COLLEGIATETIMES
june 9, 2011
what’s inside News .............2 Opinions........4 Sports ...........6 Features ........9 Classifieds ...11 Sudoku ........11 108th year issue 61 blacksburg, va.
BOV votes to increase all Woman suffered fatal heart attack at Cascades tuition, students concerned CARA MCBROOM news editor The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors met Monday at Squires Student Center for their quarterly meeting. The board discussed several topics and within the first hour of meeting passed all motions made, including the decision to approve a new degree in the College of Natural Resources and Environment in addition to budget changes. Virgina Tech will receive $1.14 billion for the 2011-2012 budget. This amount increased from the previous fiscal year due to budget cuts. President Steger commended the university even with its losses. The board also approved the motion to raise tuition for the 20112012 fiscal year. “No one wants to raise tuition,” Steger said. “$75 million was cut out of the operating budget and 230 positions were lost as a result--it’s part of the pressure.” The university usually develops tuition and fee proposals each February and March, with final rates submitted to the Board of Visitors at the end of either month. This allows the university to adjust to the actions made during the general assembly session. These adjusted rates help students plan for the financial costs of the upcoming academic year, help students make decisions such as attendance at summer school, and allow the university scholarships and financial aid office to deliver timely and effective financial aid award information to current and prospective students. The 2010-2011 average cost of education at Virginia Tech was $15,866 and in 2011-2012 the estimated cost is $16,208, an increase of only $342. The 2010-2011 total of undergraduate tuition plus general fees totaled $8,098, while in 2011-2012 the estimated total of tuition and fees is $8,899, an increase of $801. “Considering my financial background, my parents are able to pay my full four years of instate tuition so this raise isn’t the worst thing, but it certainly does make things more stressful,” said Neel Patel, a biological sciences major and student representative in the Student Goverment Association. Patel is not just looking at the increase from an academic stand-
Resident Tuition
2010-2011 $8,055
2011-2012
undergraduate student expenses $797
$8,852
Educational & General Fee 2010-2011 $43 2011-2012 $47
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CARA MCBROOM news editor A 35-year-old woman suffered a heart attack and died after hiking the Cascades Sunday afternoon with her boyfriend and four children. All family members have not been notified of the incident, therefore the name of the woman has yet to be realeased. Witnesses said the victim was having difficuty breathing and was in a great deal of distress. Public Information Officer, Steve Davis, of the Giles County Sheriff’s Dept said it was hot outside and there
was no air movement. The woman, from Bland, Va., never made it to the Cascades and began showing signs of trouble in between the two bridges on the lower trail. According to Davis, this lower trail is steep, rough, and would take exertion to get where she was. Witnesses performed CPR, however the procedure did not work and a doctor from Carilion Giles Community Hospital called the time of death over the phone. The body was taken to Carilion Giles Community Hospital in Pearisburg, Va.
Room and Board 2010-2011 2011-2012
$6,290
$566
$6,856
Nonresident Tuition
2010-2011
Jerzy Nowak steps down, not away
$21,114
2011-2012
$22,254 $1,140
Educational & General Fee 2010-2011 $612 2011-2012
$4
$616
Room and Board 2010-2011 2011-2012
$6,290 $6,856
$566 KATIE BIONDO / COLLEGIATE TIMES
point. His social life spending will also be affected. “There will probably be certain things I would have to give up or find a way to pay for on my own, like road trips or concert tickets. I may have to be more frugal when buying books, maybe find ways to rent them or find places that will buy back for more money. Subleasing my apartment next summer, assuming I am not living there, is now a must,” Patel said. Tech students are not the only ones affected by the increase of tuition. Students from JMU and UVA are also paying hundreds of dollars more than the previous fiscal year. JMU’s tuition and fees rate for an undergraduate Virginia resident increased $294, while tuition and fees for an
undergraduate non-Virginia resident increased $557. Tech students might think JMU’s increase is realistic, however, after seeing UVA’s rates they might feel more comfortable with their own tuition and fees. UVA’s tuition and fees rate for an undergraduate Virginia resident increased $958, while tuition and fees for an undergraduate nonVirginia resident increased $3,006. Other changes to the university is the incoming freshman class. According to their report, 5,283 students accepted their offers to the university. The board claimed them as the most qualified and diverse class at Virginia Tech ever. Of these 5,283, 251 students identified themselves as AfricanAmerican, 269 as Hispanic, 8 as see NEW METEOROLOGY / page two
PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
Jerzy Nowak, Director CPSVP, poses outside of his office in Norris.
FOUNDER OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND PEACE CENTER STEPS DOWN TO DOCTOR JAMES HAWDON JOSH HIGGINS news staff writer Dr. Jerzy Nowak, the founder of the Virginia Tech Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention (CPSVP), will be retiring from Virginia Tech and the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention on July 1st. Dr. James Hawdon, a professor of sociology at Virginia Tech will replace him as director of the nonviolence program later this month.
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Hawdon has worked with Nowak over the past few years, assisting in some of the center’s main programs. Nowak chose to found the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention in 2008 to help combat violent acts and promote peace as a tribute to the April 16 victims sntheir families, and the community. Nowak’s wife, Jocelyne CoutureNowak, a French instructor, was one of the victims of the see CENTER / page three
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what you’re saying //comments from online readers... On former student drowns: Anonymous>> The rapids at McCoy (techinically ‘Big Falls’) are actually considered more of a Class III, especially in high water, with certain spots being quite dangerous. But, any rapid can be deadly if you do the wrong things. Obviously, wearing a lifevest is a factor, but I don’t really expect students to change that behavior. One thing you can do is never ever try to stand up in moving water, unless it’s too shallow to swim in. The bottom of the river is a rough boulder garden, and if you try and stand in it, you may end up with your foot jammed in a hole. Swift moving water develops astounding pressure that will 1) keep you from removing your foot and 2) push you over. Foot entrapment can drown people even in relatively shallow water.
Greg>> The river was raging last week because of all the recent rain. I was on the river and it was dangerous.
Anonymous>> This was likely do to him putting his feet on the bottom of the river and getting a foot or leg entrapment. This is a very common way to drown in whitewater. Keep your feet up if you ever find yourself swimming in current!
On I-81 closed: Anonymous>> Truthfully, they should have been detouring people onto Route 11 instead of not giving any warning other than the VDOT “delays exacted sign.” I’m not trying to be insensitive to the situation but the murder investigation could have waited until they got traffic going and costing people considerable time and money.
Anonymous>> Amen! Someone died because of Sheriff’s actions ... or lack thereof! And I’m wondering how long this will go on before someone finally DEMANDS accountability and his resignation.
New meteorology major added to Tech curriculum, approved at BOV meeting
collegiatetimes.com june 9, 2011
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Native American, 998 as transfers, 2,090 as women, and 961 as first generation. The board approved a new Bachelor’s of Science degree in meteorology, being the first in the commonwealth of Virginia. It will focus on geospatial information technology and its ability to unite data from both the natural and human environments, preparing students for careers in forecasting and modeling weather events. Buildings and Grounds Committee also received a report on the status of a new 460 Bypass Interchange
near Southgate Drive as it relates to the Virginia department of Transportation (VDOT) 2012-2017 six-year Improvement Program. The VDOT program is altering the roadway to alleviate traffic congestion and increase the safety of motorists. A grade separated interchange from the 460 Bypass will be created south of the current Southgate Drive to access campus, the airport, and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. During the meeting, board member William Holtzman suggested the university compare its university honor code regulation to the Naval Academy, VMI, among other mili-
tary-affiliated schools. Holtzman said the proposal to upgrade the honor system was rejected and sent back as a result of it being “watered down.” “Integrity is as important as a class we teach,” Holtzman said. “Honor needs to be taken back to if you cheat, you’re out.” When some hesitation was shown, Holtzman replied, “There are no degrees of honesty. I don’t think there ought to be any other answer.” This may be something the Virginia Tech community sees resolved at the next Board of Visitors meeting held at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Va, this August.
blacksburg College criticized for lack of academic rigor As this year’s crop of college graduates leaves school, burdened with high levels of debt and entering a severely depressed job market, they may be asking themselves a fundamental question: Was college worth it? And it’s no wonder they’re asking. Large numbers of the new graduates will face sustained periods of underemployment and low wages for years. Worse still, many of them were poorly prepared for the future, having spent four (or more) years of college with only modest academic demands that produced only limited improvement in the skills necessary to be successful in today’s knowledge-based economy. We recently tracked several thousand students as they moved through and graduated from a diverse set of more than two dozen colleges and universities, and we found consistent evidence that many students were not being appropriately challenged. In a typical semester, 50 percent of students did not take a single course requiring more than 20 pages of writing, 32 percent did not have any classes that required reading more than 40 pages per week, and 36 percent reported studying alone five or fewer hours per week. Not surprisingly, given such a widespread lack of academic rigor, about a third of students failed to demonstrate significant gains in critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing ability (as measured by the Collegiate Learning Assessment) during their four years of college. The students themselves must bear some of the blame for this, of course. Improvement in thinking and writing skills requires academic engagement; simply hanging out on a college campus for multiple years isn’t enough. Yet at many institutions, that seems to be sufficient to earn a degree. At many schools, students can choose from a menu of easy programs and classes that allow them to graduate without having received a rigorous college education. Colleges are complicit, in that they reward students with high grades for little effort. Indeed, the students in our study who reported studying alone five or fewer hours per week nevertheless had an average cumulative GPA of 3.16. To be sure, there were many exceptions to this dismal portrait of the state of undergraduate learning. Some academic programs and colleges are quite rigorous, and some
students we followed pushed themselves and excelled. In general, traditional arts and science fields (math, science, humanities and the social sciences) tended to be more demanding, and students who majored in those subjects studied more and showed higher gains. So too did students attending more selective colleges. In addition, at every college and university examined, we found some students who were applying themselves and learning at impressive levels. These real accomplishments do not, however, exonerate the colleges and universities that are happy to collect annual tuition dollars but then fail to provide many students with a high-quality education. In much of higher education, the problem is in part that undergraduate education is no longer a top priority. Many institutions favor priorities that can be boasted about in alumni magazines and admission brochures or that can help boost their scores in college rankings. Colleges have abandoned responsibility for shaping students’ academic development and instead have come to embrace a service model that caters to satisfying students’ expressed desires. From 1970 to 2000, as colleges increasingly hired additional staff to attend to student social and personal needs, the percentage of professional employees in higher education who were faculty decreased from about two-thirds to around one-half. At the same time, through their professional advancement and tenure policies, schools encouraged faculty to focus more on research rather than teaching. When teaching was considered as part of the equation, student course assessments tended to be the method used to evaluate teaching, which tends to incentivize lenient grading and entertaining forms of instruction. Accountability in higher education rightly resides at lower levels of the system. College trustees have at the institutional level the fiduciary responsibility to begin holding administrators accountable by asking: Faculty must also take responsibility individually and collectively to define and ensure program quality and academic standards. Finally, student undergraduate cultures will have to change, with students themselves recognizing that they need more from college than a paper diploma and an expanded roster of Facebook friends. -richard arum & josipa roksa, mcclatchy newspapers
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April 16 massacre. Nowak has been involved with various programs around Virginia Tech, including co-leading a class in global peace, as well as playing a pivotal role in the growth and expansion of the CPSVP. The center, based in Norris Hall, has seen extreme success and expansion over the three years that Nowak has been director.
ESKII KEBEDE staff writer The end of May marked an exciting time for VT KnowledgeWorks as the local business acceleration center announced the launch of a new fourmonth program called FirstOffice. Located in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, VTKW is known to help entrepreneurs with not only starting up their new business, but also how to keep it running strong. The FirstOffice program will stand out from other programs offered at VTKW because it offers counseling and networking, specifically on matters many companies won’t realize are important until later down the road. When someone logs onto the VTKW website there is a full breakdown of all services offered with FirstOffice. “You pay a minimum cost for a maximum pay off,” said director Jim Flowers. With of price of $750, members are receiving VTKW membership, access to conference rooms, Wi-Fi, peer-interaction, three two-hour strategy sessions with two mentors, and local and regional start-up press releases. Members will also receive commercial insurance offerings overview, human resources issues and answers, financial and administrative set-up, banking services primer, tips on public relations and internet impact, a $50 gift certificate to Wikiteria and unlimited coffee. For those who only have a great idea and a basement, these amenities will make all the difference for the future of their business. Running a business that helps launch other businesses is a hard thing to do but Flowers and his staff of three manage to do so efficiently.
Center will continue to 3 promote engagement
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Jim Flowers, founder and CEO of Tech incubator VT Knowledge Works. “We are more of a catcher not a grabber,“ Flowers says about how they attract clients. “We need people to know that we exist so that when the time comes, they know we may have something that will help them.” “VTKW isn’t here to make a profit,” Flowers said. The company is subsidized by the CRC and because they aren’t officially a part of the university it allows the company to experiment with new ideas such as the idea of FrontOffice. “We are allowed to be flexible and experiment what better suits individuals,” Flowers said. FirstOffice caters to each company’s business aspirations. The goal is to help companies minimize obvious mistakes made by other businesses in the past. The program offers a co-working space in which you will have the ability to receive advice from others and create relationships with other businesses that can help your company grow down the road.
Three companies have already shown interest in the FirstOffice program, one coming from as far as Clemson, South Carolina. VTKW is a company with global connections so their client list reaches out further than the NRV area. Businesses who show interest in VTKW services are generally technology-based innovators, or those who are creating an idea from scratch using advanced materials, alternative energies or even chemists with an idea of their own. The most important clientele VTKW hopes to reach out to are students here at Virginia Tech. To invent the future is the pride of every Hokie and VT KnowledgeWorks will help students do with what they think is just a small thought or idea. Their ability to provide entrepreneurs with ample information about the business world is rare. Students may not have that million-dollar idea just yet, but when they do, VT KnowledgeWorks is just the place to take it.
He’s been through a lot and for his reaction to be creating not just a vision out of the face of this tragedy, but being a part of it, wanting to lead it and being there to make sure it happened – he definitely exceeded his vision.” SOPHIA TEIE PRESIDENT, STUDENTS FOR NONVIOLENCE
The program held an international symposium for violence prevention in 2010 and has been working with the departments of sociology, philosophy, geography, political science, and agricultural and applied economics to create a new undergraduate program in peace studies and violence prevention. The program began offering a year-long interdisciplinary capstone seminar course called Global Society, Violence, and the Prospects of Peace during the 2010-2011 school year, and the center plans to begin offering a university concentration in Violence Prevention and Peace Studies next school year.
The center also completes projects outside campus to help promote nonviolence in K-12 schools by providing help to children and teenagers who are considered “high-risk” for their violent behaviors based on sociological studies. The center believes working with this high-risk group during a young age can promote violence prevention when they get older. Although Nowak is retiring, he plans on remaining involved with the violence prevention and peace movement. Nowak plans to continue involvement with the CPSVP and has expressed interest in participating in the design and development of Norris Garden – “a garden that will provide some secluded space for reflection,” Nowak said. He also plans to spend more time with his family. In retirement, he wants to see the program continue to grow. “I want (Virginia Tech) just to continue with this program and expand its capabilities in the area of violence prevention by promoting engagement,” Nowak said. Many students believe Nowak has accomplished some remarkable things with the program over the years. “I don’t think he realizes how much he has done with this curriculum (on nonviolence and peace studies),” Sophia Teie, president of the Students for Nonviolence organization, a student club closely affiliated with the CPSVP, said. “He’s been through a lot and for his reaction to be creating not just a vision out of the face of this tragedy, but being a part of it, wanting to lead it and being there to make sure it happened – he definitely exceeded his vision.”
NEWS
New program FirstOffice fosters ideas to fruition
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Tech rated one of the most environmentally responsible universities of 2011 ELIZABETH HAYDU news staff writer
was recently cut from the university as a whole. “During the 2007-2008 academic year, a series of movements such as sustainability week set off a catalyst for the green movement at Tech,” Cochrane said. It was not just these goals that put Tech in The Princeton Review, it was also a combination of sustainable programs into academic curriculums, and the participating levels in alternate transportation, composting, recycling, and programs such as the sustainability week and Y-toss. “The bottom line is that the students are in the forefront,” Cochrane said. “If you have the passion and interest that students bring to the table in working with our committee, that’s a home run.”
collegiatetimes.com june 9, 2011
The Princeton Review has just announced Virginia Tech as one of the most environmentally responsible universities in the United States and Canada of 2011. This year, Tech was recognized with the honor along with 311 other colleges. In 2010, Tech was recognized with only 286 other other colleges. “Frankly, it is an honor to be recognized,” sustainability program manager Denny Cochrane said. “It is really a shot in the arm to be able to say we are not there yet, but we are on our way.” A main reason Tech was chosen for such an exclusive honor includes
the Climate Action Commitment and Sustainability Plan. The goal of this plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost energy efficiency, and pursue LEED Silver certification standards for the new campus buildings. In 2009, the Board of Visitors approved the “Climate Action Commitment Resolution” along with the accompanying Sustainability Plan. Following that, Virginia Tech received a Gold rating for one LEED project and is pursuing 11 additional certificates. “The students deserve a lot of credit,” Cochrane said. “The 2006-2007 academic year was the start of students really getting involved.” In that year, the students at Virginia Tech asked the campus to restore the paper recycling program, which
AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS The sustainable green roof on Seitz Hall continues to grow and flourish.
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Is Virginia Tech prepared for
OPINIONS
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natural disaster conditions? ver the past few months, we have witnessed the destruction that O natural disasters have caused, whether
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it was the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, to the tornadoes that destroyed entire sections of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, or the deadly aftermath of the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. We have had the historic flooding along the Mississippi River and elsewhere in the world there have been other disasters such as mudslides, etc. The scenes themselves show the extent CHUCK WEIL / COLLEGIATE TIMES and power of nature. In today’s society, the impact of these disasters hits much closer to home because of the instantaneous access that we have to these events through technology. Whether it is footage as the event is taking place, or footage of the immediate aftermath, these images have a profound impact. These events help to put things in perspective about the value of one’s life and how one’s possessions can easily be destroyed. As I reflect about these things, I think about how prepared Virginia Tech would be in handling a natural disaster. While we have recent experience with man-made tragedies, we have not had recent experiences involving natural disasters. Other college campuses have faced natural disasters such as Colorado State in 1997 as it was impacted by flash floods, the tornado that struck the Austin Peay State campus in 1999, or the flooding that hit the University of Iowa in 2008. As an institution, we have been impacted by fire as the original McBryde Hall was destroyed by fire as well as some of the original structures on campus. Virginia Tech has been impacted by weather extremes, as we’ve faced treacherous ice conditions, blizzard-like conditions to even tropical storm winds. Flooding has also impacted the campus. We tend to forget that we have a stream that goes underneath the drillfield and flows under the campus and under downtown Blacksburg. Imagine if these streams were to flood, the water would clearly have to surface somewhere. How prepared are we in the event of a natural disaster hitting close to campus or within our community? The recent stormy weather has made things interesting as before the end of the semester, campus alarms were going off due to tornado warnings. In addition, a community in Pulaski was hit by a tornado on April 9. My question is what else can Virginia Tech do to help its community members to understand the emergency procedures that it has in place? For example, information about emergency response can be found at www.emergency.vt.edu. It is interesting that when you go to the emergency website, it indicates that it is “Every Hokies Responsibility” to learn the information. My question is how do we, as commu-
collegiatetimes.com june 9, 2011
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nity members, understand this information or even know that it exists? Do we get a refresher every year? Reminders? Take for example when you fly on a commercial jet. The flight attendant reviews the emergency procedures each time a plane departs an airport. For those that have flown, you are familiar with how to use your seat belt, how to use the oxygen mask, and how your seat cushion can be used as a flotation devise. You can listen or watch the flight attendant, or read the card in the back seat pocket. For those that have flown on multiple occasions, we are used to the routine. While one may find it boring, the information is valuable if an emergency does take place. My question is, do we have a similar flight attendant speech for our community? If we do, how often is this shared with the community? I suspect that unless someone has been directly impacted, that they may not be aware of the emergency protocols that do exist. Since the events of April 16, 2007, the emergency infrastructure is more refined with the VT alerts system as well as the classroom LED monitors. While these have been valuable and necessary additions to the community, I wonder what other things could be done to further educate the community. Do we do anything in New Student Orientation about emergency preparedness? The same would go for new faculty and staff. Is this done on a yearly basis? How do members know that they should be aware of the VT emergency website? It seems to me that amid everything that is done, we as an institution need to develop a strategy or effort to better prepare the Virginia Tech community for dealing with such emergency situations. While we may not predict when a natural disaster is going to happen and if it is going to happen, we need to be prepared. Imagine a scenario of a tornado having impacted the Tom’s Creek area of Blacksburg, where many apartment complexes and homes are located? How would we respond to the needs to the students and faculty/staff impacted? Those non-students impacted? How would this impact the operations of the university? While it may seem far-fetched, the images of the recent natural disasters show that as members of the Virginia Tech community, that we cannot take these RAY things lightly. How prepared are we in PLAZA understanding the regular procedures? columnist
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nearly forty homeless people. The group was accused of intentionally violating a city ordinance which restricts the manner with which groups can be fed in public parks. With police officers watching, the group continued to feed homeless people until they were eventually forced to stop and arrested for their offense. Regardless of the constitutional legality of the city’s ordinance, the importance of this incident lies in reminding the people of this country of the continual scourge of poverty. Since the 1950s, the United States has enjoyed a relatively low poverty level compared to the rest of the world. With rather drastic increases in the 1980s through the early 2000s taken into consideration, however, the results of our economic development over the past half century do not stand as strongly as many would like us to believe. Currently, the United States claims a population in which nearly one-seventh of people are in poverty. An even more egregious statistic is that currently those Americans considered to be living in deep poverty is at its highest rate in over fifteen years. Though the continual recovery of our economy following the ‘Great Recession’ is bringing about a lessening of this number, the general trend throughout the past century has been a continuation of poverty levels with short periods of heightening and lessening. Poverty has been an issue all societies have been forced to handle since the advent of commerce. With the modernization of industry and culture, however, poverty has taken different roles within our socioeconomic outlook. Whereas during the industrial development of our nation until is collapse in the 1980s, poverty was taken seriously as a political issue and considered to be a phenomenon our government could not ignore. The result of this ideology was an outpouring of workers’ rights bills, labor protection bills, and an expansion of the welfare state. With the rise of the new conservative aristocracy during the period of Ronald Reagan, however, things began to change. Taken together, his smug and arrogant outlook on society and his seeming adoration of the powerful and disdain for the powerless brought about the systematic extinction of the welfare state and thus the destruction of the poor’s only safety net in a hostile world. By his policies, Mr. Reagan let loose
a demon upon this nation that few would have considered possible only a few decades before. The nation which had once promised a ‘New Deal’ for those in need and a ‘Fair Deal’ for those who were forgotten was now showing itself to be owned only by those who could afford it. The nation which had once dreamed of a ‘Great Society’ now saw only the almighty dollar has its god and worshipped no other maxim. Even now, the specter of Reagan continues to haunt this nation as our supposed “liberal” President finds himself unable to effectively challenge the hateful rhetoric of those whose ambition far outweighs their decent nature. A nation which had once promised to accept all those who were “tired” and “poor” has become to the greatest degree one which accepts only those who can put their money into that melting pot. The brutality of our economic system requires an agency which stands for the protection of those who are unable to defend themselves against it. Capitalism has brought forth the greatest advancements in industry and technology the world has ever known but has required a great amount of blood offering as payment. Without the government of this nation standing for the protection of those who have been carted like lambs to the sacrificial altar, there is nothing to help those who are helpless. We must make a decision as a nation to stand for the protection of our fellow men. Having the greatest economic and material bounty any nation in the history of this world has had, we are compelled by the basic decency of our species to use our loot to protect those who cannot do so by themselves. Instead of continuing to fuel our addiction to wealth and ‘stuff,’ perhaps we should invest in ourselves and care for our brethren. Instead of making our next million, perhaps we should help a single mother feed and educate her children. It may appear to be a large thing to ask of a nation which has continually extolled avarice as being its greatest asset, but at the period of development we now find ourselves in there is no excuse not to. The only thing we can say in our defense of continued apathy to poverty is that we simply do not care.
JASON S. CAMPBELL regular columnist
hile I hope that most of us have a good understanding W of the U.S. system of government, with the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch and Judicial branch, I suspect that many within the Virginia Tech community would not have the same understanding of the University governance system. The components of the university system include the Board of Visitors, President, University Council, Commissions and Senates. Earlier this week, the Board of Visitors held its quarterly June meeting on campus. During their meetings, they were updated on different aspects of the university and approved policy recommendations and changes. The Board of Visitors by state statute is the governing authority of the institution. In that role, the Board appoints the President to oversee the university, thus President Steger serves as at the purview of the Board of Visitors. How does one become a member of the Board of Visitors? It is perhaps one of the most exclusive clubs in the Commonwealth as the Governor appoints them. While most have some connection to Virginia Tech, it is not a formal requirement. The terms of the members are staggered so the Board includes both returning and new members appointed by different governors. This has set-up interesting dynamics with members being appointed by Republican or Democratic governors in the past. Certain members of the university community are ex-officio members as there is a faculty representative, staff representative, undergraduate and graduate student representative to the board as well as the President. If you go online and happen to find and read the minutes to the Board meetings, it is a fascinating look into the inner workings of the university. While the open meetings of the Board are public, not many take advantage of the opportunity. Often times the public that attends those meetings are directly connected to the offices that are presenting information or supporting the committee work. The meetings of the Board are a significant deal for the administration and one can see the work that takes place in the weeks preceding the meetings as agendas and presentations are finalized. While the meetings include updates, the Board also approves changes made on behalf of University Council. Basically, no policy change can happen or go into effect until it has the final approval of the Board of Visitors.
While the Board has interactions with select members of the university community through the different sub-committees, I wonder about its true engagement with the broader Virginia Tech and local community. Sure we get the customary press release at the conclusion of the Board of Visitors meeting about what was approved. However, after a few days, the minutes/agenda from the Board meetings are removed. Why do we hide these reports from the public? It would seem to me that these presentations to the Board of Visitors are significant enough to warrant being posted in multiple places. For example, at this recent meeting, a “Vision for Undergraduate Education” was presented, as well as plans for the renovation of a number of buildings under the student affairs purview. Will these presentations be made more accessible to the broader community? For many within our community, the Board of Visitors remains a mystery and an unknown. You may get to see some of the members at graduation and other high profile events, but rarely at any other times. This raises the question about what type of engagement would we, as an institution and community like to see from the Board. Are we comfortable with the current role being played by the Board of Visitors? Is the Board playing too much of a role or to little of a role? Are we as a community afraid of the Board and the power that it holds? Would greater engagement with the Board usurp the authority of the President and the administration? While Virginia Tech may not have common shares per se as a corporation, as members of the Virginia Tech community, we are shareholders in this important enterprise. If once a year, corporations have a shareholder meeting and these shareholders interact with their respective Boards, why could we not do the same thing here at Virginia Tech? I believe the issue of engagement with the Board of Visitors warrants further examination and discussion. As Virginia Tech moves forward, the Board should not remain a mystery for mem- RAY bers of the com- PLAZA munity that it regular serves.
columnist
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ast Wednesday, members of the organization “Food Not Bombs” L were arrested in Orlando after feeding
5 OPINIONS
Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Sarah Watson Managing Editor Kelsey Heiter News Editor Cara McBroom Features Editor Ally Hammond Sports Editor Zach Mariner Head Copy Editor Kayla St. Clair Photo Editor Paul Kurlak Online Director Jamie Chung
Laws on poverty outweigh Open interaction with deeds of good samaritans Tech BOV members
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Former Giants WR Steve Stricker takes home first place Plaxico Burress honor at Memorial Golf Tournament released from prison TOM ROCK mcclatchy newspapers If Plaxico Burress thought there would be more space on the outside, he was wrong. As he and his family drove away from the upstate resort where they were reunited Monday morning after his 20-plus months in prison, the 6-5 former Giants receiver BURRESS folded himself into the middle of the back seat, squishing in between car seats carrying his son Elijah, 4, and daughter Giovanna, 1. Close quarters probably never felt so good. Burress was released from Oneida Correctional Facility at about 9 a.m. Monday, walking out of the facility with his attorney, Peter Frankel, before meeting agent Drew Rosenhaus in the parking lot. The group made a quick dash to the nearby Turning Stone Resort and Casino, where, after some immediate
CODY OWENS confusion, they found the building where his children and wife, Tiffany, were staying. There, outside the lobby, Burress sat down on a bench and corraled them all in the same arms that had caught so many NFL passes, including the Super Bowl-winning touchdown for the Giants. After about an hour together, the family - with Burress shoe-horned in the middle - took off for the airport and a private jet to their home in Lighthouse Point, Fla. They were met there by a silver sign with multicolored borders and block letters reading “Welcome Home!” on the iron fence in front of the driveway. Neighbor Kim Penniman also put up 10 multicolored “welcome home” balloons on the mailbox, and when the balloons eventually popped in the Florida heat, she went to get more. “I feel great,” Burress said as he quickly walked through those decorated gates a few minutes past 5 p.m., about eight hours after his release and 2 years after he accidentally shot see GIANTS/ page seven
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sports staff writer It has been said that nice guys finish last. After golfer Steve Stricker’s win at the Memorial Tournament this previous Sunday, many would disagree. “He’s a superstar in more ways than his golf game,” Memorial Tournament founder Jack Nicklaus said. “I think he’s been a superstar from the way he’s behaved himself, the way he handles his game, the way he handles people and the way he handles fans. He’s always done that. And that, to me, is equally as important as how well you score.” Nicklaus’ invitational, taking place at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, opened with the first round on Thursday, June 2nd. Rory McIlroy and Chris Riley both shot 6-under par to emerge as early leaders with a score of 66. However, Stricker rose above the rest on Friday with a 188-yard hole-in-one on the par-three 8th hole that placed him 5-under 67 and gave him a threeshot lead over contenders McIlroy, Ricky Barnes, and Jonathan Byrd. “It’s a shock when you see that go in, obviously, but in a good way,” Stricker said of his ace. “A great way to finish the round.” The third round saw Stricker snag two eagles on a par-four 2nd hole and on a par-five 5th hole along with several birdies on the front nine. However, the remainder of the day was not as kind to Stricker. The back nine proved to be much more difficult, with Stricker missing short putts on the 14th and 15th holes and faltering on the 15th, where he made bogey. Stricker’s lackluster performance on the back nine allowed several others to approach the lead. Byrd birdied on the 18th hole to finish with a 3-under 69 along with Brandt Jove. Matt Kuchar also emerged near the top, ending the third round with six birdies on the front nine to score 68. Stricker still managed to maintain his top position with a score of 69, entering Sunday’s final round with a three-shot lead. Stricker again played well on the front-nine with a number of birdies. Soon after he made an impressive sand-save on the par-three 12th hole, however, the round was delayed by storms for two hours. Stricker, with a three-shot lead at the delay, was doing better in the tournament than ever before. In his eleven previous Memorial Tournaments, Stricker had never finished in the top ten and he was now on the cusp of winning. However, being that close to victory also brought worry to the golfer. “The thought of blowing it and not
CHRIS RUSSELL / MCT
Steve Stricker celebrates after winning the Memorial Golf Tournament. Stricker, ranked No. 4 in the world, is still without a major title. performing down the stretch to win, it came through my mind,” Stricker said. Stricker’s performance on the last few holes did not match that of the front nine, but long putts on both the 16th and 17th holes kept him afloat. “I feel good when I’ve got the putter in my hand,” Stricker said. Kuchar and Jobe performed great on Sunday as well, with Kuchar finishing the round bogey-free and Jobe scoring seven birdies over eight holes. Both finished the day with a score of 65, three under Stricker’s 68, but neither could surpass the lead from Stricker’s consistent four-day performance. Stricker finished the Memorial Tournament sixteen-under with a combined score of 272 to grab a close victory, just one stroke ahead of Kuchar and Jobe, both of whom finished with a still-impressive 273. Stricker’s win is even sweeter considering the road that has taken him to this point. He was the runner-up in the 1998 PGA Championship and the winner of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. However, his per-
formance soon turned worse, leading to him losing his tour card in 2004. He was able to turn his game around and be named the 2007 PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year. “It’s special,” he said. “From where I came from ... to be where I’m at today, I’ve got to pinch myself every once in a while to remember where I was and where I am. And the confidence level at which I play now is night and day, and that’s a good thing. I’m just enjoying the ride.” Stricker’s win at the Memorial only indicates greater things in his future. He has proven that he has the skill and talent to contend with the top names in golf and now has the confidence that comes from being ranked 4th in the Official Golf World Golf Rankings, higher than any other American golfer. However, he is still without a major title. With the U.S. Open a mere two weeks away on June 16, Stricker has the opportunity to change that and prove once again that nice guys don’t always finish last.
Season tickets made available to public sports editor The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced on Monday that a limited number of season tickets are still available for the 2011 football season. Usually, season tickets are a privilege bestowed only upon Virginia Tech upperclassmen and major donors to the university.
[
purchase tickets Online at hokietickets.com or call the Virginia Tech Athletic Ticket Office at (540)-231-6731
]
However, this unique opportunity allows any Hokie fans the right to reserve their spot in Lane Stadium this fall. Tech’s home schedule this season features six games, four of them Atlantic Coast Conference contests. The Hokies will take on perennial Divison I-AA power Appalachian State in the season opener on September 3, followed by the annual White Out game coming against Sun Belt foe Arkansas State on September 17. The Hokies then move in to the con-
DANIEL LIN / SPPS
Students cheer in the East stands during last year’s thrilling 28-21 Thursday night win over Georgia Tech ference portion of their schedule, facing off against the Clemson Tigers in their ACC opener on October 1. This will also be the Maroon Effect Game. The next week, October 8, the Miami Hurricanes will come to town for the Hall of Fame game. Then, on October
22, Tech will face Atlantic Division rival Boston College on homecoming. Finally, after two weeks away from Lane, the Hokies will finish off their home schedule against North Carolina on November 17 in the Orange Effect game.
Not only are there normal season tickets available, but there are also a limited number of tickets for the Indoor and Outdoor Club areas located in the South end zone and West side of Lane Stadium. Club seating provides not only some
of the best seating available in the entire stadium, but also a number of perks to its patrons. Indoor club seats offer a controlled climate, along with upholstered chairback seats. Indoor club season ticket holders receive access to elevators, private restrooms, and private concessions. However, these seats require a $2,000 annual gift commitment, along with the $288 price of regular season tickets. Outdoor club seats also have access to the indoor club areas, along with private concessions and private restrooms. The only major difference between the two being that, obviously, outdoor club seats are outside, and they run a bit cheaper. The annual gift commitment for those seats is $1,500, along with the regular cost of a season ticket. Zone Club tickets are also available. Those seats are located in the South end zone and include similar features to that of the outdoor club seats. However, the cost is only $750, plus the cost of a season ticket. Tickets are $288 per person, and can be purchased by calling the Virginia Tech Athletics Ticket Office at (540) 231-6731 or toll-free at 1-800-8283244. Tickets can also be purchased online at hokietickets.com.
7 SPORTS
ZACH MARINER
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Giants Super Bowl hero Burress looks to make NFL comeback from page six
collegiatetimes.com june 9, 2011
himself with an unlicensed handgun in a Manhattan nightclub. Burress still will have to serve two years of parole that includes substanceabuse testing, curfews and support of his family. The parole was transferred to Florida, and Burress met his parole officer there Monday. Burress emerged from his prison stay wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark shorts and an old-style Philadelphia Phillies cap. He issued a brief statement. “It’s a beautiful day to be reunited with my family, to go home and get some quality time with them,” he said. “I’d like to thank everybody for their prayers and thank all my fans around the world for the thousands of letters and for their unwavering support. As far as football is concerned, if and when everything gets settled and they get back on the field, I’ll be ready.” Given the rampant speculation that he will sign with the Eagles, Burress later was asked if anything should be read into the Phillies cap. “Hey, man, that’s for y’all (to decide),” he said to a small group of reporters. Only days after Brandon Jacobs, Burress’ friend and former teammate,
said there is “no way” the free-agent receiver will be back with the Giants, Rosenhaus reopened the door to a return. “I wouldn’t rule out any team,” Rosenhaus said. “We are going to be open to all 32 teams. Ultimately, this will be Plax’s decision, not mine. I am here to help him pick the best spot and get the very best contract. And that is what we will do.” Rosenhaus said Burress will benefit from the lockout because he will hit the market along with all other free agents when the NFL gets back to business. He also said Burress stayed in shape in jail by doing sit-ups, pullups and push-ups and even running routes. “Didn’t have a quarterback in there, unfortunately,” he said. Rosenhaus said he thinks Burress has “learned an awful lot.” “He obviously made a mistake,” he said. “The maturation from being in this type of environment to reflect on your life and the things you might do differently, to miss two NFL seasons in the prime of your career, to not be with your family, to lose out on millions and millions of dollars, these are things that have forced him to evaluate his life, and we all would become a better person.”
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LeBron falters, Heat drop Game 4 in Dallas ISRAEL GUTIERREZ mcclatchy newspapers This is where it’s absolutely no fun to be LeBron James. At least after Game 3, when he was asked a ridiculous question about “shrinking” after a win, at least he had that win to stand on. At least he had a 17-point, nineassist stat line that made sense next to Dwyane Wade’s 29 points and 11 rebounds. At least then he had a 2-1 series lead to defend him and a nation of analysts and experts coming to his defense as well. After Tuesday’s Game 4, there will be nothing but questions, concerns, criticisms and, from Heat fans, probably anger. Never mind that in the first half he was playing within the offense, feeding an aggressive Chris Bosh, gladly accepting Mavericks double-teams and letting the Heat offense work from there. Never mind that in the second half it was more of the Wade show, as the Mavs killer put up another 32 points in this one. No, everyone will notice LeBron’s apparent passive approach. They’ll say a superstar such as him should find a way to make an impact in the scoring column even if the defense is designed to force anything but that. They’ll say even if he was being the superstar willing to pass and let others shine, that when the game hit the
final minutes and it was clear the Heat needed him, he should’ve provided something, anything. And all of it, frankly, is true. This game doesn’t define LeBron James in these playoffs. It doesn’t even become the story of his NBA Finals if it remains a onegame anomaly. But it does stand as the most shocking result for James in this series. In these playoffs. In his playoff history. For the first time in 90 playoffs games, James was held to single figures with eight points. It doesn’t matter than he added nine rebounds, seven assists and only shot the ball 11 times. All that matters is that the Heat got eight points from the most dominant basketball force on the planet and lost by three. Lost by three in a game that was in the Heat’s hands in the fourth quarter and could’ve put a stranglehold on the series. It’s not just the first time in his playoff career that LeBron has been held below 10 points. It’s the first time in 434 NBA games, regular season and playoffs included. It’s the first time overall since Jan. 5, 2007. If he’d done this in Cleveland, sat on the weak side watching teammates do the bulk of the lifting, he would’ve been called a quitter. Given that his team was hardly getting blown out of this one _ in fact, the Heat was leading by nine
In a Better World
MICHAEL LAUGHLIN / MCT
LeBron James reacts to a foul called against him in the 4th quarter of Tuesday’s loss to the Mavericks. James put up a playoff career-low 8 points in Game 4, presenting questions about his lack of agressiveness points with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter with LeBron playing the facilitator _ it should probably just be called a once-in-a-lifetime oddity. The Halley’s Comet of LeBron James’ playoff career.
R
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But here’s where the criticism is absolutely valid in this one. If LeBron had played 44 minutes as the sidekick, the egoless point forward with all the right intentions, and then turned it on for the final four minutes, no one would’ve been concerned about the final stat line. If LeBron James decided that, in the final few minutes with the Heat desperate for big buckets, he would switch to a scorer’s mentality and just flat-out missed, it would at least be reasonable. But for LeBron to attempt exactly one shot in the fourth quarter when his team needed everything he had, it’s pretty much inexcusable. He can come up with reasons. He can tell everyone listening that the Mavericks defense wasn’t allowing him to be a scorer. He can announce to the world that he wasn’t in rhythm because he’d spent the entire game thinking anything but score. But when it comes time to be the LeBron James that ended games against the Celtics and Bulls, he needed to at least look like he wanted the opportunity. That didn’t happen. And so here comes two days worth of everyone attempting to get into LeBron’s head. Two days of tired questions about whether or not he can perform to his best abilities when Wade is taking the lead. Those questions won’t be answered to anyone’s liking. It has been an entire season’s worth of people attempting to psychoanalyze LeBron,
to no avail. But the attempts will come fast and furiously now. And with good reason. Because these are the Finals, and it’s no time for LeBron James to feel his way through. No time to sit and watch and hope and come up with empty explanations. There’s another element to this that’s going to make things look far worse for LeBron. When you compare his overall effort to that of Wade, it just doesn’t match up. Winning time, as LeBron so eloquently put it after Game 3, requires a lot more than just scoring. And while Wade was all over the floor on both ends, diving and fighting for loose balls, blocking a player seven inches taller than him in Tyson Chandler, and fouling him on another dunk attempt from Chandler, LeBron didn’t look nearly as involved. He didn’t look nearly as engaged in this one. James spent the pregame telling his teammates not to leave this game with questions about what they could’ve done. Leave it all out there, he exclaimed. The game before, he told his teammates if they’re not exhausted after the game, they didn’t do enough. It’s safe to say LeBron left this game with a good amount of unused fuel. It’s safe to say this was one of the worst playoff performances of his career, all things considered. It’s safe to say it’s no fun to be LeBron James right now.
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CODY OWENS staff writer If you’re seeking to enjoy the natural wonders around the New River Valley and beyond, Venture Out has you covered. Venture Out, office located in 123 Squires Student Center, offers a variety of services for the outdoors-loving members of the Virginia Tech community. For those who want to take an outdoor trip but have no idea where to begin, an assortment of pre-planned trips are available. Each trip is guided by an experienced leader and has a fee between $20 and $30 which covers transportation and a meal. Among the programs offered this summer are rock climbing, caving, a day hike, and a canoeing trip on the New River. If you feel apprehensive about not having the skills for trips such as canoeing or rock climbing, don’t fear; Venture Out specializes in “low-risk outdoor adventures that require little to no experience to participate.” If the idea of having an outdoor adventure planned by experts specifi-
cally for you sounds appealing, then you might benefit from a custom trip. These trips offer the opportunity for exciting activities such as horseback riding in the Blue Ridge Mountains, kayaking, whitewater rafting in West Virginia, and hiking trips to beautiful areas such as Mount Rogers, without having to worry about the details. Planning your trip through Venture Out also has other benefits: trip leaders often have access to privately-owned properties and caves that are otherwise closed to the public. Venture Out provides equipment rentals at reasonable prices, allowing the public to rent gear such as canoes, head lamps, life jackets, tents of varying sizes, and stoves on daily rates extending to a week. Additionally, the Venture Out website hosts a number of links leading to everything from sites about the Appalachian Trail and rock climbing to videos showing how to best roll a sleeping bag and set-up a tent. Whether you are an experienced outdoorsman looking to rent gear or an outdoors novice seeking new thrills while meeting like-minded people, Venture Out is your gateway to the wilderness.
Cranberry-Citrus Twist A tart twist for the sweet summer. -sarah watson, editor-in-chief
CT Recipes Serves:
2
Ingredients: 4 2 2 2 4
ounces of gin ounces of lemon juice ounces of lemon simple syrup ounces of cranberry simple syrup cranberries to garnish
9 FEATURES
Venture Out serves novice to experienced
Directions: -To make simple syrup, mix equal parts sugar and water and bring to a boil. -For lemon simple syrup, add lemon zest to mixture before it boils. -For cranberry simple syrup, add cranberries to mixture before it boils. Add all ingredients into a shaker and mix. Serve in a martini glass with cranberries as garnish.
Stuck inside? Blacksburg offers fresh air alternatives ALLY HAMMOND features editor
540-552-3200
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It’s summertime. Love and romance are abundant in the muggy air. What better time is there to show your special someone just how much you care? Blacksburg, in all it’s splendor, offers many romantic places for you and a significant other (or friends, for singletons) to spend a nice day together. THE DUCKPOND Always voted Blacksburg’s most romantic, as well as cheapest, date, the duckpond makes a perfect picnic spot. Grab a blanket, some sandwiches, and lemonade, and stake-out that perfect grassy spot. For those of you less inclined to dine on the ground, picnic tables are placed in shady locations around the pond’s perimeter. Don’t forget extra food to feed the ducks! A BEGINNER’S HIKE A day trip to the Cascades, located in Pembrook, Virginia (a short 20 minute drive from campus) is the perfect hike for a novice trekker. For only a $2 parking fee, the Cascades are almost as cheap as the duckpond. The trail is two miles to the falls, and two miles back, an easy leisurely day. The picture-esque falls make perfect summertime photos, as well as provide a refreshing dip, if you’re so inclined after the hike. At the end
of the hike, grills are available for a nice after-hike cookout. THE NEW RIVER The New River, always a popular endof-spring-semester destination, is even more desirable in the summer. The tubing company, New River Junction, offers $7 daily tube rentals from 11 am - 6 pm. Their website says, “The river will draw you, gently, and peacefully, as you float over small riffles in your tube. About a mile down stream the rapids are splashing. Ride the rapids a few times then visit Big Falls Park, where the park grills will be hot and ready for cooking” — how perfect does that sound? Their complimentary shuttle bus returns you to your car, or you can tube right back down the river again. Cooler tubes are also available for a mere $3, allowing you to float a lunch, or beverages, right beside you. MINI-GOLF Nothing screams summer more than a rousing and competitive game of minigolf. Blacksburg’s sole mini-golf course, Cox’s Golf Driving Range, charges only $7 a person — a perfect after dinner activity. Whether you’re in Blacksburg for the weekend or the summer, and need an activity more exciting than sneaking into the Village pool, one of these will be sure to fit your needs.
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DIY: Paper Lanterns Everybody had Chinese lanterns at some point in their adolescent decorating years. Well, now that we’re in college, it’s time to pull out these old lanterns and re-vamp them. These lanterns will be perfect for a summer decorating change, or to add a cute festive flair to your back porch barbeque. -ally hammond, features editor
Here’s what you need: -Chinese lantern (as many as you’d like to hang)
JULIE HINDS mcclatchy newspapers
-A pack of single colored tissue paper -Scissors -Double sided tape -A circular object (about 4 inches in diameter) to trace Here’s how you do it: 1) Trace the circles onto tissue paper and cut them out neatly.
before
2) Begin at the bottom of the lantern. Put a piece of double sided tape on the top of a tissue-paper circle, and stick around the bottom opening. 3) Continue sticking circles all the way around the entire opening. 4) Once the bottom is covered, move up to the next wire line of the lantern. Repeat the process. 5) Repeat all the way to the top, ensuring the entire lantern is covered.
TV made for the dog days of summer
after
It’s June now, which means no more of Scotty McCreery’s boyish smirks on “American Idol” or Kirstie Alley dropping dress sizes on the “Dancing With the Stars” diet plan. The summer TV shows are beginning to swarm in like fish flies on a steamy night. Television can’t beat sitting on your porch sipping lemonade and watching the neighborhood dogs go by. Well, maybe FX’s “Wilfred” could, for reasons that soon will be clear. These are a few old favorites and new curiosities that I’m planning to check out. But if a Boston terrier or corgi walks past a nearby window while they’re on, all bets are off. “PLATINUM HIT” (Bravo, 10 p.m. Mondays): This is a songwriting contest featuring people who behave as if they’re on a singing contest. In the first episode, contestants teamed up to write a song about Los Angeles. The winners came up with this distinctive line: “L.A., my cit-ay.” No way? Way. I mostly tuned in to see if Kara DioGuardi has dropped her “American Idol” habit of acting like the most insightful, sincere person in the world. Good news: She’s scaled it back a little.
collegiatetimes.com june 9, 2011
“HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land, 10 p.m. Wednesdays, season debut June 15): Did you ever indulge in a rerun marathon on a humid summer day? Where you stay on the couch and watch “Bewitched” or early “M(AST ERISK)A(ASTERISK)S(ASTERISK) H” episodes _ you know, the funny ones? Betty White’s retro-cool sitcom with Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendy Malick is the next best thing. It’s like being back in the 1970s, but with central air conditioning. “LOVE BITES” (NBC, 10 p.m. Thursdays): From the promos, this seems like “Love American Style” for the new millennium. It has three somewhat linked stories about romance each week. Bring on the heart-shaped logos! Actually, it only took a commercial featuring Craig Robinson, who plays Darryl on “The Office,” to make me want to tune in last week. If only they had put him in a hot tub time machine. “RESCUE ME” (FX, 10 p.m. Tuesdays, season debut July 12): This is the final season of Denis Leary’s often bleak and sometimes infuriatingly outlandish series about New York firefight-
ers in a post-9/11 world. Despite its excesses, it achieves greatness in all its messiness. If you’ve been following the tortured path of Leary’s character, Tommy, you’ve got to find out what ultimately happens to him. “FOOD NETWORK STAR” (Food Network, 9 p.m. Sundays): The subtitle should be “Will We Ever Find Another Guy Fieri?” Still, after “Chopped” and “Top Chef,” this is the best show about talented cooks handling pressure in the kitchen and in front of the camera. And thankfully, it’s usually a cake-free zone. “ROCCO’S DINNER PARTY” (Bravo, 11 p.m. Wednesdays, series debut June 15): Cooks vie for a chance to be in charge of one of Rocco DiSpirito’s glamorous celebrations. But they had us at Liza Minnelli, who appears in the show’s ad on Bravo. How does she know Rocco? Does she sing at dinner parties? In a sequin dress and black tights? Life is a Rocco-hosted cabaret. “MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE” (TNT, 10 p.m. Wednesdays): After kicking off with an impressive first season, the show has been maintaining a snail’s pace and revisiting familiar territory. But now that it’s back to finish its second season, Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula deserve another chance. We love you guys, but you’ve got to attack some of those middle-age issues instead of just wallowing for weeks in them. “FINDING SARAH” (OWN, 9 p.m. Sundays, series debut June 12): A healing journey with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. No word on whether there’ll be a guest appearance by Princess Beatrice’s royal wedding hat. “WILFRED” (FX, 10 p.m. Thursdays, series debut June 23): Love the concept. Elijah Wood is a depressed guy who is the only person who sees his neighbor’s pet as a sarcastic man in a dog suit. Like a poker hand where the chips are all in, this is either going to be an awful modern-day “Mr. Ed” or an experience more fun than a parade of a thousand pugs. “WEB THERAPY” (Showtime, 11 p.m. Tuesdays, series debut July 19): If you saw Lisa Kudrow on HBO’s “The Comeback,” you would follow her to the comedy ends of the Earth. Or to pay-cable for this series, which started out on the Web. She plays a sort-of therapist without any obvious gift for helping people. This is what summer is about—old “Friends” and good times.
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By Don Gagliardo
ACROSS 1 Orates 7 Hourly wage, e.g. 15 Refuses to 16 Astronomy measurements 17 Engrave 18 Sea cows 19 Brief needlework? 20 Megan’ s “Will & Grace” rol e 21 Label for some Glenn Frey hits 22 Physicist with a law 23 Acting teacher Hagen
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6/9/11 25 “It __ far , far better thing ...”: Dickens 26 Wages 27 Get 28 Noodles, say 30 The Simpsons, e.g. 32 Wedding dance 34 Fabled mattress lump 35 Mal de __ 36 One of six in this puzzl e 42 Some tech sch. grads 43 Top ten item 44 Sign
DOW N 1 __-fi 2 Temple of the gods 3 Being filmed 4 Platoon, for one 5 Anybody’ s guess 6 Chateau __ Michelle winery 7 The Tide 8 Hank who voices many 30-Across 9 Cosecant reciprocals 10 Arises 11 Groove 12 At the original speed, in music 13 Jail, in slang 14 Tests that are hard to guess on 20 Deejay Casey 22 Dept. of Labor agenc y 24 Spanish appetizers 29 Speed: Pref. 31 Meeting time qualifier
45 Pricey 48 Pole symbol 50 Wall St. exec’ s 66 Mount McKinley’s degree home 51 Collar 67 Relax 52 “Aladdin” 68 Word with health monkey or illness 54 Frat letter 55 Food scrap 56 Geneva-based workers’ gp. 57 Babe and Baby 59 Gijón goose egg 61 Orchard grower 63 An iamb’ s second half gets it 65 Noteworthy
33 One-time Time critic James 35 Sacred choral piece 37 Comeback 38 Solemn acts 39 Bold 40 Big 12 school soon to be in the Big Ten 41 No-see-um, say 45 Hard-to-see shooter 46 “Thy Neighbor’s Wife” author 47 WWII torpedo launchers 48 Some learners 49 It’s beneath the crust 53 Siam neighbor 58 Actress Lamarr 60 Sweater style named for Irish islands 62 Like some mil. officers 63 Yosemite __ 64 ESPN reporter Paolantonio Thursday’s Puzzle Solved
Complete the grid so that each column, row and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9. Copyright 2007 Puzzles by Pappocom
(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
6/2/11
Solution, tips and computer program at www.soduku.com.
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