Tuesday, February 8, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

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Blind driver hits the track Students lobby state legislators MEIGHAN DOBER news staff writer

COURTESY OF VIRGINIA TECH

Mark Riccobono, who is legally blind, motors around Daytona International Speedway Jan. 24 during an exhibition of a specially modiﬁed Ford Escape Hybrid allowing blind individuals the ability to drive. The car uses sensors to balance the car and detect incoming obstacles.

CAR TAILORED FOR BLIND DRIVERS IMPRESSES IN EXHIBITION AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news reporter Virginia Tech made history in demonstrating the world’s first car for the blind at the Daytona International Speedway. The Jan. 24 test drive served as a preevent for the Rolex 24 endurance race. Prior to Tech’s research, few thought it would ever be possible for the blind to drive. But at Daytona, blind driver Mark Riccobono successfully navigated around boxes being thrown out onto the track, passed another car, and completed a 1.5-mile loop. The National Federation of the Blind created the Blind Driver Challenge and Tech, teaming with TORC Technologies, was the only group to take up the challenge. Tech’s Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory, also known as RoMeLa, developed cutting edge technology to provide the driver with nonvisual user interfaces, or mechanisms to help understand the surroundings and make independent decisions, according to the team’s director and associ-

ate mechanical engineering professor Dennis Hong. “We said, ‘Hey, we already have a fully autonomous vehicle, how difficult should it be? We just put a blind person in it and it will drive!’ Turns out that we couldn’t be more wrong. What NFB wanted was not a car that drives a blind person around; they wanted a car where a blind person can actually make decisions and drive the car,” Hong said. After successfully developing a dune buggy prototype to test for feasibility in 2009, the team worked to incorporate and advance the technology into a Ford Escape Hybrid so a vehicle could be used on a real road. The car creates an independent driving experience through three major parts: perception, computation and nonvisual user interfaces, Hong said. “The person cannot see, so the car needs to see the environment,” Hong said. To do this, two cameras are mounted to the windshield, along with three lasers that can scan for oncoming obstacles.

The car also includes a GPS system and a sensor for balance. The computation step takes all of the information to “map” the area around the vehicle and transmits the information to the next part of the process, the nonvisual user interface. This interface can “see” lanes painted on the road, a dog crossing the street, or DARw1n the soccer-playing robot kicking balls into the street. Hong said the students’ job was to

“

There was a greater sense of freedom and independence than I had even anticipated. To be able to manage a vehicle by yourself and using the technology — it was a tremendously powerful experience” MARK RICCOBONO BLIND DRIVER

create the interface to transmit the visual information to a blind person so that he or she could make independent decisions based on the surroundings. Mechanical enginnering major Matt

Dowden created the idea of DriveGrip, which was further developed by graduate student Paul D’Angio, and Nina Camoriano created the idea of AirPix. DriveGrip is a glove with small vibrating motors on each of the eight fingers’ knuckles used to convey directional information, “Basically you steer towards the vibration,” said graduate student Ryan Colby. “If you need to turn a little bit to the right, it will start vibrating on your index finger. If you need to turn it far to the right, it will vibrate more towards the pinky. The same goes for the left hand” AirPix is a tablet-sized device that serves as a sensory map of the surroundings. The tablet is covered with tiny holes which shoot compressed air. The driver puts a hand over it and can visualize potential obstacles and see things on the side of the road, Hong said. Another device is called SpeedStrip, which helps the driver determine the optimal speed. His or her seat has four vibrating motors going down the legs from the waist and four going up the back from the waist, Colby said. “If you need to accelerate, the vibrations will start moving down the leg and if you need to decelerate or slow

Job access and higher education funding were high priorities for Virginia college students as they lobbied the general assembly in Richmond Thursday. The effort was a part of Virginia21’s annual lobbying day, when students from all over the commonwealth gather and learn how to reach out to state legislators and have a conversation on higher education. A group of approximately 100 students gathered to talk to legislators and encourage more funding for state higher education. The current budget proposed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell does not include any cuts for higher education. McDonnell has called for 100,000 higher education degrees in Virginia, which would come from STEM areas: science, technology, engineering and math. “The more educated the workforce in Virginia means better companies, better jobs and a way to keep Virginia students here,” said Bo Hart, Virginia Tech’s SGA president. Virginia21 works with the state’s public colleges. Tom Kramer, executive director of Virginia 21, praised Tech’s student governance for its participation. “At Virginia Tech, you have an incredible student government association,” Kramer said. “We work really closely with them and were down the vibrations start to move up your back. So you’re always going to accelerate or decelerate with the vibration.” DriveGrip and SpeedStrip were the primary interfaces demonstrated at Daytona. Riccobono, the blind driver, said the test inspired empowerment and pride among the blind community. “If you asked people, ‘What’s the one thing a blind person could never do? They’d say driving,” Riccobono said. “As a blind person, I didn’t want to focus on it because I didn’t think it would be something I could ever do until I met the NFB that I thought it would be a real possibility.” He added nothing could have prepared him for the experience. “When I actually got into the car for the first time with nobody else in the car and drove it, it was even more empowering than I had expected,” he said. “There was a greater sense of freedom and independence than I had

really happy with how the relationship has evolved.” Members of the government affairs branch of Tech’s SGA travel to Richmond each month to meet with members of Virginia21. “They have lots of the same goals for higher education,” said Katie Collins, director of government affairs for Tech’s SGA. On Thursday, the students broke into groups and traveled to talk to different members of Virginia’s Senate and House of Delegates. With many of the legislators busy, some of the students talked to legislative aides. Tech sent four people to Richmond last Thursday. Natalie Cruise and Tyler Arthur were two freshmen among the group. “The legislative aides loved hearing stories from the students’ perspectives. It is hard to know what is going on on campus just from a list of statistics,” Cruise said. “We got lots of support. Legislative aides were very supportive and you could tell they were listening.” In the past, Virginia21 has been a major lobbying organization on higher education legislation, acting in favor of legislation such as the Textbook Market Fairness and Reform Acts of 2004 and 2005, which required professors to post their required books for classes before the first day of class so students had the opportunity to shop for cheaper textbooks. even anticipated. To be able to manage a vehicle by yourself and using the technology — it was a tremendously powerful experience. And to know that we’re just at the beginning of doing something like this is really powerful.” Riccobono said he believes this technology can help makes the roads safer for everyone, blind and seeing alike. All people have a blind spot in their vehicles, and this might be a way to make it less dangerous. Helping and empowering the blind community was one of the biggest reasons students were attracted to this project. “When it came to picking senior design projects, this one really stood out to me. When we went to Daytona, there were more than 360 people from the blind community there and they were all so appreciative of the work,” said Becky Gentle, a Tech senior. “They kept saying, ‘You’re changing our world,’ and just that gratitude made the whole thing worth it.”

Virginia Tech’s Cave Club reaching new heights MIA PERRY features reporter Ever thought about going spelunking? Think twice about doing so, or else you may find yourself in a situation where you need rescuing by people like members of the Virginia Tech Cave Club. “We are not spelunkers,” said Cave Club President John Bowling. While the dictionary might say otherwise, members of the club are adamant there is a difference between the two activities. “Cavers rescue spelunkers,” said Bowling, who is also a mining engineering graduate student. He said people who just decide it would be cool to go into a cave to hang out, taking only a flashlight, are spelunkers, or what the group likes to call “nerd cavers.” “We go through a lot of training to do what we do,” said Dan Crowder, a junior history major and Cave Club trainee. “You have to pass a rigorous testing process, and I’m still in the process,” Crowder said. Crowder is about halfway done with his training, but has been with the club for about a year. Usually trainees must complete a sort of check sheet with about 13 different tests before they are a true member. This is because the club wants to ensure its members are confident enough to lead and be responsible for other people’s lives. “Spelunkers go in with no helmet for maybe some sort of hazing ritual, or just general curiosity. We do find them a lot,” Crowder said. It is clear that Bowling and his fellow club members take caving very seriously. The VPI Cave Club has been around since the early 1940s, and is one of the oldest on Tech’s campus. The club is also credited with being one of the first groups to join and form the NSS, or the National Speleological Society.

Although the Cave Club is run by and has plenty of student members and trainees, it is open to anyone in the community with an interest in caving. Many of these people had interest in caving before they ever heard of the club — including Bowling, whose uncle had been a member of the NSS. “It was something I had done as a kid, and was pretty sure I wanted to do again,” Bowling said. “Then as a freshman my RA had set up a trip with someone they knew in the Cave Club and I went along.” But a large portion of the group simply heard the organization was fun and had never set foot in a cave. “There was a booth at Gobblerfest, and that’s how I found out about it,” said Ethan Bramble, a junior environmental science major. In total, the club has six full members who can lead cave trips, but draws about 30 to 40 students, almost half of whom are female, and many community members and alumni. “We even have people who hang out with the club who went here in the ‘60s, and at some club events I see people from every year of the club that are still alive. It’s a really big deal for those people,” Bowling said. People who cave seem to be brought together by an intense passion for what they do. “They come to our annual events like our picnic. Its like a big family pretty much — the caving community in general is pretty close knit,” Bowling said. “We hang out with each other almost exclusively,” said John Mulheren, a junior statistics and psychology major. He is also the club’s secretary. So what is caving? “Caving is exploring caves, and going on recreational trips to caves, and also cave conservation; we do a lot of work with landowners, clean trash out of caves. And we also do a lot of what is basically cave science. We’ve recently

done a lot of work with bat biologists,” Bowling said. Members of the group, who differ from club “trainees,” lead one or more caving trips almost every weekend in the region surrounding the university, mostly concentrated in Giles, Bland and Craig counties. The trips can last anywhere from two to three hours for beginners, or 10 to 12 hours for “better sport trips.” Although only members can lead trips, anyone can come along for a caving trip. “You need no experience. You basically just need shoes,” Bowling said. The trips are categorized into horizontal caving and vertical caving. Both types of caving require pretty much the same equipment, including a helmet, light, pack and sturdy clothes. Although it is important to dress in warm clothing, the caves will almost always register at around 56 degrees, no matter how cold the air is on the surface. “Usually in caves, they are the average annual surface temperature of the area,” Bowling said. For vertical caving, one must first have a training session on how to repel and climb rope. “My first vertical cave trip was a 200 foot drop at a pit called Newberry Bane’s,” Crowder said, remembering the fourth biggest cave pit in Virginia. “Standing at the top of the pit, it is perfectly cylindrical, so when you look down it, it looks just like a big tube. I was repelling down on a rack system, and when I looked down to see my friends they were just little tiny lights down at the bottom. I thought, ‘Wow I’m really high up. This is so cool,’” Crowder said. “To give you a visual, the drop was about as high as the crane that is being used in the Schultz construction.” Crowder and some others also enjoy going to a nearby cave called Links. “We do it instead of the gym,” said Crowder. Many horizontal caves such

COURTESY VT CAVE CLUB

Meeting on Friday evenings, the Virginia Tech Cave Club welcomes all, with or without caving experience. as Links provide a great workout, utilizing free climbing to scramble over rocks. Although some may say caving is like hiking, that is not necessarily true. “I tried to convince some of my friends to go caving with me by telling them it was like hiking, but halfway through they told me that it wasn’t like hiking and said ‘We hate you!’” Crowder said. Crowder’s friends go to show that caving is not all fun and games. “Caving is dangerous.” Mulheren said. “And sometimes you don’t know if like you could touch the wrong rock and it could fall.” “Someone had a fall last year and broke their ankle, it was like 25 feet,”

Bramble said. “But it should also be noted that the cave club has never had anyone killed on any of their trips,” Crowder said. The group also spends a good deal of time — 10 to 12 hours a week — cave surveying. Surveying happens when a new cave is found and needs to be mapped. Although, most caves are only mapped on the club’s own “secret” maps, becuse the members don’t want inexperienced people, such as spelunkers, to try caving since it is often dangerous. Cave surveying is popular with many of the members who have been around for a longer amount of time. It is not uncommon to come across undiscovered caves.

“We can find them by just walking, but we have an idea of the geology associated with cave formation, so we will have an idea of where to look,” Bowling said. However sometimes the group has help finding new caves. “I’ve gotten at least six e-mails in the last year-and-a-half from people saying they have heard of our club and offering for us to come check out a cave they have on their property,” Bowling said. The group honors landowners who welcome the cavers onto their property in an annual ceremony. With caves being discovered all the time, there have been about 10 cave see CAVE CLUB / page six

2 news

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

february 8, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

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

virginia

On Tech alcohol fask force that met Friday:

Waynesboro man survives violent car rollover

Anon>> The legal drinking age of 21 is flawed anyway, they should move it back to 18. The high drinking age compared to other developed countries is a huge reason why binge drinking takes place among underage drinkers. Since they can’t buy alcohol when they want and drink modestly, they drink what they can when they get the chance or opportunity and a lot of times that turns out to be too much.

CORRECTIONS

It’s like food, when your starving and you see a lot of food, you’ll naturally eat as much as you can since you don’t know when the next time you’ll see food is again. Animals do this too. In “Task force hopes to curb student drinking habits,” (CT – Feb. 4) David Gayle passed away on Sept. 25, 2010. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

JUSTIN GRAVES -public editor -sociology/leadership & social change -junior

A Waynesboro man and his dog on Monday escaped mostly unscathed from a violent vehicle rollover, authorities said. When Waynesboro police got to the intersection of Arch Avenue and Main Street at about 10:15 a.m., retired city police officer John Fitgerald, 54, was hanging upside-down by the straps of his seatbelt. His little dog stood nearby, still on its leash. Police found Fitzgerald’s black 2004 Ford Explorer on its top and partly crushed after it was struck by a 2007 Ford Fusion driven by Salina Bradley, 23, of Waynesboro. Authorities charged Bradley, who sustained minor injuries in the wreck, with failure to yield at a red light, said Sgt. Kelly Walker, police spokesman. Walker said Fitzgerald

was driving north on Arch Avenue when he was struck by Bradley’s eastbound Ford. “The impact was toward the rear of his vehicle which is probably what made him flip over,” Walker said. “She just failed to stop for that red light.” Rescue workers took Bradley to Augusta Health in Fishersville for airbag abrasions, he said.Several onlookers were left standing in a group beneath the intersection traffic signals. Angela Davis, of Waynesboro, said she was at home when she heard about the wreck on a police scanner. She shook her head as she watched Fitzgerald talk to a group of officers. “He is lucky,” Davis said. Kimberly Watters, executive director of Waynesboro Downtown

Development Inc., said she heard the crash outside her downtown office. When she got to the crash site, about 100 feet from her office door, she saw Fitzgerald stuck in the wreckage. “There wasn’t anything I could do to help him, but I saw the dog with a bloody nose,” Watters said. “Unfortunately, 1/8Bradley3/8 had a dog and it took off. She was very distressed about that.” Watters said she scooped Fitzgerald’s dog into her arms and held it until Fitzgerald climbed from the Explorer. Police estimated the Explorer sustained about $20,000 in damage. He said the Fusion suffered about $10,000 in damage. -chase purdy, mcclatchy newspapers

opınıons 3

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

february 8, 2011

Languages key to business success ith globalization and the rise of more economic powerW house nations, the world is shrinking and those who do not adapt will most likely be left behind. One obvious and yet sometimes overlooked aspect of this adaptation is the learning of different languages, something that our education system at Virginia Tech seems to address lackadaisically. About a week ago I was speaking with some new friends from (dare I say it) the University of Virginia about what courses they were taking. I was surprised to find out that at UVa, languages ranging from Urdu and Hebrew to Swahili and Tibetan are offered regularly. Of course, this stems from of the university’s focus on the liberal arts, an explanation that quickly dismissed my wonder as to why Tech does not offer such unique languages. Upon further thinking, however, I realized it is increasingly true that the knowledge of other languages is becoming a very real and useful asset in today’s world. Those who are involved in foreign affairs are not the only people that would benefit from increased global communication. Chinese, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi and Portuguese are a few of the very up-and-coming languages to know. While Tech has adapted by offering languages such as Arabic, Italian and Chinese, they are offered in a very limited range of levels as well as in limited frequency. This has left students who would like to seriously pursue these languages looking to outside sources to do so. Even students of engineering or the sciences can attest to the fact that even these disciplines are becoming more globalized over time. Chinese engineers and scientists are increasingly discovering fields that will mean either possible collaboration with American engineers and scientists or total separation, and therefore competition. The education systems in these nations are rapidly developing while populations are increasing, meaning more and more professional people in the world will be speaking languages other than English as their primary languages. At present, no one can argue that English is not the “language of the world,” which puts us at a major upper hand for being born or growing up in an English speaking nation. Nevertheless, knowing more unique languages could very well increase our marketability as potential interns and employees. I personally studied French for about six years in grade school and some in college, but have found its use much more limited than I had imagined. In applying for an internship with the U.S. State Department this summer, recruiting students from all disciplines including very

technical and science related fields, knowledge of languages such as Chinese, Arabic, Italian and Hindi proved extremely useful in attaining posts abroad. In defending our lack of knowledge of other languages, one may bring up the fact that most high schools in America require a certain number of years in a language, which carries on to a very minimal college requirement. However, once these requirements are passed, the majority of students let everything they learned in that language fade from their memory. Therefore, while the establishment of these requirements was a step in the right direction, more encouragement and availability of languages should be pursued in order to allow students to benefit further and in more meaningful ways. Another aspect of the comparison is that many international education systems make it a point for their students to become fluent in other languages, not just be introduced to them. For example, last semester I was able to get to know about 10 Haitians who were interning at Tech for the semester. I was surprised and amazed to learn that nearly every single one of them, if not all, were fluent in French, Spanish, English and Creole. Granted, French is to be expected as Haiti was a French colony, as well as Creole as their native language, but the fact their governments and people recognize the necessity of shared language in order to participate in the global arena is admirable. Many of these Haitian students were pursuing careers in engineering and business related fields, much like many regular students at Tech, and they too recognized the advantage that increased communication with global counterparts could one day offer them. The bottom line is that while Tech is indeed a technical school, its students would benefit from being exposed to more diverse languages and cultures as options of study. Tech’s desire for its students and the university as a whole to participate and stay relevant in global affairs is more apparent than ever. It conducts many projects around the globe and is now expanding to India. In promoting these ideals and utilizing its facilities to their best capacity, it would be prudent to also promote outlets of education that arm students with a current arsenal for the diverse and advancing world.

NOOR KHALIDI -regular columnist -economics major -junior

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US hypocritical in reaction to anti-government protest he spirit of liberty must be ingrained in my DNA. Despite T a lifetime of efforts to transcribe into my genetic code a personality of blind allegiance to government, the longing for true freedom has once again been aroused from somewhere deep inside the double helix. I say this because all weekend I was glued to online streaming video of protests in Egypt. To say the least, seeing a populace overthrow a repressive regime is exciting. While watching the revolution unfold on my laptop, I could not help but notice the hypocritical statements coming out of Washington, D.C. Over the weekend, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called upon Egyptian authorities to refrain from using violence against protesters. “So I want to be very clear in calling upon the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protesters. The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly, association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny,” Obama said in a speech. Likewise, Clinton said, “We call upon the Egyptian government to do everything in its power to restrain security forces,” and two days later reiterated, “We have sent a very clear message: We want to see restraint, we do not want to see violence by any security forces.” A simple examination of recent protests in America shows why the U.S. government has no moral authority to tell Egyptian authorities how to behave. In September 2009, Pittsburgh hosted the G20 Summit. The Secret Service was in control of security for the event, and commanded thousands of police, National Guard and U.S. Army personnel. To see how American authorities handled peaceful, non-violent protesters, simply type “G20 Pittsburgh Police” into YouTube. Videos show thousands of police in full body armor tear-gassing peaceful protesters and innocent bystanders alike. A video titled, “Arrest at G20

use tear gas and batons on them. One of the more popular videos, “Police slam CodePink protester to the ground,” shows a burley male officer throwing a petite woman to the ground by slamming her chest with his baton. Media were also treated harshly in Denver. One video shows police roughing up ABC producer Asa Eslocker before arresting him. It is nice to hear Obama acknowledge that peaceful assemblies, associations, free speech and self-determination are universal rights. After all, these natural rights are protected by the Constitution — a document he swore an oath to uphold and defend at his inauguration. However, the U.S. government has no legal authority, and certainly no moral authority, to tell the Egyptian government how to treat its protesters and dissenters. Instead of lecturing Egyptian officials, American authorities should practice what they preach. For too long, law enforcement has detained, harassed, abused, arrested and intimidated scores of peaceful, non-violent American political activists. If the American government sees it fit to insist that Egypt act peacefully towards its protestors, it should first gain the merit to do so by making sure it does the same when protests arise at home. Besides, an underlying issue is the fact that the U.S. government is probably the last entity that the people of Egypt want their government to receive advice from. After all, for the past 30 years it has been U.S. foreign aid, military equipment and weaponry that their president has used to oppress them. This is evidenced by the fact that for the past week, Egyptian civilians have been bombarded with canisters of tear gas bearing the label “Made in U.S.A.”

CHRIS DUNN -regular columnist -political science major -senior

Cars become burdens when students move on to college or those of you college students like me fortunate enough to own F a car or borrow one from your parents,

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Demonstrations, September 24, 2009,” shows plain-clothes law enforcement doing snatch-n-grabs and throwing protesters into unmarked vehicles. Other videos show police using the Long Range Acoustic Device on civilians. The LRAD — which was mounted on a large, scary, black military-like vehicle — was developed to use against terrorists in Iraq. Police even stormed the University of Pittsburgh and randomly terrorized students who had nothing to do with the protests. Could you imagine studying for a test on the Drillfield and the next thing you know, police in stormtrooper outfits are lobbing canisters of gas and shooting rubber bullets at you? This is exactly what happened in Pittsburgh, as documented by many videos. Another example of American authorities using violence against peaceful protesters was displayed during the September 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Typing “RNC St Paul Police” into YouTube allows you to view hundreds of videos of police brutality. Videos show that police in St. Paul, sporting the usual full body armor and diverse array of weaponry, not only used extreme violence against protesters and innocent bystanders, but they also jailed journalists covering the event. Some alternative journalists and bloggers were detained and arrested before the convention even began. Police seized and held their cameras and recording equipment (search for “RNC St Paul Arrest Journalist” to learn more). Even mainstream media pundits were oppressed by law enforcement — NPR’s Amy Goodman and two producers were arrested while covering the protests. OfcoursetheAugust2008Democratic National Convention in Denver, Co., was just as bad. A search for “DNC Denver Police” also brings up hundreds of videos that show police oppressing peaceful protesters. These videos show policemen trapping protesters by surrounding them, before proceeding to

you know the pains that come with that four-wheel, pre-owned blessing. No, not the sting of your leather seats on a hot day, the ache in your back from a worn driver’s seat or even the discomfort of a freezing car that won’t heat up quick enough in the winter. There is something inherently maddening about being one of the students with a car in college. Yes, it is quite convenient to have ready transportation for daily errands and life’s perpetual grind. But over my time at Tech, I have grown to realize that a car is more like that annoying friend you never want to call, but really can’t live without. As a freshman, depending on your school, you may or may not be granted the opportunity to bring a car to school. Those that aren’t allowed often kick and scream at the disparity of being automobile-handicapped. Little do they know the intuition of universities in having the foresight to stop them early from being dependent on a gas-guzzling ball-and-chain. No offense to my dear university, which allows freshmen to join in on the “fun” of having a car at school. I give you all the thanks in the world for the fantastic opportunity to park my Ford Mustang in the Cage freshman year. The nearly 15-minute walk to the Cage from Pritchard Hall was especially fun, even on cold, rainy days — a nice prepa-

ration for the mindless search for my car amongst the seemingly thousands parked there. That parking lot seems bigger than the actual university. There is also the mechanical aspect of the automobile — where if parts aren’t correctly connected to other parts, you can’t drive it. I admit I’m not the manliest man, and that many members of the male gender were sent to school understanding automobiles and how to repair a broken vehicle when necessary. But I barely know how to talk to girls, how am I gonna fix a car? Even for those who can fix a flat tire, change oil or mend a malfunctioning motor — most of them don’t have the time, space or tools required for the job after spending hours on the whole education thing we all go to college for. Having to fix a car can put a little cramp in the style of a full-time student. Let me say the highlight of my first semester in college was dealing with auto mechanics and wondering if I would be able to make it home for Christmas because my car decided it liked sitting in a parking lot better than moving at high speeds. Traveling home in itself is another annoyance that comes with wielding the metallic, twoaxle curse with doors. I’ll cut the sarcasm for one second — it is nice to have a means to travel home when needed. I can come and go as I please to say “Hi,” to Pops and give Mom that big hug and kiss to remind them they have a kid in college and that I need money.

But what about your hometown friends who don’t have the luxury of a car? I’m not that completely shallow to say, “Fend for yourself, because I’m not helping you celebrate the holidays with your family.” But really, do you have to have the last exam before break, bring all of your laundry home and invite two friends every time? Oh and you brought your own CDs to play for us on the fivehour drive. Great. Truthfully, they’re not as bad as the friends you only hear from when they need a ride somewhere. “Hey man how’ve you been? No really? Awesome. Any chance you’re going to Wal-Mart soon? I need some stuff, bro.” I usually reply to those moochers, “Have you forgotten we have a bus system?” Realistically, I should stop being so whiny. It is a blessing to live in a society where having an automobile, let alone any form of transportation, is a norm. I am very fortunate to have the car I do. Nevertheless, it always finds a way to infuriate me. Maybe I’m just spoiled. Or maybe I’m on to something. Go to any college town and check out the amount of bikers and walkers. They’re not pedaling and walking because it’s any faster. They know, just as I do, taking a car to college sucks.

BILLY MITCHELL -regular columnist -communication major -senior

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief: Peter Velz Managing Editors: Zach Crizer, Katie Biondo, Josh Son Public Editor: Justin Graves Senior News Editor: Philipp Kotlaba Associate News Editors: Liana Bayne, Gordon Block News Reporters: Claire Sanderson, Jay Speidell, Michelle Sutherland, Sarah Watson News Staff Writers: Erin Chapman, Meighan Dober Features Editors: Lindsey Brookbank, Kim Walter Features Reporters: Chelsea Gunter, Majoni Harnal Opinions Editors: Scott Masselli, Gabi Seltzer Sports Editors: Michael Bealey, Garrett Ripa Sports Reporters: Nick Cafferky, Matt Jones, Courtney Lofgren, Josh Parcell Sports Staff Writers: Alyssa Bedrosian, Alex Koma, Ashleigh Lanza, Zach Mariner Public Information Director: Dishu Maheshwari Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Editors: Taylor Chakurda, Thandiwe Ogbonna, Spenser Snarr Layout Designers: Danielle Buynak, Cathleen Campbell, Maya Shah, Victoria Zigadlo Online Director: Jamie Chung Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries Distribution Assistant: Ryan Francis Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Sara Mitchell Business Manager: Luke Mason Lab Manager: Mark Umansky College Media Solutions Ad Director: Nik Bando Asst Ad Director: Brandon Collins Account Executives: Emily Africa, Matt Freedman, David George, Melanie Knoth, Craig Mullaney, Krista Silano, Ari Weiss Inside Sales Manager: Wade Stephenson Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Katie Berkel, Diane Revalski Assistant Account Executives: Maddie Abram, Kaelynn Kurtz, Erin Shuba Creative Director: Chloé Skibba Asst Production Manager: Casey Stoneman Creative Services Staff: Tim Austin, Katie Biondo, Colleen Hill, Jenn Le, Erin Weisiger Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, e-mail spps@vt.edu. The Collegiate Times is located in 365 Squires Student Center, Blacksburg, VA, 24061. (540) 231-9865. Fax (540) 2319151. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 academic year. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2010. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

february 8, 2011

page 4

Attorney general to investigate Montgomery County election controversy CLAIRE SANDERSON news reporter Election officials from Montgomery County are under investigation following mistakes at several county polls last November. The investigation, led by state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, was authorized by the State Board of Elections at a meeting on Jan. 31, which the county’s election officials traveled to Richmond to attend. “At this point, understanding that the state board was stepping down after that meeting, we felt there were too many unanswered questions,” said State Board of Elections Secretary Nancy Rodrigues, whose term ended Tuesday. The officials involved in the investigation are Montgomery County

Registrar Randy Wertz and the county’s entire electoral board — Cynthia Chappelka, Helen Young and Dean Dowdy. According to Rodrigues, there are several possible outcomes of this investigation, depending on the findings of the attorney general’s office. “First, they could do nothing,” Rodrigues said. “Or they could ask for their resignations. They could also go to court to remove the electoral board, or they could ask the electoral board to remove the registrar.”Wertz’s term as registrar will end June 30, and the county electoral board is scheduled to make a decision this April about whether to reappoint him. The investigation is, in part, a result of the work of Terry Ellen Carter, a Christiansburg local who has been

very outspoken about the polling mistakes. Problems at the polls began early on the morning of Election Day 2010, when electronic poll books malfunctioned at seven of the polling locations in the county. Poll books are simply lists of who is registered in each precinct, allowing workers to verify that voters are actually voting in the correct precinct. The 2010 election was to be the first year that Montgomery County would use entirely electronic poll books. However, when workers in some precincts could not access the electronic poll books, voters were allowed to cast electronic ballots even though they had not been verified against the poll books. Had workers been prepared with backup provisional paper ballots,

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ACROSS 1 Workshop holder 6 Fairy godmother ’s magic tool 10 Chopped-up fare 14 From around here 15 Son of Seth 16 Indy racer 17 “Awesome! ” 19 Singer ’s syllables 20 Rehab woes, briefly 21 Monte __: gambling resort 22 In pieces 23 2006-’07 Microsoft release 25 “Oops, sorry”

appointed Donald Palmer, who had previously served as Florida’s director of elections, to replace Rodrigues. “The only way I would still have a part in the issue is if the board would pursue any legal action,” Rodrigues said. “I might be called as a witness.” Carter said she is impressed with the meeting’s outcome. “They took action, which I hadn’t expected. I truly expected nothing,” Carter said. “The first step in solving a problem is to acknowledge that it exists.” It is unclear how long the attorney general’s investigation will last, although Carter said she hopes it will be completed well before the 2011 elections in November. “I believe that the attorney general’s office will move quickly on it,” Rodrigues said.

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Carter said, the ballots could have been set aside and verified later. However, electronic ballots are anonymous and cannot be sorted through once they are cast. The mistakes, Carter said, jeopardized all the votes cast at those polling locations. Carter initially contacted the Montgomery County Electoral Board with complaints about Wertz, but was told that nothing was wrong. “They said he’s doing a great job,” Carter said. “I felt that they didn’t care, and it defies explanation.” Next Carter wrote to the State Board of Elections, which requested the county officials attend Monday’s meeting. After Tuesday’s meeting, the state board members stepped down from their positions, having met the end of their terms. Gov. Bob McDonnell

Jeff Bridges Jesse Eisenberg Colin Firth Christian Bale Mark Ruffalo Jeremy Renner Nichole Kidman Natalie Portman Michelle Williams Hailee Steinfeld

2/8/11 28 Cooped clucker 29 Mideast honcho 30 Member of the crew 34 Sleuths, for short 37 Financial projections 40 Coll. helper s 41 1910s-’20s Ford assembly-line classi c 42 Prefix with septic 43 Cone dropper 44 Expanse with waves 45 Act embarrassingly in public 52 Jaunty tunes 53 Fritter away

54 Monopoly quartet: Abbr. 57 Roller rink shape 58 Cable TV offering 60 Hairy Himalayan, reportedly 61 Job site standards org. 62 Where D.C. is, familiarly 63 Part of a process 64 Pizza crust order 65 Out sick, say DOW N 1 Wad of dirt 2 Boorish sort 3 Stops stalling 4 Place to wipe your shoes

Today’s Radio Schedule ed Mix scs Di Art Day

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5 Lake __, 1980 Winter Olympics town 6 Very odd 7 English-speaking 8 “Not gonna happen” 9 Annual cause of losing an hr .’s sleep, perhaps 10 Millinery accessor y 11 Subtle qualities 12 Get going 13 Shade-tolerant plant 18 Start of many California city names 22 Keep from happening 23 Say “Be careful” to 24 “Fore!” or “Olé!” 25 Encounter 26 Org. known by its first letter 27 Revealing books, briefly 30 Campground treat 31 Partner of abet 32 Cooler cubes

7-9 AM - Jessi Schmale

*** WUVT “5 Minute” News at 7 PM *** ialt

9AM-12PM - Michael Mosley

7-9 PM - The Soul Jones

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12-2PM - Parrish

9 PM-12 AM - The Money Shot

2-3:30PM - Stu Ruiz

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33 Online cackl e 34 Fried corn bread 35 Greek “i ” 36 Potato part served as an appetizer 38 Forgets to mentio n 39 Shoe securer 43 Scuf fle souvenir 44 What a solo homer produces 45 Overdoes the sweetness 46 Girder fastener 47 Send to cloud nine 48 Flooded 49 Greet someone casually 50 “Washington Journal” channel 51 Hot time in Toulon 54 Unruly outbreak 55 New mtge., e.g. 56 Graceful bird 58 Word with belly or boiler 59 Brandy bottle letters Friday’s Puzzle Solved

2/4/11

4-7 AM - John Hisky

ed Mix cs Dis

sports 5

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

february 8, 2011

Wrestling earns decisive win over UVa H2Okies earn four golds

to cap off regular season

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Hokies sophomore Ben Munster, from College Station, Tex., swims in the 500 free. Munster earned ﬁrst place in the event.

H2OKIES IMPRESS IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE, LOOK AHEAD TO ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS COURTNEY LOFGREN sports reporter COURTESY OF HOKIESPORTS.COM

16th-ranked Jarrod Garnett takes down UVa’s Matt Snyder. Garnett at one point was down 8-0, but rallied back to beat Snyder in overtime.

SEVENTH-RANKED HOKIES WIN THIRD STRAIGHT MATCH AGAINST CAVALIERS DESPITE LATE RALLY ZACH MARINER sports reporter Virginia Tech’s wrestling team held onto a big early lead in front of a recordbreaking crowd Saturday night, beating defending ACC champion and rival Virginia, 20-12. “Thanks to all the Hokies,” said Kevin Dresser, head coach. “Keep coming, we’ve got one more weekend. Great crowd. I’m sure it’s the biggest crowd we’ve had in the five years of this regime. I think we probably beat (the attendance record) by close to 1,000.” The official count was 3,378 in attendance. It was short of the 5,000 Tech wanted to pull, but still impressive for a team that usually doesn’t draw half of what it did Saturday night. The No. 7 Hokies (16-4, 3-0 ACC) jumped out to an early 13-0 lead by taking the first four matches, and would end up winning six of the first seven. Both 10th-ranked Devin Carter in the 133-pound weight class and 15thranked Pete Yates in the 165 earned

major decisions and bonus points for Tech. David Marone (heavyweight), Jarrod Garnett (125), Zach Neibert (141) and Jesse Dong (157) also posted victories for the Hokies, helping them build a 203 lead. Marone and Garnett led off the night with come-from-behind wins. “What a great way to start,” Dresser said. “We didn’t start either one of those matches the way we wanted to, but we gutted it out. We talked about toughness before the match and heavyweight and 125 really showed some toughness.”Garnett’s victory proved to be both the most impressive and the most exciting match of the night. In the first two minutes of the first round, he had fallen behind 8-0 to UVa’s Matt Snyder. “There was still a lot of wrestling left,” Garnett said. “Coach always tells us throughout the week that no matter what happens, you’re still in the match. There’s still a lot of wrestling left. You’re always in it.” His reversal just before the end of the

first round earned him two points and cut the deficit to six. “That (reversal) was when I felt the momentum shift,” Garnett said. “(Coach) always preaches to us, ‘Win the period.’ I felt like even though I was down 8-2, I won that period, because I finished on top and came out with the momentum.” From that point out, Garnett wrestled like a man possessed, notching takedown after takedown. He took the lead at 12-11 with only seconds remaining in regulation, but an escape from Snyder sent the match into overtime. Yet another takedown by Garnett 16 seconds into overtime sent the Hokie crowd in to a frenzy. “Even though he got that escape toward the end, I knew going into overtime that I was going to win that match,” Garnett said. “There was no doubt in my mind.” However, the finish to the match was practically a polar opposite from the start, as UVa won the final three contests, in the 174, 184 and 197-pound weight classes. “That’s where we’ve been weak all year,” Dresser said. “It is what it is. Our

nationally ranked guys are in the lower weights.” Dong, the junior captain, was pleased with the team’s start to the match, but agreed with Dresser’s assessment of the disappointing finish. “Some weights obviously didn’t get it done,” Dong said. “We have to have guys with chips on their shoulders, and all the way in the lineup from 125 up to heavyweight, we have to expect to win. Our team has to expect to beat these guys worse than 20-12. I think we’re in a better league. Not to take anything away from Virginia, they fought tough, but I think Virginia Tech’s in a better league and I think we need to keep on pushing.” As far as the season as a whole is concerned, the team still feels confident in its chances at the ACC Championships and the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia in March. “Everybody’s really high right now,” Dong said. “We’ve been training hard. I think we’ve out-trained anybody in the country this past week, when we went through a three-day training phase. We’ve got to keep pushing. Going into the postseason, I think we’re ready, and we’re going to make some noise in Philly.”

The Virginia Tech swim and dive teams concluded the regular season strong over the weekend at the inagural Virginia Tech Invitational. The invitational included five schools—JamesMadison,Virginia Military Institute, Washington and Lee, UNC Wilmington and Georgia Tech. The H2Okies brought home 14 titles overall. Ten of the titles were won on Friday, the first day of the Invitational, and Tech won every event in which it had a representative in the finals of an event. On the women’s side, freshman Rachel Speanski earned three titles on the weekend. She won the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle events. Michael Hallock won the 100 freestyle for the men’s team with a time of 45.41. In that same race, the H2Okies placed second, fourth and fifth. Additionally, Ben Munster won the men’s 500 freestyle with a time of 4:38.77. The teams wrapped up their dominance in the freestyle events with each side winning the 50 freestyle. Morgan

Allen won the event for the women, with teammate Sarah Ault finishing third in the race, and Adam Skipper won on the men’s side with Hallock finishing second. On Saturday, Tech swept the 100 backstroke event as Caroline Higgins won for the women and Hallock won for the men. Higgins also came back on Sunday and won the 200 backstroke. Tech’s dominance in the meet continued in the 100 breaststroke. Natalie Leake won first place for the women and the men’s team swept the event. Nathan Hosington won the race with a time of 51.14 followed by Skipper, Danny Loftus and Nick Tremols, respectively. With this year’s opening of the Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Tech is hoping the meet becomes an annual event. The women’s season will continue on Feb. 16 at the ACC Championship meet in Atlanta, Ga., and the men’s diving events will also take place that weekend. The men’s swimming competition will take place the following week on Feb. 23 in Atlanta.

6 arts & entertainment february 8, 2011

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

Cave Club: Alumni and community members participate from page one

surveys in the past year. “Basically every cave in this region has been mapped by someone associated with the cave club,” Bowling said. The club has also done some very important work with cave wildlife, particularly with bats. It has participated in a number of bat surveys, where members try to track the number of bats infected with “white nose syndrome,” originally discovered in New York in 2005.

“It is basically a pandemic that is going through the bat population,” Bowling said. Bowling was on the caving expedition that discovered the first case of white nose syndrome in Giles County, two years ago. “Since then it’s killed off a majority of the bats,” he said. The club is currently conducting a good deal of research on this fungal disease. Although the cavers come into contact with bats more than any-

thing else, they also see some other creatures. “A lot of arthropods, like cave crickets and millipedes are down there — we see salamanders frequently, sometimes fish,” Bowling said. But sometimes the creatures found in caves are out of place. “Sometimes livestock have fallen down into them, or if the cave is horizontal they have just gone in there. I’ve seen pictures of a bunch of lambs underground,” Bowling said.

Mulheren recalled rescuing a hawk. The group has also led trips outside of Virginia, many of which have gone to Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, because those states are home to some of the “deepest pits” in the U.S. The team has even been to Mexico, where it repels into some enormous pits. “Every year we go to drop this pit called Golondrinas, which is over 1,200 feet, so it’s pretty cool. It takes over an hour to climb out of it. It’s

like being on a stair master for over an hour-and-a-half,” Mulheren said. “We just went to watch ‘Sanctum’ in the theater last night,” Crowder said of James Cameron’s new movie that follows some cave divers to the EsaAla caves. “It was not realistic at all, although it was very interesting, but it’s kind of a game we play with the new trainees: We tell them everything the cavers are doing wrong in the movie. Like we say ‘Wearing a tank top in a cave — bad

idea, running in a cave — not allowed, jumping — shouldn’t do that either, cave diving — stupid!’” Crowder said cave diving is extremely dangerous and no one should do it. “Also there are no mole-people or exotic birds,” Crowder said, referring to “Sanctum” and another cave thriller, “The Descent.” To see what the caving experience is like, join the club on one of its many expeditions. More information is available at the meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. on Fridays in Smyth 146.

New Braids album doesn’t top experimental pop chart review of Braids’ “Native Speaker” cannot really begin in 2011 A — instead, we must go back to 2005, the year in which Animal Collective released its sixth album, “Feels.” Why? Because “Native Speaker” basically boils down to an attempt at recreating the magnificent freak-folk sound of “Feels.” It’s nothing new that the recent crop of psychedelic and experimental pop artists have exhibited strong Animal Collective influences — it’s something that comes with the territory of having an extensive, consistently innovative discography spanning more than 10 years. However, “Native Speaker” comes across as the result of a band that ran with the idea of another group and ended up with an album that does not

convincingly transcend or build upon the original artists’ sound. Most of these songs sound like they would be better off sung by Avey Tare, though lead vocalist Raphaelle StandellPreston does showcase her ability for eccentric melodies and (sometimes unfortunate) Joanna Newsom-like intonations. Nevertheless, Braids has come up with an enjoyable enough listen, especially for fans of Feels-era Animal Collective. Originating in Montreal, the members of Braids met while they were young and have collaborated on musical projects since their high school years. “Native Speaker” is their debut album as Braids and was released on Jan. 18 via Kanine Records in the United States.

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Sonically, the album feels like a ride down a cosmic river, flowing and looping and bubbling its way through a foggy dreamworld. This cloudy soundscape allows listeners to feel complete euphoria at one moment and completely bogged down with heavy emotion the next. Tribal drumming echoes around the vast atmosphere created by the highly modified sounds of the band’s guitars, clicking and thundering its way through the fog to make its presence known. Strumming of airy guitars are looped on end, forming the basis of many of the songs on “Native Speaker.” Most mind-bending are the vocals, alternating between barely audible, gentle crooning and animalistic shrieking. At points, Standell-Preston’s voice can become irritating, especially when she seemingly tries to emulate the inflections and pitches that come naturally to Joanna Newsom. This nerve-grating vocal style is most noticeable in the song “Plath Heart,” one of the least enjoyable songs on the album. A few songs stand out as tracks that have high replay potential. The record’s lead single, “Lemonade,” features a hypnotically-looped synth pattern and vocals that rise and fall like technicolor waves crashing on a shore. The lyrics convey a quite scathing appraisal of a man and the narrator’s relationship with him, singing lines like: “Now what do you say to a man who’s got no taste / who’s really got no potential / except to procreate so inessential” and “What I have found, is that we / we’re all just sleeping around.” Ultimately, the song ends with the proclamation that “All we really want to do is love.” Another standout track, “Glass Deers,” is a celestial lullaby, featuring bells twinkling and chiming in a sprawling, expansive environment. The gentleness of the tune is only disrupted by the occasional screeching of Standell-Preston,

but to highly climactic effect. “Lammicken” is one of the darkest songs on the album, as thundering bass and looped echoes of distant cries layer themselves over electronic distortion. The singing is some of Standell-Preston’s strongest and most controlled, communicating the morose mood by simply repeating “I can’t stop it” over and over for the length of the song. Her voice draws the listener in as it wrestles against the manipulations and contortions piled on, creating strange and disorienting melodies. It stands as a testament to the strength of the track that only one line is sung on end and yet manages to capture attention and grab hold of emotion so successfully. Overall, most of “Native Speaker” fails to demonstrate any sort of significant evolution on the sound Animal Collective perfected, but remains an entertaining listen while delivering a few standout tracks in “Lemonade,” “Glass Deers” and “Lammicken.” Any fan of Animal Collective will find “Native Speaker,” at the very least, an interesting and enjoyable listen but will also recognize the group who pioneers a sound always does it better.

KEVIN MCALEESE -music reviewer -political science major -sophomore

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Collegiate Living

JOSH SON / COLLEGIATE TIMES

february 8, 2011

page B2

Knowledge of legal rights can prove useful in getting security deposit back CLAIRE SANDERSON news reporter Renting a first place (and maybe second, and third) is a big part of college life for many students. When renting, the security deposit is one of the first and last things that needs to be dealt with, and it pays to know about some of the legal issues that can arise. A security deposit is a sum of money that must be paid to the landlord upon move-in, money the landlord can keep if the apartment is not in the same condition it was in upon arrival. “When it comes to renting an apartment, the two most common problems are security deposits and roommate issues,” said Diana Miller, an attorney at Student Legal Services. “A lot of times people move out and they don’t get the full amount back, and get charged for damages.” Student Legal Services, located in Squires Student Center, is a free resource for students who have legal questions about renting or their

rights. Miller gave some tips to make sure students don’t get charged for damage they didn’t cause. “The first thing is, of course, don’t sign the lease without reading everything very carefully,” Miller said. “It’s a legal document that you’ll be bound to for the next 12 months.” Miller made special note of several clauses in leases that can be very important for students when moving in and out, and may help to ensure they get to keep the security deposit. “The first thing to ask is that they give you a copy move-in inspection report,” Miller said. This carefully documents the apartment’s initial condition. On its website, SLS also recommends taking photos with a camera that records the date. These can be used, along with the move-in inspection report, to prove what damage was previously there. “If they’re trying to charge you for a spot on the carpet that you know very well was already there, you can show them those pictures,” Miller said. Another important clause deals

[

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Off-Campus Housing Fair Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Squires Student Center’s Commonwealth Ballroom

]

with the inspection that takes place during departure. “There is a clause in most leases that says something like, ‘If you want to be present at the move-out inspection you must give written notice in advance of the inspection date.’ You always want to make sure you have this right,” Miller said. If students don’t know to utilize this important clause, the landlord can dictate that the inspection be performed after move-out without the tenant present. “They are exactly the same for large apartment complexes and small landlords. They will do the moveout inspection without the residents there, and they have no way of knowing what damages were there,” Miller said.

february 8, 2011

page B3

An undocumented California student lives in limbo swung with bats. The assault left the student bruised and bloody, feeling isolated and targeted, but it also sparked a political side and a devotion to nonviolent protest. Later, while posting fliers for a march of undocumented immigrants, Xochitlquetzal was accosted again. The attackers ripped up the fliers, swore, said go back to “your country” and spit on the student’s face. “That one hurt a lot,” Xochitlquetzal said. At that point the burgeoning activist was devoted to aiding the cause, and helped organize school walk-

TOVIN LAPAN mcclatchy newspapers SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Xochitlquetzal hates the words “illegal” and “alien,” especially side by side. “It’s dehumanizing this idea that a person can be ‘illegal,’ and by calling someone an alien you label them as an ‘other’ as not human,” the University of California, Santa Cruz, student said. The community studies major has a remarkable memory and tells vivid stories from childhood, many of which come back to an endless struggle for acceptance. Xochitlquetzal carries a serious demeanor, with broad shoulders that seem to support an unseen weight. None of this is surprising when Xochitlquetzal stares with his large, dark, emotive eyes and begins to tell the story of growing up in California an undocumented immigrant and transgender. Xochitlquetzal is a nickname. The student’s legal name is being withheld to protect identity. Xochitlquetzal neither identifies as a female nor a male. Xochitlquetzal’s father immigrated to the United States from Mexico City, and helped pay for the guide, or “coyote,” that would lead the infant Xochitlquetzal, an older brother and two uncles across the Mexico/U.S. border into California. One uncle carried Xochitlquetzal on his back, the 3-year-old bouncing up and down, cold and hungry, as they ran under the cover of darkness through the desert. The uncle tripped on a rock, and Xochitlquetzal went flying. Scraped and bleeding, the uncle wiped the blood off the young child’s face, muttered a Spanish curse word and kept running.

“

Xochitlquetzal hears the chorus, the one coming from advocates of tougher immigration enforcement saying “go home.” But if this isn’t home, where is? The student looked into ﬁling for citizenship or transgender status asylum, but to no avail.

Eventually they made it to Concord, Calif., to be with their father, where the real battle would begin. Xochitlquetzal’s father immediately instilled the importance of learning English in his two children, knowing it would be a key to their assimila-

DAN COYRO / SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL / MCT

Xochitlquetzal, the community studies major at the University of California, Santa Cruz, tells vivid stories from childhood, many of which come back to an endless struggle for acceptance. tion. Coming to the country at 3, Xochitlquetzal had no problem feeling at home. It was the vitriolic atmosphere in Concord that challenged

that notion. One day, while walking home from school with a classmate, immigration officials pulled up. The friend ran, and they chased after him, leaving a

terrified Xochitlquetzal behind. The friend never came back. Later, Xochitlquetzal was attacked by a group in Concord that yelled “go home” and an immigrant slur as they

outs in 1998 to support AB 540, the California legislation passed in 2001 that offered in-state tuition to undocumented students, children of military personnel and others who attended California high schools for at least three years. Xochitlquetzal hears the chorus, the one coming from advocates of tougher immigration enforcement saying “go home.” But if this isn’t home, where is? The student looked into filing for citizenship or transgender status asylum, but to no avail. Xochitlquetzal’s Spanish is decent, see STUDENT / page B four

february 8, 2011

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Student: Illegal aliens passionate about collegiate studies from page B three

but not great. The Mexican school system would probably knock the fourth-year college student back to high school or middle school to get Xochitlquetzal’s language skills up to par. Xochitlquetzal has not been to Mexico since the rugged trip across the border. “People suggest to me that I should go to Mexico for college, but I don’t know how I would negotiate being transgender there. I don’t speak academic Spanish, and I don’t have much family. I don’t know how I would do that,” Xochitlquetzal said. The student is wary of giving critics “ammunition” against undocumented immigrants. Xochitlquetzal does not work, has no driver’s license and, since the money for education comes mostly from donations and fundraising, lives frugally. There are no expensive lattes to make it through all-nighters, beers to celebrate an “A” paper or any other unnecessary expenses. “We’re talking about a highly driven, highly passionate student. Undocumented students really want their education,” said Rosie Cabrera, director of the Chicano Latino

Resource Center at UCSC. “They are mostly from low-income backgrounds and they are high achievers who are used to doing exceptionally well. “These students have to do a lot of creative financing and fundraising, and their parents go through tremendous sacrifice for them to be here. Something average students take for granted, such as buying books, can be a challenge for them,” she said. With other UCSC students, some with a legal status, others without, Xochitlquetzal lives in an informal co-op not too far from downtown Santa Cruz. They share resources, cooking and shopping for the group. Xochitlquetzal, not eligible for state or federal financial aid as an undocumented student, takes time off from school every now and then to raise money. The student participated twice in the “Tour de Dreams,” in which undocumented students ride bicycles between Berkeley and Los Angeles, raising money with every mile covered. There are between 35 and 50 undocumented students at UCSC, according to administration, and once on campus Xochitlquetzal eagerly antici-

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These students have to do a lot of creative ﬁnancing and fundraising, and their parents go through tremendous sacriﬁce for them to be here. Something average students take for granted, such as buying books, can be a challenge for them. ROSIE CABRERA DIRECTOR, CHICANO LATINO RESOURCE CENTER AT UCSC

pated a welcoming community. The student joined Students Informing Now, a group advocating for undocumented students, and interned at the Lionel Cantu Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Intersex Resource Center. There are counselors and support networks at UCSC that help, but Xochitlquetzal said some students still do not accept their presence and barriers to acceptance persist.

“There is a deep sense of isolation,” Cabrera said. “When you come to the university it’s supposed to be such a wonderful time for students. They come into their own as young adults, and learn so much about their identity. But with the undocumented students there is a shroud. They think, ‘I can’t let people know truly who I am, they don’t know how I feel.’ “ The ebb and flow of legislation aimed at helping undocumented students is “frustrating” to follow, Xochitlquetzal said. The fourth-year student is politically active, organizing and participating in marches and rallies, but has no illusions of a simple, quick resolution. There are an estimated 25,000 undocumented high school graduates in California, out of about 65,000 nationwide, according to La Raza, a Latino rights organization. The Pew Hispanic Center and the Urban Institute estimate that 13,000 nationwide are enrolled in college, and between 3,000 and 5,000 are in California. The California DREAM Act, proposed by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo,

D-Los Angeles, would provide financial aid for the state’s undocumented students, but not a legal status. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill three times. Cedillo has proposed the bill again, and Gov. Jerry Brown has previously expressed his support for it. The federal DREAM Act, which failed to pass in December and could be reintroduced this year, provided a path to citizenship for children brought to the United States before age 16 who attend college or serve in the military. “It is a highly politically charged issue,” Cabrera said. “The students really internalize that, the rhetoric in the public place of being illegal. We are talking about students who didn’t make a choice to be here. It’s very psychologically damaging because it implies you’ve broken the law, but out of their own volition they have not broken law.” Aware of the war of labels, Xochitlquetzal strives to shatter common stereotypes of the “illegal alien.” “They create an image of criminals coming to this country. I have the privilege of language, and like to think I speak well. I hope my

story humanizes us, and de-mystifies the stereotypes of undocumented people. “We are not lazy people who never learn English. We are not rapists and murderers here to steal jobs,” the student said. Xochitlquetzal is on track to graduate this year, and hopes to move on to graduate school, preferably private, where funding can be easier to find. After finishing school, Xochitlquetzal hopes to be an advocate for people in a similar situation. The student realizes without the passage of the DREAM Act there won’t be a job waiting, but Xochitlquetzal holds out hope something will change. Xochitlquetzal still believes both DREAM Acts will pass, and when they do, it will be time to move on to the next step toward acceptance. “I’m not doing this for myself, I am almost done in college. I’m doing this for the people who will come after me,” Xochitlquetzal said. “If the DREAM Act passes, that doesn’t mean everything will be great. It will just be time to move on to the next fight.”