Wednesday, March 16, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

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Community responds to Japan disaster CLAIRE SANDERSON news reporter From the other side of the globe, the repercussions of the Japan’s devastating tsunami are felt here at Virginia Tech. The tsunami was caused by a massive earthquake about 60 miles off the Japanese coast on Friday. Even for Japan, which lies near a major fault line, the magnitude 9.0 quake was the worst the country has seen in more than a century. “I’m just in shock, it’s unbelievable,” said Tech Japanese language professor Yakuso Kumazawa. “I cannot watch TV anymore because it’s just too difficult to watch such a tragedy happening in my country. I have not stopped crying.” Thousands of displaced victims along Japan’s eastern coast are now trapped without water, food or electricity in near-freezing temperatures. United Nations figures showed yesterday that 1,647 people are now confirmed dead, with more than 10,000 still missing. Cities and low-lying areas are flooded, leaving many stranded in areas that are unreachable. Kamazawa is from Kyoto, which was not hit by the waves. But she has friends and family in other areas that she could not reach all weekend. “I tried to call my mom 100 times, but it is always busy. And some of my friends could not get home because there is no transportation,” Kamazawa said. “Yesterday I finally called everyone and everyone is safe.” The UN report said that transportation systems are paralyzed in many of the low-lying areas that are still covered in sea water, and seven train lines are destroyed. “I have relatives in Japan, but fortunately, they have all been accounted for,” said Ashlina Chin, president of the Japanese Cultural Association. “We also have former students that were in the JCA that have moved back to Japan, so it’s especially hard for all of us over here. We’ve been able to reach some of them with Facebook and Skype.” In the midst of this humanitarian crisis, a nuclear reactor at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant has become unstable due to damage from the waves. “The tsunami knocked out the electric power plant,” said Mark Pierson, an associate professor in mechanical engineering who specializes in nuclear engineering. “Without electricity they were unable to pump water to the generator to maintain the cooling of the reactor.” Almost 200,000 people living within a

20-kilometer radius of the reactor have been evacuated, which Pierson said is more of a precaution than an emergency measure. “The release of radioactivity is minimal, and as long as they keep the reactor cooled it should be fine,” Pierson said. “So far, the Japanese have done a heroic job keeping everything stabilized.” Here at Tech, Chin said the Japanese Student Association is doing what it can to help out the tsunami’s victims. “We’ll be doing some bake sales, and also we want to join up with the Asian American Student Association,” Chin said. “We’re basically trying to raise as much money as possible and give it to the Red Cross.” Chin said that Monday, students in Japanese classes raised more than $200 just by passing around an envelope. Students can also donate by simply going to the Red Cross’s website or texting the message REDCROSS to number 90999, which will make a $10 donation to the Red Cross’s Japan earthquake fund. It will be charged on the user’s next cell phone bill. “It’s really amazing how people have come together, and that is only the first day back from break,” Chin said. “And sororities and fraternities too, if they want to help out the more money that we can raise, the better.” Chin said that in the coming weeks, the JCA will work through many different organizations on campus to raise money, and hopes to have its first donation for the Red Cross collected this Friday. Japan has also received international aid and support from 91 countries, including the U.S. “I’m very appreciative of the American ALL PHOTOS COURTESY MCT CAMPUS people and all the international support that has come. The aid encourages the These photographs show scenes from the aftermath of Friday’s 9.0 magnitude Japanese people so much, it strengthens earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Fires, ﬂooding and rubble cover the countryside. them both physically and emotionally,” Kamazawa said. For students, there are a variety of ways that students can easily help in the relief efforts. One that Kamazawa mentioned was begun by Lady Gaga. By going to LadyGaga.shop.bravadousa.com, students can purchase a “We Pray For Japan” wristband and add a donation if they choose. Another way to help is to donate to the relief fund set up by the Japan Center for International Exchange. When you go to jcie.org/earthquake, half your donation will go toward immediate relief and half will go toward long-term reconstruction efforts in the months and years ahead.

ways to help

text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 buy a “we pray for japan” wristband at ladygaga.shop.bravadousa.com donate to the japan center for international exchange’s relief efforts at jcie.org/earthquake

Tech grad students in Egypt Grad students founding first resume classes after protests interdisciplinary honor society JAY SPEIDELL news reporter

SARAH WATSON news reporter Virginia Tech’s Middle East and North Africa graduate program for electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science recently reopened its doors after being halted by the Egyptian government. According to Sedki Riad, director of the VT-MENA program, when the Egyptian government shut down the country’s Internet during protests that began on Jan. 25, contact between VT-MENA’s Cairo campus and its Blacksburg colleagues was severed. At that time, classes were canceled and students were forced to keep up with work from home. Some classes in the program are taught in person by faculty, but about half, according to VT-MENA’s current timetable on its website, are taught by professors at Tech via video stream. Luckily, there was already a system in place to record all conference-style classes, allowing students to rewatch the footage at a later point. However, the main concern for Riad and staff was the lack of communication between the program in Blacksburg and the one in Egypt. “We wanted to make sure that everyone was safe and sound,” Riad said.It was nearly impossible to get that confirmation with cell phone service also unavailable. “We were in constant communication with the students, and suddenly we were not,” Riad said. “It was stressful for students here, because they were unable to be in con-

MCT CAMPUS

Protests lasted in Egypt from January 25 into the month of March. tact with friends and family over there,” said Naren Ramakrishnan, associate head for graduate studies in computer science at Tech. Ramakrishnan said that his department tried e-mailing students and staff in Egypt, but were unable to speak with anyone until the Internet was restored four or five days later. “There was a feeling of uncertainty,” Ramakrishnan said. “There is still some uncertainty.” Another concern was a loss of class time for students approaching graduation. Some students had exams that were canceled, but they were able to make them up soon thereafter. Ramakrishnan said he was asking himself, “How will they (graduate) if this lasts longer?”Hoping for

a quick restoration of the Internet, Ramakrishnan and the department did not arrange for an alternative education plan. The program lost no money during the down period. However, many banks in Egypt were closed and payments to professors and staff members were delayed. “I was ready to extend cash loans if any of them were in real tight situations,” Riad said. Riad, born in Egypt, was excited to see the citizens taking a role in their government during the protests that began on January 25 and lasted through February into March. “I was pleased to see that people were starting a peaceful movement.”

A group of graduate students is currently founding the National Interdisciplinary Honor Society at Virginia Tech, the first of its kind in North America. The goal of the IDR Honor Society is to promote communication between students of different disciplines and promote new interdisciplinary research. The group is new, but there has been a lot of interest so far. More than 100 responses to a listserv e-mail designed to gague interest in the idea inspired the creation of the IDR Society. “We are a very diverse group,” said Tammy Parece, the chair of the membership committee and a geospatial and environmental analysis graduate student, “across several colleges, several nationalities.” “We have social sciences, engineering, biology, the Fralin Institute, different disciplines,” said Alireza Salmanzadeh, a mechanical systems engineering graduate student. About a dozen members of the group were engaged in spirited discussion Saturday at a meeting to discuss different aspects of creating the honor society, including establishing a website. They plan to use the website as an integral part of the IDR Society’s communication, and are working on a forum where people from different disciplines can come together for online discussions. “I’m an architect, and I had a biology related question to ask,” said Ivan Sergejev, an architecture masters student. “You cannot ask such a question in

Google, but somewhere on this campus between those 30,000 people we have a person who could have answered that. “I had no means of getting to that person. But I go here and I know that those people will be happy to help and answer. These people are actually interested in the interdisciplinary thing, so they will be interested in helping you.” Sergejev said that the forum would create opportunities to ask those types of questions and kick-start new interdisciplinary initiatives and research.

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You cannot ask such a question in Google, but somewhere on this campus between those 30,000 people we have a person who could have answered that. IVAN SERGEJEV ARCHITECTURE MASTERS STUDENT

“It’s as much about the social community as it is about research,” Sergejev said. “So one of the objectives that we have is that the funding for interdisciplinary research rises and there are more projects.” Risa Pesapane, a fisheries and wildlife science graduate student, talked about the positive environment that the group is trying to create. “I think they are all outgoing researchers, and people interested in guiding other people who are having difficulty,” Pesapane said. “We’re all happy to talk about our research and other people’s research, and we’re happy

to be like, ‘yeah, call us, ask us whatever you need to.’” The forum is not just for grad students. The group wants to open it to everyone around the world. “You have access to different countries, and different perspectives, and different colleges not only in the United States,” Johanna Madrigal, a wood products graduate student, said. “You may have access to research that’s being done, or has been done, in other countries.” Although it is still in the construction phase, the group is already talking about expansion. “Next year a serious part of what we’ll be doing will be starting to develop chapters in other universities around the nation,” said Jordan Hill, a social, political, ethical, and cultural studies graduate student. The honor society is hosting an Interdisciplinary Research Day on April 19 to talk about research and raise interest. The event is sponsored by a number of groups, including Fralin, ICTAS, the school of biomedical engineering, and Carillion. Salmanzadeh said that the event would include roundtable sessions for students and faculty to come up with proposals for interdisciplinary research, and the best ideas would receive awards. “They could include all the disciplines that are sitting at that table,” Salmanzadeh said. The event will take place at the Inn at Virginia Tech on April 19. Everyone is invited to the event, but registration is required. The IDR Society invites all students to visit its website (www.idrsociety.org) or follow the development on Twitter (@ IDRsociety).

2 news

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

march 16, 2011

what you’re saying //comments from online readers... On Tech missing the NCAA tournament:

COLLEGIATETIMES

nation Northwestern sued for using Google apps

Anonymous >> CHICAGO — Northwestern University is targeted in a federal complaint filed Tuesday that alleges blind students and faculty face dis4 out of 12 ACC teams got in. Snubs, two of which (VT and BC) had 11 losses. crimination by the university’s use of Google e-mail and other proNah no agenda there, Big Ten is just THAT good.... grams. The complaint, filed by the National Federation of the Blind Hokie 1984 >> with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, asks that I agree with Coach Greenberg. I think there is a lot of influence by others who may not be on Northwestern stop using Google Apps because they do not effectively the committee. I personally think Coach K had something to do with this. He hates VT and turn text on a computer screen into synthesized speech or Braille. I bet what Jeff Allen did to his player (and got away with it because it was not a foul) had a whole lot to do with this decision. You don’t think there is a bunch of behind the scenes talk? “Each of these applications contains significant accessibility barriWhy would you think otherwise? Its always about who you know. ers,” according to the complaint, and

7 out of 11 Big 10 teams got in including 2 with 14 losses.

Here’s how VT can get in the NCAA tourney: 1) When on the “bubble”, don’t lose games. VT wasn’t a LOCK as Dicky Vitale said after the Duke win. 2) Don’t get swept by inferior conference teams, ie Uva and BC.. 3) Keep scheduling difficult teams to play, if evn on the road. Richmond and ODU WON their conferences, yet VT took them off the schedule. Don’t BLAME OTHERS for your weaknesses VT, team and fans..

Alumnifan >> We love you Seth! It’s a small setback to the future. Win the NIT!

Disappointed Hokie >> As they were playing Duke on Saturday, I kept saying the only way into the NCAA tourny would be to win the ACC Tournament - then they cannot deny the Hokies.

Danielsen said Google Apps are often incompatible with software that turns written words into speech. Northwestern University spokesman Alan Cubbage said the campus received the complaint Monday. “It will be reviewed by our (information technology) and our attorney’s offices sometime soon,” Cubbage said. Google said in a statement company officials met last week with the president of the National Federation of the Blind. -jodi cohen, mcclatchy newspapers

nation Virginia rape suspect facing civil charges Aaron Thomas — who was recently arrested for multiple rapes across the East Coast — went by a different name when he was working for Connecticutbased Johnnies Trucking Service. While he was there, he ran into trouble of a different kind. Aaron Hijjmalike, also known as Aaron Thomas, is being sued by a Rhode Island couple as a result of a traffic accident on Interstate 95 that occurred in June 2007. The wreck left driver Corinne Ahrens severely injured. Attorney Amato DeLuca said Ahrens was driving her husband’s

Toyota Highlander southbound in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, when she switched into the left lane. At that point, she was rear-ended by Hijjmalike, who was operating a tractor-trailer. DeLuca said the lawsuit will move forward regardless of the defendant’s criminal issues that have recently surfaced. Johnnie’s Trucking Service, LLC and Penske Truck Leasing Company were also named in the suit. “I expect to go forward in a timely fashion,” DeLuca said. “Whether they produce him to testify, that is their problem, not ours. That is a dilemma

for them.” DeLuca said his client was “shocked” to learn the identity of Hijjmalike, who has been charged as the “East Coast Rapist.” The former Dale City resident has been charged with rapes from Virginia and Connecticut. Police have also linked his DNA to 17 attacks across the East Coast. Two of those occurred Halloween night in 2009 in Dale City. Thomas is facing five life sentences alone for his alleged actions in Prince William. -kipp hanley, mcclatchy newspapers

6540656465514

Anonymous >>

therefore blind students “are denied the benefits of the technology that Northwestern has adopted.” The group alleges the university is in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The complaint asks all universities using the Google Apps for Education programs stop doing so. Chris Danielsen, a spokesman for the blind federation, said the group knows of one Northwestern student affected. “The university either needs to suspend using Google Apps until it is accessible, or if it doesn’t become accessible, do not use it,” Danielsen said.

TURN OFFS:

thing. ’t learned a

STUDYING ALL NIGHT and i haven LONG LINES AT WEST END SLY?? GUY NEXT TO YOU IN CLASS WHO HASN’T SHOWERED SERIOU ROOMATE YOU CAN’T STAND yep. NOT GETTING A FOOTBALL TICKET IS THIS A JOKE?!!

GET AWAY FROMTHAT.

GET TURNED ON.

CHANNEL 33 ON CAMPUS WWW.VTTV.VT.EDU

opınıons 3

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

march 16, 2011

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

Infotainment programs not best news sources ne thing I’ve come to find out in college is that stayO ing up to date with national and world news is nearly impossible. With schoolwork and social lives, it’s hard to find time to watch the evening news to see what’s going on in local, national and international affairs. However, I’ve come to find out that college kids enjoy comedy. They will completely immerse themselves in anything that they believe has comedic value. Many media networks have become cognizant of this growing trend, and a new breed of news show is coming into existence: infotainment. Infotainment is a genre of news show that conveys the news through comedic methods. With the rise of many infotainment series like “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and Weekend Update from “Saturday Night Live,” there are many options for college students to get news and entertainment simultaneously. Before acquiring my addiction to the nightly ritual of watching the back-to-back episodes of “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, I’ve found that I’ve actually stayed updated with national and world news better than I did prior to watching infotainment. But is infotainment really a reliable source for news? I feel that many infotainment shows skew the news so much that their episodes are more comedic than they are informative. As society’s thirst for entertainment thrives, I’ve found television and media to get more and more entertainment-centered rather than factually based. As a communication major concentrating in journalism, I find this trend slightly disconcerting. I’m beginning to believe that society is no longer attentive to actual, factual news; more people are interested in entertainment and infotainment than in genuine facts. Although infotainment is an excellent way to spend an hour for pure entertainment purposes, it shouldn’t be your main source of

news. Infotainment shows tend to have a very narrow scope — they typically focus on political and celebrity figures, rather than covering a variety of topics as one would find in a newspaper or a daily television news show. I try to remain attentive to the news via news websites. You see all of the headlines, and articles are usually brief and concise. News companies around the country are doing various things create easier accessibility to the news: many news companies send text alerts, most major companies have free apps for smartphones, and most newspapers also have websites. News is readily available if you know where to look. One thing I’ve come to find out that by being attentive to actual news, watching infotainment shows has become even more amusing because I actually know the news behind all of the stories reported by Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers. Watching and reading the news is a great way to get information about the stories that infotainment show hosts report. There are a lot of implicit jokes about the developments going on in the news, and by understanding them, the shows become a lot more entertaining than they were before. Infotainment shows are a good form of basic news and entertainment for college students and adults alike, but it shouldn’t be the main resource for current events. Infotainment and news media go hand-in-hand; to have a good infotainment show, you have to have the background knowledge that is covered in the news. I believe that by being attentive to both the news and infotainment shows, viewers will get the best out of their news and entertainment experience that the infotainment show hosts were promoting.

JOSH HIGGINS -regular columnist -freshman -communication major

Military budget too high from constant warfare 1795, James Madison said, “Of all the enemies to public libIn erty, war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes ... known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few … No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” For more than 20 years, presidential administrations have fought wars. President George W. Bush engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bill Clinton had Kosovo, and President George H. W. Bush had the first Gulf War. The United States seems to be perpetually at war, a persistent problem that is costing the U.S. its economy. Politicians should look to make cuts in military spending before dissolving collective bargaining rights and attacking public sector unions. The two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan total more than $1.6 trillion and could rise to as much as $2.4 trillion. Only in World War II did the U.S. spend as much money on war. Why should we cut military spending? Dwight Eisenhower, president and five-star general, famously warned Americans of “the military industrial complex.” Indeed, we should be worried about the military industrial complex because 4.4 percent of the global economy “is dependent on violence”, according to the Global Peace Index, referring to “industries that create or manage violence” — or the defense industry. The U.S. spends roughly $700 billion

on the military each year, or about 46 percent of the total worldwide military spending. What’s incredible is that we can spend so much on making and preparing for war, and the first thing cut from the budget are programs aimed at preventing wars. The United States Institute of Peace has an annual budget of less than $50 million. To put that in perspective, that is less than one-tenth of one percent of the State Department’s budget. The entire budget of peace could only buy half of a fighter jet today. That money could go toward funding the exploding Social Security costs, Medicare and a host of other programs desperate to stay alive. The money for two fighter jets (about $185 million) could cut more that half of Indiana’s budget shortfall. I do think that the best way to ensure peace is to prepare for war. I think that the United States needs a strong military. However, I think some cuts are necessary. The plan outlined by the Secretary of State Robert Gates would save nearly $100 billion over five years. We do need a well-funded military, but we do not need to be spending nearly $700 billion on war. A $600 billion army is probably all we need.

JEFF HOMAN -regular columnist -sophomore -history major

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Davies should have further considered BYU’s policies March Madness nears, the As excitement of which stellar programs will take the coveted seeds puts enormous pressure to remain at the top. Doing well this late in the game is as important to the school as it is to the players, as so much is at stake. It’s one of the reasons Virginia Tech is so desperate to pop its usual mid-March bubble. As a senior in high school, I’m sure Brandon Davies was optimistic about attending Brigham Young University. I’m sure he donned a blue and white baseball cap on signing day with a smile at the thought of a nationally ranked basketball program for which he was an early star. I’m sure when he was a normal, testosterone-driven guy on a date with his girlfriend, he thinking about BYU. I’m sure he wasn’t thinking about it when he was getting in bed with a lady, earning a suspension for the season and severely hindering BYU’s chances for glory in the NCAA Tournament. When the news first came out that Davies would be suspended for the rest of the season for engaging in pre-marital sex, the reviews were mixed. The Mormon religion and the school’s strict structure were immediately under fire, and Brandon Davies was as well. I’m sure there was a whole side of the country that would like to give him a high five and down a drink in his honor, but there’s another side that thinks, how could you possibly let your team down like that? Obviously, BYU recruits a whole different player than most college basketball programs in the country, and there is no doubt Davies knew what he was getting into when he signed his letter of intent. The decision to be a student at BYU comes before the thought of playing basketball. It has to. Recruits have to consider the thought of giving up such things as tea and coffee to adhere to

the BYU honor code. It’s a life choice much bigger than the typical college decision and is definitely not something the average high school senior is concerned with. I know a boy who chose JMU simply because the thought of 70-30 girls to boys was just too enticing. He now lives a nice frat-tastic lifestyle in Harrisonburg, perhaps deserving of envy from Mr. Davies, whose behavior would be celebrated on any other college campus. At BYU, however, few would argue it was worth it. The dirty dancing cost him a huge role in the nation’s big dance and the team’s first loss to New Mexico proved it. BYU is still a good team. It will certainly play well without the sophomore forward, but it is not the force they were just a few short weeks ago, and it will not be a top contender later this month. When George Mason made it to the final four in the NCAA tournament in 2006, it was estimated the school received more than $600 million in free advertising by simply being there. Investors flock to these programs, knowing that like the great Charlie Sheen (who would surely give Davies a high five), they will be winning. Players and students choosing to live such a lifestyle, like the one at BYU, must be sure they are ready for the commitment. Few seem to have the same views as a high school student and then as a college student four years later, and for someone considering a career at BYU, this needs to be considered. Maybe I don’t have a girlfriend now. Does that mean I won’t have one in three years? When I have this girlfriend will I want to wait? When I am in my dorm room with this girlfriend will I really want the door to remain open, for the world to see? I’m sure either Davies secretly knew the answer to these questions, and the answer was not what his new

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I’m sure when he was a normal, testosterone-driven guy on a date with his girlfriend, he thinking about BYU.

coach wanted to hear, or he did not expect a change. Many people transfer out of BYU each year realizing the daunting honor code is not fitting into their own life codes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I know many are challenging the actions of BYU by asking where the warnings are and about letting kids be kids. I know that it is typical of many colleges to make much more severe scenarios into a hush-hush situation. Give them a strict talking to. Is Baylor’s player responsible for breaking his girlfriend’s jaw still dribbling down the court? Yes. Will he get to play alongside his teammates on a national stage in a couple of weeks? You bet. Will Brandon Davies, a normal guy just wanting a nice night with his girlfriend, be having one when he watches his team play on TV? I am going to guess that it is unlikely. You’ve got to respect BYU for treating Davies as any other student in this interesting and hard to imagine situation, because too many schools hold athletes on a pedestal — often above the law. Now that Davies’ life has changed since the days of the baseball cap, I wouldn’t be surprised if he considered a transfer to a school a little more fitting. Perhaps we should be scrambling to show him a good time?

JENNY SAMUELS -regular columnist -freshman -university studies major

Sheen’s antics demonstrate a less idolized side of celebrity ay what you will about Charlie Sheen — that he is a raving lunaS tic, an egomaniac, a train wreck, an anti-Semite, a drug-addled cautionary tale — he has also actually made some sense this past week by offering up a reasonably astute analysis of the relationship between the public and its celebrities. In fact, Sheen seems to have decided to liberate himself by liberating us from the illusions we harbor about the stars. Most of us want to think of celebrities as ordinary folks who, by dint of talent, hard work and a bit of luck, ascended to the heights. We want to think of them that way, one suspects, because it binds them more closely to us and because it allows us to indulge the fantasy that it could be us up there on the screen. This was the basic contract: Entertain us, and we’ll grant you fame, riches and adoration — so long as you remain one of us. Violate that contract at the peril of your career. Abide by it, like, say, Tom Hanks, and you will be rewarded with longevity. All we ask is that you be, or at least appear to be, normal. Bruce Willis once described the basic trajectory of celebrity in America as having four stages: You arrive, you peak, you bomb and you come back. Whether he realized it or not, Willis was also describing the phases that anthropologist Joseph Campbell had discerned for the hero across cultures — save for one thing. Heroes don’t bomb. That is a distinctly American interpolation, one designed to ensure that our demigods never confuse themselves with gods. As our stars

rose into the heavens, we reserved the right to humble them, to bring them back to Earth. Think of Eddie Murphy or John Travolta or Tom Cruise, all of whom seemed to get too big for their britches and were brought down a peg for it. So Charlie Sheen’s verboten media blitz flaunting a lifestyle that is decid-

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And if Sheen isn’t the ﬁrst celebrity to be overtly imperial, he may be the ﬁrst to tell us just how imperial he is.

edly not shared by the vast majority of his fans (how many of us have two live-in porn star “goddesses” or can profess to have consumed an amount of cocaine that would have killed a mortal?) explicitly violates the contract, which seems to have been Sheen’s point. He says he isn’t off the rails like Mel Gibson or Lindsay Lohan. He insists he is the engineer. He is doing exactly what he wants to do, what his riches and fame allow and entitle him to do. As he puts it, he is embracing his “rock star” life. The irony is that living large and doing exactly as he pleases has long been a central ingredient in Sheen’s appeal. His role on “Two and a Half Men” as a womanizing, footloose bachelor seems lifted out of his real life, which is one of the reasons it is funny. We think we are seeing Sheen spoofing himself. When Sheen reminded us that his life is even more extreme

than his character’s, the media turned censorious — an example of trying to have your comedy and revile it too. Sheen is absolutely right to call this hypocrisy. He has never pretended to be a Boy Scout. He has always purported to be precisely the opposite. More broadly, even as Sheen blows the whistle on the idea that celebrities are just like us (or that he has ever been anything other than a loose cannon), he also reveals the cracks in the “humble star-grateful audience” contract. When Willis was making his observations on celebrity some 15 years ago, he explained that Americans everywhere, having seen the benefits of fame, desired it. Increasingly, he noted, it isn’t what we have in common with stars that binds us to them; it’s exactly the opposite. Privilege and arrogance once repulsed us. Now, in our amped-up, successobsessed culture, it attracts us. And if Sheen isn’t the first celebrity to be overtly imperial, he may be the first to tell us just how imperial he is. Think “Adonis DNA,” and “winning, duh.” And that may be Sheen’s real infraction to his detractors: In letting us know that he is nothing like us — that his life is the American dream on steroids and that many of us, as he says, are jealous of him for it — he has shown us that envy is at least as potent a force as identification. With his firing this week, one might even say that he sacrificed his career for the cause.

NEAL GABLER -mcclatchy newspapers

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, Mia Perry 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 Special Sections Editor: Bethany Buchanan Public Information Director: Dishu Maheshwari Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Editors: Taylor Chakurda, Thandiwe Ogbonna, Spenser Snarr, Brittany Kelly Layout Designers: Danielle Buynak, Victoria Zigadlo, Wei Hann, Maya Shah 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, Hunter Loving Inside Sales Manager: Wade Stephenson Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Diane Revalski Assistant Account Executives: Maddie Abram, Katie Berkel, Kaelynn Kurtz, Erin Shuba Creative Director: Chloé Skibba Asst Production Manager: Casey Stoneman Creative Services Staff: Tim Austin, Jennifer DiMarco, 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 direct 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, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 fall/spring. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2011. 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.

march 16, 2011

page 4

Internships abroad more popular Bahrain declares

Jane Wemhoener, coordinator of international programs in the department of English, is a faculty advisor of the “London Calling” program at Virginia Tech. London Calling is a four-week, six-credit hour experience for all majors in Edinburg and London beginning in May and ending June.

This summer will be the first summer that an internship will be integrated into the London Calling program. Twenty-five students will be part of the London Calling program and six of them will also partake in the internship. The interns will be participating in the program while working part-time and staying two weeks longer than everyone else in the program. “The reason we’re doing it six weeks for the interns is because four isn’t enough. You want on your resume that you got to know these people. When they come home I want students to have mentors in London, people who will write them good letters,” Wemhoener said. “If you are a person who wants an international dimension to your career, an international internship may be very much in your best interest and well worth the price,” she said. While some students may find the cost of interning abroad high, many professors encourage interested students to pursue internships. “From an academic prospective, a professional prospective and a personal perspective, interning abroad is deeper on all three levels,” Kennedy said.

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While many Virginia Tech students traveled to Mexico or other countries for spring break last week, others have been going abroad for work instead of play to take international internships. “So many companies, if they’re not already international, are thinking about going international. They’re all thinking globally. Someone who has had that international opportunity is an asset to the company,” said Reed Kennedy, director of international programs for the Pamplin College of Business. “Employers realize that someone who was willing to take the risk of doing an international internship has had a growth experience and willing to take on a challenge.” Kennedy, a supporter of international internships, said when students intern abroad they gain self-confidence and undergo much more of a growth experience than interning back home. He said employers want employees who are thinking outside the box and willing to stretch themselves. “It’s a real stretching experience on top of the professional experience. It stretches someone to take that extra

step and do it in spite of their fear or caution that might be there,” Kennedy said. Carolyn Rader, director of the cooperative education and internship program and senior assistant director of Tech’s career services, said it could be a benefit for students to go to other countries and see how other industries work within their field. However, the cost of interning abroad is definitely an issue. The general cost of interning abroad can range from $3,000 to $6,000 plus airfare. “Depending on how much money you make, it may not monetarily offset what you put into it,” Rader said. “But, as far as developmentally, interning abroad is something you cannot put a price on in terms of the opportunity you had, the things you’ve seen, the networks you created, skills you have gained and an increase in knowledge.” Nicole Sanderlin, director of international programs for the College of Engineering, understands the importance of interning abroad. “International internships provide the opportunity to learn about different business cultures, improve foreign language skills, expand students’ global network, and gain transferable

Volunteers Wanted OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH Sociology graduate student seeking participants for thesis research on bi/ multiracial identity. Recruiting Virginia Tech students to participate in interviews Only criteria: 1) must be 18+ 2) have parents of different races In addition to fulfilling my own research needs, the interview will offer an avenue for individuals to discuss their own racial identities and life experiences in a confidential environment. Contact Melissa at mfburges@vt.edu to express interest in participating or to ask any questions

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skills which can make students more marketable,” she said. Sanderlin said interning abroad requires maturity and the ability to problem-solve in a new environment. Many college students do internships to gain relevant experience in a particular career field as well as to get exposure to determine if they have a genuine interest in the field.

“

Employers realize that someone who was willing to take the risk of doing an international internship has had a growth experience and willing to take on a challenge. REED KENNEDY DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS, PAMPLIN

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3/16/11 21 59-Across element 23 The Lean One, in “Peer Gynt” 25 Directional suffix 26 “... __ we extinguish sight and speech” : Browning 27 Kennedy associat e 29 Nitrogen compound 31 Lupe ’s “Later!” 32 Van Helsing’s creator 33 Ser ving 36 Imaginar y monster 37 Cer tain Honshu residen t

38 Exotic smoothie ingredient 39 Lennon lo ve song 40 Arens of Israel 41 Part of HUD: Abbr. 44 Logical tips? 45 Mom’ s dinner time plea 47 Pundi t 49 Handbook list, briefly 51 Otherwise 53 Spanish cordial 54 Latin I word 55 Dramatic atmosphere source 57 Som ewhat, with “a”

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DOWN 1 Mulligan, e.g. 2 White Rabbit’ s cry 3 Rabbitt’ s “You and I” duet par tner 4 Derb y-wear ing Addams 5 Water testers 6 Neospor in target 7 Rodeo twir lers 8 Sees through 9 Sealy competitor 10 Cleaning aids 11 1950s Ir ving Berlin campaign song 12 Moder n storage aid 13 Sultr y Cuban dance 14 Jim with 589 lifetime homers 22 Luminous 24 Local s 28 Sa vanna stalker By Brad Wilber

MANAMA, Bahrain — Bahrain’s king declared a three-month state of emergency Tuesday in an effort to quell a month-old uprising as rival groups of protesters and gangs set up more checkpoints around the capital. The move by King Hamed ibn Isa Khalifa appeared to amount to a declaration of martial law the day after hundreds of troops and police from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates poured into Bahrain with the support of the government after worsening violence paralyzed Manama, the capital, in recent days. An announcement by Bahrain’s official news agency said the king had declared the state of emergency “in light of the latest security escalations” and had delegated to the commander in chief of Bahrain’s military “the necessary measures in order to implement the decree.” Bahrain has been shaken by weeks of protests as the nation’s Shiite Muslim majority has taken to the streets to complain of unfair treatment at the

hands of the Sunni-dominated government. In neighborhoods populated largely by Sunnis, young men carrying sticks and metal rods, many with their faces covered, blocked roads and examined cars. At several checkpoints, the gangs stood next to Interior Ministry security forces and said they were guarding their neighborhoods against Shiites. “We are defending our homes from the Shia people,” said one young man carrying a wooden club, who declined to give his name. He and several associates had blocked a road in the suburb of Riffa, a largely Sunni neighborhood where several palaces used by the ruling family are located. Nearby, a Ministry of Interior police officer sat inside his truck near the checkpoint. Near Pearl roundabout, the traffic circle occupied by Shiite demonstrators since last month, protesters had established their own barricades. Most cars were being allowed to pass. Several young men said they were prepared to block police or military units from entering the area, though no security forces were visible on the streets.

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

march 16, 2011

Debate: Which program wins a national title first?

MCT CAMPUS

DANIEL LIN/ SPPS

Head coach Frank Beamer looks on as his team gets blown out 40-12 against Stanford in the Orange Bowl.

Head coach Seth Greenberg shows his frustration during the Hokies loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament.

FOOTBALL HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN THE PAST, BUT GREENBERG HAS BASKETBALL ON THE RISE ZACH MARINER & NICK CAFFERKY sports staff It is no secret that Virginia Tech has never won a national championship in any team sport. Despite a great deal of success in the Atlantic Coast Conference in several sports, the Hokies have never been able to say they were the “best” at anything. However, with the Hokies football and basketball programs becoming more and more prominent on the national stage, it got us thinking — which of Tech’s two biggest sports will win a national title first? Mariner’s First Point: I honestly don’t think it should even be a question of which sport will win a national championship first. Of the seven years Virginia Tech has been in the ACC, we have four football championships to show for it. Although the ACC isn’t the toughest conference in the nation, there’s still something to be said for the dominance that Tech has exerted since becoming a member. Before you even begin to talk about national championships, you should have a couple conference championships under your belt, or at least be a prime contender in your conference every year. Virginia Tech basketball has

yet to finish in the top two of the ACC standings, much less prove to be a legitimate contender year-in and year-out. Cafferky’s Response: I know my side isn’t exactly the majority opinion, but hear me out. With a football conference as weak as the ACC, Tech would more than likely need to run the table during the regular season to warrant a bid to the BCS Championship Game. As much as I love Frank Beamer and what he has done for this program, I believe that under him, Tech lacks the consistency and personal accountability to pull off a perfect season. Whether it be last season’s loss to JMU or the 2008 loss to East Carolina, Beamer’s squad seems to have a big slip up at least once every year. The result is ACC titles with no real shot at a national championship. Cafferky’s First Point: My argument is based solely on the potential I see over the next five to 10 years, and that means I am focusing on recruiting. Every team that has won the BCS Championship in the last decade has had a recruiting class in the Top 5 in the four years preceding its title run. Meanwhile, Tech has yet to have a football class ranked better than 15th and this year’s class was mediocre at best. Basketball, on the other hand, just pulled in a five-star recruit and three that are four-stars. Tech football managed just two four-star recruits. To

me, that is a sign of a football program that is either stagnant or in decline, compared to a basketball program that is on the rise. Mariner’s Response: I would hardly say that a team that was just left out of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year is on the rise. Yes, the last three were very controversial, but Tech was left out nonetheless. Looking at the recruiting classes from just this past year, it would appear that basketball does have the advantage. However, the basketball team is just starting to build its foundation. One No. 12-ranked recruiting class isn’t going to win anyone a national championship. Although it does mean that the basketball program is doing well, you have to remember that the football team has been nationally respected for about 15 years now. I know that this year’s football recruiting class was a disappointment, but I believe that the offseason coaching staff changes and new hirings address that problem, meaning that Beamer and his staff are catching on to the importance of recruiting, and putting emphasis on improving that area of their program. Mariner’s Second Point: It’s also important to look at the consistency that Virginia Tech football has had over the past decade compared to the rest of the country. From 2000-2010 only four teams won more games than the Hokies: Boise State (124), Oklahoma (122), Texas (115), and Ohio State (114). USC and LSU (110) had the same amount.

Florida (108) had two less. Even though Tech is one of two of those teams that doesn’t have a national championship in that time span (the other being Boise State), it’s safe to say that they’re doing something right. Those teams win with the best recruits in the nation, and Tech does it with three-stars and walk-ons. If the Hokies coaching staff ever does figure out how to recruit with the best of them, a national title will be well within reach. Cafferky’s Response: Consistency from year to year looks great, but it isn’t needed for a team to pull it together for one year. I’m not suggesting that the basketball team will become a dynasty, rather its timing is right for one year. Look at Florida. Before 2005, it had never won a conference title. The Gators then won the NCAA Championship in 2006 and 2007. Why? Because of a recruiting class that included Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah and Al Horford. For the record, that class was ranked 15th by Rivals.com and went on to produce three lottery picks in the 2007 NBA draft. Florida was nothing but a football school that found itself with an extraordinary basketball team. Football is the same way. Auburn has been mediocre the past few years, but recruiting Cam Newton changed everything. What Tech is able to do with three-star recruits is remarkable, but you don’t beat the upper echelon of teams that way. Cafferky’s Second Point: Even if Tech gets to a BCS Championship Game,

explain how you expect the Hokies to reverse their trend of losing to Top 5 teams? The Hokies are 1-27 against Top 5 teams under Beamer. One win in 28 attempts. Not only that, but the one win came at hom, so Beamer has never beaten a top team away or at a neutral site. How do the Hokies suddenly overcome this? Seth Greenberg’s squad has done the opposite: Tech basketball has beaten a No. 1 team twice in the last five seasons. Mariner’s Response: I had a feeling that statistic might get brought up, and you’re right, it’s pathetic. There’s no excuse for it, and it makes fans question Beamer’s ability to get his players mentally ready for those big games. If the Hokies ever want to win a national championship, they’ll have to perform better against highly-ranked teams. But also consider this: Yes, the basketball team has knocked off a No. 1 team twice in the last five years, but what has it ever earned them? Nothing. They were left out of the NCAA Tournament after both seasons. Having a solid record against highly ranked teams doesn’t win championships. Although it does say that Greenberg knows how to prepare his teams for those games, it doesn’t automatically produce success. If the basketball team ever wants to win a national championship, they’ll have to be more consistent throughout the year. Mariner’s Conclusion: The football team seems to have the advantage in almost every area with the exception of

recruiting. Like I said before, Beamer and company seem to have taken notice of its importance and made a few changes in the offseason tailored to better that area of their program. If those changes pay off, expect to see that 1-27 record against Top 5 teams improve. Add that to the team that already has the longest streak of 10-win seasons in the nation (seven), and you’ve got yourself a national title contender. Even though Seth Greenberg has worked wonders for the basketball program, unless this new recruiting class comes in and pulls a Florida, I don’t see them winning a national championship any time soon. Cafferky’s Conclusion: I am not saying that Tech basketball is better than the football team. It honestly isn’t even very close, and you’ve proven that. As pessimistic of an outlook as it may be, my opinion is based off of the point that I have lost faith in Frank Beamer leading the Hokies to the promised land. I hope I’m wrong, I really do. However, when I look at the two programs, I see one in decline playing for Beamer and one on the rise for Greenberg. I will say that the coaching changes and the addition of Shane Beamer give the football team hope, but at the end of the day, it is a lot easier to get into a field of 68 than a championship game of two. Once in the NCAA Tournament — and the selection committee can’t keep the Hokies out forever — Tech just has to do what it already does: compete with the best.

6 food & drink march 16, 2011

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

MTV’s Andrew Jenks gives audience insight with speech NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS features staff writer With an auditorium full of eager college students, award-winning filmmaker Andrew Jenks of “World of Jenks” sauntered up to the microphone as if he was about to perform a comedy routine. Though the act provided heavy laughter, Jenks’ speech had much more to offer than comedy. As part of his college speaking tour, Jenks told the crowd about his ventures as a young filmmaker stepping in the shoes of another and documenting their lives. Following the speech, the Collegiate Times sat down with Jenks to discuss his journey further. Collegiate Times: How do you think the speech went? Andrew Jenks: I thought it went well. The crowd was really responsive actually; people were laughing at the jokes, and that’s all you can ask for. I had a lot of fun. CT: Did you have a specific message you wanted people to hear?

Jenks: Yeah, the three components that hopefully come out of the various stories are to not take no for an answer, but to be able to adapt and to sometime fake it ‘til you make it. CT: What made you want to speak at all of these different colleges as a part of your college speaking tour? Jenks: I thought it would be really cool to engage and speak to people that are my age. It is kind of a learning experience for me being able to visit all of these different schools and see what they are about. CT: When did you decide you wanted to be a filmmaker? Jenks: I have always been into telling stories. As a kid, I would go around filming random stuff and make something out of nothing. When I was able to move into the nursing home to make that documentary (“Room 335”), I realized it could actually be a career. CT: How do you think your films have evolved over the years?

Jenks: It is weird because they have just evolved into a different format. The first documentary I made at the nursing home is essentially the same thing on MTV just with younger people. Because the show is 19 minutes, it has made me a better storyteller because you have to pay attention to detail and know what story you want to go with. CT: What episode did you learn the most from on “World of Jenks”? Jenks: The ‘Heavy D’ episode. When you or I have a bad day, at least we know we can go home and be at some sort of safe haven — sleep on a couch or a bed. I just remember that distinct feeling at seven or eight o’clock to know you are going to sleep on the side of the street. To know she had done that for 10 years is crazy. CT: Going through these different walks of life on your show, how do you think you have grown as a person? Jenks: I have a much better BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS appreciation for so many different lifestyles. Filmmaker Andrew Jenks speaks to several of his fans after his presentation at the GLC last night.

Guinness Sundaes

MIA PERRY features reporter

Tickle your tongue with the sweet flavors of ice cream along with a surprise pop of beer. This recipe for Guinness sundaes will leave you wanting more St. Patrick’s Daythemed cuisine. Ingredients: 15 oz can of Guinness or other dark beer ½ cup sugar 3 tablespoons butter (cold and cubed) Vanilla or butter pecan ice cream Other desired ice cream toppings Directions: 1. Add the sugar and beer to a saucepan and heat to a simmer 2. Let cook on low heat until the sauce is syrupy. This will take anywhere from 40 to 50 minutes, so keep an eye on it 3. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until it is completely melted 4. Pour the Guinness caramel sauce over your ice cream and add whatever else you’d like. Shortbread MIA PERRY / COLLEGIATE TIMES cookies make a good addition to this A Guinness sundae: ice cream topped with a beer-infused sauce. Irish treat.