Wing warriors encouraging, while others were directed at us slower eaters. The wings were waiting for us and glaring at us, as if they knew they were about to destroy their challengers. Because the wings are one of the most popular appetizers ordered, the restaurant came up with the idea to host a contest catered to the staple. However, eating the hot wings in excess proved to be a challenge. “I eat spicy food all the time,” Khunngam said. “When I tried these wings, I could finish them, but my mouth was on fire, and I was in tears. By eight or nine wings I was like, ‘Can I really do this?’” But three steel-stomached contenders proved they could dominate the wings. Jermaine Lee Harris was first to finish, clocking in at around six minutes. “I’m glad I did it. I never thought I could do it,” Harris said, as sweat beaded on his forehead, like many of the other challengers. “It’ll be something to tell my kids about some day.” Finishing right at the seven-minute mark were Virginia Tech graduate students Ryan Colby, who studies mechanical engineering, and Ben Webb, who studies microbiology. Colby had prepared for the challenge with friends by eating wings with sauce made from the Naga Jolokia chili, also
MATTHEW BORYSEWICZ features reporter Few things will make a man cry. One thing can make a whole room of men cry. These tears are not tears of sadness but tears of determination; they are tears provoked by delicious, spicy, hot Thai wings. Cafe de Bangkok, located downtown on Jackson Street, hosted a wing-eating competition Monday. The rules were simple. The challenge: Eat 15 Thai-hot chicken wings in seven minutes. The prize: a free meal and eternal glory on the restaurant’s “Wall of Flame.” Including myself, 16 men and one woman entered, three succeeded and all dreaded the hours to follow. In preparation for the wing challenge, I spent my week eating hot wings. I was sure I could handle the spiciness, but I knew I needed a technique to get the wings off the bone and into my stomach efficiently. At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, I joked with my roommate, asking if Tums taken before the event constituted a performance-enhancing drug in the world of competitive eating. By 6:30 p.m., I would be regretting my decision to not put the antacids in my glove compartment. Kim Khunngam, marketing director of Cafe de Bangkok, announced the GHISLAIN DELPORTE / SPPS time and provided commentary for the (L-R) Ryan Colby, Jermaine Lee Harris and Ben Webb endured a fiery test to finish 15 Thai-hot wings in a contest at Cafe de Bangkok Monday. power-eaters. Some of the words were
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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New Chipotle gets off to spicy start Tuesday GORDON BLCOK associate news editor Excitement was high Tuesday morning as Mexican eatery Chipotle opened the doors of its Blacksburg location for the first time. Roanoke native Dewey Nelson, who ordered the first burrito at the store, waited in line overnight to reserve his place. Nelson sat at a stool facing the restaurant’s window, eating a chicken burrito with cheese and sour cream. An order of chips and a medium Coke sat next to his burrito. “Completely worth it,” Nelson said. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything.” The first few customers who braved the low temperatures were rewarded for their patience. While the store had not planned on giveaways for the opening, Elizabeth Gaeta, the store’s marketing coordinator said plans were changed after “seeing everybody hanging out in the freezing cold” Monday evening. Gaeta said about the first 30 LUKE MASON / SPPS customers were given T-shirts and coupons for two free burritos, while
the first two customers received special coins commemorating the opening. “We wanted to give them something,” Gaeta said. At opening, more than 100 people lined a gravel-covered North Main Street sidewalk as they waited their turn. Adrienne Webb and Rachel Arnold stood with their infant daughters as the queue stretched past neighboring Hokie House. “She’s so excited she passed out,” Arnold said, cradling her sleeping seven-week-old daughter. Holding a large stroller, Webb laughed when asked whether her 12-week-old daughter would eat anything from the restaurant. “In a few hours,” Webb said. “That’s kind of how breastfeeding goes.” Not everyone decided to wait in the line. Tessa Anderson, a sophomore marketing management major, elicited a few groans when she bypassed the line and exited with large to-go bag. She had ordered online. “I beat the system,” Anderson said. “I heard we could order online, and we got right to the front of the line.” Anderson said she ordered two burrito bowls, for herself and her roommate. “I felt bad all these guys waited outside for this,” Anderson said. A few customers took their food to a small table set up outside rival restaurant Moe’s. Freshman engineering major Rex Lacy ate a burrito with his roommate Tommy Fitzpatrick. The two, who had arrived at Chipotle at 7 a.m., said they were about 15th in line for the opening. “I feel bad for the envious customers of Moe’s,” Lacy said, looking into the restaurant. “I’d say I’m concerned, but I don’t care,” Fitzpatrick said, when asked about his dining location. James Doherty, who sat with Lacy and Fitzpatrick, was celebrating his 19th birthday. “It’s a good day for a Chipotle to open,” Doherty said. Store manager Jose Barahona estimated by 9 p.m., 1,500 customers had come through for opening day. With only an hour left before the store closed Tuesday evening, a crowd outside the store stretched to at least 30 people.
MARK UMANSKY / SPPS
Deliveryman Lloyd Taylor tries to get past the line during a delivery Tuesday morning. Chipotle served about 1,500 customers for its first full day Tuesday.
Gap year experiences vary for Virginia Tech students CLAIRE SANDERSON news reporter Despite a trend toward students taking gap years worldwide, the numbers at Virginia Tech remain limited. According to GapYear.com, students who choose to defer university admission for a year following high school are known as “gappers.” Amy Widner, undergraduate admissions spokeswoman, said there is not a large number of “gappers” at Tech. “It’s not that common here; it’s less than 1 percent of the class,” Widner said. According to Widner, 27 students requested to defer from the incoming class of 2014. For Tech students who have taken gap years, the reasons for their decision to take a year off vary widely. Claus Farsinsen, a Tech student from Denmark, took more than three years off after high school to work and decide what he wanted to major in. “It’s fairly common in Europe,” Farsinsen said. “I don’t think any of my friends didn’t do it.” Farsinsen said that differences in education systems in Europe compared to the U.S. could explain the inconsistency. “In my country you go straight into your major — you go to medical school, or law school, or whatever it may be — so you don’t have a freshman year to decide,” Farsinsen said. He said he would not have had any idea what he wanted to do without taking several years off. Karl Haigler, author of “The
Gap-Year Advantage,” said many in the U.S. are wary of taking a year off. “I think there are some barriers to the idea,” Haigler said. “A lot of students are concerned that if they take time off they might get behind.” Haigler said the time off could create a “really tough transition.” However, Haigler said 90 percent of students in the U.S. who take a gap year return to school after one year. Widner said students who return “typically come back more ready to start their studies. “For travel or perhaps to work — those are really good life experiences that benefit the student,” Widner said. Tobias Hofmeister, an exchange student at Tech from Germany, spent part of his gap year speaking to German students about helping children in Kosovo. Hofmeister said his experiences during his gap year helped solidify his decision to major in mechanical engineering, and led him to Tech. “I think it’s really useful, because the years before graduation you spend in school and the years after you spend in school and you never really get to experience life,” Hofmeister said. “Just learning, learning, learning — that’s not the way life is supposed to be.” Blacksburg High School guidance counselor Shelley Blumenthal said the economy may factor in gap year decisions, but she saw more students using the year to travel. She also noted the educational value of taking the off year. “You might bring the student body a great deal more than the typical college freshman,” Blumenthal said.
“
Just learning, learning, learning — that’s not the way life is supposed to be. TOBIAS HOFMEISTER GAP YEAR STUDENT
Luke Kassoff is a graduate of BHS who took a year off after graduating in 2009. He now attends Guilford College in North Carolina and hopes to transfer to Tech. After graduation, Kassoff worked as a cook and valet parker in Harrisonburg to save money before traveling in Nepal and India to see his brother. “I bought a motorcycle and rode it all around India and Nepal,” Kassoff said. Kassoff said that with the motorcycle, he was also able to help some of the people that lived in the town. For example, he said he helped a man get a good job who had previously been unemployed because of a lack of transportation. Blumenthal said the way a student spends his or her year off makes a big difference for college admissions. “For example, a year spent working or volunteering in a particular field to determine if you truly want that as a career — that’s the kind of thing that can tip the scales in your favor,” Blumenthal said. For students considering a gap year, structure and planning are important to ensure that the year off is constructive and worthwhile. Princeton University now offers a “Bridge Year” program that sponsors students to travel and volunteer for a year before enrolling.
DANIEL LIN / SPPS
Tobias Hofmeister (left), a German mechanical engineering student; and Claus Farsinson (right), a Danish business student, both took a gap year prior to enrolling at Virginia Tech. “You’re seeing more Americanrun gap year programs, which to me must mean that more students are filling them up,” said Holly Bull, president of the Center for Interim Programs. “It’s definitely more popular and the results are increasingly positive.” And these “gappers” do have almost all positive things to say about their decision to take a
year off. “It was really good for me to understand different views of the world,” Kassoff said. “Working in a kitchen I was with people who didn’t have a college education, then I went to Nepal, where very few people even have jobs. Now I’m at college, and that’s different too.” Kassoff said that while he would recommend taking a gap year, the
experience had some drawbacks as well. “I feel that my thought process and worldview have matured since high school, but I really feel like it’s a disadvantage academically,” Kassoff said. “I don’t remember a lot of stuff, and I haven’t had things like writing assignments in so long. It’s also hard to get used to having less freedom.”
2 news
university editor: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
october 6, 2010
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Guilty plea made in DVD piracy case
Progress seen in Chile miner rescue
VIRGINIA BEACH — Donald Sears didn’t realize he was hawking his collection of pirated DVDs to a police detective. He pleaded guilty today to counterfeiting and selling audiovisual recordings and for having no manufacturer name on the DVDs. He also pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine. Sears, 35, made about $50 to $75 a week selling illegal copies he made at his Virginia Beach apartment -- some of them not yet released on DVD, according to court records. He had about 100 stuffed inside a backpack at a Holland Road bar and grill Dec. 9 when he encountered the detective. Sears sold him one for $5, then gave him his phone number and a second movie for free. They met at another bar a day later. The detective -- now working undercover as part of an investigation into the pirated movies -- bought three more. They got together for a third and final time at Sears’ apartment Jan. 9. Sears was detained by police minutes later, according to court records. A search of his apartment turned up 836 DVDs and recording equipment, plus cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Sears was sentenced today to five years in prison with all but 30 days suspended. He agreed not to have any equipment that can conduct multiple or high-speed recordings of CDs or DVDs. The ones he already made will be donated to charity or an educational organization.
BOGOTA, Colombia — Rapid progress in rescue efforts could result in the 33 Chilean miners trapped underground since Aug. 5 seeing daylight as early as this weekend, Chilean government officials said Tuesday. Three simultaneous drilling operations are under way to reach the miners trapped 2,300 feet underground in the San Jose mine in northern Chile’s Atacama Desert. One of them, the so-called T-130 or Plan B hole, is advancing at a rate of more than 100 feet a day. President Sebastian Pinera said Monday he expected to greet the miners before he leaves Oct. 15 for a weeklong European trip. A source in the president’s office said the miners could be out this Friday in a best-case scenario. A rescue this weekend would mean those in charge of the operation would forgo the insertion of a steel casing to reinforce the sides of the 28-inch-diameter hole after drilling is completed. The government has been debating whether to insert a casing for the entire depth of the hole, in part of it or in none at all. Placing the metal tubes for the entire length of the hole, which measures nearly the same as two Empire State Buildings placed end-on-end, could take an additional week. Once the operation begins, the miners are to be raised in a steel capsule weighing nearly half a ton and tied to an enormous winch. The capsules will be wired for sound and contain oxygen. After being rescued, each miner would spend at least two days in a hospital in nearby Copiapo for tests. Some of the men have lost up to 20 pounds, and may be suffering from vitamin D deficiency for lack of sunlight, but they have been doing exercise and are generally thought to be in good health.
The night sky was filled with the light of fireworks as the class of 2012 unveiled its new class ring. Class of 2012 president Sandy Bass, below, spoke at the ring unveiling in Burruss Hall. Tech celebrated 100 years of ring tradition last year. photo by mark umansky
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CRIME
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Follow-up to endangerment by throwing objects (water balloons)
Sept. 5
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Daily Fire Log--No incidents to report Traffic--Traffic crash (two vehicles) in B-Lot at 3:47 p.m. on Oct. 4. There were no charges or injuries.
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editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 6, 2010
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
VIRGINIA GREENE / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Fighting to save Sustainable food solutions English language exist outside organic options from text-speak I hile it might not have the beauty of French or the W intricacy of Mandarin Chinese, the English language is a complex thing. It can draw tears from its beauty, move mountains with its power or even incite a riot. It draws 600 million people together from around the world. Yet now, more than ever, it struggles to stay alive. Its rapid decay has been documented in eighth grade English papers all across the globe as text-speak infiltrates the classroom, in the diminishing vocabulary of adults glued to their smart phones and even the student in West End’s interesting use of the word “you’s.” I’m proud to say I am a strong supporter of the English language, but I am sad to report I am one of the few. I appreciate a good strong sense of diction, of word choice that breathes like a lyric. I long to hear eloquent speech, and I try my best to punctuate correctly. I even refrain from abbreviations, yet my work may not be enough. I catch myself slipping more and more frequently, and perhaps it is the inevitable demise I have feared. English as we once knew it, in the worlds of Dickens and Wordsworth, is dead. It is buried six feet below, along with my mother’s fifth-grade time capsule. Its sense of wonder and mystery, its safety blanket of truth and clarity, is no longer there. It breathes lifeless and stale. English has been reduced to a surviving cousin of great mistakes and fast style. Grammar has taken a back seat to acronyms and shorthand, and although this isn’t always the case, few seem to care. I am not a language wizard either, as evidenced by the green and red squiggles Microsoft so kindly makes known, but I really am trying. How can there be great novels and works from today’s generation if all we seem to do is try to communicate as quickly as possible? Perhaps
this is just our society simply changing, as newspapers cut costs and lose the battle to their Internet counterparts. The Virginian-Pilot, the state’s largest newspaper, shaved inches from its width in an effort to keep up with the changing times. I’m guessing that not too many people cared, or even noticed. I couldn’t help but wonder, however, if this was simply a metaphor for the shrinking desire for print. Everyone wants his news fast and abrupt, with scores sent via text or blurbs on television. Call me oldfashioned, but I like to read. I like to hold the newsprint in hand and actually read. My dad, a man who doesn’t know how to minimize a screen and types one key at a time, has an iPad. He reads books and newspapers with the click of a button and holds that tiny device proudly. I know the iPad is pretty cool. I’m not saying anything against it, but I really just need to feel the weight of a book in my hands. If not, I don’t think I could ever actually finish a book. In between chapters I’d be diligently checking Facebook or playing solitaire on my fancy gadget. And I have a big enough problem with that anyway. Perhaps I’m stuck in the past, but I enjoy the way things were, newspapers and real books you can hold on to. I like seeing the correct form of “their”’ and the right way to end a sentence. But really, I just like English, and I don’t want to watch it die.
JENNIFER SAMUELS -regular columnist -freshman -university studies major
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Biking central to sustainability
A
fter reading Chelsea Gunter’s “He said, She Said” column on things that annoy her, “Bikers must backoff, and boys must conjure up new pick-up lines” (CT, Oct. 1), I had the immediate urge to write this response out of my annoyance about her ignorance about most everything she wrote about — particularly her views on cyclists. Chelsea “loathing” cyclists seems to be an egocentric response to the inconvenience of walking on a crowded campus. Biking to campus, as well as elsewhere, is the best form of alternative transportation students in Blacksburg can practice. After reading the Virginia Tech policy on biking, Chelsea would have learned “Tech promotes the use of bicycles and personal transportation devices as forms of alternative transportation which enhances the University’s goals for a more
sustainable campus.” Furthermore, the university’s policy states, “Bicycles are permitted on all roadways, as well as concrete and asphalt pathways, grass and sidewalks.” Therefore, Chelsea, the sidewalk is not yours, as you mistakenly believe. Rather it must be shared by all other students, staff and visitors, whether they travel by foot, bike or wheelchair. Prior to complaining about cyclists, Chelsea makes a point to note her annoyance of the crowded buses of the Blacksburg Transit. These buses would be much more crowded if us cyclists stopped our active, sustainable form of transportation and took the bus like you. Although I respect that Chelsea has the right to complain about opposing ideas, to print such a hypocritical and ignorant column complaining about a great, healthy and sustainable lifestyle in the CT was definitely offensive to this reader.
Amanda Meighan junior English major
send an e-mail to opinionseditor@ collegiatetimes.com with your letter attached.
’m not necessarily opposed to local, or even organic, food. Nor do I disparage anyone who eats or produces local food. I grew up on a farm, and I would never think of putting down another farmer. Furthermore, I love eating fresh, local foods and I look forward every summer to fresh vegetables out of my grand-dad’s garden or juicy strawberries my family often buys from a neighbor down the road. However, the local, “sustainable” movement is showing risks of turning into a hollow elitist ideal that allows some folks to look down at the rest of us poor souls. Just because we either can’t afford to eat everything from a farmers’ market or don’t buy into the claims of our more educated, conscientious friends, doesn’t mean we don’t care about the source of our food. First of all, let’s take a look at that word “sustainable.” To me, the word means something along the lines of being able to carry on into the future for our posterity. Of course we want our food system to be sustainable. We need to eat. Our children will need to eat. Their children will need — I think you get the point. Everyone agrees that the world needs a system of producing food that can sustain our generation and the future, but the disagreement comes from what type of food production fits that description. Is it large-scale commercial agriculture that makes use of modern technologies to increase yields? Is it smallscale local farming that concentrates on organic production and direct relationships with local consumers? Is it, in this world where everyone claims to be a “moderate,” a little of both? Some folks would have you believe that any food not grown by a local, organic farmer is a non-human, unnatural creation formed in the depths of a “factory farm” by a cor-
porate machine with no regard for the environmental, economic destruction left in its wake. However, this picture that has been very well painted by activists, like Michael Pollan, is untrue and misleading. Sure, farms are bigger now than they were in 1950, when a sizable chunk of Americans still lived on a farm, but that doesn’t mean the two percent of Americans that live on a farm today don’t care about the plants and animals they raise and the food they produce. From personal experience, I can tell you that farmers care a great deal about their jobs and the quality of food they produce. And from scientific, academic research, I can assure you that conventional agricultural production is in fact sustainable. A recent study from Washington State University’s Jude Kapper and some of her colleagues attempts to determine the efficiency and sustainability of conventional production practices compared to “sustainable” practices. What they found is that there are many misconceptions when it comes to comparing the two. Take, for example, grass-finished beef. Today’s locavore activists (localeating advocates) would have us all believe that a steer or heifer finished completely on local pasture is more environmentally sustainable and natural. Why? They claim that it takes less energy for the cattle to stay on pasture for their entire lives than it takes to grow and harvest corn to finish conventionally-raised cattle and that these cattle release large amounts of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. However, cattle finished entirely on grass have lower growth rates and take longer to get to maturity. Grazing animals have additional energy requirements and actually release more methane than those finished on a grain based diet. In another recent study,
Capper found that on a pound-bypound basis, each pound of beef produced today by conventional methods uses less feed, less land, less water and less fossil fuel energy than beef produced by methods used in the 1970s. Also, locavores often cite a product’s food miles, or the distance it travels from its place of production to your plate, as a way to determine its sustainability. It seems to make sense that food produced closer to home results in less energy usage and lower greenhouse gas emissions because it doesn’t have to be transported hundreds or thousands of miles. However, this type of thought fails to take into account the difference in energy usage between production methods. When the fact that conventional production typically uses less energy per unit produced is taken into account, the idea of “food miles” may not be the best measure for the sustainability of the food we eat. There are still many issues, such as pesticide, fertilizer, antibiotic, growth hormone usage and food economic that deserve our attention. The purpose of this column is really to open your mind to the fact there is more than one way of looking at agricultural production and more than one “right” way to grow our food. The most important ideas to take away are that it is important to care about how your food is produced and that farmers across America work hard every day to produce safe, wholesome and nutritious food. Only by working together can we ensure a food system that sustains a growing world population for generations to come.
BRAD COPENHAVER -regular columnist -agriculture and applied economics, political science major
Group labeling hinders environmental empathy hile walking to McBryde last week, I noticed what W some would describe as a “groovy” Blacksburg Transit bus in front of Burruss Hall, complete with flower power designs and wavy block letters. Something straight out of the ’70s. As happy as it made me to see the bus’ advertisement of its hybrid transformation, making it less environmentally damaging to operate, I wondered why it had to be presented in such a way. Why couldn’t we appreciate a bus that more simply publicized how it emits far less toxins into the atmosphere and contributes to lowering our dependency on oil? Tree-huggers, granola lovers, hippies — whatever you call them — we have an array of words to describe people known to have the withering state of the environment close to their hearts. In attributing these names to people aware of the undeniable pressure human existence is putting on the biosphere, we force an “us” and “them” dynamic between the treehuggers and non-tree-huggers. Those who willingly identify under these terms thrive in a bubble of awareness of what they believe is the true state of the planet, while the others are deemed ignorant, clueless and lazy. On the flip side, tree-huggers are seen by others as over-the-top fanatics who don’t shower and eat leaves. As a result, the perception of environmentalism as a fad or something a minority of the population cares about is hindering its progress. It appears as though in order to appeal to the masses, environmentalism has to be gimmicky and equally hippie-ish in order for the rest of us to interpret and accept its message. Similarly, thinking of it as a liberal ideal may incline liberals to feel inherent affinity for the issue, while it may cause conservatives to dismiss its importance. The dichotomy involved in this rationale is flawed and not only propels closed-mindedness, but also hinders the incentive to alter our
everyday lives to lessen our collective impact on the environment. On many occasions, my friends have jokingly teased me for recycling, with the typical “Oh, you would recycle, you’re all environmental science-y.” What strikes me is at this point in time — and at this state of the environment — most would agree that recycling is no longer a luxury for few but rather a necessity for everyone if it should prove to make a difference. Therefore, it is important to lessen the stereotypical and dichotomous nature of how we think of environmentalism and its followers. In doing so, we would be able to realize each and every one of us has a stake in ensuring sustainability — whether in terms of gas prices, health as a result of water and air pollution or availability of food as fertile farmland grows increasingly scarce. At times I like to think even those not devoted to environmental issues by major, such as engineering and business majors, are still exposed to environmental issues and feel the need to make changes as simple as recycling. I know of courses required for many such majors at Virginia Tech that emphasize the relevance of the environment to these areas of study, such as environmental engineering and environmental economics. However, they don’t seem to motivate students to change their everyday actions in the name of sustainability. I suspect the reason may be rooted in the fact that people who do not identify as environmentalists, or are not in majors defaulting them as such, are unable to inconspicuously apply environmentalism to their lives. This is the case because doing so would mean running the risk of surrendering their souls to being called a “treehugging hippie.” Take, for example, the blog TreeHugger.com, which is well known in the sustainability world for providing current and relevant infor-
mation pertaining to environmental concerns. If one were to look at the website over the weekend, the main story on the homepage was an article written from Wal-Mart titled, “Sustainability and the Importance of Engaging Everyone.” The irony is that being available on TreeHugger.com, this article is inherently targeting those already interested in environmental sustainability, and is not engaging everyone. The article divulges information on its new business model that includes steps it is taking to ensure Wal-Mart and its employees act more sustainably. This type of information is useful and relevant to all of us as consumers, not only the expected tree-huggers who visit this webpage. The fact that the importance of environmentalism is cornered off just for “hippies” lowers its apparent relevance for the rest of us. Environmentalism is thrown in with other hot-button issues we may not identify ourselves with; focusing on “us” and “them” dynamics. For example, a hunter may find himself interested in regulations on guns and hunting permits, while I myself would not be because I have no interest in hunting. This mentality, however, is entirely irrelevant to environmentalism as every single one of us feels — and will further feel — the effects of our collective decisions in the future. The revolution toward a more sustainable world will not be achieved through the efforts of a small group of people, therefore we cannot afford for this task to be left up to the “hippies,” because in fact, labeling them hippies only prevents progress.
NOOR KHALIDI -regular columnist -economics and public urban affairs major
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ACROSS 1 Bit of cat chat 5 Phobia 10 Cell signal strength indicators 14 __ mater 15 Unconventional 16 Atty.-to-be’s challenge 17 Indian princess 18 Flightless birds 19 Where some descents start 20 Elite socialite 22 Place for a finance major 24 Dick and Harry’s leader? 25 __ name: computer ID 26 “__ size fits all” 27 Delivery method 31 Russian coins 33 Grinders 34 1960s Canadian prime minister Pearson 36 Pound of poetry 37 Planned attack times 38 Middle __ 42 Ironic tales’ tails 44 Sharapova of tennis 45 Low parts 48 Online investing 50 Bambi’s aunt 51 “Baseball Tonight” channel 53 Like some stocks, for short 54 Camera lens ratio 56 Bare wear 60 Wasatch Mountains ski resort 61 Body-care brand named from the Latin for “snowwhite” 63 Sch. with Riverside and Irvine campuses 64 Soup vegetable 65 Stunning weapon 66 Tableland 67 __ majesty 68 Like some bars 69 Pitt in films
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DOWN 1 Kate of “We Are Marshall” 2 Airline to BenGurion 3 Prefix with bus 4 Oxford vests 5 Moola 6 German coal valley 7 Riviera season 8 Emirate natives, mostly 9 Menu heading 10 Not at all scintillating 11 Comparable to a cucumber 12 Punk rock icon Joey 13 Inscribed slabs 21 Young ‘uns 23 Rock’s Mötley __ 25 Yet to be had 27 Revolutionary Guevara 28 “Oh yeah? __ who?” 29 Misjudge 30 Auto pioneer 32 Bit of a fairy tale trail 35 Process: Abbr.
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Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
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37 Begs to differ 39 Jackie’s “O” 40 Sloth, for one 41 Price indicator 43 Hall of Fame NFL coach Ewbank 44 Dillon of “There’s Something About Mary” 45 Happen to 46 Shakers founder
9/8/10
47 Pan-fries 49 Prayer beads 52 Trojan War king 55 Brand 56 Computer nerd 57 “Happy birthday” writer, perhaps 58 Org. that reaches for the stars? 59 “I’m __ it’s over” 62 Brandy letters
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editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
Wings: Eaters weep at contest from page one
known as the “ghost pepper,” and considered the hottest pepper in the world. Webb entered the contest for personal reasons. “When I’m presented with a challenge, I go for it,” he said. “The hardest part was breathing. It was just too much food.” Colby, who comes from New York, shared similar sentiments. “The volume of meat was more than expected,” Colby said, “but it tasted good and was different from buffalo wings.” All three champions agreed the challenge was mostly mental. They believed in the power of mind over matter to push themselves to finish the wings. Their wing extravaganza ended in success. But mine on the other hand — not so much. About four or five wings in, sweat dribbled off the back of my neck, while tears flowed over my sauce-stained mouth in
a futile effort to put out the fire that had quickly spread from my tongue, across my lips and finally encompassed my entire head. Lightheaded and suffering from a bad case of the hiccups as my body struggled to reject what it thought for sure was poison, I literally threw my towel in. The time I waited to take a sip of the cool Thai iced tea was the longest three minutes of my life. The wings were hotter than hell but were incredibly delicious; containing a distinctive Thai flavor, setting them apart from the usual buffalo wings served around Blacksburg. Although the challenge proved difficult, which is an understatement, I will be going back for more of Cafe de Bangkok’s wings in the future. Next time, however, I will be eating at my own pace and perhaps someday I can return and reclaim my pride by putting my face on the wall next to Harris, Colby and Webb.
Roquefort pear salad recipe
F
eeling hungry but tired of eating foods college students often turn to in a hungry rush? Take a break from the carbs, lay off the protein, and make this refreshing and flavorful salad for lunch this week. by Mika Maloney, adapted from AllRecipes.com
CT Recipes
Prep time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 head of leaf lettuce chopped into bite-size pieces 2 pears chopped 4 ounces feta cheese 1 avocado diced 1/2 red onion thinly sliced 4 tablespoons maple syrup 1/2 cup pecans 1/3 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 glove garlic minced 1 1/2 teaspoon mustard 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon 1 teaspoon honey Salt and pepper to taste Directions: 1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat pecans until they began to toast. Add maple syrup and stir well until the pecans are coated. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. 2. For the dressing, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, mustard, lemon, honey, salt and pepper and blend well. 3. In a large serving bowl, layer the lettuce, pears, avocado, green onion and feta cheese. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad, garnish with pecans and serve. *adapted from AllRecipes.com
october 6, 2010
5
food & drink Fast food fixings can be healthier MAJONI HARNAL features reporter Jumping from class to her apartment to countless extracurricular meetings, Sasha Gluzinski, a junior computer engineering major, often finds herself buying a drive-thru dinner or a caffeine-booster along the way. “I usually grab an iced caramel latte from Panera before I study at the Empo,” she said. Gluzinski is a typical off-campus student who, between school and fun, sacrifices the occasional wellbalanced meal for the convenience of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets and fries. It seems as though every college student has a million things going on at once and not enough time to do it all. That is where the conveniences of restaurants — especially fast food chains — come in handy. For those who don’t have access to a kitchen, don’t enjoy cooking, or simply just don’t have the time to, these quick fixes become unhealthy fallback meal options. However, almost all of the speedy off-campus food establishments in Blacksburg offer healthier alternatives. But avoiding the constant urge to swing by and pick up dinner from any of the half dozen fast food chains lining the drive home can
be a challenge when you’ve been craving that Wendy’s Baconator for weeks. And, why waste time cooking, when you could have a meal that much faster? The answer is because making drive-thru runs a habit eats away at good health with every chicken finger, burger or frosty you shove in your mouth. Not only are these meals literally weighing their consumers down, but they’re also pushing the typical college student’s budget. Spending $5 here and $8 there on your fast food favorites adds up — and fast. However, when smart options are numbered, there are easy ways to work with what you have, so to speak. The next time a group meeting is at Starbucks, or coffee is vital to powering through a night of studying, making a small order change can have a positive dietary impact. Even if fast food is the one healthy meal exception of the week, it doesn’t mean the meal should negate eating well for the rest of the time. For example, a regular crust slice of pepperoni pizza from a large Domino’s pie is 300 calories, but thin crust reduces the calorie count to 240. Also, replacing pepperoni with green peppers can lower the count even further, to 200 calories a slice.
The smoked turkey sandwich at Panera, which is 560 calories, is a great alternative to the chipotle chicken panini, which packs a whopping 990-calorie punch. Words of wisdom from Jenny Lindsey, Virginia Tech’s administrative dietitian, apply to both on- and off-campus food. Keep in mind key information when considering food choices, such as the added fat and calories. Choose lean meats, low-fat dairy products and whole grains whenever possible.
Look beyond the calorie count and read the fat and sodium levels as well. Remember the side order of French fries or onion rings is hundreds of unnecessary calories, as is that sugarfilled cup of Dr. Pepper. When pulling up into a drive-thru for a fast food fix, think twice. Either speed away before you change your mind, or consider purchasing a healthier meal, rather than an artery-clogging killer.
LUKE MASON / SPPS
What
Caramel Latte
Chai Tea Latte
Triple Baconator
Ultimate Chicken Grill
Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte
Lemon-Iced Pound Cake (per slice)
Where
Panera
Panera
Wendy’s
Wendy’s
Starbucks
Starbucks
Calories
420
200
1360
370
380
490
Fat (grams)
18
4.5
91
7
13
23
6 sports
editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 6, 2010
MLB playoffs begin today I
n an era of baseball that has been controlled by the big market teams, this year’s playoff landscape is certainly different from past seasons. All right, maybe it isn’t completely different — the crop is still led by the usual suspects from New York and Philadelphia. Still, the familiar names of the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels will not be heard in playoff baseball this year. Instead, teams such as the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds will be playing for the World Series title this month. With the exception of the Rangers, who are making the postseason for the first time since 1999, the American League playoff bracket doesn’t look drastically different. The Red Sox might not be in it this season, but the AL East was still dominant and contributes both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Yankees — who finished first and second in the AL, respectively. As far as matchups go, the Rangers will face off against the Rays in a series that will more than likely produce the American League champion. The Rangers have fallen on the back burner as far as press coverage goes this past month, but they have picked up their game lately and will have their star outfielder Josh Hamilton back from a rib injury. In addition, staff ace Cliff Lee has turned it around in September and October and has registered a 1.93 ERA in his last four starts — certainly putting to bed the thought that trading for him was a bad idea. The only issue for the Rangers is the fact that they have to go up against the best team in the AL. The Rays will be the favorites to come out of the AL because of their ability to continuously produce great pitchers. David Price is one of three pitchers in the discussion for the league’s Cy Young Award, and he is followed by another big arm in Matt Garza. James Shields might not have the numbers you usually see from him, but there is a reason his nickname is “Big Game James.” If you need a big start from him, you’ll almost always get it. On offense, you know what the Rays can do. Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford are some of the best in the business, and as always, they bring some lesser-known players, such as Ben Zobrist and Reid Brignac, who
MLB playoffs schedule Wednesday, Oct.. 6, 2010 Texas at Tampa Bay Cincinnati at Philadelphia NY Yankees at Minnesota Thursday, Oct. 7 Texas at Tampa Bay NY Yankees at Minnesota Atlanta at San Francisco will certainly make a big impact. In the other divisional matchup, it is the beaten up Minnesota Twins against the Yankees. The team the Twins will field is a shell of the talent they have on the roster. It is true that catcher Joe Mauer is back from a knee injury that caused him to miss 11 days, but it is also true that he is batting just .181 since his return. Add that to the fact that they will not have All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau because of a concussion, and there just isn’t a way for this team to win a championship. The Yankees problem is their pitching. Sabathia will be dominating as usual, but there isn’t a lot of consistency behind him. Andy Pettitte is just coming back from an injury, and Phil Hughes doesn’t have a lot of experience starting in the playoffs. Why was AJ Burnett left off that list? It’s because he’ll probably be left off the Yankees roster because of an embarrassing 1-7 record since August. The American League has dominated every headline for a long time, but this year has changed that a little bit. The National League won the AllStar Game, meaning the National League champion will have home field advantage in the World Series. On that side of the playoff bracket there are two teams I could see playing in the Fall Classic. The hottest right now is the Phillies, who went 21-6 in September to rip the NL East title away from Atlanta. With a trio of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels on the staff, Philly might not have to pitch anyone else for the rest of the year. The Phillies will go up against the Reds, who make for an interesting opponent. Normally, this is where many writers would say the Reds haven’t made the playoffs since 1995 and just making it this far is great — but the truth
1:37 PM TBS 5:07 PM TBS 8:37 PM TBS 2:37 PM TBS 6:07 PM TBS 9:37 PM TBS of the matter is that they have been one of the top two or three teams in baseball all year. If you haven’t heard the name Joey Votto yet, look it up now because he might be the best player in all of baseball. The Reds are a legitimate threat to win it all and this is just the first of many playoff appearances for the up and coming Cincinnati organization. The winner of this series will represent the National League, as the other two teams aren’t quite in the same league. Of the other two teams, the Giants and the Atlanta Braves, look for the Giants to be the more likely team to advance to the NLCS. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time, but the bottom line is that his Braves just don’t have the skill on offense to match up against the Giants’ pitching. In the month of September, the Giants team ERA was 1.78. That is the fifth-lowest team ERA in any calendar month since 1920. Whether it be Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito or Jonathan Sanchez, the Giants have just been impossible to hit against. When the World Series finally does get here, look for it to be a replica of 2008, when the Phillies beat the Rays. The Phillies have too good of a onetwo-three starting rotation and with the power they have in the middle of their lineup, it is hard to imagine anyone being able to beat them four times.
NICK CAFFERKY -sports reporter -sophomore -communication major