Thursday, July 22, 2010 Print Edition

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COLLEGIATETIMES

July 22, 2010

what’s inside News .............2 Features ........4 0pinions ........5 Sports .........10 Classifieds ...11 Sudoku ........11 107th year issue 69 blacksburg, va.

School board faced with BHS decisions LIANA BAYNE news editor Engineers have ruled the Feb. 13 collapse of the Blacksburg High School gymnasium a result of “a snow event” and faulty building construction. FORCON International, the engineering firm that analyzed the roof’s collapse, released its official report last week that said the collapse was partly because of the

snow that fell in February and also because of weak steel and poor welding. Now, the community and members of the Montgomery County School Board are trying to decide how to move forward with BHS and whether to try to reconstruct the current building or build a new school. Wat Hopkins, a member of the school board and a communication professor at Virginia Tech, said the

school board hopes to come to a decision to either replace or rebuild BHS in its next meeting on Tuesday night. “We’re going to have to do something,” he said. Hopkins said the school board is still receiving public input from members of the community. “A large number (of people) are saying the decision’s been made, we don’t agree, but we’re going to do everything we can to make it work,” he said.

Hybrid buses look to save BT money SARAH WATSON news reporter The Blacksburg Transit recently invested more than $2.8 million into nine new diesel-electric hybrid buses in an attempt to improve public transportation in Blacksburg. Seven of these new vehicles are standard size buses with comparable capacity to those currently part of the BT fleet. The other two buses are articulated vehicles, which are approximately 60 feet in length. Articulated buses are made of two separate and connected parts, allowing the bus to bend in the middle. The BT has not received the articulated buses yet, so the exact capacity is currently unknown. Generally, the capacity of an articulated bus is more than 100 passengers. Fiona Rhodes, marketing specialist for the Blacksburg Transit, said the articulated buses would be important for the BT because they remove another car from the road and eliminate overcrowding on buses. “I think it is a positive change for everyone involved — riders and residents alike,” she said. Rhodes said the buses were purchased to not only replace older buses, but to expand on the current fleet. “I believe all of the buses, particularly the 60 feet long ones, are going to be a great addition to the BT fleet,” said Deborah Freed, alternative transportation manager for Virginia Tech. The initial costs of the hybrid electric buses are higher, but longterm maintenance costs are lower. Therefore, Rhodes said, the costs are expected to balance out. Each of the 60-foot long articulated buses cost $871,000. Each of the 40-foot long buses cost $545,000. In comparison, older, non-hybrid

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Each 40-foot hybrid diesel-electric bus cost the BT $545,000. buses cost $358,000 per vehicle. The BT and Tech funded the buses by working together to replace old buses with environmentally friendly alternatives. State and federal funds paid for a portion of the buses and Tech matched this amount. This money came from student transit fees, faculty and staff transportation and portion of every parking permit purchased, Freed said. However, Freed said transit fees would not increase because of purchases made by the BT. “If the transit fee goes up it would not be because of the new buses,” she said. Freed believes the new buses will provide an effective and stress-free way to get to and from campus. Tech is hoping to increase the carrying capacity, look at areas with overcrowding and eliminate passbys with these additional buses. All nine of the buses, including the articulated vehicles, are hybrid electric buses. The BT chose to purchase hybrid electric vehicles as part of the town of Blacksburg’s “green” initia-

tive, Rhodes said. She said the buses, running on electric power, would maintain a better fuel economy and have a positive impact on the environment. Rhodes said this initiative “encourages us to look at alternative fuels that are better for the environment.” Tech also supports this initiative and the BT’s move to cleaner vehicles, according to Freed. She said that Tech faced a steep raise in diesel fuel prices several years ago, requiring Tech to lessen its dependency on this fuel. “In times where people are becoming more dependent on public transportation, it is really exciting that the Blacksburg Transit and Virginia Tech are offering enhancements to transit service,” Freed said. The BT plans to have most of the buses on the road in the fall semester. This will depend on the delivery and preparation of the articulated buses. However, routes may change, so Freed encourages regular riders to check the BT website for alterations.

We’d hope for $7 million from insurance. WAT HOPKINS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

Along with public opinion, another major factor that will impact the board’s decision is money. Hopkins said the board is looking at a ballpark figure of $9-15 million to repair the current school.

It would cost between $5 and 7 million to replace the classroom portion of the building, “and about the same to replace the gym,” he explained. Conversely, the board could opt to build another high school on the land it already owns on Prices Fork Road, adjacent to Blacksburg Middle School and Kipps Elementary School. Hopkins estimated the cost of a see BHS / page two

Carillion medical school opens doors CLAIRE SANDERSON managing editor Virginia Tech has teamed up with the Carillion Clinic to create a new medical school and research institute in Roanoke. Its first class of 42 students will begin classes on August 2. The idea for the Virginia Tech Carillion Medical School and Research Institute developed between Tech president Charles Steger and Carillion CEO Ed Murphy. They first announced the idea three years ago on January 3, 2007. The two parts of the center, the medical school and the research institute, are collectively known as Virginia Tech Carillion, or VTC. “Virginia Tech and Dr. Steger were interested in being involved with medical research more than was possible without a medical school,” said Cynda Johnson, dean of the medical school. “It met the needs on both sides.” In what is known as a “public-private partnership,” VTC will combine the scientific expertise and research at Tech with Carillion’s trained medical staff to teach future physicians. According to Johnson, it is the school’s curriculum that makes it stand out among other medical schools in the nation. “Having the curriculum based on the four different value domains is unique to the country,” Johnson said. These four value domains are basic sciences, clinic sciences, research and interprofessionalism. She explained that because medical knowledge is constantly being advanced, the curriculum focuses less on content and more on teaching the students to become leaders and researchers

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who can adapt to an ever-changing field of medicine. “What I think is important for the future is that the physician’s primary practice and research principles are inseparable,” Johnson said. “If you practice using research and critical thinking you are able to assess your patients critically and be the best doctor of all.” VTC will also employ a teaching method called “patient-centered learning.” “It means that we think about the patient in everything that we do. Everything is based on the needs of the patient, as opposed to what might make the doctor happy,” Johnson said. According to VTC’s website, only 15 percent of medical schools in the country use a patient-centered learning program. In the Research Institute, which will eventually be housed in an adjacent building to the school, Tech professors and Carillion physicians will conduct research with the help of students. “In addition to carrying out research, we will also train students in research,” said Michael Friedlander, executive director for the Research Institute. “Those researchers include graduate students from Tech and other schools, medical students from the school, and research fellows and physicians from Carillion.” Research is one of the main ways that VTC will work with Tech on a daily basis. “We’ll be collaborating quite extensively with other researchers at Tech, and we will be interconnected by virtue of the relationships with Tech departments,” Friedlander said. “We will also teach some classes at the medical school, primary at the graduate see CARILLION / page two


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NEWS

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BHS: School board to decide on repair strategy from page one

brand new high school to be between $50 and 60 million. Before BHS’s gym collapse, the original plan was to examine the possibility of building a new high school after the county finished construction of the new Shawsville Elementary School, the new Prices Fork Elementary School, Auburn High School and a potential new elementary school in Christiansburg. After the gym’s collapse, however, BHS has risen in the county’s priorities. Hopkins said the school board is still waiting to determine how much the county will receive in insurance money from the gym’s collapse. Although the testing to

determine the status of the building will cost up to $600,000, the insurance payments could reimburse that fee. “We’d hope for $7 million from insurance,” Hopkins said. Even if the school board is able to reap that much from insurance payments, Hopkins said it would probably be necessary for the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors to review how much money the county can borrow. Even then, he said, “We don’t think we can borrow enough to build two schools, or maybe even one.” The next school board meeting, during which the fate of BHS will be one of the main items on the agenda, is on Tuesday, July 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the school board office.

Architecture program ranked No. 1 in country SARAH WATSON news reporter The School of Architecture and Design continues to churn out awardwinning students and projects. “We have the best ratio of ego to talent out there,” said Michael Ermann, associate professor and architecture program chair. This talent is displayed through exhibits in the Cowgill Hall lobby that change throughout the school week. However, projects created by students and faculty go beyond the classroom. Architectural Record recently ranked Virginia Tech’s program number four among undergraduate architecture schools. Landscape Architecture ranked first in the annual Design Intelligence rankings. “The School of Architecture and Design has been in the top ten for the previous six years and we will aim to be in the top five always,” said Kathryn Albright, associate professor. “Our students continue to win national and international competitions and our faculty and alumni continue to be recognized for their achievements and awards.” Two faculty members, Keith and Marie Zawistowski, recently won a Virginia Society American Institute of Architects Award for their renovation of the Arritt Farmhouse in Potts Creek in 2009. Currently, they are working on a theater near Covington. Associate professor Margarita McGrath is co-owner of Noroof Architects in New York City. McGrath’s design for a 700-foot square apartment was featured in Dwell Magazine in 2009. According to Ermann, Tech architecture graduates designed all of the cabinetry for the apartment. McGrath faced some critiques from readers who wanted a larger space.

“That’s what we have to compete with — the idea that bigger is better. No, better is better,” Ermann said. In addition to faculty, students also won awards in several national and international competitions this past fall and spring. Lumenhaus, a solar energy-powered home, won first place in June in the Solar Decathlon in Madrid, Spain. The Tech team was one of only two U.S. teams represented in the international competition.

We have the best ratio of ego to talent out there. MICHAEL ERMANN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

A team of second-year industrial design students won first place out of more than 400 entries at the third annual “Design the Future” international competition sponsored by LG. Chris Morgan, another second-year architecture student, won first place in the international Yele Haiti competition sponsored by Wyclef Jean with his design of “Broadcast Studios.” The competition sought designs to replace buildings in Haiti that were destroyed in the January 2009, earthquake. Four teams of industrial design studios stole all five categories at an international competition sponsored by Ardica early this year. The focus of the competition was to incorporate the Moshi Power Pack, a flat, lightweight, flexible battery, into a piece of outdoor equipment. A team of three Tech students won first place with its “Voltage” sleeping bag. In order to hone their skills, architecture students spend long hours in their classes. Ermann said students spend much of their day with the same faculty member in their assigned desks. Students are also occasionally asked to color, cut and paste. “In many ways, it is more like a kin-

dergarten class than a regular college class,” Ermann said. This is all part of the studio-learning environment incorporated by the School of Architecture and Design. As a five-year program, students attend studio each day for several hours. However, these programs also demand additional hours outside of class, according to Ermann. This becomes a social environment for students who spend long hours in the studio trying to meet deadlines. “It is the greatest educational model ever created,” Ermann said. The studio also provides a library for students along with a variety of shops including wood, metal, textile, silk screening and digital fabrication. Because the time demand for architecture and design is so intensive, the department offers a summer program for students transferring into these majors. Students within other departments at Tech spend their days during the summer completing projects and working within the studio. After students complete this program they can either move on to become either first year or second year students based on their progress. This allows students the opportunity to graduate in five years, Ermann said. As a rising sophomore, Kelly McFadden needed to complete the summer program to get on track with the architecture program. She and other students began by drawing, moved on to drawing in depth and finally created a 3-D representation of their work. The project was so broad, according to McFadden, that each student created a different piece of work. McFadden explained that while studio is time consuming, she still enjoys creating new projects. “I’d rather be doing something I like even if it takes more time,” McFadden said.

Carillion: First classes start in August collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

from page one

level, which will be videotaped so that students at Tech and other remote locations can see them.” Johnson said that the professors at the medical school will include Tech faculty, Carillion physicians, as well as new independent hires. “Seeing the integration happen between the strong, outstanding students at Virginia Tech and the outstanding staff at Carillion is one of the things I’m most looking forward to. We’re the bridge between those two areas,” Friedlander said. The Research Institute building will be opened officially on September 1,

and some of the labs will begin to be set up that very day. “By December 1, another section of the building will be complete, one that will house facilities for human brain imaging,” Friedlander said. Buildings for both parts of the VTC were paid for through a capital projects bond package signed into legislation in 2008 by then-governor Tim Kaine. However, VTC will be a private medical school. According to the medical school’s dean Johnson, tuition and philanthropy will be the main funding sources. A $40,000 tuition per year applies to all students,

both in-state and out-of-state. Johnson said that the school would also have economic benefits for the entire region, recalling her experience in her previous position as dean of the medical school at Eastern Carolina University. “When I was at ECU, the medical school was about 30 years. It was an incredible example of how having a medical school present totally changed the region. When that was placed in Greenville, it really became the economic hub of the region,” Johnson said. “I think we’ve already seen some the economic growth.”


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CLAIRE SANDERSON managing editor The SGA and VT Engage will kick off a new community service program this year to honor the victims of the April 16, 2007, shootings. Because service will be the focus of this year’s Day of Remembrance events, the new program, “32 for 32,” encourages members of the Virginia Tech community to perform 32 hours of community service before April 16, 2011. “The 2009 steering committee thought that there were some key things that all of the victims had in common,” said Kelly Griffin, project manager for the office of recovery and support. “They were all passionate about education, which was the focus of this past year’s Day of Remembrance. In different ways, all of them also helped others and benefited society.” She said that the office of recovery and support also worked extensively with the victims’ families, who gave feedback in the development and planning of the Day of Remembrance events. “The student planning committee thought it would be special to remember those 32 throughout the year, not just on one day. It’s

not just a one day thing, it’s an all year thing,” said Bo Hart, SGA president. He added that the program is not just for students, but also for faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Hart said participants will be able to pledge and log their service hours on the VT Engage website. According to Karen Gilbert, coordinator of VT Engage, participants can also make their online pledge at the VT Engage tent that will be at Gobblerfest on August 27. Free “Hokies have a heart for service” tshirts will also be available to volunteers. This year’s Day of Remembrance will include a special event on the Drillfield to showcase some of the community service projects that volunteers completed. According to Hart, the annual Run in Remembrance will be pushed back to 10 a.m. and the picnic on the Drillfield will follow. During this time, some of the work that volunteers have done will be recognized. “We’re going to have a way for people to highlight some of the work that people did,” said Hart. Though there are many ways for volunteers to complete their 32 hours, Hart encouraged beginning as early

as the first week of school. “The kickoff for this is Hokie Helpers, that’s a way to start your hours there,” Hart said. “Anybody — students, faculty and staff — can sign up to help.” Hokie Helpers are volunteers who help move students into their residence halls during move in, which will be from August 18 until August 21. It has traditionally been a program that is open mainly to Greeks, but it is now open to everyone, Hart said. This year, to promote Hokie Helpers and 32 for 32, Tech President Charles Steger and Blacksburg mayor Ron Rordam, along with other university officials, will be manning a water station. “On August 19, Steger will be out there with me at the water station handing out Hokie Water to people moving in,” Hart said. “It will be a good way for him to bond with students and welcome them to a new school year.” Though the theme will be different for the 2012 Day of Remembrance, Hart said that he hopes the program will continue. “Years have passed, but we want to remember that the Hokie community can respond and give back to its community as well,” Hart said.

WALTER HAMILTON mcclatchy newspapers Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke painted a generally downbeat picture of the U.S. economy Wednesday, saying the overall outlook is “unusually uncertain” and predicting that unemployment will remain stubbornly high for several years. Slowly improving consumer and business spending will help the economy grow 3 percent to 3.5 percent this year and 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent in each of the next two years, Bernanke told members of the Senate Banking Committee in his semiannual testimony to Congress. But it will take “a significant amount of time” to reclaim the 8.5 million jobs lost during the recession, he said. The national unemployment rate, currently 9.5 percent, is expected to decline only to 7 percent to 7.5 percent by the end of 2012, Bernanke said. “Nearly half of the unemployed have been out of work for longer than six months,” Bernanke said. “Long-term unemployment not only imposes exceptional near-term hardships on workers and their families, it also erodes skills and may

have long-lasting effects on workers’ employment and earnings prospects.” Bernanke’s statements sent the markets down sharply. The Dow Jones industrial average of 30 bluechip stocks had been flat but fell more than 125 points midway through his testimony. The index finished the day down more than 100 points. The tone of Bernanke’s comments matches that of many private forecasters, who have grown less sanguine with the economic outlook in the last few months. Though most experts believe the economic recovery will continue, the consensus is that it will be slower and more grinding than once envisioned. Other drags on the economy, Bernanke said, include the “weak” housing market and a “somewhat weaker outlook” for financial conditions, including the high debt levels and troubled economic situation in Greece and several other European countries. Though the financial services industry has recovered significantly from the financial crisis, “many banks continue to have a large volume of troubled loans on their books, and bank lending standards remain tight,” he said.

NEWS

32 for 32: Community service Bernanke predicts 3 project to kick off fall semester stubborn growth

collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010


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FEATURES

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English professor succumbs ‘Inception’ lives up to cancer but leaves a legacy to high expectations DEBRA HOUCHINS features editor In life, we take many things for granted; for college students, professors tend to be regarded as those people who assign us long papers, quiz us on pointless readings, and take attendance on the one day we decide to sleep in. When students take some time to get the know them, though, professorsbecome mentors—and sometimes even friends. STAHL On Thursday, July 15, professor and scholar of children’s literature and American literature, J.D. Stahl

died at the age of 58 after a long battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. All professors were once students themselves, and Stahl was no exception. He received a bachelor’s degree from Goshen College, a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and a doctorate from the University of Connecticut. Stahl grew up in a multicultural environment, living in both the U.S. and Europe. The influence of his experiences was seen later in his career, when he researched the way authors (one of which was Mark Twain, whom Stahl had written about in his 1994 book “Mark Twain, Culture and Gender: Envisioning America through Europe”) represent German culture in American children’s literature and translated books. He also translated German

articles and even reviewed German articles dealing with his fields of research. After joining the Tech staff in 1982, Stahl left his mark by vamping up the children’s literature program from a single survey course. As a teacher and as a writer, he left his incredible impact on universities worldwide with the text book “Crosscurrents of Children’s Literature: An Anthology of Texts and Criticism,” which he coedited in 2006. Stahl was also once the president of the International Children’s Literature Association and is a founding faculty member of a master’s degree program in children’s literature at Hollins University. Stahl is survived by his wife, Sarah Windes, and his two sons, Daniel and Hans.

MCT CAMPUS

Joseph Gordon-Levitt defies gravity in the sci-fi action film “Inception.”

‘INCEPTION’ COMBINES SCIENCE FICTION, SUSPENSE AND ARTFUL DIRECTION TO CREATE A UNIQUE FILM

collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

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tepping out of “Inception,” you will immediately begin to try and piece together the fractured sections of the films that just didn’t connect for you. How many layers truly existed? Was that ending one I can be happy with? Depending on the person, this list of questions could expand exponentially as the films primary goal of delving deep into the subconscious mind. Though these questions and how they are explained are what makes the movie worth seeing: simply because the originality and ingenuity of the writer and director Chris Nolan’s work. Taking the idea of inserting yourself into another’s dream and using his thoughts to create a vast and changing world has been something that’s been touched on for generations. In essence, it’s one of the reasons why the film industry was created: to expand on the ideals that a dream can evoke. Looking back at things like Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” or even the Wachowski’s “The Matrix,” the combination of reality, fiction and the surreal play pivotal parts in the pictures. So as we see Mr. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) wash up on the shore of an unnamed beach, we enter a muddled reality. Cobb — along with his partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — deals with Extraction: a way of slipping into a person’s mind via fancy hookups and sedatives to communally join the person’s dream. As long as the person doesn’t realize that they are dreaming, Cobb will be able to sneak in, and steal the most precious and hidden information from their mind — things even the subject didn’t realize they knew. Yet there is another way to play in a man’s mind: Inception. To go deep enough into people’s subconscious and plant the simplest thought, so that it may take root and the subject will

make it their own. While it was always thought undoable, Cobb swears that he can do it for his would-be employer Saito (Ken Watanabe). Wanting to sneak into the mind of a business rival (Cillian Murphy), Cobb puts together a team to orchestrate an impeccable amount of dream escapes and fortified action. Throughout the film, the action comes up and down with the occasional superimposed chase sequence, yet most of your viewing pleasure comes right from following the films mantic plot. You hear them explain the idea of the dreamer, the delving into the mind’s eye, and while it may sound watery as Cobb or Arthur explain it, the audience understanding what is really happening makes it worth while. It’s the “I wonder what would happen if...” moments that make it work and bring the story along so well, captivating you in the fantasy film. It also doesn’t hurt that, while the entire story was solely character and acting driven, no one dropped the ball. With DiCaprio coming out of his “rough n’ ready” attitude from “Shutter Island,” he was able to calm down and keep face, giving a focused and determined leader. Unfortunately, somebody always has to make him the forlorn lover, and with him all he can do is look like a puppy that needs to be taken outside. Luckily, with the help of Marion Cotillard it wasn’t so bad. Her display of emotion and level of power was perfect to offset DiCaprio’s “bad dog” flare. Not to mention Ellen Paige stepping in, trying to fit into her adult shoes with a film that had more depth than her previous ones did her well. It’s a shame that she will always look and act like a 15-year-old, but working beside Gordon-Levitt, it seemed natural. see INCEPTION / page nine


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f you’ve been anywhere near campus, you know that it is freshman orientation time. From orientation groups eating box lunches in the grass, to the new Whirly Bird dance craze, to the parents buying computers and VT sweatshirts at the bookstore, orientation is a rite of passage that’s replicated throughout the country at other colleges and universities. This past weekend, I attended my 20th high school reunion, and it was great to reconnect with old friends and to hear about their experiences. I had not seen some of them since graduation. This reunion also rekindled my memories of my own orientation. Unlike most of the attendees today at orientation, I came by myself because my parents could not get off work. I remember catching the Greyhound bus from Miami to Gainesville and then finding a hotel room for the night before the start of orientation. It was certainly a whirlwind for that day and half, but I remember some of the details. I remember that my orientation roommate did not stay in the room with me, and I even remember the 3 p.m. thunderstorm that would eventually become a regular occurrence in my time in Gainesville. Today, orientation programs are much more interactive than they were in my time, but the basic information is the same. Perhaps the most important part – then and now - is the time spent with an academic adviser and the development of that fall schedule. I recall meeting my adviser and her pulling out a letter that I had written to the dean. Back then, I was overly ambitious and had a goal of trying to complete college as soon as possible. I had read through the student handbook and found out that I needed permission to request more hours, so I sent a letter requesting permission to take 20 hours. It was funny when she pulled out the letter and basically explained that my request was not possible as a first year student. She took what I had developed and tweaked it accordingly. While I still believe that I could have handled it, I understood where she was coming from. In hindsight, my adviser was right. The role of the academic adviser is a critical one for these new students because it can make or break their first impressions of the university. This first meeting between

the adviser and the student is important because it is an opportunity for the students to actively plan their future and for the adviser to help provide a road map. For some students, this can be daunting and scary, as they don’t know what to expect. Should they heed the advice of the adviser? Should they choose to do something different in their path? Can their adviser help them get the right course needed? Did they factor the student’s transfer credits properly? I suspect that the meeting is also challenging for the academic advisers, who must work with so many students in a short time frame. This doesn’t include those students who also need to take any prerequisite exams before they can be scheduled in certain classes. How do you as an adviser manage the workload? How do you create an individual experience for the students? Canyoutailorthescheduletofitthe student’s needs, or is it just a standard template for all? How do you work with the student that has no clue of what they would like to take? Or how do you work with the student that has ambitiously mapped out their four years? The experience of advising during orientation is certainly a daunting challenge for both sides – the students and the advisers - but it is perhaps the most crucial of the relationships that begin to take place. If the experience is positive, it begins to pave a path of success, if the experience is negative, it already begins to cloud the experience with the university and becomes an excuse or barrier to the environment. The ramifications of this advising can have a huge impact in terms of whether or not a student is enrolled in the right section of a course, is enrolled in the correct classes, or if he or she is overwhelmed by taking all of the hard classes at once. As I consider the importance and value of the orientation experience, it is the academic advising that stands out as having the most lasting impact on a student’s academic progress and also in the student’s interaction with university officials.

RAY PLAZA -Virginia Tech faculty member -study abroad coordinator

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MCT CAMPUS

Parents more involved in education under plan A

new, largely overlooked part of the Obama administration’s education agenda is its pitch to get more parents involved with their children’s schooling. The parenting initiative, announced in May, hasn’t received the same attention as the president’s “Race to the Top” program, which offers states more money to improve their school standards. But like “Race to the Top,” the administration wants to increase the amount of money states would receive for “parental engagement” programs. States would award that money to local districts to help get parents to engage their children academically. This is basically a good idea, with one large caveat. Let’s deal first with why going after parents make sense. A significant body of research shows students whose parents pay serious attention to their classwork end up with larger horizons than peers whose parents don’t open the world to them. Students with engaged parents learn from an early age how a mastery of math or facility with a foreign language can lead them to bountiful fields of study. There’s also a societal benefit to parents widening horizons for their children. Their offspring will imagine the new frontiers of our economy and take us there. Parental involvement matters at the neighborhood level, too. By reading to young children each day, getting each child ready for school every morning and staying on top of their assignments, especially in middle school and high school, parents increase their children’s chances of attending college or snagging a good job. What’s more, active parents will start pressing for quality teachers and demanding courses. That’s certainly been part of the pattern in Dallas’ more stable northern neighborhoods. But here’s the worry. Our tax dollars could get burned up like dry timber if states don’t approach

each district’s proposal with a healthy skepticism. Too many parental engagement programs sound good on paper but ultimately make little difference. They are like the kid who gets to the major leagues way too early. They might look the part but never perform. Heather Weiss, who directs the Family Research Project at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, said during a recent telephone interview that four decades of research show us that “what families do is one of the strongest predictors of a child’s success.” But, she emphasized, “the difficulty is how to translate that understanding into interventions that move the needle.” Some basics do make a difference: — Successful programs are seen as shared responsibilities between parents and schools. As Weiss told me, “It isn’t just teachers doing this or parents doing that. It’s both working together over time.” — Parenting programs can’t be random acts of kindness. They must start early and run through a child’s school years. “Cradle to career” is how Weiss describes breakthrough parenting programs. — Districts that do parenting well make parental engagement part of the principal’s annual review. School leader earns marks for parenting efforts that improve his school’s performance. In announcing the administration’s parenting initiative, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he wants to give grants to programs that “support, incentivize and help expand district-level, evidence-based parental involvement practices.” Districts could easily present fancylooking initiatives that never come close to moving the needle. But the ones that include the right fundamentals are part of what Weiss calls the new frontier in education.

WILLIAM McKENZIE -mcclatchy newspapers

collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

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Advising is crucial for new students

OPINIONS

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Peter Velz Managing Editor Claire Sanderson Production Manager Taylor Chakurda News Editor Liana Bayne Features Editor Debra Houchins Sports Editor Alex Jackson Online Director Jamie Chung Layout Designer Kelly Harrigan

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Austin Kleon adds softness to edgy trend

FEATURES

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oetry via redaction is the theme that binds Austin Kleon’s first collection of poems, “Newspaper Blackout.” This work is the polar opposite of a typical collection of contemporary poetry — instead of white pages decorated with dark lines of text, articles clipped from The New York Times are altered using permanent marker until they become short, staccato poetry. Newspaper headlines, under the duress of scribbles of black ink, become titles; blacked out sports articles transform into the simple pleasures of enjoying sunshine after a long illness. “Literature in a hurry,” (as the Matthew Arnold quotes goes) originally pumped out by unknown Times reporters under deadline is remixed through Kleon’s inked lens into poems to be perused in a more leisurely manner. For example, take the sparseness of “Real People,” pulled from a much denser article: “in a dive bar / real people would have / left long ago.” Or the unexpected social commentary as love poem of “The Universe Survives:” “…it’s the end of the world / and my heart is broken. / the universe survives / in a FEMA trailer.” Printed text, remixed into art! Now, the art of remixing printed text into new mediums isn’t hard to master, and it isn’t new, either. The book’s introduction, “A Brief History of Newspaper Blackout,” lists similar text mash-up works from the likes of William S. Burroughs and Jonathan Lethem. This leads to the charm of “Newspaper Blackout,” and indeed the reason why I am so taken to

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“Newspaper Blackout” by Austin Kleon

this book: The idea that poetry surrounds you in everything you consume, even in things that aren’t necessarily poetic — especially in things that aren’t necessarily poetic — and that it is up to you to extract the poetry from the text using whatever method is available. Whether that extraction takes place using a Sharpie or a pair of scissors or the copy and paste function of a software program is your choice. As someone whose research interests include both poetry and newspapers, this book restored my faith in the future of contemporary poetry at a time when it was sorely needed. Reading “Newspaper Blackout” has made me more aware of accidental poetry moments in my own life — not that this wasn’t the case before, but my experiences surrounding this book have sharpened my eye toward such circumstances. Also, I am totally serious when I say that “Newspaper Blackout” brought me back from the brink of divorce with contemporary poetry. Kleon’s poems — and his composition methodology — are innovative in a way I rarely see, like someone handed me a black marker and a folded newspaper of hope. The bottom line is you might as well do something with that set of permanent black markers bought during back-to-school shopping season. Why not start creating blackout poems with this newspaper? Kleon helpfully provides a brief guide to the art of newspaper black-outing at the end of the collection.

JOSETTE TORRES -WUVT DJ -class of 2010 -MFA in creative writing


Burning down the house

7 FEATURES

FloydFest 9 kicks off weekend of tunes

page

Blacksburg Fire Department 2nd Lieutenant Andrew Marinik pauses to watch fire fully engulf this condemned building behind the Virginia Tech power plant during an exercise conducted by the Blacksburg Fire Department. photo by daniel lin

SPPS FILE PHOTO

Singer Grace Potter performed on the Dreaming Creek Main Stage during FloydFest 8 last summer on July 25, 2009.

ANNUAL FOUR-DAY ARTS FESTIVAL TO SHOWCASE NEW, RETURNING MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT GROUPS CAROLINE MAHONEY news staff writer

see FEST / page eight

collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

It’s a band, it’s a circus, it’s a carnival — it’s the ninth annual FloydFest, and it’s headed this way. The upcoming 2010 FloydFest takes place in Floyd, Virginia from July 22 to July 25 with the theme “Breaking Ground,” which suggests that this year’s performances spread out in a new direction. Though the music festival is known for its Americana music, other acts performing include circus acts, demonstrations and workshops. Development director Linda DeVito said that although the organization has tried to expand the variety of performances, the same basic aspects of the festival remain from when she began working with FloydFest in 2002. “We’ve gotten bigger, more successful, but our core elements of what FloydFest is, a cultural and artistic event bringing people of all ages and walks of life, has

stayed the same,” DeVito said. One of the highly anticipated acts appearing in the festival is called Flam Chen, a circus and fire theater group specializing in acrobatics and other stunts. Paul Weir, the technical director of Flam Chen, thinks the festival “is going to be awesome.” Five of the performers will arrive in Floyd on Thursday, armed with stilts and other tools to make their magical stunts come to life. Flam Chen, who describes its entertainment as “whimsical, festive, elegant, and spectacular,” is no stranger to the spotlight. “We’ve performed in front of 30,000 to 40,000 people, many times, easily,” Weir said. “We’ve wanted to perform at FloydFest for two or three years now and we’re finally in.” Despite the group’s impressive resume, none of its acts need to be altered for the cultural and family-friendly envi-


FEATURES

8

Fest: New acts to enhance festival

from page seven

ronment DeVito mentioned. “Flam Chen will definitely fit in with the family-friendly theme of the festival,” Weir said. Weir said expanding the variations of acts would not only expand the variety of performing arts, but will also expand the community. WUVT, the radio station at Virginia Tech, will have a vendors’ pass to the festival and members of the station will be there all four days. Though they cannot promote FloydFest, they will make announcements about it through their frequency, 90.7 FM. Tech students Stephen Goode and John Kayrouz, both of whom work for the station, will be attending this year’s festival. Kayrouz attended the festival last year and thoroughly enjoyed the festivities, both the music and theatrical entertainment. “It was unlike any music festival I’ve been to because it was a very small atmosphere,” Kayrouz said. “You go at your own pace.” Goode is looking forward to his first FloydFest, during which most participants camp out. “From what I’ve heard, it’s about embracing filth... it’s a weekend of roughing it,” he said. In regards to the growing variety of performing art acts, Kayrouz feels the more, the better. “There will be something for everyone,” he said. Other performers include The Levon Helm Band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, the Old Crow Machine Show, and Railroad Earth. Tickets are for sale at FloydFest.com and at the gate.

FLOYDFEST 2010 MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE

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THURSDAY

4 p.m.: My Radio 5:30 p.m.: Packway Handle Band 7 p.m.: Cornmeal 9 p.m.: Galactic feat. Corey Henry

FRIDAY

11 a.m.: Boulder Acoustic Society 12:15 p.m.: Holy Ghost Tent Revival 1:30 p.m.: The Mantras 3 p.m.: Budos Band 4:20 p.m.: Adrienne Young 4:45 p.m.: Deer Tick 6:15 p.m.: Miss Kitty Aerial 6:45 p.m.: Konono No 1 Full schedule 8:30 p.m.: Adrienne Young available at 9 p.m.: Railroad Earth FloydFest.com

SATURDAY

10 a.m.: Sol Driven Train 11 a.m.: William Walter 12:15 p.m.: Hackensaw Boys 1:15 p.m.: Adriene Young 1:45 p.m.: Bearfoot 2:50 p.m.: Adrienne Young 3:15 p.m.: Bassekou Koyate and Ngoni Ba 4:30 p.m.: Miss Kitty Aerial 5 p.m.: JJ Grey and Mofro 6:30 p.m.: Spiral Aerial 7 p.m.: Old Crow Medicine Show 8:45 p.m.: Kat Mills 9:15 p.m.: Levon Helm Band

SUNDAY

10 a.m.: Hoorah Cloggers with Farm Use Only 11 a.m.: Town Mountain 11:45 a.m.: Solas 1:15 p.m.: Tift Merritt 2:30 p.m.: Adrienne Young 3 p.m.: Mountain Heart KELLY HARRIGAN/COLLEGIATE TIMES

Wondering what’s going on around the ‘burg? Check out the events of the upcoming week. [Thursday, July 22] What: Music — Jason Byrd Where: Gillie’s When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free What: Music — College Night w/ DJ Dat Boi Where: Attitudes Bar and Cafe When: 9 p.m. Cost: Cover, ladies free before 11 p.m. Note: College ID required

[Friday, July 23] What: Music — Country Connection Where: Henderson Lawn (rain site: Squires Old Dominion Ballroom) When: 6 p.m. Cost: Free What: Music — Hacken Boys Where: Awful A Arthur’s When: 9 p.m. Cost: $3

[Saturday, July 24] What: Music — Melissa Smith Where: Gillie’s When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free What: Comedy — The Disgruntled Clown Where: Attitudes Bar and Cafe When: 8 p.m. Cost: Cover, ladies free before 11 p.m.

[Monday, July 26] What: Music — Doc’s Blues Review Where: The Cellar Resturaunt When: 9 p.m. Cost: Free What: TTalking about Books — Myla Goldberg’s “Bee Season” Where: Blacksburg Library When: 11 a.m. Cost: Free

collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

[All Week] What: Infosession — Summer Around the Drillfield: 20th Anniversary Where: Drillfield When: Thursday through Saturday Cost: Free This week, the LLyric is showing “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” a documentary from British street artist Banksy. Check out TheLyric.com L for showtime information. This week, the Starlite Drive-In is showing “Despicable Me,” featuring the voices of Steve Carell and Jason Segel. Check out StarliteDriveIn.biz for showtime information.


Characters shine in ‘Apprentice’ Inception: Thoughtrowing up, those that were blessed to watch “Fantasia” and see Mickey Mouse don the magician cap, force the mops and buckets to clean and dance in a cavalcade of mischief as the music plays have eternally been changed. Each person has wanted or wished the ability to throw magic around with abandon, with nary a care in the world. Yet what Dave (Jay Baruchel) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer do in Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is show both that it’s never as simple as that, and not everyone wants that opportunity . Delving into the mythology of Merlin (which is enormous in its own right), you follow Balthazar (Nick Cage), the last remaining apprentice of three, as he searches the globe and ages for the replacement for his master. Enter young physics geek Dave, who somehow shares a chromosome of DNA with Merlin and yet cannot even speak to blond and ever-clueless love interest Becky (Teresa Palmer). Once the “Prime Meridian” is found, Balthazar begins teaching Dave the magical ropes in a montage of flashy lightening, fire and explosions. But like with all things, there is a catch. The second of the three apprentices — Horvath (Alfred Molina) — has come to kill Balthazar before Dave can come to power and stop the rising tide of evil that is fast approaching.

uncomfortable was actually his greatest downfall; here the interruption of the occasional Cage joke, the CGI fireball, or the action sequence makes it acceptable. While the fighting sequences are nothing that would make you remember as you walk out, they are something to make you go “ooh” and “aah.” Paper dragons suddenly become real and a metal eagle takes flight and soars across New York City — all of it paints a very magical picture. Some of it isn’t really needed and almost none of makes sense, yet it incorporates a bit of scientific background to put pliability to the world of Merlin. It doesn’t all make sense, but it gives the illusion of working. In honesty, you can’t be hard on a

movie like this. Coming against something like “Inception,” one of the most talked about and original films to come out this year in the same week is a difficult challenge for any film to bear. Even a magician such as Merlin and his book of spells could never accomplish the feat, but “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” gives it a good try, without divulging too many of its secrets.

WILLIAM CASE -features staff writer -senior -English and theatre arts major

provoking and artful from page four

Nolan’s limitation to the film is his tense perception of how things should have played out. Bringing up several ideas — but not actually expanding on them — Noland’s need to let go of inhibition and create keep him from standing up beside the other head turners like Kubrick. Perhaps like Hitchcock, he was limited by his own ideas and forced himself down, rather than up. The difference is Hitchcock came back later to amaze us all. This doesn’t change facts that “Inception” is still a well-crafted and well designed film. It does what few

are really doing anymore in the industry and simply makes something up, wildly abandoning what others may think and doing what feels right. The only problem is that, like the memory right before you open your eyes, the best part is just out of reach.

9 FEATURES

G

page

WILLIAM CASE -features staff writer -senior -English and theatre arts major

While the fighting sequences are nothing that would make you remember as you walk out, they are something to make you go “ooh” and “aah.”

collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

Explained like this, it all sounds complicated and badly put together, and truthfully it would be if not for the extended run time and the stop-andgo explanation style. What makes this movie at all bearable is director Jon Turtletaub (“National Treasure”) splits up the explanation of lore and backstory just enough to not overwhelm or disinterest you. So while you wait, you’re kept amused by the antics of Bauchel, Cage and Molina. Where Cage is showing us his stoic “things to do “ face for the majority of the movie, Molina and Baruchel truly steal the show. Between Molina’s pompous bravado and Baruchel’s awkward imperfections it blends into a workable mix. Molina has the ability to turn any part that he is in into a likeable situation — be it Dr. Octopus from “Spiderman II” or the Bishop from “The Da Vinci Code.” Here with his driving need for vengeance and a keen sense of wit, he makes the perfect antagonist. Meanwhile, awkward Dave muddles about trying to learn magic, dragging his heels the whole way. Not being a character that wants to learn the art of Magic, Baruchel’s standoffish attitude toward life and characters in the film fit perfectly. While in his other pictures, his inability to “turn off” the


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collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

SPORTS

10

Twitter posts partly cause for UNC investigation J.P. GIGLIO mclatchy newspapers RALEIGH, N.C. — Before his Twitter account went dark, North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin posted more than 2,400 updates and built up a following of more than 1,800 people. The online account provided a social outlet for UNC’s gregarious football star, but his Twitter feed has been disabled since news broke Thursday of an NCAA inquiry into the Tar Heels’ football program. However, a cached version of Austin’s account, ANCHORMANAUSTIN, still exists on Google, with 36 pages of past posts and pictures. Austin’s Twitter posts offer a glimpse of his life off the field. However, it is not clear whether NCAA investigators were aware of Austin’s Twitter account before they started looking into UNC’s football program. The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer have confirmed that Austin was interviewed as part of an investigation into possible improper contact with sports agents. Tar Heels receiver Greg Little also was interviewed by the NCAA, his father said Tuesday. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Austin is a space-eating defensive tackle with an outgoing personality to match his oversized frame. He’s constantly talking, both on and off the field. Austin is one of at least 25 UNC football players with online accounts with Twitter, a social media site that allows users 140 characters to express them-

selves. Users can also post pictures — ANCHORMANAUSTIN featured at least 100 — as well as videos. Austin’s Twitter account was part diary, part personal message board for trash talk. Austin provided insight on everything in his life from the big (his decision to return to Chapel Hill for his senior season) to the small (his blood-pressure reading). Austin also used it as a forum to talk about trips to Washington, D.C. (his hometown) and his penchant for shopping sprees. “Jus got to DC an (sic) I’m feeln (sic) a shopn (sic) spree . . . nobody gon (sic) be fresh as ME!!!” Austin tweeted on April 23. In a May 8 Twitter post, ANCHORMANAUSTIN wrote, “Tables, bottles, beatiful (sic) people!!!!!! LIVE...” In the past four months, Austin posted pictures of a watch for his younger sister, a bag from an upscale sunglass store in Miami and a $143 bill from The Cheesecake Factory in Washington, D.C. Earlier this year, between Feb. 25 and March 8 (the exact date was not available on Google), Austin lamented his lack of income. “Im (sic) so tired of being broke . . . somebody make it rain . . . where is packman (sic) jones when u need em,” the ANCHORMANAUSTIN post said. (“Make it rain” is a euphemism for throwing money, typically single $1 bills, at dancers in an exotic club, a maneuver made notorious by former NFL player Adam “Pacman” Jones.)

The NCAA has been cracking down on illegal agent activity since announcing the punishment of Southern California in early June after it was determined that former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush received improper benefits from an agent. Austin could have left for the NFL after his junior season, which featured a career-best 42 tackles and four sacks, at UNC. Given a second-round grade by the NFL’s underclassmen advisory committee, he could have entered the draft and expected to receive a signing bonus of at least $900,000. He chose instead to return for his senior season, which is now in jeopardy if the NCAA finds he received improper benefits from an sports agent. Austin referenced money when he announced his decision return to UNC on Twitter on Jan. 1. “. . . yea I could go get paid but in some things it aint all about the money . . . I love carolina point blank!” he tweeted on New Year’s Day. The school sent out an official announcement three days later that a group of talented juniors with pro potential — Austin, Little, Deunta Williams, Kendric Burney, Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant — were all returning for the 2010 season. Kevin Best, the university spokesman for the UNC football team, declined to make Austin, or anyone from the football program, available for comment and referred all questions Tuesday to athletic director Dick

Baddour. Baddour declined to comment. Tar Heels coach Butch Davis has not spoken publicly on the matter yet but is scheduled to make a public appearance Thursday in Durham at the Pigskin Preview, an annual luncheon that brings together area Division I football coaches to talk about the upcoming season. The closest that anyone affiliated with UNC has come to publicly discussing the investigation in recent days occurred on the Twitter account of UNC quarterback T.J. Yates. Monday night on his account, Yates made a joking reference to the NCAA investigation of his team. Posting an update about a recent golf lesson he had, Yates ended the tweet with, “dont (sic) worry NCAA its (sic) ok we’ve got a prior relationship.” Citing unnamed sources, ESPN has reported that NCAA investigators are trying to determine who paid the transportation and lodging costs, among other expenses, for Austin, Little, South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders and other players to attend an agent’s party in Miami’s South Beach earlier this summer. Little and Saunders, whose father Barry Saunders is a metro columnist for The News & Observer, are both from Durham. In a May 29 Twitter post that went up at 3:07 a.m., Austin wrote, “I live In club LIV so I get the tenant rate. bottles comin (sic) like its giveaway,” a reference to a 30,000-square-foot night club at Miami Beach and champagne bottles. The post, however, is a direct quote from “Sweet Life,” a song by rap artist Rick Ross. Greg Little Sr. said Tuesday that he did not know if NCAA investigators had asked his son about a Miami trip. He said his son and Austin took a spring break trip to Miami in March.

“I gave him money for all of his expenses,” Greg Little Sr. said. Barry Saunders said Tuesday his son also was in Miami for spring break in March but added that his son did not travel with Austin and Little. The athletic department’s policy concerning the use of Twitter and social media is that the players are “responsible for what they post, the same way as if they’d said it at a press conference,” UNC spokesman Steve Kirschner said. Last month, three UNC basketball players — sophomores Dexter Strickland and John Henson and junior Larry Drew II — posted messages on their Twitter accounts suggesting that a Tar Heels coach told them they needed to tone down their Twitter messages because they were offending people. “They told me I gotta watch wat I say... so I’m sry if any of my tweets offended anybody that follows me,” Strickland posted on June 1. Austin often peppered his posts with profanity but typically tailored his good-natured comments with a humorous touch. Little Sr. said he has warned his son, who recently disabled his Twitter account, about sharing too much information online. Little had more than 1,400 followers and posted more than 1,700 updates on his account before taking it down. “I’ve told him that a million times. You can’t put everything you’re thinking and everything you’re doing out there,” Little Sr. said. One of Austin’s final missives on Twitter, on July 7, was an ambiguous reference to the end of his college career. “I freakn (sic) love chapel hill . . . I grind for that reason alone . . . its (sic) gone (sic) be a SAD day when I have to depart so imma (sic) enjoy everyday I get here!!!”


page 11

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collegiatetimes.com July 22, 2010

SPORTS

12

Former Tech athletes making news at pro level ALEX JACKSON sports editor DAVID CLOWNEY, WIDE RECEIVER Former Virginia Tech and current New York Jets wide receiver David Clowney is reaching out to children in Ghana, visiting the poor African nation this week with several of his Jets teammates. Clowney, who graduated from Tech in 2007, started making stops at children’s hospitals, schools, and orphanages on Monday and will spend the whole week giving back to the country. “We’ve got so many things that we’re going to do while we’re out there,” Clowney told The Associated Press on Saturday. “It’s going to be ridiculous. We’ll do some sightseeing, too, and checking out the area itself, but for the most part, it will be about the kids. We’re just going to try to help however we can.” The group of pros plan on setting up a football game in the capital city of Accra to teach the children American football. After his team nearly went to the Super Bowl last season, Clowney has spent the majority of his offseason doing charitable work around the globe. Stopping in Haiti in March, Clowney helped with relief and recovery efforts following the earthquake in January MICHAEL SHROYER/SPPS through musician Wyclef Jean’s charity, Yele Haiti. Former Tech hurdler Queen Harrison runs at a meet in March 2008. In Ghana, the receiver is reportLast week, Harrison was named a finalist for the Bowerman Award. edly bringing around 250 pounds of

children’s clothing with him and will also donate $1,000 to each hospital his group visits. “I’m super excited about it,” he said. “Just thinking about all the work we got done in Haiti in just those three days, I think we’re going to get an extreme amount of work done while trying to help the kids and families of Ghana.” Clowney reeled in 14 catches and a score last season, serving as the Jets’ backup wideout and role player on special teams. New York will need him more than ever this season, as the team’s star receiver Santonio Holmes, who is also headed to Ghana, will miss the first four games of the season after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. QUEEN HARRISON, HURDLER Tech hurdler Queen Harrison continues to earn national accolades over a month after graduating. The All-American and three-time NCAA champion found out last week that she is one of three female finalists for the Bowerman award, the highest honor given to collegiate track and field student-athletes. Recently, Harrison was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Female Track Performer of the Year and the Track and Field News Female College Athlete of the Year. Finishing off her illustrious collegiate career with a statement, Harrison won Tech’s first national title in women’s track and field in the 60meter hurdles event at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. In

June, she topped off her senior year by becoming the first female in NCAA history to win both the 100- and 400-meter hurdle national titles at the NCAA Outdoor Finals in Eugene, Ore. In doing so, she recorded the 2010 collegiate-best times in each event, and over the course of the season, Harrison went undefeated in every final of those events. Her accomplishments pit her against Iowa State’s Lisa Koll and the University of Texas El Paso’s Blessing Okagbare for the Bowerman Award. Koll is a distance runner, while Okagbare is a jumper. The Bowerman Award is named after legendary University of Oregon head track and field coach and cofounder of Nike, Bill Bowerman. Bowerman served as the team’s coach from 1949-72 and even after cofounding Nike, continued to remain active at the university and in the coaching world. Now that finalists for the award have been announced, The Bowerman Voters, a group of around 100 consisting of national and regional media personnel, track and field statisticians, administrators, and presidents will make their selections. The Voters will receive ballots listing each of the finalists and must rank them by first, second and third choice. The voting process will last a few months and on Dec. 15 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas, award winners will be announced. The three female and three male finalists will be invited to the presentation.


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