Wednesday, November 10, 2010 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 107th year, issue 117
News, page 2
Food & Drink, page 6
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 5
Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
Corps to remember veterans
Fire rips through forest
ERIN CHAPMAN news staff writer
DANIEL LIN (TOP), JONATHAN ROBERTS (BOTTOM) / SPPS
TOP - The fire burned over most of Price Mountain through the day Tuesday. By 6 p.m. on Tuesday night, fire officials estimated that about 25 percent had been contained. BOTTOM - Members of the Virginia Tech wild land fire crew worked with emergency personnel in containing the wildfire burn line.
FOREST FIRE TUESDAY CONSUMES ESTIMATED 450 ACRES OF BRUSH ON PRICE MOUNTAIN, NO INJURIES LIANA BAYNE associate news editor Firefighters battled a forest fire outside Blacksburg yesterday. The fire was on Price Mountain, about four miles southeast of Blacksburg, just outside town limits. Smoke was visible from Prices Fork Road and from campus throughout the afternoon. Fire Chief Keith Bolte, who was on the
scene in a command post about two miles from the edge of the fire, said that about 25 percent of the fire was contained at around 6 p.m. Tuesday night. At least two helicopters were used to help contain the blaze. Bolte said between 20 and 25 emergency personnel responded to the fire. Bolte said that around 6 p.m. he was clearing most all Blacksburg Fire and LongshopMcCoy Fire personnel from the site and
allowing Forestry Service workers to continue trying to contain the fire through the night. “What we know right now is that the estimated burn is about 450 acres. It’s actually pretty well contained now, and no houses are in danger,” said Wayne Garst, a volunteer member of Blacksburg Fire who responded to the fire Tuesday afternoon. Bolte said that while Oilwell Road had been closed to everyone except residents Tuesday afternoon, it had been reopened by around 6 p.m. Tuesday night. The Blacksburg Fire Department received a call about the blaze around 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, but Garst said that it had probably been burning since Monday. A Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department member who was at the command post with Bolte Tuesday night said he was alerted to the burn on Monday evening while on a regular patrol in the Prices Fork area. He and other members of the Sheriff’s Department reported the blaze to Blacksburg Fire Tuesday morning, he said. Firefighters have not determined how the fire started. news reporter claire sanderson contributed to this report.
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will hold a Veterans Day memorial ceremony Thursday. The ceremony, taking place at 10:30 a.m. in the War Memorial Chapel, will recognize veterans. Lt. Col. Bill Stringer, U.S. Marine Corps (retired) and Deputy Commandant of Cadets for the 1st Battalion will speak at the ceremony. Following the ceremony, a wreath will be placed at the memorial on campus. According to Rock Roszack, associate director of alumni relations for the corps, Tech’s “long, rich military tradition” makes it only natural for students to remember Veterans Day and remember those who have gone before them. “We think about those that have lost their lives all the time but on Veterans Day in particular,” Roszack said. Beginning at midnight on Tuesday, Echo Company will begin a 48 hour vigil at the War Memorial Pylons. Two cadets will be posted at the memorial until midnight Thursday. A second vigil will take place at the Rock on the Upper Quad beginning at midnight Wednesday and lasting until midnight on Thursday. The Rock memorializes Tech alumni killed in World War I. This is only the second year that a ceremony at War Memorial Chapel is being held. However, the vigils at the Rock and at the cenotaph between the pylons have taken place for decades. At 5 p.m. on Thursday, the corps will hold a ceremony at the flag pole on the Upper Quad. The flag will be lowered while the Highty-Tighties and the Regimental Band play. The corps cannon, Skipper, will also be fired. The Highty-Tighties, the Color Guard and the Gregory Guard will travel to Roanoke on Saturday to march in the Virginia Veterans Parade, which will begin at 11 a.m. Maj. Carrie Cox, executive officer of military affairs, hopes the holiday will remind students of troops serving in uniform. “There are a lot of veterans on campus, both faculty and students, and everyone should stop and take a moment and remember those that have served and are serving,” she said.
Alumni Association Students help revise town comprehensive plan celebrates 135 years KATIE NOLAND news staff writer
MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news staff writer The Alumni Association celebrated its 135th anniversary this past weekend. The association held a dinner Friday to induct all past board members into the newly created Gateway Society and celebrate the new Holtzman Alumni Center’s fifth anniversary. Almost 250 alumni and students took part in the event. “It was interesting to look at the history of the Alumni Association and to hear some great conversations,” said Josh Burnheimer, assistant director of alumni relations. Tom Tillar, vice president of alumni relations, said the association was important to the history of Virginia Tech. “The gateway was a very symbolic entrance to college,” he
said. “The college’s first building was there. Most of the campus was where you see Lane Hall and the buildings right around there,” Tillar said. The first building for the association was atop the hill near what is now Main Street and Alumni Mall, but it eventually burned down. In its place, a gateway was built in the early 1900s. Built in 1912, it was two stone guard buildings with an iron arched gate that read Alumni Gateway. “We think in the late ‘30s and into the ‘40s [it] probably fell into disrepair,” Tillar said. The gate would have had to be removed nonetheless. At the time, Main Street stopped at College Avenue and the gate would have been removed to allow its expansion.
Paving reduces N. Main to one lane SARAH WATSON news reporter The Town of Blacksburg will be paving North Main Street today, resulting in lane closures. Today from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m., North Main Street will be limited to one lane from College Avenue to Alumni Mall. Faculty Street will also be closed. From 12 a.m. to 7 p.m., Turner Street will be closed
between North Main Street and Progress Street. As a result of the lane and road closures, the Blacksburg Transit will be redirected. Harding Avenue, Main Street and Two Town Trolley routes will operate on a detour schedule all day. The Main Street and Harding Avenue timechecks will occur at Torgersen Hall. The Two Town Trolley timecheck will be at Eggleston Hall.
More than 50 students met this past Wednesday to discuss revisions for the Blacksburg 2006-2046 Comprehensive Plan. Wesley Hill and Kate Gerwig, both Virginia Tech public and urban affairs majors and interns with the town, coordinated Wednesday’s meeting. “People have tried doing this before, but haven’t had the process down or people to do it. We were extra interns and we are planning on passing this on to someone else next year,” Gerwig said. Hill said they attempted to move the discussion into classrooms. “We were trying to get a feel for a way to do this continually. We want to take this and make it a semester-by-semester occurrence campus wide,” Hill said. “We had double the amount of people this time than past meetings.” The meeting was spent discussing four major topics: neighborhood planning, community design, transportation and historic preservation. Students were broken up into groups and spent 15 minutes in discussion groups for each topic. All information was recorded and sent to the town council so when the review occurs in 2011, the student voice will be recognized. Those attending the event were asked to fill out a survey beforehand rating each topic as great, good, fair or bad. The survey determined what topics were discussed based on what received the most negative feedback. “It allowed us to focus on bigger problems. With semester-to-semester meetings we can broaden the scope covered,” Hill said. Karen Drake, a planner for the town, spends time visiting eighthgraders, 12th-graders, and senior citizens in the area. The meeting on Wednesday targeted the Tech student population. “We all have different needs and perspectives on how the town should develop,” Drake said. Gerwig noted the need for a strong relationship between students and residents of the town.
GHISLAIN DELPORTE / SPPS
Students Wesley Hill (left) and Kate Gerwig (right) are both public and urban affairs majors and interns with the town. They are helping to coordinate students’ involvement in the revision of the town plan. “The student population is growing and Blacksburg is a town, not just where Virginia Tech is,” Gerwig said. Diversity also weighed into the discussion. “Students come here from all over. Diversity helps to make a place better and build a stronger community,” Hill said. State code requires the town to review the plan every five years. “Versions of comprehensive plans began in the ‘70s or ‘80s. (Since then) 96 major updates occurred and established Blacksburg 2046,” Drake said. In Drake’s speech she asked the students, “What do we want Blacksburg to look like?” Students were engaged in each 15 minute session to discuss what changes should be made in the town. Topics discussed included the Harding bus route, town aesthetics, bike paths, gateways, shared green space and making the original 16 blocks better known.
GHISLAIN DELPORTE / SPPS
Students discussed neighborhood planning, community design, transportation design and historic preservation in small groups.
2 newsAs House changed hands, youth sat on theirs
news editors: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
november 10, 2010
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nation headlines
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Pelosi seeks deal for Hoyer, Clyburn WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to broker a deal between Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn in their contest to be minority whip in the next session of Congress. Democrats relinquished the speaker’s post when they lost control of the House of Representatives in last week’s elections. Pelosi is so far running unopposed for minority leader, which will be the House Democrats’ top position. That leaves Hoyer of Maryland and Clyburn of South Carolina to vie for the No. 2 post of minority whip. “In the course of preparation for the lame duck (session starting Nov. 15), the speaker has had conversations with Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Clyburn and other members of the leadership, and she wants them both in leadership,” Brendan Daly, a Pelosi spokesman, told McClatchy Newspapers. The contest between Hoyer and Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, has taken on racial overtones. Thirty Democratic representatives — none of them black — sent colleagues a letter Monday endorsing Hoyer. The 41-member Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday formally endorsed Clyburn. The only way the HoyerClyburn loser could stay in the leadership is if he bumps Connecticut’s John Larson as Democratic caucus chairman, or if a new leadership post is created. Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, suggested Sunday that the party’s House leaders were weighing the creation of a new leadership spot. Clyburn said Tuesday that he has “no interest” in backing down from the contest with Hoyer, though he insists the two men are on friendly terms. -james rosen & david lightman , mcclatchy newspapers
CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.
DAVID LIGHTMAN mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Only about 20 percent of the nation’s young people turned out to vote last week, a drop from the last midterm election in 2006. Despite the sparse turnout, voters age 18 to 29 voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives, but it wasn’t nearly enough to blunt Republican gains that gave the GOP its first majority in the House since 2006. In a study released Tuesday, CIRCLE and Generational Alliance, independent groups that track young voter participation, found that 20.9 percent of all eligible voters under 30 went to the polls last week, compared with 23.5 percent in the last midterm election four years ago. The 2010 turnout was a dramatic drop from the 2008 presidential election, when 51 percent of the young people voted. Such declines aren’t common between presidential and midterm election years. Even if those who showed up in 2008 had voted this time, it’s unclear how much their vote would have helped Democrats. This year’s young voter turnout trend reverses a nearly decade-long increase in 18-to-29-year-old participation and returns midterm election turnout to more typical levels. “A lot of young people still had a lot of passion. But the same people who recruited them and said, ‘Here’s what you can do’ two years ago weren’t around,” said Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, the CIRCLE lead researcher. Nationally, the turnout trend went
the other way — an estimated 42 percent of eligible voters went to the polls last week, compared to 40.8 percent four years ago, according to the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, which studies voter trends. A key reason for the higher national turnout, said the committee’s director, Curtis Gans, was the motivation that often drives more voters to the polls: a shaky economy. Gans did find one difference from the usual pattern. “Under normal circumstances, when there is a recession, the party in power in the White House suffers and turnout increases substantially — as occurred in 1982 and 1992,” he said. “This is a more prolonged and deeper recession than any since the 1930s Depression, but while the Democrats suffered greatly at all levels — Congress, governors’ offices and state legislatures — it was not accompanied by the normal turnout
surge.” That could be because the voters were not necessarily buying Republican alternatives — even Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky acknowledged last week that voters “didn’t suddenly fall in love with Republicans, they fell out of love with Democrats.” That trend was evident in other voter subgroups. Exit polls found that House Democrats got 48 percent support from women, down from 55 percent two years ago. Republicans won 49 percent of their vote this time. Young voters clung to Democrats, though not by the 66 percent to 32 percent margin they gave President Barack Obama two years ago. Eighty-four percent of 2008 young voters went to the polls last week, and gave House Democrats a 57 percent to 40 percent edge. Young voters were about 11 percent of the electorate, and Kawashima-Ginsberg
said it’s unclear how the non-voters would have voted. Obama still does well among young voters. By a 60-40 margin, they approve of the job Obama is doing. Young voter support was considered crucial to Obama’s victory two years ago, and the poll suggests it’s barely waned. Among all voters, 45 percent approved of the president and 54 percent disapproved. All data comes from national exit polls by Edison Research. By 55 percent to 41 percent, young voters said last week the president’s policies would help the nation in the long run. There was also a warning to Democrats. Peter Levine, CIRCLE Director, said Democrats “need to engage them (young voters) better than they did in 2010, and Republicans need to make inroads in a generation that continues to prefer Democrats.” There were differences between young voters who have attended college, about half the electorate, and those who didn’t. Though the economy topped the list of issues for all voters, those lacking college experience were more likely to cite health care as a priority, as well as job creation. The young electorate this year was also more diverse than the nation. Two-thirds of voters 18 to 29 this year were white, 14 percent were black, 15 percent Latino and 3 percent Asian American. In the country as a whole, among voters 30 and older, 80 percent of voters were white, 10 percent black, 7 percent Latino and 1 percent Asian-American. Seven percent of young voters said they were gay, lesbian or bisexual, compared with 4 percent of all voters.
Biden rolls out home energy efficiency STEVEN THOMMA mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled a new federal program to make it easier for Americans to make their homes more energy efficient, saying it will help people save money and create new jobs for contractors. The three-step program, called Recovery Through Retrofit, will offer new software for contractors to easily show people how much they can save, offer lowcost financing to help people pay for home improvements and set new guidelines for contractors to assure the public the work is done right. Biden, who announced the plan at the White House, said that it will give families “the tools they need to invest in home energy upgrades. Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help
middle-class families save money and energy.” The Obama administration didn’t immediately release estimates of either the costs of the program or how many jobs it could create. The Home Energy Score Program will provide new software that will produce a score of 1 to 10 in a graphic that will compare the efficiency of someone’s home compared to other homes in the same area and climate. It will offer an estimate of how much money could be saved with energy retrofits, a list of recommended improvements and an estimate of annual savings. White House aides said the availability of simple, trustworthy information should help more people invest in making their homes more energy efficient. “Most consumers do not have
access to straightforward and reliable information about their home’s energy use,” said a White House information sheet. “Without this information, homeowners are less likely to invest in home energy upgrades.” The software will be offered to trained and certified contractors to use during a onehour walkthrough of people’s homes. “The Home Energy Score will help make energy efficiency easy and accessible to America’s families by providing them with straightforward and reliable information about their homes’ energy performance and specific, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements that will save them money on their monthly energy bills,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. To help people pay for the work, the administration will unveil the PowerSaver loan
program. Offered through the Federal Housing Administration under a two-year pilot program, it will offer low-rate loans that could be repaid over periods as long as 20 y ears. “PowerSaver will help more homeowners afford common sense, cost saving improvements to their homes, and will create jobs for contractors, installers and energy auditors across the country,” said Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Finally, the program will produce voluntary guidelines to identify the skills and expertise needed for people working in the energy retrofit business. A White House report said: “Currently, there are not enough well-trained residential energy retrofit workers and not enough green entrepreneurs to expand the home energy efficiency industry.”
COLLEGIATETIMES
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virginia headlines
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VDOT releases plans to go green PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — An executive order from the governor has put Virginia’s transportation system on the path toward cleaner, greener travel, be it by air, land or rail. “Virginia’s government must set the example in its use of all resources,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said, in Executive Order 19. “We must be conservative and frugal whether we are using dollars provided by taxpayers, materials purchased with those dollars or the exceptional natural resources entrusted to our care. To this end, conservation and efficiency must be a central consideration in how we conduct all of our business and operations.” Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton, in response, pledged a focus on “green” across several agencies: the departments of Aviation, of Motor Vehicles, of Rail and Public Transportation, of Transportation, and of the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board and the Virginia Port Authority. In a written statement, Connaughton said efforts to reduce pollution would include a push for recycling, an increased use of renewable materials, and the procurement of diesel fuel that contains at least two percent biodiesel or green diesel fuel. Connaughton also pledged to “decrease our energy consumption by at least five percent for fiscal 2010, as compared to fiscal 2010 ... 1/8and3/8 to pursue a goal of not less than 20 percent of our eligible workforce telecommuting.” Transportation Department agencies will only buy or lease Energy Star rated appliances and equipment in the future, Connaughton added, in his written statement. Individual agencies under the Transportation Department have come up with their own specifics on how to implement the policy. Aviation, for instance, will publish updates of its charts and directories via electronic methods, rather than paper. And the Department of Motor Vehicles has done away with much of its notifications by mail in favor of email. “We intend to develop a comprehensive program to reduce our energy consumption and limit our impact on the environment,” Connaughton said. “This will save money, make our programs more efficient and reduce our environmental footprint.” -cheryl chumley, mcclatchy newspapers
On book circuit, Bush isn’t shy about presidency’s flash points STEVEN THOMMA mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Former President George W. Bush is on the comeback trail. Whether it leads to Mount Rushmore or simply out of history’s doghouse is unknown. The verdict on an American president can take years to develop, and Bush insists he’s content to leave his legacy to the historians. The 43rd president is touring the country promoting his new book, eagerly talking about some of the flash points of his presidency, such as Iraq and Hurricane Katrina, and getting ready to break ground for his presidential library and museum. “I just want people to understand what it was like,” Bush said in an appearance on Rush Limbaugh’s radio program Tuesday. Yet Bush may find the return to the spotlight as glaring as it is warm. Even as Limbaugh greeted him happily and the audience at Oprah Winfrey’s show applauded him Tuesday, conservative blogger Michelle Malkin warned against sentimentality toward the man she says helped spawn the tea party movement. Anti-war protesters are expected next week at the groundbreaking for his library and museum at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “I’m very comfortable being submerged, as I say, and I’m emerging because I want people to read this book,” Bush told Limbaugh. “Once this book is finished, I’m going back to as normal a life as possible, promoting freedom and marketplace and accountability in the schools and playing golf with people like you.” Appearing with Oprah, he talked about the war, about the failure to find the weapons of mass destruction he thought Iraq had, and about how he still felt it worthwhile to topple the late Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein. “When we didn’t find weapons I felt terrible about it, sick about it, and still do, because a lot of the case in remov-
ing Saddam Hussein was based upon weapons of mass destruction,” he said. Still, he said, “The world is better with him gone.” On Katrina, he said he was stung by accusations that a slow federal response meant he didn’t care about black people. “That really hurt,” he said. “You can disagree with my politics, but don’t ever accuse me of being a racist. ... I can see how the perception would be ‘Bush didn’t care,’ but to accuse me of being a racist is disgusting.” He exhibited his self-deprecating humor: “A lot of people don’t think I can read, much less write.” He also refused to criticize President Barack Obama. “I didn’t like it when people criticized me,” Bush said. “And so you’re not going to see me out there chirping away (at Obama). And I want our president to succeed. I love our country.” Bush postponed release of the book until after the Nov. 2 elections, but he wasn’t much of a factor in the voting. Republicans rarely invoked his name, but none called for reversing the major keystones of his presidency — wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that continue to this day, the soon-to-expire tax cuts they want to make permanent, and the biggest expansion of entitlement spending since Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society in the 1960s. Tea party conservatives complained that Republicans “lost their way” by increasing domestic spending during the Bush years. They didn’t, however, promise to repeal his expansion of Medicare to cover prescription drugs. Malkin noted the irony in his embrace of the tea party in interviews this week. “The problem, of course, is that Bush nostalgia is indelibly marred by his disastrous domestic policy legacy of big government, big spending, and betrayal of core fiscal principles,” she wrote, “the very impetus for the Tea Party movement upon which he now heaps glowing praise.” If Republicans tried to forget Bush, Democrats tried to make him an issue,
MCT CAMPUS
Above, former president Bush smiles as he talks with Whitney Grace Dodson, 8, during a book signing at a Borders book store in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 9. Below, Protestors make their presence known to crowds waiting for the same signing at the Borders book store in Dallas. hoping he would hurt Republican candidates in 2010 as he did in 2006 and 2008. Obama worked to remind voters that he “inherited” the economic collapse from Bush. Polls showed he made his case successfully — a McClatchy Newspapers-Marist poll last month found that registered voters by a 2-to1 margin thought he inherited rather than caused today’s economic woes. It didn’t matter, though. With Bush not on the ballot and no longer in office as he was in 2006 and 2008, voters moved on. Bush remains a divisive figure two years after leaving office — though he’s not as deeply unpopular.
A Gallup poll this summer found 45 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of him while 51 percent had an unfavorable opinion. Two years earlier, 39 percent had a favorable opinion and 61 percent had an unfavorable opinion of him. He still bears the burden of waging an unpopular war on the false premise that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and of presiding over the collapse of the economy in 2008. He’s come back from his lowest point, however, thanks in part to the Obama administration’s claim that the Iraq war has turned out to be a success.
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editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
november 10, 2010
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Rushing the field not always needed Dear fellow Hokies, I know the win over Georgia Tech was dramatic. David Wilson’s kickoff return for a touchdown and an interception to seal the win was exciting. But rushing the field? Since graduating from Virginia Tech, and while enrolled, I’ve noticed fans rush the field on quite a few occasions. Unfortunately it was unwarranted many of those times. Rushing the field has its place in college sports, but a win over an unranked or lower-ranked team is not a sufficient reason. FCS schools who beat FBS schools, they should rush the field (Too soon?). An unranked team pulling out a last second win against a top-10 team; a lowranked team beating the No. 1 or 2 team in exciting fashion, maybe. Furthermore, Hokies, we have been too quick to rush the field in exciting wins. I definitely agree they have been exciting, but in most of the games people have rushed the field, we were supposed
to win. Rushing the field over any exciting game also cheapens those times we do rush the field. It’s no longer a statement of a historic win if people see Tech fans rushing the field every time the team pulls out a close victory. There aren’t hard and steadfast rules, but Thursday night the Hokies should have beaten Georgia Tech, especially with Georgia Tech’s quarterback going down. Give credit to the Yellow Jackets for playing a great game, and give credit to our Hokie football team for winning a close game. But give them credit without rushing to the middle of the field. Seeing it on national television cheapened a decent win. It was not a historical win in our football team’s history. Mainly, I just hope we think about the context of the game and reasons to rush the field. If we are ranked above or within 10 spots of the opponent, it’s probably not a good idea. Just an opinion from a Hokie alum watching on national television.
MAHEEN KHURSHID / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Lackluster maintenance hurts Tech campus appeal Find the motivation to Jeremiah Purdum Class of 2006
write your masterpiece E
veryone has, at some point or another in life, had some inkling of an idea that was so great he thought he might be able to make a sellable novel out of it. Many of us file this little idea away, waiting for a time when we will “have the time” to sit down and give it the attention it deserves. That time will never come. We will always have parties and accidents and doctor’s appointments and homework and projects. Unless you are a professional novelist, you will never have a block of time large enough to sit down and write a novel that will do your idea justice. But this column isn’t for novelists — this column is for those of us who simply have an idea that must be put to words, or else forgotten. National Novel Writing Month is a 30 day endeavor during which participants write at least 50,000 words — the length of an average-sized novel. The purpose of cramming such a huge project into only a month is two-fold — it gives you an excuse to write the novel you’ve wanted to write, while forcing you to actually write the novel. By giving yourself an excuse to write the novel, you can finally cater to that little idea you’ve been bopping around and give it a body. Perhaps you simply told yourself you aren’t good enough to write a novel, but this is your excuse: You aren’t writing to impress a crowd, you are writing your novel for you. Simultaneously, you finally have that force nudging you into writing the novel. You have approximately 1,667 words to write a day, and that pressure pushes people to write like it’s 2 a.m., on a paper due at 8 a.m. Participating in NaNoWriMo is an excellent exercise, whether writing is a hobby or not. Everyone has a story to tell, why not take the opportunity to tell it? Writing as self-expression not only develops your thinking skills, but
also self-understanding. Some tips to facilitate the process: Reward yourself for meeting your daily goal. Whether it’s a piece of candy or a “Mythbusters” marathon, make sure you are rewarding yourself. Get in the zone. While you should try to eek in the 50 words between sitting down in class and class actually starting, try to have a “writing zone” where you can be at peace and write the most — maybe a comfy chair in your study lounge with some music or the dead silence of the library. Wherever it is, make sure it’s accessible, and make sure you can actually write there. Give yourself breaks. If you want to spend your entire Saturday sleeping after a marathon of writing, do it. If that means writing a little more each day so you can give yourself days off during the week, do it. Don’t delete anything. Even if you rewrite an entire scene, keep the original. Personally, I keep mine in a notepad document labeled “out-takes.” These may be useful in later drafts if you choose to keep and revise your novel, and they’re also a major boost to the word count. Write with friends. Like dieting, it’s almost impossible to complete the NaNoWriMo challenge without help. If you decide to participate with a friend, you can keep each other accountable for your progress and even attend events dedicated to the project. For more information, tips, and resources, visit www.nanowrimo.org.
JULIE DEISHER -regular columnist -sophomore -english
Support key in fight against breast cancer he month of October wasn’t just about Freddy Krueger masks or T barely-there “put-my-fire-out” firefighter costumes. It was also about pink, and lots of it. October is always breast cancer awareness month, as strides are being taken to eradicate the disease affecting one in four girls born today. “Where do you like it?” asked the Facebook fad that dominated last month isn’t about sex or Internet promiscuity as it seems, but instead is an attempt to spread awareness of breast cancer and show how pink seems to fit in with all that orange and black. Women across the nation hopped on the viral bandwagon — leaving perplexed men everywhere to wonder, “Are they really talking about what I think they’re talking about?” Last year, the same trend asked the question, “What color is your bra?” and though it may not be quite as relevant to the cause, purses are now suddenly in need of locating. Women sent messages to other women telling them to simply state “where they like it” as their status, in hopes to get people to ask questions and be interested in the cause that puts so many women and men — who aren’t immune to the disease — at risk. Can a Facebook status really make a difference? Is hundreds of girls saying they like to leave their purses on the bed anything more than a simple innuendo? I’m not sure it’s as effective as Internet browsers seem to think, but I admit I
was a follower in all senses of the word. I made a status clever enough that it couldn’t be printed in this column and witty enough to give me a lot of new notifications — but I didn’t do it with breast cancer in mind. I wish I had. I wish I had posted a crazy statistic to make people stop and think or provided information about mammograms and the importance of early detection, but I didn’t. The truth is breast cancer isn’t fun and games. It affects friends, family and loved ones. It complicates and often ends lives far too early. When a Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sister gave me a pink ribbon outside of Owens Hall, I wore it with pride. I only wish I had a dollar to buy a wristband. I wore the ribbon for me: That piece of pink satin wasn’t just a reminder of my aunt’s toughness, or my mom’s best friend; it is a reminder that support is endlessly necessary. October 2011 may come with a whole slew of new Facebook nonsense and amusements; I only hope people can see the importance beneath the insinuations. Liking it on a desk isn’t going to cure cancer, but support can help everyone through it.
JENNY SAMUELS -regular columnist -freshman -university studies
E
very day, we see the ever-present new buildings at Virginia Tech. Each year, it seems the new class of Hokies enjoys a structure the one before it didn’t. Upperclassmen who were Hokies before this year never enjoyed a soon-to-be library cafe, but it is an ordinary part of Tech for freshmen and transfers joining us this year. Similarly, Hokies before me did not enjoy buildings such as New Hall West. The additional buildings are helping Tech accommodate its growing student population. However, renovation on older parts of campus are direly needed for aesthetic reasons, as well as homogeneity. Buildings such as Randolph, Davidson and Derring desperately need some key modernizing transformations to bring them up to par with the newer buildings. Davidson is actually “slated for a full renovation into a modern teaching-and-research building.” This is definitely a step in the right direction, although we have a long way to go. Don’t get me wrong, I realize buildings are not going to make or break the decision to attend a university — or shouldn’t at least. Nevertheless, I suspect Tech feels its additions make it more valuable and appealing as an institution, which they very well may. However, the buildings we use frequently are being neglected. The older buildings thousands of students regularly have classes in are actually the heart of Tech, as they were part of the original string of buildings along and near the Drillfield, many built
a century ago. These buildings are important to us and are part of what we love about Tech. A related gripe stems from the tour groups I see ending in Pamplin Hall on my way to class in the afternoon. It appears tour groups at Tech are taken through only the nicer buildings — such as Pamplin — giving the impression this is what all of Tech looks like. I would be surprised if some Hokies wouldn’t admit they were at least a little bit surprised by the conditions of some class buildings they saw once enrolled as a student. Perhaps some would say misleading tours are to be expected; still, I find it slightly deceiving. Speaking of homogeneity, take for example a comparison of where the College of Architecture and Urban Studies is housed compared to the College of Science. Both are prominent colleges the university is proud of. However, the College of Science is in a trailer on an expanse of grass in the Upper Quad. Buildings so integral to the university should be paid proper attention. Compare this with the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science buildings, which are less necessary and likely less often used. While constructing a new building from scratch may be more cost effective in terms of output and the level of change procured with each dollar, adding new buildings to Tech and expanding it in all directions is only masking the aesthetic problems at its core. Necessary changes could perhaps range from very expensive to relatively costless. Take Randolph Hall
for example, where, to my knowledge, there are still soap dispensers which deliver an unidentifiable white grainy power similar to dish detergent. I doubt tour guides would think of taking tours through such a building, and rightfully so. Of course further renovations could include new flooring or windows, as these features display the age and mediocre quality of buildings quite obviously. It would be foolish not to note the lack of uniformity in quality of buildings. It displays Tech’s lack of money and its dependence on donors. Through the tough economic times, it is no secret money is sparse and budgets are tighter than ever. That being said, while Tech climbs in the ranks of research universities, as well as the general ranking of national universities, I would like to believe students and the quality of life at Tech remains the chief priority. As a member of the Student Government Association, it has become common knowledge the university favors approving projects that would reduce its costs in the long run. This business-like format does little for the students, which are the core of a university.
NOOR KHALIDI -regular columnist -junior -economics and science
Democratic leadership still in denial of its recent mistakes or those who have read any of my previous articles, it F should come as no surprise that I’m a Republican. It should also come as no surprise that I was very happy with the election results this year. The Republicans took the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in convincing fashion. The Republicans only needed 39 seats to get a majority, and while some races across the country are still undecided, it looks like the Republicans will pick up more than 60 House seats. I firmly believe this year’s election results were a referendum on the policies of the Democratic leadership in Washington. Major pieces of legislation — such as health care reform — were passed despite a majority of Americans opposing them. Unemployment has remained high, while President Barack Obama claims without his policies it would be even higher. The passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus bill), the cap-and-trade bill and the Obama administration’s stance on issues such the Arizona immigration law have been met with widespread opposition. On Nov. 2, voters took that opposition straight to the ballot box. Just a couple of days after the election, Nancy Pelosi, soon-to-be former Speaker of the House, announced she will seek to become the House Minority Leader. While there are still many Democrats out there who see Pelosi as a great leader, I certainly don’t and there are even several moder-
ate Democrats who share that opinion. Pelosi may be good at getting the votes she needs on major pieces of legislation, but she is far from what I would consider a leader. Under her leadership, we got the auto bailouts and the “Cash for Clunker” program, which unnecessarily contributed to the national deficit. Under her leadership, the American people were promised big government spending would keep unemployment below eight percent, though it still rose to more than 10 percent. Under her leadership, the American people became frustrated enough to vote against the Democrats and allow the Republicans to pick up more than 60 seats in the House, six seats in the Senate, nine governor seats and 680 state legislature seats. You would think someone with Pelosi’s experience would realize it’s time to step down from being the most powerful Democrat in the House. But apparently that’s not the case. This is, after all, the woman who refused to compromise with Republicans and moderate Democrats to come up with bills that could garner more support based on the bill’s content. Instead she resorted to sneaky, back room deals and payoffs to pass legislation. Like I said, she could get the votes she needed when it was important. A true leader, however, would have done it through compromise rather than back room deals. Pelosi is already facing potential competition from her fellow
Democrats. Some moderate House Democrats, such as Heath Shuler of North Carolina, have stated they might run against Pelosi for Minority Leader, or would not vote for her. There is also a letter circulating around Capitol Hill from defeated Democrats to Pelosi stating they were “victimized by a national wave of resentment toward Democrats, a wave that ensnared you along with us.” From a local perspective, I can say continued leadership from Pelosi will not be a good thing among independents and moderate Democrats. In Virginia’s 9th District, Democratic incumbent Rick Boucher lost, partly because he was linked with Pelosi. There were ads citing Boucher voting as often as 96.4 percent of the time with Pelosi, and he was framed as a lap dog for Pelosi and Obama. I would like to thank Pelosi for helping the 9th District finally retire Rick Boucher. I would also like to thank her for helping Republicans take back the House. These next two years, even if Pelosi remains the most powerful Democrat in the House, she won’t be able to play this same role in helping Republicans because she won’t be in charge of a majority. I hope this January we can count on those few moderate Democrats who remain to finally get rid of Nancy Pelosi’s leadership, and help this country get back on the right track.
MATTHEW HURT -regular columnist -sophomore -political science
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ACROSS 1 Bouillabaisse base 6 “Coffee Cantata” composer 10 “Once I had ... love and it was __”: Blondie lyric 14 So out it’s in 15 In unison, musically 16 Caffeine source 17 One of Israel’s 12 tribes 18 Bird bonnet? 20 Shows scorn 22 Director Wertmüller 23 Hound over a debt 24 Bird boo-boo? 26 Ruby of “A Raisin in the Sun” 27 Favorable times, as for pics 28 Marshland 29 Afternoon services 31 Mazda MX-5, familiarly 33 Granola grains 34 Bird brain? 39 Author Silverstein 40 First first name in Olympic gymnastic tens 41 Cardinal Cooke 45 1,000 G’s 46 Free TV ad 49 Suffix with expert 50 Bird backpackers? 53 Cubs, on scoreboards 54 Morlock haters 55 Clawed 56 Bird bottoms? 59 “Tootsie” Oscar winner 60 Ireland, to poets 61 Cuba, to Castro 62 Polecat relative 63 Something to take lying down 64 It helps you get up 65 Orchestra section
By David Poole
DOWN 1 1997 Depp title role 2 Close again, as a change purse 3 Unlisted ones 4 Cornered, in a way 5 Frightful 6 Milky Way, e.g. 7 “Be __”: “Help me out” 8 Georges Braque, for one 9 Bum 10 Oberhausen “Oh!” 11 Considerable amount 12 Traditional song with the line “Je te plumerai” 13 Blue state 19 Zola novel 21 Furtive type 25 Get in the game 30 16-Across, e.g. 31 Miss’s equal? 32 Landers with advice 34 Wonderland cat
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35 Finder’s cry 36 Title 37 Keats or Shelley 38 Artist’s choice 39 Price that’s rarely paid 42 Depilatory brand 43 French city near a Chunnel terminus 44 Diva, stereotypically
9/30/10
46 Mambo bandleader Tito 47 Faked, as a fight 48 Autumn blooms 51 Former French textile city 52 Use the soapbox 57 Tolkien’s Treebeard is one 58 Doofus
sports 5
editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
november 10, 2010
Early season losses mire Taylor’s Heisman campaign hat if…” scenarios are some of the most obnoxious “W things in sports, but they do present interesting discussions. Questions such as, “What if Boise State were in the SEC?” or “What if college football had a playoff system?” flood conversations across the country, no matter how irrelevant they are. After the Georgia Tech game — the Hokies’ seventh straight win — the hypothetical question beginning to appear when talking about the Hokies is, “If Virginia Tech didn’t lose to James Madison, where would Tyrod Taylor be in this year’s Heisman race?” Taylor’s numbers on Thursday night weren’t dazzling: 15 for 25, 137 yards (57 added on the ground) one touchdown and one interception — but his numbers this season overall have been impressive. Taylor is currently No. 8 in all of FBS football in pass rating, No. 9 in yards per attempt and is also ranked in the top 40 in touchdowns and completion percentage. Add that to the fact he is also leading Tech in rushing yards with 687, and he has a pretty good resume. He can also be credited for keeping the Hokies offense together in the beginning of the season, when it was struggling to find its identity. The main reason Taylor isn’t in the same discussion as Auburn’s Cam Newton or Boise State’s Kellen Moore is the fact the Hokies have two losses, and one of those losses came to FCS opponent James Madison. While this has nothing to do with how well Taylor has played individually, it greatly affects how he is viewed in the Heisman race. In addition to having some of the
most impressive numbers in college football, Heisman Trophy winners have also been on the best teams in football. Over the last five years, the Heisman winners have had a combined record of 59-6, with four of them appearing in the BCS National Championship Game. The only exception to this was Florida’s Tim Tebow in 2007, but he had arguably the best season statistically in the history of college football when he posted 3,286 passing yards with 32 touchdowns and added 895 rushing yards and 23 scores. Simply put, if you aren’t on one of the best teams in college football, you aren’t going to win the Heisman unless you have record-breaking numbers. It may sound weird because of how far the Hokies fell after losing to James Madison, but if Tech hadn’t lost to the Dukes, it never would have dropped out of the top 15, let alone the top 25. With a lone loss to Boise State in the first game of the season, the Hokies would actually be in the top 10 right now and very much in the type of spotlight Taylor needs to get into the Heisman picture. The fact Taylor is even in this conversation is pretty amazing, considering where he was two years ago. Taylor’s development from his sophomore season until now has been a fundamental reason for the Hokies’ offensive success this season. In 2008, Taylor’s numbers were hardly a reflection of the talent that made him a five-star recruit coming out of Hampton High School. He had just two touchdowns, seven interceptions and his yards per attempt were worse
than 259 players in the FBS that season. Taylor ran too much, therefore risking injury, and he relied heavily on his running backs and tight ends because he had trouble throwing to receivers. Then, as if by magic, Taylor evolved into a well-rounded quarterback, instead of just an athlete playing the position. He started utilizing his receivers, made better decisions and — perhaps most importantly — he started using his agility and speed to prolong plays so his receivers could get open. All of a sudden, he was becoming the quarterback everyone thought he would be when he first played in 2007 as a true freshman. Now a senior, Taylor has continued his improvement and has been responsible for the Hokies’ best scoring offense since 2000 — when Tech averaged 40.3 points per game under the direction of signal-caller Michael Vick. Overall, Taylor should without a doubt be the ACC Player of the Year. And although he might not have the accolades to win the Heisman, he is good enough to have his name thrown into the conversation. Unfortunately for Taylor, Tech did lose to James Madison and there is nothing that can be changed about it. All that is left of his Heisman trophy considerations is a series of hypotheticals and “What if’s...?”
NICK CAFFERKY -sports staff writer -sophomore -communication major
Men’s club lacrosse wins Southern Showdown PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
Tyrod Taylor avoids a Yellow Jacket defender during last Thursday’s contest in Lane Stadium. He finished with 57 yards rushing, along with completing 15-25 passes for 137 yards and a TD.
CHRISTINA NESTOR / SPPS
Players battle for the ball during this past weekend’s tournament, which was hosted by Virginia Tech’s club lacrosse team. An 8-5 victory over Maryland in the championship game gave the Hokies the title.
SMALL GROUP OF SENIORS AIMS TO SET THE STANDARD FOR TALENTED UNDERCLASSMEN ALEX KOMA sports staff writer Fueled by memories of three straight losses in its conference championship game, the Virginia Tech club lacrosse team came out strong to win its second preseason fall tournament, the Southern Showdown. Tech entered both the A and B teams, with the A team winning an 8-5 thriller against the Maryland Terrapins to claim the championship. The B team also had a strong showing, placing third.
“
In my four years, I think we have the most rookies on this team to ever make an impact. BRENT WILLESS SENIOR MIDFIELDER
“In terms of team synergy, I’m satisfied with the way that we’ve been able to mesh our young guys with the experienced guys,” said TJ Loeffler, a senior team member. “I think we’ve done a good job making them feel like they’re a part of the team, and making them feel like they’re a part of the system.” In the championship game, Maryland dominated early, controlling possession of the ball and scoring just three minutes into the match. However, the Hokies wasted no time in striking back, getting their
first goal of the game 10 minutes later. In the 22nd minute of the game, a Tech defender delivered a crushing blow to a Maryland player, knocking the ball free from his possession, which allowed junior defenseman Matt Hart to score on a fast break. The Hokies wouldn’t look back, scoring another five goals before the Terps finally got back on the board early in the second half. Tech surrendered three more goals toward the end of the second half, but a score on a perfectly executed give-and-go in the 49th minute of play put the game out of reach. The 8-5 win allowed the Hokies to claim their first Southern Showdown championship. “We’re doing this tournament with (National College Lacrosse League) teams, which is a completely different league, so it’s a completely different type of challenge and competition, (and) it really prepares us for the season,” said Brent Willess, a senior. Other participants in the tournament included Wake Forest, Navy, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Miami (OH), Alabama, Lynchburg and Richmond. Despite the team’s success, team leaders still see plenty of room for improvement. “As we go into the season, we know we need to improve on our midfield defense and we needed to change up
some of the things we’ve been doing on offense and we’ve been working this fall on actually making those changes,” said Joel Nachlas, head coach. The team is especially intent on finally coming through and winning the South Eastern Lacrosse Conference championship that has eluded it these past three years. “I think that the reason you lose in the championship game three years in a row is because of a lack of discipline when it comes down to the wire, so it takes finishing a game to win,” Loeffler said. The travel squad features only five senior players, and dealing with the team’s youth will be a major challenge throughout the course of the season. “In my four years I think we have the most rookies on this team to ever make an impact,” Willess said. “We have a freshman starter on the top midfield line, a couple good defenders and a bunch of good attackmen, so I think the rookies on this team are very good.” The leadership of the older members of the teams was particularly emphasized. “As the (players) mature and become upperclassmen, they step into leadership roles, they set the standard for the younger guys and they set the patterns of discipline and behavior and this year’s upperclassmen have certainly done that very well,” Nachlas said. Next, the team will travel to South Carolina to play in the Clemson Fall Tournament, which starts Nov. 12.
6 food & drink november 10, 2010
......radio for everyone
editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
C
old weather calls for warm and comforting food. Try these easy-to-make, twice-baked potatoes as either a side or main dish. by Mika Maloney, features reporter (adapted from allrecipes.com)
CT Recipes
Twice Baked Potato Recipe Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 2 large baking potatoes 4 slices of bacon 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 green onions sliced salt and pepper to taste Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke each potato with a fork in 10 to 12 places, to allow moisture to escape while baking. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour. 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside. 3. When the potatoes are done, allow them to cool for 10 minutes before slicing each one lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/8 of an inch remaining inside the skin. In a large bowl, cream together the potato you have scooped out, the sour cream, milk, butter, 1/4 cup cheese and one green onion. Mix until creamy. Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins and top with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon. 4. Bake for another 15 minutes.
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