Tuesday, November 30, 2010 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

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Hokies reach redemption see page five

COLLEGIATETIMES 107th year, issue 123

News, page 2

Arts & Entertainment, page 6

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 5

Classifieds, page 4

LUKE MASON / SPPS

Sudoku, page 4

Crowding annoys BT patrons Tech senior dead after hiking fall LIANA BAYNE associate news editor A Virginia Tech student died on Monday, Nov. 22, in Nelson County after falling in a hiking accident. Elias Lehman, a senior honors student and industrial design major, fell after crossing a barrier at the Crabtree Falls hiking area to take a LEHMAN photo, according to the Charlottesville Newsplex. Lehman’s death is the 27th at

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Students who must wait for Blacksburg Transit buses often experience crowded conditions. BT ofﬁcials do not plan to change procedures.

news staff writer Many Virginia Tech students have begun to notice the overcrowding of certain Blacksburg Transit buses. Although buses come at regular 10-, 15- or 30-minute intervals throughout the day, they still appear to be bulging with people, making it uncomfortable for passengers. These overcrowded buses are either the early-morning buses or the late-night ones, known as the “drunk buses.” “It’s annoying when it’s during the day and I can’t get on it, but the latenight bus is fun,” said sophomore Christina Danko. The crowding of these buses forces many students to adjust their schedules. “If I didn’t catch the :35 bus, the :45 bus is full and I have to get the :55 bus and then I’m late for my 10:10 class,” said senior Megan Porter. Despite the students’ awareness of this crowding, Fiona Rhodes, a

Blacksburg Transit spokesperson, said the BT has not received any complaints on the issue. Furthermore, there is no evidence that crowding on buses has deterred people from choosing to ride the bus. The capacity of a bus varies depending on the different bus sizes. A 40foot-long bus can hold up to 80 people. Rhodes said that number is based on the gross weight of the vehicle. “The former safety and training coordinator for Blacksburg Transit conducted research on this number and found that our numbers regarding the amount of passengers on a bus is consistent with industry standards throughout the nation,” Rhodes said. Each bus has an automated passenger counter in order to keep track of the number on the bus. If that is not being used, bus drivers count manually in order to ensure the safety of all passengers. New articulated buses, the two-part vehicles, are used to help alleviate the

news staff writer Newman Library is preparing to implement a more user-friendly way to find resources. “In the spring, we’ll be rolling out a new kind of database that is very similar to Google Scholar, called Summon,” said Robert Sebek, university libraries webmaster. “It has gone out and grabbed content from databases, e-journal providers, and it will have whole contents of the Addison (Virginia Tech) catalog in one single database. So it will act like Google Scholar in that there is one box to search. It’s like the new Google Scholar, but better because we know things about it.” The current system requires users to either have an article in mind that they want to read, or search through

a specific database on the topic. This often drives students to Wikipedia or Google Scholar. “I teach (Wikipedia) in my classes as a starting point for terms to describe your topic,” Sebek said. “I don’t know that I would use it as a source that you mention in your paper,” Sebek said. “But when I’m starting out with a topic and I don’t know a lot of detail about it, that first paragraph in the Wikipedia article is a nice summary.” Wikipedia is frowned upon by most professors, but Google Scholar finds legitimate articles. “A lot of students think the research process is difficult, that’s why they want to turn to something like Google Scholar figuring ‘Oh, this’ll be easy: one click and all,’” Sebek said. “The disadvantage to Google Scholar is they don’t tell you what is in there, how often do they go back and pick up new stuff,

LIANA BAYNE The United States Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on a ban of alcohol advertisements in collegiate newspapers, a suit brought by the Cavalier Daily and the Collegiate Times, the student-run newspapers at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. The case will be remanded back to district court. The case, ongoing since 2006, was originally won by the newspapers in the federal district court in Richmond, but was overturned by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The two student newspapers argue that restrictions on alcohol advertisements infringes on their constitutional right to accept advertising. Also, since the majority of readers of both papers are over the age of 21, the ban affects more readers than the intended audience of underage readers.

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Buses get most crowded during the morning and afternoon rushes to campus, as well as the late-night “drunk buses” on weekends. overcrowding issues throughout the day. However, they are not used for specific routes every morning or to lessen the overcrowding in certain areas. “The routes of the articulated buses depends on the day of the week, the heavy volume on buses, the function of the tripper and who is qualified to drive it,” Rhodes said. Surveys recently distributed on

BT buses are directly related to this specific issue. They are created for the future transit development plans, which may or may not address the overcrowding issue. The crowding on buses proves to be an annoying hindrance to passengers, but not a safety issue. “I don’t mind it, I just tolerate it,” said junior Gage Robertson. “It doesn’t really make me feel unsafe.”

Library to unveil new search technology JAY SPEIDELL

Court will not hear alcohol case associate news editor

FULL BUSES ANNOY STUDENTS, BT SAYS NO EVIDENCE CROWDING HAS DETERRED RIDERS MEIGHAN DOBER

Crabtree Falls and the second at the location this year. Lehman was active in the Crusade for Christ organization and was listed as a leader of the “media team” branch of Cru on its website. Many of Lehman’s friends expressed their condolences last week on his Facebook wall and on a Facebook event page called “Remember Eli.” “I remember Eli as a very happy person,” one friend wrote. “He always had a smile on his face.” Many of those who commented on Facebook remarked on Lehman’s friendliness and dedication to others and to God. Lehman’s funeral was held Sunday, Nov. 28, in Harrisonburg, Va.

and how complete did they get what was there.” Google Scholar only provides information about the articles, not access to the articles themselves. If the article is licensed in a Tech database, it can be accessed on campus or by using the off-campus login, but if not it could cost as much as $50. Sebek said Summon will combine the functionality of these methods with the content of the Addison database. “(Summon) is going to change how a lot of searching is done,” Sebek said. “Now if you want really comprehensive coverage of a topic you have to go to multiple databases because each one of them only covers so much, whereas this one is going to cover 95 percent.” And Summons isn’t the only technology service implemented to make researching easier. There is also “Ask a Librarian,” which lets students chat

with a librarian, and LibX, a Firefox toolbar that searches through the databases. “(With ‘Ask a Librarian’) I can see where they are, see what they’re looking at, and I can say now I understand what your question is,” Sebek said. “And I can send them back URLs to the database or search results page and get them where they need to be.” “The neat part,” Sebek said about LibX, “you can right click and reload through off-campus sign-in.” Off-campus sign-in is a proxy service that allows off-campus students to access the licensed articles provided free through the university. “That’s something a lot of new students don’t know about,” Sebek said. Newman library is also expanding services to cell phones. “Hopefully by the end of the year we’ll have text messaging,” Sebek said. “Nifty things are coming.”

U.S. considers suit against WikiLeaks JONATHAN LANDAY mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — The Obama administration moved Monday to contain potential damage to U.S. national security from the WikiLeaks release of tens of thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic documents and said it might take criminal action against the whistle-blowing website. The White House directed a government-wide review of guidelines for handling classified information, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ordered tighter safeguards for U.S. diplomatic communications. Meanwhile, the CIA was assessing the harm done to U.S. intelligence operations. “This is a serious violation of the law,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. “This is a serious threat to individuals that both carry out and assist our foreign policy.” Attorney General Eric Holder said there was “an active, ongoing criminal investigation,” and he indicated that foreigners associated with WikiLeaks, including its Australian founder, Julian Assange, could be targeted. “Let me be very clear. It’s not saberrattling. To the extent that we can find anybody who was involved in the breaking of American law — they will be held responsible. They will be held accountable,” Holder said. “To

the extent that there are gaps in our laws, we will move to close those gaps, which is not to say that anybody at this point, because of their citizenship or residence, is not a target or a subject of an investigation that is ongoing.” Clinton said the release of the cables was “not just an attack on America’s foreign policy interests. It is an attack on the international community, the alliances and partnerships, the conversations and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity.” At the same time, senior administration officials began moderating their assessment of the harm done by the leaked documents, the first batch of which was released Sunday. While lives could be at risk and ties with some countries hurt, they said, relationships with key governments will weather the fallout. “I am confident that the partnerships that the Obama administration has worked so hard to build will withstand this challenge,” Clinton said. She took pains at a news conference not to confirm the authenticity of the materials, calling them “alleged cables.” Clinton said she ordered “new security safeguards” to protect State Department information carried on Defense Department computer syssee WIKILEAKS / page two

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news editors: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

november 30, 2010

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state headlines

COLLEGIATETIMES

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state headlines

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Va. releases Bay cleanup plan

Another shooter at Lejeune Hall

RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Bob McDonnell’s administration unveiled its plan this afternoon for restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Among other things, the plan calls for cutting pollution from sewage-treatment plants in the James River watershed. The plan also calls for expanding a program that allows polluters, in effect, to buy and sell the right to pollute. For example, a sewage plant or factory that reduces pollution more than required could sell credits to an operation that that is having trouble reducing pollution. “Our plan charts out significant and far-reaching actions, and it offers realistic, balanced and costeffective solutions to our water quality concerns,” said Doug Domenech, McDonnell’s secretary of natural resources. Today is the deadline for Virginia and five other bay states to submit their cleanup plans to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The federal agency plans to incorporate those state efforts into an overall bay cleanup plan the EPA will release by the end of the year. The six bay states issued draft cleanup plans in September. The EPA said the plans of Virginia and four other states contained “serious deficiencies” and would not do enough to reduce pollution. The EPA aims to have programs in place by 2025 — and most of them in place by 2017 — to clean the Chesapeake.

QUANTICO, Va. — Shots rang out at Quantico Marine Corps base’s Lejeune Hall Nov. 18, as part of an active shooter exercise that tested how the Marines and civilians who work inside the building would react if a real-life gunman was on the premises. “My role in the whole exercise was to basically go through the building shooting off rounds, go through the building, checking doors, see if there’s anybody poking up their heads,” said Capt. Joseph Reilly, who portrayed the shooter. The exercise lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, and while the date was announced in advance, the time was not. Laurie Baird Hurley, associate counsel for Marine Corps Base Quantico, was in her second floor office when the exercise got underway at 10 a.m. “When it happened, the first thing I heard was a gunshot,” she said. “It was a completely distinctive, reverberating noise. I ran from my desk to my door and slammed it shut.” After securing the door, Hurley grabbed her cell phone and called 911. The exercise led Hurley to program the emergency number into her phone because she realized the beeping of the numbers could alert a shooter to her presence. “The main thing I learned is what a gunshot sounds like in a building,” she continued. “I probably only have five seconds to go through everything. I really took it seriously. It was really worthwhile.” Quantico’s G-3 Mission Assurance Branch was responsible for coordinating the exercise, said contingency plans manager Orvel Ronk.

-rex springston, mcclatchy newspapers

CORRECTIONS JUSTIN GRAVES -Contact our public editor at publiceditor@ collegiatetimes.com if you see anything that needs to be corrected.

-julia ledoux, mcclatchy newspapers

WikiLeaks: Administration attempting to contain damage from page one

tems “and elsewhere — so that this kind of breach cannot and does not happen ever again.” CIA officials, meanwhile, pored over the cables “to assess the extent of any intelligence concerns,” said a senior U.S. intelligence official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The White House released a letter sent to every U.S. department and agency by Jacob J. Lew, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, ordering each “to establish a security assessment team — to review the — implementation of procedures for safeguarding classified information against improper disclosures.” Clinton used her first public comments on the leaks to justify the administration’s preoccupation with Iran’s nuclear program. The views of Arab and European leaders detailed in the cables showed the extent to which they share the fear that Tehran is developing weapons, she said. “The comments that are being reported on, allegedly, from the cables,

confirm the fact that Iran poses a very serious threat in the eyes of many of her neighbors and a serious concern far beyond the (Middle East) region.” she said. “That is why the international community came together to pass the strongest possible sanctions against Iran.” Iran, which has been hit by four rounds of U.N. sanctions and separate U.S. and European measures for defying U.N. demands to halt its nuclear activities, insists that its program is for peaceful purposes. Clinton said the United States “deeply regrets the disclosure of any information that was intended to be confidential.” She spoke just before departing on a trip to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf during which she is almost certain to find herself in awkward conversations with some of the leaders and diplomats whose confidential views or unflattering portraits are detailed in the leaked cables. The first batch of cables appeared to contain no major bombshells. But they did reveal embarrassing portraits of international leaders by American dip-

lomats, U.S. intelligence information, the confidential views of human rights activists, journalists and opposition figures, and stark differences between public pronouncements by American and foreign officials and their private positions. One example of that disparity came in a cable that outlined private U.S. concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear program, which administration and American military officials have repeatedly said they think is secure. The cable, from former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson, discussed an unsuccessful U.S. effort to remove highly enriched uranium, which is used as nuclear weapons fuel, from a Pakistani research reactor because of fears that it could fall into the hands of Islamic extremists. Pakistan refused to surrender the material. The WikiLeaks documents also will complicate Pakistani relations with Saudi Arabia, with Saudi King Abdullah quoted commenting about Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari’s alleged corruption. “When the head is rotten, it affects

the whole body,” Abdullah was quoted as saying of the Pakistani leader. WikiLeaks on Sunday released the first batch of more than 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables, 11,000 of which

were classified secret, in coordination with The New York Times and four European news publications that received access to them in advance. New batches of documents were to be made public throughout the week.

WikiLeaks also gave The New York Times and two of the European publications thousands of U.S. military reports from Iraq and Afghanistan that were released earlier this year.

opınıons 3

editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

november 30, 2010

The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

Your Views [letters to the editor]

Letter from Seth Greenberg It’s good to be home after playing five consecutive games on the road. As we approached this season, our goal was to challenge this team early and often. Our trip to California was good, not great. We were in position to win the game versus the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and, unfortunately, came up short. The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is another one of the benefits of our membership in the ACC. This year’s opponent, Purdue, is one of the elite programs in the Big Ten, in the history of college basketball and in the country this year. Having a primetime spot on ESPN gives us the opportunity to show the nation the tremendous support and ownership Hokie Nation has in our basketball program. Coach Bob Knight and his sidekick, Brent Musburger, will be calling the game for ESPN. This will be the fifth game on

Title IX: Only a male issue? The NCAA has developed an amazing tradition of excellence in women’s sports and has a reputation for producing world class athletes comparable to no other collegiate athletic association across the world. The success of female athletes academically, athletically and in their lives comes from their college experience — made possible in most cases by financial aid and a certain law called Title IX. It is beyond my understanding how people can have any criticism toward the law that has created gender equality in college sports. The highly disputed Title IX law requires colleges to prove they are providing female and male athletes with equal opportunities to participate in varsity NCAA sports. Without this law in place, women would clearly have fewer opportunities to compete and therefore succeed in what they love to do. Athletic administrations can hardly argue they would fund non-profitable female sports — or male sports, for that matter — without this regulation. They would focus on more stadium-filling and moneymaking sports, neglecting everything that having athletic diversity on a campus has to offer. Schools can prove compliance with this law in one of three ways. The first is by providing athletic opportunities proportionate to ratios of

Vaccinations should be under closer scrutiny How often do you look at a food label to make sure the contents are healthy? How often do you look at packages to verify what is inside is what you want? I, like most people, perform these tasks without thinking about them because I want to make sure what I have is what I want. Getting vaccinations should be the same way. A vaccine, like food, comes in packages with its contents clearly listed on the outside of the wrappings. If one were to inspect a vaccine label, he might find it contains

the ESPN family of networks out of our first seven games. That just shows you something special is happening here in Blacksburg and in Cassell Coliseum. The season is long and we are just beginning our journey. This home stand is pivotal to our long-term success. I’m counting on you, not only to rock the Cassell, but also help motivate our players. Our players feed off your energy. They play for you. They represent you and tomorrow, more than ever, they need you. Let’s get there early, let’s be loud and proud, and let’s show the national television audience that everyone’s all in. Also, remember we will have another Chalk Talk at noon tomorrow at D2. Make sure you stop by to have a great meal and learn more about this exciting matchup. Until then, go Hokies!

Seth Greenberg Men’s Basketball Coach

gender enrollment at the institution. The second and third simply involve showing a history of expanding programs for the underrepresented sex and accommodating the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex. Based on these guidelines, there is no reason schools cannot fairly create equal opportunity for females without removing male opportunity. Some institutions, however, find themselves cutting male sports teams to properly comply with guideline No. 1. I agree this isn’t the right solution. However, the basis of the problem is not in Title IX itself. These simple regulations that make female and male opportunity equal in college sports are argued against by many male advocacy groups claiming the laws are actually limiting male opportunity. These groups shouldn’t be challenging Title IX itself, but instead how universities choose to handle these regulations. Yes, some schools cut male sports teams in order to reach compliant participation ratios. This action, however, is not mandated anywhere in Title IX. Simply adding female opportunity would solve the problem, creating equal opportunity for all without denying anyone opportunity. The problem is not with the law but how schools are choosing to comply with it.

Dayle Colpitts Freshman Biology Major

mercury, aluminum, phenoxyethanol or formaldehyde. All of these are commonly used as preservatives for most vaccines, but are toxic to humans, even in trace amounts. Vaccines are, on the whole, a huge benefit to society and have allowed progress to continue. They allow us to nearly eradicate what were previously debilitating diseases, such as polio, the flu or the mumps. I am merely pointing out that they need to be held to the same standards as other substances. I leave you with just one question: Would you eat cereal that had traces of mercury in it?

Corey Anderson Freshman General Engineering

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Like Black Friday, Tech’s budget breeds competition

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief: Peter Velz Managing Editors: Zach Crizer, Michael McDermott Public Editor: Justin Graves Senior News Editor: Philipp Kotlaba Associate News Editors: Liana Bayne, Gordon Block News Reporters: Claire Sanderson, Sarah Watson News Staff Writers: Katie Noland, Jay Speidell, Michelle Sutherland Features Editors: Lindsey Brookbank, Kim Walter Features Reporters: Mika Maloney, Matthew Borysewicz, Majoni Harnal Opinions Editors: Scott Masselli, Gabi Seltzer Sports Editors: Michael Bealey, Garrett Ripa Sports Reporters: Nick Cafferky, Alex Jackson, Matt Jones, Courtney Lofgren, Josh Parcell Sports Staff Writers: Ed Lupien, George Tillerson Public Information Director: Dishu Maheshwari Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Editors: Taylor Chakurda, Thandiwe Ogbonna, Nora McGann Spenser Snarr Layout Designers: Katie Biondo, Danielle Buynak, Cathleen Campbell, Maya Shah, Josh Son, Victoria Zigadlo Online Director: Jamie Chung

his past Friday, I found myself in the midst of the Black Friday T phenomenon as I worked as a cashier

Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries Distribution Assistant: Ryan Francis

MCT CAMPUS

at Wal-Mart. While I had participated as a shopper in the past, this was my first experience on the front line. It was amazing to see so many people excited about items as they scouted out their locations for the start of the midnight sales and then waited until the next sales at 5 a.m. It was also disappointing to see individuals grab items only to come to the registers and not need them. It was sort of unfair to those who had barely missed out on getting something because of the demand. The registers were extremely busy, as people were buying a myriad of toys, clothes, electronics and food, as well as holiday decorations. While I have been working as a cashier at Wal-Mart since early August, it was certainly the most intense and pressure-packed situation I have faced. My experience at WalMart has been a learning experience on so many different levels. This particular experience with Black Friday made me think about how university resources are dealt with in this financial climate. On some levels, the experience of Black Friday, with patrons trying to vie for certain items, could be seen as ironically similar to what happens on the resource end of things. This is especially true over the last three years, as colleges have been forced to make cuts because of state budget shortfalls. Within one university (i.e. Virginia Tech), there are different colleges each vying for a piece of the resource pot. It is interesting when one looks at strategic plans and recent actions of the Board of Visitors and sees where the priorities are, what colleges are getting what and who is being left out of the equation. For example, one can see the growth and expansion of the life sciences, with the construction efforts in the Litton Reaves area, the expansion of the arts in the theatre and music realms with

the new fine arts building underway. One can also see the expansion in engineering with new buildings on the horizon. We also hear about the challenges certain colleges are facing; such as the College of Agriculture Extension Services budget being drastically cut. If anything, this only raises significant questions and fears about what a true land-grant institution looks like under this streamlined extension area. Extension has always been seen as a hallmark of the land-grant effort. The Black Friday comparison also provides a window into the competitive spirit among the colleges and which has influence within the administrative circles. Such competition for resources among the colleges raises questions about why certain things happen and don’t happen on this campus. For example, this competitive spirit can be seen with faculty and staff as they apply for grants and compete for valuable research dollars. Cleary, these dollars can help advance a professor’s academic career; they also help the department as well as the college. This focus on grants is nothing new but the current budget climate is forcing more and more individuals to seek out these opportunities. It is certainly not an easy task to write and prepare grants. Unfortunately, even in this area, the competition is fierce both internally and externally, and I have seen firsthand where opportunities for grants were not pursued because it would have taken “too much time” to pursue or because one was not seen as credible enough in the eyes of the faculty. Another example includes infrastructure issues on campus. While we recently learned a new student union will be built within the next five years, it raises questions about what other areas of campus also need help. Take the College of Science for example. Over the last decade, there has been a large growth in the science areas, but the administrative offices

for the college operate out of a ‘90sstyle portable building. Does this seem right or appropriate? I am just raising the question. I also recently became aware of the concerns about the condition of War Memorial Gym. While students have access to the modern McComas facility, faculty and staff only have access to War Memorial Gym. I am not sure if the concerns have been shared with others, but there is a growing sense of discontent. All of this also raises the question about how other colleges can grow in the midst of this competition. Certain colleges and majors have reached their limits in terms of how many incoming freshmen they can accept on a yearly basis. As admissions sees its numbers growing, certain colleges don’t have room to grow because they lack the space and resources for these students. This results in students entering the university in University Studies and then facing the challenge of trying to find an academic home as they deal with the respective regulations of their desired major. Why could we not expand spaces in those particular colleges and majors? There are no easy answers to this question on the competition for resources within the university. While Black Friday comes once a year, this competition for resources is often a daily occurrence. Can we learn anything from the Black Friday experience? I hope we can reflect on the true needs of the university and colleges so that we can honestly move forward in “Inventing the Future.”

RAY PLAZA -regular columnist -graduate student -curriculum and instruction

Obesity should be targeted as national issue, not questioned arah Palin’s efforts to draw attention to, and poke fun at, Michelle S Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity are a little late. Not only is Palin late in the game, she’s fighting something that should not even be questioned. Who doesn’t want to be healthier? Health is an important aspect of every life. A campaign against the common problem of obesity is not only necessary — but also a huge step in the right direction. Perhaps it’s only me, but I’m pretty sure our society is based on appearances — and eventually, personality. That’s not going to change, and why should it? Maintaining your appearance is the same as practicing your introduction; your body is the first thing someone sees, and the care you take for yourself and your body is a part of that. For Palin to bring this issue into question, labeling America as the “Nanny State,” is frightening. Why should we be hesitant about limiting sugary and unhealthy foods from schools? Not only do school districts already regulate the meals served, some even limit sugar intake. Why not take it nationwide? Why deprive the youth of America of the one thing most adults struggle to keep? Health. Life. That old cliche of a better future, perhaps it should be real for once. Starting off with a healthy diet — whether you are aware of it or not — imbues you with a preference for a healthy diet. Even if the

healthy foods don’t stick, a change in diet would be noticeable after a few weeks. So what’s the problem? Why can’t we try to solve America’s obesity problem before it is too late? And by too late I mean more prevalent than it is now — and it is all too common already. Is it impossible to believe, for once, restricting something would make things better? Limitations are a reality, and while I do not think a nationwide, all-age, all-encompassing diet restriction is necessary, possible or at all appropriate for this country (it is still a democratic nation, after all), it could change the future of America’s health for the youth that have yet to give up. While Palin argues against the government having a say in children’s diets, I have to wonder how else things will change. What would cause schools across the nation to cut back on sugary snacks for students? Nothing has already, so why not involve the government? Stipulating that schools should not offer sugar-based food would harm nothing. The only thing being threatened is the everyday choice made about packing a lunch — veggies versus pudding, etc. I know, I know, it’s wrong to assume every child has parents who cut corners while packing lunches. But the presence of obese and overweight children is growing; what else am I supposed to think? While Palin wants to bring cookies to every school that will open its doors to her, realists want to cut that back,

bringing health back into schools. It’s not just a class. Again, concern over the rights of parents is an issue, but when schools regulate food already, what difference does regulating another aspect of food make? Sacrifices are made when children attend school. Parents are not present, rules are enforced and decisions made by teachers and faculty are usually final. Realistically, banning sweets would make no difference. Giving children a chance to get a step ahead healthwise should be applauded, not argued against. If Palin thinks it would be better to continue the current downward trend in this country’s health, I worry what she thinks about everything else. Obama’s campaign against obesity has been running for a little less than a year. Not only is it something this country needs, it’s finally something being addressed by someone who has the ability to make a difference. It is a difference, to put a foot down on the unhealthy aspects of school meals and snacks, and it is necessary. Questioning the involvement of the government in parenting matters is one thing, but feeding the fire with cookies? We don’t need this.

SEAN SIMONS -regular columnist -junior -English major

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Call for Free Consultation with Attorney on Alcohol, Assault, Drug, Traffic Charges, and VT Student Conduct Referral. Joel S. Jackson, PC. www.joeljacksonpc.com. 540.961.5297 PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE The Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech will hold two public meetings to solicit input on a proposed multi-modal transit facility and transfer center for Blacksburg Transit to be located on the Virginia Tech campus. The prospective site for the facility is located on Perry Street adjacent to the new parking deck. The first meeting will be held at the Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown on Tuesday, November 30 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. The second meeting will be held at the Blacksburg Police Department training room, 200 Clay Street SW, on Wednesday, December 1 from 5:15 to 6:30 pm. Both meetings are open to the public and all individuals wishing to participate are encouraged to attend. Preliminary information regarding the site, scope and configuration of the facility will be presented. All comments on the project are welcome. Individuals with disabilities who require special assistance to attend and participate in this meeting should call 540-961-1803. For the hearing impaired, call the VA Relay Service at 711. For more information or questions contact: Josh Lawrence with McDonough Bolyard Peck at 540-985-9453.

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Fall 2011. College Media Solutions is a Registered Student Organization whose mission is to give students co-curricular experience while providing the funding support for student-run mass media on campus. Get a job that means something. Deadline: December 3. BEACH LIFEGUARD. Lack’s Beach Service has started hiring for the 2011 summer season. Visit www. LACKSBEACHLIFEGUARDS. COM for info and online application.

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Travel GETTING COLD TIME to Plan your Spring Break 2010 Get Away! Learn how to travel to beautiful locations like Jamaica, Acapulco and the Bahamas on a party cruise. Find out what other Virginia Tech Hokies are headed to your destination. -Adrian Email: Awhite@Studentcity.com for more information

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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

11/30/10 Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

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 30, 2010

Hokie turnaround silences critics As

the Virginia Tech football team trotted off Worsham Field for the final time in 2010, celebrating its seventh consecutive victory over instate rival Virginia, the sense of accomplishment from a once-embattled team was abundantly clear. The Hokies’ well-documented early season woes, with losses to Boise State and James Madison University, sent shockwaves through the Tech fan base. Whispers mounted after the loss to the Broncos that maybe Frank Beamer’s time as head coach was wearing out, and only intensified after Tech’s embarrassing display against FCS opponent JMU. Sitting at 0-2 and unranked, the Hokies had squandered their highest preseason ranking ever. Additionally, with another loss to a high-profile opponent coupled with the debacle against JMU, it seemed as though Tech’s football program was in a dire situation. A recurring discussion among fans was the necessity for new blood in the program — particularly at the top. After all, Beamer is in his 24th year at Tech, an eternity considering today’s constant coaching turnover, and at 64 years of age he certainly isn’t getting any younger — even by his own admission. When someone asked what it meant to Beamer that he passed longtime Ohio State coach Woody Hayes on the all-time wins list, he quipped “it means you’re getting old.” Also, Beamer’s undoubted loyalty to his staff could be seen as unwillingness to adapt to the changing landscape of college football. That discussion, however, ended when Tech started reeling off win after win. Despite the hopes for a national title being gone, the Hokies were still playing for their pride and an ACC Championship. Ten straight victories later, they will meet Florida State in Charlotte, N.C.,

Saturday for a chance at just that. It is the most remarkable comeback in the program’s history since the 1995 season. That also happens to be the last time the Hokies started a season 0-2, but they finished that season with 10 straight victories, including a Sugar Bowl win over Texas. As Beamer put it after Saturday’s victory, “they were clinging onto hope week in and week out.” “Where we started and where we finished, they’ve been remarkable,” Beamer said. “We were at a point where we were just trying to win the next game. Those two losses make you appreciate these 10 wins even more.” As the Hokies cap off their 10th victory and final regular season game, they also are lone holders of another impressive feat. For the seventh consecutive season, Tech has earned at least 10 victories, and prior to 2009 it was a feat matched only by USC and Texas. Not bad company to be in when you consider the 15 national titles, 70 conference titles, 7 Heisman winners (sans Reggie Bush) and 131 consensus AllAmericans between those two teams. After USC’s collapse during the 2009 season and now Texas’ disappointing 5-7 mark in 2010, the Hokies are the only survivor. “I’m proud that we’re the one program in the country that has gone seven straight (seasons) with 10 wins,” Beamer said. “There’s only one team.” To think just 11 weeks ago, criticism was at an all-time high for Beamer and it seemed as though the program was slipping. However, he proved yet again why the Hokies have the best coach in the ACC and, for that matter, one of the best in the country. The national title trophy is still missing from Beamer’s resume, and that’s certainly one blemish on his record. Yet taking a look back at what the Tech program was prior to his arrival, and what it has developed into, it’s nothing

sports reporter Virginia Tech’s bid for the 76 Classic championship fell short Sunday night when the Hokies fell 71-59 to the UNLV Rebels in Anaheim, Calif. The Hokies inevitably lost the game at the foul line, where they were a miserable 9-of-21 on the night. “You can’t win a game when you shoot 9-of-21 from the free throw line,” said Seth Greenberg, Tech head coach. “We need more contributing from the team.” Senior guard Malcolm Delaney had his best game of the season. He knocked down 7-of-9 three-pointers en route to a season-high 30 points. Every time the Rebels appeared to pull away early in the second half, Delaney kept the Hokies around with a long-range bucket. “They’re an athletic, active ball club,” said Lon Kruger, UNLV head coach. “I thought we were giving Delaney extra attention and he still did what he wanted to do and that’s a credit to what kind of ball player he is.” The Hokies were without backup point guard Erick Green, who injured his right calf in a win over Cal State Northridge on Thursday. Green’s absence left Greenberg with only three guards: Delaney, Dorenzo Hudson and freshman Tyrone Garland.

With the depleted backcourt, Tech turned the ball over 18 times, thanks to intense defensive pressure by the Rebels. UNLV used both a full-court press and a half-court trap to frustrate the Hokies’ offense, as Tech was called for violations of both the five- and 10-second variety in the first half. Trailing 57-47, Greenberg was forced to use his final timeout with 7:50 remaining in the game when the Hokies couldn’t inbound the ball against the Rebels’ pressure. “I liked how we competed offensively, but we did a poor job with ball screens,” Greenberg said. “We had success with the 1-3-1, but when we got the ball, we didn’t have the energy to do anything.” It was also a frustrating night for Tech forward Jeff Allen, who picked up two fouls in the first 11 minutes of the game before fouling out with six minutes left in the second half. The Hokies had cut the Rebels’ lead to 5752 at that point, and Tech never drew any closer the rest of the game. The play that sent Allen to the bench for good came on an offensive foul underneath the basket which brought an irate Greenberg onto the court in protest. “We made our mistakes in the beginning and our guys didn’t work hard enough to get open,” Greenberg

Noon, Nov. 27, 2010 Lane Stadium/Worsham Field, Blacksburg, Va. #16

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