Wednesday, October 13, 2010
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
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COLLEGIATETIMES 107th year, issue 101
News, page 2
Food & Drink, page 5
Opinions, page 3
Halloween, page 6
Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
New sorority to join Oak Lane community MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news staff writer Last semester, the Panhellenic Council of Virginia Tech decided to open its doors for another sorority to join the Greek community. After a rigorous selection process, the council will announce its choice for the new sorority tonight. The PHC governs the 12 sororities on campus and is a chapter of the National Panhellenic Conference, the umbrella organization composed of 26 sororities and women’s fraternities. Only sororities in the National Panhellenic Council are eligible for Oak Lane community housing on Tech’s campus. Non-NPC sororities may come to Tech but will not have housing on campus. Every year, the PHC looks at the number of chapters on campus, women in the chapters and women who are going through recruitment. These totals are then compared to the statistics of past years. Adam Cantley, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life, said the average chapter size has increased by 10 to 20 percent in the last five years, with about 200 more women going through recruitment than five years ago. Senior Meg Gough, president of the PHC, said the increase happened because of freshman classes growing annually, more women entering the university and an overall heightened interest in Greek life. Tech possibly would have been open for extension this year even if one sorority, Delta Zeta, had not been disbanded last year. Cantley said the discussion was already in motion. “We want to give more women the opportunity to be a part of the community,” he said. Because 12 NPC organizations are already represented at Tech, the Panhellenic Council informed the remaining 14 national sororities they were open to extension. More than half submitted paperwork to be reviewed by the council. Gough said the nine sororities “sent binders and binders and binders.”
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Read the CT to find out which sorority is selected to join Tech’s Greek community.
The council formed an extension committee to review the documents and rank the sororities based on the given information. “It was a long time, it took forever to read through,” Gough said. The committee narrowed the nine sororities to three finalists: Kappa Alpha Theta, Phi Mu and Gamma Phi Beta. The decision was based on what the groups had to offer, why they wanted to be at Tech and alumni in the area. “We want to make sure that whatever sorority comes here, the nationals will support them all the way. If (they) do not support the new chapter it will fall apart,” Gough said. The finalists came to Tech to present to the council, current sorority members, alumni and advisers last week. Tonight, the entire council will convene once again. The committee will give its recommendation, and the delegates will cast their votes on behalf of the sororities they represent. If the recommended sorority wins the vote by a simple majority, they will be formally invited to start a chapter on campus. Current residents of Oak Lane are ready to welcome the new sorority. “We’re really excited,” said senior Rachel Licklider of Delta Delta Delta. “We feel like we can support even more sororities, and hopefully this will bring even more girls.” Here is a rundown of the potential new sororities: KAPPA ALPHA THETA Kappa Alpha Theta is among the oldest women’s fraternal organizations, founded in 1870 as a way for women to take leadership roles on college campuses. “We feel that we will fit well (at Virginia Tech) because of our history,” said Kelley Hurst, director of chapter services. “Women at Tech are leaders in a very traditionally male-dominated college campus, and when our founders came together, there really weren’t very many women going to college at the time,” Hurst said. Scholarship brought the women together 140 years ago. To commemorate this, Kappa Alpha Theta donates hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in scholarship money and is recognized as one of the leading women’s groups for scholarship distribution. Another pillar of the sorority is service. Each chapter raises an average of $440,000 annually for the Court Appointed Special Advocates program. CASA was created for children abused and neglected at home to ensure the same abuse will not continue in the court system. If a chapter is formed at Tech, it will raise money for the CASA Program of the New River Valley.
College chapters are encouraged to create their own signature philanthropy event to conduct each year, Hurst said. These events usually are titled with a play on words, such as “Rock the CASA” or “CASA for Kids.” “Tech has a desire to do good in the Blacksburg community, and we feel that really overlays nicely with our values,” Hurst said. Kappa Alpha Theta has strong alumni support in the area, with more than 400 women within a 60-mile radius of campus who are “eager and excited” about the potential for a new chapter, because “right now there is not a lot to support,” Hurst noted. The sorority currently has chapters at James Madison University, the University of Virginia, the College of William & Mary, Washington & Lee University, University of Richmond and Randolph-Macon. PHI MU Phi Mu was the second sorority founded, in 1852, and was the first NPC group to start a National Philanthropy day. “We are important to Tech history,” said Jessica Winkles, extension director. Phi Mu was one of the eight groups to charter the NPC chapter at Tech. The Tech Phi Mu chapter was chartered in 1973 but left in 2000 because of declining membership. “We are very excited and hope to return,” Winkles said. The sorority decided in 2000 it would be best to vacate Tech for a time and return when more women became interested in Greek life. Phi Mu describes itself as a “valuesbased organization.” Both its mission statement and creed call for service to the community. The sorority fulfills its mission through a philanthropy supporting the Children’s Miracle Network. Since 1986, Phi Mu has raised more than $8.5 million for more than 170 children’s hospitals. If selected, the Tech chapter would support the Carillion Children’s Clinic in Roanoke. The group’s “signature event” is Hoopapalooza, a basketball free-throw shooting contest. But chapters are encouraged to create their own philanthropy event to best suit their campus. Phi Mu was the first to create a scholarship fund for girls involved in NPC sororities. The focus on scholarship is so strong that each collegiate chapter must submit an academic plan as part of its charter. The members’ grades are evaluated twice yearly and compared with the average GPAs of other sororities on the chapter’s campus. Most chapters find the average grades higher than the other sororities’ average. Other schools in Virginia with Phi Mu chapters are Christopher Newport, William & Mary, JMU, Roanoke College and Virginia Commonwealth University. Phi Mu was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization now includes 228 active chapters and has more than 175,000 alumni. GAMMA PHI BETA The term “sorority,” meaning sisterhood, was coined specifically for Gamma Phi Beta. At the time other organizations called themselves “women’s fraternities.” Since its founding, Gamma Phi Beta has had a strong focus on service. “The most important thing (about Tech) is that it’s a service-based community,” said Fran Lapham, director of collegiate extension. Gamma Phi Beta’s philanthropic mission is to promote resiliency in girls. By working closely with Campfire USA and Girl Guides of Canada, it promotes its mission through camping. “One of the things we find really unique about our philanthropy is that yes, we believe in providing dollars, but the uniqueness is that we have a direct bond with serving those girls and building them up as they mature and go out into society,” Lapham said. The women work directly with girls at camps and after-school programs, as well as enhancement projects for the facilities, such as painting, cleaning and trash pickup. Because there is no Campfire chapter at Tech, the sorority will find a local camp or after school program to “adopt” and work closely with. Lapham said Gamma Phi Beta is a good fit for Tech because the university’s academic profile is similar to other chapters across the country. Diversity also plays a major role. “I think that when you look at Gamma Phi Beta nationally, we don’t tend to have a certain look or type of person that we recruit,” she said. Lapham pointed out Tech’s website says there is no single point of view or type of person on campus. The organization was founded in 1874 at Syracuse University and now has 123 active chapters and one colony, a chapter still in the process of being established. They were also a cofounder of the NPC in 1902. Local collegiate chapters include William & Mary, Clemson, CNU, George Mason University and UVa.
Sororities being considered for open spot Other schools with chapters
Main philanthropy
1874, Syracuse University in New York
William and Mary, CNU, George Mason University, UVa,
Campfire USA and Girl Guides of Canada – work with girls’ camps and after-school programs
1870, DePauw University in Indiana
JMU, UVa, William and Mary, Washington and Lee, University of Richmond, Randolph-Macon
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) – supports children in courts
1852, Wesleyan College in Georgia
CNU, William and Mary, JMU, Roanoke College, VCU
Children’s Miracle Network – a local chapter would support Carilion Children’s Clinic
Sorority
Founded
Gamma Phi Beta ΓΔβ Kappa Alpha Theta ΚΑθ Phi Mu ΦΜ
MAYA SHAH / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Candidates prep for homecoming JAY SPEIDELL news staff writer Groups for 16 homecoming candidates are calling out for votes on the Drillfield and distributing Tshirts, banners and a-frames on campus, making it is impossible to avoid the campaigns. “Homecoming is a time when the whole campus can get together and celebrate the decades of tradition,” said William Kelly, Delta Tau Delta’s nominee for king. “Every year, we get to select one man and one woman to represent everything that is being a Hokie and being a student here,” Kelly said. Students on campus have mixed opinions about the event, but the candidates are adamant about upholding the tradition. “I really want to portray homecoming right,” said Libby Rettew, Kappa Kappa Gamma’s candidate for queen. Rettew said the roles of homecoming king and queen extend beyond the week’s celebrations. “It’s not a popularity contest,” Rettew said. “Everyone is qualified to be an ambassador to the university.”
One king candidate said the “ambassador” role is often overlooked. “A lot of people think you’re just voting for someone that’s gonna wear the crown and then be done with it,” said Price Wootton, king candidate for Delta Sigma Phi. “You’re actually voting for the ambassador of Virginia Tech for the rest of the academic year.” Homecoming events are scattered throughout the week, featuring live music, a comedy show and a hypnotist. The homecoming king and queen participate in events throughout the year, starting the day after they are crowned, when they will be kicking off a race sponsored by the University Bookstore. Rettew, Kelly and Wooton all said they wanted to focus on expanding the role of the position and remain active after the homecoming festivities end. “We involve the entire campus,” said Michelle Davis, the reigning homecoming queen and a marketing major. Davis has participated in many events since she was crowned queen last year and continues to recruit for the school while working for the admission’s office. The campaign itself is also a learning experience for
the candidates. “It was a great opportunity to practice my major,” Davis said. “I created my brand and marketed myself.” The candidates, who are referred to as the homecoming court, have met to decide on policies, rules and a budget for the election. Each candidate is required to design a website for their campaign with a photo, slogan and campaign info. They must do all campaigning within the budget they set for themselves, and most of the rules deal with getting permission to do things and keeping campaigns respectful. Each candidate rallied a group of supporters to campaign on the Drillfield, despite the alternating chilly wind and hot sun. “I’m volunteering because I think Nathan Lavinka (the GERMAN Club’s candidate) embodies what Virginia Tech stands for,” said Luke Wells, a volunteer on the Drillfield. “I feel that he deserves to be the face of Virginia Tech.” Voting is open now at vthomecoming.org and continues through Thursday night.
Chilean miners to be rescued within 24 hours
MCT CAMPUS
Above, more than 1,000 members of the media, families and others wait for the miners to emerge. Right, the graphic illustrates the process that will lift the miners to safety above ground.
33 MINERS TRAPPED 2,300 UNDERGROUND FOR TWO MONTHS TO BE LIFTED IN METAL CAPSULE CHRIS KRAUL mcclatchy newspapers OPIAPO, Chile — Chilean officials said Tuesday the first of 33 miners trapped 2,300 feet underground for two months may be lifted to freedom within hours via a metal rescue capsule. If all goes smoothly, all the miners should be freed during the next two days, officials said. “We are really working as fast as possible to get these miners out,” Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said during a televised news conference. Golborne said he was not ready to declare “mission accomplished” despite his confidence in the rescue preparations. He said officials hope at least one of the miners will be out of the mine before the end of the day Tuesday. Near the site, relatives held vigil at an area that’s become known as Camp Hope. “Here the tension is higher than down below,” said Veronica Ticona, the sister of one of the miners, the Associated Press reported. “Down there they are calm.” Officials said that after the miners leave the rescue capsule they will receive triage at a makeshift clinic near the mine before being evacuated to the Copiapo hospital for two days of observation. The 40-mile road leading
from Copiapo to the mine would close at 8 p.m. local time to facilitate land evacuation of the miners if the sky is too cloudy for helicopters. In a test run Monday, engineers succeeded in lowering the rescue capsule almost all the way down the hole. Golborne told reporters Monday that the team preparing to retrieve the miners trapped since Aug. 5 had finished the job of partially lining the uppermost part of the shaft with metal tubing to guard against cave-ins. Officials had been concerned that the 28-inchdiameter hole could be unstable and thereby jeopardize the progress of the rescue capsule. “It was a very promising test,” Golborne said. “The video camera that was inside the capsule to survey the hole found no irregularities of the walls.” He said the timing of the miners’ retrieval depended on how quickly a platform could be completed to support a winch that will lower and raise the capsule. President Sebastian Pinera was expected to arrive at the mine Tuesday to see the rescue and greet the miners. Health Minister Jaime Manalich said Monday the miners were excited about their impending rescue but seemed to be in control of their emotions. “They are much calmer than those of us up here above,” Manalich said.
The government said four members of the rescue team — two engineers and two medics — will be lowered down the shaft first to assist in the operation and to evaluate the physical and mental state of the miners. The men have endured 90-degree heat, high humidity, claustrophobic conditions and darkness since an underground collapse of tons of earth sealed off the mine exits more than two months ago. The determination of the order in which the miners will be rescued had not been made and may be deferred until the operation is underway and rescuers have a chance to examine the miners underground. The government has said that some of the most fit and mentally alert miners will come up first to give the government an idea of the condition of the rest of the miners and to observe the rescue. The government has three rescue capsules ready. Golborne said the casing stopped at a little more than half the length initially planned because it had achieved its purpose of reinforcing the weakest rock and because adding more would jeopardize the integrity of the tubing. The test run of the capsule stopped about 50 feet short of the floor of a tunnel adjacent to the refuge where the miners are huddled. Manalich said the last men to be hoisted to safety would be the four rescue team members. “The rescuers, these heroic compatriots, will stay to the end,” Manalich said.
2 news
news editors: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
october 13, 2010
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blacksburg headlines
COLLEGIATETIMES
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Homecoming Court members
nation & world headlines
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Town resident contracts meningitis
Google backs wind energy project
A case of meningococcal meningitis has been confirmed in Blacksburg, according to a release from the Montgomery County Health Department and Virginia Tech’s Schiffert Health Center. An individual, only identified as a non-Tech student, was in attendance for two parties in Blacksburg: a Friday, Oct. 1 party at 604 Kelsey Lane and a Saturday, Oct. 2 party at 246 Janie Lane. Bacterial meningitis is spread through shared utensils or close contact with an infected individual. Symptoms of the illness include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, nausea/vomiting, confusion, sensitivity to light and a rash. The illness may be preceded by a cold or sore throat. Individuals who attended the parties or are experiencing any symptoms of meningococcal meningitis are encouraged to call Montgomery County Health Department at 540-381-7100 or Schiffert Health Center at 540231-6444. -gordon block, associate news editor
SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. is backing a plan to lay undersea cables to connect proposed windmills off the mid-Atlantic coast, a step the Internet giant hopes will boost wind power as an energy source. The offshore wind power transmission line would stretch 350 miles from New Jersey to Virginia and could supply enough electricity to serve about 1.9 million households. But the ambitious project, which could cost billions of dollars, faces major hurdles as federal subsidies for construction of wind power installations are set to expire in 2012. Google said in a blog post that the project would rely on offshore power hubs that collect power from wind farms and deliver it via undersea cables to electrical transmission systems on land. “This system will act as a superhighway for clean energy,” wrote Rick Needham, Google’s greenbusiness operations director. The project could lighten the load on the congested Northeast power grid, Needham said. He noted that the federal government last week approved the first-ever offshore wind development lease for another project. Needham also called the investment a “calculated risk” as Google looks to promote renewable energy. Google has an initial 37.5 percent interest in the seed stage of the project, the cost of which was estimated by a spokesman at “tens of millions of dollars.” If the project clears regulatory hurdles, the developer will try to raise billions of dollars from private investors. Google, which is an energy guzzler with its massive computer data centers, has invested in wind farms and buys wind energy as part of its bid to help curb carbon emissions.
Suzannah Grubb Sigma Kappa Sorority
Shea Carney Pi Beta Phi
Lauren Roach Dance Company of Virginia Tech
Emily Bailey Campus Crusade for Christ
Elizabeth Rettew Kappa Kappa Gamma
Casey Bridges Delta Delta Delta
Amy Zinicola Alpha Delta Pi
Allie Gazmarian Alpha Chi Omega
Craig Keys The Student African American Brotherhood
William Kelly Delta Tau Delta
Wesley Hutchins Phi Sigma Kappa
Price Wootton Delta Sigma Phi
Andrew Plofchan The Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity
David Ramras Hillel at Virginia Tech
Karl Brunner Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Nathan Lavinka GERMAN Club
CORRECTIONS In “Taylor sets Tech wins record, leads dynamic offense,” (CT – Oct. 12) the quote “I certainly didn’t expect our offense, with such a talented backfield, to transform into the quick-scoring type. But we have won four in a row, and as Beamer said after Saturday’s game, ‘We’ll take a win any way we can get one around here,’” was mistakenly attributed to Tech football offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring. It was the writer’s opinion.
Voting for homecoming is open at vthomecoming.org and continues through Thursday at midnight.
the collegiate times regrets this error
JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
DAILY
CRIME
BLOTTER
Offense
Date
Time
Location
Status
Bomb threat
Oct. 11
2:08 p.m.
Latham Hall
Under investigation
-jessica guynn, mcclatchy newspapers
opınıons 3
editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 13, 2010
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Our Views [public editor]
Meeting readers gives CT valuable feedback lmost 200 of you came by to chat up the Collegiate A Times staff last week at our meet and greet near Newman Library. It was a gratifying event, to say the least. From the students who only wanted free stuff to those visitors who actually do read the paper every day that it’s published — even if it’s just to do the Sudoku — I really do appreciate you coming by. Just in case you were dying to know, according to you guys, our most read sections on a daily basis are news and sports, in that order. Features and opinions fell somewhere behind that. A lot of people tend to love our Sudoku, and we will be adding more puzzles to the paper soon. And, to my delight, nearly a quarter of you filled out the option stating you would like to work for our newspaper, via writing, design, Web or photography. Our staff likely just expanded thanks to you. Not only did these people say they wanted to work for our paper, they also walked away with a free gift. For this meet and greet, people who filled out a survey and provided constructive feedback received a swag ticket. Swag is basically a bunch of free stuff we are given, such as movies, books, T-shirts and things like that. People send us these things so we’ll review them, and they can get some exposure. Sometimes, we do so, but the staff cannot keep any of those things — that would be unethical. Therefore, we held this event as a way to empty our swag cabinet. Students brought their tickets up to the newsroom in Squires Student Center all week to claim their free piece of something. We still have plenty of hundred CDs, movies and books waiting to be claimed, so keep an eye out for the next meet and greet.
tell us what you think Join us for our next meet and greet on Tuesday, Oct. 19 in Squires at information booth A. Tell us what you think of the paper and get free stuff. As far as other statistics we gathered, the most popular crowd that reads our paper are on-campus students, most of those being freshmen. Respondents were pretty evenly divided between how they access the Collegiate Times, but print narrowly edged out our website. Do you have any other input that you’d like to give the CT? Are you interested in giving us other ideas, but you don’t actually want to work for us? Have you worked for us in the past and have something to say? If any of those descriptions fit you, feel free to shoot me an answer, publiceditor@collegiatetimes. com. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m addicted to email, and you’ll usually get a response pretty quickly. Our next meet and greet event will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 19, inside Squires Student Center, at information booth A — the one nearest the ABP kiosk. It will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., so be sure to stop by, fill out a survey, maybe give a news tip and definitely get some free stuff. But until then, or until next time, thank you for reading our paper, thank you for giving your input and thank you for your future contributions.
JUSTIN GRAVES -public editor -junior -sociology major
Beyond Coal lacks suitable plan for Tech e all know about the coalfired energy plant on campus, W located in the Upper Quad. Most of us have also seen the Beyond Coal rallies on campus, buttons or the Facebook group. Beyond Coal is a campus movement spanning across 13 states to end the dependency on coal at universities such as Virginia Tech. However, Beyond Coal is far from a being a movement with a well thought out mission. Tech is one of dozens of colleges and universities across the country that operates a coal-fired plant on campus. Tech’s plant generates steam used for heating buildings on campus, as well as electric power. The power plant dates back to 1901, but the current location goes back to 1930. Major changes and improvements were made to the current plant in 1970, 1997 and 2007. The longevity of the plant, the more recent investments in the plant and the lack of current interest from the university to invest in alternative energies show that the coal plant remains the most economically feasible option for the university at this time. Beyond Coal wants to completely change that. The group has made it very clear it wants the university to completely get rid of the coal-fired plant altogether. There are two problems with this plan: Why make this change given the current state of our economy, and what alternative energies does the group propose Tech use to replace what is lost from the coal-fired plant? Regarding the first problem, there is no avoiding the fact that switching to alternative energy will have a massive financial cost to the university. This is not the time to ask the university to make that kind of investment. Tuition costs have already gone up because of various outside influences. There is no need to make Tech’s financial situation even tighter. On the Sierra Club’s website for Campuses Beyond Coal, it says “Campuses Beyond Coal is a joint effort between the Sierra Student Coalition and the Sierra Club to move our nation’s universities beyond coal to 100 percent clean energy solu-
tions.” The Heritage Foundation published a study in May comparing the costs of electricity derived from coal, wind energy and solar energy when 100 percent of the electricity is being derived from one of those sources. The average annual cost from coal is just more than $2,200. The average annual cost from off-shore wind energy (the wind energy that can be obtained in Blacksburg) is more than double that at more than $4,800. The average annual cost for solar thermal is more than $6,000, and solar photovoltaic is nearly four times the cost of coal, costing more than $8,600 annually. These costs are estimated for the average family of four, but the ratios would still apply to Tech’s campus. The second problem is Beyond Coal fails to say which alternative energy source Tech should use in place of coal. Obviously there is no other source that would be as economically efficient, especially at this time, as coal. So why is the group portraying coal as a problem without advocating a way to fix the problem? When there is a problem, what you need is a solution. All the research I’ve done on Beyond Coal and its mission suggests the group fails to provide a solution. I have seen the argument that the issue has to be studied to find out exactly what should replace the coal-fired plant, but do we really want to waste the time and money to tell us what we already know? The fact is, alternative energies currently cost a lot more than energy derived from coal. I’m not saying Tech should keep the coal-fired plant forever; I realize the switch to alternative energy is inevitable. I do believe, however, the free market should dictate that switch, which means this switch should not take place right now. We shouldn’t be asking the university to make the switch now when it is not economically feasible. Once the economy improves, and once alternative energy becomes cheaper, we can come back and look at this issue. Until that happens, this is not the right time for this argument.
MATTHEW HURT -regular columnist
MAHEEN KURSHID
Bullying occurs at Tech, creates frustration, anger for victims s if by nature, people go out of their way to fit in. Anyone who A has ever been afraid to give an opinion in class for fear of being seen as “different” is acutely aware of this feeling. Now, instead of speaking in front of 50 or so people, imagine giving your opinion to a group of 10,000 fellow students. These are the circumstances I face every time I publish a column in the Collegiate Times. My friends, whom I regard as Lee Hall boys (which also include two girls Crystal and Jessie) inspired me to write for the CT as an opinion columnist. Regular friends usually inspire you by saying “Your writing is great,” or “I love the way you organize your thoughts,” but my one-of-a-kind friends inspired me by picking on my grammar mistakes, or more likely, on my accent. Mike would ask me jokingly, “How do you pronounce ‘stop?’” and Ian would immediately reply, “Esstop!” They would pick on my mispronunciation every time I hung out with them last semester. It had become their way of having fun. I usually speak fast so I miss out on articles — a, an or the — a lot, or they are not heard sometimes. I also pronounce words with British pronunciation. For example, the worst thing I was picked on for was “chromatids.”
While all my friends in biology class pronounced the word in a regular way, I pronounced it as “chro-mya-tids.” My friends thought it was hilarious and couldn’t stop making fun of my pronunciation. I laughed it off most of the time, but there were times when their jokes went overboard and I could not tolerate their nonsense any more. There came a point when I really started analyzing my friendships and wondered if they were even my friends. Aren’t friends regarded as the ones who would be there with you to share your happiness as well as sorrows? How can one be your friend if he can’t accept you for who you are? The same scenario applies to one of my friends and his roommates. My friend Abhi and his roommate Steven pick on their other roommate, Derek, constantly. Derek was home-schooled and Abhi thinks he lacks social skills. By picking on Derek, calling him names such as “awkward” and “retard,” Abhi thinks he is teaching Derek to be social, but his methods are absolutely wrong. I spent a weekend with them and I was very close to losing my temper at Abhi and Steven. The way they treat Derek is not only “bullying,” but also
dehumanizing. I could see they have pushed Derek to the edge. I might be jeopardizing my friendships, but I had to write about their acts. I kept on reminding him it’s not nice of them to pick on Derek, but they wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say. This is the only way I could convey my message. Regarding my issue, I ended up confronting my friends. I told them they would have to suck it up and accept me for who I am or stop being friends with me. I told them I would rather not have friends than have enemies in the name of friends. My friends understood how I felt and don’t pick on me as much. They seldom pick on me now and when they do I just laugh it off. It’s not the same in Derek’s case. Abhi and Steven have pushed him to a limit where he won’t be living with them next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Derek stops talking to them, because I won’t.
NAMRATA SHRESTHA -regular columnist -sophomore -biochemistry major
Conservative trend spans Atlantic, takes hold in US cross the Atlantic, many European nations are experiA encing a shift in their political systems toward more center-right, conservative parties. While many European countries have historically leaned toward socialistic policies, current political administrations and recent elections have shown increasing support for conservative leaders and policies. The heated debate regarding immigration in Europe has also added fuel to the fire, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy expelling Romanian immigrants from his country. The presence of the Tea Party movement is quite likely only the beginning of the reflection of such European trends in the United States, and I for one am very anxious to see if the November elections will continue it. For the past 50 years or so, socialistic policies in European countries, including Great Britain, Germany, France and Sweden, have been marked by high taxes, many social benefits and government ownership of industries. However, over time, these policies have bankrupted countries like Greece and can be attributed to the recession in Europe. In this context, we can clearly see the shift away from these past policies and toward center-right governments. Many center-right leaders in Europe, including Angela Merkel in Germany, Sarkozy in France and David Cameron, the new prime minister of Great Britain, can be considered results of this shift.
Even one of the most leftist governments in the world has seen the beginnings of this transition, with recent elections in Sweden resulting in a center-right victory along with a slow rise of the far-right within parliament. As far as Cameron and his Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government are concerned, I would expect to see a radical cutback of government benefits and a restructuring of the British economy, which is nearing bankruptcy as well. Swedish socialism was characterized by extremely high income taxes (a majority of an individual’s yearly income), allowing the government to hand out ridiculous benefits including free health care and two-year paid maternity leave. The significance of the Swedes electing a center-right government following a history of such policies implies that socialism in their country did not work. In light of an economic recession, the Swedish voters must have realized their economy needs to be restructured and both taxes and benefits need to be cut back. Immigration is linked to this transition through the rising concern for the cost of these social benefits in countries overwhelmed with immigrants. However, this problem is on a much bigger scale than the problems facing the U.S.-Mexico border. In the midst of this European centerright shift, the United States currently has a center-left government, with the Democratic Party holding a majority in both houses of Congress. However,
it is quite possible the United States may see its own shift toward the center-right this November. In light of the Tea Party Movement and controversy regarding the economy, the recession, health care and taxes, the stage has been set for such a mirror e ffect. The conservative Tea Party Movement advocates conservative principles such as smaller government, lower taxes, reduced spending and reducing the federal debt and deficit. Gaining widespread national attention from the media, this movement has spurred conservative and Republican efforts this campaign season. These principles largely reflect the movement away from large government spending, expensive social benefits and high taxes that is occurring in Europe. With the Obama-Pelosi agenda reflecting the European policies recently rejected by voters, policies favoring more government spending, larger government, more governmental programs and higher taxes, conservative efforts against such an agenda have a large window of opportunity to take back one house of Congress. The Republican Party is currently in a good position to take back the House of Representatives in November. With current policies reflecting those that constituencies in Europe have overthrown, I would not be surprised to see this trend jump the Atlantic.
STACY GORDON -regular columnist
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By Mike Nothnagel
DOWN 1 In-flight announcement nos. 2 Flashy 1940s outfits 3 Not easy on the eyes 4 Capybara or cavy 5 Some former tadpoles 6 UAL western hub 7 Fish malady 8 Cause of a duel, maybe 9 On deck 10 Food eaten with tongs and a fork 11 Sporty ’80s Pontiac 12 Can’t stop eating 13 Notes aren’t written during them 15 Temp 19 “I feel for you” 22 Nocturnal fish 24 “Pie __”: Mass motet 25 Line outside a nightclub 26 Day follower, in “Taps”
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30 Feature of some bluffs 31 Praised 32 Take by surprise 34 One end of Ontario’s Welland Canal 35 Praise 37 Rink statistic 40 Military band members 41 Call to the attic 42 Swear words
9/11/10
43 A buzzer may end it 44 Flea market booth 49 River past Logroño 50 Notable Volstead Act enforcer 52 Will party 53 Source of emergency funds
october 13, 2010
editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
food & drink
COLLEGIATETIMES
Spiced pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting
E
mbrace your fall season spirit and splurge on a sweet staple by whipping up a batch of spiced pumpkin muffins topped with cream cheese frosting. Pumpkins aren’t just for carving anymore. by Mika Maloney adapted from allrecipes.com
CT Recipes
Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Prep Time: 30 minutes Bake Time: 25-30 minutes Ingredients: For the muffins: 4 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups white sugar 1 (15 oz) can pureed pumpkin 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt
For the frosting: 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese 1 stick butter 1 cup confection sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12- to 15-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups. 2. In a large bowl stir together eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold the second mixture into the pumpkin mixture and stir well. 3. Pour the mixture into the paper lined muffin pan, filling each 3/4 of the way. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
MIKA MALONEY / COLLEGIATE TIMES Spiced pumpkin muffins with savory cream cheese frosting are a fall must-have for those with a sweet tooth.
For the frosting: 1. While the muffins are baking, in a medium bowl stir together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla and add the confection sugar. Stir until the mixture is a smooth texture, then leave in the fridge until the muffins have cooled. Spread the desired amount of frosting on each muffin and serve immediately or store covered in the fridge.
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6 halloween october 13, 2010
COLLEGIATETIMES
An old shirt, glove, and wire coat hanger help this hungry fellow devour his skewer of horror d’oeuvres. 1. Carve a pumpkin with an extra large mouth. 2. Stuff a work glove and one sleeve of an old shirt with leaves. 3. Bend a support for the arm and hand from a wire hanger. Fit one end
into the glove and feed the opposite end through the sleeve. 4. Sit the pumpkin on the shirt. Brace the arm from behind with a rock and cover the rest of the shirt with leaves. 5. Push a skewer through three mini pumpkins. Draw a face on each with black permanent marker, then set the skewer in place.
What’s not to like about a resourceful pumpkin who uses his head to put smiles on the faces of neighborhood children? His friendly grin and tempting treat are sure to leave them asking for s’more. 1. Carve a smiling pumpkin as shown
and leave off the lid. 2. Insert a forked stick into the pumpkin’s side or in the ground near the bottom of the pumpkin. 3. Using wire or twist ties, secure a roasting stick, complete with marshmallows, at the fork.
These frightened pals are enduring some unwelcome midnight callers. While plastic spiders skitter scatter over one, a mouthful of slithering snakes gives the other eyes as large as, well, pumpkins.
eyeholes with toothpicks. 3. Place six to 10 plastic snakes in the mouth.
Snake breath 1. Carve a surprised pumpkin as
as shown. 2. Poke holes in the pumpkin with a toothpick and insert a spider’s leg in each hole.
shown. 2. Secure white mini pumpkins in the
No need to be an expert carver. These clever front-yard decorations get their good looks from easy-to-find props. Developed and styled by Lisa Stowe, Disney FamilyFun magazine Written by Paula Consolo, Disney FamilyFun magazine Photographs by Ed Judie, Disney FamilyFun magazine
Being tossed around by the Headless Horseman can lead to some serious bumps and bruises! A few strips of reflective tape help this petrified pumpkin look a little more pieced together — and create a cool glow when the headlights of passing cars shine on them. 1. Carve a pumpkin with a mouth resembling stitches. 2. Cut white reflective tape into thin strips of varying lengths. 3. Place the strips on the pumpkin as shown.
Spiderhead 1. Carve a worried pumpkin