ben folds: check out the review at collegiatetimes.com Wednesday, April 13, 2011
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 45
News, page 2
Food & Drink, page 5
Grad hiring down slightly, report says GORDON BLOCK associate news editor Hiring levels for Virginia Tech graduates have remained relatively the same, according to a newly released study by career services. The 2009-10 Post-Graduation Report, released Friday, shows 49 percent of graduates employed, which is a drop of 1 percent from the 2008-09 report. Additionally, 27 percent of students reported plans or admission into graduate or professional school, an increase of 1 percent from the previous year. Six months after graduation, 21 percent of graduates are still seeking employment, while only 2 percent have not begun to seek employment. Rachel Dobroth, a senior communication major and president of the Tech chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, said jobs were a major discussion among her group’s members. Dobroth, who is still looking for a job, said she usually stressed finding work through networking and not from standard job listings. “The jobs that are most meaningful are found through people and not through job listings,” Dobroth said. The median salary for students in the report is $47,000, the same as the previous year’s report. Stuart Mease, director of undergraduate career services, noted student perceptions may not equate to the reality of the current job market. “There’s a myth out there if you have a degree, then a job is going to come calling,” Mease said. “That’s definitely not the case.” Mease noted the different realities for students based on skill sets they
have. “Not all degrees have the same level of demand,” Mease said. Tiffany Nguyen, a senior business information and technology major and secretary of the BIT Club, said she was surprised to learn that 83 percent of students in her major had found a job after graduating. Nguyen said students in her major are in high demand. “All they have to do is go to career fairs, keep up in their studies and do a good interview,” Nguyen said. Nguyen will be working with IBM in its offices near Washington, D.C. Mease stressed the need for students to develop skills outside of their particular major, comparing the job market to a game of Blackjack. “You never know what card is going to turn over,” Mease said. According to the report, 25 percent of respondents said their first contact with their employer was through a previous work experience, such as an internship, more than any other source. Adam Christie, a senior forestry major and president of the Forestry Club, said the market for jobs from his major was competitive. Christie, who will be going to graduate school at Tech, said many members lined up jobs from previous internships. “The forestry community is very small,” Christie said. “Word of mouth and networking is very important.” Of 5,331 graduates between December 2009 and Summer 2010, the 2009-10 report brought in a 63 percent response rate, which was down 69 percent the previous two reports. The full report can be found at the career services website, Career.vt.edu.
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 6
Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
Quidditch sweeps nation
MICHAEL BURTON / SPPS
The Virginia Tech Quidditch team, which was founded by Christina Nestor, practices the popular Hogwarts wizardry game on the Drillfield.
VIRGINIA TECH QUIDDITCH TEAM BRINGS MAGICAL GAME FROM ‘HARRY POTTER’ NOVELS TO LIFE NICK CAFFERKY sports reporter Aside from its academics and athletics, Virginia Tech is best known for its Hokie-stone covered structures that look more like castles than academic buildings. Add in Tech’s seclusion from any major city, and the end result is a comparison to a school just about everyone in the world is familiar with: Hogwarts. With that in mind, it is only fitting that Quidditch, the wildly popular sport in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world, has been brought to Tech. In today’s world, Harry Potter has become a huge part of pop culture all over the globe. Each of the seven books has been made into Blockbuster movies — part two of the final novel comes out in July. And Universal Studios opened up a section of its park called “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” last April. Now, the famous wizard’s sport has been taken off the pages and into real life, with Tech recently joining the group of schools to have a Quidditch team. “I saw some Facebook groups, and
there was one guy that was like, ‘Hey, I want to start one,’ and he didn’t even go to this school anymore,” said Christina Nestor, the team’s founder and co-captain. “I got tired of people saying they were going to (start a team) and not doing it.” Nestor is a member of SPPS, a division of EMCVT, the Collegiate Times’ parent company. “Muggle Quidditch” first came into existence in 2005, when Alexander Manshel, a student at Middlebury College, took what he saw in the books and translated it into a game people could actually play. Two years later, he started the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association, and the hobby has been growing in popularity ever since. “It is just another way to show how big Harry Potter is in our generation,” said Andrew Economou, a freshman architecture major. While flying on brooms is obviously not involved in playing Muggle Quidditch, much of the game is the same as in books. Chasers try to throw a volleyball through three hoops guarded by a keeper. Beaters throw dodge balls, or “bludgers,” at the other team, all while
the seeker tries to catch the snitch. Because the snitch is said to have “a mind of its own,” a separate player acts as the snitch by dressing in yellow and running around the campus until caught. “I want to say it would be close to the original sport,” Nestor said, “but I feel like the Muggle Quidditch is a little too violent for what they would put in the Harry Potter books.” Competitors are required to hold a broom between their legs the entire time, to simulate flying. Though they might not be as quick as Harry on the Nimbus 2000, it does create some fastpaced action. Without a pitch of its own, the Quidditch Club, which is known as the “Virginia Tech Phoenixes,” to keep its mascot fairly close to the Hokie Bird, is forced to practice on the Drillfield and other public areas. Considering Quidditch isn’t exactly as common as the softball or Frisbee games usually occupying the field, many are perplexed by what they are watching. That being said, many students figure it out quickly and enjoy the homage to their favorite books from childhood. “People who know what we’re doing either make Quidditch-related comments, or laugh at us, or watch,” said
Kitty Schaffernoth, one of the team’s captains. “You get a lot of mixed comments about Quidditch. We were practicing in the Johnson quad on Friday, and some boys in Miles Hall would yell, ‘Throw it to Harry!’ whenever we were passing the ball.” The Phoenixes competed in their first tournament, the River City Invitational, which was sponsored by the Virginia Quidditch League, on April 3. The tournament featured four other teams from schools in the state, including the Christopher Newport Captains of Crucio and the University of Richmond Acromantulas. Although the team went 0-4, proving it is not quite ready to compete with Gryffindor for the House Cup, the tournament was still a way to introduce the team to competitions with other schools. “It was really more of a chance to put (what) we learned to use, and not have to worry about playing against ourselves and hurting one of our own,” Nestor said. The Phoenixes next match will be against the James Madison University Marauders on Sunday, April 17, at 2 p.m. The game will take place on the Drillfield in front of Eggleston Hall, and spectators are welcome to come and watch the action.
Project gives Civil War papers digital life JAY SPEIDELL news reporter JOSH SON / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Tech wins award for diversity retention MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news reporter Virginia Tech was honored with the Impact Award for diversity on Wednesday. The award, presented by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Exxon Mobil Corporation, honors Tech, Purdue University and University of Texas at Austin for retaining underrepresented minorities in engineering fields. A $10,000 grant will be awarded to each school for retention efforts. The programs Tech offers are designed to provide a community to students, particularly targeting minor-
ities and women. “Students should have an equal probability of graduating,” said Bevlee Watford, the dean of engineering. “They’re all across the board getting into the College of Engineering. So why are we having these discrepancies in the graduation rate? Studies show that people who (are) underrepresented, minorities, tend to have greater difficulty becoming part of the community.” Watford is a Tech alumna. “You can’t get through by yourself,” Watford said. “You need other students to study with, and you need other students to rely on. It’s very important to see AWARD / page four
Virginia Tech has launched a website featuring an indexed repository of Civil War era newspapers. The ongoing project involves converting the microfilm images to digital files and indexing them so they can be accessed with a search engine. The website already features full issues of the Macon Daily Telegraph from Macon, Ga., from 1860-65. “The newspapers in general from the Civil War era haven’t been used as much as they could have been because there are no indexes to date,” said William Davis, director of programs for the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Tech. “You just have to swab through them page after page.” Davis said that since the newspapers were previously stored on microfilm, they were tedious to search through and read. “Most historians simply don’t have the time for that,” Davis said. “So this index should open up a lot of information that’s in the newspapers.” The project has been going on for
seven years and has involved a number of people, including a Tech alumni, the Digital Imaging Department, overseen by Gary Worley and several graduate students. “The current goal is to eventually include about 10 newspapers representing a broad spectrum of America in the 1860s,” Davis said, “in order to have the best representation of all shapes of opinion and geography.” The Macon Daily Telegraph is a southern newspaper. Davis said the project plans to add a northern newspaper, one from both the east and west of the Appalachians, one or two small town weeklies and one or two major dailies. Those behind the project also hope to add a Black-owned newspaper and anti-administration papers from both the Union and the Confederacy. “I’d like to encourage everyone, especially college students, to make use of it,” Davis said. “It’s going to be a slow project, but as it grows, it’s going to be a trove of easy access to useful data and information, that otherwise people would have to spend weeks and weeks and a lot of travel to track down.” The website can be found at https:// COURTESY OF THE VIRGINIA CENTER FOR CIVIL WAR STUDIES dcr.emd.vt.edu/vital/access/manager/ index. This headline appeared in a Georgia newspaper on April 13, 1861.
2 news
news editors: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
april 13, 2011
COLLEGIATETIMES
On a falsely reported sexual assault: Anonymous >> Hopefully this young woman’s attempt to tip-toe her way out of a public intoxication charge will not deter legitimate victims from coming forward. Part of becoming an adult is owning up to your mistakes. Since she didn’t own up to her drunkenness, she’ll be learning a slightly harder lesson. Hopefully it sticks.
hokie_1997 >> Throw the book at this woman! Consider: 1. If the police hadn’t caught onto her lie, she could’ve seriously screwed up some guy’s life forever.2. She wasted valuable manpower and resources of the VTPD investigating a bogus claim.3. If it’s shown that one can falsely report and get away with it, what kind of example does that set? Send this chick to jail for a year.
Anonymous >> Obviously, this young woman’s judgment was not the best. Is it really necessary however to release her name to the entire campus community? I think that her privacy should have been more respected.
Anonymous >> Tough tatas. Yes, her name does need to be released. The police department, the CT, etc. all put out word in an attempt to capture her assailant. Had it been a real assault, and had someone been caught, you can bet that person’s name would have been in the paper, so why shouldn’t hers? This is a follow-up on a story that already ran so it’s not like they’re just trolling the court records.
Mark >> What world do you live in?!!?? Her name absolutely should have been released, and her reputation absolutely SHOULD be tarnished! She lost her right to privacy when she made a false statement about being sexually assaulted. As far as the sorority receiving negative press as a result - like it or not, every member of a fraternity or sorority is an ambassador for their respective organization. It is every member’s responsibility to uphold the values of the organization. Lemme guess...one or both of you are greek?
crime blotter
national Cisco to shut down Flip camera unit LOS ANGELES — Cisco Systems is flipping the off-switch on the Flip camcorder. On Tuesday the computer networking giant said it was shutting down its Flip Video unit as a step toward narrowing its business. About a week ago, John Chambers,
Cisco’s chief executive, promised “bold steps” to refocus the company, declaring that missteps were “unacceptable.” The shuttering of Flip cam operations will mean the loss of about 550 jobs and about $300 million, the company said in a statement.
Cisco bought Pure Digital Technologies, the maker of the Flip cam, for $590 million in 2009. Though Cisco will stop producing the camera, it will still support its FlipShare video-sharing services. -nathan olivarez-giles, mcclatchy newspapers
University investigates lap dancing at symposium A La Salle University professor who serves on the school’s committee on academic integrity reportedly hired strippers to attend a symposium at which they gave lap dances to himself and students. La Salle spokesman Joseph Donovan confirmed yesterday that the university has “launched a fullscale investigation” into the March 21 symposium held by Jack Rappaport, an assistant professor of management. Donovan declined to say what the school is investigating, but according to a blog post by a La Salle student who claims to have spoken with two students who were in attendance, participants paid $150 to go to the symposium, where they earned credits in the College of Professional and Continuing Studies or extra credit in Rappaport’s business classes. Three scantily clad strippers gave lap dances to willing students and to Rappaport during the class, according to the blog, which broke the story on Friday. The nature of the symposium
c-
is unclear, although the blog suggests that it was supposed to be about “the application of Platonic and Hegelian ethics to business.” Donovan confirmed that the symposium ended when School of Business Dean Paul Brazina came in and brought it to a halt. Donovan said that students who attended the symposium would be interviewed as part of the school’s investigation. He declined to say whether Rappaport was still a member of the school’s faculty or still teaching classes. “Essentially, it’s an incident which, obviously, administrators felt the need to look into, and they asked the university attorneys to conduct a formal investigation,” he said. Rappaport has taught at La Salle since 1979 and leads courses in production management, statistics and management-information systems, according to his curriculum vitae. It also says that he serves on the school’s ad-hoc committee on academic integrity.
In his online university profile, Rappaport wrote: “I try to enrich my teaching by using real life applications such as the use of the horse race betting market in the teaching of statistics.” On the website RateMyProfessors. com, Rappaport’s students call him everything from “a ZERO” to a “great instructor.” Several commenters on the site noted his preoccupation with gambling and other entertainment. One commenter wrote of Rappaport in May 2004: “extremely strange man. loves gambling, horse racing and strip joints. talks about all of the above all the time. doesn’t like to teach. smart man about stats. easy A.” Another wrote in January 2010: “Somehow, I received a B in the class despite having no idea what I was doing on the last test. Did I mention I was the only female blonde in the class?”
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
03/14/2011
03/11/2011-03/14/2011
Larceny of pictures
Litton Reeves
Inactive
04/11/2011
03/29/2011-03/30/2011
Larceny of a ladder
Vet Med
Inactive
04/12/2011
04/11/2011-04/12/2011
Vandalism to an elevator light
Lee Hall
Inactive
04/12/2011
04/12/2011
Underage possession of alcohol x 2
Harper Hal
Cleared by Arrest
-stephanie farr, mcclatchy newspapers
13216540656465514
what you’re saying //comments from online readers...
opınıons 3
editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
april 13, 2011
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letter to the editor]
Minority group needs visibility the time this letter is printed, Virginia Tech By will be about halfway though a month of “celebrating” its largest domestic minority group. If this is a celebration, then Van Wilder help us all. I saw no banners hanging in Squires Student Center announcing the proud heritage of these students. There were no publicized talks about the rice patties of their ancestors, nor musical performances from lands of the Golden River or Rising Sun. My e-mail inbox held no messages celebrating these students. I did, however, receive an email from a head coach who was “extremely disappointed in the student turnout in our game against Georgia Tech,” and another that gave me a $2 discount on sunscreen from the bookstore for the $600 spring break cruise that I couldn’t afford. It is mid-April, and the only announcement I’ve seen is a legal-sized flier hanging in the sixth floor hallway of McBryde Hall on a bare bulletin board. It’s purple-tinged, white and red heading stated “Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: Reaching for the Same Sky, Looking at the Same Moon, Wishing for Peace.” Is this theme supposed to connect with me? Am I supposed to reach for the sky, gaze at the moon and do my best impersonation of a werewolf who prays for peace? Is this theme
supposed to resonate with my fellow 2,050 Asian/Pacific Islander students at Tech? And do these programs justify the more than $15 million in tuition we collectively pay to the University? And are these “culture shows” really what Asian/Pacific Americans contribute to Tech? “Hi my name is Ken. I’m a third generation American, but let me show you a dance I learned from a YouTube video that Wikipedia says represents my culture before we start working on our PowerPoint presentation.” What about the Asian/Pacific Americans who serve in the armed forces? What about the challenges of Asian/Pacific American LGBT students facing both racism and sexual discrimination in both public and private life? Are they represented by the “Bizarre Foods Event?” Maybe it’s better that this month’s university’s portrayal has been constrained to a 8.5inch-by-14-inch sheet of paper. I do not want the struggle and strife of my immigrant father, who worked as a janitor to pay for college, or great uncle who was interned during WWII for being a Japanese priest, to be associated with exotic dances, martial art performances or bizarre foods. If this is the light shined on Asian and Pacific Islanders by Tech, then it’s no wonder as to why Asian/Pacific Islanders remain invisible.
Leighton Vila master’s student sociology
Pressure on youth for unreal productivity should be alleviated would be lying if I said I haven’t had days when I wished the Iworld would slow down. Being a college student while unemployment is uncomfortably high and undergraduates compete with master’s students for unpaid internships is nerve-racking to say the least. With pressure to come out at the top of the grade curve, when being on top means merely having a chance at securing a future, it seems every student is for themselves. As a result, many, if not most students, have become hyperactive multi-taskers that seem to have a million things going on at once. Students are squeezing more and more hours into the day by chugging coffee in the morning and energy drinks at night. With the advent of the Internet, coupled with cell phones and texting, people literally can be in multiple places at once. Although the reality cannot change, individuals’ productivities are being pushed to their limits. With the potential for productivity skyrocketing, as information becomes easier to share and knowledge is developed like never before, keeping up has become a daily task. At present rates, it is estimated that about seven million new Web pages are added to the Internet every year, and an astonishing 35 hours of new YouTube videos are uploaded every minute. People are experiencing competition for their attention like no other generation before, all while attempting to succeed professionally. I mention technology in discussing the hurried multi-taskers people have become because I believe the two go hand in hand. On one hand, people have become this way because of the pressure to succeed in a time period where not everyone necessarily does. On the other hand, people have become this way because technology allows them to be so immensely productive that outshining the next person is not usually a question of resources. People can ask a question and have an answer within seconds from dozens of sources, without having to stop and search through books or talk to other people. Having a conversation with a friend is no longer just having a conversation with a friend — it most likely entails texting details about life, while in class sitting behind a laptop that is open, with a different classes’ homework due later that day on the screen. Whatever the reason, this makes me wonder if generations in the near future will be more technologically savvy, as well as nerve-wrackingly productive, than the one before it. I also wonder, if at some point, a reversal will occur. I, like
most, have witnessed the iPhonetoting middle-schoolers and iPodcarrying elementary schoolers, but I’ve got to wonder when and where it will stop. Currently, it is difficult to imagine a drastic change in the future, but history says anything is possible. One thing that is probable is rebellion. After a generation of youth grew up during the Great Depression, they were careful and meticulous to ensure a better life for their children. They invested their time and energy into their children while the United States recovered, and they brought a taste for consumerism, cars and suburbia bliss. Many historians believe this desire and admiration for comfortable living to be the cause of the rebellious ways of those growing up during the ’60s and ’70s. The drug use, rock and roll music, protests and general regard for breaking the status-quo of the cookie cutter lives of the prior decade were a cry to break free from the prim lives their parents had secured for them. If anyone needs a refresher in what this was like, just think of the teenagers in “That ’70s Show.” The current generation, has had the luxury of growing up in an economically sound decade and was welcomed to the tumultuous 2000s. Those from this generation have experienced comfort, a technological revolution, a booming economy and its consequent burst. They have to cope, while people regularly hear that prosperity will most likely never return to the level once enjoyed. At some point the insane pressure for productivity and competition has to subside, for humanity’s sake. While it seems that things will only continue to escalate into the future, I sincerely hope they do not. Perhaps, if they’re lucky enough, the next generation will live in a world more stable and will not have to fight for a decent job to support themselves and their family. Presently, it has not been projected that the picture will improve by much, especially because technology, wages and capabilities of nations around the world are projected to continue to meet in the middle until they eventually do. Nevertheless, there is always the possibility, and moreover hope, that there will be a shift in thinking and a reversal to a more mellow lifestyle.
NOOR KHALIDI -regular columnist -junior -economics major
MCT CAMPUS
Recent budget controversy is a product of 2010 election supposed to get a whopper tax Iforamreturn this year. I still have not filed it, but it’s on my to-do list for this week. It should be large enough to cover the first and last month’s rent at my new apartment. Consequently, I have procrastinated with the submission of my 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, so we shall see what kind of aid I will get next year for some out-of-state law school tuition. A tax return and a FAFSA application are two important financial maneuvers that happen every year, assuming that the federal government does not shut down. Last week, the federal government nearly shut down because of lawmakers’ inability to agree on budget cutbacks. In a completely reckless misappropriation of discretion, the newly christened leaders of the legislative branch nearly locked out hundreds of thousands of Americans from their jobs, ruined the wavering faith of its populace and set a precedent of shortsightedness that no astigmatism could cause. The paragraph before is false: the new legislative branch did not nearly ruin faith or nearly set a precedent. It totally ruined our faith in them and absolutely set a precedent. The midnight vote last Friday to pass a budget was so sophomoric that the refrain of “mature discussion about the budget” felt like a Weird Al Yankovic parody. To piggyback nonthreatening pieces of social agenda onto a bill that literally signs the checks to thousands of Americans is analogous to the irresponsibly hateful Republican bravado of post-Sept. 11 Toby Keith. Thankfully, though, Planned Parenthood is not an integral role in my own personal life. Its place in the governmental shutdown discourse, as the child in a custody decision between divorcees, is ludicrous. The Republican assault on this organization further underscores their implicit war on women’s sexuality.
Level with me for a minute — is an unplanned pregnancy ever the male’s responsibility, and does he ever suffer the immense scrutiny his counterpart receives? Arguing the ethics of abortion is not the purpose of this column, so take your Internet comment flame-wars elsewhere. The purpose of this column is to browbeat you with the impact of a government shutdown and how it contradicts the entire platform with which the Republican Party swindled the 2010 election. People were unemployed. The Toxic Asset Relief Program money seemed to have vanished into thin air. General Motors had yet to release its initial public offering after their corporate operations were ventriloquized by the feds. The horrors of ObamaCare were sweeping the nation, marginalizing health care providers to the mythologized ineptitude of lackadaisical postal workers. Then, fortunately, professors of economics ran under the Republican Party, demonstrating their elaborate knowledge about Robert Mundell and Arthur Laffer’s work on supplyside economics. Everybody knows that if taxes are cut on the wealthy and corporations, they will totally carry over to their employees and back into the market. (Hint: it doesn’t work.) Then there are companies such as BP, that passively allow the Gulf of Mexico to turn a darker hue and then throw money at themselves in the form of “Safety Incentives.” Yeah, if you forgot, that initial explosion resulted in the immediate deaths of 11 employees and the poisoning of innumerable resources and individuals. It’s time for a change, dude. Bring in the Republicans. Five months after their election, they have ruined the country so badly that they almost shut it down. It took them five months to teabag the commission of responsibility that their constituents entrusted them, then they pompously laud in the afterglow of reaching a deal. Yes, House Republicans, through your champi-
oning of “responsible government” we get to take credit for relenting. A slight concession: the Republicans are right — it is imperative that the operating budget of the federal government be trimmed substantially. But, to hear Republican Mike Pence discuss the prospects of government shutdown ought to give all graduating Hokies something to feel good about. If this architect of logic can become a Congressman, then there has to be a job out there for us somewhere. “It seems like liberals in the Senate would rather shut the government down so they can continue to borrow money from China to support the biggest abortion provider in America,” said Pence, according to USA Today. If the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is serious about cutting funding, it does not come from cleaving programs like Planned Parenthood and National Public Radio. It does not come from cutting corners with emission codes of the Environmental Protection Agency. It does not come from withholding welfare for the poor, collective bargaining rights for public workers or accessible medication for senior citizens. Cut back on these imperialist wars on ideologies. End the war on terror, because Americans are perpetuating the terror. End the war on drugs, because Americans are complicit as the world’s leading consumer. To quote Twitter user @bluecanaan, “Remember when Planned Parenthood (and NPR, the EPA, the elderly, etc.) wiped out half our 401(k)s and took TARP money? Me neither.” How unabatedly stupid will the next two years be?
BEN WOODY -regular columnist -senior -English major
Possible dog ownership should be more carefully considered not think people honestly think about the responsibilities Iof docritically owning a dog. It really annoys me, because they do not realize the amount of training and attention that needs to take place. Oh yes, puppies are adorable and fluffy and everyone wants one. However, have potential dog owners really thought about what the pup is going to need? It is very sad, indeed, when an owner realizes they cannot take care of their dog anymore, and the only option they have is to give it away. I do not think people who have never owned a dog — or any pet for that matter — really understand what they are getting themselves into. There are many more things dogs need besides a leash and food. They need chew toys, especially puppies because they will chew on a brand new pair of shoes. Dog owners probably should not be messy people because dogs get into everything. A dog is not merely an accessory. An untrained dog bothers me very much. If people do not have the time to properly train their dogs, then why
get one? Without proper training, a dog can become aggressive and have behavioral problems. The dog could end up uncontrollable. In addition, if a puppy is not properly socialized, then it could end up shy and anxious. But each dog and owner are different. Additionally, I would bet that people often forget to add in the veterinary costs of owning a dog. Dogs are usually spayed or neutered and given multiple rounds of shots. Just like people, they can get sick and unexpected emergencies can arise. The amount of free time a person has should also be considered when considering dog ownership. Owners must make time for the dog; the dog does not make time for them. Owners should also consider if its the right time in their lives to have a dog, especially if they’re interested in an active dog. Is there yard space to let a dog release excess energy? Dogs are not meant to be locked up in a crate for eight hours or more on end. They need green grass and exercise. In addition, I think people need to
take the time and look up the type of breed they are interested in. If owners are interested in a mixed breed, they should look up the personality of each breed and other information about it. Some breeds could need a lot of exercise. This way owners wouldn’t be surprised if the dog is hyperactive or likes to “talk” a lot. Granted, no dog or owner is perfect. So, before getting a dog, potential owners should do some thinking. I hate to see when someone gets a dog just because they want one and doesn’t think about the consequences (good and bad) about being an owner. I am not saying that people who think about owning or own a dog do not know what they are getting in to — people just need to think a bit more before they make the jump into dog ownership.
BRITTANY FORD -regular columnist -junior -history major
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april 13, 2011
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Award: ExxonMobil honors Tech’s minority engineers from page one
be a part of the community.” Both Tech and corporate entities recognize the importance of diversity. When ExxonMobil realized their engineering applicant pool lacked adequate minority representation, they researched the cause and found retention issues. “We felt it imperative to partner with one of our professional organizations, like NSBE, (to) find a way to bridge this gap with other universities in terms of identifying how are schools doing the right thing, how do we have a model, how do we start sharing these best practices and ensuring that we’re doing things proactively to bridge the gap,” said Kathy Belton, project manager for ExxonMobil Development Company. The two organizations solicited applications from 200 schools that are typically recruited for engineers. Tech stood out because of its continuity. The programs have been in place for years and have produced substantial results. Tech has implemented three signature programs specifically designed to accommodate community building: Hypatia and Galileo themed housing, the Student Transition Engineering Program (STEP) and Peer Mentoring. Hypatia and Galileo, themed housing for women and men engineers, allow students taking the same classes to live and work together. Students also take a class associated with the program that contributes to community building and professional development.
STEP is a is a five-week summer program for incoming freshmen. Incoming students take engineering, math and chemistry courses for no credit to get a feel for college before classes begin. Although it is open to all students, it particularly targets minorities and women. Peer Mentoring is a program where young engineers are also paired with upper-classmen peers. Their purpose is to show younger students the ropes. They talk about classes, help them find organizations or clubs the might be interested in, and make Tech feel like home. Tech has seen huge gains in retaining minorities since the implementation of these programs. Before the STEP program, the graduation rate for Black and Hispanic students in engineering was approximately 34 percent. That number increased to 63 percent for the 2009-2010 academic years. Students who participated in the STEP program had a 73 percent graduation rate compared to 56 percent among students who did not do the program. A key component to the programs’ success is motivated and passionate faculty members. Leigh McCue led the engineering portion of the STEP camp and helps with Galileo and Hypatia programs. “I think they’re doing a great service,” she said. “Everything we can be doing to recruit and retain a diverse student body is I think a very valuable mission.”
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Company fostering young businesses MEIGHAN DOBER news staff writer A Corporate Research Center company is encouraging college students to develop original business ideas. The Virginia Tech KnowledgeWorks company is currently holding its third annual competition for Tech students and students from the surrounding Virginia and North Carolina areas for the best original business plan. When KnowledgeWorks was originally born, it was considered an “incubator” that helped new businesses grow and develop. However, it soon became a “preincubator” that helped new businesses in the preparation and execution phases. “Starting a new business is hard to do, and it’s better to do it cheaply. When you are young, you don’t have as much responsibility, so you can focus all your energy into the new company,” said Jim Flowers, director of KnowledgeWorks. “Our job is to help companies launch and grow.” One way that KnowledgeWorks seeks to foster new companies is through its annual competition. In January, any full-time student is invited to write a one-page paper regarding their business concept. “The bullet points are what matters,” Flowers said. “This paper is
kept to the concept strategy.” Judges review these papers, and if a concept has reasonable chances to work, the contestant is invited to submit a five-page paper. Judges select four or five teams to be finalists. Each finalist must make a presentation that will be judged. A main thing the judges look at is how well the team presents. Contestants are also encouraged to keep their concept and business plan to its simplest form.
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When you are young, you don’t have as much responsibility, so you can focus all your energy into the new company. JIM FLOWERS DIRECTOR, KNOWLEDGEWORKS
“A good idea (that is) badly presented may not come across,” Flowers said. “If you complicate something too early, you might waste energy on something that doesn’t even matter.” Presentations are limited to a 10 to 12 slide powerpoint presentation. The presentation must be between 10 and 15 minutes long, and there is a 10 minute question and answer session afterward. There are two contests: one for
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By Don Gagliardo
ACROSS 1 Get used to it 6 PBS moderator Ifill 10 Go for 14 Martinez with three Cy Young Awards 15 By __: from memory 16 Sale modifier 17 Delta location 19 Actor Sitka who appeared in numerous Three Stooges films 20 Source of showroom shock? 22 Healthy routine
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Tech students and one for nonTech students. This year, there are five Tech teams and four regional teams. The winner of each contest receives $5,000 and has the opportunity to use the KnowledgeWorks facilities to develop their company. Jordan Jackson, a senior industrial design major at Tech, is competing with four team members. Their company, Kiwee Stroller Company, produces one stroller that combines jogging and travel. They have a website where purchasers can add accessories according to their needs. The most difficult thing they have encountered while preparing for the presentation has been gearing their products toward a business and market-oriented audience. As of right now, they have no definite plans for the prize money. Similarly, Sam Sink, a graduate student from Appalachian State University, and his partner have a company called Closed Loop Energy, LLC. This business is designed to generate electricity using anaerobic digesters on hog farms. It is structured so that it creates carbon offset credit and renewable energy credit. The most preparation they have undergone is formulating a business plan. Sarah Hostyk is a senior from Appalachian State. She has entered
the competition alone. Her company, Dear Career, LLC, is a website that uses visual interface and a profile to match job recruiters and seekers. It incorporates elements based on values. “My biggest challenge has been trying to get a business idea out in 15 minutes,” Hostyk said. “Trying to narrow things down is hard.” There are no grade requirements regarding who can or cannot participate in the competition. The average age of the team must be no more than 25. The two winners of the $5,000 prize can compete for a $25,000 prize in August. The two winners will compete against teams from other countries that won an identical competition in their own country. In addition the $25,000 prize, there are two additional $5,000 prizes awarded. Last year, there were eight teams. This year, 10 to 12 are expected. In addition to the monetary prize, a traveling trophy is awarded to the international winner. This past year, it resided in Belfast, Ireland. KnowledgeWorks is able to mentor entrepreneurs and help them throughout their development. “Now is a great time to be an entrepreneur,” Flowers said. “You have so many resources that people did not have 15 years ago.”
april 13, 2011
editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
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food & drink Local bakery owners revamp menu, business COLLEGIATETIMES
Our Daily Bread utilizes new business ventures NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS mindset led to distinct changes in features reporter Our Daily Bread has transformed over the past two years into a nostalgic, personable bakery and pastry shop with flair. French couple Thierry and Danielle Tellier took over the local bakery, situated on South Main Street in Blacksburg, about two years ago and immediately started making noticeable changes. Previously, the Telliers owned a restaurant in Houston, Texas for about 10 years but decided to sell it in 2007. After taking a break from the restaurant industry, the couple came across the business opportunity in Blacksburg and took it. “We looked at the business, and we saw real potential in there,” Danielle Tellier said. “We were interested in the town being a college town.” With experience under their belts, the Telliers approached Our Daily Bread with a sense of innovation, creativity and experience. Their
business. “We upgraded the business to a certain level where people come here and they can find a real pastry shop and bakery,” Danielle Tellier said. Among the changes to the restaurant was the Tellier’s management style, which consists of a desire for excitement and change. This style led Thierry Tellier, the head chef, to denounce the use of a formal menu. Instead, the food choices are decided at the beginning of each day. “It is very strange. We do not have a menu,” Theirry Tellier said. “Based on what we have and how we feel, we choose what to make.” Thierry Tellier said the previous owners were a bit skeptical when they heard about the lack of a menu, but he was not worried. After all, the Telliers did the same at their Houston restaurant. “Life has to be fun,” Thierry Tellier said. “I hate to do the same thing every day. It is not fun.”
DANIEL LIN / SPPS
Holly Holbrook decorates Easter-themed cupcakes in the Our Daily Bread kitchen. The local restaurant whips up homemade baked goods.
French bakery owners offer Saturday brunch concerts NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS features reporter Sipping on coffee and munching on freshly baked pastries, various customers sat and relaxed as the soothing music of live musicians echoed throughout Our Daily Bread. Owners Thierry and Danielle Tellier have made various transformations to the bakery, including the addition of Saturday brunch from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., which features live musical guests. The Saturday brunches have been happening for about a year-anda-half, not long after the couple took over the business two years ago. The couple created the weekly event to create an enjoyable atmosphere where customers feel welcome. Besides entertaining their guests, the Telliers enjoy the music as well.
Originally, the Telliers exclusively hosted jazz musicians, most of which were regulars that played every few weeks. As time went on, the music and atmosphere evolved to provide new musicians and genres of music, including big band and folk. This shift allowed new musical groups to gain recognition and offered variety to customers’ ears. Above all, the purpose of Saturday brunch is to begin the weekend in good fashion. “Life has to be fun — different,” Danielle Tellier said. “Saturday is the starting of the weekend. It has to be fun and enjoyable.” The Telliers consider Saturday brunch to be a success. “For every musician, we have a different crowd,” Danielle Tellier said.
DANIEL LIN / SPPS
Clockwise from top-left: Freshly made food sits in a display case to be served for brunch. Cliff Beach performs during brunch. Danielle Tellier, co-owner, consults with a customer about wedding cakes. Thierry Telliers, co-owner, strikes a pose while chatting with friends.
Chorizo Breakfast Scramble recipe Instead of eating traditional scrambled eggs, spice up your breakfast and try this delicious and easy chorizo breakfast scramble recipe. INGREDIENTS: 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups shredded potatoes (can be frozen hash browns) 1/2 cup diced onion 1/4-1/2 cup diced green peppers 1 cup ground chorizo 5 eggs 1/2-3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese Optional ingredients: tomatoes, jalapenos, toast or tortillas for serving
MIA PERRY features reporter
DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat a flat grill or nonstick skillet (the bigger the better) to medium high heat. 2. Add a little oil to the skillet, followed by the chorizo, making sure to break it into even clumps. Brown the chorizo for several minutes. 3. Add the rest of the oil, potatoes, onion and pepper(s). Mix the ingredients together thoroughly on the grill, and let them cook for about seven minutes. Use a rubber spatula, or other utensil, to turn mixture over so both sides of the food are cooked evenly.
TURN OFFS: MIA PERRY / COLLEGIATE TIMES
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4. Combine the eggs into a bowl and whisk them together. Pour the eggs over the mixture, and add any of the optional ingredients. Let the whole mixture cook for about three minutes, making sure to keep churning the ingredients. Make sure all the fluid from the eggs cook. 5. Turn the heat off, and add the cheese in an even layer over the top. Mix it all together, and eat as is. Try it over toast or in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito.
thing. ’t learned a
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pageripa B editors: michael bealey, garrett sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
april 13, 2011
A NEW SWING
PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
Redshirt freshman Marc MacDonald takes a swing during practice. MacDonald, who is originally from Zimbabwe, came to study and play golf at Virginia Tech partly because his older brother was on the team.
MOVING FROM THIRD WORLD TO HOKIE NATION, MACDONALD HOPES TO PLAY INTO THE LINEUP ALEX KOMA sports staff writer It’s widely known that many kids leave home at the age of 18 or 19 to attend college. However, it’s truly rare that a teenager would travel nearly 8,000 miles to get their degree. Marc MacDonald, a redshirt freshman on the golf team, is one of those teenagers. MacDonald spent the first 19 years of his life in Harare, Zimbabwe before deciding to enroll at Virginia Tech. “I lived in Harare for a long time before I ever set foot in America,” MacDonald said. “So the difference between living in a third world country to coming to Blacksburg was huge.” In Zimbabwe, MacDonald quickly became one of the nation’s premier golfers, winning the 2008 Zimbabwe National Amateur Championship and representing his nation in a variety of other international events. “Marc has less than four years experience at playing golf,” said Jay Hardwick, head coach. “And yet he competed in both the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship in 2008 and the World Amateur Team PAUL LURLAK / SPPS Championship just last year.”
The decision to travel so far away from home to play golf was a difficult one, but MacDonald credits his brother Nick for helping him make the choice. “I had offers from other schools, but my brother was a four-year player at (Tech),” MacDonald said. “And it felt like there was a pipeline from here to back home, which really shaped my decision.” MacDonald’s brother accompanied him on his initial visit to Tech’s campus, and coaches immediately noticed their closeness. “When Marc was on his visit here, we saw him and Nick talking, and we could barely tell them apart,” said Brian Sharp, assistant coach. “Nick still lives in America as a professional golfer, and he really helped (Marc) learn the ropes around here.” The coaches and MacDonald agreed that to help make such a big adjustment to living here, he should sit out his freshman year. He said he believes it paid dividends. “The redshirt year was a really good idea. It really helped me get used to being in America,” MacDonald said. “The U.S. is such a consumer economy, which is so different from home, and the year off helped me deal with that.”
The coaching staff said redshirting MacDonald has also helped his golf game. “Marc is really eager to learn and get better,” Hardwick said. “He’s the type of guy that we haven’t had to encourage to practice, and although he can get in his own way sometimes, he’s probably our most improved player.” However, the year off hasn’t been without its challenges. “It’s hard sometimes to practice when you’re not working toward a competition,” MacDonald said. Despite the setbacks, coaches are confident MacDonald will soon be a major contributor to the team. “(Marc) has worked really hard in the weight room to develop physically and has made several critical changes in his swing,” Sharp said. “In fact, we were just watching film of him when he first got here the other day, and we could hardly believe we were watching the same player, with how small and raw he looked.” So far, MacDonald has only competed as an individual, but it’s likely that he’ll join the team this coming fall. “Although the learning curve is really high, Marc is definitely competitive enough to make the lineup next year,” Hardwick said. “He’s worked really hard so far, and in the summer he’ll be training with Nick in Charleston, so that should help further acclimate him.” In the meantime, MacDonald has
been enjoying his time in Blacksburg. “I still do love home, and I normally go back twice a year, but it’s really nice to get away,” MacDonald said. “I just really love (Tech) and how the whole town is focused on the university, and I’ve made some great friends here.” Coaches agree that, despite his international background, MacDonald has fit in really well so far. “All of these international players are always really mature,” Hardwick said. “And the rest of our players are used to playing in such myriad events that interacting with foreign players has become commonplace for them.” The team as a whole is eager for MacDonald’s arrival to the starting lineup, as they’ve struggled against a difficult schedule. “Our guys have really put in a yeoman’s effort so far, playing in the toughest conference in college golf in the ACC,” Hardwick said. MacDonald is equally excited to start competing next year. “We’re hosting the regionals of the ACC tournament this year,” MacDonald said. “And hopefully the team can make it there to build some excitement for next season.” The team will lose three players after this year. “But hopefully my contribution to the team and the arrival of another Zimbabwean player that I’ve known my whole life will help make next season a great one,” MacDonald said.
College basketball: Winners and losers of the offseason coaching carousel MARK STORY mcclatchy newspapers For a college basketball fan, Selection Sunday is Christmas Eve. The Thursday and Friday of the first week of the NCAA Tournament are (usually) the two best basketball game days of each year. Yet for multi-million-dollar deal making and back-stage intrigue, nothing beats the post-season coaching carousel. With most of the major coaching vacancies now filled, here are my winners and losers from the annual college hoops musical chairs. Winner: Billy Gillispie. Due to the idiosyncrasies of his contrarian personality, I believe that to succeed the ex-Kentucky head man needs to be in Texas and needs to work at a university where the football coach is the public-relations
face of the school. With the polished Tommy Tuberville coaching the pigskin in Lubbock, Texas Tech supplies Billy G. with both. Loser: Grumpy Old Men. Both Bob Knight, 70, and Larry Brown, 70, are rumored to have made overtures into the UNLV job after Lon Kruger gave it up to move to Oklahoma. Instead, the Runnin’ Rebels went with 42-yearold BYU assistant (and former UNLV player) Dave Rice. Winner: Tennessee. Given the NCAA infractions mess that Bruce Pearl left behind in Knoxville, it’s a minor miracle that embattled UT AD Mike Hamilton was able to land a solid, up-and-coming coach the caliber of Cuonzo Martin. Loser: Cuonzo Martin. Had the former Purdue forward and Missouri State head coach put the Volunteers off for a couple
of days, he probably would have been Mike Anderson’s replacement as head man at the University of Missouri. Unlike Tennessee, Mizzou has both an NCAA Tournament-ready roster in place for next season and no impending NCAA probation for a coach to survive. Winner: Matt Painter. The Purdue head coach turned a flirtation with Missouri into a cool $1 million a year (from $1.3 to $2.3 million) raise. Loser: Missouri. Making googly eyes with Painter, the Tigers lost out on their second choice (Martin) and wound up going with the unexceptional Frank Haith — whose seven years leading the Miami Hurricanes yielded a 43-69 ACC record and a whopping one NCAA Tournament appearance. Winner: North Carolina State. After whiffing on luring a big-name (Rick
Barnes of Texas) and the hot up-andcomer (VCU’s Shaka Smart), the perception is that NC State “settled” by tabbing former Alabama and Murray State head man Mark Gottfried. If so, the Wolfpack got lucky. Gottfried won an SEC overall title (2002) with the Crimson Tide and went to five consecutive NCAA tournaments (2001-02 through 05-06), including one elite eight (2004). True, Alabama went stale (49-35 in his final three seasons) at the end of Gottfried’s tenure, but the 47-year-old has both enough ego and feistiness to go to Tobacco Road and battle Coach K and Cryin’ Roy. Loser: North Carolina State AD Debbie Yow. Maybe Gary Williams was sabotaging the N.C. State search being run by Yow, his former boss, by spreading word that the ex-Maryland Athletics Director
is a “difficult” person for whom to work. However, by publicly making that allegation against Williams without supplying any proof, she diminished herself more than Williams. Winner: Arkansas. I think Mike Anderson is a good, not great, coach, but he was the must-get hire for the Razorbacks. In bringing the former, longtime Nolan Richardson assistant back to Fayetteville, the Hogs have reconnected with the greatest era of their basketball history and have a coach who will reinstall the 40-minutes-of-hell style that was once the Arkansas calling card. Loser: Georgia Tech. Brian Gregory did a solid job at Dayton, but in his eight years he didn’t make the Flyers (two NCAA tourney trips, the 2010 NIT championship) into Butler. Even allowing for the budget drain caused by the
$7 million Tech had to pay former coach Paul Hewitt to go away, the Rambling Wreck should have been able to do better. Winner: The Gene Keady coaching tree. The ex-Purdue (and Western Kentucky) head coach never made a Final Four, but his line of coaching disciples — including Painter (Purdue), Martin (Tennessee), Steve Lavin (St. John’s) and Bruce Weber (Illinois) — is one of college basketball’s best. Loser: The Mike Krzyzewski coaching tree. When former Duke player Jeff Capel was fired at Oklahoma, it continued a trend of many Coach K proteges — Quinn Snyder (fired at Missouri); Tommy Amaker (fired at Michigan); David Henderson (fired at Delaware) — finding less than Krzyzewski-like success when they strike out on their own.
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