Logan Thomas leads offense BY MICHAEL BEALEY | sports editor The Virginia Tech football team concluded its spring practice schedule with one of the highest attended Maroon vs. White games ever Saturday. In front of over 40,000 Hokie faithful, the Maroon squad blanked the White team 27-0. Maroon quarterback Logan Thomas finished the afternoon 10 of 21 for 131 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, including a team-high 37 rushing yards on five carries. Thomas, who caught the attention of fans in the wrong way when he vomited on the field in last year’s spring game, had a much better outing this time around. “I thought Logan had a couple that got away from him a little bit, but for the most part threw it very well, like it’s been all spring,” said Frank Beamer, head coach. “He’s been very good (and) done everything he needs to be a really good quarterback.” Thomas said he probably looked better than he did last year. “I felt much better today,” he said. “And felt good about my play as well.” The Hokies also welcomed well
over 50 prospective recruits for the class of 2012, signees from the latest class of 2011 and former Tech players in the NFL. Among those in attendance, who were also honored at midfield during halftime, were DeAngelo Hall, Darryl Tapp, Eddie Royal and Macho Harris. Tech also picked up commitments during the game from a pair of class of 2012 prospects — running back J.C. Coleman and wide receiver Der’Woun Greene. Coleman, who hails from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, chose Tech over Duke, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia among others. Greene, who is out of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, is a fellow “757” area code resident and chose Tech over archrival Virginia. see SPRING / page four
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Participants of Friday night’s Relay for Life fundraiser light candles during a ceremony recognizing individuals affected by cancer.
TECH’S RELAY FOR LIFE BREAKS COLLEGIATE FUNDRAISING RECORD, DONATING OVER $600,000 TO CANCER RESEARCH MALLORY NOE-PAYNE news staff writer Wet weather didn’t dampen spirits Friday night at Virginia Tech’s 10th annual Relay for Life. Overnight lows in the 40s and steady drizzling did not stop this year’s Relay from being the most successful yet. Tech became the first collegiate Relay to raise over $600,000 for the American Cancer Society, with a total of $614,000. With just over 3,000 attendees, participant numbers were lower than last year. “(There were) less than expected because of the unfortunate weather,” said Emily Feeney, the executive director of Relay. “But those that did come out were very enthusiastic about Relay and had a great time despite the cold and rain.” “I think there’s less people, but not less energy,” said Ashley Gregory, a junior serving
on the Relay finance committee whose father has brain cancer. “There’s still definitely a lot of energy.” Relay Olympics was a new event this year. Teams competed in sports, games and contests throughout the night. The winning team won $500 for fundraising. Contests included dodge ball, corn hole and Minute to Win It. “I think that Relay Olympics was a contributing factor to the high energy level at Relay,” Feeney said. “People were very enthusiastic about winning the competition and competing against each other.” Planners expect to continue Relay Olympics in the future. Events continued throughout the night from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., including musical performances, themed laps and a wing eating contest. The luminarias ceremony and silent lap are events specifically set aside to help remind participants of the cause.
“They always do a good job of conveying missing the ones that are lost, but there still being a hope for a cure,” Gregory said about the luminarias ceremony. Helen Scholar, a freshman political science major, participated in Relay for the first time this year. Her favorite part of the night was the silent lap. “I think the silent lap gave us each a few minutes to think about how cancer can and has affected us,” Scholar said. “And during the slideshow before the silent lap — when they went through all of the reasons why people do relay — it really hit me how cancer affects people in every way possible.” By Saturday morning, a path of dead grass was visible on the Drillfield, marking the lap which thousands had walked throughout the night. “I think that if the weather were nicer we would have had more participants and in turn, raised more money,” Feeney said. “If we can have a huge, successful and record-breaking Relay in the rain and cold, there is no telling what we can do under better circumstances.”
A new student group is campaigning for a Good Samaritan policy at Virginia Tech. Hokies for a Good Samaritan Policy wants to change the policy to protect people who call 911 when they or a friend are illegally using drugs or alcohol from disciplinary sanctions. “In these situations the clock is ticking,” Mark Goldstein, an accounting and information systems major and president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said. “Every second you don’t call for help the person is closer to dying.” Goldstein said the policy wouldn’t shield people who committed other crimes, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or fighting, and those involved wouldn’t be granted complete amnesty. “That’s not to say no sanctions would be applied. It just wouldn’t be disciplinary sanctions. For example, they might be required to enter a treatment program,” Goldstein said. “We’re just trying to change how we look at (the policies). We don’t sanction or permit alcohol or drug violations.” The University of Maryland instituted a Good Samaritan policy covering alcohol violations. Irina Alexander, a Tech alumna, transferred from Maryland. At Maryland, Alexander was the chair for the university’s chapter of SSDP. She started an SSDP group at Tech. Alexander said the campaign to get a Good Samaritan policy at Maryland was an uphill battle. The administration was opposed to such a policy, despite an SGA poll showing that 93 percent of students would be more likely to call for help if there was a Good Samaritan policy. “Even if one person had said yes, just that one person would be more inclined to call for help during a drug overdose would be huge,” Alexander said. “This isn’t about punishing people, it’s about saving student lives.” The administration starting listening to the students’ arguments after Alexander appealed to Maryland’s new
president, who attended a college with a comprehensive drug and alcohol Good Samaritan policy. The response was overwhelming, and the policy passed with a 78-1 vote in the university senate. Tech administrators are open to the policy. Last week, a group of officials met to discuss the Good Samaritan policy, as well as other related policies, such as the Zero Tolerance drug policy. Those who attended the meeting included Ed Spencer, vice president of student affairs, Steve Clarke, director of the alcohol abuse and prevention center, and representatives from the Blacksburg Police Department, VT Police, VT Rescue and other organizations. Spencer said current procedures already take mitigating circumstances into consideration. “What we are probably going to do is formalize that into a statement that would give reassurances to people that if they do act as a Good Samaritan or ask for help for themselves, it will very much be taken into consideration,” Spencer said. The statement will be made before the beginning of the next semester. “We had a really good consensus in the room that we ought to move away from tying the hands of a hearing officer and absolutely requiring that somebody will be suspended,” Spencer said. “That isn’t to say in some cases they won’t be. They probably will be.” Spencer said administrators want to avoid a situation where students are not ever being held accountable for their actions, but circumstances should dictate what kind of sanctions are applied. Spencer also said mitigating circumstances would be considered in drug cases, taking a step away from the Zero Tolerance policy. These changes will be made the way policies are enforced. The Board of Visitors must vote on official changes. Hokies for a Good Samaritan Policy hopes to petition it to add a Good Samaritan policy to the official university policy.
Tech celebrates Earth Week with tree-planting project ERIN CHAPMAN news staff writer Virginia Tech celebrated Earth Week and Earth Day with a variety of events to encourage people to put a little green in their orange and maroon. This was the third year Tech was named a Tree Campus USA college, making it the only university in Virginia to be recognized. Tech received over 100 trees from Tree Campus USA to plant around campus. Tree Campus USA is a program launched by the Arbor Day Foundation to recognize college campuses across the country that effectively manage their campus trees and develop relationships with the community to foster healthy urban forests. On Thursday afternoon students, faculty and community members gathered to plant trees behind Dietrick Dining Hall. Participants in the forestry lab, as well as others, signed up to help plant trees — resulting in 72-person turnout. The College of Natural Resources heavily advertised the
event. President Charles Steger addressed the crowd and pointed out the importance of Earth Week and continuing efforts to make Tech a sustainable campus. “There is still work to be done,” he said. “And this is why we are here today.” Steger also spoke about Tech’s commitment to being a leader in sustainability. “Today’s planting will not only help the environment, but it will also add to the beauty of campus,” he said. Doug Domenech, a Tech alumnus and Virginia’s current secretary of natural resources spoke about taking time to reflect during Earth Week. “‘What is my impact on the Earth?” he asked. “’What can I do to increase sustainability?’” Thursday’s theme was “think global, act local.” Larry Gibson, an advocate against mountain removal, spoke at a rally held on the Drillfield. “He’s from the area, talking about the area,” said Rial Tombes, the Earth Week coordinator. “So he’s a great
person to have.” Coordinators were satisfied with the turnout last week. Tombes said having a website to advertise events was a big help in getting people interested. “We were more organized this year,” Tombes said. “And we had a bigger effort to attract the whole school.” Each day of the week was focused on a different area of sustainability. Monday kicked off with a focus on sustainable food. Mark Winne, the author of “Closing the Food Gap,” spoke about community involvement and working toward a healthier food system. Tuesday was geared toward alternative transportation. Bike safety checks were held on the Drillfield, and there was an alternative transportation scavenger hunt. Earth Week concluded Friday with Earth Day and a festival. Despite the rain, many people came out to learn more about ZETAN LI / SPPS the Environmental Coalition at Tech. Over 100 trees were donated to Tech as a part of an initiative by environmental group Tree Campus USA.
2 news
news editors: philipp kotlaba, liana bayne, gordon block newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
april 26. 2011
COLLEGIATETIMES
world
what you’re saying //comments from online readers... On Tech’s tuition increase:
Kidnapped Google employee takes sabbatical leave
CORRECTION
Even with taking out loans, there’s got to be a stopping point where too much debt right out of college is too much. Not every student would like to be $100,000 dollars in debt due to college. If I hadn’t already completed 90 credits, I’d probably rethink even going to college given how expensive it is now let alone what it will be in 5 to 10 years. JUSTIN GRAVES -public editor -junior -sociology major
In “Tech increases tuition for 2011-12,” (CT – Apr. 22) recreational sports and health fees, will rise from $1,491 to $1,610. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.
crime blotter
The Google Inc. employee who played a prominent role in Egypt’s recent political uprising said over the weekend that he has left the Internet search firm to take a “long-term sabbatical.” Earlier this year, Wael Ghonim, head of marketing in the Middle East for Google, joined mounting protests in his native country aimed at toppling former President Hosni Mubarak. In February, Ghonim was missing for roughly a week and was later released by Egyptian authorities, help-
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offense
location
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4/22/2011
4:30 p.m. - 7:30 a.m.
Larceny of a sign
Outside Dietrick Hall
Inactive
4/22/2011
9:00 a.m. - 2:29 p.m.
Vandalism to washers and dryers
Lee Hall
Inactive
4/22/2011
8:39 p.m.
Underage Possession of Alcohol x6
Slusher Tower
Inactive
4/22/2011
10:46 p.m.
Underage Possession of Alcohol x5
Lee Hall
Inactive
4/23/2011
12:52 a.m.
Possession of Stolen Property
Lee Hall
Active
4/23/2011
1:49 a.m.
Simple Assault
College Ave
Inactive
4/23/2011
3:21 a.m.
Grand Larceny of a John Deere Gator Drillfield and Appearing Intoxicated in Public 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 a.m. CMMID Prices Forks Larceny of medication
Arrested Inactive
4/23/2011
2:47 p.m.
Underage Possession of Alcohol
Grove Lane
Inactive
4/23/2011
9:26 p.m.
Underage Possession of Alcohol x5
Lee Hall
Arrested
4/24/2011
12:41 a.m.
Appearing Intoxicated in Public
Henderson Hall
Arrested
4/24/2011
2:28 a.m.
Slusher Tower
Arrested
4/24/2011
n/a
Appearing Intoxicated in Public, Underage Possession of Alcohol Underage Possession of Alcohol
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4/24/2011
2:30 a.m. 3:08 a.m.
Construction beside McBryde Hall Torgerson Hall
Active
4/24/2011
Appearing Intoxicated in Public, Trespassing Appearing Intoxicated in Public
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Yes, you can live in a 3 bedroom Foxridge apartment home for only $314 a month* (per person). You also get 2 huge pools and a giant FREE fitness center. Park right outside your door with plenty of open parking for friends. No worries with 24 hour emergency maintenance. Ports throughout for Comcast high speed internet-discount pricing for Foxridge residents. The biggest value in Collegiate Living is Foxridge. Welcome Center open 7 days a week.
Google has expressed approval of Ghonim’s political activities. Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has said that he’s “very, very proud” of the marketing executive. Ghonim’s detention had elicited a statement from the U.S. State Department: “Whether it’s a journalist, an activist or anyone else that has been unjustly detained, we’re gratified that they’ve been released.”
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ing to draw more global attention to the protesters’ cause. Mubarak stepped aside later that month, and Ghonim has since turned his attention to protests in other countries in the region, such as Syria. Ghonim wrote on his Twitter account Saturday that he will be using his sabbatical to “start a technology focused NGO to help fight poverty & foster education in Egypt.” NGO stands for nongovernmental organization. Mountain View, Calif.-based
Arrested
– john letzing, mcclatchy newspapers
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editors: scott masselli, gabi seltzer opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
april 26, 2011
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Your Views [letter to the editor]
‘The VP is In’ On April 20, the SGA held the last “The VP is In” session. I suspected attendance might be low since the end of the semester and final exams are near — only eight people joined us for the session. So, special thanks to Hunter, Morgan, Moises, Bo, Corbin and Brian, the current students who attended, and Sarah and Becca, the alumni who attended. One thing we discussed was the location and format of “The VP is In” sessions for next year. One suggestion was to hold them in one of the dining centers, similar to the Seth Greenberg’s “Chalk Talk” sessions. We also talked about the possibility of making them available online, so anyone could log in to participate. I would be interested in hearing your suggestions about format and location for next year — send me e-mails to espencer@ vt.edu. We talked about the Oak Lane Phase IV Housing Project and the proposal that Sigma Phi Epsilon submitted to build the first house in the new Phase IV area. Some of the students participated in a special “Student Conversation” session sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs the day before the “The VP is In” session. We talked about the success of that session and the meaningful experiences students shared as members of the panels that presented at the program. Some were curious about where we were with the possible Good Samaritan policy or practice. I indicated we were about to have a meeting with several departments to discuss this, and I anticipated we would make a decision on this following that meeting. One person had very positive things to say about his
experience with the Summer Transition Program and Project Success. His story pointed out the great importance of strong mentoring programs for students, particularly those of color. Morgan is the president of the newest sorority on campus, Gamma Phi Beta, and told us the tremendous success story her chapter has had in getting started. They have a membership of 169 women, and are the largest Gamma Phi Beta colony ever in the U.S. Congratulations to Gamma Phi Beta. Students were again wondering about where we were on a site for a new student center. I explained that we are still evaluating potential sites and have not made any decisions about a definitive site. Sarah and Becca are former SGA Executive Board members and provided some perspective to the conversation by talking about how things were organized and carried out during previous administrations. They even reminisced about how things used to be and are now differently provided and arranged in the SGA office. It was a great surprise to have these two alumni join us for this session. Since this marks the last “The VP is In” session for the year, I want to express my thanks to all the students who came to one or more of the sessions this year. Again, please send me your suggestions about how and where we ought to hold these during 2011-12. Meanwhile, best of luck on final exams. See you at the various end-of-the-year events or around campus.
Edward F.D. Spencer vice president for student affairs
Happiness should be cultivated in new policy ow happy are you? How happy is the country? This H very important question has gradually gained attention over the years, occupying the attention not only of psychologists and New Age gurus, but of economists, political scientists and government leaders. The field of happiness studies is booming with researchers hard at work taking our emotional temperature, figuring out how we feel and trying to understand why. The most recent results of Gallup’s regular survey on well-being around the world shine a light on the mysterious phenomenon of national happiness. Gallup conducted interviews with people in 124 different countries, asking them to rank their lives on a scale from 1 to 10. Those with scores of 7 or higher were classified as “thriving,” in contrast to the less-happy categories “struggling” and, the worst one, “suffering.” The sad news is that an average of only 21 percent across the 124 countries qualified as thriving. This is not a very happy planet. Majorities reported thriving in only 19 countries. The happiest country, with 79 percent thriving, is the usually dark and cold Denmark. The least happy, with just 1 percent thriving, is perennially sunny Chad in Africa. Most countries where most people thrive were, not surprisingly, rich nations. But not all. The United States came in at No. 12, with 59 percent thriving. That’s more than most, but worse than other countries with more poverty and unemployment, and with much less wealth than America, whose people are among the world’s most affluent. It’s not surprising that rich countries such as Sweden, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands made the list. But it is stunning what a high number of Latin American countries ranked among the Happy 19, despite high rates of poverty, crime and joblessness. Among the Latin American nations with happy majorities, in percentages, are Venezuela (64),Panama (61), Costa Rica (58), Brazil (57) and Mexico (52.) If you think peace, security and a predictable future bring happiness, you wouldn’t have expected Israel to land in seventh place, ahead of the United States, with 63 percent thriving. And if you see democracy as key
to happiness, you’d be surprised to find the resolutely nondemocratic United Arab Emirates and Qatar at No. 16 and 19, respectively. The emirates don’t allow their people the vote, but they are extremely wealthy and the government takes good care of the population. Asian countries with booming economies and millions of people rushing out of poverty into prosperity don’t have a lot of happiness to show for their success. Only 12 percent reported thriving in China. Social scientists agree that money does help bring happiness, up to a point. Once people reach a certain level of affluence, additional wealth does little to improve well-being. Many factors play a role, including cultural attitudes. Perhaps that explains why happiness defies poverty in parts of Latin America, and wealth cannot defeat pessimism in parts ofEastern Europe. But research also shows that happiness can be enhanced by education, good healthcare, strong relationships and political empowerment. Religious individuals are often happier, but the happiest nations tend to be secular. Until recently, most governments and politicians had not concerned themselves much with their people’s happiness, a rather vague notion, preferring instead to focus on economic growth and measurable concepts such as the Gross Domestic Product — or GDP. That, however, is very slowly changing. British Prime Minister David Cameron, a Conservative, said something that even a hard-boiled capitalist couldn’t deny. “It’s time we admitted,” he said, “that there’s more to life than money.” Cameron said it’s time to start looking at what he called GWB, general wellbeing. GWB, he explained, “can’t be measured by money or traded in markets. It’s about the beauty of surroundings, the quality of our culture...and the strength of relationships.” He pronounced the improvement of well-being as “the central political challenge of our times.” It was America that gave the world the revolutionary concept that “the pursuit of happiness” is one of the most fundamental of all human rights. And yet, which American politician would be brave enough to dare call for a government to ask the entire nation, How happy are we? And, even more daring, Should the government aim to make people happy?
FRIDA GHITIS -mcclatchy newspapers
MCT CAMPUS
Education bubble is close to popping in our faces air warning: This article will piss off a lot of you. That was the openF ing sentence to TechCrunch’s recent article, “Peter Thiel: We’re in a Bubble and It’s Not the Internet. It’s Higher Education.” Earlier this month Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal, told TechCrunch that the housing bubble was replaced by the education bubble. Thiel was in the minority of people who predicted both the dot-com and housing bubbles. Now he and others are warning that most college degrees are not worth the cost. According to Thiel, a bubble, in this sense, exists when “something is overvalued and intensely believed.” He makes another claim: “To question education is really dangerous ... It’s like telling the world there’s no Santa Claus.” Thiel’s definition is a good one because it accurately describes the frenzy surrounding the dot-com, housing and education bubbles. I experienced the craziness of the dotcom bubble firsthand while working at a print and computer services shop during the height of the frenzy. Every week, I talked to new people who had dreams of getting rich quickly by taking their start-up companies public. I witnessed coworkers gamble away their $7, $8 and $9-an-hour wages on Etrade, Ameritrade and Datek online. It was a new era where NASDAQ was king, and anyone could get rich by buying stock in Cisco, Lucent, Dell, Yahoo, Apple and Enron. The few bears who took to CNBC and Bloomberg to warn Americans about the bubble were ridiculed and scorned because the majority of people intensely believed in tech stocks. In two short years, NASDAQ lost almost 80 percent of its value. As the bubble deflated, money immediately flowed into the housing bubble. It only took a few years for the U.S. to enter into another new era where everyone could get rich by owning a home. Those who rented were dumb — wise investors put zero down and took out six-figure interest-only loans on cheaply built McMansions. At the height of this frenzy, I worked retail in a hot real estate market, and almost half of my coworkers worked two or three jobs so they could afford the enormous payments associated with home own-
ership. Once again, those who warned about the bubble were ridiculed by those who believed the path to prosperity and that financial security was increasing housing prices. As the housing bubble continues to deflate — prices still have a long way
“
Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, universities will continue to raise tuition, and students will unquestioningly dive deeper into debt to pay for it .
to drop before they reach pre-bubble levels — and faith in the stock market remains shaky, optimism is being poured into education. More money is flowing into higher education because, as Thiel stated, “education may be the only thing people still believe in in the United States.” In his article, “Higher Education’s Bubble is About to Burst,” law professor and author Glenn Reynolds espouses similar views as Thiel. As Reynolds tells it, the reason why students continue to borrow large sums of money to fund their years at college is “ignorance by students and parents who don’t fully grasp the harsh impact of student loans; and a belief that whatever the cost, a college education is a necessary ticket to future prosperity.” College education is certainly not worth “whatever the cost,” and studies show that many degrees are not worth their current cost. This argument was laid out nicely in a recent Wall Street Journal SmartMoney special, “The Case Against the College Degree.” The article used census and tax data, as well as average tuition costs and student loan data, to show that most people are better off saving early instead of earning more. In other words, if a person works a menial job their entire life but starts saving 5 percent of their income at age 18, they will have three times more retirement money than a college graduate with a good job who started saving 5 percent in their early 30s — which is how long it takes to finish one or two degrees and pay off student loans. Of course people on both sides of
the argument can point to extremes to prove why a person should get a college education or not. But the SmartMoney article is troubling because it analyzes average wages for degree and non-degree holders, historical rates of returns on savings and average debt load for students graduating from college. The collection of this information overtly shows that scores of students are paying too much for their degrees. In 2011, the U.S. is experiencing the rapid inflation of yet another bubble. A symptom of this became evident last week when Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors unanimously approved another increase in the cost of tuition. Starting next year, tuition and fees will cost students over $10,000 a year. A mere 10 years ago, this number was $3,600. In light of this information, current and prospective students should examine the tuition costs at Tech and other universities. Moreover, they should figure out how much debt they will have upon graduation, what the average pay and future job outlook is for their field and whether it is worth it for them to attend college. Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, universities will continue to raise tuition, and students will unquestioningly dive deeper into debt to pay for it. Those who point out this humongous bubble will continue to be dismissed, ignored or scoffed at. This is expected because the education bubble bears the hallmarks of every bubble before it — it is overvalued and intensely believed, and Americans believe whatever the cost, a college education is a necessary ticket to future prosperity. The truth is, there is no Santa Claus, dot-com stocks are not invincible, home prices will not experience double-digit gains every year and most college degrees are not worth decades of debt.
CHRIS DUNN -regular columnist -senior -political science major
Circus cruelty: An issue that demands executive action ritain’s last remaining “circus B elephant,” Annie, recently packed her trunk and went to live her final years on hundreds of acres of rolling lawns on a country estate. Her retirement came after the release of undercover video footage showing that circus workers kicked and thrashed her and jabbed her in the face with a pitchfork. Annie is almost 60 years old and has spent her life in a circus, which, for elephants, means “in chains.” The look on her face as she was forced to pose with the circus owner is enough to break any kind person’s heart. Meanwhile, Ringling Bros. is still dragging its “beast wagons” around the United States. Anyone who cares about animals should stay away from this, the “Saddest Show on Earth.” Three elephants who are traveling with Ringling, Karen, Nicole and Sara, suffer from what veterinarians say is chronic lameness and other problems, including arthritis, cracked toenails, which make putting weight on their feet painful, and scarring on their chins, the result of being struck many times by bullhooks — weapons resembling fireplace pokers with a metal hook at one end. Forty-two-year-old Karen also has a type of tuberculosis that is communicable to humans. She was banned from entering Tennessee earlier this year, but other states have failed to take similar action, putting
children at risk and surely exacerbating the stress on Karen’s immune system. Pop star Pink has written to President Obama, urging him to get the U.S. Department of Agriculture to act to stop circus cruelty. She included with her letter a copy of the 16-page complaint that PETA has filed with the USDA Office of General Counsel detailing three cases of egregious animal abuse by Ringling. The incidents are shocking. Riccardo, an 8-month-old baby elephant, had to be euthanized after breaking both his legs while being put through a rigorous “training” regimen. Clyde, a lion, baked to death in a boxcar when Ringling refused to stop the train — simply because it was running late — to cool him off and give him water during a long journey through the Mojave Desert. And Angelica, another elephant, was beaten by one of her handlers, despite the fact that she was chained and could not move. These are all violations of federal law and need to be acted upon. In 2006, the USDA assured then-Sen. Obama, who had contacted the agency on behalf of his constituents, that if violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act were found, prosecution would follow. The agency’s own investigators found AWA violations
and recommended enforcement action, but nothing happened. In the case of Riccardo, Ringling employees were quick to say that the baby pachyderm broke his legs while playing and that he hadn’t begun training, although it was later revealed in a lawsuit over beatings inflicted with bullhooks that Riccardo had in fact been undergoing a training program and had had ropes tied to his legs and trunk when he fell. In the case of Clyde, a former Ringling lion handler described in an affidavit how Ringling tried to deceive the USDA by installing a sprinkler system inside the boxcar in which Clyde perished after the fact. According to USDA investigators, Ringling also refused to hand over crucial evidence, even after receiving a subpoena. There is much more, but the key issue is whether our new OGC General Counsel Ramona E. Romero will do the right thing. As Pink points out, it is high time that the USDA made good on its promise to protect animals used and abused under the big top. Elephants may be the symbol of the Republican Party, but people of goodwill on both sides of the aisle should stick up for these sorely abused animals.
INGRID NEWKIRK -mcclatchy newspapers
Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Peter Velz Managing Editors: Zach Crizer, Katie Biondo, Josh Son Public Editor: Justin Graves Senior News Editor: Philipp Kotlaba Associate News Editors: Liana Bayne, Gordon Block News Reporters: Claire Sanderson, Jay Speidell, Michelle Sutherland, Sarah Watson News Staff Writers: Erin Chapman, Meighan Dober Features Editors: Lindsey Brookbank, Kim Walter Features Reporters: Chelsea Gunter, Mia Perry Features Staff Writers: Andrew Reilly, Nick Smirniotopoulos 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, Debra Houchins 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, Connor Geiran, Mario Gazzola 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, 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.
april 26, 2011
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Spring: Practice ends with Maroon vs. White game from page one
defense, which tallied seven sacks. Special teams were another area of interest, specifically who would distance themselves in the punting game. Tech has had a revolving door of candidates this spring, including Ethan Keyserling, Grant Bowden, Scott Demler and even wide receiver Danny Coale. Coale received a strong ovation from the crowd after he boomed a 53-yarder that nearly landed within the five-yard line, although it ultimately took a bounce in the end zone for a touchback. “Danny Coale is the guy to me,” Beamer said. “It’s how much he can improve by the fall. He needs to get down to a two-step kicker. He’s a little bit of a slow three-stepper right now. But he’s athletic, and I think he can do it.” Tech has nearly three and a half months before its opener against Appalachian State. Tech fans can rest easy knowing the team’s most important positions are locked up JOSHUA MILLER / SPPS when practice rolls around again this No. 7 Marcus Davis and No. 82 Willie Byrn celebrate in the end zone following Davis’ second touchdown. August.
Thomas. “He’s had a great spring,” Beamer said about Davis. “I told him the other day he’s getting ready to make a lot of money if he keeps going in the direction he’s going.” Davis said he feels more comfortable as a player now than ever. “I’m more comfortable with the offense. I’m a lot more comfortable with Logan,” Davis said. “I feel a lot better out there playing. There’s not a lot of confusion, (and) there’s not a lot of worrying about doing this and that right.” The Maroon team continued to pile it on as Thomas delivered another touchdown strike to Davis for 21 yards, and cornerback Jayron Hosley returned a punt 61 yards for another score. At the end of the first half, the Maroon team took a commanding 21-0 lead. The White squad struggled offensively as both of its quarterbacks, Mark Leal and Clayton, completed a combined six of 16 passes for 61 yards and two interceptions. Both signal-callers faced unrelenting pressure from the Maroon
“Having a bunch of recruits, a bunch of your signees ... having those NFL guys back, and then having a great crowd that shows they’re enthusiastic about Virginia Tech football, I think we made a good statement today,” Beamer said. Nonetheless, it was a less than impressive showing early on as both teams struggled with turnovers and penalties. Thomas’ first pass was an interception to cornerback Cris Hill after it was tipped by Detrick Bonner, and on the ensuing White team possession, Ju-Ju Clayton threw a pick into the arms of linebacker Derek DiNardo. After the first quarter, there were five penalties, two interceptions and a fumbled punt return. However, on the Maroon team’s last drive before the first quarter, Thomas scrambled for 31 yards and on the next play threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marcus Davis as time expired. Davis finished the afternoon with six catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns, demonstrating the rapport he’s developed with
Sub-Lease
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WORDFIND • Theme: Baseball Terms Locate the list of words in the A-F word bank in the letter grid. F
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By Dan Naddor ACROSS 1 Timeworn observation 6 “Pronto! ” 10 Party person 14 Paganini’s birthplace 15 One of an historic seagoing tri o 16 Not deceived by 17 Los __: city near San Jose 18 Presidential putdown? 20 1926 channel swimme r 22 Bernardo’s girl in “West Side Story” 23 Presidential advisers?
26 Trademark cousin s 27 Trains on support s 28 “Discreet Music” composer 29 Movi e beekeeper 30 People person? 32 Presidential ATM sign? 39 “Contact” author 40 “Uh-uh” 41 Ex-Saudi ruler __ Saud 44 Managed 45 Onetime Californi a gubernatorial candidate Huffington
WORD BANK Alley Assist Backstop Bag Ball Balk Base Baseball Batter Bullpen Bunt Bat Closer Count Curve Cutter Dinger Diamond Double Dugout Error Flyball Foulball
4/26/11 48 Presidential university? 51 Biblical words before and after “for” 52 Title subject of a G.B. Shaw play 53 Presidential belttightening? 56 Blitz attachment 59 Prefix with “Language” in a 1993 comedy best-seller 60 Gaston’ s god 61 P erform penance 62 Scraps
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Today’s Radio Schedule ed M ix s c s Di Art Day
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DOWN 1 Turkish honorific 2 Wilmington’s st. 3 Lover of armies? 4 Acts of kindness 5 Enter cautiously 6 Americans in Paris, e.g. 7 Femme fatale 8 Book collector’s suffix 9 Put down in writing? 10 Mubarak of Egypt 11 Surfing without a board, maybe 12 New York’s __ Island 13 T in a sandwich 19 Typewrite r featur e 21 Queue after Q 23 Opposite of bueno 24 Psychic couple? 25 “That ’s __ ask” 26 Sta-__: fabric softener 30 Hoodwink
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5-7 PM - Esteban Bueno Presenta Jazz Caliente 31 Ruling family name in 19thcentury Europe 33 Connecticut coastal town near Stamford 34 “Yikes!” 35 Qual m 36 Like som e workers in an open shop 37 HMO employees 38 Thumbs-up vote 41 Response to a doubting Thomas 42 More scrawny 43 Prohibitive door sign 45 Misbehaves 46 British rule in India 47 Post-fal l reassurance 49 Interpol headquarters 50 Glyceride, e.g. 54 Setting on the Mississippi: Abbr. 55 A lost driver may hang one, briefly 57 M.D. ’s specialty 58 Styling stuf f Friday’s Puzzle Solved
63 U. of Maryland athlet e 64 Streisand title role
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editors: michael bealey, garrett ripa sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
april 26 ,2011
Softball drops critical weekend series against Wolfpack ASHLEIGH LANZA sports staff writer The Virginia Tech softball team split a pair of games with the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday to finish out its series 1-2. The Hokies (33-16, 9-9 ACC) won the first game 6-2. The team started the game with two back-to-back dou-
bles and took advantage of the struggling Wolfpack pitcher, scoring three in the bottom of the first. Sophomore catcher Betty Rose kept the runs coming in the bottom of the third as she hit her ninth home run of the season, keeping the Hokies ahead 4-0. The Wolfpack (24-21, 5-11 ACC) finally got on the board in the top
Baseball gets first ACC sweep over Maryland MATT JONES sports reporter For the first time this season, Pete Hughes’ Virginia Tech baseball team swept an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent — Maryland. The three wins — highlighted by the strong pitching outing of Joe Mantiply Friday and the two home runs of Andrew Rash Saturday — bring the Hokies’ record to 23-19, 7-14 in the ACC. On Friday, Mantiply worked sixand-a-third innings of five-hit ball, allowing two runs in the process. Tech jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fifth, before tacking on three runs in the top of the ninth. Jake Joyce came on in relief of Mantiply in the seventh and proceeded to dominate the Terrapins lineup — allowing only one hit and one walk over the course of nine batters. The Hokies won 7-2. Saturday, the bats came alive in the Hokies 11-2 victory. Rash, the ACC’s leading home run hitter, continued his torrid pace, belting two en-route to a blowout win. Tech starter Mark Zecchino scat-
tered 10 hits over eight strong innings to pick up his fourth win of the season. His performance Saturday came on the heels of a subpar outing April 16 against Florida State, where he only lasted four innings. Ronnie Shaban also had three hits for the Hokies, while Matt Blow drove in a pair, and Michael Seaborn scored twice. Sunday, the Hokies knocked the cover off the ball again, as they used an eight-run top of the fourth to jump out to a 10-0 lead. That lead was plenty for starting pitcher Joe Parsons, as he silenced the Terrapins’ bats over the course of six innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits. Seaborn and catcher Chad Morgan each drove in a team-high three runs for the Hokies, who left College Park with some much-needed wins. The Hokies have now won fivestraight games on the road overall and nine of their last 10. Tech returns home this Tuesday for a game against North Carolina A&T at 5:30 p.m. The team’s final ACC road series follows this weekend as it faces Duke.
of the fourth with back-to-back homeruns off of senior pitcher Kenzie Roark. Roark was able to redeem herself by retiring the next batter and having the last batter ground out to close the inning. However the Hokies came back with a solo homerun by senior Kristina Cruz in the bottom of the fourth. Singles by senior Ashton Ward and sophomore Courtney Liddle helped put the team up 6-2. Neither team scored in the following innings, and the Hokies’ nine hits finalized the score 6-2, giving Roark (16-7) the win. “I felt pretty good,” Roark said. “I was able to keep them off balance, and I had a lot of really good plays behind me.” The Hokies’ four hits in the following game were not enough to win, when the Wolfpack hit eight and
quickly took the lead, winning 3-1. The Wolfpack took advantage of its first at-bat and put up two during the top of the first with a two-run home run. The Hokies tried to come back in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with only one out. Liddle walked to drive in the Hokies’ only run of the game. The team could not get a clutch hit and left the bases loaded, still down 2-1. “I felt that we were more up in the first game,” junior Kristen Froehlich said. “And we kind of just lost it.” The Wolfpack had another solo home run in the top of the fourth to advance its lead 3-1. The opposing team kept the Hokies scoreless, winning their second game of the series. Harrell received the loss after pitching over six innings of the game
before she was taken out and replaced by Roark, who retired the last three batters to end the game. “There was a vibe that wasn’t there that we’ve had before that we can’t really pinpoint right now,” Ward said. “It’s just that lack of fight that we had, and I think we’re capable of a lot more.” The Hokies are 33-16 and have already won eight more games this year than last. However, the team has lost the last eight of 12 games, which is half of the losses it picked up this season. “With any softball team, there’s always slumps and ups and downs,” Ward said. “We’re trying to think of how to pick it back up. We still have a lot of fight left.” The Hokies will continue on the road with a double-header Wednesday against Liberty at 2 p.m.
LUKE MASON / SPPS
Kenzie Roark improved to 16-7.
GRADUATION PLANS?
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april 26, 2011