Defense lifts Tech to ACC win
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ALEX TRAUTWIG / THE HEIGHTS
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
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Student dies after falling from balcony LIANA BAYNE associate news editor An apparent accident at the Whipple Drive apartment complex brought one Virginia Tech student’s life to a tragic end Saturday night. Tech sophomore David Gayle fell from a third-floor balcony while attending a party in the 1711 building of Whipple Drive apartments. He was pronounced dead at the Montgomery Regional Hospital later that night. Gayle, a sophomore political science major from Norfolk, was not a resident of 1711 Whipple Drive. Multiple residents confirmed a party took place Saturday night on the third floor. The buildGAYLE ing houses apartments 13 to 24. The Blacksburg Police Department is still investigating the incident and was unable to be reached for comment on Monday afternoon. A Blacksburg Police press release Sunday morning said an autopsy would be performed beginning on Monday. University officials confirmed Gayle’s death on Monday morning and offered condolences to his family. Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski characterized the incident as a “horribly sad occurrence.” “Our hearts go out to his family and friends,” he said. Gayle’s Facebook page reflected a young man who was cherished by his friends and had close ties to both the Tech community and his home in Norfolk. Gayle was a graduate of Norfolk Collegiate School, where he was a member of the school’s lacrosse team. “David’s connections to Norfolk Collegiate School are strong,” an e-mail statement from the school said. “This loss is having far reaching consequences on our closely knit
DANIEL LIN / SPPS
David Gayle, 19, attended a party on Saturday night in this building on Whipple Drive. Gayle’s fall from the third floor balcony was reported around 11:15 p.m. that night. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Montgomery Regional Hospital. community. We are respecting the family’s wishes to allow our community to mourn privately.” Though the circumstances of Gayle’s death are still somewhat unclear, a bystander who attempted to help Gayle before police and res-
cue personnel arrived on the scene Saturday night helped piece together the events that transpired immediately after Gayle’s fall. Tech sophomore Michael Smith was at a friend’s nearby residence Saturday night.
Then, “people came running down the stairs,” Smith said. “We heard someone say, ‘He fell.’” Although “one guy out front said, ‘He’s OK,’” Smith said he decided to go around to the back of the apartment building and take a
look. He used his training as a lifeguard and certified CPR and AED instructor in an attempt to help Gayle. Smith saw “a guy laying on the ground and people standing around him, some of them were crying.” He began performing routine checks. After Gayle didn’t respond to Smith’s tap on the shoulder, Smith performed further checks and found Gayle had a faint pulse and shallow breathing. Then, a Blacksburg Police Department officer arrived. Smith said “the cop was talking to him and checked his pulse.” At that time, Smith said, Gayle’s pulse was still weak but beating. A few moments later, Blacksburg Rescue arrived on scene. “When EMS arrived, he had no pulse,” Smith said. Rescue squad members, aided by Smith, then proceeded to give Gayle two shocks using an AED after placing him in a spinal collar. They then placed Gayle on a backboard and took him away in an ambulance. Smith said he could not assess the atmosphere of the party before he arrived. However, “by the time cops got there, everyone had fled,” he said. “A couple people stayed with him, they knew him personally,” Smith said. Smith said one witness told rescue squad members Gayle had been trying to get on the roof. That claim has not yet been confirmed or denied. There has also not yet been information released about the potential involvement of alcohol in Gayle’s fall. Owczarski said Monday afternoon the university had not been notified of any plans for a memorial service. He said Tech would work with Gayle’s family to determine its wishes.
Chipotle to open next Tuesday, stimulate area business KATIE NOLAND news staff writer With construction wrapped up, Mexican eatery Chipotle is set to open in a week. Next Tuesday, Oct. 5, burritos, burrito bowls and lime flavored chips will be available when Chipotle opens at 11 a.m. The opening comes after several months of delay. Although contstruction from the ongoing North Main Street improvement project partially obscures the front of the restaurant, Chipotle officials are not concerned that construction will have a negative effect on opening day. Chipotle spokeswoman Katherine Smith said the chain has always had a large fan base. “It’s all about what we do and the way we do it,” Smith said. “We just want to serve good food.” Smith said she believes Chipotle will be good for local business and will work with others in a cluster effect by drawing people not just to the new restaurant, but to all businesses in the area. Moe’s, Chipotle’s rival across North Main Street, declined to comment.
The bigger concern for most businesses downtown is not competition from the new restaurant, but the ongoing construction and lack of parking. The parking lot directly behind Chipotle holds 20 spots. “There’s nowhere to park,” said Shanna Lucas, a hairdresser at Joe’s Barber and Styling. “People think we’re closed.” Lucas said she was looking forward to Chipotle opening adjacent to her business. “The more foot traffic, the more people that’ll see us,” she said. Although Smith said she didn’t perceive the construction downtown as an issue, Kevin Long, manager of The Cellar, disagrees. Long said he felt construction has negatively impacted business over the past few months. “A lot of people are trying to avoid traffic,” Long said. Local business owners are encouraging residents to go look past the construction. “Disruption in business is an inconvenience,” said Sue Drzal, Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. spokeswoman. “I hope that locals see this (Chipotle) and go out of their way to support businesses.” Brian Gallimore, a barber at Modern
Barber Shop, said he is looking forward to Chipotle’s opening, saying the new eatery will be “good for customers and employees.” Long said Chipotle could have a positive affect on his business as well. “It will be a good addition to the neighborhood,” he said. Downtown businesses can look forward to the end of the current phase of the Main Street Improvement Project in December. The next phase of construction will move across Main Street and reopen a larger sidewalk. Drzal said Chipotle might suffer from the construction, but not for long. “Downtown has been through this before,” she said. “In the end, the improvements are well worth the struggle.” Smith said Chipotle is excited to be a part of the Blacksburg community and plans to involve itself with fundraising events sponsored by Virginia Tech clubs and organizations. Chipotle is also attempting to reach out to the Tech community by having the Hokie Passport as an option of payment. If it is not available on opening day, store managers hope the option will be available within two weeks. Chipotle will be open between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. on its opening day.
MARK UMANSKY / SPPS
After months of anticipation, Chipotle’s North Main Street location is set to open next Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Tell us what you think: Get free stuff and meet the CT staff today from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at GLC Plaza.
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editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 28, 2010
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BlackBerry debuts new PlayBook tablet SAN FRANCISCO — Research In Motion Ltd. lifted the wraps Monday on a new touchscreen tablet device called the BlackBerry PlayBook, making it the latest wireless device maker to break into the new market. At its annual DevCon conference in San Francisco, RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis billed the PlayBook as “the first enterprise-ready tablet.” He said the tablet is designed to “amplify” the experience of the company’s BlackBerry smart phones, which can pair with the tablet through a Bluetooth connection. “This will enable a new world of computing that you can hold in the palm of your hand,” Lazaridis said during a keynote address Monday afternoon. No price was given for the device. RIM said it expects to launch the PlayBook in the U.S. sometime in early 2011, while other markets are expected to be added during the second calendar quarter. RIM was widely expected to announce a tablet after a leak in the Wall Street Journal last week. The tablet market is currently ruled by the iPad from Apple Inc. More than 3.3 million iPads were sold in the June quarter following its launch in early April. Other PC and electronics makers such as Dell, Samsung,HewlettPackard and Asus have announced tablet devices. -dan gallagher, mcclatchy newspapers
CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
Women’s soccer falls flat over weekend NICK CAFFERKY sports reporter
Entering the season, the Virginia Tech women’s soccer team was ranked No. 15 in the nation and received more hype than it ever had before. The hype was warranted too — the team returned its top three scorers and its entire defensive line. However, just four days into the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule, the Hokies are learning there is more to success than relying on hype built from the year before. The first signs of trouble for the Hokies came early in the season, when a road trip to No. 11 Texas A&M resulted in a dud. Tech lost 5-3 and then followed that up with a 2-1 loss to Long Beach State. Tech lost once more to Kentucky before appearing to rebound — winning four straight games to end non-conference play. The problem is that in soccer, the ACC isn’t just another conference — it is by far the best. The ACC has six teams ranked in the top 15 nationally and an defeated North Carolina team that received all 33 first-place votes in the polls last week. The Hokies found out firsthand the differences in the levels of competition within the ACC. They were dominated 3-0 at home by rival Virginia Thursday and then had to travel to UNC just three days later, only to lose 2-1 despite jumping out to an early one-goal lead. While it is true that facing the No. 11 and No. 1 teams in the nation was a tough task to start conference play, the schedule doesn’t get easier for Tech. The Hokies were supposed to be part of formidable corps of teams in the ACC – not struggle against them. Tech’s biggest problem has been its inability to get good shots in scoring opportunities. In fact, just 47.8 percent of all the Hokies’ shots are considered shots on goal, which is significantly less than the 60 percent their opponents are averaging. This issue could be seen in full view on Thursday, when Tech had three golden opportunities to score in the first 20 minutes, only to miss on all three chances. If Tech scores on two of those chances, the whole dynamic of the game changes. UVa has to try and
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Robot to assist dementia patients
AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS
Hokies forward Marika Gray advances the ball past UVa defender Morgan Stith during Tech’s loss. force the action a little more, and the Hokies have all of the momentum in front of their home crowd. The Hokies schedule doesn’t exactly get easier. Their next two opponents, Maryland and Boston College, are ranked in the top 10 and their remaining eight games are all within the ACC. That marks the first time since joining the ACC the Hokies don’t
have a non-conference game to break up their ACC schedule, and perhaps give them a break from the intense grind that comes with it. Because of the way they have played in the first two conference games, a break from conference play could be a good thing. Overall, there is still a lot of soccer to play and with the tough
schedule comes many opportunities to prove the hype wasn’t unwarranted. Head coach Kelly Cagle is convinced her team learns a little more each game and is close to being right there with the likes of UNC and UVa. Nonetheless, the Hokies better get to that point soon, or the season could be over before they realize it.
TOKYO — Scientists in Japan have developed a robot that can aid people with mild dementia by giving verbal reminders about things such as appointments and taking medicine. The robot was developed by the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, the University of Tokyo and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, officials said Friday. They plan to have it ready for use in five years. The machine is based on a cylindrical-shaped robot about 40 centimeters tall (about 1 foot, 4 inches) and weighing five kilograms (2.2 pounds) that was produced by NEC Corp. The team adapted the robot to serve dementia patients by installing a new conversation program. The robot can recognize its “master’s” face and voice, and speaks according to a specified schedule. It calls its master by saying his or her name and gives reminders such as, “Today is the day you go to the day-service center, isn’t it?” or, “The person coming to pick you up will be here soon. Why don’t you use the bathroom?” If the robot hears the doorbell, it is able to alert its master. If there is no response, the robot repeats the phrase and tries to get its master’s attention by saying, “Did you understand?” The team asked five women living in a nursing home to use the robot for a five-day trial. They responded well to the device, according to the developer. -yomiuri shimbun, mcclatchy newspapers
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editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 28, 2010
Cyclists should be wary of road hazards here are a lot of people around Virginia Tech who ride bicycles T to and from class. The majority of the time it is because their class is on the other side of campus and they need to make it there the quickest way possible; that is understandable. However, I can not excuse the blatant abuse of traffic laws so many riders are guilty of. What I don’t understand is why cyclists ride in the middle of the road, when there is a bike lane made specifically for them. Cyclists are considered to be vehicles when riding on the road and they should follow the rules accordingly. Nothing is more frustrating than driving to campus or around Blacksburg and getting stuck behind a cyclist. Even more frustrating is when the cyclist decides to turn right in front of you without signaling, or when you do not even see the rider coming at all as they swerve into your lane. I have seen numerous car accidents involving cyclists happen around campus (Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt in these accidents, just some minor cuts and bruises.). In some of the most egregious acts of negligence, the cyclists were not paying attention and ran right into cars. But cars must also pay attention and watch out for cyclists like pedestrians. Another accident took place on a hill. There was a back up at the light and, therefore, a long line of cars. While waiting in line, a truck driver decided to let a car turn in front of him to get into a parking lot. Meanwhile, there was a bike lane on the other side of that truck that the car did not see. A cyclist was coming down that hill
pretty fast and not paying attention to other cars that were stopped or in turning lanes. While this car was turning, the bike went right into its side. Both people are at fault here, but the point is safety. The cyclist should not have been going that fast and should have slowed down at turning lanes or crosswalks. The car was actually turning very slowly and probably just assumed there were no cyclists coming down the hill and did not bother looking. Either way, both people needed to pay more attention to their surroundings. The entire community would benefit from an online class offered for cyclists to get a bike permit. It should test them on safety and some simple rules to follow when sharing the road with other vehicles. It would be beneficial, especially to cyclists ignorant of the rules of the road. Riders would be wise to wear a helmet as another precaution. It can save your life, even if you think you would never get into an accident while riding your bike. Accidents can happen to anyone. There is an awareness week dedicated to road safety and I encourage all to participate in it. I have nothing against cyclists who share the road in the right manner. I have witnessed the exceptional cyclist who uses hand signals and follows the rules of the road, but the majority of the time, riders are ignorant and oblivious to their surroundings.
BRITTANY FORD -regular columnist -history major -junior
9-12 Project helps glean lessons from horrific event we experienced another anniversary of the day that As changed our lives forever, I came upon a website that has forever changed mine. The anniversary of the treacherous and shocking terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 was met yet again by memorials, vigils and prayers from all around the world. Do we still remember how we felt that day? Do we recall where we were and can we still feel how it has changed us forever? I’m sure we can all recall that day, but what is most important in my eyes is finding something good in a terrible situation instead of letting our enemies continuously keep us down. The 9-12 Project does just that. The 9-12 Project is a website put together by right-wing political spokespeople who took some good from an unimaginably painful day. Sept. 12, 2001, was a day filled with grieving and sadness, but also patriotism, honor and respect. The 9-12 Project compiled nine principles and 12 values that we, as Americans shaken by tragedy, lived by on the day after Sept. 11. The website’s argument is that if we lived by these principles and values every day, our society would be in a much better place. The website’s mission statement includes a passage that caught my attention: “The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on Sept. 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.” I remember that day. I remember wearing red, white and blue into my sixth grade classroom on Sept. 12. I remember putting the American flag static-cling window film on our car window and I remember being
so proud to be an American, despite the tragedy that struck less than 45 minutes away from my own home. The website 912project.com does a remarkable job of pulling together the values and principles most of us honored and lived by on that day. Although some of them are religion-based and may not apply to us all in the same way, I think the nine principles and 12 values presented could greatly improve today’s society. Of the nine principles, No. 3 has special significance to me: “I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.” It is accompanied by the words of George Washington: “I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” This principle is something many of us can agree is a piece of the foundation America was built upon and a principle we would benefit from returning to. Along with the nine principles, 12 values are also given, including honesty, reverence and hope. It is my personal opinion that these are also qualities that have — in one way or another — started to wander out of our everyday lives. I am not asking for everyone to be staunch conservatives; without left-wingers, America would not be the wonderful, diverse place that it is today. Instead, I am simply asking each of us to take just one minute to read these principles and think about our daily transactions with each other and with the government. We would all be a little better off.
STEVIE KNUTSON -regular columnist -political Science major -junior
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Virginia should take lead on clean energy
O
ur reliance on foreign oil is becoming an increasingly dangerous relationship that leaves our citizens vulnerable to price increases and shortages. While this issue is pertinent on a national scale, the Commonwealth of Virginia can become an example for the rest of the country by investing in renewable energy sources. Besides the subsequent creation of jobs (up to 50,000 by some reports), developing renewable energy industries can put Virginia “ahead of the curve” and allow us to develop and improve renewable tech-
nologies while providing market advantages. Renewable energy will lead to improvements in human health and the health of the global environment because it does not emit harmful pollutants and is a sustainable option. No longer can we stand by and allow the depletion of natural resources to continue at a growing rate. It is time for Virginia to commit to an investment in renewable energy and pledge to protect the quality of life for our future generations.
Maddie Byrnes junior Civil and environmental engineering major, Green engineering minor
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Local politics affect life as Hokie, Blacksburg resident ith Election Day fast approaching, you are all probably beginW ning to see the candidates running for office establish a more visible presence in the area. There are signs being put up, television advertisements being run and rallies being held more and more each week. But before you go to the polls this November, I’d like to implore you to take a few things into consideration. First of all, register to vote. It is important to take advantage of this right that so many throughout history have fought to preserve and protect. A lot of the time it can feel like one voice can’t possibly make a difference — and a lot of the time this is true — but exercising that one voice has a much greater chance of making a difference than doing nothing at all. That’s probably about all I need to say on that subject. Secondly, please consider registering to vote in Blacksburg. Many of you registered in high school for whatever district you grew up in. But this is where you’re living now and probably for the next few years, so you should have a say in who’s in charge here. The representative in the 9th district (which includes Blacksburg and Virginia Tech) affects how much money the university gets, what kind of programs and facilities we have access to and the quality of the professors attracted to this area. All these things directly affect what kind of education you get and the overall reputation of Tech as a university, which is likely to be important to you for the rest of your life. Since this is our community, at least for now, it’s important to be a part of the process for deciding what this community stands for and how it’s run. There is also a particularly important election going on here this year — the incumbent Democrat Rick Boucher running against Republican Morgan Griffith for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In a hotly
contested election cycle, every seat matters, and this particular seat could go to either candidate. Next, I would like to encourage you to consider giving some of your time to volunteer for one of the candidates (Boucher or Griffith, whomever you support). If having that one little vote just isn’t quite enough for you in terms of making a difference, volunteering with a campaign is a great way to affect even greater change. It’s not always the most fun thing in the world — no one really enjoys calling up strangers or knocking on random doors and telling people who they should vote for — but it can be immensely rewarding to see your candidate elected and know you had a hand in making that happen. It’s also a great opportunity to network and meet with people who are, or one day will be, some of the most powerful and influential people in the country. This does not just include the politicians you’ll be working for, but also the people running their campaigns, who make all the difference in who gets elected and who doesn’t. Your commitment does not have to be time-consuming and extensive — most campaigns will appreciate any help they can get and going into headquarters for an hour a week makes a difference. We all have busy lives, between classes, clubs and socializing, but it feels good to know you’re giving just a little bit of your time to something important. Finally, it’s important to stress casting an informed vote. I will admit, I’ve been guilty of voting for someone based solely on the party he affiliates himself with, without actually knowing much about him; it’s neither something I’m proud of, nor an example others should follow. It’s easy to see the negative campaign adds on TV and let them be your only source of information on the candidates, but resist that temptation. All the reasons you shouldn’t vote for someone matter much less than
all the reasons you should. Be wary of candidates who seem to focus solely on why they’re better than their competition and not on why they’re good in and of themselves. Especially in this extremely divisive and partisan political climate, it’s important not to get caught up in all the finger-pointing. Look around and see what each candidate actually has to offer — what they have proposed to do in office, which issues are important to them and how their previous reputation will affect what they’re able to accomplish within a larger body. Are they new to the political scene, full of ideals, not yet jaded by the system and clamoring for change? Or are they a veteran of politics, someone whose opinion will be taken very seriously by his colleagues and whose voice will be most likely to be heard? Both have their advantages. Be thorough in your research. Look at what candidates have to say about themselves, what candidates have to say about each other and what (relatively) unbiased outsiders have to say about all of it. Voting uninformed can be as destructive as not voting, and in years such as this, when there’s only one election in the 9th district, it isn’t that much of an effort to do your research. The deadline to register to vote is 22 days before a General Election in Virginia. For more information on candidates or volunteering, get in contact with the Young Democrats or College Republicans, or look up the campaign websites for either of the candidates.
LIZZ WENSKA -regular columnist -political science major -sophomore
Mountaintop mining endangers beauty, economy of Appalachia here is no doubt we are blessed to attend a university located in T some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. For many students, this is their first time living in a rural county nestled in the hills. While our campus’ beauty is undeniable, just a few miles away a much different scene can be found, a scene where men in business suits command an arsenal of weaponry with the sole purpose of mining the earth from beneath our very feet. Our campus is positioned in a narrow region of ancient, round-topped mountains known as Appalachia. For centuries the men and women of this region have been scraping away a livelihood from a land that has become increasingly exhausted in search of a black, organic compound known as bituminous coal. In the old days, deep shafts were sunk and the coal was dragged out with mules, and later small trucks. Now, we as Americans cannot get coal out of the ground fast enough and are willing to do anything to get to it, even resorting to the complete and permanent destruction of the land. Today, more than a third of the coal produced in the United States comes straight out of Appalachia, employing more than 50,000 miners. It is what we use to heat our homes and run our electrical appliances. Most of us are not phased by how such occurrences happen, nor do we care, just as long
as they do. However, the image of the coal miner is rapidly changing from a man with a pick and shovel to a mechanized workforce of trucks and explosives. The truth of the matter is the miner is quickly being replaced, leaving its benefits few and its damages wide and varying. The coal companies destroy, without regard, thousands of acres of forest, streams and mountains. They blast the tops off these mountains to get to the coal underneath and fill adjacent valleys with the rubble, burying waterways that are vital to the world’s second most diverse ecosystem. Since the trees have been stripped from the land, there’s nothing to hold the water, causing the earth to become unstable and allowing rivers to flood surrounding areas with black sludge. In these floods there have been many deaths, casualties of an economic contest to make money. This process does not help the coal miner either. In fact, thousands have been laid off in recent years because they are not needed when an explosive can do the job exponentially faster and cheaper. I do not come from a coal mining family. I do not live in the shadow of a blasted mountain, nor is the water coming out of my faucet stinking with the pollutants of disturbed headwaters. I turn the lights on and off, just like anyone else, and I do not usually think about what it took to do it.
The little town of Crozet, Virginia, which I call home, bases its economy on farming rather than mining. Nevertheless, that does not change the fact that many people living in my state — and throughout the country — suffer each day and are in constant danger from a threat they had no part in creating. I am not anti-coal; in fact, I am very much in favor of traditional coal mining. If the entire mining industry was taken away from Appalachia, the economic repercussions would be unfathomable. I cannot, however, support a system where the corporate financier is making millions of dollars off a carefully executed system, while the countryside and its people are harmed on a daily basis. This process is not only an environmental catastrophe, but also a crime against humanity. People — many being the very ones who mine the coal — are having their wells dried up, their properties flooded and their lives threatened. Only when the nation’s demand for coal is limited and government restrictions are imposed on these companies will we see this new type of mining disappear.
MATT SCHMITT -guest columnist -freshman -history major
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ACROSS 1 Yankees’ div. 7 Deal 11 Jenny or jack 14 Alter, as boundaries 15 Slain shepherd 16 “Fer sher” 17 *Dense fabrics 19 Prior to, to Prior 20 *Ready to blow? 22 Fettuccine follower 25 Aborigines of Hokkaido 26 Compress, in a way 27 *It’ll keep your hat on 32 Cat tail motion 35 Specialty 36 Three pairs of them end the answers to starred clues 40 Lots 41 Area 51 location 44 *Carquest stock 49 15-Across’s dad 50 Bingo call 51 Kettle pair 54 *“Top Chef” spinoff involving competitive baking 59 www address 60 *More than just grumble 64 Messenger letters? 65 Ain’t right? 66 Have suspicions about 67 One hairpin turn after another 68 Cribbage markers 69 Quixote’s squire __ Panza DOWN 1 Not easy, to a Cockney? 2 MGM mascot 3 59-Across ending 4 Botanical gardens 5 Soother 6 Rough wool cloth 7 Six-pack units
By Dan Naddor
8 Notice with a bio, often 9 Czech hockey player Nedved 10 Threat ender 11 Music to a captain’s ears 12 Star sometimes seen opposite Venus? 13 Stepped on it 18 McDonald’s founder 21 Gathered dust 22 Six-pack units 23 Postgraduate study 24 Emma Peel’s hairstyle 28 “I wish I __ seen that” 29 Factory outlet tag abbr. 30 Vegas gas 31 Identical 33 Show enjoyment at a show 34 __ high note 37 Where the Lofoten Isl. are 38 Northwestern University city 39 Teen safety org.
9/28/10 Friday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2010 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
42 Skip over water, as stones 43 Doc bloc 44 Officially retract 45 One-way street no-nos 46 Magnetic measures 47 Hudson Bay prov. 48 Hook’s right hand
9/2/10
52 Saudis, usually 53 On the Aegean 55 Water waster 56 Slack off 57 Participate in karaoke 58 Grounded jets: Abbr. 61 Ltd. relative 62 Nonspecific extreme 63 “Koochie-__!”
editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
arts & entertainment 5 september 28, 2010
- - - - - - - - - - - - RAPID FIRE REVIEWS - - - - - - - - - - - watch read Fark (www.fark.com)
Like news but hate news media? Check out popular news aggregator Fark.com, where “It’s not news. It’s Fark.” The website operates a lot like other Web 2.0 (or are we on 3.0 or 4.0 now?) media sites where users post content and admins can either ignore it or give it the green light. The benefit of this is that someone else is filtering through all of the uninteresting or abashedly biased stories. Unless they’re so biased that it comes back into the humor circle, then it’s Fark. The front page, “Not News,” contains most of the headlines and interesting stories, with tags such
as “Scary, Amusing, Fail, Obvious, Dumbass, Sad, Interesting, Cool and Florida.” Yes, Florida has its own tag for stories, which are uniquely Floridian. Headlines are also subdivided into the categories of Sports, Business, Geek, Showbiz, Politics, Music and Video with appropriate stories falling into the categories. The humor comes in the user-submitted headlines from the sarcastic, “China’s one child policy turns 30, upset it never had a brother to play catch with,” to groan-worthy puns like, “Toilet-paper bandit pleads guilty, hoping to wipe record clean.” One interesting feature of the site is the politics category’s “Political
The Key of Awesome - YouTube
Inclination Thermometric Analyzer,” which measures the political bias of submitted articles on a scale from commie to fascists. Currently the scale rests at 0.51 percent fascist. Fark has been steadily supplying me with interesting and important news articles from several sources for years now, served up with a side of laughter.
The website gets five green lights out of five.
Chances are, you may have seen one of its videos shared by a friend via Facebook. The Key of Awesome is a YouTube channel featuring satirical music video parodies of pop culture. One popular video follows a depressed, morose Dracula lamenting that “real” vampires will be forced to date only unattractive gothic girls, thanks to the recent Twilight craze. Another reveals how Justin Bieber may be using supernatural methods to obtain popularity and influence his minions through the “Bieber Fever.” My favorite video, titled “Electronic Wuss,” condemns the band Owl
City for lyrics seemingly written by a 14-year-old. The opening lines say it all: “It seems like a silly choice/ For a grown man to use this voice/ The Postal Service did it first/ I sound like them but 10 times worse.” However, some of the videos just don’t live up to the others. The “making of” videos are informative, but after you’ve seen one or two, you’ll want to skip to the next actual video, since some of the repeat joke characters tend to run dry. (Seriously, how many jokes can you make about Ke$ha’s glitter puke?) Most of the videos will leave you in stitches, especially if you’re the kind of person who can point
out the continuity errors between “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.”
The Key of Awesome gets an awesome four thumbs up out of five.
MATT BORYSEWICZ -features reporter -senior -history major
Damien looks to Tech community for support in music competition MIKA MALONEY features reporter Virginia Tech alumnus Darien Dean recently splashed into the international music scene with the release of his debut album, “If These Walls Could Talk.” The soulful writer, singer and producer, who prefers to go by his first name, is already busy looking into the future and working toward his next album. The Collegiate Times caught up with Darien, who is looking to his alma mater to help him in achieving his next endeavor. COLLEGIATE TIMES: As a Tech alumnus I know you wish to reach back to the Tech community for support in the Budweiser competition you are
currently a part of. Can you explain a little about this competition and what is at stake? DARIEN DEAN: The competition takes place in two parts. In the first, I was a finalist amongst 10 of New York’s best performers. That win enabled me to open the Budweiser Superfest in New York, featuring artists Anthony Hamilton and Kem, as well as others. The second part, which is currently going on at BattlefortheCrown.com, is an online voting process in which the winner receives $25,000. I would use this money to fund my next record, as well as promote the current album. CT: What can Tech students and faculty do to help you out? DARIEN: I’m glad you asked! If they
can go to BattlefortheCrown.com and vote for me, then I know I could pull off a win. I am in second place right now, but a strong showing from my fellow Hokies would definitely put me over the top. Spreading the word via Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites will also go a great way. The voting takes place until Thursday, Sept. 30, and you can vote every day until then. CT: Your debut album, “If These Walls Could Talk,” has been received with critical acclaim. What do you hope to achieve through this album and your music in general? DARIEN: With “If These Walls Could Talk,” I wanted to introduce myself and give people a glimpse into my mind’s eye. Songs like “Love Revolution” speak
to what I think is wrong today and (provides) a message that sees little support in popular music. My favorite artists are amazing musicians but it’s probably their songwriting that is most powerful. Musicians have an incredible platform and a willing audience. If used correctly, we can party as well as inform. I plan to go even deeper on my next album in dealing with issues but still give you something you can dance to. CT: You have recently opened for some famous names, such as Mary J. Blige. Can you talk a little about the experience of playing such big venues? DARIEN: Wow, opening for Mary J. Blige was amazing on so many levels. It was the first time I was able to fly my
band out of the country. We have played all over the U.S., but there is just something about touching down somewhere tropical knowing you are there to do what you love. There were posters with my face in every hotel on the island, and then there is the fact that there were 5,000 people in attendance — my largest crowd to date. Once, leaving the stage, we walked through the crowd and sold out of CDs in minutes — mental note: Bring more CDs next time. I took hundreds of pictures with fans. It was one of the highlights of my career for certain. CT: What is your favorite part of being a musician? DARIEN: Creation. It’s amazing to literally produce something with no raw
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materials other than a thought. Also, the connection with people is one of the greatest rewards. While recording an album you can never get that. It’s only once you release it and have a chance to bring it to the people that you can realize that (connection). CT: Do you have any plans to return to Tech for a show anytime in the near future? DARIEN: Absolutely. Quite some time ago I returned and opened for The Roots in Squires (Student Center) with my fellow alumni. While on campus we had a group called “The Last Eighth.” I would love to do it again. I have grown quite a bit as an artist and haven’t been on campus in a long time.
september 28, 2010
page 6
Hokies receive shot in the arm, look to vindicate early hype no doctor, but at times, I feel I could play one on TV. And at Iotheramliketimes, I wish I actually was one. On an average Saturday, I receive upwards of 20 text messages asking me a variation of the question, “What’s wrong with Tech football?” As if it was an issue with a simple cure, or with an answer that actually could be explained in fewer than 160 characters, people want to know what the hell is going on — because the uncertainty is killing them.
The question has me wanting a prescription pad and ample medicine to cure the Hokies’ play and my phone bill alike. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. On Saturday, Tech’s uncertain season continued, as the Hokies dominated Boston College 19-0, marking the program’s first shutout since 2006. Tech’s defense was menacing, holding Boston College to just 70 yards rushing on 28 attempts. The Hokies
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Do it for Mom.
limited Eagles’ starting quarterback David Shinskie to 130 yards passing, intercepting the 25-year-old veteran twice and forcing him out of the game by the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Hokies recorded six sacks, 11 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles on the day. On the offensive side of the ball, Hokies’ quarterback Tyrod Taylor was impressively efficient, completing 16 of 21 passes for 237 yards, doing all that he needed to do for Tech to earn its second win. Despite lacking the services of starting running back Ryan Williams and Josh Oglesby, the Hokies faired well on the ground. David Wilson led the way, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and Darren Evans added a rushing touchdown. This performance wasn’t against a bad team, either. Prior to Saturday’s matchup, Boston College was undefeated, with a front seven that was feared by its ACC brethren. Also, it’s important to note that the Eagles’ offensive line outweighed Tech’s defensive line considerably, by an average of about 40 pounds.
ALEX TRAUTWIG / THE HEIGHTS
Hokies rover Davon Morgan cuts in front of Boston College wideout Clyde Lee. Saturday’s defensive performance was the Hokies first shutout of BC since 1998, and the Hokies first shutout since 2006. The Hokies’ performance on Saturday was certainly a success, and a breath of fresh air, after Tech’s horrendous start to the season. But it left fans wondering, as they have been all season — what type of team are the Hokies and what should we really expect as the season wears on? Prior to the start of the season, it was so easy to be certain of the Hokies’ potential. Tech had improved since last year and the team was going to be a force to be reckoned with. A backfield including Ryan Williams and Darren Evans was a certain twoheaded monster. A seasoned quarterback in Taylor, throwing to a group of receivers with experience and abundant chemistry, looked like an undeniable threat to opposing teams’ secondaries. While Tech’s defense lacked experience, it was thought that defensive coordinator Bud Foster’s unit would reload and wreak havoc as it always has. Before an opening matchup against Boise State, Tech head coach Frank Beamer called this team one of “two or three” he’s coached capable of reaching the BCS National Championship Game. And if anybody could be certain about the Hokies, it was the man closest to the team. Right? Flash-forward a month later and here we are as the Hokies are 2-2, with a 1-0 record in conference play.
Yet, after a pivotally embarrassing first two weeks, that included a loss to Boise State on the national stage and a historically horrifying loss to James Madison University, Tech is still treading water in the deep end of the college football world. It’s certain the Hokies aren’t a BCS National Championship contender, as Beamer once proclaimed. But what’s not certain is what the Hokies truly are. Are the Hokies the team that laid down against James Madison, smelling worse than a wet dog in the downpour two Saturdays ago at Lane Stadium? Or are they the team that dominated Boston College on the road, despite a handicapped backfield and a size disadvantage? One can hope for the latter, but the truth is, for now, the Hokies are both teams. Thus far, Tech has exemplified schizophrenic team football, thanks to bi-polar play-calling and a slight case of narcissism. The team that was supposed to be great isn’t even sure if it’s supposed to be good. How’s that for comfort? After starting 0-2, Foster used the word “rebuilding,” when describing his defense. Is this the same team with a senior quarterback and an All-American running back? That’s rebuilding? Uhoh.
In accordance with Foster’s sentiments, Beamer is a lot less bold, so to speak, when describing his team and its expectations now. The fact is, it seems not even the coaches know what to expect from these Hokies. Thankfully, everything can change Saturday. When Tech faces an undefeated North Carolina State team in its first nationally recognizable game since two weeks ago, the Hokies have an opportunity to impress once again. Tech has an opportunity to win its third straight football game and resemble the contender it was supposed to in the first two weeks. For those wanting to know what kind of team the Hokies are, Saturday’s game in Raleigh, N.C., will be the tell-all. It may not cure fans’ disappointment in this year’s team, but it could inject a little hope. And maybe a little certainty into a fan-base that needs it.
ALEX JACKSON -sports reporter -senior -communication major