long time to build and can be destroyed by events like this very quickly.” In Afghanistan, the killings fed into a narrative, promoted by the Taliban, that the U.S.-led international coalition frequently kills civilians. Afghan lawmakers condemned the shooting spree, saying that “Afghans have run out of patience with arbitrary acts of foreign forces,” according to a statement by the lower house of Parliament, which canceled its session Monday in protest over the killings. The Taliban wasted little time taking advantage of the situation, issuing a statement blasting the “sick-minded American savages.” President Barack Obama told WFTV in Orlando, Fla., that the killings were “in no way … representative of the enormous sacrifices that our men and women have made in Afghanistan.” But he added, “It does signal the importance of us transitioning in accordance with my plans that Afghans are taking more of the initiative in security.” White House press secretary Jay Carney said the shootings would not impact the timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops. “We will continue to pursue our strategic objective in Afghanistan, which (is) about the U.S. national security interest and the protection of the United States, our personnel, and our allies,” Carney said. Carney did say that NATO ministers would discuss the withdrawal timetable when they meet in May. But he stressed that the rampage would not shift the course of those talks. “I do not believe that this incident will change the timetable of a strategy that was designed and is being implemented in a way to allow for the withdrawal of U.S. forces, to allow for the transfer of lead security authority over to the Afghans, a process that will be completed no later than the end of 2014,” Carney said.

A U.S. Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to be quoted, said that the staff sergeant in custody would be charged by U.S. military authorities Kabul. The soldier, whose identity was being withheld pending the charges, is based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, officials said. The official said that just after 1 a.m. Sunday, the soldier walked off his base in Kandahar’s Panjway district. An Afghan security guard noticed him leave and notified the soldier’s chain of command. Before commanders identified who was missing, the sergeant returned to the base and was immediately apprehended, the official said. Afghan officials said that the soldier entered homes in the Belandi-Pul village and opened fire, killing 16 civilians, including three women and nine children, and wounding five more. The U.S. official said that the sergeant is believed to have used his military-issued service weapon. So far, there are no reports of a motive. The staff sergeant had served three tours of duty in Iraq before arriving in Afghanistan, the official said — renewing questions about the strain of multiple deployments on U.S. service members over the past decade. Pentagon spokesman George Little called the shooting an “isolated incident,” but Little has also described other recent incidents that inflamed U.S.-Afghan relations as isolated, such as the Quran burnings and the video of Marines urinating on corpses. Anthony H. Cordesman, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the massacre points to the need for a new Afghanistan strategy. He criticized the Obama administration for sticking with a withdrawal plan that he says is failing and argued that it’s time to accept that the mission has failed and bring U.S. troops home, or to construct “a real transition strategy based on credible goals, credible resources, and doing things the Afghan way.” “We need to face the fact that (the massacre) only highlights the growing problem the United States faces in creating any kind of strategy for Afghanistan that can survive engagement with reality,” Cordesman said.

down on journalist crime TIM JOHNSON mcclatchy newspapers MEXICO CITY — The Mexican Senate Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment that would make attacks on journalists a federal crime, responding to growing pressure on news gatherers in a country where 48 journalists have been slain or have disappeared under suspicious circumstances in the last five years. Free press advocates hailed the action as crucial to protecting the flow of information in a country where no one in recent years has been convicted of attacks against reporters. That air of impunity has turned some parts of the country into virtual news black holes as journalists, fearing for their lives, refuse to report on organized crime and violence. The measure, which senators approved 95-0, was passed four months ago by the Mexican Congress’ lower chamber. Now, more than half of Mexico’s state legislatures must endorse it before it becomes part of the country’s constitution. “This is a legislative milestone that has been years in the making,” Joel Simon, executive director of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, an advocacy group that lobbied for its passage, said in a written statement. Since President Felipe Calderon came to office in late 2006, homicide rates have soared from organized crime and deployment of federal police and army troops to fight gangs. So did threats and

slayings of journalists and armed attacks on newsrooms. A special prosecutor appointed in 2010 to investigate crimes against journalists, Gustavo Salas Chavez, brought charges in 25 cases but failed to win a single conviction. Press advocates criticized him for not providing adequate protection to reporters who received threats despite having a budget to do so. On Feb. 14, Laura Borbolla Moreno, a career prosecutor, replaced Salas. The majority of threats against journalists appear to come from local and state officials and law enforcement authorities, many with links to organized crime. Since state courts generally handle murder cases, those behind threats against journalists easily thwarted investigations, said Cynthia Cardenas, legal adviser in Mexico to Article 19, a Londonbased group that promotes freedom of expression. Only a month or so ago, it looked like the amendment to let federal authorities take over prosecution of crimes against the media had fallen into limbo. What gave it impetus now is unclear, but some advocates said Calderon realized failure to win passage could harm his legacy. “The political cost of not approving a law to protect journalists is very high, and this is the reason the measure is moving forward,” Cardenas said. Mexicans vote July 1 for a new president and Congress, and campaign season is beginning. Calderon cannot run for re-elec-

tion. Calderon had promised delegations from the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2008 and again in 2010 that he would push to make attacks on the news media a federal crime. Journalists came under even greater siege in 2011. An estimated 19 journalists fled their states for safer regions of Mexico last year, Cardenas said. In areas where besieged journalists have been frightened into silence, Mexicans have often turned to social media — Facebook and Twitter — to keep informed of roadblocks, shootouts, beheadings and other mayhem. But efforts to gag users of social media have come from both state government and crime bosses. Lawmakers in Veracruz and Tabasco states enacted laws last year against social media users who create “alarm” or perturb public order. Along the border with Texas, the Zetas crime group is believed to have slain at least four people last fall that it claimed posted information about security issues on the Internet. Two of the victims were hung from a bridge in the city of Nuevo Laredo. Press advocates said they expected little difficulty in gaining approval of states for the amendment’s enactment. But further framework legislation is needed, analysts said, and without it attorneys for those accused in attacks on journalists would have legal grounds to prevent prosecution at the federal level.

...... radio for everyone

editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy

march 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

Conflicting fortunes

CHRISTINA NESTOR / SPPS

China Inn — located on Draper Road near campus — delivers takeout meals and serves in-restaurant diners. Its menu offers customers many classic food options, including the General Tso’s chicken with rice (above).

Dine-in: Fast service, tasty dishes Takeout: Slow delivery, OK food U

sually when I order Chinese food, I get it delivered to my house or drive to pick it up. Recently, a friend recommended China Inn, saying it served the best quality Chinese food in town. So I figured I should go there and check it out. China Inn, tucked away on Draper Road, is easy to miss. The sign is hidden, located on a corner of a tricky uphill parking lot. However, the restaurant is in a convenient spot and within walking distance from campus. I went there at about 7 p.m. on a Thursday. The restaurant’s dining room was quiet, but the phone constantly rang in the background for takeout orders. The one server was bustling between his tables — some filled with students, others with families — but he still maintained an attentive manner. As I glanced over the menu, I noticed the lunch page had a variety of entrees for only $4.95. I will definitely be returning for a meal at that price. A board hanging on the wall in front displayed the day’s special dishes, but all of them were written in Chinese. I could only consider the few that were translated to English. There were also many appetizer options, including pad thai, tempura, udon, noodle dishes and chef specials. Overall, the menu is expansive, with classic dishes as well as ones new to me. I ordered hot tea before deciding what to eat. It was brought with crunchy wonton “chips” and duck sauce for dipping, which were tasty and a light way to start my meal. I then ordered wonton soup, General Tso’s chicken and the house special lo mein. The restaurant has booths and tables for various sized parties. There was a table set up in the back not yet cleared of dishes. About 20 people were probably served there, so it seems adaptable to bigger groups. The China Inn has an unexpected elegance about it. Since the outside appearance of the restaurant is not very charming, I was happy to be seated at a booth with a tablecloth surrounded by beautiful Chinese decorations and an assortment of plants. There was classical music playing at the beginning of my meal, and it later changed to Chinese pop. The music balanced the low murmur of the customers. The wonton soup came quickly after my order was taken. There were big wonton noodles and more chives included than in a traditional serving. The broth was hot, but not so much that it needed time to cool. I still had some crispy chips

left, serving as a nice addition to the soup. A few minutes later, my mound of General Tso’s chicken was served. The service was quick, and the chicken was presented beautifully. The chicken was so tender that I barely needed the cutting knife provided, and the broccoli was steamed just right. The fresh carrots were a nice balance to the heavy meal as well. After enjoying my first few bites of the General Tso’s plate, the server brought the biggest heap of lo mein — along with metal tongs — I have ever seen. The brown noodles, which included chicken, s h r i mp, onions and carrots, towered over the General Tso’s chicke n beside it. I was surprised that the lo mein was bland since the chicken had such popping flavor. In hindsight, the spices on the chicken may have affected my taste buds. After combining sauces between the two meals, the flavors were much better. One remarkable aspect of the meal was its sheer size — both servings were enormous. The dishes were decently priced, and one alone was enough for two meals. The server boxed the remaining

uring those stressful, jampacked weeks, sometimes it feels as though there is not even enough time to eat. Even running to the dining hall would be too time consuming. This is when food delivery comes in handy. Typically pizza is the go-to delivery item, but occasionally busy foodies need to spice it up a bit and order Chinese fo food. I have seen th the delivery cars eeverywhere, so I decided jump o on the bandw wagon and try C China Inn. While China In Inn is bette ter known for it its takeout, it is also a sitd down restaura rant. Ordering is made simpl pler by using C ampu s Fo o d . co com. Pulling up a menu for the d desired restauCHRISTINA NESTOR / SPPS ra rant, users can click on the items they want to order and check of food was tremendous. Although out. I used this method, which the lo mein was not an exceptional made the ordering process easy dish, the General Tso’s chicken was and efficient. A full menu with a superb and presented attractively. list of prices is provided online, While I enjoyed my experience, next time I will probably go for the $5 lunch menu or even follow the status quo and order takeout. food at the table and brought me a fortune cookie with the bill. For hot tea, soup and two entrees the total was about $22. This was an excellent value, since I left with two boxes of food — enough for another indulging meal. Overall, my server at the China Inn was alert, the meal was prepared quickly and the monetary value in relation to the amount

CHELSEA GILES -features staff writer -freshman -communication major

and upon checkout, the site provides a detailed receipt of an order. I decided to try a relatively traditional order of General Tso’s chicken with fried rice, an egg roll, the house lo mein and wonton soup. The price was reasonable at about $14.75. However, with tax and a delivery charge, the total came to $17.37. After I placed and paid for my order, I received a conformation email with the estimated delivery time of 35 to 45 minutes, which in my opinion is a pretty lengthy wait for 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday. And as it turned out, I had to wait even longer. I was already hungry when I ordered, but by the end of the estimated delivery time, I was starving. I gave it a few minutes after the 45 minute mark. However, as my hunger grew, my patience waned. After a full hour of waiting, I called China Inn to inquire about my order. I was informed that the food was done, but the restaurant was waiting for its driver. About 10 minutes after that, I finally received the greatly anticipated phone call from China Inn, telling me the delivery person had arrived. Annoyed and hungry, the smell of the Chinese food seemed promising, and I was hopeful that it would be worth the wait. I fixed

myself a plate and dug in. After I finished eating, I concluded that the Chinese food was just decent. The fried rice was a little crunchy, and it did not as seem fresh and fluffy as it could have been. The General Tso’s sauce was tasty, but the chicken was dry. The house lo mein was good, but it was not anything special. It was supposed to include a mix of chicken, beef and shrimp, but it predominantly consisted of chicken. The wonton soup was my favorite part of the meal. The beef wontons were tender and delicious. But egg roll was somewhat plain, leaving me thankful that China Inn included a variety of condiments such as duck sauce and hot mustard to bring flavor to the food. Overall, China Inn delivers an average Chinese food take out experience that lacks speedy delivery service. It is a good choice if you are extremely busy or need a break from the dining halls. But while it was fun to have food delivered, the food itself was nothing special.

MADELEINE GORDON -features staff writer -freshman -English major

sports 8 Atwell, Rash provide runs in win over Radford march 14, 2012

COLLEGIATETIMES

MATT JONES sports editor Jake Atwell might not have a consistent home in the Hokies lineup, but that doesn’t stop him from producing. The senior outfielder went 3-for4 Tuesday night with two RBIs as the Virginia Tech baseball team came from behind to defeat the Radford Highlanders 7-3 at English Field. “I think there’s a lot more there,” said head coach Pete Hughes about Atwell. “We expect a lot more out of him, and I just hope he keeps having success because he’s a good kid, and he really works at it.” The win, which brings the Hokies to 13-4 on the season, comes on the heels of a series this past weekend against rival Virginia where the Hokies dropped one-run games on Saturday and Sunday. “I felt like we came out just a bit sluggish today, but I felt like we turned it around later in the game well,” Atwell said. “We responded to being down, which is something we’ve done all year.” Atwell, who batted .385 over the three games series against U.Va., is putting together a stellar final season in the maroon and orange. Through 17 games, he’s batting .358 to lead the Hokies in hitting. Last night, the Hokies got off to a slow start. Tech’s starting pitcher Patrick Scoggin, a regular weekday starter, struggled to locate his pitches, lasting only 4.2 innings while throwing 80 pitches. “We just want Patrick to throw strikes and let the ball be in play, and for the most part he did that,” Hughes said. “We’re happy because he’s come a long way from last year where he was trying to overpower people and put men on base. He’s minimized that and he’s getting better, and we’re proud of that.” Radford struck first in the third inning with a pair of runs thanks to a safety squeeze and single by Josh Gardiner and Zach Costello, respectively. The Hokies got one run back in the fourth inning when Atwell scored on a passed ball by Radford starter Jake Palese. “It’s the nature of college baseball,” Hughes said. “Tuesdays and Wednesdays after emotional conference play weekends, you have to kickstart yourselves a little bit. But like I told our guys, if you want to go to Omaha, (Neb.) you do it on Tuesdays and Wednesdays — you’re judged on your entire body of work.”

editors: matt jones, zach mariner

sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

The Highlanders got one run back in the sixth courtesy of a fielder’s choice before the Hokies had a three-run bottom of the sixth. With Johnny Morales on third and Chad Pinder on second, Atwell attempted twice to bunt the ball down the third base line. After failing both times, Atwell lined a single to right, which gave the Hokies the lead. “(Hughes) just wanted me to get a sacrifice bunt down, and I screwed that up twice,” Atwell said. “He called me down and told me I had a lot of at-bat left, and he just said get it done. It was just a lucky mess up right there.” Hughes recalls the batter-coach meeting during the at-bat a bit differently. “I told him he’s the worst bunter I’ve ever coached, and that’s the G-version,” Hughes said. “I told him to battle back in it and you matchup good against this guy, let’s be productive and let’s not think about you not executing the first two pitches. It worked out, and there’s just no need to be negative when you need the kid to perform for you.” Atwell, who has batted first, third and fourth in the Hokies lineup this season, said he’s comfortable wherever Hughes pencils him in. “It’s just wherever helps the team the most,” Atwell said. “I just try to get on base whenever I’m leadoff, and when I’m in the middle of the order, you just try and drive in runs.” The next inning, Atwell’s single STEVEN SILTON / SPPS extended the inning with two outs for No. 5 hitter Andrew Rash, who launched a high curveball to deep left center for his fifth home run of the season. “I got in two-strike counts a lot tonight, and I missed a lot of pitches earlier that I can’t miss,” Rash said. “I just tried to see something up, and I was thinking fastball away and he just threw a slider over the plate, and I stayed back and stayed through the baseball. Luckily I hit it out of here to give us a bit of a cushion.” Hughes, who is relying a lot on Rash’s middle of the lineup pop for run production, said Rash is a potential home run whenever he steps to the plate. “He’s tough to watch, because you want him to do good and he struggles, but he’s a three-run jack waiting to happen,” Hughes said. “Those segments in between are hard for him and us, but he’s got the right frame of mind.” The Hokies are back in action DANIEL LIN / SPPS CJ YUNGER / SPPS tonight when they face Wagner at 5:30 at English Field. The Virginia Tech baseball team beat the Radford Highlanders 7-3 last night at English Field. The Hokies take on Wagner tonight at 5:30 at home.