Tuesday, January 18, 2011 Print Edition

The next step: Hokie backs declare for the NFL Draft

BY JOSH PARCELL | sports reporter It wasn’t a great start to 2011 for the Virginia Tech running game.

In the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, the Hokies were held to 66 rushing yards in a crushing 40-14 loss to Stanford.

Less than a week later, both Darren Evans and Ryan Williams announced they were leaving school early to enter the NFL Draft.

The pair combined for 4,251 rushing yards

and 54 total touchdowns in their careers.

Evans set the school’s freshman record with 1,265 rushing yards in 2008 before Williams shattered it the next season, rushing for 1,655 yards while Evans was out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Without question, both rank among the best players to ever come through the program. see DRAFT / page twelve

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

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

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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 1

News, page 3

Arts & Entertainment, page 6

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 11

Classifieds, page 8

Sudoku, page 8

Student service projects split from SGA SARAH WATSON news reporter Two of Virginia Tech’s largest community service programs have stepped out from under the Student Government Association umbrella while attempting to maintain positive relationships with the group.

The Big Event and Relay for Life, both held in the spring on the Tech campus, are now independent student organizations. SGA president Bo Hart said both The Big Event and Relay for Life applied to become registered student organizations at the end of the 2009-10 school year. This process was finalized at the beginning of this school year, according to Hart, allowing the two programs to work as independent organizations.

The split from SGA by both events during the same time period was “just a coincidence,” Hart said.

SGA is a university chartered student organization and works under a specific set of policy guidelines. As part of SGA, The Big Event was held to the same standards as a UCSO. However, in order to maintain its non-profit status, The Big Event had to disaffiliate from SGA and become an RSO. With the creation of The Big Event Association in 2009, the

program at Tech became an official 501(c)3 non-profit, according to Nathan Lavinka, co-director of The Big Event.

The goal of this non-profit is to “expand, promote and support” The Big Event across the country, Lavinka said. This initiative began with The Big Event director of 2009, Michael Jabs.

Tech gave The Big Event the option of remaining part of SGA and dissolving The Big Event Association or becoming an RSO and continuing with the program.

Lavinka said leaders with The Big Event assessed the situation and made the decision to break apart from the SGA in order to keep The Big Event Association active and to expand the organization’s fundraising options.

“The Big Event is growing and SGA money will eventually cap off,” Lavinka said Hart agreed with the decision.

Lavinka noted that the “SGA can only give so much money” to The Big Event.

According to Hart, Relay for Life had been discussing disaffiliating from SGA for the past five years. The American Cancer Society had hopes of running Relay for Life at Tech, Hart said.

Chris Saccoccia, Relay for Life executive committee member, said many factors were part of the decision to

KATIE BIONDO / COLLEGIATE TIMES

separate from SGA. National regulations for Relay for Life and ways of operation for the program affected their decision, along with the desire for growth beyond SGA. “In order to grow and benefit more people, Relay needed to split off from the SGA,” Saccoccia said.

Saccoccia said it is very difficult for a large entity such as Relay for Life to work under another large entity like SGA. Both organizations have

their own committees and money to handle.

“These organizations will be able to grow and foster by finding other funding and revenue,” Hart said.

While the groups are no longer part of the SGA umbrella, they will still receive a donation from SGA. Both organizations presented to the House and Senate of SGA and received approximately $20,000 each, Hart said.

the past several years.

Student leaders with SGA, The Big Event and Relay for Life insist that the relationship between the three groups is a positive one.

“SGA, The Big Event and Relay for Life all have the purpose of serving the student body,” Lavinka said.

“It’s an exciting time right now,” Hart said. “They are able to be themselves and grow.”

Bearing witness

What you missed: Top stories from winter break VIRGINIA TECH FAILED TO COMPLY WITH CLERY ACT ON APRIL 16, 2007 The U.S. Department of Education issued a final ruling on Dec. 9 that Virginia Tech failed to comply with two Clery Act regulations during the April 16, 2007, campus shootings, which left 32 people dead.

The DOE investigation was conducted as a Clery Act program review. Initial findings were sent to the university in January 2010. Tech officials then responded in April.

The final rulings took the response into account but upheld all previous findings.

According to the findings, Tech failed to issue a timely notice of the initial shootings in West AmblerJohnston Hall.

“First, the warnings that were issued by the University were not prepared or disseminated in a manner to give clear and timely notice of the threat to the health and safety of campus community members.

Second, Virginia Tech did not follow its own policy for the issuance of timely warnings as published in its annual campus security reports,” the report said.

It goes on to say that Tech’s warning, issued about two hours and 15 minutes after the West AJ shootings, “was not prepared or disseminated in a manner to give clear and timely notice of the ongoing threat to students and employees as a result of the Clery Act reportable crimes that occurred in WAJ.” In an attached letter to university President Charles Steger, the DOE advised the university the findings could lead to “adverse administrative action.” Penalties for Clery Act violations can range from fines to suspension from the federal financial aid program.

The case has been referred to a sub-department of the DOE and no time frame was given for when penalties would be handed down.

A response to the report from university spokesman Larry Hincker shows Tech does not feel it failed to comply.

“We disagree with the U.S. Department of Education ruling that the university actions on the morning of April 16, 2007 are in violation of the federal law, The Clery Act, which requires a ‘timely

According to Hart, SGA has established a contract for funding with Relay for Life for the next five years.

However, Lavinka said no formal agreement has been made between the SGA and The Big Event. The funding will be determined on an annual basis.

While The Big Event has been a program within the SGA since its inception at Tech in 2001, it has been raising funds outside of the SGA for

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Reverend Nathaniel Spencer, Pastor of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Christiansburg was the keynote speaker of a remembrance ceremony Sunday for Martin Luther King Jr. WEI HANN / COLLEGIATE TIMES

An explosion rocked Federal-Mogul’s plant in Blacksburg on New Year’s Eve, sending several workers to the hospital. warning’ to a campus upon knowledge of certain crimes committed on the campus,” the statement said.

“As we demonstrated in our 72 page response and analysis, we believe that the timely warning actions on April 16 were well within the standards and practices in effect at that time.”

One of the university’s main complaints with the ruling is its view of timeliness.

Hincker’s statement says the university is being penalized for failing to comply with standards developed as a reaction to the Tech shootings.

“It appears the university is being held accountable for a new federal standard that was adopted after the April 2007 shootings. It is inconsistent with regulatory process or traditional jurisprudence to hold Virginia Tech to standards that did not exist at the time or, as portions of this report do, to hold Virginia Tech to a new Clery Act standard that was developed after — and in response to — the tragic events that took place on our campus,” the statement said.

The statement says Tech will exercise all appeal options. Findings cannot legally be appealed, but any penalties stemming from the findings are subject to appeal.

-zach crizer, managing editor

BLACKSBURG BUSINESSES MAKE IT THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SEASON Many of Blacksburg’s businesses miss out on the holiday season retail spike, but that’s something they are used to.

Businesses do see seasonal rises in sales, but these usually follow Tech’s academic schedule rather than the holidays.

Each year, by mid-December, the population is suddenly reduced by almost half when students leave for Christmas break.

“In a lot of ways it’s atypical,” said Susan Mattingly, executive director of the Lyric Theater. “But another way they cope is to market more to the local audience.”

Not surprisingly, Mattingly said the bars and restaurants that cater more specifically to students see the biggest difference during breaks.

“The retail probably do a better business than bars and restaurants,” Mattingly said. “I’m sure the retail gets a bump during the holidays.

The local population certainly comes downtown. I would say that bars and restaurants suffer, but most retail does OK.” Employees at The Cellar said the restaurant still does good business, see BREAK / page eight

Plenty of news to go around to end first decade of century GORDON BLOCK associate news editor HELP FOR HAITI Following devastating earthquakes near the Haitian capital of Port-AuPrince in January, Virginia Tech students raised $10,810 with aid group Partners in Health. Students planned several events during the year to aid the relief effort.

MORGAN HARRINGTON The remains of junior education major Morgan Harrington were found Jan. 25 at a farm outside Charlottesville.

Harrington, who went missing the previous October, was last seen outside the city’s John Paul Jones Arena.

No suspects have been named in her death.

ELECTIONS Fourteen-term Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher was defeated in November’s general election by Republican state senator Morgan Griffith. The vic-

FILE SPPS

Students packed into Squires to prepare relief packages for Haiti. tory for Griffith was one of several for Republicans throughout the Commonwealth.

delayed its tuition decision due to the late submission of the state budget to administrators.

TECH INCREASES TUITION Tech’s Board of Visitors approved a tuition increase of about 10 percent for all students in April. The board

ZHU SENTENCED TO LIFE Haiyang Zhu, convicted in the January 2009 murder of Xin Yang, see 2010 / page three

news 3

university editor: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

january 18, 2011

COLLEGIATE TIMES

2010: The lasting images and stories of the past year from page one

was sentenced to life in prison in April. Judge Robert Turk, who ruled on the case, compared the killing to the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH Tech students and Blacksburg community members rallied to counter a protest from the Westboro Baptist Church, which has sparked controversy for its protests for funerals of American soldiers. The day of the protest and counter protests cost local law enforcement about $5,500.

Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher lost his seat after 28 years in office.

The Hokies won 10 games and the ACC Championship.

FIGHTING GRAVITY Fighting Gravity, composed of 13 Tech students in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, dazzled audiences as they advanced on the popular TV show America’s Got Talent. A fan favorite in the competition, the group came in third place behind Jackie Evancho and winner Michael Grimm. The group performed with music group Far East Movement on Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve. APRIL 16 — ACADEMIC FOCUS With Tech commemorating three years since the shootings of April 16, 2007, the university decided to take an academic focus to memorial events.

The centerpiece of this effort was the Hokie Stone project, which showcased student and alumni efforts.

Former Tech student Haiyang Zhu was sentenced to life in prison.

Chipotle opened in October with a line stretching several blocks.

Hokies basketball was shut out of the NCAA Tournament.

Republican Morgan Griffith defeated the incumbent Boucher.

CHARLIE YATES DIES Charlie Yates, Tech’s first black graduate, died in August of leukemia. Yates would later return, serving in several positions throughout the university, including several professorships and a term on Tech’s Board of Visitors.

Several items on campus are named for Yates, include Peddrew-Yates residence hall.

JAMES ROBERTSON TO RETIRE James Robertson, a popular Civil War history professor, announced he would retire at the end of the 2010-11 school year after serving 43 years at Tech. Robertson, who has penned numerous books about the Civil War, will retire as the oldest current faculty member at Tech.

CHIPOTLE OPENS Student excitement was high as Mexican restaurant Chipotle opened its doors in Blacksburg in October, following delays amounting to more than a year. Several patrons camped out overnight for the opening, and management of the store estimated 1,500 customers came in for the store’s opening day.

BHS ROOF COLLAPSES The future of Blacksburg High School is still in doubt after the building’s gym roof collapsed in February.

The Montgomery County School Board has weighed several options, including repairing the damaged building or creating a new school building. In the interim, Blacksburg High School students have shared a building with Blacksburg Middle School.

BEAMER SIGNS EXTENSION TO 2016 Head football coach Frank Beamer will be a mainstay for at least another six years, after signing an extension to his contract until 2016. While weathering some criticism for their success against top-ranked opponents, the Hokies currently hold the nation’s longest active streak of 10-win seasons.

FOOTBALL LOSES TO JMU Tech football was humbled in September following a loss to Football Championship Subdivision rival James Madison University. The loss came only five days after Tech suffered a defeat to the Broncos of Boise State University.

TECH BASKETBALL SHUT OUT OF NCAA TOURNEY AGAIN Hokie basketball fans were left disappointed as the Hokies were relegated to the NIT tournament. While Tech had a strong record, many analysts pointed to Tech’s poor strength of schedule as the reason for missing the NCAA tournament. Tech was defeated in the tournament’s quarterfinals

by Rhode Island.

-all photos file, spps

An impromptu memorial formed for Tech student Morgan Harrington. Tech suffered a shocking loss at home to James Madison on Sept. 11. Fighting Gravity finished third on “America’s Got Talent” in September.

4 news

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

january 18, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

That’s going to leave a mark

nation & world UC-Davis opens food shelter for students LAUREL ROSENTHALL mcclatchy newspapers

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

College students are known to eke by on meager meals like peanut butter sandwiches, cold cereal and ramen noodles. But as tuition skyrockets and family finances remain tight, some students are having trouble buying even such humble staples.

It’s given rise to a small but growing trend: the campus food bank, where hungry students can get a free can of soup, box of oatmeal or package of spaghetti. A food pantry opened last week at the University of CaliforniaDavis, following similar efforts at the University of California-Los Angeles, Bakersfield College and Oregon State

University.

“It’s the most basic need of a student — to eat,” said Davis student Ashley Thomas, who plans to use the pantry. “You can’t study for a chemistry final if you’re hungry.”

A recent survey of Davis undergrads found that almost 25 percent “somewhat to very often” skipped meals to save money and another 25 percent “occasionally” skipped meals for the same reason.

The finding spurred student government leaders Justin Gold and Hannah Kirshner into action.

During the fall term they contacted campus organizations and local businesses. Donations came in from Campbell’s Soup, Sprouts Market, the Davis Food Co-Op and several campus organizations, Gold said.

KDVS, the campus radio station, gave up a sound room in the basement of the student union building that’s now lined with shelves full of cereal boxes, jars of tomato sauce and cans of soup.

A sign next to the service counter tells student volunteers how to help customers. Pantry volunteers must ask students seeking free food to show their student ID cards but don’t record their names or ask about their finances. Students can visit the pantry as often as they like and can get enough food for three meals during each visit.

The pantry has enough food to last about 10 weeks, Gold said. He’s hoping with contributions it can stay open at least until the end of the school year.

Police inspect a wrecked scooter Monday evening at the intersection of Patrick Henry Drive and Toms Creek Road.

No injuries were reported.

what you’re saying //comments from online readers...

On the Tech’s Orange Bowl helmets: Maroon&Orange>> Last time I checked, burnt orange was one of Tech’s colors. I for one love this helmet. It’s badass and has an old-schoolfeel to it.. so what if it’s the first time we’ve put burnt orange on our heads. I’d settle for satin pink if we can go out and beat Stanford.

Anon>> Still...it’s the biggest game of the year. If it were some other game...no big deal. If this were our traditional colors for now on...no big deal. But switching colors and uniforms every other game has really been getting outlandish and overdone. The only reason I can think of is money. They wear it once so they can sell the uniforms/helmets. I just wish Stanford was doing the same thing so we’re not the only one looking dumb. Of all the possible school color designs, we pick Syracuse orange.

On the Orange Bowl loss: Hokie Alum 03>> It has been so frustrating to follow this team year after year. We pay for tickets, air fare, hotel rooms, etc. all to watch them lose. I’m surprised more alumni are not voicing the same outrage.

Tunisia unstable under interim government BORZOU DARAGAHI mcclatchy newspapers TUNIS, Tunisia — Heavy gunfire erupted in the heart of Tunisia’s capital Sunday as the army appeared to be closing in on stalwarts of the regime driven from power last week and the interim government prepared to name a new Cabinet free of any major figures linked to deposed President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Former Interior Minister Rafik Belhaj Kassim was taken into custody in his hometown of Beja, about 60 miles west of Tunis, the capital, a day after the arrest of Ali Seriati, former chief of the presidential guard, state television reported. Both men led security apparatuses seen as tools of repression under the former regime.

Ben Ali led this North African country for 23 years before he was ousted in an uprising driven by disaffected youths clamoring for economic opportunities and political freedom.

Talks between former opponents of the regime and the interim gov-

ernment led by Fouad Mebazaa yielded an agreement that no major figure from the former ruling party would be included in the temporary Cabinet overseeing the state’s affairs until elections are held in 60 days, said Mahmoud ben Romdhane, a leader of Renewal, an opposition party.

“It’s finished,” he said of Ben Ali’s Constitutional Democratic Rally party, or RCD. “The RCD is completely destroyed.”

The Reuters news agency cited anonymous sources as saying only that the old regime’s foreign minister, Kamel Morjane, and interior minister, Ahmad Friaa, would retain their posts. Both men are respected as technocrats. Morjane is a career diplomat who served for years as deputy chief at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Friaa was named to his post by Ben Ali last week in a scramble to placate Tunisians angry over heavy-handed police violence against protesters.

The outcome of the uprising, sparked by the self-immolation last

month of a 26-year-old man frustrated and humiliated by his economic prospects, carries enormous weight in a politically ossified Arab world. Ben Ali’s popular overthrow has inspired hopes of other people toppling entrenched Arab regimes stretching from North Africato the Arabian Peninsula.

Dozens of people have died in weeks of anti-government demonstrations and the chaotic aftermath of Ben Ali’s ouster.

Police chased after suspicious persons in the warren of streets near the city center. Pan-Arab and local television stations were filled with reports of arrests of armed men said to be close to the former regime, including in Tunisia’s second-largest city, Sfax.

Clashes were also reported near the country’s main international airport on the road to the historic city of Carthage. State television reported the arrest of six armed German and Swedish nationals allegedly affiliated with the country’s former security services.

opınıons 5

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

january 18, 2011

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

Our Views [staff editorial]

Potential Clery Act sanctions miss target hile the new year is typically greeted with W glowing promises, 2011 has been off to a rocky start for Virginia Tech and the nation.

The Tucson tragedy, with its eerie parallels to April 16, 2007, will not quickly be forgotten, and the town of Blacksburg experienced a scare from a manufacturing plant explosion in December. On a lesser scale, the Orange Bowl debacle provided the final insult to current events. The troubled times may continue for the Tech community, this time at the hands of the Department of Education for being in violation of the Clery Act. The violation itself is a problem, and the much-maligned delay in alerting the campus community is certainly a major guffaw for which, if it stands, administrators must answer; that point is widely accepted.

However, the potential repercussions are cause for student concern.

Our legal system employs several tools to provide discouragement for inefficient or rule-breaking behavior.

Culpability and punishments are important ways to ensure

actors in events take appropriate actions if something happens.

But these mechanisms do not hold for Tech’s violation of the Clery Act. Tech is currently feeling the pinch from budget cuts and low state assistance; the federal government imposing sanctions would only serve to punish students, who already bear the pains of the budget problems through higher tuition and reduced educational opportunities.

If administrators can make up the loss by merely reaching into others’ pockets, then the full effect is lost.

If the Department of Education wants to enforce the Clery Act in a meaningful way, it should target those directly responsible, rather than essentially passing it on to the students. That scenario may be legally impossible, but even then the status quo would be more beneficial than punishments on the university, both for Tech and higher education as a whole.

-the editorial board is composed of peter velz, scott masselli and gabi seltzer

King’s legacy shows love can combat hate he recent shootings in Tuscon, Ariz. mark another tragic event T in our history and strongly parallel the horror of the April 16, 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech. It breaks my heart to see we have still not done what is necessary to prevent such occurrences.

Some may say attempting to prevent something like this is impossible and fruitless, and I realize that may be true in some circumstances.

But the questions remain: Where do we go from here? What can we learn to move forward in helping the troubled hearts that were scorned?

In the wake of this abhorrent tragedy, there has been much fingerpointing and name-calling about who is to blame, similar to what happened in 2007. There is talk of loopholes in gun control, feelings of complete anger about the possibility of further gun control, and the everlingering feeling of confusion and despair that has stalemated many possible changes from taking shape in the form of relief or solace to those affected.

It may be of no coincidence that soon afterward we come to Martin Luther King Jr. Day and celebrate one of the most influential leaders of our time. I believe we still have much to learn from his dialogue. As King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Still, we endlessly motion to our guns and our weapons of war to solve problems.

It is in human nature that we seek to be stronger than our foes and be strong for ourselves so we may thrive and prosper neither in fear nor danger. Though our weapons of war may prove necessary in keeping the threat of hostility from our borders, the threat of those weapons persists in our homeland.

We are quick to act on our human emotions, especially those of pain and anger. This further increases divisions among the friendliest of neighbors and also increases the polarity of our allegiances to political parties and ideologies. Tragedy can never be altogether erased from our world, but the aftermath of such tragedies can be changed to help prevent further ones — and our responses to them must change.

The 20th century was the bloodiest century in all of human history.

Not from the sheer amount of war, for that is not uncommon in human history, but from the sheer lethality of our technology and the strength of those who wield it. Many, including myself, hoped optimistically that with the tragedy at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, we would see the end of mass murder on American soil and abroad.

But with the bloodshed in Tucson, we have learned that it was not as we had hoped.

With a war on terror unfolding at home and abroad and threats of future war in Iran and North Korea,

“

It is with a growing fear that we seem to enter into each new day, and the events that unfolded in Arizona do not lessen our anxiety.

we are still left wondering if and when it will ever end. I go back to King’s remarks and I am convinced he was correct. Throughout history, and in the future, it seems we have been and will be wrought with the terrible cost of war and its grip on our minds and hearts.

But again, where do we go from here? We cannot simply abandon our fight against those who assail freedom and peace with threats of terror and lament, nor can we prohibit the ownership of arms, for citizens have that right through the guidance of the Constitution. It is with a growing fear that we seem to enter into each new day, and the events that unfolded in Arizona do not lessen our anxiety.

We live in a culture that accepts violence as a necessary means, though usually in extreme and dire circumstances, to solve problems.

But for how long do these problems become cured through force?

A month? A year? Never? It appears that the darkness we may bring upon others cannot drive out the darkness they bring upon our lives; the hate that may be harbored against us, whether domestic or foreign, cannot be cured from our hate toward them.

Compassion, empathy and an Actively Caring lifestyle are thwarted for quick hostility, ignorance, prejudice and hatred in today’s world.

We must compromise with those who have hurt us, even so deeply that we may never forgive them. We must tolerate those who do not see things in the way that we do, even if it may anger us to no end. And we must care for those in need of the help every human can bestow, whether we feel they deserve our care or not. It is true that only light can drive out darkness, and only love can cure hate.

Every person has something they are willing to fight for, or even die for, and through this we are forever rooted against each other through tradition and commonality. We must move beyond our differences and push forward into a time of true compassion and peace. We must have courage to handle things differently than in the past and we must train our hearts and minds to know how.

Through the strength of the human soul, and not with the strength of human might, an actively caring society could thrive. I hope this may be accomplished, and with the dedication and guidance of our leaders, I have faith in each new day that we can.

RICHARD PRICE -guest columnist

MCT CAMPUS

Remembering Xin Yang, all local victims of violence the spring semester was beginning two years ago, on As the night of Jan. 21, 2009, Xin Yang was killed by a fellow graduate student in the Graduate Life Center. In the wake of the recent events of April 2007, the murder sent shockwaves through the entire community.

Immediately following the tragedy, several events were held to honor Xin’s memory. She was remembered at the Chinese New Year celebration, and there was a display at the Clothesline Project, as well as during the White Ribbon Campaign. Now, two years later, it seems we have nearly forgotten her memory.

When it comes to April 16, 2007, there are a number of things done to honor and remember the victims and survivors. Some of the memorials are done for the collective 32, while other events have been held on an individual basis for each of the victims. Some have been very quiet remembrances, while others have been more public in nature. In regard to this particular situation, what has been done to honor Xin Yang’s memory? How does the university community remember her? While she was a member of the Virginia Tech community for only a short time, she was still a member.

I realize our campus is affected by acts of violence on a daily basis. Clearly, most are not to the scale of outright murder, but they involve issues of harassment, relationship issues and other forms of violent behavior. Every campus, every town and every locale is affected by these issues, and we are not unique in this regard.

Since Xin Yang’s death, our university community has continued to be affected by extreme violence. In August 2009, undergraduates David Metzler and Heidi Childs were murdered at

Caldwell Fields, and in October of the same year Morgan Harrington disappeared in Charlottesville. Her body was recovered in January 2010. Even today, both events remain unsolved.

The question is how we as a university community honor the memories of those who have been lost as a result of violence. Does it matter if the act of violence happens on campus? Are certain victims more privileged than others when it comes to being remembered?

Most of us are familiar with the roadside markers, often a cross or other image, indicating the spot where someone lost his or her life. While it is a memorial for someone, it also serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of driving. In today’s age of technology, Facebook and other electronic media are additional ways to honor and remember the victims of violence.

Recently, wreaths have been displayed at the War Memorial chapel as a form of remembrance.

How can the university honor Xin Yang’s memory on a more sustained basis? Is it through some public event, or something more symbolic? Is it something done on a small scale each year? Do we create a scholarship in her honor through Pamplin College of Business or through the Graduate School? Do we plant a tree in her memory? Do we hold a program to honor her memory? Do we name one of the rooms in the GLC in her honor?

Do we do something for her in China?

It would seem to me that any or all of these ideas would be appropriate and that anyone should be able to do something. Whether it is through student groups, community groups or university departments, some type of dialogue or conversation should take place about how Tech can honor and

remember her legacy. In the end, the rationale behind all of this is trying to understand Xin Yang as an individual.

Even today, not a lot of information is available about who she was, and what her interests and aspirations were. We know she was from Beijing, China and she enrolled as a graduate student in the Pamplin College of Business after spending two years studying in Canada. Beyond that, not many of us are aware of who she really was a person — her likes, dislikes and how she related to others.

Oftentimes, as a society, we focus the media spotlight on those that committed the crime or the motivations behind it. Unfortunately, a lot of the publicity around Xin Yang’s murder has been centered on her killer. In April 2010, he was sentenced to life without parole for his senseless actions.

I realize the issue of remembrance is a delicate issue, as there is a legitimate fear that if something is done, it will trigger hateful comments. As with the recent tragic events in Tucson, a lot of hate is readily apparent and individuals are looking for places to point the blame. We can’t allow this hate to prevent us from doing what it right.

I believe that as a university community, we can rise above the fray and not forget the memories of whose lives were cut short. In this particular case, let us not forget the memory of Xin Yang, or anyone else who has been lost to violence.

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

McDonnell taking strides toward improved higher education funding ov. Bob McDonnell gave his State of the Commonwealth address G last week. Along with giving a summary of the governor’s job during his first year in office, the speech brought renewed attention to many of the governor’s proposals.

In my opinion, McDonnell had a very good first year. While the nation’s economy has continued to struggle, individual states have met their own struggles with things like unemployment and state budgets. As McDonnell was talking about these issues he said, “Virginia has done better than most.”

Since February of last year, Virginia has added a net total of 67,900 jobs, which is third-best in the country. In 2009, Virginia ranked only 35th in this category. Also since February, the state’s unemployment rate has fallen from 7.2 percent to 6.8 percent, which is the ninth-lowest in the country.

Finally, current spending has been rolled back to 2006 levels, and a $1.8 billion budget shortfall for the fiscal year 2010 budget was turned into a $403 million surplus without raising taxes on Virginians.

As we Republicans said during the 2009 campaign: Go Bob, go. While these numbers and statistics are great

to hear, we college students still want to hear more on education. We all remember the tuition increases from last year. McDonnell caught a lot of scrutiny, both from Republicans and Democrats, over funding cuts for education.

People ask me about the cuts and I can’t easily defend them. McDonnell ran on balancing the budget. I personally never saw the entire budget. I don’t know what every cent was cut from. I just had faith in my governor that the right decisions were made, however tough they may have been to make. Also, to be fair, education cuts and tuition increases in Virginia are not a new trend, as tuition in Virginia has nearly doubled over the past decade.

I do wish budget cuts for education never had to be made in the first place. Luckily, McDonnell is moving toward improving education funding.

He mentioned his top four priorities for the current legislative session, and one of them was establishing “major reforms and more accountability in higher education to make college more affordable and accessible for our students.”

McDonnell has unveiled a plan that would allow Virginia’s public colleges and universities to apply for $50 mil-

lion for items such as increasing enrollment and boosting financial aid. Out of that money, schools can apply for $13 million to increase undergraduate financial aid. Other money will help increase things like enrollment and retention of students.

The governor has also proposed other items in the budget that could increase funding to help universities commercialize their research, and add money to the state’s Tuition Assistance Grant Program.

The year 2011 will not magically address every higher education need. However, McDonnell is making an effort. This is definitely a start.

He is still working toward the campaign promises he made for education, but these things do take time. The fact is, we are still in tough economic times and states just don’t have the money they used to. Still, Virginians can be thankful we have a governor who is working to keep a balanced budget.

After all, you can’t spend money you don’t have.

MATTHEW HURT -regular columnist -sophomore -political science major

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6 arts & entertainment january 18, 2011

Winter break film review

editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

long with the holiday festivities over winter break, there came an A onslaught of movies ranging from the

Oscar contenders to the family-friendly films, all looking to eek out a little bit more money. I had the opportunity to see a few of them over break and, for the most part, I liked what I saw.

- courtney baker, movie reviewer

The Fighter Directed by David Russell and starring Mark Walhberg, Christian Bale and Amy Adams, “The Fighter” tells the typical tale of the athlete underdog who has some large obstacles to overcome.

Even though it’s a true story, what’s special about “The Fighter” is not the plot. What really shines are the performances.

Mark Wahlberg is a solid main character, Micky Ward, struggling to separate the two worlds of boxing and his family. Amy Adams departs from her normal role of the cute innocent girl to a college dropout with a sassy attitude. She demonstrates versatility, hopefully meaning she will be cast in more roles like this in the future.

The real standout, though, is Christian Bale.

He plays Wahlberg’s cocaine-addicted brother.

Although he is cast as a supporting actor, I feel that he really stole the show. The end credits show the two real Ward brothers being interviewed and it is amazing how close Bale’s performance mirrored his real life counterpart.

The plot may be a bit stale, but the performances more than make up for it. “The Fighter” is definitely worth seeing.

COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES

True Grit The day after Christmas I was able to see the Coen brothers’ remake of the 1969 western film “True Grit.” I had seen the original only a few days before and had high expectations for the remake.

It met them. Although the two are quite similar — the dialogue was almost word for word — it was the subtle differences that I really ended up appreciating.

Jeff Bridges is wonderful as the drunken gun-wielding Rooster Cogburn. The film follows his journey with 14-year-old Mattie Ross and Matt Damon’s character, LaBoeuf, as they attempt to bring Mattie’s father’s killer to justice.

It was so refreshing to see a new western. Western films have lost their popularity over the years, but “True Grit” proves they can still be great.

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Black Swan The third, and my favorite film I saw, was “Black Swan,” directed by David Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman. The film centers around Nina (Portman), a young ballet dancer in a prestigious dance company, striving to capture the lead role in the performance of “Swan Lake.”

The lead role involves the dancer being both the innocent and cautious white swan and her evil sister, the lustful and tempting black swan. Nina is perfect for the white swan part, but

she lacks the passion required to be the black swan. “Black Swan” centers on her obsession over being both.

I’m probably belaboring this, as many critics have already stated it, but Portman’s performance is stellar.

She is truly able to embody both the white and black swan, literally and figuratively. “Black Swan” is elegantly shot, reminding the viewer that film is more than an entertainment medium, it is art. It is quite a dark movie, but also one of the best films of the year.

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Little Fockers “Little Fockers” was the last film I saw, ending my break on a bad note.

Un-funny would be a kind adjective to describe it. Peter Weitz directed, replacing Jay Roach, previous director of the “Meet the Parents” franchise.

My hopes for the movie weren’t especially high, but with a cast consisting of

Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman, I expected much more.

There were maybe one or two times that I smiled, but the rest of the jokes were painfully void of humor. “Little Fockers” is yet another sequel that was obviously made with no care of how bad the movie turned out. I would

only recommend watching this film if there is absolutely nothing else to do.

But even that would be a compliment.

There were many other films released over the winter break, and I hope to get a chance to see more of them. But, for the most part, I liked what I saw and am optimistic for the films of 2011.

january 18, 2011

page 7

Passion projects pay off at 2011 Golden Globes BETSY SHARKEY mcclatchy newspapers What struck me in watching the Golden Globes on Sunday night _ other than wondering whether the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had actually meant to ask that other British comic to host, you know, the brilliant one? Eddie Izzard? _ was that in film, the results, while predictable, turned out to also be quite hopeful.

Beyond the glitter and glam, the winners en masse represented cinema’s true soul _ that idealized one in which passion and art really do trump payoff when critical decisions are being made.

There are always the underfunded, indie exceptions; last year’s major one was “The Hurt Locker.” But this year, it’s becoming the dominant trend as one Hollywood guild after another, one critic’s group after another, announces their chosen ones. The traction is such that the passion projects are sure to define next Tuesday’s Oscar nominations as well.

Since the relative value of movies is so often tied to money, consider this: With the exception of “Toy Story 3,” which was both excellent and expensive at around $200 million, the Globes winners were all cases of great ambition, extraordinary craft and relatively little financial means.

While this creative collective wasn’t financed by mom and dad’s credit cards, several came close. The kicker, and what gives me hope for the future, is that the films have all paid off at the box office as well (studio execs, please take note).

Here’s the basic math: The six films that took every one of the top categories (again, animation excepted) cost about $100 million combined to make. Let’s begin with “The Kids Are All Right” _ with a $4 million budget, this independently financed project about what binds a family took the comedy category and Annette Bening won lead actress/comedy.

“The Fighter” had a $25 million budget and years of actor Mark Wahlberg’s unflagging devotion, with Christian Bale and Melissa Leo snagging the supporting actor wins for their performances in this uplifting but edgy boxing saga. “Black Swan,” at $13 million and loosely tied to a conversation between a director and a star a decade ago about a shared love of the world of ballet, brought a lead dramatic actress win for Natalie Portman.

Meanwhile, “The King’s Speech,” with $15 million to tell its story of how a friendship changed history, and in part funded by a British film group that presenter Helen Mirren lamented no longer exists, won Colin Firth a Globe for lead actor in a drama. The surprise of “Barney’s Version,” a $3 million adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s acerbic novel and largely backed by Canadian interests, brought a lead actor in a comedy win for Paul Giamatti.

And on the high end, a still modest $40 million was spent on “The Social Network” to capture the beginnings of a cultural juggernaut. That film, which comes closest to being a product of the studio system, took home four wins including best drama, director and screenwriter.

The message is a simple one: Passion plus quality can pay. By making film personal again, the invention of an artistic vision rather than a pile of studio notes and marketing concerns, there is at least the chance that the result will be distinctive, memorable, possibly even a classic. That sense of sacrifice to ensure quality ran like a current through the night’s emotional acceptance speeches. Or as “The Social Network” screenwriter Aaron Sorkin put it, elite (as in smart) is not a dirty word.

Hollywood was once a place that recognized the power of a singular vision, where true auteurs were nurtured, their voices heard, their opinions carried weight. What, I won-

der, are the industry powerbrokers doing to ensure the art form is truly advancing? What sort of future are the giants with the deep pockets investing in?

I’m not advocating that we lose the popcorn thrillers, the Milk Dud comedies, the blockbusters and the rest _ life wouldn’t be the same without them. But merely that we take serious note of the current crop of critical darlings, the ones whose praises everyone will be singing for the next few months. Their success would argue for a future that seeks out and supports more of the voices that sound different, that are often prickly and difficult, that resist easy compromise.

Their success would attest to the idea that with great risk there can be great reward. A different, but perhaps better, bottom line.

‘The Green Hornet’ has sense of humor ovies based on comic-book superheroes have become as M plentiful as bees at a honeycomb.

To make sure “The Green Hornet” wasn’t the latest Hollywood drone, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg made it their mission while writing the script to take traditional elements of the genre and turn them upside down.

“I would have no real interest in just doing a very literal interpretation of pre-existing material. I see a lot of these comic-book movies that come out now and you almost feel like anyone could pick up the first few editions of the comic book and say, ‘I want to shoot this,’ and then six months later you have the origin story of most superheroes,” Rogen says. “We really wanted to be able to inject our own sensibilities into it and our own sense of humor.”

Before they could take the different approach, they had to create a foundation based on Hornet history.

The writers listened to many of the original ‘Green Hornet” radio shows and watched episodes of the 1960s TV series that featured Bruce Lee as

Kato, the Green Hornet’s partner in crime fighting. That research resulted in several nods to the originals, including the Green Hornet gas gun and the “Flight of the Bumble Bee” theme song.

Then they began to make changes, such as adding the comical edge and going with a rather non-traditional villain.

The trick was to go for laughs while still providing plenty of action.

“You just had to generally be aware that the comedy should come from the characters and it all should feel real and it shouldn’t feel like we’re being funny just for the sake of being funny,” Rogen says. “It should kind of feel like something that would maybe actually happy with these people.”

The recreation of the Black Beauty, The Green Hornet’s car, was a perfect gauge. They filled the vehicle with plenty of action devices _ machine guns and missiles _ while staying vigilant not to add too many gimmicks.

When the car started to look like it could have been owned by Inspector Gadget, everyone knew they had

gone too far.

They turned to Oscar winner Christoph Waltz to play The Green Hornet’s foil, Benjamin Chudnofsky, because they needed someone who could be menacing and sympathetic.

“Our fixation wasn’t how to make this guy scary. We wanted more than anything to intellectually understand why someone would be so fascinated with killing another person,” Rogen says. “When we saw Christoph’s previous work it had elements of danger, but at the same time was very entertaining and had very funny parts.

That’s really why we thought that he would be a good guy to do it.”

Instead of Chudnofsky being the typical sneering villain, he’s a man going through a mid-life crisis.

Another major twist for “The Green Hornet” is the body count. Superhero movies like “The Dark Knight” and “Spider-Man” go out of their way to make sure the heroes don’t purposely take a life. The Green Hornet and Kato have no such qualms.

Director Michel Gondry jokes there were so many bad guys killed they

had to disguise the stuntmen with mustaches to use them again.

“I always thought that it was funny that on the old ‘A-Team’ TV show how they would shoot 400 people and none of them would die. I think if you’re going to make a violent action movie you might as well just go for it,” Rogen says. “It’s not explicit. It’s not in any way meant to inspire people to do anything crazy. It’s not supposed to instill any horrific images or anything like that. It’s all for the point of fun and just kind of big action more than anything.”

The final variation on the superhero theme was Cameron Diaz’s role as the secretary to newspaper publisher Britt Reid (the Green Hornet’s real identity). The traditional superhero movie has the hero getting the girl.

In this case, it’s Kato who seems to be making the best advances.

Diaz had an even better idea.

“I didn’t want her to be interested in either one of them,” Diaz says.

RICK BENTLEY -mcclatchy newspapers

january 18, 2011

page 8

Break: Businesses survive town’s winter hibernation from page one

Mad Dog is another retailer that is used to seeing a drop in sales when the students leave.

“I would say that 75 percent of our customer base is students, and that’s what we base our buying toward,” said employee Michelle Morris.

However, Morris said Mad Dog has done surprisingly well this holiday season, and has not even suffered for the students leaving.

“We actually had a crazy increase in sales despite the students being gone, even more than this time last year,” Morris said, noting the economy may have made the difference. “We were just paying the bills and not making much profit, but we’ve really seen a spike this year. It doesn’t even feel like the students have left.”

Morris agreed that the local population comes out during the holidays,

saying that the store is lucky to have some loyal, local customers.

-claire sanderson, news reporter

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but it’s a different crowd.

“It reverses — we get a lot of locals,” said Chase Coble, an employee at The Cellar. “It’s not as busy, just because of the sheer volume of people leaving, but it’s a different kind of business.

“It’s not as much hard and heavy party drinking as during the year, it’s more of a local crowd. We do less cheap stuff and we get more high-end drinkers,” Coble said.

Even for retail stores, which tend to do better during break than the bars, business slows down.

“We have a lot of part-time employees who are students, so when they leave over break that helps with our payroll,” said Mish-Mish owner Steve Miller.

Miller said for Mish-Mish, the biggest business times of the year are the beginning and end of a semester.

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Walker said a third worker was taken to hospital about an hour after the initial dispatch.

Jim Burke, spokesman for FederalMogul, said on Jan. 17 that no cause had yet been found for the explosion.

Burks said an investigation was continuing and that the company was working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to determine the cause of the explosion.

He said he was not sure when more information would become available because OSHA was controlling the timeline of the investigation.

Burke said the individuals injured in the explosion were employees of a contractor doing a “routine cleaning” of ductwork in the plant. The plant is used for the manufacturing of engine bearings.

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delayed by two hours five times in the two weeks prior to the issuance of the letter, mainly because of frigid temperatures that hovered in the teens and wind chills that sometimes dipped below zero.

The letter said the school system would try to safely attempt to keep students in school “whenever possible.”

It cited the diversity of “terrain, road quality and weather patterns” across Montgomery County as a main factor in making “decisions to close schools or release students early even more complex.”

The letter said a decision to delay opening or close schools altogether is posted by 5:30 a.m. of the school day.

Weather information is posted on the school system’s website and is available on the school weather hotline at (540) 382-5102.

-liana bayne, associate news editor

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auto parts supplier, has 46 locations in the U.S. In addition to the Blacksburg plant, the manufacturer has a second Virginia plant in Winchester.

-gordon block and liana bayne, associate news editors WinterweatherplaguesMontgomery County schools Severe winter weather — snow, ice and wind chills in the negative numbers — has caused 12 total interruptions to instructional days of Montgomery County Public Schools since the start of December.

Since Dec. 6, MCPS has started the school day two hours late five times and one hour late twice. Schools closed two-and-a-half hours early one day, and were closed altogether four days.

Superintendent Brenda Blackburn issued a letter to parents on Dec. 15 that explained the school closure policies. School openings had been

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january 18, 2011

page 10

DJ crew Boogieburg Soundsystem rocks Blacksburg MIA PERRY features reporter Many of us have heard of DJ Tiesto and David Guetta, two of the famous disc jockeys who produce and mix the hottest music these days. But Blacksburg’s own DJ crew, Boogieburg Soundsystem, is rocking the local party scene and cranking out mixes.

“We are an ever-changing group of like-minded DJs, producers, promoters, artists, video jockeys and designers just looking to show people a good time,” said John Gaskins, a co-founder of Boogieburg Soundsystem.

Gaskins and another member of Boogieburg Soundsystem, Joey Paulekas, also known as DJ Eclectic, make up the DJ duo called Spark Arrester. Spark Arrester and several other DJs make up the team that is Boogieburg Soundsystem.

Originally from Claytor Lake, 29year-old Gaskins explained that Boogieburg uses a plethora of styles to create its music, ranging from “hiphop, funk, reggae, and Latin music to the more upbeat electro, house, funky breaks, disco, dubstep and Baltimore club music.”

According to Gaskins, he was interested in becoming a DJ at a young age, but in an unorthodox way, as he began to produce music before he actually started mixing music.

Electronic dance music from the likes of Fatboy Slim and other groups caught his attention back in 1996, and watching their mixes online, Gaskins was dumbfounded as to how the musicians blended the music. Gaskins saved some money and eventually bought basic “Groovebox” style music production hardware, downloaded a free demo version of Cool Edit ’96 recording software, and started producing a couple dozen tracks in high school.

In 1999, he acquired some turntables and a mixer and “started buying records like crazy.”

“It took a few months of living in a cabin by myself and mixing records literally all day to learn the basic DJ techniques. I recorded everything, which helped so much in the learning process,” Gaskins said.

After that, Gaskins began disc jockeying at house parties, and then many gigs later, with new “DJ buddies,” he was able to perform at local Blacksburg restaurants and venues such as Boudreax’s, Champs, and other downtown locations.

Meanwhile, Paulekas — raised in both South Florida and Blacksburg — was throwing his own parties at Baylee’s (now Cabo Fish Taco) called “Lounge Affair” and booking top acts from Washington, D.C. and beyond “and doing it really well,” Gaskins said.

“I was obsessed with DJ culture from a very early age. I can remember destroying my father’s records and turntable when I was like three.

Growing up in South Florida, I was submersed in the budding electro/ Miami bass/breakbeat scene,” Paulekas said of his early interest in music. “Then

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

DJing since the 1990s, John Gaskins and Joey Paulekas came together to form Spark Arrester and continue to mix tunes in Blacksburg.

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Joey Paulekas, also known as DJ Eclectic, became interested in the budding music scene while growing up in South Florida. later in life came the ’90s rave scene. I started messing around on my friends’ DJ gear around ’97, moved around a bunch, got involved in deep house and downtempo scene, moved back to Blacksburg and started ‘Lounge Affair.’

The rest is history.”

“I managed to get on his good side and started helping him throw parties,” Gaskins said. “Before we knew it, we had teamed up as the DJ duo Spark Arrester and were playing gigs together in Blacksburg, Richmond, D.C., and Maryland.”

After the two DJs united, friends helped them create a website to promote themselves.

“‘Boogieburg.com Presents ... ’ was always at the top of our event fliers, and people just started referring to us as Boogieburg. Eventually we accepted it and started calling ourselves Boogieburg Soundsystem.

‘Boogieburg’ really does seem to capture who we are,” Gaskins said.

Although the group is based here in Blacksburg, it has found success far and wide. Over the last decade, the local group has toured with many prominent DJs and bands around the country, including Girl Talk and SOJA, playing parties from San Francisco to Baltimore, New York to Miami. This summer, touring will take Boogieburg

LOCALLY OWNED

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

John Gaskins produced music before taking a few months in 1999 to teach himself how to mix music and use a turntable. international, to a festival in Spain.

“Working with large acts like that is always awesome. Just the behindthe-scenes process to larger shows is mind blowing. I remember during the sound check for the Girl Talk show, particles from the ceiling tiles were raining down on the empty dance floor from all the bass. That show was complete madness,” Paulekas said.

“On the music production side, we produce a lot of our own original tracks which have been released on independent record labels such as Aniligital Music (San Francisco), Cast-a-Blast Records (Athens, Greece), and South City Recordings (Atlanta),”

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Gaskins said.

Boogieburg Soundsystem members seem to be down to earth when it comes to the work they do, as well as staying focused on producing high quality entertainment.

“We have a DIY attitude toward our events — designing and distributing our own promotional material, mixing projected visuals live, setting up custom decor, and handling all of the DJ/band bookings. We have high standards when it comes to sound and lighting, so we always go out of our way to have the best sound system and lighting possible,” Gaskins said.

The group has also teamed with

Third Eye Presents, a local production and promotion company.

After years of producing music, the group has big plans for the future.

“This semester we are starting our own record label, Boogieburg Recordings, which is the next logical step in what we are doing musically,” Gaskins said.

Working on the record label as well as doing other events has kept the members busy, but the team works well together, relying on individual strengths.

“Joey Paulekas and I mesh really well, and where one of us lacks, the other excels,” Gaskins said. “Recently, I have been spending loads of time in the studio working on original tracks, remixes and bootleg re-edits as well as building and maintaining our snazzy new website.”

The groups website, Boogieburg. com, documents recent events with blogging and photos, and displays DJ bios and music downloads as well.

“Joey is a master of his craft. From designing top-notch fliers and promotional material to handling the weight of the logistics involved in booking DJs and bands from all around the world, Joey does it all very well and makes sure everything runs as smoothly as possible for each event,” Gaskins said.

Another recent project for Boogieburg was the group’s involvement with CharityWater, an organization that brings clean water to people in need. A link on the group’s website allows fans to make donations to CharityWater through “Boogieburg to Bangladesh and Beyond,” with all money going toward the production of a drinking well that will provide safe drinking water for people in Bangladesh.

“Clean drinking water is an issue that is easy to relate to no matter who you are. Imagine life without it!” Gaskins said.

With such success, the group’s following in Blacksburg has blossomed.

Boogieburg’s events continue to bring a good turnout and they are thankful to the people who have supported them through their hard work.

The group hosts a free bi-weekly night at Rivermill called “Re: Fill” which has been packed pretty much every night for the past seven years.

“It’s got a lot to do with the people with whom we surround ourselves and the non-pretentious, good vibes of the music,” Gaskins said. “People who have been to our events generally find that everyone is really easy to talk to and you know — it’s a party atmosphere. I think people need and deserve that kind of experience a few times a month, especially when there is so much in life to weigh you down and burden your soul.”

Boogieburg Soundsystem has plenty of events and shows lined up this year, both locally and elsewhere. Gaskins claims it is “going to be a magical semester.”

sports11

editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

january 18, 2011

Despite wave of injuries, Hokies are gaining confidence he Virginia Tech men’s basketball team as it stands today looks nothT ing like what was expected, yet the results have not begun to truly reflect it.

With virtually its entire roster back from a team that won 25 games and reached the NIT Quarterfinals a year ago, there was reason for optimism about this ball club.

The Hokies were picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference, behind preseason national championship favorite and defending champion Duke Blue Devils.

After a disheartening 6-4 start that included back-to-back three-point losses at home to Purdue and Virginia, the Hokies appeared well on their way to squandering all of their great potential.

It certainly didn’t help that forwards J.T. Thompson and Allan Chaney, who were both expected to be key factors on the team, were lost for the year before the season started with injuries.

Then on Dec. 23, the team announced that senior guard Dorenzo Hudson and sophomore forward Cadarian Raines would both miss the rest of the

season with foot injuries. Two weeks before, reserve guard Ben Boggs left the program seeking a transfer (he later announced he would enroll at Valparaiso).

All of a sudden, one of the deepest, most experienced teams in the ACC became a group of eight scholarship players — three seniors, a junior, two sophomores and two freshmen. The Hokies didn’t have enough healthy players on scholarship to conduct a full scrimmage in practice.

Since the Hudson and Raines exodus, the Hokies have played arguably their best basketball of the year. They have won four of five games, with the only loss coming by three points at North Carolina on Jan. 13.

They beat Florida State at home on Jan. 8 in convincing fashion, 71-59. Four days later, the Seminoles went on the road and beat top-ranked Duke 66-61 in a game that Delaney thought spoke volumes about how good the Hokies still are.

“I’m confident we can beat anybody,” Delaney said. “We’re not a team that

Results from last five games Date Thu., Dec 30, 2010 Sun., Jan 2, 2011 Sat., Jan 8, 2011 Thu., Jan 13, 2011 Sat., Jan 15, 2011

Opponent USC Upstate Mount St. Mary's Florida State @ North Carolina Wake Forest

people respect, (so) we will earn everything we get.”

Delaney was a preseason first-team all-conference selection and one of the favorites for ACC Player of the Year, but he struggled through the early stretch of the season. Before the Hudson injury, Delaney was averaging an alarming 4.8 turnovers per game.

When Hudson left the line-up, largely untested sophomore Erick Green was thrust into a critical role. While Hudson was primarily a shooting guard, forcing Delaney to play slightly out of position at the point, Green is a true point guard.

By allowing Delaney to move to his natural position of shooting guard, the

Score W, 64-53 W, 99-34 W, 71-59 L, 61-64 W, 94-65

switch turned him into a much more efficient offensive player.

Since Green became the starter, Delaney is averaging 16.3 points with 5.3 assists and just 1.6 turnovers. Green, meanwhile, has been more than a pleasant surprise in his own right. The Winchester, Va., native has scored in double figures in eight straight games while posting a 3.5 assists for each turnover — the best mark in the ACC during that span.

“Erick is playing with great poise. He’s taking shots when they are available, making good decisions on penetration,” said Seth Greenberg, Tech head coach.

“He’s another guy that’s gaining confi-

dence.”

The Hokies capped off their holiday break with a 94-65 blowout win over Wake Forest in front of a fired-up crowd at Cassell Coliseum on Saturday.

The best sign for the Hokies in that game was the supporting cast stepping up in a big way. Jarrell Eddie and Manny Atkins entered Saturday averaging a combined 7.2 points per game.

They scored 12 and 16 points, respectively, to fuel the win. Atkins finally showed off the sweet shooting stroke that Greenberg recruited him for.

“The last few games I’ve gained confidence in my shot, and coach has gained confidence in me, too. Now he just tells me to shoot it, don’t think about it,” Atkins said.

It’s hard to argue that Wake Forest is not the worst team in the ACC. The Demon Deacons’ RPI ranking — 255th — is dead last in the league, 87 spots behind the next lowest team (Georgia Tech). However, with six players in double figure scoring — and Delaney wasn’t one of them — the game served as a confidence booster for a team that

needs as much of that as possible.

“This was a feel-good win,” Eddie said.

The rubber is ready to meet the road, however. Besides the Florida State victory, the Hokies were heavy favorites in every other game since using just eight scholarship players. They’ve won the games they were supposed to win, and now it’s time to put all of their confidence building to the test.

Four of their next five games are on the road against ACC foes, starting Thursday at Maryland.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Delaney said.

That mindset is what has kept this team afloat so far, and they clearly want to do everything in their control to keep it that way.

JOSH PARCELL -sports reporter -junior -communoication major

january 18, 2011

page 12

Draft: Departures leave huge void in offensive backfield from page one

The NFL’s Draft Advisory Panel informed Williams he would likely be a first- or second-round draft pick, while Evans was projected to go between the fourth and seventh round.

Running back coach Billy Hite’s stance on his players entering the draft early is if the prospect is projected to go in the first three rounds, he should leave.

In Evans’ case, it didn’t appear to be a decision based solely off his draft stock.

He is married to Taneesha Evans, the mother of his four-year-old son, James.

“This will give me a chance to be a provider, and that’s what I want to do.

This opportunity will allow me to do that,” Evans said.

However, as far as his playing career is concerned, Evans is taking a sizable risk by leaving now.

It’s conceivable that a fifth-round draft pick, or later, never makes an NFL team — especially as a running back. Should Evans fail to make the final roster for the team that drafts him, his pro career could possibly be over before it ever begins. Or another injury like the one he suffered in 2009 could limit his opportunities. You won’t find many running backs drafted in the later rounds with multiple severe injuries suiting up on Sundays.

“I just feel like that would be a gamble to come back. Just because my knee feels fine, you never know. I’d rather just get my foot in the door now and start to learn how everything goes at that next level rather than come back and worry about whether I get hurt or if I get enough carries — you just never know,” Evans said.

Evans made his decision three days before Williams made his intentions official, which was a curious move.

If Evans was worried about getting enough carries with the Hokies next year, it wouldn’t have been a problem without Williams in the fold.

It was clear that another year of three running backs was not going to work.

While it was a luxury to have three allconference caliber backs, it restricted the growth of all of them while also disallowing any of them to ever find a rhythm in a game.

Evans would have had an opportunity to share carries with David Wilson next year, rather than working through the three-back rotation that was used this year, which none of the runners seemed to enjoy. With a heavier workload and another year to improve his speed, passcatching and lateral quickness (three things he said he must work on before the draft in April), Evans could have

vaulted himself into a much higher draft position in 2012.

He will earn his degree this semester by taking a class near his home in Indianapolis and another online class through Tech. Graduating was a priority, and certainly dampens the risk of not making it at the next level.

Williams, on the other hand, seemed ready to go. He missed four games with a partially torn hamstring this past season, and the fear of being hurt even worse next season may have weighed heavily on his mind.

He’s widely projected as the second best running back available in the draft, behind 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram from Alabama.

He should have enough time to rest his hamstring, allowing it to properly heal in time for his workouts for NFL scouts. It’s conceivable that he’ll move into the first round if he has a good showing during his workouts.

Without Evans and Williams in the backfield, it’s up to Wilson to shoulder the burden next season in the backfield.

Along with sophomore Logan Thomas ready to replace Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, the Hokies’ backfield went from one of the best in the country to an uncertain variable heading into next season.

Wilson has the tools to be a star. He averaged nearly 5.5 yards per carry this season along with five rushing touchdowns. However, he made a bigger mark on special teams, with two crucial kickoff returns for touchdowns that arguably won two games for the Hokies.

His 90-yard return in the final minutes against Georgia Tech was the gamewinning score, and his 92-yard return to start the second half against NC State fueled the Hokies’ 17-point comeback win in Raleigh.

Yet, beyond Wilson there isn’t much depth in the backfield for the Hokies.

Fullback Josh Oglesby, who will be a senior next season and started his career at running back, could be moved back to that position to counteract the losses of Williams and Evans. Additionally, Tony Gregory, who saw playing time this season for the most part when games were out of hand, will be in the mix; unfortunately, he will be recovering from a torn ACL he suffered against North Carolina. Tech also secured a commitment from class of 2011 running back Michael Holmes out of Harrisonburg High School.

Nonetheless, Wilson is an explosive player who might have a higher ceiling for improvement than Williams had while with the Hokies.

Ryan Williams Height: 5’10” Weight: 210 pounds Class: Redshirt sophomore Career stats: 403 carries; 2,132 yards; 30 touchdowns Projected: 1st – 2nd round NFL player comparison: LaDainian Tomlinson

Darren Evans Height: 6’0” Weight: 220 pounds Class: Redshirt junior Career stats: 438 carries; 2,119 yards; 22 touchdowns Projected: 4th – 7th round NFL player comparison: Marion Barber