Thursday, October 21, 2010
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COLLEGIATETIMES 107th year, issue 106
News, page 2
Weekend, page 6
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 5
Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
Life ‘getting better’ for LGBT students Universities losing
funding from state MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news staff writer
GHISLAIN DELPORTE / SPPS
Rally attendees wore purple and carried signs bearing encouraging messages during Wednesday’s rally, sponsored by Tech’s LGBTA.
MEMBERS OF VIRGINIA TECH, BLACKSBURG COMMUNITIES UNITE TO SUPPORT LGBT PEOPLE LIANA BAYNE associate news editor Students and community members of all ages gathered on campus Wednesday night together to support the local and national gay communities. The Queer Grads and Allies group, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual Alliance, the LGBT Caucus and the New River Valley chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays came together to support the “It Gets Better” rally. About 50 attendees, dressed in purple and rainbow outfits, ranged in age from young children to older adults and included Virginia Tech students of both genders, some of whom brought along four-legged companions, as well. People across the nation, united through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social networking websites, celebrated a “Spirit Day” today. During the rally on Tech’s campus, attendees shared stories about coming out and challenges they faced with friends, families and religious groups. The theme of the evening was “It gets better,” and many speakers, most of whom did not identify themselves, ended their statements with “it does get better.” “Even if you think it is hard for people accepting you and loving you, it does get better,” one speaker said. “There’s so much going on that really upsets me,” another speaker said, “But... our support system is really getting better.” Some spoke about their struggles with gay or lesbian life. One student, who immigrated from
Korea, said he had a hard time growing up gay in a country that doesn’t believe in homosexuality. “I came to America and I found all these gay people, like a fairy tale come true,” he said. The rally was also designed to object to the recent suicides of LGBT youth that have taken place over the past few months. One speaker talked about his previous suicidal thoughts because of his sexual orientation and encouraged the crowd to support their gay friends. “There is nothing anyone can say if that person cannot find hope,” he said. Another speaker encouraged the crowd. “I love you all and I love Virginia Tech, and never let anyone get you down,” she said. “God really does love you.” Vice President of Student Affairs Ed Spencer was one of the attendees sporting purple. “I’m a very strong ally,” Spencer said. “I get very concerned about the kinds of things we’re seeing (on other campuses).” Spencer said he hoped someday the issue of gay and lesbian rights could be viewed in a similar fashion to how Americans today look back on the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, which he said he experienced during his years in college. “Now I look back and think that’s incredible,” he said. Although Spencer said he has seen many different kinds of positive and negative events surrounding LGBT students during his 28 years at Tech, he said he sees negative events as “few and far between these days.”
Student diving for dinner in dumpsters MARK PRICE mcclatchy newspapers CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dumpster diving is far from a fad with UNC Charlotte students, but 20-year-old Kaitlyn Tokay and her friends say it’s catching on. A self-described community activist, she began digging through grocery store trash bins in May and blogging on Facebook about the “perfectly good” food she found, cooked and ate. It was meant to be a monthlong experiment, to expose society’s continued wastefulness, even in a recession. But five months later, Tokay is still at it, only now she’s part of a team. And as for her blog, readership is at 1,600 and growing. “It has been an eye-opening experience to see not only what we throw away as a society, but how it can be used, with some imagination,” says Tokay, a junior majoring in communication studies. “I decided to make it a lifestyle habit, and to perpetuate it. A lot of friends were amazingly grossed when I told them about it, but others say they admire it.” Tokay and many other Dumpster divers consider themselves freegans, practicing a form of environmentalism based on minimal use of resources. Rescued food, hand-me-down clothes and found furniture are all part of the lifestyle. Volunteerism is big, too, and Tokay
does that by sharing her found food with the homeless, sometimes working with a program that serves meals on the streets of Charlotte. Freegan or not, grocery stores maintain that Dumpster diving is a form of trespassing. Food Lion, for example, not only “strongly discourages” digging in Dumpsters, but says it will “take appropriate action as necessary to prevent this activity.” Grocery stores note that there are compelling reasons food is deemed unfit, including damage, exposure and being past its “sell by” date. Some store chains solve this dilemma by donating whatever they can save. Last year, Harris Teeter gave 539,000 pounds of food to Second Harvest Food Bank, rather than see it go to waste, store officials said. Tokay and her peers realize they’re considered a nuisance, which is why they only come out at night, between midnight and 4 a.m. Most work in teams, with one in the trash bin, handing out the loot to someone waiting on the outside. Tokay typically works with several people, including Stephanie Braun, 23, a social work major who is also president of the UNCC Earth Club. Braun considers Dumpster diving a form of recycling, and has been on outings with as many as four people. “We’re college students, so we’re see DUMPSTER / page two
GHISLAIN DELPORTE / SPPS
Members of Womanspace joined community members and members of LGBTA and the LGBT Caucus for Wednesday’s event. Spencer said he admired those who had “a lot of courage and composure to share their stories,” and he said he wished everyone at Tech could hear the stories. John Bush, a member of the Blacksburg Town Council and an architect for Tech, attended the rally as well. “I think it’s wonderful,” he said, that many members of both the Tech and Blacksburg communities came together to support the rally. One of the organizers of the rally, Tech grad student Catherine Catrupi, is also working this year to help organize a new LGBT support group called Queer Grads and Allies. She said her group, which so far has about 30 members and three faculty advisors, planned to work together with the LGBTA, the LGBT Caucus and PFLAG. Catrupi said she was pleased with the turnout to the rally.
“The fact that we had people from all age groups, it was awesome,” she said. Catrupi said even though none of the 13 suicides of LGBT youth in the past three months have directly affected the Tech campus or the New River Valley area, “these teens and kids need to hear” the message of inclusion the rally offered. Many rally attendees were younger high school-aged teens and Tech students. Catrupi also said it was important for others who not directly affiliated with the LGBT community to hear the message of inclusion for LGBT members of the Tech and Blacksburg communities. “Even if you don’t know it flat out, you know someone’s who’s gay,” she said. “You will know someone in your life who comes out, so be open.”
Over the past two years, the state of Virginia has siphoned $10.7 million dollars in tuition money from Virginia Tech. The state is able to do this through a “restructuring” agreement Tech joined in 2006 along with the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and the College of William & Mary. Tech is contractually bound to pay a certain amount of money to the state based on its payroll, and in return Tech has more autonomy in its spending and financial decision making. If the state scales back on its appropriations, the amount of money Tech must pay to the state should also go down — but it has not. University spokesman Larry Hincker said Tech has three main sources of revenue: yearly appropriations passed by the Virginia General Assembly, which makes up about 20 percent of the whole budget, tuition and auxiliary funds that come from money made through meal and dormitory and athletic fees. Tech must pay into programs such as the Virginia Retirement System, a pension for university faculty and staff as well as other public workers. Despite a dramatic budget reduction, Tech was still required to pay nearly $11 million to the state to fund VRS and other programs. Because of smaller appropriations, the university had to dip into money raised from tuition to pay. However, the state diverted money collected for the VRS elsewhere. “It’s not taking (Tech’s money) and putting it in the retirement system,” Hincker said. “It’s going into general funds,” he said, to be used for purposes totally unrelated to higher education. The state also elected to reduce payments to the VRS by $620 million. Some of that money was expected to be returned to the universities paying into the system, but the money has instead been used to fill deficits in other areas. Tech does not use several of the programs it is required to pay into. For example, a portion of the money paid to the state is used to help fund E-Virginia, an online procurement system Tech has never used. Virginia is able to do this because of an escape clause in the contract. Money may be taken in desperate economic times. Tech does not believe the state’s deficit is bad enough for its response.
As a result of the budget issues, students saw a 9.9 percent increase in tuition to offset appropriation shortfalls this school year. Hincker said another tuition increase for next year is possible. “We’re underfunding a lot of our own programs,” he said. “There is a possibility of another budget reduction for next year, (but) costs (will continue to) increase every year.”
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The state’s got to start being fair. We’ve got to show legislators that they can’t just keep taking money away from us. We’re hurting. BO HART SGA PRESIDENT
Vacant positions are staying open and there has not been a salary increase for staff in three years. “It’s not fair for students because that’s our money that they’re taking,” said Bo Hart, SGA president. “Everybody gets upset because we’re raising tuition, but that money isn’t even staying at Virginia Tech.” Hart, who has lobbied in Tech’s interests before, is encouraging other students to advocate for their school. Students will soon be able to apply to lobby at the annual Hokie Day. Hokie Day is an event sponsored by the SGA, the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and the university’s government affairs office. Tech students, alumni and administrators will go to Richmond for a day later this spring to lobby for specific legislation that affects Tech. The specific legislation for next year will not be known until the Virginia General Assembly convenes to draw a budget, likely sometime after November. “It’s a great way for students to go to Richmond and talk to their own delegates and their own senators (to) make a point that higher education is important and it matters,” Hart said. “It’s the future of Virginia.” Hart is also on the Student Advisory Committee for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which makes recommendations to the governor and Virginia General Assembly regarding school-based legislation. In that role, he advocates for fair treatment of Tech students. “They state’s got to start being fair,” he said. “We’ve got to show legislators that they just can’t keep taking money away from us. We’re hurting.”
Skipper repaired successfully
Members of the Skipper Crew salute as Skipper is successfully fired on Wednesday afternoon. The cannon malfunctioned during Saturday’s football game against Wake Forest when a brass casing became stuck inside it. photo by daniel lin
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news editors: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
october 21, 2010
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VDOT raises speed limits for interstates A Virginia highway official has proposed raising the speed limit on most interstates to 70 mph by year’s end. Connie Sorrell, chief of system operations at the Virginia Department of Transportation, will brief the Commonwealth Transportation Board today on her recommendation to increase the interstate speed limit along nearly 600 miles of road. That would include nearly all of Interstate 81 in Virginia, except for major urban areas and the stretch between Christiansburg and Roanoke. Parts of I-64, I-66, I-77, I85 and I-95 also would be affected. These roads are posted at 65 mph in most places, except for a nearly 15-milelong zone of 60 mph near Roanoke. Virginia has 1,119 miles of interstate, 89 miles of which are already posted at 70 mph. A speed limit increase is not a done deal. Sorrell said Tuesday her recommendation will go to VDOT Commissioner Gregory Whirley, who has the authority to reject or approve the plan. Sorrell expects a decision from him within a week or so. With Whirley’s nod, new speed limit signs could be in place by Dec. 31. -jeff sturgeon, mcclatchy newspapers
CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
COLLEGIATETIMES
Dumpster: Student blogs about diving from page one
already up at midnight, at coffee shops or doing our homework,” says Braun. “It’s really like going on a scavenger hunt, and it’s exciting, because you never know what you’ll find.” Or whom you’ll meet. Tokay once had the wits scared out of her when she stumbled onto a homeless man who was already in a Dumpster, looking for a meal. And another time, she and Braun were diving and heard that dreaded “beep, beep, beep” sound that garbage trucks make when they’re backing up to something. “I was terrified that I was about to be dumped into a garbage truck,” Tokay says. “Then, we realized that it was someone who was going to dump trash into the Dumpster.” Awkward, indeed. “I didn’t know what to do, so I got out of the Dumpster holding a bunch of bananas and offered the driver one. They didn’t know what to think.” Jacob Hanks, 22, is a recent UNCC grad who is among Tokay’s partners. He’s been at it longer, though, having started last year after hearing about it from a friend who had been Dumpster diving in Portland, Ore.. There have been occasions when he’s gone with as many as seven people, creating a kind of party atmosphere. And at least once, he ran into another team of students who were complete strangers. “They came up after we were already there and joined in. We split everything,” says Hanks. He says he gets most of his meals these days from trash bins. “There is an abundance of stuff. We’ve had times where we found enough food to fill up the entire kitchen floor, including pastries, packaged cakes, shrink-wrapped barbecue ribs and a lot of bread.” Among Hanks’ observations is that Dumpster divers tend to be more active in the fall and winter, because the colder weather is “natural refrigeration.” He says they also tend to eat better, because they find fruits, vegetables and meats that struggling college students can seldom afford. He and other Dumpster divers contend that much of this food was tossed out unnecessarily due to health regulations. The USDA concurs, noting the country has no universally accepted system for food dating. It says on its website that many products should still be safe after the sell-by date, if
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Residents unhappy with BHS repairs
MCT CAMPUS
Kaitlyn Tokay, front, and her friends say dumpster diving is catching on. She and her friends Stephanie Braun and Jacob Hanks explored a supermarket site recently in Charlotte, N.C. handled properly and kept at the recommended storage temperature of 40 degrees or below. Tokay says she’s living proof, having never gotten sick from eating items found in the trash. “Just because a product says it’s out of date on June 2, doesn’t mean it’s gone bad exactly on June 2. A lot of times, they’re still good.” Tokay says she learned frugality from her mom, Edna, who home-schooled all seven of her kids. “We grew up eating discounted food from various stores, and my mom grew a lot of our vegetables.” Edna never Dumpster dived, though, and doesn’t plan to. However, she is not going to pass judgment on her oldest child’s new passion. “That’s a tricky question for a mother,” she says. “Kaitlyn is exuberant and high energy. She makes people tired just talking to them. My only advice to her is not to be alone, late at night. I want her to be safe.” Kaitlyn acknowledges that she did go out alone the first couple of weeks. “The first time was really gross,” she says. “It smells like rotten food and jumping into a big metal container is scary: broken glass and all. A lot of emotions were running through my head, but I guess I was more excited than scared.”
MCT CAMPUS
A recent haul from dumpster diving included both packaged and fresh foods. Tokay finds meat, vegetables, and beverages. Tokay says she now goes four times a week, and has gotten used to the feeling of watermelon and cottage cheese sliding down her pants legs, and rotten vegetables in her shoes. She also has gotten used to a new way of cooking that depends on whatever was found that week in a trash bin. Lately, she’s been cooking a lot with flax oil, after finding an entire case. “One bottle was broken, so the store just threw out the whole case.” Her refrigerator is brimming, includ-
ing 2 pounds of kosher beef, 8 ounces of organic pea shoots, and 5 pounds of strawberries that she’s turning into smoothies using a blender found in a trash bin. “I have no idea what this is,” she says, holding a can with the label torn off. To date, only one failure has resulted from these experiments. “Fruit and rice,” she says. “It didn’t taste horrible, but it wasn’t my favorite.”
Parents and residents begged the Montgomery County School Board Wednesday for new middle and high school facilities for their students. Parents continued to ask the board to reconsider building a new Blacksburg High School. Walt Shannon, assistant superintendent of operations, addressed issues about BHS raised at prior school board meetings. Shannon said BHS faced a code review in 1970 and early 1971 by the Virginia Department of Education. The building code was approved in March 1971. Therefore, all future construction and design will follow these codes and the VDOE school planning manual. Shannon also said the heating and ventilation system at BHS would either be replaced or retested and rebalanced. He said the current system will cost approximately $3.3 million to replace. Superintendent Brenda Blackburn also hopes to resolve traffic issues at Blacksburg Middle School on Prices Fork Road. One solution is to keep a Blacksburg Police officer on Prices Fork Road directing traffic between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Blackburn and other board members will be meeting with the Town of Blacksburg on Oct. 25 to work out some of these details. Riner residents also took the stage to support the construction of a new Auburn Middle and High School, something that has been discussed for several years. One Riner resident and former parent of an AHS student expressed frustration with the current situation, hoping Auburn would receive its facility before Blacksburg. Most addressing the board pleaded with the members to make school construction a county issue and not an issue between communities. -sarah watson, news reporter
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editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 21, 2010
Face football head injuries head on hat happens to football players when they retire? W I suppose many of us figure they retire to a million-dollar home somewhere on the coast of California, enjoy good food and good company and, in general, live the good life for the rest of their days. But could it really be called the “good life” if they can’t even recognize their families less than a decade after retiring? In September 2009, the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research reported former NFL players are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related diseases vastly more often than the rest of the national population — at approximately 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49. To put this into perspective, for every non-football player between the ages of 30 and 49 who is diagnosed with a degenerative memory disease, there are 19 football players who suffer from the same disease. These occurrences can be linked to the head injuries football players experience more often than almost any other athletes. More than 60 percent of all football players will suffer a head injury of some sort — and up to 26 percent have suffered three or more. It doesn’t seem like a big deal; many people have suffered head injuries and walked away relatively unscathed. However, concussions are much more serious than they may sound. When the head either accelerates rapidly and is stopped, or is spun rapidly, violent shaking causes the brain cells to depolarize and fire all their neurotransmitters at once. The unhealthy cascade of neurotransmitters floods the brain with chemicals, leading to the deadening of certain receptors linked to learning and memory. Short-term results may include confusion, blurred vision, memory loss, nausea or even unconsciousness. However, long-term results can include damage to vision, memory, cognitive and motor skills and emotional responsiveness. Despite the cost of developing specialized helmets for each position, it
would vastly improve football players’ defenses against concussions and other head injuries. Many Hokie football players will go on to play in the NFL and all played football before entering college. According to the NFL Players Association, the average length of a football career is three and a half seasons. In total, Hokie football players can expect to play for at least 12 years; without preventative measures, most of them will suffer from head injuries that make them prone to Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases. If Virginia Tech can do its part to prevent even some of those injuries, then it ought to. Tech is already taking measures by studying the head injuries of Hokie football players — currently, about 60 players (including most starters) have accelerometers in their helmets recording the magnitude of each hit the players sustain. By studying this information, steps can be taken to determine which areas of the head different players sustain injuries to and allow for more customization of the helmets. For example, linemen tend to have low-impact blows at the front of the helmet, while a quarterback tends to be hit on the side or back. By increasing padding in high-impact areas, there can be less head trauma and players will be less likely to suffer head injuries. Tech has more than six years of research in this area at its disposal. It’s time to step up and get our players better helmets — it’s the least we can do for them. And if Tech leads the way in helmet development, NFL teams and other colleges may step up and do the same, leading to fewer head injuries across the nation, which would allow football players to live longer, healthier lives.
JULIE DEISHER -regular columnist -English major
A quiet shift in Republican stance on gay marriage the “tea party’s” outsider challenge to Republican As Party orthodoxy grabs headlines, another, quieter revolution is unfolding inside the GOP. This rebellion has at its heart a truly surprising issue, one that could have long-term consequences for the party: gay and lesbian couples’ freedom to marry. The latest evidence of this quiet revolution came with the release of the Republicans’ midterm-campaign “Pledge to America.” Though the pledge gives a perfunctory nod to “traditional marriage” (in a single line in a list of things, like “families,” that it supports), explicit opposition to marriage for same-sex couples is conspicuous in its absence. The document never uses the word “gay” (or “homosexual”) _ a stark contrast to past party platforms, which have made opposition to gay equality a centerpiece of their social agenda. Is this an isolated development? After all, the 1994 “Contract With America” was also focused solely on fiscal issues and government reform. But in 2010, there is compelling evidence that the shift is deep, and possibly lasting. The GOP, in large part, isn’t displaying its usual anti-gay electionyear demagoguery, and not just in the “pledge.” As recently as 1995, a Republican-controlled Congress was holding hearings investigating “homosexual recruitment” and the “promotion” of homosexuality. During the George W. Bush administration, the party used its fervent opposition to marriage for gay and lesbian couples as a get-out-the-vote strategy, encouraging more than a dozen anti-gay state ballot initiatives geared at driving turnout in the 2004 election and engineering repeated efforts to pass an amendment to the Constitution. This year is the first election year in recent history in which anti-gay rhetoric has been significantly muted: No state is facing an anti-gay initiative on the ballot, and marriage has not been a focus of the national conservative agenda. Beyond that, the Republican establishment is stepping up _ and coming out. In just the last few months, leading Republican heavyweights have begun to announce their support for the freedom to marry. Ted Olson, Bush’s solicitor general and a longtime Republican power broker, took the lead, writing articles (“The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage,” in Newsweek) and, with co-counsel David Boies, filing, arguing and winning the first federal court case to uphold gay and lesbian couples’ constitutional right to marry. Cindy McCain and former first lady Laura Bush have both spoken out in support of marriage.
In August, Ken Mehlman, former Republican National Committee chairman and campaign manager for Bush in the 2004 election, revealed that he is gay and supports the freedom to marry. Mehlman hosted a fundraiser in support of Olson’s lawsuit, with a guest list that would have been unheard of five years ago. It included numerous well-known Republicans such as former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, former McCain strategist Steve Schmidt, former Bush White House communications director Nicolle Wallace and former RNC counsel Benjamin Ginsberg. Bush’s daughter Barbara made an appearance. Perhaps even more telling, the proudly right-wing GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas appeared for the first time at a reception for the Log Cabin Republicans, a leading gay GOP organization. Cornyn had turned down invitations and even contributions from the Log Cabin group in the past. In September, he weathered significant criticism from the anti-gay Family Research Council. Because Cornyn is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and thus tasked with getting Republicans elected to the Senate this fall, every move he makes is watched for ballot-box implications. What’s driving this insiders’ insurrection? Perhaps a sense that a libertarian-leaning belief in fully extending the freedom to marry to all Americans does not, in fact, clash with a conservative commitment to holding together the social fabric, as marriage entails personal responsibility and social stability. Or perhaps these GOP leaders are beginning to see an alignment of their rhetoric about individual liberty with public opinion; in the last month, two national polls, by CNN and the Associated Press, showed that a majority of Americans nationwide now support marriage for gay and lesbian couples. The implications of such a historic shift in the GOP establishment’s stance on marriage should not be underestimated. For Republicans, it means they could become less moored to their socially conservative base and may get back in touch with the cautious but forward-looking American political center that is vital to GOP hopes of cobbling together a governing majority. For the country, it is evidence that we are inching ever closer to a national consensus that gay and lesbian couples should have the freedom to marry under the law.
JON COWAN & EVAN WOLFSON -mcclatchy newspapers
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
MCT CAMPUS
Colleges can devastate discrimination policies ffirmative action programs designed to help minority stuA dents have been the subject of much debate over the years. There has been much litigation brought before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of affirmative action being applied to college admissions. I find it odd a social policy attempting to promote equal opportunity and counter the effects of historical discrimination can be an issue of such great contention. Yet despite all the attention affirmative action receives, there is something else being taken into consideration when most universities are going through their admission processes. I am talking about the preferences universities show toward applicants of alumni, more commonly referred to as “legacy children.” To me this is a horrible form of discrimination, as it is a discrete way of countering affirmative action. It ultimately disadvantages minorities and first-generation college-bound students, as it favors white and wealthy Americans. Affirmative action tries to bring equality into actuality and not just in theory. Legacy preferences, on the other hand, advantage the already advantaged, and are in no way based on the merits of the applicants but only on their lineage. Legacy preferences are not trying to right a wrong of history. Instead it is solely for the purpose of raising money and keeping the donations coming. This issue doesn’t get the attention and litigation it truly deserves, but hopefully the Supreme Court will one day consider it a form of illegal discrimination. To show you how serious of an issue this is, it has been determined as many as three-quarters of the universities in this country apply legacy preferences to their admission processes. We even see it employed here at Virginia Tech.
Recall how there was even a section on your application where it asked if you have any family members that are alumni. Did you know 26 percent of this year’s freshman class are legacy children? That means they had a grandparent, parent or sibling go here. I bet there are many of us who even know someone denied admission here, and at the same time someone else accepted over them, who had lower SAT scores and GPA. There is a chance it could be because of legacy preferences. Did you also know a study has shown being the child of an alumnus increases your chance of acceptance by 20 percent? It is not an easy thing to prove universities are doing this to such an overwhelming extent. When researchers try to study this, many universities are too embarrassed to admit how much being a legacy factors into admissions. Yeah, universities might flaunt their acceptance rates of only 10 percent, but what they won’t tell you are their acceptance rates for legacy children are around 40 percent. Our nation has never been one to always apply the law equally to all. We can all agree we have come a long way in the last two centuries, but there is still work to be done. The Fourteenth Amendment says everyone shall receive equal protection under the law. We need to embody this idea; no child should be discriminated against because of who their parents were. People who criticize affirmative action contend this is exactly what it does. But to only see the world in that light is to not value a principle that addresses the horrible realization of an atrocious history of discrimination. With legacy preferences, there is no justification for the discrimination based on lineage.
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Yeah, universities might flaunt their acceptance rates of only 10 percent, but what they won’t tell you are their acceptance rates for legacy children are around 40 percent.
Some states have banned affirmative action policies that help minorities. If there is justification for this, then how can states still justify allowing legacy preferences? We all should agree discrimination based on race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation are not warranted. So why do we continue to allow 75 percent of universities to discriminate against children whose parents didn’t have the opportunity or resources to attend college? If you feel yourself or someone you know has been the subject of “legacy preference discrimination,” don’t be afraid to take a stand against this. Give the American Civil Liberties Union a call; I’m sure it would love to turn this into litigation. It would be a good way of getting this settled by our courts and bring this contentious issue to justice. We must never stop fighting to make the equal protection of our laws a reality for all Americans. This may be only one of many problems in our country, but it is a great place to start. There are too many policies in this country favoring people in the upper classes of society. This horrible policy discriminating on socioeconomic grounds is one that must be attacked.
JOHN BARONCELLI -regular columnist -sophomore -political science major
Homecoming didn’t get coverage it deserves from Collegiate Times all know and agree that Virginia Tech is a unique We school, with many traits other similar establishments do not have. One of these characteristics that encompasses many events throughout the year is our traditions. Homecoming, ring tradition, class leadership — the list is endless. During my (almost) five years at this school, I have grown to love and cherish these special times, knowing they are getting stronger every year. Homecoming has been, and still is, one of Tech’s oldest and strongest traditions, one that many students take pride in every fall. It is a week chock-full of events every night, bringing entertainment and diversity to our campus, as well as a showcase of the strongest leaders our campus has to offer. These people are otherwise known as the homecoming court. Now, I realize there is a population of students who do not care about the voting happening during the week of homecoming. They think it’s stupid, a Greek-only thing, or a popularity contest, all of which are untrue. I spent a large part of my time campaigning trying to combat these stereotypes to those who were willing to listen and hear what I had to say. But one person cannot change this image, and print media is a great outlet to help with this. I really would have appreciated more coverage throughout these past two weeks to help make more students more aware of the roles of the homecoming court, and the king and queen, once elected. So, let me educate you on these issues. First of all, any organization can sponsor a candidate. It just so happens that Greeks make up about 85 percent of leaders on this campus. Greek organizations are typically large enough to finan-
cially support the homecoming court budget and have ample man-power to run a campaign. I’m not saying smaller groups cannot do this, but Greeks just seem to get into this stuff. I would love to see more diversity on the court next year — it can be anyone who shares a passion for Tech. It just so happened this year all but one candidate was involved in a fraternity or sorority, regardless of whether they ran under that organization or another. Secondly, we have been chosen by our peers to represent organizations we are passionate about on our campus and to be ambassadors of the school. We are not ordinary students. To be selected for homecoming court is an incredible honor — many who apply do not get it. The interview process is nothing short of intense. If students took the time to look at our websites and get to know us, they would see we divide our time between many different organizations. As for myself — I play for the women’s club rugby team, I am a health educator for Schiffert Health Center, a Hokie Camp counselor and I am involved with Greek life, to name a few. We all love this school and take pride in sharing our passion. Every single member on court is qualified to be king or queen — but it is up to the student body to decide who will best represent our school throughout the upcoming year. This begs the infamous question: What do the king and queen actually do? Think of it this way — if you had a friend who knows nothing about Tech, such as that the Hokie is our mascot, that our colors are orange and maroon, nothing at all, and you could only introduce them to one person who completely embodied Tech and best represented Hokie spirit, who would
it be? The king or the queen! They play a crucial role throughout the year representing the student body as the face of Tech. They emcee the University Student Leadership Awards, throw out the first pitches at a baseball and softball game, serve on numerous committees and advisory boards and, of course, help select next year’s candidates. As a member of the homecoming court, I cannot even begin to express my disappointment and frustration on Tuesday when I picked up a copy of the CT to see nothing was mentioned about the events of the weekend. No pictures of the parade or who won the float and banner contest, coverage of events, not even a mention of who won king and queen. I went onto your website and browsed through pictures of the game, only to find not one snapshot of the court on the field at halftime, our proudest moment of the whole homecoming court experience. It’s as if the whole weekend did not even happen. This is not only a slap in the face to all 16 members of the court who have spent months planning and working endlessly on their campaign, especially to homecoming queen Emily Bailey and king Nathan Lavinka, but an embarrassment to the Collegiate Times. All special events on campus deserve to be recognized. A newspaper cannot, of course, pick and choose what items it wishes to cover, and a well-respected one would not snub one of its campus’ time-honored traditions, but then again who ever said the CT was one?
ELIZABETH RETTEW -guest columnist -senior -apparel, housing and resources major
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ACROSS 1 Bulldogs’ home 5 Controversial 2009 Nobelist 10 Tevye’s toast subject 14 Airline with a King David Lounge 15 Drink disparaged by W.C. Fields 16 Bridal gown shade 17 Ballet? 19 Iberian Peninsula invader 20 Cartographic detail 21 Au pair in a ring? 22 Salsa instrument 23 Can’t commit 25 “Don’t gimme that!” 27 Photo session with a klutz? 32 Realtors’ database: Abbr. 35 Abbr. part, often 36 “The nerve!” 37 Court cry 39 Airborne annoyances 41 Dynamic opening? 42 Gibbon, e.g. 44 Naldi of silents 46 Use a seed drill 47 Part of a barbershop review? 50 She played Elizabeth I in “Elizabeth” 51 Wrote a Dear John 55 Shot to the face? 58 ESP, e.g. 60 Predawn 61 Pundit’s piece 62 Christmas morning ritual? 64 Area between gutters 65 Come about 66 Further 67 Line discontinued in 2004 68 Military camp 69 Blonde, at times DOWN 1 Elusive Himalayans
By John Lampkin
2 “Drop me __” 3 Dropping the ball, so to speak 4 First arrival 5 MYOB part 6 English, maybe 7 Arguing 8 Good guy 9 Its mon. unit is the peso 10 Throat-soothing brew 11 Macintosh’s apple, e.g. 12 __ legs 13 Prefix with bond or dollar 18 Game company first called Syzygy 22 Godsend 24 Hand-tightened fastener 26 What misters do 28 Ford muscle car, to devotees 29 Lithographer James 30 Fabled fiddler 31 Generate interest 32 Damp area growth 33 The Eagles’ “__’ Eyes”
10/21/10 Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
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34 Big Mack 38 60606 and 70707, e.g. 40 Proctor’s announcement 43 “Iliad” hero 45 Much of Chile 48 Portray 49 Ribbed 52 How deadpan humor is delivered
9/17/10
53 Terse concession 54 Jazz pianist McCoy __ 55 New Mexico’s official neckwear 56 Fire __ 57 Be inclined (to) 59 Shelter org. 62 Some eggs 63 Long lead-in
sports 5
editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 21, 2010
Down the stretch, Hokies need road wins With just four games left in the season, it has become clear that if the women’s soccer team hopes to save its season, it will have to do so on the road. The Hokies came into this week facing an entirely different situation than they find themselves in right now. Wins against Maryland and Boston College seemed to have turned the corner for Virginia Tech’s season. However, the Hokies failed to take advantage of playing on home turf this weekend, tying Wake Forest 3-3 and falling to Duke in a lopsided 3-0 affair. The two games put Tech at just 2-3-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference — far from the 4-2 record the Hokies had last season at this point in the schedule. One of the biggest issues in the past week has surprisingly come on the defensive end. A defense that gave up just three goals total against North Carolina, BC and Maryland surrendered six in the last two contests. “I think that it is just a lack in communication,” said Kelly Lynch, senior defender. “We have to get better at talking with each other and stay organized.” Out of the four remaining games in the regular season, three of Tech’s games are on the road. The Hokies play at Miami, Florida State and Clemson before wrapping up their schedule at home against NC State. In 2009, the Hokies were 3-2 against those four teams, with both losses coming to Florida State — one in the ACC Tournament. It’s likely the Hokies’ season could very well be decided by the time the
Wolfpack comes to town Oct. 31, and how the Hokies perform on the road will be the key factor in whether they make it to their third straight NCAA tournament. In order to get back to the tournament, the Hokies will have to improve their play when away from home. Although Tech’s last away game was the 2-1 victory over BC, they are still just 2-5 on the road this season. “I don’t think it’s an issue at all. We have struggled on the road before, but we need to play to our strengths and we can’t think about playing on the road being a factor,” said Kelly Conheeney, sophomore midfielder. Conheeney’s lack of production during the conference schedule has also been a problem the Hokies have had trouble overcoming. Heading into the ACC portion of the season, Conheeney led the team with 14 points in seven games — four goals and six assists — but has only gotten one assist in Tech’s six conference games. The same issue arose last season as well. Overall, Conheeney has just 8 points in 18 conference games compared to the 26 points in 16 non-conference games. “The ACC is the best conference in the country, so she’s up against some of the best,” said Kelly Cagle, head coach. “She is consistently game in and game out one of the best players we’ve had.” Cagle also added Conheeney has been asked to play a lot of defense from midfield to protect the net against the top teams in the nation. This keeps
her from being on the break, at times, because she is so far behind the forwards and prevents her from contributing as much offensively. “I wouldn’t say I’ve struggled. To be honest, I feel like I’ve picked up my game. I have been a part of more goals where I just haven’t gotten the assist,” Conheeney said. Whatever the reason, the Hokies are going to need Conheeney to step up big in the final three weeks of the season. She has established herself as the most potent threat on offense and has learned to use that to set up her teammates. In addition to being tied for third on the team with four goals, she also leads the Hokies with seven assists. The fate of the Hokies’ season rides on these last four games. Tech’s ACC schedule started against the best teams in the conference, and although most of its remaining games are on the road, the competition the Hokies will face is not the same as when they were going against the likes of North Carolina or Virginia. There is no doubt the Hokies are good enough to beat every one of the teams they will face, it is just a question of whether they will be able to play to the level they are capable of for the rest of the season.
NICK CAFFERKY -sports reporter -sophomore -communication major
MARK UMANSKY / SPPS
Hokies forward Marika Gray battles for position against Vandy. Tech is winless in their last two contests.
NBA institutes In spite of youth, Moyers succeeds strict policy against whining ED LUPIEN
sports staff writer
RANDY YOUNGMAN mcclatchy newspapers ANAHEIM, Calif. — Welcome to the new NBA, where whining about officiating — and showing contempt through “overt” reactions — is no longer acceptable. Five years ago, the league instituted a new dress code aimed at cleaning up its image, requiring players to dress for success on game nights. Coats and ties, collared shirts and sweaters, dress slacks and hard-soled shoes were in; baggy jeans, T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts were out. This year, David “Very” Stern’s image reparation edict revolves around cleaning up behavior on the court. Specifically, the NBA is cracking down on whiners, complainers and on what it deems unsportsmanlike conduct. This is the way Stu Jackson, NBA vice president of basketball operations and the league’s czar of discipline, recently explained it: “We’re going to expand the universe of unsportsmanlike actions that will be penalized. They will include airpunching at an official. Waving him off as a sign of disrespect. Running up to an official from across the court to voice a complaint. Flailing arms in disbelief. Jumping up and down and pirouetting in disbelief or clapping sarcastically at an official.
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For the best basketball to be played, there should be a way we can be ourselves on the court. DEREK FISHER LAKERS GUARD
“Those are some of the types of actions that really have no place in our game.” And, of course, straightforward objections to perceived bad calls will not be tolerated, either. Essentially, verbal complaints about whistles and demonstrative reactions to them will be uniformly penalized. And all of the above will henceforth earn technical fouls — and free throws for the opposing team — as well as increased fines. The fines for technical fouls have been doubled this season. Players and coaches will be fined $2,000 for each of their first five technicals, $3,000 for the next five, $4,000 for the next five, through the first 15 fouls. Starting with technical foul No. 16, players will be suspended one game for every two technicals, with a $5,000 fine for each. The crackdown is part of an NBA directive that falls under the category of “Respect for the Game,” the title of a league-produced video that was shown to all 30 teams and to selected NBA media during the preseason. Reaction to the crackdown has been predictably varied. Initially, Lakers coach Phil Jackson was in
favor of the idea and said he believed players eventually would adjust to what the refs were calling. But Tuesday night he didn’t sound convinced when I asked him if the new guidelines could be fairly enforced. “It’s another one of those interpretive things that makes it very difficult to call,” Jackson said a recent Lakers’ exhibition game. “We had a situation the other night at the end of the game against Utah where consecutive fouls were called against (Lakers rookie) Devin Ebanks, and both of them were suspicious calls. He got upset, threw his hands up as a gesture (of protest) and got a technical.” The technical came with 45 seconds left at Staples Center, and the free throws put the game out of reach of the Lakers in a 99-94 loss. It was only an exhibition game, but Jackson said, “You don’t want to see something like that change the course of a game.” In an earlier Lakers exhibition game in Las Vegas, Lamar Odom was assessed a technical for leaving his arms in the air for too long after a foul was called; Shannon Brown got a technical for placing the basketball on the floor after being called for traveling; and Jackson got a T for walking down and telling the referee it shouldn’t have been a technical on Brown. It’s been happening in exhibition games around the league. Four technicals were called in a 16-second span in a Boston-New York game last week. So you have to wonder if the NBA is overdoing it. Are NBA games destined to become stop-and-start whistle-fests? What’s next? Is Lakers guard Derek Fisher going to be called for a technical for smiling after a questionable call, as he likes to do? Fisher tiptoed around the subject when I talked to him before Tuesday night’s game, not surprising considering he is president of the NBA Players Association executive committee. What he would say is he thinks there should be more discussion between players and owners about the new policy on technical fouls. “The fans deserve to see the game played a certain way,” he said carefully. “For the best basketball to be played, there should be a way we can be ourselves on the court.” And be allowed to show emotion? He nodded. Then Fisher mentioned that Billy Hunter, director of the NBAPA, had released a statement decrying the “new unilateral rule changes as unnecessary and unwarranted overreaction” by the league and that there would be an “appropriate legal challenge.” “The season opens next week,” Fisher said. Stay tuned for the next whistle.
Sophomore Mikey Moyers opened many eyes in the collegiate golfing ranks last fall when he led the Hokies in scoring in just his second collegiate tournament. He kept them entranced right up until the end of the season, when he finished third on the team with a 73 stroke average per round. A two-time state champion in high school and recipient the 2009 Virginia State Golf Association Junior Player of the Year Award, Moyers continued his strong play in the spring, finishing in the top 20 in three of the seven events in which he competed. He has since picked up right where he left off. On Sept. 14 at the Marshall Invitational, Moyers shot a 65 in the final round, a new personal collegiate low, and tied for seventh individually overall. After two tournaments this fall he leads the Hokies, averaging 71 strokes per round.
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Mikey has the potential to be one of the best ever at Tech by the time he finishes his career. JAY HARDWICK TECH GOLF COACH
Perhaps the explanation for not slowing down over the summer comes from the fact the Stanardsville, Va., native barely had any time to catch his breath once the spring season concluded. Moyers prepared for, competed in and won a sectional qualifier tournament in early August at Birdwood Country Club in Charlottesville, earning a spot in the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship. The tournament, which featured 312 amateurs from around the world, took place at the Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Washington on Aug. 23-24. “I was incredibly nervous,” Moyers said. “It was definitely the hardest tournament in which I’ve competed.” Moyers shot an opening round of 77 but his two-day total of 152 (nineover-par) tied him for 108th place. Only the top-64 players advanced out of stroke play. “It was a great experience,” Moyers said. “The weather was excellent, and the course was beautiful. Plus I had my father (Mike Moyers, a former PGA professional) caddy for me, which was cool.” Coming in to the tournament, Moyers found himself in a similar situation to that of Drew Weaver in 2007, when the former Hokie standout qualified and won the British Amateur tournament. In doing so, Weaver became the first American to win the competition in 28 years. “He’s a lot like Drew,” said senior Marshall Bailey, Moyers’ teammate. “They’re so similar in the sense that they’re both great ball-strikers. At times Drew struggled with his putting and that has been seen in Mikey’s game at times too. For both of them, the days they play really well are the days when they putt well.”
COURTESY OF HOKIESPORTS.COM
As a sophomore, Moyers led Virginia Tech’s team with a 15th place finish in just his second tournament. Weaver has since turned pro and made the cut at last year’s U.S. Open, in which he finished 40th. Despite the comparisons, Moyers did not reach out to Weaver for any words of wisdom or strategy in preparation for the tournament. “I’ve met him before but haven’t really talked to him that much,” Moyers said. “His last year was the year before I got to Tech.” It is clear in the mind of his teammates and his head coach that Moyers is determined to make a name for himself and not just follow in the footsteps of Hokie golfers who have gone pro, such as Weaver and
Brendon De Jonge. “Mikey has the potential to be one of the best ever at Tech by the time he finishes his career,” said Jay Hardwick, men’s golf head coach. Despite the slew of compliments and the affirmation made by many that he will, one day, turn professional, Moyers is not completely satisfied with his game, saying his biggest area for improvement lies not on the putting green or the tee, but rather inside his head. “My mental game needs some work,” Moyers said. “Right now I’m not very good with pressure — if I get into a slump, I start to dwell on bad shots.”
“It’s just one of those things in this game,” Bailey said. “We’ve all been there, and I’ve already seen improvement in his mental game since the end of last season.” Regardless of Moyers’ areas for improvement in his personal game, it is certain neither his young age nor class is holding Moyers back from earning the respect and admiration of his teammates. “I think we definitely look to him for leadership,” Bailey said. “We don’t really look at him as a sophomore. We’re all roughly the same age. It doesn’t really matter who’s an upper or lower classman. If he’s playing well, we should have a good season.”
6 weekend october 21, 2010
COLLEGIATETIMES
[Thursday, October 21]
What: Comedy: Daniel Tosh Where: Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre Cost: $37 What: Music: Jeff Miller Where: Gillie’s When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free What: Movies and Zombie Fashion Show Where: The Lyric When: 7 p.m. Cost: $10
[Friday, October 22] What: Music: The Rosco w/Bourbon Shades Where: Gillie’s When: 9:30 p.m.
COURTESY OF JEFF MILLER
Even though Jeff Miller is a solo musician, he manages to bring lots of sound by recording himself on stage and looping the beats together.
TOURING SINCE SEPTEMBER, JEFF MILLER AND HIS LOOPING PEDAL MAKE A STOP IN BLACKSBURG MIKA MALONEY features reporter Singer Jeff Miller is on a whirlwind tour of the southeast with his special brand of live pop music. He can be recognized for his method of “looping” or recording himself and layering it during live shows. Miller makes Blacksburg a regular stop on his southern tours, and this fall promises another set of unique shows. The Collegiate Times caught up with the busy musician as he was en route from New York to Washington, D.C. to see what he has in store for Blacksburg at Gillie’s tonight at 7 p.m. COLLEGIATE TIMES: How would you describe your sound? JEFF MILLER: For live shows I usually play acoustic rock-pop with jazz folk elements. I use a looping peddle, so it’s just me and the peddle. CT: Where do you find inspiration for your music? MILLER: I’m a pretty normal guy. The majority (of ideas) I find when watching movies and reading. My inspiration really comes from a mixture of those things and personal life experiences. CT: You’re playing several shows in a row in Blacksburg — are you
planning on sticking around in between? MILLER: I have a pretty good high school friend in the area I stay with, and I hang out with him. People think musicians have all this time to go out and do stuff but there’s not much usable time. My schedule’s not so helpful. I do a lot of driving, and then eat and sleep. I try and use downtime to rest, write and practice. CT: Can you tell me a little about your current tour? How long you have been on the road and where you have been? MILLER: I have been on the road since Sept. 29. I started in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’m from Pittsburgh, and I live in Nashville, but whenever I go to western Pennsylvania I do a big string of shows there. I was touring there for about a week in a 200-mile radius. Last Saturday I was in Rockville, Maryland. Wednesday and Thursday I was in New York City, I’m driving now to D.C., and then I’m in Charlottesville tomorrow. And then after that, Blacksburg. Last night I played a show in New York City and ended up meeting a friend for dinner before, and it took me more than 2 hours to drive 7 miles to the show. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that in Blacksburg.
What: Music: Brothers Past/Telepath/EP3 Where: Attitudes When: 8 p.m. Cost: $13 advance, $15 at door, 18+ What: Movie: Twilight: Eclipse Where: Squires Colonial Hall When: 7:30 p.m. Cost: $2 students, $3 non-students
What: Music: Doc Greenburg’s Patient Jazz Where: Gillie’s When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free What: Movie: Twilight: Eclipse Where: Squires Colonial Hall When: 7:30 p.m. Cost: $2 students, $3 non-students
Loop th
Wondering what’s going on around the ‘burg? Check out the events of the upcoming week.
What: Music: Groovascape Where: Awful Arthur’s When: 9 p.m. Cost: $3 cover
[Sunday, October 24] What: Music: Blacksburg Community Strings Where: Squires Recital Salon When: 7:30 p.m. Cost: Free
[Monday, October 25] What: College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Fair Where: McBryde Hall When: 5:30 p.m. Cost: Free
What: Music: The Avett Brothers Where: Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre When: 8 p.m. Cost: $35 advance, $40 day of show
n
e
What: Oktoberfest Where: Cranwell International Center When: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Cost: Free
[Saturday, October 23]
I
Jeff Miller brings solo act to Gillie’s
editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
[Tuesday, October 26] What: Music: Zach Deputy Where: Attitudes When:9:30 p.m. Cost: $8 advance, $10 at door, 18+
[Wednesday, October 27] What: Comedy Club Opeining Night Where: Awful Arthur’s When: 7 p.m. Cost: $5 What: Legally Blonde the Musical Where: Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre When: 7:30 p.m. Cost: www.roanokeciviccenter for ticket prices
‘Hereafter’ not Eastwood’s best work lint Eastwood’s late life/late career fascination with morC tality, death and grieving devolves, at long last, into a cheap parlor trick in “Hereafter.” This wholly unsatisfying variation on “what lies beyond” shows him to be ill-suited to the subject and to the sort of tale that involves setting three disparate characters on a path toward one another for a finale that isn’t so much a payoff as a “Yeah, and?” He attracted talent from Matt Damon, playing a reluctant San Francisco psychic who avoids “connections” with the dead, to Derek Jacobi, in a cameo as Derek Jacobi, the actor who reads Charles Dickens’ novels onto CD. Eastwood loses track of Damon, his ostensible hero, and makes Jacobi’s appearance one of the more glaring “I’d
really like to work with him, but I haven’t a role for him” moments in recent film history. But “Hereafter” opens with a whopper — an epic recreation of the 2005 Indian Ocean tsumani. Cecile De France plays Marie, a French tourist who drowns in the tidal wave, only to revive after seeing a child she tried to save walk off into a hazy light. Marie is a reporter, but is so shaken by the experience that she runs away from the biggest story of her career, back to France where she tries to rationalize what she went through. Frankie and George McLaren play British twins, boys who spend their days bonding and covering for their drug-addicted mom. One is killed in an accident and the survivor is haunted by the loss. Meanwhile, out in San Francisco,
George (Damon) is running a forklift, hiding from his former life as a psychic for hire. His brother (Jay Mohr, underplaying for once) insists he has a “gift” and a “duty” to share it. But George knows the lonely life that holds, and how little chance he has of meeting someone. “A life that’s all about that is no life at all.” Maybe that lady he’s partnered with in his Italian cooking class (Bryce Dallas Howard, a bit too obvious in what is far from her best performance) will be interested. If only he can stop “seeing” the dead people in her past. Eastwood, working from a Peter Morgan (“The Queen”) script, fritters away over two hours, failing to find suspense or heart in these three lives. When you can’t wring
tears out of a child’s death or a vast tragedy, maybe this isn’t the script for you. Damon plays George as emotionally exhausted and seemingly unable to summon up the empathy that he keeps saying his character has. De France, working in both French and English, doesn’t for one second suggest the urgent need to know what it was she experienced, or tell the world about it. And the payoff’s promised catharsis is nothing of the sort. This “Hereafter,” despite the odd engaging moment, is a terrible letdown, like investing in a belief system and discovering there’s no “here” that you’ve been after all your life.
ROGER MOORE -mct campus
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