Tuesday, September 7, 2010 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Disappointment in D.C.

Broncos trample Hokies in close 33-30 victory

Follow www.collegiatetimes.com for full recap of the game and more photos MICHAEL MCDERMOTT / SPPS Tuesday, September 7, 2010

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

www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES check collegiatetimes.com/bestof to vote and enter to win an 8 GB iPod Touch

Music legends to transport Tech back to Motown

The price of friendship

MAJONI HARNAL features reporter

COURTESY ISAAC NAGLE

Tech students Isaac Nagle and joshua Ferrier sold these T-shirts to raise money to pay for their friend’s tuition to Bridgewater College.

TECH STUDENTS RAISE FUNDS, SEND BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE STUDENT BACK TO CLASSES THIS FALL SARAH WATSON news reporter While many Virginia Tech students worry about how they’re going to afford their own tuition bills, two went the extra mile to send a friend back to school this semester. Tech junors Isaac Nagle and Joshua Ferrier were able to raise $4,200 in four days to help their friend, Patrick Asconi, return to his junior year at Bridgewater College. The three Christiansburg natives and other friends sold shirts, asked for donations and established a Facebook group for Asconi. On Thursday, Aug. 26, Asconi received news that he was ineligible to

attend Bridgewater College unless a $4,200 tuition bill was paid by the following Monday. Asconi’s church was paying for one semester, but Asconi thought the church would be paying for the entire year. “I was freaking out and didn’t know what to do,” Asconi said. Asconi contacted Nagle that day. “I told Patrick to pray and make sure the Lord was calling him to Bridgewater,” Nagle said. Asconi called Nagle later that night assuring him that Bridgewater was where he was supposed to be, and the two met the next day to brainstorm. Nagle, Asconi, Ferrier and others began calling friends and family members to ask for donations. They

raised $700 in the first day. Most of the money collected was from friends, including Nagle, who sold his television for $100. “All my friends were awesome and selfless,” Asconi said. Later that evening, Asconi and his friends attended First Fridays in Christiansburg and asked for donations but only collected $50. They also decided to sell shirts through Marketing on Main Street in Christiansburg. They spent $200 of the money already raised and purchased 50 shirts, all of which were ready to be sold by the next day. On Saturday, Asconi, Nagle and friends visited the Tech campus to sell their shirts. They returned with only three shirts. “That’s the definition of the Hokie Nation,” Nagle said. “When somebody is in need, we take care of them.”

With only a day left to raise the money, the men decided to create a Facebook group called “I Sent ‘Sconi to School.” Most of the support came from a former professor at Tech, who wished to remain anonymous. One of Nagle’s friends told the former professor about Asconi’s predicament. The former professor called Asconi on Sunday and offered to match whatever the men had collected. By that point, the men had gathered approximately $2,100, half of what Asconi needed to attend Bridgewater the following Monday. The former professor provided the rest of Asconi’s funding as a loan. “It’s awesome to be back at school,” Asconi said. Asconi has applied for student loans and he plans to pay his benefactor see ASCONI / page two

Fighting Gravity electrifies America LIANA BAYNE associate news editor Fighting Gravity, the blacklight dance group made of Virginia Tech students who are all members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, will head to the final round of competition in NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” this week. The group has advanced through the competition since June and is now one of 10 acts competing in FILE / SPPS Las Vegas for the grand prize of $1 million.

Fighting Gravity performs in the 2009 AnchorSplash talent show.

107th year, issue 81

News, page 2

Features, page 5

Fighting Gravity began performing at AnchorSplash, a Greek life talent show, in spring 2009. Group members have been unavailable for media interviews since the beginning of the television program because of the live nature of the show. Viewers vote at home to decide which acts advance through the rounds of competition. New episodes of “America’s Got Talent” air on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. T-shirts are available at Fighting Gravity’s website, FightinGravity.com.

Opinions, page 3

Musical legends The Temptations and The Four Tops will be performing at Virginia Tech this week. These vocal powerhouses whose careers have spanned over five decades will be at Burruss Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 9. Rising to fame in the early 1960s and helping define a genre, the two groups have seen chart-topping songs, numerous awards and have set their legacies in musical history. Although they have had a revolving door of members and have dabbled in various genres over their half-century careers, The Temptations will probably be best remembered for songs like “My Girl” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”

“

It’s a once in a lifetime experience. SAMANTHA HOLDEN DIRECTOR OF THE LIVELY ARTS

Known for their precise choreography, immaculate outfits and distinct vocal skill, The Temptations have produced classics that have been sampled by other musicians from a range of genres including rock, pop and reggae. Like The Temptations, The Four Tops started in Detroit, Michigan, and have been making music since the 1950s. However, unlike The Temptations, The Four Tops featured the same four members from their inception until Lawrence Payton’s death in 1997. Their hits include, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There” among others. They, too, have consistently put out music since the group formed in high school. Both The Temptations and The Four Tops have had Billboard No. 1 singles, multiple Grammy Award wins, and have been inducted to both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Classifieds, page 4

check it out When: Thursday, Sept. 9. Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Where: Burruss Auditorium Price: $7 students, $20 general admission

Also, both groups are listed by Rolling Stone under the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time at numbers 67 and 79, respectively. The two groups only have one of their original members, Otis Williams in The Temptations, and Abdul Fakir in The Four Tops. The Temptations and The Four Tops began performing in the era of the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and the Miracles, cementing their legacies as Motown staples. Furthermore, both groups have not only been performing since the 1960s, they have been producing hits in their 50-plus years in the industry. The two groups have been touring the country and will be on the East Coast in September. The show is being hosted by Virginia Tech Union Lively Arts in its 2010-11 season, which highlights performances in different areas of the performing arts. Performances will include the Moscow Ballet, Second City Improv group, comedian Joan Rivers and the offBroadway musical “Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” Lively Arts aims to bring a variety of artistic performances to the Virginia Tech and New River Valley communities. The first of the series, however, will be the concert by Motown legends The Temptations and the Four Tops Samantha Holden, director of the Lively Arts and a senior psychology major, said that the concert is a bargain considering the big name performers and is definitely a mustsee. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience,” Holden said.

Sudoku, page 4

2 news

senior news editor: philipp kotlaba

september 7, 2010

[

nation & world headlines

]

associate news editors: liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

Touchdown in Blacksburg

[

nation & world headlines

]

Tropical Storm Hermine strengthens

Bad weather, quakes assault New Zealand

SAN FRANCISCO — Tropical Storm Hermine strengthened near the Gulf of Mexico Monday, raising concerns it could hamper oil-producing and refining areas. The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Baffin Bay in Texas. The center of the storm is expected to approach the coast of northeastern Mexico or southern Texas Monday night, and Hermine “could approach hurricane strength prior to landfall,” the center said. Hermine is about 205 miles south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, and has displayed maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, the center said. If it remains below hurricane strength, “then it poses little more than the threat of temporary disruption to (oil) refineries at Corpus Christi, Texas,” analysts at J.P. Morgan & Chase Co. said in a note Monday. Reformulated gasoline for October delivery ended down less than a penny at $1.92 a gallon Friday. Gasoline declined 1.6 percent last week. Markets are closed Monday in observance of Labor Day. At the pump Monday, prices averaged $2.683 a gallon for regular gasoline, according to travel and leisure group AAA. That compares with$2.584 a year ago. But the storm “highlights how rapidly new threats can appear now that we are approaching the peak of hurricane season,” analysts at J.P. Morgan said.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Gale force winds and heavy rain hampered clean-up operations Monday in Christchurch, New Zealand, as the city continued to be rocked by aftershocks in the wake of the weekend’s devastating 7.1-magnitude earthquake. Civil defense officials said winds felled power poles in outlying areas overnight, and 150 people were evacuated from a riverside holiday park threatened by floods after 200 millimeters (7.87 inches) of rain fell on the Southern Alps, raising river levels. Shops and offices in the city center remained closed, and the 50,000 commuters who usually work there stayed home after engineers warned of the continuing danger of falling debris and glass from damaged buildings. Officials said a 12-hour nighttime curfew would continue in the central business district, where at least 90 buildings were damaged, and soldiers began to replace exhausted police on cordon duty. All schools in the region were closed, no buses were running, and the city’s state of emergency was extended until at least noon Wednesday. Christchurch mayor Bob Parker repeated appeals to boil all drinking water after getting reports of outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the city and suburbs, where he said 360 fractures of water and sewage pipes had been identified. An estimated 60,000 homes were reported to remain without water and 10,000 had no power. At least 100,000 homes and more than 500 commercial buildings were damaged in the most devastating earthquake to hit a New Zealand city in nearly 90 years.

-claudia assis, mcclatchy newspapers

CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.

Hokie football fans who weren’t able to travel to FedEx Field in Washington, D.C., were still able to enjoy yesterday’s game in the company of other Blacksburg residents. Patrons of Hokie House on North Main Street celebrated a touchdown in the ﬁrst quarter. photo by rebecca fraenkel

Asconi: Students raise tuition money for friend from page one

back in full once he receives those loans. Now, Asconi and his friends are using the Facebook group to raise monetary donations and profits from T-shirts to help repay the former professor’s donation. All donations made through the Facebook group are processed through PayPal for security purposes. Ferrier, who runs his own business, is offering free technical support to people who contribute money, including three months of tech support to anyone donating at least $500. More information about Ferrier’s technical support company is available on his website, FerrierCS.

“

I’m very proud to say that I’m a Hokie after this. ISAAC NAGLE FRIEND OF PATRICK ASCONI

com. Asconi and his friends are accepting all contributions, but an $11 donation is asked for the T-shirts. They have ordered more shirts and plan to sell them on the Tech campus. In addition, Nagle said they plan to turn this project into a scholarship program in the near future. “I’m very proud to say that I’m a Hokie after this,” Nagle said.

COURTESY ISAAC NAGLE

Asconi (middle) poses with Tech students who bought shirts.

-david barber, mcclatchy newspapers

......radio for

everyone

opınıons 3

editor: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

september 7, 2010

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

Strict environment prevents harmless, youthful adventures K

ids these days just don’t play outside like they used to. They all have their video game machines and electronic gadget devices, all of this has made their brains so numb they just don’t go outside and play like they used to. It’s really upsetting. I remember back in my day we’d all get together and go swimming in the creek near the bike trail. We’d also wade across the river water up to our knees and play paintball on a river island. We claimed the island as our own; posting a flag and naming the land with the most politically incorrect of terms. Sometimes we’d camp on the island all night, making our own fires and having fun between paintball skirmishes. I remember one night two police officers made their way over to the island — getting wet in the process — concerned by the loud noises and fire smoke. I remember one of them had a huge smile on his face when he saw it was a bunch of kids playing paintball. He actually went so far as to hang out for a little while before heading back across the river, leaving us all to our games and fun. I was in sixth grade at the time. By the time I hit high school things started to change. A very similar incident involving playing paintball outside with friends left me and my good friend, Chris, in handcuffs. The officer in this case felt it was necessary to stop us hoodlums from having harmless fun too close to public woods. The creek where we used to swim now has a sign outlawing swimming. The lake near my house is no different, with harsher signs threatening legal penalties for swimming without lifeguard supervision. The island and surrounding woods near the river are now posted as state property. Those who enter will be prosecuted for trespassing. An abandoned baseball field nearby is no different — playing baseball there is now outlawed; allegedly because some kids have been using it at as trash area for their beer bottles and cigarette butts. Only in the small mind of a bureaucrat would it make sense to ban the use of a baseball field because a couple individuals littered on the property. The answer as to rather kids caught playing peacefully on the field will be prosecuted is sadly “yes.” This is about the time where some busybody type will point to the anecdotal evidence of the kids littering bottles and cigarettes as reasons why all the new restrictions I listed above exist. I wonder if this person would also discuss the corruption of the youth by technology; the dangers of after-school time spent glued to violent video games, with the game chat being the only social outlet. Kids are never going outside and having fun these days. They’re not having fun exploring or discovering adventures like those I had in my youth. Of course all this has to be blamed on things we didn’t have — new gadgets, entertainment and gizmos. All of this new stuff scares me. I don’t understand it or know how to use it. Therefore, it’s corrupting and changing the youth. That’s some fantastic logic we have

“

Only in the small mind of a bureaucrat would it make sense to ban the use of a baseball ﬁeld because a couple individuals littered on the property.

going there. It’s certainly the line of thinking a lot of our parents and grandparents used, even if they now won’t admit it. I would hope the cycle will break with this generation brought up in the information age — I’ll believe it when I see it. Maybe my generation will be more apt to understand that the problem with kids these days isn’t the kids themselves, nor is it the exiting new technology that changes the way we all communicate. My grandfather told me a story from his youth about the “Purple Hood Gang.” The story involves two clever kids from the neighborhood disguising themselves in purple masks to prank their friends. The mysterious “Purple Hood Gang” would be seen peeking over fences or showing up behind trees as other kids from the neighborhood played. Sightings of the mysterious “gang” were shared among the neighborhood kids for a long while. The two boys responsible for the hoax were double agents, often sharing stories of their own “sightings” and even going on hunts to find the elusive hooded pranksters. All I can think of whenever I hear the story is “this would absolutely not be possible today.” Not because kids lack the imagination, but because these little freaks wearing hoods and terrorizing the neighborhood would be sent to juvie. The way people look at things like this has changed. My grandfather tells the story with fondness, giving the “Purple Hood Gang” an almost supernatural appeal as he reminisces the tale. To him there was nothing sick or perverted about the story in the least. I wonder if the reaction you give to the island my friends, and I played paintball on involves the dangers of burning the island down. Perhaps your response to the no swimming signs by the lake and creek lists the dangers of drowning. Maybe even further, you agree that a public baseball field should be off limits. I wonder if this is the reaction my kids will have when I tell them fondly about my adventure stories. I imagine by the time they are born and playing indoors, the entire outside world will have extra rules and regulations that stifle childhood ambition and imagination in more ways than video games and television ever could. Kids these days are exactly the same as they always have been. Sadly, the world outside has become a very controlling place.

CHAD VAN ALSTIN -regular columnist -senior -communication major

Comprehending financial crisis key to students’ future M

idterm elections and Gallup polls aside, there is an important dialogue disturbingly absent from the dire economic climate we find ourselves in today: What happened during the financial crisis of 2008? Greed took over in the form of derivatives, the housing bubble burst, the risks taken on Wall Street were unprecedented, there were bailouts and some firms collapsed or were absorbed. These are the ambiguously labeled elements commonly mentioned when discussing the 2008 crisis that fail to tell the real story and only skim the surface of much larger problems at hand. By all measures, what happened during the crisis was catastrophic, and the repercussions we continue to see today are direct results. That being said, it is my opinion that the primary reasons we got into this mess are grossly over-simplified or mostly ignored. In many respects, this is not surprising. After all, there is a reason I’m not lecturing on the difference between a mortgage back security and a collateralized debt obligation is. It is utterly confusing, egregiously complicated and seemingly not very important to your daily life. This is where we, as college students, fall into the trap of ignorance. As ridiculous as it may sound, financial innovations such as mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligation have indirectly, through the interdependent financial system we live in, affected our tuition,

our ability to receive a loan, the possibility of getting a job, etc. Arguably, what happened before the recession and continues to happen now has and will alter our futures. So the question then becomes what can we do about it? My simple answer to this is learning from our mistakes. Look into what happened. Understand what money-making mechanisms were used on Wall Street and why, in fact, many of the firms were too big to fail. Read about the reasons for TARP or Wall Street bailouts and do your best to put aside your political ideologies — which often too easily distort the way you interpret facts. You’ll find that the problem does not simply fall on the liabilities of big investment banks or the government. Everyday consumers like us have obviously lost step with being able to balance our check books or understand what is affordable and what’s not. This is all the more reason to learn about the financial operations that affect all our lives. Little things such as sitting in on a finance class, looking up the countless number of books on this subject in the library and getting involved in financial literacy programs can all better inform you on one of the biggest issues facing our country. And while you may not be in the mood to turn on C-SPAN during the day to watch the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission hearings, go to YouTube and you can find a catalogue of reliable education videos dealing with the crisis in concise and easy to under-

“

Arguably, what happened before the recession and continues to happen now has and will alter our futures.

stand ways. There are definite problems with the way the financial industry operates and the inefficacy of financial regulators, but before you pick one side to argue for — more financial regulation or less financial regulation — try to begin understanding what agents are at play. You can’t begin to fix a problem until you know what it is and the problems seen in 2008 are far from gone. While a financial overhaul bill was passed in July, its efficacy remains to be seen and the debates spurred by the recession are far from over. As students, let us broaden our knowledge of how financial institutions and mechanisms work so we can later proceed from an intelligible debate to the seeds of a solution. Who knows, where you fall on the regulation debate might not be the end-all solution after you better comprehend the factors involved.

OWEN DAVIS -regular columnist -senior -political science major

Service with VT Engage starts on personal level W

ere you one of the thousands of people who traveled through the Squires parking lot, surrounding streets, and campus sidewalks last week for the third annual Gobblerfest and this year’s Seasons of Service kickoff? If you were, you no doubt took advantage of the countless freebies, coupons and food giveaways that flooded the streets. You also connected with fellow Hokies and the wonderful community members of Blacksburg, enjoyed the music and shared in the many exciting events sponsored by UUSA and the Gobblerfest team. Did you have an opportunity to visit the VT-Engage tent? This booth held the registration where 490 people signed up to volunteer their time for “32 for 32,” a student-led initiative where Hokies pledged 32 hours of community service in memory of the April 16, 2007, victims. Those service hours should be completed by April 16, thus demonstrating that Hokies truly do have a heart for service. If you have any doubts, look around campus for those who pledged more than 14,000 hours of service; they may be seen sporting their “Hokies have a Heart for Service” T-shirts. You may have also signed up for the “Fall Day of Service” on Saturday, Oct. 2, in the Squires Commonwealth Ballroom; a collaborative community-university project with Stop Hunger Now, a national non-profit

organization. If you are one of those people, then you already know that you will be a part of history, as you will be sharing in the packing of more than one million meals that will travel directly from Hokies to Haiti. It will be the second-largest packing exercise in the history of Stop Hunger Now. If you missed the Stop Hunger Now/Blacksburg United Methodist Church or VT-Engage booths, that’s not a problem. You can still participate in both events. The Fall Day of Service needs 2,000 volunteers to be successful in packaging all of the food and loading the entire 53-foot shipping container. Register in advance to be sure that you get the best time slot for your schedule. There are several packing times, as well as setup and cleanup events that will need willing workers. Bring your friends so you can all watch the Hokies face off with North Carolina State University on a big screen. If you’re not sure how you would like to help with the project, you can find more information and then register online by going to www.Engage. vt.edu/StopHungerNow. What do you mean you didn’t make it to Gobblerfest? Have no fear, VT-Engage is here. Simply go to Engage.vt.edu and log on to create a pledge of service hours. You can still participate in the “32 for 32” initiative as well. When you

have completed some of your hours, return to the page, and record your service. Any form of community service counts toward VT-Engage: class service requirements, sorority/fraternity/club volunteer activities, special church happenings and Seasons of Service events. If you want to talk about ideas or just meet some of the staff, visit us at The Center for Student Engagement and Community Partnerships. We are the force behind VT-Engage and the Seasons of Service events. Our role is to provide opportunities for students who have brilliant ideas, positive attitudes, strong work ethics and hearts for service. Follow us on Facebook and get updates about Seasons of Service, VTEngage and other projects and events. Visit our website, VTServes.vt.edu, and see what programs are available for you. Better yet, stop by our offices on the first floor of Litton-Reaves and see us in person. We will be happy to answer your questions and help you find a place where you can build a relationship with your school and community through service.

DIANA CAMPBELL -guest columnist -graduate student

we’re YOUR newspaper. send a letter to the editor and express your views.

send an e-mail to opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Peter Velz Managing Editors: Zach Crizer, Michael McDermott Public Editor: Justin Graves Senior News Editor: Philipp Kotlaba Associate News Editors: Liana Bayne, Gordon Block News Reporters: Claire Sanderson, Sarah Watson Features Editors: Lindsey Brookbank, Kim Walter Features Reporters: Matthew Borysewicz, Majoni Harnal, Mika Maloney Opinions Editors: Scott Masselli, Gabi Seltzer Sports Editors: Michael Bealey, Garrett Ripa Sports Reporters: Nick Cafferky, Alex Jackson, Courtney Lofgren, Ed Lupien, Josh Parcell, George Tillerson Public Information Director: Dishu Maheshwari Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Editors: Taylor Chakurda, Thandiwe Ogbonna, Spenser Snarr Layout Designers: Katie Biondo, Danielle Buynak, Nick Ferri, Josh Son, Victoria Zigadlo Illustrators: Candice Chu Online Director: Jamie Chung Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Sara Mitchell Business Manager: Luke Mason Lab Manager: Mark Umansky College Media Solutions Ad Director: Nik Bando Asst Ad Director: Brandon Collins Account Executives: Emily Africa, Matt Freedman, David George, Melanie Knoph, Hunter Loving, Inside Sales Manager: Wade Stephenson Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Diane Revalski Assistant Account Executives: Maddie Abram, Katie Berkel, Kaelynn Kurtz, Erin Shuba Creative Director: Chloé Skibba Asst Production Manager: Casey Stoneman Creative Services Staff: Katie Biondo, Colleen Hill, Jenn Le, Erin Weisiger 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. By submitting a letter, you hereby agree to not engage in online discussion through comments on the Collegiate Times Web site. 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 comprised of the opinions editor, 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 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, e-mail spps@vt.edu. The Collegiate Times is located in 365 Squires Student Center, Blacksburg, VA, 24061. (540) 231-9865. Fax (540) 2319151. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 academic year. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2010. 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.

september 7, 2010

page

Policies:

Place An Ad Today

CLASSIFIEDS WWW.COLLEGIATETIMES.COM 540.961.9860

Visit our business office at 618 N. Main St. 9am–5pm 9am 5pm Monday–Friday Monday Friday,, or place an ad online at collegiatetimes.com.

Deadline: Three business days prior to publication by 3PM.

Rates: Rates as low as 32¢ per word, contingent on the number of days to run. Prepaid. 15 word minimum. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

FREE CLASSIFIEDS FOR VT STUDENTS! students must come to 618 N Main ST to place the ad Childcare Tickets for Sale Tickets Wanted Volunteers

Sub-Lease Travel Rides Campus

Legal LEGAL TROUBLES? Call for Free Consultation with Attorney on Alcohol, Assault, Drug, Traffic Charges, and VT Student Conduct Referral. Joel S. Jackson, PC. www.joeljacksonpc.com. 540.961.5297

For Sale HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, WIGS, MAKEUP AND ACCESSORIES. SHOP EARLY AND BEAT THE CROWD. PARTY CENTRAL, 1701 S. MAIN (NEXT TO WENDY’S). 9531170 LIFE INSURANCE College Student’, Family’, Mortgage’, Business? You need life insurance. Low Rates! ’A’ rated cos. Insurance Agency with 30+ years experience. gweaver@aiobroker.com 703.222.1960

ACROSS 1 Candy in a collectible dispenser 4 Great time 9 Get to one’s feet 14 Prefix with friendly 15 Main blood line 16 No-no 17 Pi-sigma link 18 “Framed” toon in a 1988 film 20 Splendid display 22 Keystone lawman 23 Houston team that became the Tennessee Titans 24 Provide weapons for 26 Barn topper 27 Xerox product 32 Seaman’s pronoun 35 Heavenly rings 36 Toupee, slangily 37 Go through rehab, in a way 39 Face-to-face exam 40 Funny Philips 41 Pusher chaser 42 Label over, as with a new price 44 Pea holder 45 “Goosebumps” author R.L. 46 Magazine VIPs 47 In an awkward position 50 Popular jeans 51 About when the plane lands: Abbr. 52 More than dislike 55 PC alternative 57 Gyro bread 61 Like oysters in summer months 64 Nonstick cooking spray 65 College town near Bangor 66 Mission to remember 67 Corrida cheer 68 Lasso wielder 69 Mature, as fruit 70 TV-watching room

Textbooks for Sale Textbooks Wanted Lost & Found Help Wanted

Rides

WWW.THEKEYPLAY.COM Hokie Football Analysis, Perspective, Commentary and Community

FAT TAXI 540-999-TAXI Drivers wanted.

Travel

For Rent WEEKEND TH RENTAL 1 MI FROM VT Shenandoah Cir, $700/FRI-SUN, other opts. avail, (540) 951-2775 or (856) 9860362

Notices HEATING FUELS Best Price - Prompt Service We deliver to all of the New River Valley. Call BELL OIL COMPANY 540.381.1023 HONOR STUDENTS: Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society is seeking motivated students to establish a campus chapter. Contact: Director@PhiSigmaTheta.org

By David W. Cromer

DOWN 1 Criminal, to a cop 2 Cavern effect 3 Lens for closeups 4 Tap room 5 Kid’s cry before “No hands!” 6 Jason’s craft 7 Resign, with “down” 8 It paves the way 9 Discolored with a spill 10 Restaurant booth alternative 11 Parisian cleric 12 Blanc’s opposite 13 Kids’ book connectibles 19 Chestnut-colored horse 21 Bribe to a DJ 25 House divisions: Abbr. 26 Abe of “Barney Miller” 27 To-do list item 28 Propelled, as a dory 29 Land maps 30 Blintz relatives 31 Funny business

For Sale Events Health & Fitness Automotive

6/15/09 Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

32 Part of a flight between floors 33 Jazzy Lena 34 Do very well 38 Lure via a sting 43 Really likes 45 Made a lap 48 November honorees 49 Turn into 50 Sierra __: African republic 52 Entry point

6/15/09

53 Peseta replacer 54 Sporty auto roof 55 Niger neighbor 56 Quickly, in memos 58 Music-playing Apple 59 Narration 60 Worshiper’s “So be it!” 62 Musician’s asset 63 Sine qua __

GETTING COLD TIME to Plan your Spring Break 2010 Get Away! Learn how to travel to beautiful locations like Jamaica, Acapulco and the Bahamas on a party cruise. Find out what other Virginia Tech Hokies are headed to your destination. -Adrian Email: Awhite@Studentcity.com for more information

Personals ADOPTION Pregnant? Think about adoption as an option! Warm, loving nurse wishes to adopt a baby. I promise a lifetime of love, happiness and security. Contact Susanne anytime at 1-571-882-3533 www.babyloveva.com

Notices Wanted Musical Roommates

Greek Notes For Rent Personals Furniture for Sale

ADOPTION Pediatrician and hubby in northern Virginia wish to adopt newborn. Approved by licensed child-placing agency. Med/legal expenses. Loving home! Contact us toll free 1-866581-5494 www. EdandMargaretB. freehomepage.com

Help Wanted APPLY NOW! COLLEGE MEDIA SOLUTIONS The advertising agency for student media at Virginia Tech has immediate openings for the following positions: Account Executives and Creative Services Staff. Interested? Log on to www.collegemedia. com/join to apply! *****BARTENDING***** MAKE UP TO $300/ DAY. No Experience Necessary. Training Available. 1-800-965-6520 EXT210

Downtown Living South Main Living North Main Living Prices Fork Living

The Collegiate Times reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement it deems objectionable, at any time. No refunds are available. The advertiser assumes full responsibility for his or her advertisements and agrees to hold the Collegiate Times harmless for the content of all advertisements authorized for publication and any claims that made may be against the Collegiate Times. Any questions concerning ads, please call the Better Business Bureau at 1.800.533.5501. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at 1.800.669.9777.

Patrick Henry Living Christiansburg Living

september 7, 2010

page 4

Policies:

Place An Ad Today

CLASSIFIEDS WWW.COLLEGIATETIMES.COM 540.961.9860

Visit our business office at 618 N. Main St. 9am–5pm 9am 5pm Monday–Friday Monday Friday,, or place an ad online at collegiatetimes.com.

Deadline: Three business days prior to publication by 3PM.

Rates: Rates as low as 32¢ per word, contingent on the number of days to run. Prepaid. 15 word minimum. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

FREE CLASSIFIEDS FOR VT STUDENTS! students must come to 618 N Main ST to place the ad Childcare Tickets for Sale Tickets Wanted Volunteers

Sub-Lease Travel Rides Campus

Legal LEGAL TROUBLES?

Call for Free Consultation with Attorney on Alcohol, Assault, Drug, Traffic Charges, and VT Student Conduct Referral. Joel S. Jackson, PC. www.joeljacksonpc.com. 540.961.5297

Textbooks for Sale Textbooks Wanted Lost & Found Help Wanted

WWW.THEKEYPLAY.COM Hokie Football Analysis, Perspective, Commentary and Community

Rides FAT TAXI 540-999-TAXI Drivers wanted.

Travel

For Rent WEEKEND TH RENTAL 1 MI FROM VT Shenandoah Cir, $700/FRI-SUN, other opts. avail, (540) 951-2775 or (856) 9860362

By David W. Cromer

For Sale Events Health & Fitness Automotive

6/15/09 Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

32 Part of a flight between floors 33 Jazzy Lena 34 Do very well 38 Lure via a sting 43 Really likes 45 Made a lap 48 November honorees 49 Turn into 50 Sierra __: African republic 52 Entry point

6/15/09

53 Peseta replacer 54 Sporty auto roof 55 Niger neighbor 56 Quickly, in memos 58 Music-playing Apple 59 Narration 60 Worshiper’s “So be it!” 62 Musician’s asset 63 Sine qua __

Notices Wanted Musical Roommates

Greek Notes For Rent Personals Furniture for Sale

ADOPTION

Pediatrician and hubby in northern Virginia wish to adopt newborn. Approved by licensed child-placing agency. Med/legal expenses. Loving home! Contact us toll free 1-866581-5494 www. EdandMargaretB. freehomepage.com

Downtown Living South Main Living North Main Living Prices Fork Living

Patrick Henry Living Christiansburg Living

september 7, 2010

page 5

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Rapid fire

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

PICTIONARY FEATURING LEGOS, A MUSICAL WEB SERIES WITH NEIL PATRICK HARRIS AND CLIENTS FROM HELL

MATTHEW BORYSEWICZ -features reporter -senior -history major

reviews play

LEGO Contructionary

Admit it. College students faced with a handful of bricks on their desk feels the compulsion to build. Constructionary allows you to satisfy this urge in a socially acceptable setting. The idea is simple. Everyone knows how to play Pictionary; LEGO just took the idea into the third dimension. There is no board, and the precise rules of play are easy to adapt to make your own game, but the basic premise remains the same as Pictionary. One team member is assigned something to build, and the others must guess what it is. Points are given to the team that guesses theirs first. The addition of bricks to the game is a huge leap in creativity but can also be a roadblock for the imaginatively impaired. Anyone can draw a butterfly on paper, but exactly which bricks does one choose to craft it out of LEGOs? This aspect is what will separate those who love the game from those who simply tolerate it. A game can quickly turn sour if one side grew up pitting medieval LEGO pirates against LEGO space ninjas while the other was content with a Barbie dream house.

watch

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog

Joss Whedon has achieved cult-icon status among many of his fans. “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog” is a testament to Whedon’s humor and brilliance. The Sing-along blog actually started as a three part Web series created during the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike. The project was both a way to produce a film without violating the strike and a way of testing the waters with a professionally made film using Web distribution. Both were met with stunning success. Dr. Horrible is a three act miniseries that follows the aspiring super villain Billy (a.k.a. Dr. Horrible, played by Neil Patrick Harris) in his attempt to join the Evil League of Evil and win the love of his laundry day stalkee Penny (played by Felicia Day). Whedon fans will also recognize Captain Hammer, Dr. Horrible’s arch-nemesis, played by Nathan Fillion of “Firefly” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” The humor in the series is very dry and understated with just a hint of absurdity. For example, Dr. Horrible is friends with Moist, a villain who harnesses the power of moistness to — well he doesn’t really accomplish much but make Billy’s mail soggy. The musical numbers really take these gags to the next level. Billy sings about his love of Penny and how he longs for laundry days while Captain Hammer professes everyone can be a hero, just not a hero as suave and cool as he. Thankfully Dr. Horrible’s success has meant DVD distribution and can be found at most DVD retailers.

read

Clients from Hell (www.clientsfromhell.com)

Anyone who has worked in an industry where you must deal with customers will immediately appreciate the value of this website. Clients from Hell receives and posts short exchanges between employees and their clients. If you belong to the aforementioned demographic, you know what ensues. The website follows the submission format made popular by FMyLife, which means the entries may not necessarily be true. This doesn’t stop them from being hilarious. If you have ever experienced the exasperation resulting from daily encounters with the incompetent and lived to share the story, you will find hundreds of similar tales at this site.

Your mileage may vary but LEGO Constructionary gets four out of five “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog” Clients from Hell slips into the fourth bricks. receives a full five notes out of five. circle of hell out of five.

......radio for

everyone

6 arts & entertainment september 7, 2010

editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

Dangermufﬁn, fresh off national tours, to play in Blacksburg MIKA MALONEY features reporter

Southern rock band Dangermuffin looks to bring its signature mix of generes to Blacksburg with its show at Attitudes Bar and Cafe. The Charleston-based trio blends reggae, folk, blues, and rock to create a sound that can only be described as uniquely its own. The show in Blacksburg is a stop on the band’s larger countrywide tour to promote its newest album, “Moonscapes.” After playing in Floyd and several nearby venues, the band has quickly become popular in the area. Curious as to what these southern boys are all about, the Collegiate Times caught up with their lead singer Dan Lotti in anticipation for tonight’s show. COLLEGIATE TIMES: Your website says you play “sand-blasted roots rock with a sweet jam spread” can you elaborate on this and explain your sound? DAN LOTTI: What is at the core of

our music is roots rock, but we weave through different genres. We play a little blue grass, reggae, groove-oriented funk and jam styles, and we try to combine all these things. We live down in Folly Beach, S.C., and it’s this really laid-back beach community that has a lot of soul to it. What happens is, we have an old house right on the ocean and it gets into the songs. For “Moonscapes,” the idea came from when the tide goes way out on the beach and there’s all these craters on the sand. It’s as if at nighttime everything looks grey like the moon. CT: How long has the band been together, and how did you first get your start? LOTTI: I’ve been playing with Mike (Sivilli) for five years. We were doing an acoustic thing in Charleston and supporting ourselves like that. We had a drummer friend but we went our separate ways, and we started working with Steven (Sandifer) in the fall in 2008 and since then we’ve gone from a local band to a national band.

CT: Will your stop in Blacksburg be your first time in the area? LOTTI: We’ve played in Roanoke before, but never in Blacksburg. We just got back from two national tours this summer. We got back from Bellingham, Washington, which is just about as far as you can get from Folly Beach. We were recently in Colorado, the northwest and New York during the summer. We are doing just a little short regional touring this fall. CT: How does your latest album, “Moonscapes,” differ from your past two albums? LOTTI: The way that it is different mostly has to do with Steven, the drummer. This is our first album with him, and he puts all of his talent into the music. We did a lot of live shows and with Moonscapes we found our legs while we were playing. When we went to the studio to record we did 13 songs in five days. We know it, we know the tempos, and it was like bam, bam, bam. CT: How did you come up with the

name Dangermuffin? LOTTI: The name is mostly something that stuck with us over time. Mainly we wanted to remind ourselves not to take it all too seriously. It’s all just kind of ridiculous. CT: What is the best way for fans to listen to your music? Are you on iTunes, or do you have free sample downloads on your website? LOTTI: You can download all three albums on iTunes. Also you can hear us on the XM Radio station’s Outlaw Country and Jam On. We have a Facebook page we stay up with all the time with photos, and if you go to DangermuffinMusic. com you can listen to our songs there too. CT: What do you look forward to when you go on tour? LOTTI: The best part about the tours has been when we can spend a couple of days somewhere. Last weekend we did a festival in Michigan up by Lake COURTESY OF SYMBIOTIC MEDIA Superior. That’s the kind of stuff that Dangermufﬁ n is set to play at Attitudes Bar and Cafe today. matters.