Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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COLLEGIATETIMES A fitting end. DANIEL LIN / SPPS
108th year, issue 33
News, page 2
Food & Drink, page 5
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 6
see column, page six Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
Historic house to undergo $1.5 million renovation MEIGHAN DOBER news staff writer The Town of Blacksburg plans to renovate the historic Alexander Black house to become the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Center headquarters. Last week the Museum and Cultural Center announced its launch of a $1.5 million capital campaign. The center is looking for donations from local businesses and anyone in the community willing to contribute. Upcoming fundraisers, including a dinner in June, will also aid the fundraising process. The Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Center purchased the house in 2002 from the developers of Kent Square. A little less than $500,000 has been spent on the house since 2002, including the purchase, relocation, foundation setting and utilities costs. Since the town purchased the house in 2002, officials have been planning for its restoration. As of now, $235,000 has been raised toward the capital project. The fundraising campaign will take place over the next three years. Construction in the house will begin when pledges for the $1.5 million have been made. “We’re looking to have the building completed by 2012,” said Terry Nicholson, museum administrator. Originally, the house sat where the Starbucks in Kent Square is currently located. It was moved one block to Draper Road in order to save it from being destroyed during construction. The house will permanently remain where sits now. The Town of Blacksburg has pledged to match the $1.5 million raised by the center. Some of this money is currently being used to pay for the architect of the project.
Once completed, the house will be used for programs and conferences, as well as the Museum and Cultural Center headquarters. The headquarters are currently located in the Old Town Hall building on the corner of Church Street and Jackson Street. “The balance has been budgeted for the capital improvement campaign,” said Adele Schrimer, director of Blacksburg’s engineering and GIS department. The project is currently in the design phase. Glave and Holmes, a company based out of Richmond, have been selected as the architects for the project. When the design is completed, the town will choose a construction contractor based on a bidding process. The house will be externally restored to its 1891 appearance. The house was built in 1890 and the Black family lived in it until 1935. Black’s great-great-uncle was part of the original family that founded the town of Blacksburg. Black was the founding president of the National Bank of Blacksburg, which is still in existence today. “The front porches, doors and windows will be put back from the original house. The interior will have one room restored as a period room with furniture typical of a house from that period,” Schrimer said. The wood floors in the house will be restored, but all of the original woodwork will be preserved. New handicap-accessible restrooms will be installed and an addition on the back of the house will be constructed with an elevator and building code-compliant stairway. Students can help with the project as well. “Students are part of the community,” Nicholson said. “Any help they can give financially or volunteering would be appreciated.”
2002
Town purchases house from Kent Square developers, house moved to DraperRoad
1935
Last members of Black family occupy house
Virginia Tech’s airport is about to undergo a runway rehabilitation project that is expected to take seven months. Because much of the runway is more than 30 years old, it has to be excavated. “Not only are we doing an overlay, we’re also improving the base course of the runway,” said Michael St. Jean, airport manager. St. Jean said the project would not only improve the surface of the runway but would also level the runway’s surface. Construction will be done in four phases, each focusing on a different portion of the runway. “It will remain open during all four phases of construction,” St. Jean said. There are currently 4,500 feet of usable runway. During construction
there will be between 1,788 and 3,500 feet of runway available at any given time. This will limit flights for larger aircraft, but smaller planes will be unaffected. The airport, officially known as the Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport, is publicly owned. The project received 95 percent of its funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. The airport sees about 1,800 operations per year, including flights by university officials, Corporate Research Center visitors and Tech’s flying club. The rehabilitation project isn’t the only planned improvement.
2012
Projected completion of capital renovation project
House built
LUKE MASON / SPPS
Grin and bear it
LUKE MASON / SPPS
news reporter
Town announces plan to renovate house
1890
Seven-month renovation to extend Tech airport runway JAY SPEIDELL
2011
“Once there is a successful environmental assessment, then there will be a design project for the road relocation of Tech Center Drive and a runway extension,” St. Jean said. The expansion project plans to increase the runway to longer than 5,000 feet. The runway already supports smaller corporate jets, but the extra length will support larger planes and act as a safety buffer in the event of accidents.
Poll: Public already losing patience with new Congress DAVID LIGHTMAN mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Once again, the public is getting increasingly disgusted with Washington. It sees a failure to adopt remedies for even the most basic, pressing issues of the day, as Congress struggles to craft a federal budget. And incumbents are getting worried about the political implications. “It’s hurting some of us,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who’s up for re-election next year. “They blame everybody.” A new Pew Research Center poll
shows that about half of Americans think the debate over spending and deficits has been “generally rude and disrespectful.” There’s even bipartisan agreement — 48 percent of Republicans and Democrats have that view, as well as 57 percent of independents. President Barack Obama signed legislation Friday to provide funding to keep the government open until April 8, the sixth such temporary extension in the six-month-old fiscal year. Pew surveyed 1,525 adults from March 8-14. The poll’s findings suggest the political losers so far have been Republicans, who rode a wave of voter irritation to win control of the
House of Representatives last fall. After the election, 35 percent said Republicans had a better approach to the deficit, expected to reach a record $1.65 trillion this year. This month, that number has plunged to 21 percent. People don’t think Obama has better ideas, either — 20 percent found his approach better, down from November’s 24 percent. Total sample margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The most restless constituency has involved supporters of the conservative tea party movement. After the November election, see CONGRESS / page four
The White Panda performs for Virginia Tech students in Burruss Hall Tuesday night as part of a concert that also featured Illiance and Chiddy Bang. Check CollegiateTimes.com for a full gallery from Tuesday night’s show. photo by Austen Meredith, spps
2 news
news editors: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
march 23, 2011
COLLEGIATETIMES
nation Microsoft takes aim at Android again
what you’re saying //comments from online readers... On the teen charged with 20 felonies: anon >>
SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft Corp. again took legal action aimed at Google Inc.’s Android software on Monday, suing Barnes & Noble Inc., Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. and Inventec Corp. for alleged patent infringement related to Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader, which runs on the Google operating system. Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Horacio Gutierrez said in a statement the company filed suit in both the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. “Today’s actions focus on the patent infringement by the Nook e-reader and the Nook Color tablet, both of
Twenty years sounds like a fair punishment, one for each count. He’d have time to read the great jailhouse works of Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Jean Genet, and countless others, and maybe even write his own.
Anonymous >> Wow. I went to kindergarten with this guy.
On a dialogue about April 16: Anonymous >> While dialogue is never the wrong answer, in this case, everyone is still waiting for an apology from the decision team that morning for not warning the campus that a shooter who had already killed two people was still at large. Some members of that crisis team warned their own family members, but no one warned the rest of us. Until that apology is issued and real remorse for their part in this is shown, this will continue to be an open wound for many who were on campus that day.
-john letzing, mcclatchy newspapers
US fighter jet crashes in Libya; crew safe WASHINGTON —Two Air Force aviators were rescued after they bailed out of a U.S. fighter jet late Monday before it crashed in northeast Libya, apparently due to a mechanical malfunction, the U.S. military said. Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III said both crew members were in U.S. hands. A U.S. military official said one of the crew members was found by a
JUSTIN GRAVES -public editor -sociology and public and urban affairs major
crime blotter
c-
U.S. search and rescue team and the other was found by Libyan rebels and was safe. Referring to the crew member who was found by Libyans, Locklear said: “I understand that the Libyan people, who treated him with dignity and respect, made sure that he had medical care.” The F-15E Strike Eagle warplane crashed after the aircraft “experienced
equipment malfunction,” according to a statement put out by the USS Mount Whitney, a U.S. Navy vessel that is coordinating the air war over Libya. The aircraft, normally based in England, was flying out of Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy when it crashed.
1 3 2 1 6 5 4 0 6 5 6 4 6 5 5 1 4
V I O L A T I O N - A F F I D A V I T
date reported
time
offense
location
status
3/21/2011
2/18/2011-3/21/2011
Larceny of a Bicycle
Pritchard Hall
Active
3/21/2011
10/15/2011-3/21/2011
Larceny of a Parking Sign / Vandalism
Burruss Hall
Inactive: Referred to Student Conduct
arrestees
-david cloud, mcclatchy newspapers
13216540656465514
Nice commentary, Ray! Very astute. It would be helpful, however, if you expanded on the dialogue idea. What? Who? How? When? More examples are needed. Who would be expected to participate? Would there be moderators or facilitators? Large auditorium or small groups? What outcomes would be hoped for?
CORRECTION
software, Google’s Android is largely provided free of charge to handset makers, and is developed according to an open-source model that makes use of outside engineering. Android has become increasingly popular since its introduction, eclipsing Microsoft as the technology of choice for many smartphone makers, and rivaling software from Apple Inc.and Research In Motion Ltd. to become one of the most popular platforms. However, Android’s open-source nature has exposed it to legal challenges in addition to those filed by Microsoft.
world
Anonymous >>
In “Model students: Tech fashionistas show off work,” (CT—Mar. 22), the piece that Lintelman displayed last on the runway was separate from the piece inspired by her zodiac symbol. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.
which run the Android operating system,” Gutierrez said. He added that while HTC and Amazon.com Inc. have agreed to licensing deals related to their devices, “after more than a year of discussions, Barnes & Noble, Foxconn and Inventec have so far been unwilling to sign a license, and therefore, we have no other choice but to bring legal action to defend our innovations.” Microsoft sued Motorola Inc. last year, alleging that the company’s Android-based mobile devices infringe on Microsoft patents. A Barnes & Noble spokeswoman declined to comment. A Google spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Unlike Microsoft’s mobile-phone
Smoke plumes set back efforts to contain nuclear crisis DON LEE mcclatchy newspapers TOKYO — Japan’s battle to control the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima suffered a setback Monday after plumes of smoke rising from two of the six reactor buildings forced an evacuation of repair crews and stalled operations to restore vital cooling systems. It was unclear early Tuesday what had had produced the smoke, which came from the structures housing reactors No. 2 and 3. But some Japanese scientists said the problems didn’t appear to signal a deteriorating situation at Fukushima, where workers had been making progress in the painstaking work to contain the nuclear crisis. Still, the unexplained black and gray plume, and a temporary increase in radiation levels around the plant on Monday, underscored the still precarious scene at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility, where the March 11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami knocked out the plant’s outside power and emergency cooling systems, causing a leak of radiation from multiple sources. The interruption was expected to delay by a day efforts to restore power to the cooling systems at the plant. The smoke also caused fire officials to halt the spraying of water onto the reactors. The Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima complex, said that effort would probably resume later Tuesday. The setback came on a day when the executive director of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Bill Borchardt, said that the agency’s staff in Japan reported that the three reactors probably had suffered core damage but did not appear to be leaking significant amounts of radiation. “I say optimistically that things appear to be on the verge of stabilizing,” Borchardt said. In Japan and abroad, however, concerns over radiation fallout grew. On Monday, Japanese officials said they detected higher than normal radiation levels in samples of seawater around the power complex. And residents of at least one village near the nuclear plant were ordered not to drink tap water. Japanese authorities also ordered farmers in four prefectures to halt shipments of milk and spinach and some other vegetables after traces of the radioactive isotopes iodine-131 and cesium-137 were found in batches from regions surrounding the plant. World health officials warned of potential dangers posed by the tainted food. In a sign of the potential problem for Japan’s food exports and international image, one Japanese restaurant in Taiwan was reportedly providing radiation gauges with its meals. World Health Organization officials have told reporters that Japan should
quickly ban food sales from areas around the damaged nuclear plant, saying radiation in food is more dangerous than radioactive particles in the air, because food-borne radioactive isotopes accumulate in the body. On its website, the organization advised that consuming food tainted with radioactive material, which is indistinguishable to the naked eye, could lead to an increased likelihood of certain cancers. Iodine-131 reaching the thyroid is particularly troublesome. People living near the plant who may have consumed tainted produce or animal products were advised to seek medical attention, the organization said. Officials and others in neighboring nations have increased scrutiny of produce coming from Japan. The governments of China, South Korea and the Philippines have ordered screening of imports from Japan for radiation contamination, according to news reports. China imported $593 million worth of agricultural products from Japan last year, according to the official New China News Agency. Many Japanese in the tsunami zone, meanwhile, were still experiencing acute shortages of food and gasoline, which caused long lines and shorter tempers. Many restaurants in the northeastern portion of the country were printing abbreviated menus of five or six dishes. Convenience stores were running out of food and at several locations lines stretched around the block with people seeking such staples as water and rice. But perhaps the lingering gasoline shortage presented the toughest challenge on Day 10 of the multi-fronted disaster, a situation that many older residents said harked back to the days of deprivation after World War II. Most gas stations around the region remained closed. Those still open drew lines that left people waiting 12 hours or more, and then only to fill a portion of their tanks. In the city of Senmaya, about 200 miles north of Tokyo, Sumie Sato and her husband, Naohiro, both 26, slept in their subcompact overnight to receive about five gallons of precious gasoline. “We have a 2-month-old son at home, so we can’t take any chances,” said Sumie Sato. “My son has been sick, so if he gets really bad we’ll need gas to take him to the hospital.” She said her husband, who works as a carpenter, got drunk Sunday night, so she drove to the station nearest their home. At 9 p.m., hundreds of cars were in line ahead of them. Drivers waiting in their cars shivered in the early March chill. Others simply went home and returned to claim their place before the station opened. The Satos slept together under a blanket. By morning, Sumie Sato said, they felt terrible. “It was cold and my
body aches today,” she said Tuesday. A few vehicles away, Seika Sato, who is not related, sat in her tiny pickup truck, a blanket draped over her legs on the driver’s seat that had been her bed overnight. She said she wasn’t afraid to wait alone — it’s what must be done in this time of need. She has five grandchildren at home who depend on her to get around. “Gas is such a problem,” she said, wearing a protective mask over her mouth. “I don’t know when this will end.” Each of the drivers follow a welldefined drill. Gas stations issue coupons to the first 400 drivers, for gasoline the following day. Those with tickets begin lining up as soon as the day’s gas runs out, often as early as 3 p.m. The nights in the car are long and cold. Tempers have run short, with the result something very un-Japanese. “We’ve had a few fights,” said station attendant Yui Kikuchi, a 19-year-old dressed in a blue jumpsuit. “Customers complained. They waited a long time and didn’t like it when people tried to cut in at the last minute.” With gasoline short, a relatively menial job of gas jockey took on great importance and power; workers shouted at drivers to keep in line and pull quickly up to the pumps. But Kikuchi said no one has tried to bribe her or take advantage of her newfound access to the precious liquid. Asked whether her friends or family had asked for special favors, she smiled shyly. “No,” she said, “of course not.”
Effects of radiation exposure on the body
MCT CAMPUS
opınıons 3
editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
march 23, 2011
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Health reform a positive change A year ago this week, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The law enacts significant health insurance reforms that will take effect over the next several years. But one very important piece of that law is already in place. And it may even directly benefit you. The Affordable Care Act ensures that college students and young adults can stay on their parents’ employer-provided health care plans until age 26. Before, many health plans and issuers dropped young adults from their parents’ policies because of their age. That left countless college students, recent college graduates and other young people with little recourse, and worse: no health insurance. Historically, some 30 percent of young adults have been uninsured, a rate far higher than that of any other age group. But young people don’t need health insurance, right? The statistics say otherwise: One in six young adults today is faced with a chronic illness such as cancer, diabetes or asthma. And nearly half of uninsured young adults report problems paying medical bills. The new law ensures you have an option when it comes to your health care. This is important as you continue through school, and as you transition into the job market, since you may find that health care coverage is not immediately available
through your employer. Or you may work part-time. You may choose to continue your education and go to graduate school, or take time off to travel and pursue volunteer opportunities. It allows you to remain on your parents’ plan, or rejoin it until age 26, even if you no longer live with your parents, are not a dependent on their tax return or are no longer a student. The new flexibility even applies if you are married. You are guaranteed the same benefits at the same price that is available to other dependents. More health care improvements are on the way — many may also directly benefit you. Already, coverage cannot be denied for those under age 19 because of a pre-existing condition. By 2014, denying coverage to anyone based on a pre-existing condition will be banned. Annual dollar caps on care, which are already limited, will be prohibited. And state-based health insurance exchanges will create a new marketplace, giving more employers and millions of Americans the ability to purchase affordable coverage. The Affordable Care Act is based on the simple belief that every American — and that includes college students — deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care. One year after it has become law, that belief is becoming reality.
Hilda L. Solis U.S. Secretary of Labor
Conservative use of New Deal pointless s hip these days for conservato lovingly quote Franklin ID.t’tives Roosevelt. That’s a sentence I never expected to write. They’ve been over the moon about FDR ever since Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker unleashed the GOP’s master plan to break the public unions. I know this because they have been blogging and tweeting, and sending me scores of identical email messages detailing why they have fallen so hard for FDR. Buoyed by their successful crusade in Wisconsin, Republicans want to go national and strip other public unions. And they feel justified because even Roosevelt, the sainted liberal icon, opposed public bargaining rights. Granted, their FDR invocations are a tad selective. They’re not quoting from Roosevelt’s various attacks on the big-business conservatives of his era, the “economic royalists” who practiced “economic slavery” and opposed all New Deal efforts “to protect the citizen.” FDR scoffed that these conservatives“…seektohidebehind the flag and the Constitution. In their blindness, they forget what the flag and the Constitution stand for.” No, I’m getting no such email, nor anything about how he fashioned the federal safety net by signing the law that created Social Security. Rather, conservatives are limiting their love to one letter he wrote during the summer of 1937. While congratulating the National Federation of Federal Employees on its 20th anniversary, FDR stated in the fourth paragraph: “All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service.” Some pro-union liberals, mindful of the fight in Wisconsin and its potential resonance elsewhere, have tried to knock down the letter by citing other passages where Roosevelt appeared to be hedging. (FDR, a famously subtle politician, was practiced in the art of telling people what they wanted to hear.) For instance, he also wrote: “The desire of government employees for fair and adequate pay ... is basically no different from that of employees in private industry. Organization on their part to present their views on such matters is both natural and logical.” But, on balance, conservatives are correct about the overall thrust of FDR’s letter. And besides stating his opposition to public union bargaining, he contended that any and all “militant tactics” that public union workers used, especially strikes, were “unthinkable and intolerable.”
So doesn’t this mean that conservatives can now go forth nationwide in their campaign to strip public unions of their bargaining rights, with a de facto endorsement from, of all people, FDR? They’ll certainly continue to spin it that way, but here’s my rebuttal: Who cares what Roosevelt wrote in a letter 74 years ago? Roosevelt took his stand against public unions at the dawn of the collective-bargaining era. The world moved on soon after his death. By the ‘50s, public union bargaining was on the ascent, and presidents in both parties supported or broadened those rights. Presidents take all kinds of positions, many of which look archaic with the passage of time. If conservatives want to justify their assault on public unions by invoking that ‘37 letter, perhaps they’d also like to argue for resegregating the U.S. military — because, lest we forget, FDR presided over a segregated military and never lifted a finger to end it. And if the past is to be treated as prologue, perhaps conservatives would like to bar the Japanese from becoming U.S. citizens — because FDR once wrote in a letter, prior to becoming president, that “anyone who has traveled in the Far East knows that the mingling of Asiatic blood with European and American blood produces, in nine cases out of 10, the most unfortunate results.” This is why the lauding of FDR’s ‘37 letter is so fatuous. In the words of the British novelist L.P. Hartley: “The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.” Here’s how life looks in the present: In the latest bipartisan NBC-Wall Street Journal survey (conducted by Republican and Democratic pollsters), 77 percent of Americans say that public unions should have the same bargaining rights as private unions; only 19 percent disagree. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, a new Rasmussen poll reports that 57 percent of the citizens are already down on their antiunion governor — spiking to 67 percent among parents with public school kids. This is significant because Rasmussen typically delivers Republican-friendly stats, and conservatives typically love to cite them. The upshot is that Republicans, in their national mission against public unions, would be wise to ditch the dead president and heed the backlash that seems to be gaining among the living.
DICK POLMAN -mcclatchy newspapers
MCT CAMPUS
Safety remains ever-present concern in current society losed shower curtains scare me. I used to think I was a bit C melodramatic, always finding myself having to quickly peek behind the shower curtain in the middle of the night to convince myself nothing was there. Although it may sound like I have seen “Psycho” one too many times (very good movie, highly recommended), I know this anxiety I feel — anxiety about safety — is a common thing to experience. Oftentimes, we may not even realize the anxiety we carry about our own safety. This notion of safety came to my mind after my mother was telling me about her recent trip to Yogaville. First of all, it is a real place — it is actually an ashram, an hour outside Charlottesville — and it’s here in Virginia. My mother was telling me about the trust everyone had for each other there. For example, she told me none of the doors to the main dormitory buildings have locks on them, nor do the doors to the actual rooms. People left their valuables in plain sight and fell asleep with their doors open. People would, individually, take mile-long walks through the woods in areas with no cell phone service. A shudder went up my spine. Why did this make me so uncomfortable? Do communities with such a sense of trust like that really exist? Would I, personally, ever be able to grow accustomed to that? This takes me back to a story my grandfather once told me. Back in the old days, when there was no air conditioning, he told me that he and his brothers/sisters would just sleep outside. I recall relinquishing a giggle at the notion of sleeping outside (I was young and giggles were appropriate for my age).
However, when thinking about it now, I ask myself: Why don’t I sleep outside when my dorm room is unbearably hot? Aside from my medical/veterinary entomology professor’s warning against accidental Myiasis, my main reason for not sleeping outside, is safety. It would appear then, as time goes by, civilization seems to become more and more unsafe. Lululemon, a chain of peaceful stores that sells things for a peaceful practice (I swear I am not receiving commission for this), was recently the site of a wicked murder, which only strengthens this point. A coworker, Brittany Morwood, called up her coworker, Jayna Murray, after one of the stores (located in Bethesda, Md.) had closed one night. Morwood said she left her wallet inside and wanted Murray to go into the store with her. Morwood was found tied up in the back of the room and Murray was found beaten to death. Morwood said two masked men had come in after they went inside the store, for they had left the door unlocked. It was recently revealed that this was all an act — Morwood murdered her coworker, inflicted wounds on herself and tied herself up. We like to think the people whowant to do us harm are those who are not close to us — those we do not know. But our coworkers? Looking at a typical day, it is not hard to think of times when safety is brought up. Signs are plastered all over the library about how you should not leave your materials unattended. Hokie Ambassadors always discuss safety as a topic of concern on their tours. Even the campus gyms have signs about safety for both yourself and your personal belongings.
I constantly find myself asking questions in my head — what would I do if something bad happened right now? What could I utilize? Who could I help? What should I do? These questions are simply a product of the world I was brought up in — one where you could not sleep outside and one where you could not leave your doors unlocked or your valuables sitting out. Just as perception of safety is unique to time periods, it is also unique to demographics. Females, homosexuals and African-Americans, to name a few demographics, all can experience different levels of safety for different issues. For example, as a male, I am generally safer when going out for an evening run than a female would be. However, whereas I may be at risk of being robbed (oh no, not my sweatband!), a female may be at risk of being sexually assaulted. I am cognizant of the fact that location plays a huge part in how safe you feel (and actually are). However, I am not one to take my chances and let my guard down too often. Although I am a bit more aware of my surroundings when I am on the metro in D.C. versus Hokie Grill, I still do not think I can ever reach a point where I am at a Yogaville-level trust with my surroundings. All we can do is be aware and recognize this anxiety and vulnerability we may feel about our safety. Namaste.
JOSH TREBACH -regular columnist -junior -biological sciences major
US treatment of Manning shows nation’s hypocrisy or nearly 300 days, Pfc. Bradley Manning has experienced every F horror the United States government is able to place on a human being with its newly designed “notouch torture” policy. After being arrested on May 26, 2010, for the alleged leaking of classified U.S. computer files to the whistleblower website Wikileaks, Manning has been kept in a state of near permanent isolation and confinement. Secluded to his small prison cell at the military base in Quantico, Va., Manning is forced to remain in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day with one hour of exercise in which he remains shackled and is able to only walk in circles in a small recreation room. In addition to this, he is frequently stripped and forced to stand naked while his cell is inspected. He has only recently been given clothes to wear while sleeping and a pillow to lie on, and has been kept on an ungrounded and falsified program of suicide watch. Inauguration Day 2009 was, for many people, the day in which the despicable crimes against humanity conducted by the Bush regime came to an end. After taking the oath of office, President Obama signed one of his first executive orders which allowed for the closing of the U.S. gulag at Guantanamo Bay. With jubilance and wonder, the American people felt a wave of pride pour back over themselves as once again, for the first time in eight
years, honor and respect for human value returned to the White House. Now, after having wasted away the first half of his administration with failed programs and pitiful reactions to crises, President Obama has proven The Who’s brilliant maxim, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” The ability of many people in this country to hypocritically bask in their false assumption of being the “land of the free” is remarkable to me. While Manning is rotting in a small cell, reduced to a horrifying figure of his once healthy and robust 23-year-old self, the American people are praising the rebels in foreign lands who have finally thrown the shackles of tyrants and despots off themselves. While the U.S. is conducting bombing missions of Libyan dictator Muammar Gadaffi’s disgustingly evil minions, this government is subjecting one of its own soldiers to conditions that would have brought sickness and horror to our founding fathers. There is no doubt that if Manning did indeed leak confidential information to Wikileaks, he recklessly broke the law and should be subject to its full extent. I do not contend that he is a martyr and a hero, but he is not a villain either. He released information that he felt the world had a right to know and felt it wrong that the U.S. would keep information on the illegal murder of dozens of civilians in Iraq (including journalists and children) confidential.
Though he may have been reckless and dangerous with our national security, is it so vital that this government act the part of a ruthless thug to a 23-year-old soldier for doing what he thought was right? The time must come where the people of this country and the government that is expected to lead them recognize that this country is purposed to be the example for the world. It is this nation and the promises that it gives its people that has led countless others across the world to wish the same and fight for the rights we so often take advantage of. Yet instead of being so, we act the part of the bully who will allow no opposition and no questioning of its authority to occur. While warming ourselves in the false promise of freedom and principle, there are those who suffer at the hands of a government which has lost its way and people too apathetic to change it. Perhaps it is time the American people learn from our brethren in Lybia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Iraq and numerous other lands and cry out in a single voice that this government’s crimes against humanity shall no longer be tolerated.
JASON CAMPBELL -regular columnist -sophomore -philosophy major
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, 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 23, 2011
page 4
Congress: Republicans finding easy support for initiatives from page one
director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, which conducts the McClatchy Newspapers-Marist poll. Political veterans are scrambling to educate their constituents about the deliberate pace of Washington. “People should understand we do things in baby steps,” said Tea Party Express co-founder Sal Russo, of Sacramento, Calif. “We have to remind people that while we just had a historic election, the reality is, we’re woefully short of 60 votes in the Senate.” Democrats control 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats. But Russo’s fighting a world where the public can get instant, nonstop, unfiltered access to Congress and commentary. Republicans had benefited from that openness during the two-year fight over overhauling the nation’s health care system. Procedural delays
when backers helped elect dozens of congressional Republicans, three of four movement supporters liked GOP budget plans. This month that figure dropped to 52 percent. “People are growing impatient,” said Carroll Doherty, Pew associate director. They’ve been impatient for years. In 2006, voters gave Democrats control of both Houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years. Two years later, Obama, a Democrat, reclaimed the White House for his party after eight years of Republican George W. Bush. Last year, Republicans took control of the House. “The American public is getting tired of change elections and then not seeing change. There have been three change elections in a row, but people today figure things are still adrift,” said Lee Miringoff, the
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Events DOG WASH The Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine invites you to come pamper your dog at the annual VMRCVM Dog Wash fundraiser (hosted by the Class of 2014 and SCAVMA). The event will be on April 9th from 8am to 3pm at the veterinary college complex off of Duckpond Dr. Just park and follow the signs. Prices are $10 for a bath and $5 for ear cleaning and nail trim. Hope to see you there!
The stumbling block has been the Senate. Health care repeal and the $61 billion in spending cuts died there, and the effort to defund NPR is also expected to go nowhere. One way to explain the process, Hatch said, is to stress the value of experience. He talks about how, in January 2009, veteran pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger steered a disabled US Airways plane into the Hudson River in New York City. The passengers and crew all survived. “Experience matters,” said Hatch, “and when you explain that, it makes people stop and think.” What may help incumbents more are two developments. One is that, unlike the health care fight, the budget battle isn’t dominating headlines. Since the start of 2011, three stories have gotten the most attention: the Jan. 8 shoot-
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forced major votes to occur after midnight, and in one case, at dawn on Christmas Eve. GOP opponents used what looked like procedural chaos to portray Democrats as unable to run Congress effectively. Now, though, it’s Republicans who are in charge of the House, and they’re feeling the heat. The public doesn’t understand all the nuances of the legislative process, so what they see “reinforces the perception that Washington can’t get anything done,” said Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the Rothenberg Report, which follows congressional races. House Republicans, who have a 241-192 majority, have found it relatively easy to win approval of their major initiatives: repealing the health care law, cutting $61 billion from current-year spending, blocking federal funding for public broadcasting and so on.
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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WORDFIND • Theme: Marvel Comics Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid. A
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By Mark Bickham ACROSS 1 Volkswagen model since 1979 6 Stare 10 Char m 14 Unit of capacitance 15 “Would __?” 16 Baseball’ s Moises 17 Tough handicap to overcome in a joust? 20 Words after post or suff er 21 Beginning 22 Hoopster featured in a news magazine?
WORD BANK
Aero Blade Colossus Cyclone Electro Fantome X Jane Foster Thor Hawkeye Hulk Iron Man Lockjaw Magneto Mantis Nick Fury Occulus Proteus Quicksilver
3/23/11 26 Leo , for one 27 Manhattan neighborhood acron ym 28 Ready to serve 32 Uncer tain concurrenc e 35 Ga ve a buzz 37 Snaps 38 Mineo of “Rebel Without a Cause” 39 What “pur ls of wisdom ” is an example of? 41 HBO competitor 42 __ king 43 Hokkaido native 44 Shoot for, with “to”
46 Old Italian bread 48 Puts on 50 Biol . branch 51 Was familiar with Britain? 55 Unlik ely lintgatherer 58 Without dela y 59 Bo w tied by mortal hands? 65 Pinup Ha ywor th 66 Pianist Gilels 67 Church par ts 68 They have head s and handles 69 Mug imperf ections 70 Symbol of strength
ing of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, the Middle East turmoil, and Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. “Washington’s fights have not broken through as a top story,” said Doherty of Pew. Even if they do, the 2012 elections are a long way off. Health care legislation won final approval a year ago, during the primary season. But if the economy rebounds strongly this year, or a grand budget compromise is reached, process chaos could be long forgotten. In that case, Gonzales said, “results will matter most.” But if the economy is sluggish, or the budget fight drags on and on, the fractured process could matter a lot. “If the government shuts down,” said Gonzales, “no one really knows what the political fallout will be.”
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Burruss Hall; 11AM LectureDemonstration; 7PM Interactive Performance; Admission: $8 College students w/ ID; $18 General; $12 Children 12 and under; Tickets 540/231-5615 or www.tickets.vt.edu Presented by The Center of Dance, Carol Crawford Smith, Founder and Artistic Director; Co-sponsors Downtown Blacksburg, Inc., Local NAACP, Main Lee Gallery, Shelter Alternatives Info: 540.558.8767
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Today’s Radio Schedule ed Mix scs Di
7-9 AM - Tyler Vance
Art Day
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3 Like jibs 4 Mo vie poster words 5 For a specific pur pose 6 Big name in guitars 7 Pledge of Allegiance ender 8 November 2006 Nintendo release 9 Barbie’ s beau 10 Took one’ s place at, as a post 11 Cr ies following charges 12 __ Cuer vo tequila 13 Rem ove fro m office 18 Sound of reproach 19 End for free 22 Capital of Rwanda 23 Cooki e information, perhaps 24 Relax, as tense relations 25 Ancient Aegean region
(is easy because he’s beautfiul)
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7-9 PM - The Local Zone
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9 PM-12 AM - The Big Waste of Time
2-3:30PM - Ngo More w/ Ahn Ngo
12-2 AM - Roland & Shan
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3:30-5 PM - Ben Woody
2-4 AM - Maddie & Malvika
5-7 PM - Commodore Ace Fever
4-7 AM - Appalachian Sunrise
9AM-12PM - Lovin Nathan
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*** WUVT “5 Minute” News at 7 PM ***
26 Cordage fiber 29 Retina-brain link 30 Jer k 31 Stand ou t 33 Calypso offshoot 34 Li ke ugly remar ks 36 Fast spo rts car s 40 “__ pronounce you ...” 45 Na val attire 47 Lo yal Japanes e dogs 49 Sluggards 52 “The Mat rix” hero 53 Moder n dashmounted de vice: Abbr. 54 Croquet venues 55 Creol e vegetable 56 Windo ws alter native 57 Handy bag 60 Kasbah headgear 61 “I didn’t need to know that!” 62 Best selle r 63 General at Antietam 64 Step up from dial-up
Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
DOWN 1 LaGuardia alternative, familiarly 2 Suffix with Caesar
(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
3/22/11
ed Mix cs Dis
march 23, 2011
editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
food & drink
COLLEGIATETIMES
Cabo Fish Taco: A Mexican dream
Cabo Fish Taco serves Mexican-inspired entrees with a twist, one being the lemon-grilled shrimp tacos.
CHELSEA GUNTER -features reporter -sophomore -communication major
is offering tips on how to eat healthy. In accordance with this year’s National Nutrition Month theme, “Eat Right with Color,” the SDA has grouped some yummy foods into color categories with information on their nutritional benefits from the American Dietetic Association. Look for a new food color each day for some nutritious ideas.
MIA PERRY / COLLEGIATE TIMES
In the mood for a classic, savory and homemade Italian meal without the time and effort required to cook it? Try making this easy, 30-minute chicken parmesan recipe next time your belly yearns for delicious, comforting pasta.
other’s. After my first bite, I was finally on board with the Cabo lovers. The tacos were incredible. They were crunchy, fresh and flavorful. The tacos were unique because they were soft and yet crunchy — providing the best of both worlds. My other roommate who ordered the Cabo roll was in heaven. She is a seafood maniac and is disappointed by the lack of “edible” fish on campus. The design of her dish was stunning, and it tasted even better. We passed around forks trying each other’s meals as we enjoyed the great food and weather. By the time we were finished we had zero complaints. It may have been the weather and ordering the wrong dish during my last visit that influenced this great review, but the food was undeniably delicious, and I’m already planning my next trip back. But don’t expect to get in and get out of this restaurant, that’s not its style. Be prepared to relax and have a great time at a joint that takes a unique spin on Mexican food.
Ingredients: -Boneless, skinless chicken breast (about one breast for every person being served) -Egg -Breadcrumbs -Tomato sauce (canned or homemade) -Shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese -Grated Parmesan cheese -Spaghetti or any other pasta Prep: -Casserole dish -Pot filled with water
LUKE MASON / SPPS
Cabo Fish Taco’s corn salsa, served with chips, cleanses the palette.
To end National Nutrition Student Dietetic Association
MIA PERRY
LUKE MASON / SPPS
Green Nutrition Facts Month on a good note, the
Easy 30-minute chicken parmesan features reporter
a hardcore Mexican food lover, I expected to be a pretty tough As critic when I tasted Cabo Fish Taco’s cuisine. Everyone I know is obsessed with Cabo, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about paying more than double the price for tacos when I can get them right down the street at El Rodeo for much cheaper. I had only been to Cabo once before, and I made the mistake of ordering a salad. The salad was good, but it wasn’t anything special. I would never order a salad at El Rods, so I got what I deserved. I decided to give it another shot and headed to Cabo, located on Main Street, to see if the food was as great as people say it is. The great thing about Cabo is that you can sit in three different atmospheres. You can sit in a dark wooden bar area or a room filled with barstools that parallels a beach shack. But if you luck out like we did, you have the option to sit outside on the brick patio and enjoy the sun. The outdoor atmosphere, combined with the food and music, created a beach feel that left me excited for summer. Cabo is probably one of the most laidback restaurants in Blacksburg. As we sat down, our server took his time before he approached us. All the servers embodied the restaurant’s casual persona. The female who bussed tables even sat with her friends, drinking a beer until customers left. While that may sound offensive, it really showed how relaxed and happy the employees were, which made for better customer service. When our server brought us our chips and salsa, I was ready to attack. I’m usually a fan of traditional, yet spicy salsa, so I wasn’t sure how to feel about corn salsa. But it was absolutely delicious and fresh. To make the chip round even better, we ordered queso. While the cheese was great, it only stayed melted for a few minutes. It became hard and was difficult to dip the chips into — we ate it anyway. My two roommates and I ordered three entrees: lemon-grilled shrimp tacos, beer-battered shrimp tacos and a sushi-inspired Cabo roll filled with crab and shrimp. We all agreed the wait to order was longer than the time it took our food to be served. Although we had stuffed our faces with chips and were getting full, we were anxious to dig into our meals. My one roommate and I decided to split our tacos so we could try each
5
Green produce indicates antioxidant potential and may help promote healthy vision and reduce most cancer risks. Such green foods include avocados, apples, grapes, honeydews, kiwis, limes, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green peppers and leafy greens such as spinach.
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 2. If your chicken breasts are frozen, defrost under hot water or in a microwave. Take the chicken and place it in a casserole dish. If you want crispy chicken, beat one egg and coat the chicken with it. Then cover it with bread crumbs. 3. Pour the desired amount of tomato sauce over the chicken breasts. Save some to put on the pasta later. 4. Sprinkle the mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese over the sauce to your liking. Top the chicken off with a bit of parmesan cheese 5. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees with no pink inside. 6. While the chicken is baking, boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. 7. When both the pasta and chicken are done, serve the chicken over the pasta — tossed with sauce or however you like it. Top off with more Parmesan cheese and voila!
6 sports
editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
march 23, 2011
Women’s coach NIT loss exemplifies entire season hired in-house A
PAUL KURLAK/ SPPS
Dennis Wolff discusses his hiring at a press conference Tuesday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT HIRED TO HIS FIRST COLLEGE WOMEN’S COACHING POSITION ALYSSA BEDROSIAN sports staff writer Jim Weaver, Virginia Tech directory of athletics, did not look very far to find a replacement for former women’s basketball head coach Beth Dunkenberger. Weaver announced Tuesday afternoon that Dennis Wolff, director of basketball operations for the men’s basketball team, will step in as head coach of the women’s team. “We are very pleased and proud to have him as our new head women’s basketball coach,” Weaver said. “I think he’s the best person for the job at this moment in time.” Wolff spent 15 years at Boston University as head coach of the men’s basketball team prior to coming to Blacksburg. From 1994 through 2009, Wolffcompiledanimpressiveresume, winning three straight America East Conference Championships from 2002-2004 while notching an overall record of 247-197. Additionally, Wolff was named America East Conference Coach of the Year three times during his reign at Boston University. Prior to his head coach position at Boston University, Wolff served as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia, Wake Forest, Southern Methodist University and St. Bonaventure. Wolff steps into the women’s program with substantial experience and knowledge, however he has yet to coach women on the collegiate level. “I am absolutely 100 percent aware that there will be some learning
curves,” Wolff said. Nonetheless, his daughter Nicole was named the 2002 McDonald’s National Player of the Year and went on to play under Geno Auriemma at the University of Connecticut. Wolff coached up his daughter from the time she was a little girl, helping out with her Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team and assisting her in the recruiting process. Wolff hopes to have more success than Dunkenberger, who led the Hokies to just one Atlantic Coast Confererence win this past season. Furthermore, Tech has failed to make a postseason appearance of any kind in the past five years. “Everything is in place here for us to have a successful program. No question about it,” Wolff said. “We want to be a winning program in the ACC.” According to Wolff, his focus will be recruiting. After signing the No. 28 recruiting class according to HoopGurlz just a year ago, the Hokies have just one player signed for the 2011-2012 season. “We won’t have a good team here unless we get good players,” Wolff said. Wolff acknowledges the challenges that face him, however he is confident in his ability to transform the program. “This place is all about excellence. We have to start to build that back up,” Wolff said. “Everything is in place here for us to have a successful program. No question about it.”
nother year, another NCAA tournament snub. For most casual observers, that’s all a basketball team’s season boils down to. However, while there may be some truth to that statement, there was so much more to this year’s Virginia Tech team than just being excluded from March Madness. The cynical fan might point to the lofty expectations for this team that went unfulfilled, and the inconsistent nature of the team. In some respects, it would be hard to fault them for this viewpoint. Entering the season, Tech was ranked 21st in the preseason AP poll, and senior guard Malcolm Delaney was on a variety of preseason awards lists. Given the void in the Atlantic Coast Conference after the defending national champion Duke Blue Devils, the Hokies were picked to finish second in the conference. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit Tech early in the year, as sixth man JT Thompson tore his ACL while playing pick-up basketball in September. The team then lost Dorenzo Hudson for the year to a foot injury. Thompson’s absence helped contribute to the Hokies’ rocky 4-4 start to the year, although tough matches against ranked opponents Kansas State and Purdue certainly didn’t help. Delaney’s play was especially worrisome in the early stretch. In the Kansas State and UNC-Greensboro games, he turned the ball over nine times apiece, which is more than he ever gave the ball away in his junior year. Similarly disturbing was the team’s embarrassing home loss to rival Virginia. Yet, losing to the Cavaliers seemed to jolt the Hokies back into action, as they reeled off four straight wins. As the team moved into conference play, there seemed to be reason for optimism. Tech then proceeded to play one of its best halves of the season in North
Carolina, taking a seven-point lead over the Tar Heels at halftime. However, the Hokies let the lead slip away in the second half. In retrospect, a win against the eventual ACC regular season champions would have been a huge boost to the team’s tournament chances, but the team was still able to bolster its conference record (not necessarily resume) with wins against Wake Forest and Maryland. Shortly afterward, the team endured its worst loss of the season, as the Hokies lost by 15 to lowly Georgia Tech. It was clear at this point that this team had lost too much talent to possibly live up to the expectations heaped on it in the preseason. A pair of disheartening road losses against Boston College and Virginia served only to confirm this suspicion, and although the Hokies scored some wins against ACC bottom feeders, they were just treading water. As buzz about Duke’s visit to Cassell Coliseum began to build, the perfect upset scenario fell into place for Tech. Not only were the Blue Devils going to be burdened by the pressure of being the No. 1 team in the country, but they had only earned that spot by virtue of the other top four teams losing — not by their superior play. The game itself was the high point of the Hokies season. By far. An undermanned Tech squad being able to survive poor 3-point and free throw shooting and knock off the topranked team in the nation has to rank among the signature wins in the program’s history. Sadly, the next two games personified more of what the team had been all about this year. The Duke win was a huge high that was destined to drain the team mentally, but the disheartening losses to Boston College (on senior night) and Clemson to close out the season
JOSH SON / COLLEGIATE TIMES
AUSTEN MEREDITH/ SPPS
Senior Terrell Bell drives to the basket during his final collegiate game. were disappointments that no one saw coming. After the suspension of freshman forward Jarell Eddie, Tech was able to gut out wins against Georgia Tech and Florida State to reach the ACC Tournament semifinals against Duke. The Hokies had just seven scholarship players available on the roster. While they weren’t able to recreate their earlier success against the Blue Devils, falling 77-63, most analysts believed the Hokies were in the tournament. However, with another Selection Sunday, there was another disappointment for Delaney, Jeff Allen and Terrell Bell, as Tech became the only team to beat a No. 1-ranked squad this year and still miss the tournament. Instead, the team was given a No. 1 seed in the NIT. After blowing out lowly Bethune-Cookman in the opening round, the Hokies succumbed to Wichita State in the second round. The game was an ugly ending for the seniors, as they managed to lose Victor Davila to injury in the second half and have Allen foul out with six minutes remaining in regulation. Nevertheless, Tech was still able to force overtime with the Shockers, but missed an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds after Delaney was forced out of bounds before he could get a shot off. Perhaps those last few seconds most accurately represented the Hokies’ season as a whole; overcoming tremendous adversity, yet falling just short.
The fact remains, if the team had kept its focus and retained just a little more composure in some important conference games, it might have been able to approach some of the season’s expectations, despite the absences of key players. Now the team has no choice but to look to the future. Seniors Delaney and Allen will be preparing to improve their marginal NBA draft prospects, as both are currently thought to either go late in the second round or go undrafted and possibly play in Europe. As for returning team members, Coach Seth Greenberg will be tasked with rebuilding the team around blossoming point guard Erick Green, his returning injured players, and a No. 12ranked incoming recruiting class. All-in-all, the seniors can’t be too disappointed with their final year. Delaney is now Tech’s third leading scorer alltime and is second in assists. Allen also became the first ACC player to ever record 1,500 career points, 1,000 career rebounds, 200 career steals and 150 career blocked shots. This basketball season will be remembered for the disappointment of missing the NCAA Tournament and finishing far below the team’s potential. A second round NIT loss to Wichita State really says it all.
ALEX KOMA -sports staff writer -freshman -communication major
Wrestling falls short at NCAAs ZACH MARINER sports reporter Despite an outstanding regular season, the Virginia Tech wrestling team ended postseason play with another disappointing performance this past weekend. Two weeks after the Hokies finished second at the ACC Championships — quite the letdown after entering the tournament expecting to take home the crown — they finished 33rd out of the 73 teams that were represented at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. “As a team and as a unit, we didn’t get it done,” said head coach Kevin Dresser. “And that’s on me. I’ll take the blame for that.” The seven Hokies that made the trip to
Philly combined for a 10-13 record, and only one of them, freshman standout Devin Carter (133), finished in the top 12. The team had no All-Americans. “A combination of not getting some great draws and some guys not getting it done led to a frustrating and disappointing weekend,” Dresser said. Carter won his first match before losing to No. 8 seed Mike Grey of Cornell, 7-4. He then rebounded to win his next two in the consolation rounds, but fell to No. 7 seed Bernard Futrell in the round of 12. A win in that match would have made him an All-American. Juniors Jarrod Garnett (125) and Jesse Dong (157), who came in as the No. 12 and No. 5 seeds, respectively, both won just two matches. It was a disappointing performance for the both of them, as they finished in the top 12 in 2010, and
failed to duplicate that performance last weekend. “I wouldn’t say it sets me back,” Garnett said of his performance. “It just gives me something to keep working for.” His two losses came to the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in James Nicholson of Old Dominion, 10-4, and Zach Sanders of Minnesota, 8-6. As for Dong, he was upset in the second round by No. 12 seed Paul Young of Indiana, 9-4, two matches before being shutout by Buffalo’s Mark Lewandowski, 7-0. Senior Chris Diaz (141) saw his Hokie career end in painful fashion. A year after becoming the first All-American in the Kevin Dresser era, Diaz won his first match before Kentucky’s No. 4 seed James Kennedy pinned him in the second round. An injury prevented him from competing in the consolations. Pete Yates (165) and David Marone
(285) won one match a piece, while Brian Stephens (149) remained winless after two NCAA appearances. As bad as this postseason has gone for the Hokies, it doesn’t take away from one of the best seasons in school history. Tech tied the school record with 20 dual meet victories, had three ACC champions in Garnett, Carter and Dong, and sent seven individuals to the NCAA Championships. They finished sixth in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, and peaked at No. 3 in that poll back in mid-January. “Not having a good NCAA Tournament is a setback, but, we did some really good things this year,” Dresser said. “I know the program’s going in the right direction. It just would’ve been nice to put an exclamation point on the season and we didn’t do that.”