Tyrod Taylor takes all-time wins lead
see page seven DANIEL LIN / SPPS
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 107th year, issue 100
News, page 2
Arts & Entertainment, page 3
Opinions, page 5
Sports, page 7
Classifieds, page 6
Sudoku, page 6
Still-popular class rings generate thousands CLAIRE SANDERSON news reporter The excitement over the class of 2012 Ring Premiere was still running high when the class of 2013 ring committee met for the first time Thursday to begin the ring design process anew. “It’s the 102nd ring — it’s a morethan-a-century old tradition on our shoulders and we want to make it the best ring Virginia Tech has ever seen,” said Clayton Miller, 2013 ring design chair. “All eight of us are really pumped to see the outcome.” With one of the largest ring traditions in the nation, Tech is unique in that the class ring is redesigned every year by students. “The Texas A&M ring does not change except for the year. What’s cool about Tech’s ring is that it’s being remade and those traditions are being renewed every year,” said Laura Wedin, student programs director with alumni relations. Wedin works as an adviser for the classes. Despite this difference, both schools hold contracts with the ring company Balfour. “Balfour has Texas A&M and they have us; two of the largest ring accounts in the U.S.,” Wedin said. Tech has worked with Balfour since the 1998 class ring, though the company had also created Tech’s rings off and on in the past — starting in 1948. Part of Balfour’s contract with Tech states each class receives commission on the money generated from the sale of their rings. “The money goes through Balfour and Balfour issues us a commission check,” Wedin said. “That money allows the class to market their ring, do their ring dance and give their class gift.” Tech’s contract with Balfour operates in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act, which states “all public contracts with nongovernmental contractors ... shall be awarded after competitive sealed bidding.” This means Tech released a request for proposals for ring supply companies and reviewed several of those
proposals before selecting Balfour. It is the same process used for any contracts between public entities and private contractors and the same process used for large construction jobs on campus. Tech recently renewed its three-year contract with Balfour, which will cover the 2013, 2014 and 2015 class rings. Wedin said the revenue generated by a class can range from $90,000 to $100,000, depending on the number of rings sold. “The ring dance is pretty expensive, but they still have funds left over for
“
It’s the 102nd ring — it’s a more-than-a-century old tradition on our shoulders and we want to make it the best ring Virginia Tech has ever seen. All eight of us are really pumped to see the outcome. CLAYTON MILLER 2013 RING DESIGN CHAIR
other things that they want to do,” she said. For example, Wedin said the large bronze centennial ring statue dedicated last month by the class of 2011, President Charles Steger and his wife, Janet, cost about $25,000. Miller said the money comes through Balfour from ring sales, Tech and alumni donations. But the revenue generated from ring sales depends largely on how well the ring committee comes together to design and market their class ring — a process which takes more than a year. Cameron Campbell is one of the ring design committee members for the class of 2012. He said the process began with a lot of brainstorming, which would eventually be followed by sketches, meetings with Balfour and castings. “You’re focusing on the university’s unique traditions and also focusing on what the students want on the ring,” Campbell said. Campbell said the 2012 committee was especially influenced by the fact that theirs was the first year of the
second century of ring tradition. The class of 2011 marked the 100year anniversary of Tech’s first ring, which was created for the class of 1911. “We’re starting off on a clean slate — the beginning of a new century — and we didn’t want to recreate anything that had ever been done before,” Campbell said. Once the team had its final design around April, the marketing process began. Campbell said one of the main marketing drives has been to emphasize that rings do not have to be incredibly expensive. The least expensive ring available is made with an alloy and costs $201. “We’re just trying to market it so students know that not every ring is $1,000. It’s not unattainable,” Campbell said. “We are also shooting for higher sales than last year.” Wedin estimated each class typically sells between 2,100 to 2,200 rings. She also said this year’s rings are more expensive because of the rising price of gold. She said as a part of the Balfour contract, the committee determines the ring cost by locking in on the price of gold in July. “For the ring that just premiered, their locking price was $1,168, which is a lot. This year is more expensive than it’s ever been,” Wedin said. “Compare that to the year before — their locking price was $930.” Wedin said the price of gold has nearly doubled since the class of 2009 locked in the price of gold in the summer of 2007. Yet despite these rising prices, Wedin said the committee’s marketing has been successful. “In 2011 we were worried about the recession, but we’ve done well, and a lot of it is how well the students have done with marketing,” Wedin said. As for the class of 2013, that process is just beginning — and Miller was only able to give a few details away about the ring’s design. “We want symmetry in the ring, and if you look at it you will be able to tell it is a Tech ring,” Miller said. “Where all the elements will be and how it’s all designed on the ring is a big secret.”
Money spent elsewhere? Average revenue generated: $90,000 to $100,000 per class — that would buy between 1,258 and 1,399 copies of the required textbook for ENGE 1024: Engineering Exploration
$
$$$$$$$$$$
equals $10,000 equals 500 textbooks
Average rings purchased: 2,100 to 2,200 per class — that would be about 25 whole active Virginia Tech football teams equals 1,000 rings
equals 5 football teams
Cost of class of 2011 gift (large bronze centennial ring statue): $25,000 — that would be about 2,732 Chipotle meals with a chicken burrito, a small drink, and chips and salsa equals 500 Chipotle meals
Least expensive ring available to class of 2012: $201 — that would be 16 pairs of orange and maroon effect shirts equals 4 pairs of shirts
Most expensive ring available to class of 2012: $1,952 — that would be about 195 extra-large orders of pokey sticks equals 20 extra-large pokey sticks
Drillfield art project to raise awareness of sexual violence MORGAN TATE news staff writer The Clothesline Project, on display on the Drillfield this week, is an annual project designed to highlight the effects of abuse against women, and domestic and sexual violence. The project, created in 1994 by the Montgomery County chapter of the National Organization for Women and sponsored by Womanspace, the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech and the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley, is an effort to stop abuse. “The Clothesline Project helps create an environment where people feel like they can come forward,” said Jenna Underwood, victim services outreach coordinator at Tech’s Women’s Center. Underwood said a public display such as the Clothesline Project could help victims of violence and abuse feel safe. “One of the things that creates an environment where violence against women can happen is silence,” she said. “Silence keeps survivors from reaching out and getting what they need.”
Susan Anderson, a Tech math instructor, Blacksburg town councilperson and the faculty adviser of Womanspace, said many victims feel abuse is their fault. “Sometimes people are afraid of reporting an assault,” Anderson said. “Our project is all about educating people about violence and giving resources, where you can go and who can give you help.” The shirts created for the Clothesline Project are designed to represent a victim’s traumatic experience by the color of the shirt that she or someone close to her has created. A white T-shirt is created for women who have died from violence. A yellow or beige shirt is made for women who have been battered or assaulted. A red, pink or orange shirt is made for those raped or sexually assaulted. Blue or green shirts are created for survivors of incest or child sexual abuse. Purple or lavender shirts are made for women attacked because of their sexual orientation. Black shirts are made for women handicapped by violence. The shirts are now on display on the Drillfield, on a clothesline to look “as though the survivors
AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS
Different shirt colors represent different violent crimes committed. were standing themselves, shoulder to shoulder, bearing witness to the violence committed against women on a daily basis,” Anderson said. Victims and those personally linked to victims can continue to create shirts from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Women’s Center this week, regardless of gender.
The Clothesline Project will be on display on the Drillfield for the duration of the week. “I believe that when people view the line, it has a profound effect upon them,” Anderson said. “It can make people feel anger or sadness because violence has occurred. People want to stop the abuse.”
AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS
The project will be on display on the Drillfield all week until Friday. All interested are invited to create shirts inside the Women’s Center.