Wednesday, September 22, 2010 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
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News, page 2
Food & Drink, page 5
LGBT campus climate reviewed
MAZIAR FAHANDEZH / SPPS
James Parrish, deputy director of Equality Virginia, talked to students Tuesday afternoon about the impact of supporting of LGBT issues.
VIRGINIA TECH CAMPUS RECEIVES STRONG REVIEW FROM VIRGINIA GAY ADVOCACY GROUP CLAIRE SANDERSON news reporter Virginia Tech’s campus climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students was under review Tuesday as advocacy group Equality Virginia stopped in Blacksburg to discuss campus policies. The stop was one of several in a statewide tour and the group had high praise for Tech’s LGBT community. “Virginia Tech, along with a couple of other state schools such as Mary Washington and George Mason, has one of the strongest LGBT student groups in the state,” said James Parrish, deputy director of Equality Virginia. “Blacksburg has a very strong LGBT community as well. It seems like a little spot of heaven.” LGBTA president Sara Brickman said Tech is “a lot more of a welcoming environment” than most expect. “But there are still issues, and coming out is still hard for many people,” Brickman said. Jean Elliott, co-chair of the LGBT Caucus at Tech and a spokesperson for the college of liberal arts and human sciences, agreed with Brickman that coming out is difficult. “I think we have a lot of work to do and I think that there are a lot of people who dare not come out; the fear is real,” Elliott said. “But I think there’s a welcoming climate here too.
I feel very comfortable. I’ve been here for 11 years and I came out when I got to campus. I’m so appreciative of the freedom that I feel here.” Tech earned 3.5 out of five stars in the Campus Climate Index, a ranking system developed by Campus Pride, a national LGBT organization. The index ranks college campuses on the quality of life provided for LGBT students and helps set standards for LGBT-friendly policies. Shane Windmeyer, co-founder and director of Campus Pride and an author on gay campus issues, said 3.5 stars is in the 60th percentile. “Virginia Tech, being in Virginia, is doing well. Virginia is a very conservative state politically,” Windmeyer said. “I’m very proud of the fact that Virginia Tech is doing so well, but there’s definitely room for improvement.” Tech’s lowest score in the index came in LGBT recruitment and retention efforts, with the university graded at two out of five stars. “It’s not just a matter of recruitment and retention of students, it’s about faculty and staff too,” Elliott said. “We recently lost a pair of researchers who brought in millions of dollars in research grants who moved back to Massachusetts so they could get married. That’s a huge loss to a university.” Tech scored a perfect five out of
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 6
Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
Wind power stands tall SARAH WATSON news reporter As part of Blacksburg’s sustainability week, the YMCA held a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday for Y Wind & Solar. The project consists of one 600watt wind turbine, one 160-watt wind turbine and 1050-watt solar panels that were added to the YMCA building. Y Wind & Solar is a joint effort between the YMCA, Virginia Tech and the Town of Blacksburg in the quest to become more sustainable. The goal of the project is to educate the public on wind and solar energy, provide courses to Tech students and create planning ordinances for wind and solar facilities, according to project manager Cortney Martin. Martin said funding for the project came from a $15,000 community action grant from Tech’s office of the vice president for research. This grant fully funded the project. “We want this to be the foundation for further grants and solar and wind energy,” Martin said. Don Leo, Tech’s associate dean for research and graduate studies, was the sponsor for the project. “This is one of the biggest successes that we’ve had,” Leo said. However, Martin does not believe that this could be a success without those that worked for and with the YMCA. Martin collaborated with Dave Dillard, fellow project leader and Gail Billingsley, executive director of the YMCA. They started the project in April 2009. “We want to lead the way, to be good citizens in Blacksburg and be as green as we can,” Billingsley said. Steve Gerus, president of Bell Electric, also worked with the YMCA on the project. The Y Wind & Solar was an extension of his personal venture with solar energy. Gerus and his wife installed solar panels on the roof of their house 28 years ago. According to Gerus, they have the lowest energy bill in their neighborhood and it has taken less than $100 to maintain. Gerus also added solar panels to Bell Electric in Blacksburg. Gerus challenged the governor and the citizens of Blacksburg to become more sustainable, starting with two basic
AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS
Monday’s unveiling of the Y Wind & Solar turbine came from a $15,000 grant from Virginia Tech’s office of the vice president for research. The YMCA wind turbine project was launched in 2009. steps. The first is an attempt to “green up” the building code, according to Gerus. Next, he asked all building owners to go to governmental agencies in search of low interest loans specific to alternative energy solutions. “A green building isn’t one thing, it is a lot of little things,” Gerus said. Mayor Ron Rordam and four other members of the Blacksburg Town Council were also present at the ribbon cutting. “This pilot program is going to do so much to help us reach our goals,” Rordam said. Rordam praised the YMCA and town council members who pushed this project along through code issues and other conflicts. Y Wind & Solar is one step in the process of becoming sustainable by 2050, a goal established by the town of Blacksburg. “We take what we’ve learned here and we move forward,” Rordam said. “We’ll reach our goals by 2050.”
AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS
The wind turbine project was a collaborative effort between the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, and the YMCA.
see LGBT/ page two
Former Tech Corps leaders downplay DADT ruling lineman Brown out for doping JAY SPEIDELL news staff writer
Virginia Tech ROTC officials are downplaying the impact of a recent court ruling declaring the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy unconstitutional. “We haven’t had any issues,” said Dan Kresge, unit admissions officer for Tech’s Air Force ROTC. Kresge said that students in the ROTC program are held to the same rules and regulations as any other military personnel, and that the recent court ruling had yet to have an effect. Members of the Corp of Cadets who are not in the ROTC program are not bound by the DADT policy, said Col. Rock Roszak, director of alumni relations for the corps. The non-ROTC cadets are governed by university policy rather than military guidelines.
Tech’s Principles of Community prohibit discrimination based on several categories, including sexual orientation. The DADT policy, enacted in 1993, allows for gay soldiers to serve, provided they do not engage in “homosexual conduct.” Additionally, soldiers entering the military are not asked about their sexual orientation. U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips of California, who presided over the case, ruled on Sept. 9 that the policy was unconstitutional because it was a violation of both free speech and due process. Tech cadets are unable to comment on the topic. However, Tech student Jeremy Andrews, a former Marine and a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance, said a soldier’s sexual orientation was “the last thing on almost everyone’s mind.” “Most of them and even some of the guys I served with say, ‘I don’t care, as long as they
can point a gun downrange and kill a person or cover my back, or do their job, that’s all that matters when crap is hitting the fan,’” Andrews said. Andrews, who is gay, said he left the Marines to pursue romantic relationships openly. He said without the support of his commanding officer, his departure would have most likely been listed as a dishonorable discharge. “My direct officer and my commanding officer were both very supportive,” Andrews said. “My commanding officer looked at me and said ‘There is nothing in your record that would state otherwise. I will do everything in my power to support an honorable discharge.’ And he did.” A move to end DADT stalled Tuesday, with the U.S. Senate failing to carry enough votes to advance a defense bill containing a conditional repeal of the policy.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LUKE MASON
MICHAEL BEALEY sports editor Former Virginia Tech offensive lineman Duane Brown will be suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. The Richmond, Va. native played four seasons for the Hokies from 2003-07 and started his career as a tight end. Brown was moved to offensive tackle two weeks BROWN prior to the opening game of the 2005 season against North Carolina State. He went on to earn second-team All-ACC honors in 2006 and 2007. Brown was selected in the firstround, 28th overall by the Houston Texans in the 2008 NFL Draft and started all 16 games as a rookie at left tackle. The following year he started all 16 games once again and protected quarterback Matt Schaub’s blind side as he threw for an NFL leading 4,770 yards.
The Texans started off the year with an upset win over the Indianapolis Colts and defeated the Washington Redskins in week 2.
quick hits -Houston Texans tackle -28th overall 2008 draft pick -started 34 games -Eligible to return Nov. 1 at Indianapolis Colts Against the Colts, Brown helped pave the way for running back Arian Foster as he gained a team record 231 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns. Sunday, Schaub threw for 497 yards as Houston’s offensive line figured out the aggressive blitzing of the Redskins. The Texans were already without the services of former Defensive Rookie of the Year linebacker Brian Cushing, who is currently serving a four game suspension for the same violation. According to ESPN, Brown will not appeal the league’s suspension and will be available Nov. 1 at Indianapolis.
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university editor: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
september 22, 2010
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Waynesboro teen gunman defended
Nine die in Tuesday helicopter crash
Called to protect his family Monday night, a 15-yearold boy fired shots at a man on the front porch just outside Waynesboro, his mother said Tuesday. “He told him to stop, he told him to stop, he told him to stop,” the mother said. referring to an exchange between her son and the man. “It still doesn’t feel like it really happened.” Augusta County sheriff’s deputies arrested the boy in the shooting of Gary Wayne Ralston, 54, of Waynesboro. Flown by rescue crews to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Ralston was in critical but stable condition Tuesday, authorities said. The News Virginian is identifying neither the mother nor the teen suspect to protect the teen’s identity. The boy is charged with malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. In a warrant affidavit filed in Augusta County Circuit Court, Inv. A.C. Powers said the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at about 11:30 p.m. for shots fired in the 200 block of Gravel Ridge Road, off U.S. 340 just north of Waynesboro. After Ralston threatened her earlier in the evening, the teen’s mother said, she handed her son a Ruger pistol and instructed him to “protect the family if and when Gary Ralston showed up,” according to civil court case records.
KABUL, Afghanistan _ Nine Western service members died Tuesday in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, making this the deadliest year for NATO in the nine-year war. Military officials did not immediately disclose the nationalities of the dead or say precisely where the crash happened. Two other Western troops _ an Afghan soldier and an American civilian _ were injured, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said in a statement. But an ISAF official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the crash took place in Zabul province, a Taliban stronghold. A provincial spokesman said the chopper went down in the Daichopan district. Combat deaths in June and July had spiked to the highest levels of the conflict. With Tuesday’s crash, according to icasualties.org, 529 members of the international force have been killed this year. The previous high was 2009, when 521 Western troops were killed, according to the website’s tally. The south is the most active battle front in the war, and it is the region where most American troops who arrived as part of the summer’s “surge” have been deployed. About 100,000 Americans are in Afghanistan now; they make up two-thirds of the Western force. The Western military said there were no reports of enemy fire in the area of the crash, which was the deadliest of the year. The incident was under investigation. Taliban fighters have been unable to shoot down Western helicopters in large numbers, but insurgent fire brought down a Canadian chopper last month in Kandahar province, injuring eight troops. Another helicopter was shot down in June in Helmand province, killing four Western troops.
chase purdy, mcclatchy newspapers
CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
Kyle Amonson, an MS-3 cadet majoring in marketing, takes aim with an M16A2 as part of “dime drills,” where a dime is placed on the muzzle of the shooter’s rifle to test if he or she flinches when pulling the trigger. The training exercise took place Tuesday. photo by daniel lin
LGBT: Tech praised for counseling from page one
five in the “LGBT Counseling and Health” category. William Lewis was just recently appointed vice president of diversity and inclusion, which is the top diversity position at Tech. Because he has only been here for about three weeks, Lewis said he is still learning about all of the different facets of diversity on campus. “It’s hard for me to say how the LGBT student, faculty and staff population experience Tech because I haven’t had much interaction,” Lewis said. While the Campus Climate Index is a good measure, Campus Pride’s website states that it is not a replacement for more holistic and focused research that should be done by each individual school.
Tech does not keep many records or statistics about the numbers of LGBT students, faculty or staff on campus. “We wish that there was a way to do that, but it’s hard to keep a record of something that’s not federally protected,” Elliott said. “There just isn’t a way to keep those kinds of statistics.” Tech does not collect or ask for any information about sexual orientation or gender expression from applicants, according to Amy Widner of undergraduate admissions. “They aren’t asked and I’m not sure how well they’d be answered on a form like that,” Elliott said. “At the same time, race and gender issues have come to a forefront in part because of quantitative data.” On the statewide level, Parrish said
questions about LGBT status were not explicitly asked on the 2000 census. The census instead asked whether people lived with a domestic partner. “A lot of people didn’t want that question on the census because not having those numbers is a way to deny the presence of LGBT people in Virginia,” Parrish said. However, more and more studies are being published and more information about LGBT issues continues to come out. Parrish said he was hopeful about the numbers that will come out of the 2010 census. Just last week, Campus Pride released a study of LGBT climate on campuses across the nation entitled “State of Higher Education for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People.” “It’s evident that discrimination
and harassment are still very pervasive on college campuses, and students of color who are also LGBT face even greater harassment,” Windmeyer said. The study reported 60 percent of LGBT respondents of color felt comfortable or very comfortable in their classes, compared with 65 percent of white respondents. Respondents to the study said they were also more likely to observe harassment than their white peers, however, white LGBT students were more likely to perceive harassment. “We plan to work on where the gaps are, but I just don’t know without looking at the numbers,” Lewis said. “But we believe in creating a space for every individual and group of individuals to find themselves and feel welcome,” Lewis said.
-laura king, mcclatchy newspapers
opınıons 3
editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 22, 2010
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Web fertile with ‘content farms’ s an Internet Age chalbut it has spawned Ia t’lenge, business model right out of the early Industrial Era, when cash-starved, cottagebased artisans were recruited to turn out product at cut rates for hungry consumer markets. Meet the so-called content farms. They’re the media’s newest and most prodigious over-achievers, the Sam’s Clubs of the online world — huge, cheap, tacky and popular. You’ve probably never heard of them, but if you spend time online you read their stuff all the time. A lot of it comes under the heading of “how to” or “10 hottest” or “tips for” or “best and worst,” the kind of superficially informative cud that neither you nor I nor anybody else can altogether resist chewing on. They’re basically brokerages that handle words and pictures. They hire writers and videographers, many of them skilled, young and desperate, to churn out thinly reported articles and films for stoop-labor pay. They re-calibrate their assignments continually to adjust to audience interest and advertiser preference. And they pour that inventory onto hundreds of online venues. Yahoo’s Associated Content and AOL’s seed.com have built content farm operations alongside their more traditional news and comment. Industry biggie Demand Media, which doesn’t do news, produced about 5,700 articles and videos in the second quarter of the year, according to a Wall Street Journal profile; that content appeared on YouTube, on a network of websites Demand owns — such as eHow.com, Livestrong and Pluck — and on 350 other websites including the San Francisco Chronicle’s and the National Football League’s. Content farms strive for the ultimate in customer-driven content. They gather the best available data about search engine queries, reader online selections, and the prices advertisers are paying for keywords, to come up with shimmering, road-tested, market-tuned content. “We are maniacally focused on giving users exactly what they want, where they want it,” Richard Rosenblatt, Demand’s founder and CEO, said in a 2009 interview. “We have algorithms that tell us what search visitors want. And algorithms that tell us what YouTube visitors prefer. And we’re working on new algorithms that tell us what social network users desire. And we’re pretty sure the needs of mobile users will be different than all of the above — so we’ll tune our approach for them too.” Demand uses 10,000 free-
lancers, and wages aren’t terrific. Wired magazine reported last year that writers were getting about $15 an article and film-makers $20 a clip; for copy editors it’s $3.50 per item. Demand makes money when readers click on the ads that run alongside the postings. Each click brings from 15 to 60 cents, which the company says it shares with its authors. It told BusinessWeek that editors and reporters can earn better than $3,000 a month. Still, that doesn’t buy much depth or imagination, and the content farms have taken some heat for cruddy content. AOL blogger Jeff Bercovici recently did a fine job cataloguing some of Demand’s more moronic articles, such as how to put on a Speedo, and how to calculate someone’s age if you know their date of birth. In fairness, a lot of the content is tasty enough, but you do have to wonder about the hidden costs of industrializing the production of such spurious facsimiles of expertise and saturating the Internet with them. It’s one thing to pay somebody 15 bucks to write out instructions on how to tie a bow-tie. But when Demand covers “How to begin raising smart kids” in 277 words, you can’t help but cringe. That’s because it reminds you how confining the whole enterprise really is: You’re not going to see “how to achieve social justice,” “saving the planet,” or “tips on end of life c are.” Commoditizing knowledge in this way means pandering to a public gaze that’s lowered onto the immediate, the popular, the quick and the sellable. Which makes the model a natural to extend from the distribution of loopy consumer tips to the news business. Enter Xinhua, China’s official news agency, which is embarking on a major global expansion to 6,000 journalists in 200 bureaus. That will make Xinhua a leading source of domestic news coverage for many of its host countries. Newsweek reports: “It might do for news what China’s state-run factories have done for tawdry baubles and cheap clothes: Take something that has become a commodity and foist it onto the world far more cheaply than anyone else can.” Low-cost, mass production, tailored to local taste: Sounds like content farming on a plantation scale.
EDWARD WASSERMAN -mcclatchy newspapers
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Humane society helping animals Brad Copenhaver paints a misleading and inaccurate picture of the work of The Humane Society of the United States in “Humane Society of the United States not helping your local animal shelter,” (CT, Sept. 14). The HSUS celebrates the human-animal bond, and provides direct care to more animals than any other animal welfare group in the nation, spending more than $20 million annually supporting local animal shelters and running our own hands-on animal care programs. We provide training programs for shelters, host the nation’s largest trade and educational show for shelter professionals, provide national shelter standards and support spay and neuter programs. We launched the first ever national advertising campaign to promote the adoption of shelter animals. We also have major advocacy campaigns to combat animal cruelty, factory farming, dogfighting and cockfighting, Canada’s notorious killing of
baby seals and large-scale puppy mills. We make no apologies for our efforts to stop these terrible abuses. When it comes to agriculture, we work to promote food safety and curb the worst factory farming abuses. We exposed the shocking abuse of dairy cows slaughtered for the National School Lunch Program. We campaign vigorously against inhumane slaughter practices and the confinement of veal calves, breeding sows and laying hens in crates and cages so small the animals can’t even turn around and stretch their limbs — practices that many farmers agree are abusive and unacceptable. We have collaborated with agricultural leaders and commodity groups in Ohio, Michigan, Maine and Colorado to phase out cruel confinement practices. Readers can go to humanesociety.org to learn more about our work.
Michael Markarian Chief Operating Officer The Humane Society of the United States
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, Cathleen Campbell, Josh Son, Victoria Zigadlo Illustrators: Candice Chu Online Director: Jamie Chung Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries
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Tech curriculum inhibits well-rounded education omewhere between majorrequired courses and the S Curriculum for Liberal Education, Virginia Tech dropped the ball and picked up a box. The current restrictions on most in-depth courses limit the pursuit of a well-rounded education, begging the question: What happened to the wellrounded education we, as students, are not only expected to get, but also want to get? Or does being a wellrounded individual and student lose all of its value after applying to and being accepted by colleges and universities? Education should be the focus of every college experience. Every student should have access to courses that provide more than just an introduction to a subject. The unfortunate reality is most courses are restricted to majors only, limiting and altogether stopping students from broadening their knowledge base. Every student has interests outside of his or her major — art, music, sports or some other subject. The ability to pursue subjects outside of our majors, and not only in the form of introductory courses, should not be limited or restricted. While an introductory course may appease some students, for others it simply whets the appetite for knowledge. Let’s face it — most introductory courses leave much to be desired. Between the mass of students passing through courses every semester and the compressed information that serves to educate, inform and inspire with little-to-no conversation or in-depth analysis of subject matter, introductory courses become a regurgitation of information rather than an absorption. Understandably, some courses are extremely difficult to get into because they are a major requirement, or simply popular. However, courses with open seats leave students who have an interest in the subject pining for a desk, but not willing to drop their cur-
rent studies to pursue a hobby. Tech’s method of creating a wellrounded educational experience seems to be the CLE requirements, or core requirements. The curriculum centers around seven areas, each of which focuses on a certain aspect of education. The problem with these areas, and the idea that they create a well-rounded education, is that each major has a way of implementing the CLE into its own check sheet. This not only defeats the purpose of the CLE, but returns students again and again to their majors, ultimately eliminating the idea of a well-rounded education. Described as a “vital component of undergraduate education” the CLE’s statement of purpose claims it seeks to empower students with a broad base of knowledge and transferable skills. Unfortunately, when the broad base of knowledge is derived from a set of classes from the same course of study, there is no change made to the knowledge base — in the sense of receiving a well-rounded education. Though some areas, such as human behavior, only apply to a select group of majors, most areas are completely covered by the major of your choice. In fact, it seems as though the major check sheets have adapted to fulfill all seven areas as requirements. This brings to mind the idea that we are moving away from the wellrounded mindset, and instead pursuing a honed education — lacking outside interests or hobbies, or worse, sacrificing outside interests. Transitioning from a time of renaissance-learning to a time of honed studies deprived of anything outside of your major is difficult, and I think uncalled for. If anything, students should be encouraged to pursue outside interests and find parallels between their hobbies and main studies. We are losing the diversity of the mind and gaining nothing. Creativity seems to be at an all-time low — mun-
dane and repetitive ideas have replaced the originality that stems from wellrounded individuals and society. Ironically we are all aware of classical figures that epitomized renaissancelearning. Michelangelo, Da Vinci, the fathers of the Renaissance, yet we have ceased to value their mindset — instead we value what they left for society, not how they came to create it. We are overdue for a modern rendition of the Vitruvian Man, a blend of science and art — necessity and desire. We should desire to be well rounded, while insisting to be educated. Demanding the opportunity to fully immerse our minds in subject matter that is completely irrelevant to our majors is not only necessary, but vital to the rebirth of a well-rounded and educated society. Just because the search for a college is over does not mean you should stop rounding your edges. If anything, it is the time to push yourself further outside of the box your major constricts you to, exploring what few courses you can before you hit the inevitable wall of course restrictions. For the time being, it appears that a well-rounded education is just an idea, not an actuality here at Tech. There are no in-depth courses outside of your major and not many CLE courses that your major does not conveniently fulfill. Perhaps eventually the CLE will satisfy the lofty goals of its mission statement, bringing the most important value that “new ideas and understandings are essential to progress,” back to the Tech curriculum.
SEAN SIMMONS -regular columnist -junior -English major
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HELP WANTED Yard work & house cleaning. Both jobs are about 1 mile from campus. Send info and phone number to reynoldsgb@comcast.net WORKING STUDENT position at HarmonyHills Equestrian Ctr. Feed, clean 3 stalls, tack room for lessons. 540-3570700.
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READ THE CT anywhere, even on the Drillfield.
ACROSS 1 Stringed instrument that may be taller than its player 5 Left the room 9 Defame in print 14 Chevy subcompact since 2004 15 Native Nebraskan 16 Slip away to tie the knot 17 Phone sounds 19 “Manhattan” director Woody 20 Mister Fixit 22 What you eat, to a dietitian 23 Canonized person 24 Gallery fare 26 Prefix with intellectual 30 Footwear often turned down at the ankle 36 Vicinity 37 Qatari chieftains 38 __ kwon do 39 Valued possession 40 It means nothing to a Nicaraguan 41 Tots’ furry sleeping companions 43 Totally soak 45 Sun. church delivery 46 Jazz combo rhythm providers 49 Ice cream treat 54 Hyannis Port site where the starts of 20-, 30- and 41-Across were often found 58 Skyscraper girder 59 Clan members 60 Hippo ending 61 Shave-haircut link 62 Like valuable stamps 63 Loudness units 64 Appear to be 65 Israeli airline
By James Sajdak
DOWN 1 Pilgrim to Mecca 2 Birdlike 3 Jerk or frown, e.g. 4 Gdansk dance 5 Low-frequency speakers 6 Italian volcano 7 Carols 8 Onetime Edison rival Nikola 9 Absorbs the lesson 10 Anxious 11 Like headline typefaces 12 Fencing sword 13 Camera’s focusing device 18 Hungarian dessert wines 21 Pointers 25 Shopper’s carryall 27 Bear, to Brutus 28 Bambi and kin 29 Cheerios grain 30 Give a little 31 Sharif of “Doctor Zhivago” 32 Wait 33 Nongeneric, as a drug
9/22/10 Tuesday’ s Puzzle Solved
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34 Gentleman’s opposite 35 Sneakers since 1916 39 Discourteously curt 41 Dull impact sound 42 Polite response to Mother 44 Heavy liqueurs 47 Breckinridge and Hess
8/30/10
48 Act division 50 Bête __ 51 David of the PGA 52 End of __ 53 Memorable ’50s lemon 54 Jokes with 55 River through Spain 56 Strip lighting 57 Quaint shoppe word
5 Boudreaux’s offers spicy sliver of Cajun cuisine september 22, 2010
editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
food & drink
food review
COLLEGIATETIMES
oudreaux’s provides a slice of LouisianaB inspired cooking with a thor-
oughly modern atmosphere, right in the heart of downtown Blacksburg. Located in the 200 block of North Main Street, Boudreaux’s has been serving up hot Cajun dishes for years. The menu lists many cuisines that will leave you yearning for the bayou. Most of the dishes are either seafood or chicken but if you’re feeling adventurous you can try bite-sized morsels of alligator for an appetizer. The menu is varied enough to cater to most tastes and covers most of your average seafood fares (crab, catfish, shrimp or oysters) and land-loving animals (burgers, chicken po’boys, or ham and turkey sandwiches). There is a variety of soups and salads, though if you are looking for a vegan-friendly menu, you’ll be restricted to the salads. The entree section of the menu is a little bit pricey for your average college student, starting at $15 for a Creole and peaking at $25 for the surf-and-turf. The sandwich selection, while much more economical at an average of $8 per dish, still contains enough variety and quality to satisfy and I did not feel like I was missing out on anything as I devoured my fried catfish po’boy. The cheesesteak my friend was so gracious to share with me did not disappoint either and was significantly more flavorful than what is found on campus.
Being someone who usually just orders a burger, regardless of dining establishment, I actually had a difficult time choosing which sandwich to order because so many of them were appealing. The beer menu is diverse. It isn’t the longest one in Blacksburg, but the beer snob in me was pleasantly surprised to see the list of 36 different beers. Quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality, but Boudreaux’s delivers with a range of beers from pale ales, pilsners and stouts to Belgian ales, hefeweizens and even a lambic. Boudreaux’s blends a thoroughly modern atmosphere with its spicy Cajun menu. If you’re tired of Blacksburg restaurants and bars that sport wood panel walls covered with tsotchkes, then you’ll be relieved by Boudreaux’s artistic interior and blue mood lights in the booths. During the warmer months, Boudreaux’s offers seating on the rooftop patio. With good weather this can be the perfect rendezvous for a date. If you like seafood, Cajun cooking or are looking for somewhere that serves weekend brunch, check out Boudreaux’s in downtown Blacksburg where you can find a meal that matches your palate without having to break your bank.
MATTHEW BORYSEWICZ -features reporter -senior -history major
BENJAMIN CHOI / SPPS
Boudreaux’s restaurant cooks up a variety of spicy Cajun-inspired dishes, including the fried catfish po’boy with seasoned chips meal.
Wine Cellars’ whites deemed Chefs face culinary challenge worthy, while reds disappoint at farmers market cook-off A
food review
fter an hour of driving along narrow winding country roads, through rolling farms and scattered forests, wine gurus are led to Bent Mountain, Va., home of the family-run AmRhein Wine Cellars. The winery is relatively new, with its first crush in 1999, but has risen in prestige during the last 10 years to win numerous awards for both its red and white wines. Turning into the hidden driveway, the initial view makes the winery feel disappointingly small, as the main area of planted grapevines disappears over a sloping hill. But walking up to the beautiful, modern tasting room and patio erases all doubts with a breathtaking view of the vineyard framed by the distant Blue Ridge Mountains. Inside the tasting room, high marble countertops, wrought iron chairs and MIKA MALONEY / COLLEGIATE TIMES a display of award-winning wine create Located among the Blue Ridge Mountains in Bent Mountain, AmRhein an elegant atmosphere. Large french doors open to the sizable outdoor ter- Wine Cellars, offers an array of red, white and late-harvest wines. race, which offers a collection of tables where visitors can sit, enjoy the scenery and eat a limited selection of appetizers. Wine tasters are offered a selection of eight of the vineyard’s 18 wines, which include a well-balanced choice of whites, reds and late-harvest wines. Beginning with the whites, the awardwinning Pinot Grigio was most notable. Its lemon and apple flavors combined with a hint of almond produce a crisp and refreshing taste. A close second, the Sauvignon Blanc, combines the traditional New Zealand style of wine production with the terrior of Virginia to produce a wine that is both dry and bold with hints of kiwi and citrus fruits. MIKA MALONEY / COLLEGIATE TIMES The Traminette warrants a mention Planted grapevines along a sloping hill add to the cellars’ scenery. for its pineapple and grapefruit flavors. The selection of reds, although just as extensive, was not as noteworthy. Vidal Blanc combined floral aromas countryside. Whether trying the selecThe Melange, with its rich texture and and tropical fruit flavors for an intense tions of wines, enjoying the patio view or walking through the vineyards, deep, dark fruit blend was enjoyable perfume-like sweetness. The staff at AmRhein was wonder- AmRhein represents the perfect place but not superb, as was the Petit Verdot Signature Wine, a full-body red with a fully knowledgeable and happy to for a relaxed yet cultured afternoon. black fruit blend. explain the finer nuances of each wine. To finish, the sweeter late harvest Winery tours and tastings are available MIKA wines offered a respite from the heavier Thursday through Monday 11 a.m. to 5 MALONEY reds. The Vin de Peche was excellent p.m. for $5, or free with the purchase of -features reporter and appropriate for a Virginia autumn a bottle of wine. AmRhein Wine Cellars offers a peace- -senior with its flavors reminiscent of a southern peach harvest. The Late-Harvest ful escape into the beautiful Virginia -Spanish major
MAJONI HARNAL features reporter Three local chefs will whip out their cooking gear and enter in a culinary duel this afternoon, which is sure to be a palette-pleaser. The Farmers Market Chef Roulette will be a cookery treat, taking place at the Blacksburg Farmers Market from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. this afternoon. The chefs will make three courses using only ingredients from the farmers market. The food will be put to the test, as there will be a free tasting provided to the spectators. “It’s more of a showcase than a competition,” said Ellen Stewart, farmers market director. The goal is to highlight the local food available in the community. Stewart said two of the chefs from last year’s event will be returning and a new vendor of the farmers market will be taking part as well. The event is a part of Sustainability Week at Virginia Tech, which aims to showcase and educate students and community members on sustainability, going green and eating local. First held in 2006 as Blacksburg’s “Environmental Awareness Week,” the town of Blacksburg eventually collaborated with Tech and has since put on its annual Sustainability Week. Mark Bratton, Randall Spencer and Judith Buccina are the three chefs who will whip up some delicious items in today’s event. Each will fix a different course — appetizer, entree and dessert — to do their part to highlight the message of eating local. Spencer, chef and owner of Blue Ridge Mountain Catering, will tackle the appetizer. BRM Catering provides cuisine for a variety of occasions, ranging from weddings and large social events, to an in-home meal service. Spencer’s experience with his company will no doubt help him in Wednesday’s events, as BRM Catering tries to use fresh ingredients as often as possible.
Spencer already has knowledge of what local produce options he has and what he can make from them. Bratton, executive chef at West End Market, will make a grassfed sirloin or loin cut beef entree. Bratton, though unable to scope out Saturday’s market for ingredient choices, hopes to find “yummy local vegetables.” This will be Bratton’s second time participating in the event and first time doing the entree. Bratton said he is excited to participate in this week’s event again. “It’s a really good, fun thing to get involved in the community,” Bratton said. “It’s a responsibility as a chef to be active in the community.” Bratton explained that he is a great supporter of local things and thinks the farmers market is a wonderful local resource. Last year, Bratton took care of the dessert course, sticking it out through the rain. Rounding off the trio is Buccina, a trained pastry chef. An Orlando Culinary Association graduate, Buccina specialized in Le Cordon Bleu patisserie and baking, bringing a skilled hand to the dessert dish.
[
Farmers Market Chef Roulette
]
WHEN: 3 p.m.- 6 p.m. WHERE: Blacksburg Farmers Market WHO: Mark Bratton, Randall Spencer and Judith Buccina
She built up her experience as the chef in charge of dessert at Palisades, a local New River Valley restaurant. Buccina is a not only participating in this event, but she is also a vendor at the farmers market. Her knowledge of the local food scene is likely to give her a good idea of what ingredients are available to her to create something to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. Denny Cochrane, Tech’s sustainability program manager, calls the event a staple of Sustainability Week. “It’s one of the main events of the week,” Cochrane said, explaining that it always draws a crowd.
Mom wants you to be in the yearbook.
Do it for Mom.
6 sports
editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 22, 2010
Men’s soccer ties Clemson, to play at NC State Saturday COURTNEY LOFGREN sports reporter In its home and Atlantic Coast Conference opener, the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team needed two overtimes to finish in a 1-1 tie with Clemson Friday at Thompson Field. Although the Hokies did not get the win, head coach Mike Brizendine said the most important thing is the team earned a point in the conference standings, which will be beneficial for the team down the road. “It’s a good result, anytime you get a point in the ACC,” Brizendine said. “We’ll take the point and continue building. The thing I’m probably most excited about is it was the best performance we put together all season. And as we’re trying to build that’s the goal — to always get better.” Tech made the first move in the match when midfielder Clarke Bentley, a senior and co-captain this season, scored his first goal of the year in the 19th minute of the game off a penalty kick. “It was great,” Bentley said. “Last year I scored against Clemson for my first goal
of the season. Me and some of the guys were joking earlier that the last two years I’ve only scored in ACC play and we were like ‘Hey why not score tonight?’ Obviously we want to come out on home field and score the first goal.” Bentley has played particularly well against Clemson. He grew up playing on travel teams with many current Clemson players in Marietta, Ga. “Some of those guys I’ve been playing club soccer with for 10 or 11 years, so I’m pretty close with most of them,” Bentley said. “It’s weird, maybe that’s why I always end up beating up on them. For the last two years my best games have been against Clemson. Maybe it’s because I have a little more fire to beat these guys.” Clemson midfielder Riley Sumpter scored the equalizer just before halftime, dealing a blow to the Hokies defense. “We were a little taken aback,” Bentley said. “That was their third shot on goal I think, and that was their first one on target. It was a little bit startling to us. Especially because it seemed like we dropped off almost a bit the last 10 minutes of the half as if we were saying
‘Okay let’s go up one-nil at the half.’” The Hokies had opportunities against Clemson, taking 17 shots on goal, but were restricted to Bentley’s lone score. In the goal for the Hokies was keeper Kyle Renfro, a freshman, who made three saves while allowing only one goal in his first taste of ACC soccer. “He’s a good kid,” Brizendine said. “He’s going to be a very good player for us. We’re excited about his future.” Renfro, who grew up 90 minutes from Blacksburg in Forest, Va., settled down after making his first save of the game. “I was a little nervous before the game, but once I touched the ball everything slowed down a bit,” Renfro said. The Hokies’ next ACC game will be at NC State Saturday. That game will serve as a measuring stick to see how the team responds in its next conference battle. Brizendine, however, thinks the squad will respond well because of the progress it has made in the first six games of the season. “We have great kids, so it’s progressing well,” Brizendine said. “One, because it’s fun to be around them. And we’re getting better and it’s not just me seeing it,
LUKE MASON / SPPS
Senior captain Clarke Bentley attempts to evade Clemson defenders in Friday night’s 1-1 stalemate at Thompson Field. He scored the Hokies’ only goal on a penalty kick in the first half of a 2OT game. the guys are seeing it. They believe it.” Bentley agreed, citing the game as an important stepping-stone for the young team the Hokies have this year. “This is a very crucial game every year,”
Bentley said. “When you come out and your first game is against Clemson, who hasn’t been at the top of the ACC the last few years, you want to get a result. Last year we beat Clemson and then the next
week turned around and beat NC State. The thing that we have to stay positive about is we didn’t lose and it was good for the fans to come out and see that we can compete in the ACC.”
Tech volleyball shows promise with strong 10-1 start to season GEORGE TILLERSON sports reporter Virginia Tech’s volleyball team continued its early season success by going undefeated for the third weekend in a row in the Cavalier Invitational at the University of Virginia. The two wins, over in-state rival Virginia and Towson, propelled the Hokies to their second consecutive 101 start. “This year is different, and the team is different and we started out well last year, but we’ve played much tougher competition this year,” said Chris Riley, head coach. “We are more consistent with what we’re trying to do, so I am pretty happy where we are now. We’re a better team this year than last year.” In the first match against UVa (5-5, 0-1 ACC), the Hokies rallied from a 2-1 deficit to eventually win the match in five sets. The victory was Tech’s first over the Cavaliers in Charlottesville since Sept. 1, 1992, and its 600th win in program history. The first set was close throughout, with 10 ties and four lead changes, until the Hokies went on a six-point streak to take the lead 22-16, eventually going on to nab the set 25-19. The Cavaliers responded in the second set by jumping out to an early 11-4 lead. UVa never trailed, holding the Hokies to 14 points en route to a 25-14 win. UVa kept the momentum, going on a scoring tear in the third set after an initial 13-13 draw. The Cavaliers scored seven straight points and never looked back as they won the set 25-16. The Hokies took an early 14-11 lead in the fourth set, increasing it to 21-17. Tech won the set, tying the match at two with a 25-20 victory. Outside hitter Jennifer Wiker carried the Hokies in the tiebreaker set, racking up five kills to lead Tech to a 15-13 win. Wiker led the match with a career-high 21 kills, the most for the Hokies since senior Felicia Willoughby notched 21 against Duke last year. In their second match of the weekend, the Hokies had an easy sweep of the Towson Tigers 25-20, 25-18, 25-13. Last year, the Hokies’ first loss occurred against UVa and their preseason tournament schedule was not nearly as tough as it was this year. Getting tested early is necessary in a tough league like the ACC. The Hokies know their success in preseason tournaments will help prepare them for the conference season.
PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
Cara Baarendse goes up for a kill in the win against Jacksonville State. “We played some really tough competition in the offseason,” Wiker said. “So we know what we need to do and how to play. We know how we need to play in order to win against those tough teams.” The biggest concerns coming into this season were reducing errors and playing better on the road. The Hokies have made strides with the latter, as they already have two road wins under their belts against Western Kentucky and UVa. However, their success on the road will be tested this weekend when they travel to Florida to face ACC foes Miami and Florida State. “It’s as important as any other ACC road game; it’s no different, but they are just two of the better teams in the conference right now,” Riley said. “They are both ranked in the top 30, so they are both pretty good. For us, the key is that we can serve and serve receive a little bit cleaner than where we have been.”
During last year’s road trip to Florida, the Hokies lost to Florida State, but managed to squeak out a 3-2 victory against Miami. However, they lost to Miami 3-0 when the Hurricanes made a return trip to Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies had trouble beating teams twice last year. Tech beat North Carolina, Clemson and Georgia Tech in each of the first meetings, but it did not manage to win any of the rematches. In order for Tech to be an ACC title contender, it must beat teams twice in the same year. “We need to be able to adjust better in the second round this year,” said Justine Record, a junior outside hitter. This weekend in Florida will give a good indication of just how good the Hokies are. “I think this year we are getting better at taking one game at a time and focusing on who we’re playing next,” Record said. “We’re not worrying about winning or losing; we’re worrying about what we have to do in order win.