COLLEGIATETIMES
august 11, 2011
what’s inside News .............2 Features ........6 0pinions ........4 Sports ...........9 Classifieds ...11 Sudoku ........11 108th year issue 70 blacksburg, va.
Students respond after New director takes gun scare on campus over Tech Residential JOSH HIGGINS news staff writer
BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS
After a report of a man carrying what could be a pistol on campus, officers from the Virginia Tech Police Department, Christiansburg Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Virginia State Police responded to campus with patrol vehicles last Thursday, August 4.
STUDENTS REMAINED UP-TO-DATE VIA THE VIRGINIA TECH ALERTS SYSTEM LAST WEEK JOSH HIGGINS news staff writer Virginia Tech was placed on high alert last Thursday after Virginia Tech Police received a report of an alleged man with a gun. The man was said to be walking around campus, which brought normal campus activities to a halt for much of the day. Tech officials issued an alert to students, faculty, and staff after three teenage girls attending the Higher Achievement summer camp on campus spotted an individual walking with what seemed to be a gun near Dietrick Hall and New Residence Hall East, prompting Tech officials and law enforcement officers to issue an alert and initiate a campus search for the suspect. After hours of searching by VT and area police, no suspect was apprehended, and university officials lifted the alert, believing that there was no significant danger present on campus. Despite the alert being lifted, a heavy police presence continued for the rest of the day. The incident began around 9:09 a.m. Thursday, when the three girls attending the Washington, D.C.based summer camp saw a six-foottall, white male with light brown hair
carrying what looked like a gun concealed by a cloth or covering walking toward volleyball courts in one of the residential quads, although they did not observe any suspicious or violent behavior. The police report said the suspect was wearing a blue and white striped shirt, gray shorts, and brown sandals, and did not have facial hair nor was wearing glasses.
“
Everyone was showing an outpour of emotion and support for our school and community during an event that almost struck too close to home again.” OLIVIA TRIPLETT SOPHOMORE
The girls reported what they had seen to a camp instructor, who then notified VT Police. Police responded to the scene immediately, but did not find a suspect matching the description. Police conducted an interview with the three girls and deemed their eyewitness account credible, having no evidence to refute the report, and issued a campus alert through the
university’s emergency notification system. “Based on the information provided and lacking further information, we couldn’t rule out that this wasn’t credible,” VT Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said during an afternoon press conference held Thursday. “Therefore, we felt like there was no other option than to issue a campus alert and ask our people to remain secured indoors.” Tech spokesman Larry Hincker also commented on the decision to issue a campus alert without concrete evidence. “You’re in a position where you need to communicate first and investigate later,” Hincker said. Within minutes of the initial sighting, on-campus sirens sounded, the Virginia Tech homepage was updated with the alert, and electronic classroom signs placed in approximately 470 classrooms and public areas displayed the alert. Tech also issued text message, email, desktop, and phone alerts to approximately 45,000 subscribers through the VT Alerts electronic notification system, and alerts were posted on the university’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts, notifying approximately 9,000 and 75,000 followers, respectively. The initial alerts advised all stusee GUN SCARE / page three
Virginia Tech’s Housing and Residence Life program is under new leadership for the upcoming school year. Eleanor Finger has joined the faculty and staff of Tech as Director of Housing and Residence Life as of Aug. 3. Finger has joined housing and residence life, after serving as Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life at Washington State University. Finger has a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Washington State, master’s degrees in counseling and human services and higher education administration from John Carroll University and the University of Arkansas, respectively, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Elon University. As the new director, Finger will be in charge of all Tech residence halls and programs. Finger will be responsible for managing all aspects of Tech’s residential system, which include 46 residence halls housing more than 9,000 students and 150 full-time and 300 part-time staff, according to Tech housing and residence life’s website. Finger joins Tech during a huge restructuring of the university’s housing and residence life program, as both the housing and residence life programs have been integrated, making a more streamlined and efficient on-campus residence program. “She is becoming director at a very important time,” Frank Shushok, associate vice president for student affairs, said. “I think she can make a big difference for students.” Shushok also said that Finger will play a pivotal role in facilitating the transition of the two programs into one united program and expressed optimism about the decision to combine the housing and residence life programs. “I think it’s going to make our residence halls more seamless in the way that we support students and make it less cumbersome and easier to navigate,” Shushock said. As head of the newly-combined program, Finger will play an active role in managing academic initiatives, facilities, strategic planning for facilities and maintenance, resi-
BREAKING NEWS, MULTIMEDIA, UPDATES AND MORE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT COLLEGIATETIMES.COM
BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS
Eleanor Finger, Ph.D. is the new director of housing and residence life at Virginia Tech. dence hall renovations, and program efforts to ensure that the best residential experience and support is provided to students, according to Shushok. “She’ll play an important role for student affairs in championing the residential experience and making sure that we continue to move in a progressive way,” Shushok said. Finger was appointed to the positionaftersurvivingahighly-selective nationalsearchwithalargeapplicant pool. A selection committee reviewed the applications and chose three finalists. “She was the hands-down favorite of the campus community,” Shushok said. “People just found her very people-centered, very student-focused, very interested in the learning environment of students, and a person with not only both strong vision and technical skills, but also a real commitment to process and human relations.” Shushok said he believes that she will have a great impact on the university and the housing and residence life program. “She is an incredibly bright person, she has a breadth of experiences at other institutions, she has a disposition that is visionary, and she believes wholeheartedly in the mission of Virginia Tech and is just thrilled to be at this institution,” Shushok said.
page
NEWS
2
what you’re saying //comments from online readers...
virginia
On Tech Offers Buy-Out:
Police seek man who may be armed
Anonymous>> Students should mad is right! They completely misjudge how many people want to live on campus every year! They seems to skewed up more than usual this year wanting 200 students to accept their offer to move off-campus. I don’t think freshmen should ever be enticed to live off campus. And if they weren’t completely gutting the largest dorm on campus (making it unusable for a year) with the goal of reducing the number of beds they could meet demand better.
On New Laundry Service: Hok3forlife>> I’m glad someone is looking out for my grades and helping a brother out! I’m definitely going to get on this so I can have more time to study...or party which ever comes first.
On Sign Language: Richard Roehm>> Its basically the cheapest language and literally a free ride class to meet the foreign language requirements. Its something lazy students would choose instead of the real foreign languages.
On Intellectual Power in Politics: Anonymous>> ...from President Regan’s absurd ‘trickle-down economics’ to President Bush’s war in Iraq. ...” And Obama’s. He supported the TARP banker bailout because the big banks (who donated heavily to his campaign) are “too big to fail.” Obama has done everything for Wall Street, and nothing for Main Street. Also, for the past 4 years this has been Obama’s War in Iraq, not Bushes. Obama has expanded the war into other countries too. If you believe that he is the man of peace, you need to start thinking for yourself.
Christiansburg police were still searching Monday afternoon for a man they believe to be armed and connected with the theft of a pickup truck. Town spokeswoman Becky Wilburn named the man as Edward Hamilton DeHart Jr., 48. She said police have obtained warrants charging him with felony larceny of a vehicle and felony possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has warrants charging DeHart with grand larceny, breaking and entering, and arson. Those warrants were obtained last Tuesday, according to a news release from Wilburn and Lt. Jimmy Bowyer with the sheriff’s office. According to the news release, DeHart is also suspected of “similar behavior” in Pulaski County. DeHart is 5 feet 11 inches tall and was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black baseball cap and carrying a backpack. Someone called police at 7:45 a.m. Monday to report a suspicious person standing in a field in the 3100 block of Roanoke Street, Wilburn said. When officers showed up, the man fled, heading south, she said. At 8:17 a.m., a report of a stolen vehicle was called in from the Tower Road area, which is south of the Roanoke Street field. The vehicle is a white 1994 Ford F-350 truck with J.C. Martin Inc. emblems—blue with a yellow outline—on the doors. The truck has a regular cab with a utility tool box
and ladder rack. It has Virginia license plates with tag number TX-70088. Police believe DeHart may still be driving the vehicle, Wilburn said. While searching for the suspect, an unmarked Christiansburg police car was involved in a minor accident with two civilian vehicles on U.S. 460 east, Wilburn said. The crash involving a Christiansburg police car happened about 8:20 a.m. on U.S. 460 east, near the intersection with Gingerbread Road, Virginia State Police Sgt. Rob Carpentieri said. He said the crash occurred when a driver braked and pulled over to the right after hearing sirens. When Norma Hart, 77, of Virginia Beach stepped on the brakes in her 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, the vehicle behind her, a 2003 Crown Victoria driven by Paul Elkins, 44, of Christiansburg, also braked. The 2004 Dodge Intrepid driven by Detective Curtis Brown struck the Crown Victoria, which struck the Malibu, Carpentieri said. Brown had activated his police lights and sirens, Carpentieri said. No one was hurt and damage to the vehicles was minor, he said. No charges will be placed, he said. Christiansburg police had asked state police to investigate the accident. Anyone with information is asked to call Christiansburg police at 382-3131, the sheriff’s office at 392-6900 or 911. -shawna morrison mcclatchy newspapers
Rioting for ‘justice’ in honor of Duggan JESSE STRAUSS
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
mcclatchy newspapers On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered outside the Tottenham police station, peacefully calling for “justice” for Mark Duggan, a man killed by officers three days prior. Police stood in formation, separating the community members from the station they were guarding, until a 16-yearold woman reportedly approached an officer to find out what was going on. According to a witness account, some officers pushed the young woman and drew their batons. “And that’s when the people started to retaliate. Now I think in all circumstances, having seen that, most people retaliate,” said the witness.
The “retaliation”, from peaceful chants of “justice” in front of the police station, have since turned into massive groups of Londoners in numerous parts of the city who seem unafraid of breaking windows, looting stores, and burning buildings, doubtless causing millions of pounds’ worth of damage. Scores of businesses have been looted and international media continue to play images of smoldering buildings, in areas where firefighters were reportedly too afraid to enter—for their own safety. According to witnesses and overhead helicopter footage, police have not been able to control much of the situation, and have repeatedly been forced into retreat by angry rioters. “The kids realise the police can’t keep
control of it,” said Bristly Pioneer, a Hackney resident and activist with the Space Hijackers, an anarchist collective focused on reclaiming public space. “And the kids don’t give a f*** because no one gives a f*** about them.” “These kids have basically been abandoned—not even just the kids, whole communities have been abandoned by the rest of society,” he added. “I can’t say I’m surprised this is happening. It’s been building for years.” Klara, an activist with Occupied London, a group focused on responding to the European austerity crisis, and another resident of Hackney, asked that her last name not be used. She told Al Jazeera: “It’s a bubble of anger and anxiety and oppression that has to be burst.” “When you talk to people in the
streets, they’re extremely politically articulate. They know the problems in their community,” she said. In a video posted on The Guardian’s website on July 31, youth in the London borough of Haringey described the effects of the closure of eight youth centres, a move they said led to a growth in gang membership and crime—as they and their peers have nowhere to go after school. A week before any window was broken or store looted, one of the young people in the video said: “The government doesn’t realise what they’re doing to us”. Another adds, “there’s going to be a riot”. A tipping point Tottenham, where Duggan was killed, is a Haringey neighbourhood which has
among the highest unemployment rates in London -- and a larger than average youth population. People of colour here have particularly felt the effects of deteriorating social services and targeted police harassment and violence, said author Richard Seymour. “There’s kids here who basically no one cares about, and nobody does anything for,” said Seymour, a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics. “When the rioters themselves are asked, they will say that they are abused by police, harassed by them, and nobody’s done a thing about it.” Seymour also explained that after many of the 333 deaths in police custody between 1998 and 2010 in Britain, see RIOTS / page three
from page one
BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS
After a report of a man carrying what could be a pistol on campus, Associate VP for University Relations Larry Hincker and Police Chief Wendell Flinchum speak to members of the press. for the day. The Virginia Tech football team’s first practice of the season was also delayed an hour. Tech students spoke out about their experience during the incident, discussing Tech’s emergency response, campus safety, and the overhype the situation received. “I actually felt pretty safe because within 30 minutes of the incident, there were police surrounding everywhere – they were patrolling the grounds, they were all over campus,” said Tech sophomore Patrick Staton. Maha Kamal, a junior HNFE major, was in class when the initial alert was issued. “I was in class, and we kept getting alerts on the digital clock and to our phones, but nobody really understood what was going on,” Kamal said. Kamal also emphasized how safe she feels at Virginia Tech, saying that she “always feels safe on campus.” The incident stirred interest on social networks, becoming a trending topic on Facebook and Twitter, which provided students, VT officials, and national and local media organizations a simple form of communication and an efficient tool for disseminating information throughout the duration of the incident. Social media users from around the country expressed concern about Virginia Tech, while others posted offensive material regarding Virginia Tech, Thursday’s incident, and the April 16 massacre, a topic that remains sensitive to many Tech students, alumni, and local residents. Some prospective students and
incoming freshmen also articulated concern over attending Tech because of security issues. Some Tech students became infuriated after discovering the offensive posts, with some saying the posts were “disrespectful,” “malicious,” and “ignorant.” “I was in utter disbelief and shock,” said Tech sophomore Olivia Triplett. “I don’t understand how people could say such terrible things.” Tech sophomore Frances Roldan had similar sentiments regarding the offensive posts. “I was incredibly angry,” Roldan said. “They were saying that we were responsible for the tragedies at our school.” Roldan also said the media “totally blew it [the incident] out of proportion.” Amid the criticism Tech received through social networking, Tech students united on social networks to respond to the offensive posts. “The unity was similar to that of the post-April 16 events,” Triplett said. “Everyone was showing an outpour of emotion and support for our school and community during an event that almost struck too close to home again.” Tech students also expressed their dedication to their school on Twitter, and used Twitter to inform social media users of the safety at Virginia Tech. “Once you go to the school, you’re always a Hokie,” Roldan said. Triplett also expressed her support of Tech. “I want everyone to know Virginia Tech is a safe, tight-knit community, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Triplett said. “I’m so glad to be a part of the Hokie Nation.”
from page two
“Large, peaceful protests in response [to the in-custody deaths] were more or less ignored” and not a single officer has been prosecuted. As a result, Duggan’s killing crossed a threshold for young people, angry with the systems that have left them behind, and tired of non-violent protest that goes without much response. “I saw a whole load of kids, ranging from teenagers, and also grown-ups, in the streets. Most people seemed very happy, there were a lot of smiles in the streets, and a sense that people finally had control of something ... And then there were people who were extremely angry at police,” said Klara, the Occupied London activist. “It’s just surprising that something like this hasn’t happened before now.” Meanwhile, a local shop owner told Al Jazeera: “I’m very shocked ... I’m so devastated. I don’t know how to explain myself.” The chaotic situation has left many Londoners, and people around the world, wondering when the destruction will stop— and how the government will respond to the anger born out of alleged police racism, cuts to social services and unemployment. Criminality Just moments before Britain’s prime minister made his first post-riot statement, Seymour told Al Jazeera: “The dominant response of the political class is to say it’s all criminality ... that’s something that could undermine anything towards seeking justice.” The alternative, he said, would be “addressing the political crisis” on a deeper level. David Cameron, the British prime minister, played the card Seymour had predicted, saying: “This is criminality pure and simple, and it has to be confronted and defeated.” London’s acting police commissioner, Tim Godwin, agreed, saying: “This is not a game—this is criminality, burglary and violence ... There can be no excuses for this behaviour.” Calls to Scotland Yard went unanswered. “Everyone is anticipating the probability of more violence as night approaches. Everyone has their theories about this, but I think one of their [the government’s] main challenges will be to separate genuine grievance from simple copy-cat criminality,” said Al Jazeera’s Tim Friend, reporting from London. But that would mean the government strongly recognises the ‘grievances’, which is far, at least, from the initial response. In his first statement on the riot on Tuesday morning, the British PM said at least 450 people had been arrested for riot-related crimes. Cameron also announced a massing of police officers, with numbers to be increased from 6,000 in the first three nights of rioting to 16,000 on Tuesday
night. “There will be aid from police coming from up and down the country,” he said. “We will see that many more arrests will be coming in the coming days.” Speaking directly to those breaking the law, Cameron said: “Justice will be done ... You will feel the full force of the law, and if you are old enough to commit these crimes, you are old enough to feel the full consequences.” Klara said that many people support the increase in police presence and hope that it will force the end of rioting, but warned that the support of intensive policing measures “could spark things off even more, because the police are exactly the problem in these neighbourhoods”. “It’s hard to say what type of policing would calm things down and what type of policing would escalate it ... When you’re being harassed by police on a daily basis, you’re no longer afraid of it.” Finding ‘justice’ in the rubble With police absent or unable to control crowds in past days, reports have spread of communities banding together to defend their own neighbourhoods. “There’s a Turkish neigbourhood in Hackney that successfully prevented the rioters from destroying the area,” said Klara. Seymour described similar scenes of people standing outside their businesses with baseball bats, in a vigilante defence from lawless London. “I talked to residents and they told me they will do the same if they don’t feel like their livelihoods are being protected by the police,” said Al Jazeera’s Charlie Angela, reporting from Hackney, In a different form of community defence, one of the highest trending hashtags on Twitter early on Tuesday was #riotcleanup, and many people used it to coordinate cleanup efforts in riot-hit neighbourhoods around London. What has emerged due to rioting is a lawless sense that Londoners need to create response plans for when police are not able to handle a situation. Klara said that more than ever, she’s seen riotous streets actually become an avenue of democratic action. “There is a lot of debate in the streets. Everyone’s talking about police killings, deaths in custody [and other social woes].” Meanwhile, no one seems to support the destruction caused by the riots, but many believe that the situation is an expression of political anger. When asked if the riots could lead to any positive outcome, Seymour said it already had, and described an interview he saw on television in which a rioter was asked the same question. The rioter’s answer: “Yes [it has been successful], because if we hadn’t rioted, you wouldn’t be talking to us now.”
3
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
dents, faculty, staff, summer camp attendees, and visitors on campus to take shelter indoors until police found campus to be safe. VT Police received assistance from the Virginia State, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg police departments, along with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in searching for the suspect and patrolling campus. Campus remained under alert for much of the afternoon, as university officials believed that the best course of action was to ensure safety. “We have kept the campus on alert since then through an abundance of caution.” Flinchum said during the press conference. “We believe that this was a most prudent course of action.” Tech students, faculty, and staff continued receiving updates about the incident via VT alerts, but no suspect was found, and the alert was lifted due to the lack of further evidence of a campus threat. A heavy police presence remained on campus for the remainder of the day, as police continued to patrol campus with marked and unmarked vehicles, and walk-through searches of campus buildings continued through the evening. The incident garnered national attention and was compared to the campus shootings on April 16, 2007, which left 32 dead along with the killer. The university said that many of the safety regulations implemented postApril 16 helped facilitate the response effort last Thursday. “The world of higher education changed after April 16, and no university in the country had the sophisticated array of emergency communication vehicles that we now have,” Hincker said. Hincker also said that “everything went off without a hitch” during Thursday’s response effort. The incident has exacerbated debate over gun safety regulations on college campuses throughout the country. In the state of Virginia, laws consider college campuses public areas, which permits weapons to be held on campus as long as they aren’t concealed or being used improperly and are held by a legal adult, making carrying a gun on campus legal. Hincker said that although it’s legal, it’s still going to set off alarms with university officials and law enforcement, and measures similar to those used last Thursday would be taken. The incident affected many activities around campus and Blacksburg throughout the day. Classes were cancelled, and the Blacksburg Transit system detoured buses away from campus
Riots: Tired of non-violent protests, people gather
NEWS
Gun Scare: Police keep campus safe
page
page
Students struggle to think critically
OPINIONS
4
ou can’t think critically. At least, a recent study concludes that many Y of you can’t. The details of this fouryear study are documented in the book, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.” Professors of sociology, Richard Arum of New York University, and Josipa Roksa of the University of Virginia, conducted the study by tracking 2,322 students from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2009. Students were selected from 24 colleges and universities that ranged from less selective to highly selective. Data was used from the results of the Collegiate Learning Assessment, a MCT CAMPUS voluntary 90-minute test used by more than 400 colleges. The CLA is designed to test for critical thinking, reasoning and real world problem solving. What Arum and Roksa found is that during the first two years of college 45 percent of students made no significant improvement in their critical thinking and reasoning skills. After four years of college, 36 percent made no improvement. I first heard about this study while in class this past January. It was actually the first or second week of the semester and our professor brought to our attention the troubling results of the study. selves. This is not my idea of having This week, while reading a book by fun, especially when there is a lot to John Taylor Gatto, I was reminded of see and do in Prague. the study my professor mentioned seven In many ways, it is not the alcohol months prior. itself that is the problem, but it is this Gatto is extremely critical of stanneed to feel the “buzz” before going dardized tests, such as the CLA that out. Why is it necessary to have this Arum and Roksa used for their study. “buzz”? Nevertheless, I have no doubt that he Does it make things more entertainwould empathetically agree with the ing? In most respects, students don’t conclusion of their study—that students see anything wrong with the activity make little to no gain in critical thinking of pre-gaming. while attending college. They also don’t realize the impact This is, after all, a point that he makes in that this rapid consumption of alcohol his book, “Weapons of Mass Instruction: has on them. When I talked to the A Schoolteacher’s Journey Through the students about pre-gaming, they got Dark World of Compulsory Schooling.” rather defensive and felt that it was Gatto’s book is a damning indictment justified because they didn’t want to against the school system of the U.S. The pay for alcohol at a bar or wanted to culmination of two decades of research, have consumed in the event that there his book explains how the public school was no alcohol available. system came to be—from its Prussian Why go out then if you can’t enjoy it roots to the men who funded and prowithout having a buzz? moted it, namely the Rockefeller and I have seen first hand the impacts Carnegie foundations. of pre-gaming when I advised a fraAccording to Gatto, the industrialists ternity. When the group would have of the last century and multinational socials or functions, it was a risk mancorporatists of this century benefit from agement nightmare to see some of the the current system of American schoolvisitors already wasted to the point ing where citizens are stripped of critical where they were not allowed into the thinking. Not only does it provide them event. with mindless workers who are easy to I suspect that many students that are manage, but also ensures that the citifound intoxicated or require medical zenry will spend money on unneeded attention were those that were preproducts because they are susceptible to gaming first, and then added more advertising. to the mix, not realizing the potential And of course governments depend consequences of their actions. on an absence of critical thinking to One of the funny things is that it is maintain surpluses of troops who not isolated to our younger students, unquestioningly follow orders and civilians who unquestioningly wave the see DRINKING / page five
Pre-gaming causes issues for students
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
we approach the end of this second summer session, As things are already moving swiftly for the start of the fall semester in less than two weeks. The start of the academic year renews the ongoing debate about alcohol and its impact on the Virginia Tech community. After traveling with students throughout Europe, the differences were evident between U.S. students compared to their counterparts when it comes to understanding and managing their alcohol usage. It was also interesting to see how cities like Prague for example, feed off this difference to highlight certain activities. Clearly there are differences in how we see alcohol in the U.S. and how it is seen in other areas of the world, particularly in Europe. When I ask my students about their alcohol usage, most say that they’ve had previous experiences with alcohol through high school networks or through the blessing of their parents. On a personal note, my experience with alcohol came through observing a once-alcoholic parent, and then when I was in college. In talking with the students, one of the things that really struck me was this whole notion of pre-gaming before they went out. Perhaps I never saw this too closely over the past few years, but it became evident that this is perhaps what is causing the problem on our college campuses. Our U.S. students (espe-
cially those under 21 and even those that are 21) see alcohol like candy in a candy store, and when the alcohol is free, they lose all self-control. While I am not arguing for or against the changing of current alcohol laws in the U.S., as this is be a much larger debate; there needs to be more of a discussion about responsible drinking and a better understanding of this pregaming concept. I noted earlier how certain cities feed off this alcohol difference and I highlighted the example of Prague. All over Prague, they promote a famous pub crawl and at the end of the evening, you get VIP entry to Europe’s largest nightclub spanning five floors. On any given night in Prague, hundreds of young people, with a good number being American students, participate in this particular activity. This particular Prague Pub Crawl feeds on the notion of pre-gaming by offering free drinks for the first hour – basically unlimited shots, beer and wine. This is heaven for the participants, as they drink as much as they want for free. The challenge is that it takes place all within a relatively short time frame and these participants don’t realize the impact that this intense alcohol consumption can have on them. The sad part is that of the hundred or so participating in the Pub Crawl, only a handful ever make it to the final destination, as they are seen passed out on the street or in the pubs them-
flag—both of which Prussia succeeded in producing after the creation of modern compulsory schooling. What Gatto concludes is that American schooling is similar to the old Egyptian model, rather than the Greek or Roman model. The former encourages submission to higher-ups because students are told “facts” from a person in a position of authority. The latter encourages dissent because students use critical thinking to question all self-evident “truths.” After 30 years as a public high school teacher in New York City, Gatto came to the same conclusion that Arum and Roksa did after watching 2,322 students make their way through college—American students lack the ability to think critically. My undergraduate experience at Virginia Tech taught me the same thing. Time and time again, and always without disturbing class, I tried to stimulate thought-provoking conversations among my fellow students. In all but a few instances I failed. The typical reaction from students who heard views espoused differently than those espoused by teachers or talking heads on TV was a blank stare like a dear caught in headlights, or the uncontrollable urge to distract themselves by toying around with their cell phones. As an opinion columnist for the Collegiate Times I had the same goal: to provoke thought among the readers. For the past year I strove to write about interesting topics from a different point of view. The views I espoused were neither right nor left, but attacked both piece of trash parties equally. Neither were they formulated by watching corporate television media or fake alternative media like Glenn Beck and the Huffington Post. The views I espoused were formulated, not by teachers and institutional schooling, but by years of real world education—education, as Mark Twain so eloquently put it, that I never let my schooling interfere with. I may never know if I provoked even one of you to thought. But I tried. And next semester, I am going to try harder. College is supposed to be a bastion of ideas and free flow of information. This fall my columns are going to test whether or not ideas and information are truly allowed to flow freely on campus. If allowed to go to print, my columns are going to be non-conventional, controversial and hard-hitting. The goal in all of this will not be to offend you. Rather, it is to try CHRIS harder than I have DUNN tried so far to date regular to simply get you to columnist think.
page
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 Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager Claire Sanderson College Media Solutions Staff Advertising Director Brandon Collins Asst Advertising Director Matt Freedman Ads Production Manager Michael McDermott Creative Services Staff Michael Craighead Sara Comer Inside Sales Manager Mario Gazzola Asst Account Executives Alex Perry Adam Shata Office Manager Kayley Greenday Student Publication Photo Staff Director of Photography Luke Mason
Drinking: Unsafe habits for students from page four
but also strikes our alumni, especially when they come back to town. They want to recreate their college days by being in a drunken stupor, and they recreate this pre-gaming. I wonder how many of us “adults” engage is pregaming right now before we go to a bar or hang out with friends. While Tech has strengthened their enforcement and has made the sanctions a lot tougher on students that violate the alcohol policy, it is unexpectedly forcing a growing pre-gaming movement that is causing a lot more harm in the end. We have some great resources
365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, Va. 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com Letters must include name and daytime phone number. Letters must not exceed 300 words, and should be in MS Word (.doc) format if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, e-mail spps@vt.edu. Collegiate Times Phone Numbers News/Features 231-9865 Sports/Opinions 231-9870 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Phone Number 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 receives no funding from the university.
© Collegiate Times, June 12, 2009. 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.
send a letter to the editor and express your views.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate the immediate response and alerts carried out by all of the police here at Tech. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to know immediately of any threat as a student on campus. But I am a little bothered by the media response. Seeing my school on national news due to the words of three juveniles that saw what could have been a gun covered by a cloth is just a little too much for me. However, I’m not disturbed by the fact that national news covered it, though I do question whether they were covering it to get the word out for campus safety or just to get attention because of April 16. Rather, I am irritated by how the media went about covering the story. Phrases like “could happen again” and “the place of the biggest shooting tragedy in U.S. history” create an emotional response within me to stick up for my school. If the media stressed that the police responded immediately, stressed that Tech’s response was “an abundance of caution”, and didn’t bring up April 16, this threat wouldn’t have created such a panic. In fact, I wonder if people even thought about the impact their news would have on Tech. Tech doesn’t need this. It doesn’t need any more publicity based on threats, campus safety, guns, etc. What is not stressed is how safe we feel here. How much more there is to Tech than all of this. How campus safety is rarely an issue now, if an issue at all. How greatly trained and well-equipped the Virginia Tech Police Department is (as an intern with them last year, I can tell you that the VTPD is extremely educated, well-trained, and skilled in matters
such as these). Yes, they focus on what will gain them publicity, that’s a part of the business. But did they have to do it in such a way that worries future, prospective students that they might not be safe at Tech and ultimately discourages them from applying? Not to mention it worries parents of those prospective students that won’t let their child apply to Tech. It’s the fact people see the tragedy and events like this as a reason not to come to Tech. As a reason for justifying their pronounced belief that April 16 happened because this campus isn’t safe or that there is just “something bad” about the campus. That’s what really gets to me, and this incident didn’t help at all. Tech has done so much to grow and learn from April 16. We are not the same school that we were then. We are better equipped, stronger, and more aware of these types of situations. The administration’s response to this event, and all the alerts established via texting, emails, etc. demonstrate this. This campus is the safest place I have ever lived. I’ve walked on numerous other college campuses with groups and have felt uneasy, even terrified at night. But here at Tech, in good old Blacksburg, I don’t feel nervous at all. There is so much more to Tech than what the news has described, and I hope both parents and prospective Hokies take time to notice how rewarding the spirit and heart of Virginia Tech truly is. I love this school, and nothing will change how incredibly proud I am to be a Hokie. Colleen Thom -sophomore BIT major
send an e-mail to opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
Subscription rates: $65 semester; $90 academic year; $105 full year. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue.
5
LETTER TO THE EDITOR More than just a tragedy
Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters and comments to the Collegiate Times.
on the campus through the Center for Alcohol Abuse Prevention, but we need to look at some different and creative ways that we can engage our students about this whole pre-gaming aspect dealing with alcohol. The alcohol issue is not one that is going to go away anytime soon, but what can we do to RAY think about alcohol PLAZA in a much more regular progressive mancolumnist ner?
we’re YOUR newspaper.
OPINIONS
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
page
FEATURES
6
Steppin’ Out
Art and culture fill the air at Steppin’ Out SAMANTHA DREW jcamp reporter
Danny Phillips, nicknamed “Kuru”, has been at Steppin’ Out for seven years. His work, mostly done in acrylic, emphasizes bright colors and designs. Phillips remarks that even he doesn’t know where his inspiration comes from. photo by jonathan roberts
The town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech have filled this summer with art and culture. The new concert series Market Square Jam and the Summer Arts Festival took place in Blacksburg. Both were open to students and residents of Blacksburg. Blacksburg’s Market Square Jam is a new weekly jam session that takes place on Tuesday evenings on the corner of Draper Road and Roanoke Street. On any given Tuesday, musicians gather to play their music and have fun with friends. No amplification of sound or music is allowed, all the music is unplugged, traditional, old time, bluegrass, folk music. Musicians can come to the Market Square Jam and play along, or simply go to enjoy it. The event lasts from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and musicians can play at any point during that time frame. The Summer Arts Festival in Blacksburg started in 1991 and has been held each summer since. This year’s events attracted students, faculty and residents to a wide variety of events. Jane Harrison, the producer of the Summer Arts Festival, coordinated all of the acts and events, such as Friday Night Out. Friday Night Out was located at the Henderson Lawn this summer during the Arts Festival. All concerts were presented by the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts and Cinema and the Town of Blacksburg. “I take the time to go out and hear good groups play whenever I can, or they’ll call and ask me to listen,”
Harrison said This summer Friday Night Out has presented several bands: Surrender Dorothy, Laura Beth and Clover Hollow, Gerry Timlin, Sexual Chocolate, Dixie Power Trio, Ministers of Soul and Cross Ties.
“
On a typical pretty evening, depending on the group performing and the weather, we got from 800 to 1,300 people. It’s been a consistently good summer.” JANE HARRISON PRODUCER SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL
These musical acts range from Dixieland jazz to Irish folk to R&B and soul. The Key West Band, a Caribbean rock group, played on July 29 for the last concert of the summer. “On a typical pretty evening, depending on the group performing and the weather, we got from 800 to 1,300 people. It’s been a consistently good summer,” Harrison said. The Summer Arts Festival also included the theater productions “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) ” and “Rumplestiltskin,” the art exhibits “nu 2 VT” and “Photographic Conversations,” and the classic movies “West Side Story,” “Bringing Up Baby” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Other special events coordinated by Harrison were the Summer Solstice Festival, the Independence Day Celebration, Art at the Market and last weekend’s Steppin’ Out.
Expr xpress ess Your Y ursel self. f.
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
Write Design Paint Draw
www.silhouette.collegemedia.com
SARAH WATSON editor-in-chief With classes fast approaching it is time to pack up your bags and head back to Blacksburg, but not without stocking up on back to school gadgets first. From notebooks to calculators, every student has their own back to school list, but below is my list of essential smartphone apps that every student should have. EVERNOTE is the ultimate notetaking application. Notes range from basic text to webpages, photographs, voice memos and handwritten notes. You can add attachments to notes, sort them into folders, tag notes and make comments, along with other options. Also, Evernote backs up and syncs online so you can access your information on more than just your smartphone. Evernote operates on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 and is a free application. You can upgrade to Evernote Premium for $5 a month or $45 a year. FLASHCARDS is an easy-to-use alternative to making flash cards on notebook paper or index cards. Each flash card can contain text, an image or a video on either the front or the back. Flash cards can be divided into groups based on the exam. You can edit the font size, color or background of your flash cards to suit your specific study needs. FlashCards backs up to your computer, making it easy to study in your residence hall or on the go. FlashCards is compatible with iPhone and is currently on sale for $1.99.
SCANLIFE acts as an in-phone scanner, allowing you to scan most 1D and 2D
KINDLE by Amazon is a great application that allows you to read books, magazines and newspaper from your smartphone. If you already have a Kindle, this device syncs automatically, retaining bookmarks, notes and highlights. If you don’t have a Kindle you can still use this application. Books and magazine and newspaper subscriptions can be purchased through the Kindle Store. You can personalize your reading experience by choosing your background color, font size and orientation. Kindle is available on iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Windows Phone 7. It is a free application. RATE MY PROFESSORS is an application that will help you choose your classes, and is particularly helpful to new students. Rate My Professors allows you to read comments about professors and add your own. You can find almost any Virginia Tech professor on this app and view their statistics. Professors are rated in different categories including easiness, clarity, helpfulness, hotness and an overall rating. You can also add comments about a professor, share with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or email and add a professor to your favorites list. Rate My Professors is compatible with iPhone and is a free application. AROUNDME is the ideal application for anyone new to Blacksburg or those moving into an offcampus apartment or house. Using GPS technology, AroundMe determines your location and provides information about destinations near you. This app divides locations into categories like coffee shops, gas stations, movie theatres,
restaurants, supermarkets and more. It then provides the name, address, phone number, and opens the location up in a map application. AroundMe is compatible with iPhone and Android. It is a free application, the ad-free version can be purchased for $2.99 WEATHERBUG is consistently rated a top weather application for smartphones. This is definitely something you will need in Blacksburg with the unpredictable weather. WeatherBug provides live weather information, along with weekly and hourly forecasts. Through WeatherBug you will receive National Weather Service alerts for your area. You will also have access to weather cameras and radar maps. WeatherBug caches data so you will be able to access weather information in areas without Internet access. This application works with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and some Samsung and Nokia phone models. WeatherBug is a free application, but upgrade to the ad-free version, WeatherBug Elite for only $.99 GOOD MORNING is described as a “personal wake-up assistant.” This application is perfect for those of you with an 8 a.m. class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. With Good Morning, you have the option of setting an alarm and having it play a song, read the date, time, weather, news or even your calendar. You also set a personal message to be read to you with the alarm. For those of you who just can’t wake up, you have the option of solving a math problem in order for the alarm to turn off. Good Morning is only available on Android and is a free application. FITNESS PRO is a great way to keep off the freshman 15 or shed that extra summer weight. This application has an exercise reference with over 450 exercises that can be done at home or at the gym. Fitness Pro also allows you to create your own workout plan, by scheduling up to seven days worth of routines. If you are new to working out, you can choose a preset routine. There is also a section of the application that lets you view the body and select the areas that you want to exercise. Fitness Pro also lets you track and log your runs and view this data afterward. Fitness Pro works on iPhone and is a free application.
Start any summer day off right with a sparkling peach mimosa. - sarah watson, editor-in-chief
CT Recipes Serves:
2
Ingredients:
7
8 ounces champagne 1 ounce peach schnapps 2 ounces orange juice Directions: 1. Place all ingredients into champagne flutes and stir. 2. Garnish with a twist of orange. Cheers!
Give the gift of memories! Frame memorable moments or print them onto tshirts, posters, coffee mugs and more!
Visit our website for more gift ideas for Hokies! collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
GRADES 2 is a GPA calculator that allows you to determine your grades for each of your courses individually. You start by creating a course and entering your assignments and their weight in the course. After this, you add your target grade for the course and enter in your grades as you receive them. Grades 2 allows you to view all of your grades in one application and compare your GPA to that of prior terms. Grades 2 is available on the iPhone only. It is a free application, the ad-free version is only $.99.
bar codes. This application allows you to scan bar codes on DVDS, books, food, etc. to get information about pricing, reviews and accessories available. ScanLife allows you to create your own free bar codes to share links. These codes can be shared on social networking sites like Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. Also, you can add a code to your resume that links to your online portfolio or website. ScanLife is compatible with iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone and Nokia Ovi. This is a free application.
Peach Mimosa
FEATURES
Smartphone applications help students survive college
page
page
FEATURES
8
DIY: Planner Planners and calendars are a necessary part of college life. Some prefer to keep up with class and
Sixteen Squares tour provides rich history
work schedules on their computer or phone, but I like to have a written copy. This is why my planner is very valuable to me. I want to share with you how to make your very own personalized plan-
LIZZIE SCOTT jcamp reporter
ner for the upcoming school year. Determine what you need in a planner. Do you need a monthly, weekly or daily calendar? Do you need the days to be divided by morning, noon or night or by hour? Once you determine this, you are ready to get started. - sarah watson, editor-in-chief
What you’ll need: Binder Printable templates Scrapbook paper Tabs Fabric Hot glue gun Hole punch Measuring tape
Directions: 1. Visit a planner template site like diyplanner.com for page templates. If none of those are to your liking, you can make your own templates in Adobe inDesign, Microsoft Word or other similar programs. Then, print out your pages. 2. Divide your planner so it is easy to find the day you are looking for. I chose to divide my planner into months. Use tabs to help divide and organize your planner. I purchased my tabs at a local craft store and printed on them in colorful pens. I placed these tabs on pieces of scrapbook paper to divide each month of my planner.
3. Decorate the outside of your three-ring binder with scrap fabric. Measure your binder, cut the fabric and hot glue it to the outside. 4. I chose to add note pages at the end of every month’s section with inspirational quotes and encouraging ideas. You can do this, or add any other pages as well. 5. Punch holes into the divider, calendar and note pages and organize them in the binder. 6. Start adding important dates to your planner and enjoy!
As the town of Blacksburg is in the midst of a facelift, the Blacksburg Museum is making efforts to preserve historic awareness through Sixteen Squares Walking Tours. Blacksburg was originally laid out in a 16-square grid, which continues to exist to this day. In 1798, William Black petitioned the Virginia legislature to form the Town of Blacksburg, which he named after himself. Black donated approximately 37 acres to the town and located his house within Blacksburg. The streets that Black created are still in existence and make up our current downtown area. Though the area has grown and evolved, it remains rich with history. “The town wants to educate the wealth of history that we’re all walking and driving around in every day,” said Blacksburg Museum intern Alexander B. Rawles. The Blacksburg Museum has provided free tours on the original 16 squares since 1998. “We were finding that when talking about our history that people who’ve lived here their whole lives were not aware of the history Blacksburg
[
walking tours Where: Old Town Hall When: 5:30 p.m. every Thursday until August 30 What: Hour long tours of historic Sixteen Squares
]
encompasses,” said Blacksburg museum administrator Terry Nicholson. The town is also striving to spark interest and enthusiasm for its history by opening the St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall, which features exhibits about the history of African Americans in Blacksburg, and presenting a lecture series at the Blacksburg Municipal Building several times a year. Nicholson encourages citizens and visitors to explore the town’s history, and take the tour of Blacksburg’s original 16 squares. “I promise you’ll learn something,” Nicholson said. The tours begin at the Old Town Hall, located at the intersection of Church and Jackson streets, at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday this summer, lasting an hour each. The last tour for the summer is on August 30.
Keep work on your mind this summer JAN WEIGEL
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
mcclatchy newspapers The sun is shining and you’re having trouble staying focused at work. Is there a way to get motivated when summer is in full swing but Labor Day is not all that far off? One expert feels you’ll get more done in the summer if you take your office to the outdoors, rather than staying inside wishing you were somewhere else. “Because of technology people can work from wherever they want, and we encourage this for worker productivity,” says Bryant Rice, director for DEGW, a business consultancy firm. “Ten percent of the people might abuse this and not do the work, but 90 percent will do it and be happy about doing it remotely.” Rice says when you give an employee the trust and flexibility to work in other ways, they wind up giving the company more time. He suggests either allowing employees to clock in from another location for a change of scenery, or trying a 10-hour workday in exchange for a day off during the week. “We see that employees will actu-
ally do more when they are not in the office because they don’t want the boss to doubt they are working,” he says. “Very few people will abuse this privilege because they view it as a perk.” If your manager doesn’t offer a flexible schedule, Rice suggests taking the initiative by bringing it up with them. But a manager’s personality could be a factor in whether or not the idea will be well received. “It takes a more creative and confident manager to work with people who are not always in the office,” he says. “It’s only with the traditional managers that we will see resistance.” Here are some suggestions to making flexible hours and telecommuting work for you, whether you’re the boss or the employee. REVISE YOUR SCHEDULE. Create a calendar that allows the staff to take a day off a week and rotate or trade the days so you maintain work continuity. “You’ll want to post this calendar for everyone so there is no confusion as to who is working when and where,” says Rice. ESTABLISH A SUMMER CELL PHONE POLICY. Facilitate those flexible hours
by agreeing to be reachable beyond typical business hours. “Just make sure you are reachable until 7 p.m., and that way the boss won’t be upset if you leave at 3:30.” TAKE THE PARTY TO THE OFFICE. Schedule a team trip to the game, or coordinate a Friday afternoon outing. “If there’s nothing on the calendar, submit ideas to management,” says Rice. “I recommend my clients create programs and presentations that are two steps away from the core of their work, so if you are an architect, take a trip to the public gardens.” DIVIDE BIG TASKS INTO MORE MANAGEABLE SEGMENTS. For instance, if you have a large project looming, suggest smaller deadlines to keep the team focused. “This can mean allowing someone to go out of town as long as they will spend the afternoon writing that report,” Rice says. TEAM UP. When it’s nice out, be sure you have your co-worker’s back. “Cover for a co-worker, and make sure you let them know they should be willing to do the same,” Rice says.
COURTESY
CODY OWENS sports staff writer The Virginia Tech football program held its annual Media Day Saturday, Aug. 6. The Hokie football team spoke to the media after two days of practice and before the first day of practicing in full pads. Media Day began with a press conference with head coach Frank Beamer. The 2011 season is particularly special to Beamer, as it marks Beamer’s 25th year at Tech and the addition of son Shane Beamer as assistant head coach. The long-time coach briefly reminisced about his time at Tech. “I’ve been very fortunate to have had the administration here when I first began,” Beamer said. “I don’t know if a guy would survive if he had the same record I had when I first started out here.” “I’ve seen the place change, seen the facilities change,” continued Beamer. “To be a part of as many good coaches, and good players, I’ve been fortunate. And I very much realize that.” Shane Beamer commented on his father’s drive. “He still has a lot to accomplish here, a lot of goals [he hasn’t] done here. He’s extremely hungry.” The Tech football program will see many changes this season, both on the field and the sidelines, including the presence of Shane Beamer on the coaching staff after four seasons with the University of South Carolina. “He brings ideas to our staff and our program that he’s seen at other places,” Frank Beamer said. “It’s been good in that regard.” “To be a part of this and share this time with my Dad and these other coaches was an awesome opportunity,” the younger Beamer said. Heading the Hokies’ offense this season will be starting quarterback Logan Thomas. The 6’6” sophomore saw limited action last season, but it is now his time to shine. “It’s been a wild ride since spring,” Thomas said. “Just having all
9 SPORTS
Hokies host annual Media Day
page
BENJAMIN CHOI / SPPS
(From L to R) Jayron Hosley, Eddie Whitley, Logan Thomas, and David Wilson field questions from reporters during Tech’s annual Media Day. the media attention has been just something different for me.” Thomas impressed teammates and coaches this summer with his work ethic and preparation for the upcoming season. Along with fine-tuning his throws with receivers, he has also spent significant time studying defenses. “You gotta know what the defense is going to do before you do it,” Thomas said. “Teams around the league are gonna try and mix it up…and practicing against what I would say is the best defense in the ACC, I get good practice every day.” In addition to his talents as a quarterback, he has also stood out for the respect he has for teammates. As a leader of the team, Thomas stated the importance of being a friend to all, regardless of position. “He’s smart, competitive, he works hard, I think he’s a very natural leader, great character,” said Beamer about Thomas. “A lot of the same things as
Tyrod, except he’s about four inches taller.” Another featured player at Media Day was tailback David Wilson. A dynamic player known just as well for his unique personality and backflips as his strength and speed in carrying the ball, Wilson has the opportunity this season to contribute even more to the Hokies’ offense. “I don’t have any doubt that I can help my team perform and get the victories that we need,” Wilson said. “I’m going into the season and into this summer full steam ahead and getting better each day.” Wilson’s abilities with the ball were not the only aspect being discussed, however. Many commented on Wilson’s wellknown positive demeanor and energy. “I don’t know anybody that can be that energetic after practice,” said offensive tackle Blake DeChristopher. “He likes to have fun with it and when you’re out here in the heat, it’s important to have a
BENJAMIN CHOI / SPPS
New starting quarterback Logan Thomas warms up during last Saturday’s Hokie football practice at Rector Field House. laugh every once in a while.” “I love football,” Wilson said. “If you love something, you should smile while doing it.” Danny Coale commented about his additional responsibilities this season. The senior wide receiver raised many eyebrows with his punting skills in this year’s spring game and showed that he can aid the Hokies in even more ways. “I don’t want to put the team in a position where we have to burn a timeout,
so I want to be in the condition to do it out of the huddle,” Coale said. “I’m excited to help. If I’m right for the job, that’s great. If not, then someone else is better for it and I’ll be cheering them on.” With their unique combination of skills, the Hokies only reaffirmed last Saturday what many already knew: this season holds great potential for Tech football. The team opens up the season against Appalachian State University on Saturday, Sept. 3 at home.
Snap Judgment: Football team’s take on gunman secure our doors–emergency personnel would be responding. Once the news went national, calls, texts and tweets from loved ones came in droves. “Praying for my VT family. All of them. Stay safe,” tweeted Tyrod Taylor, former Tech quarterback and current Baltimore Raven. The prayers and support were much appreciated. “Thanks to all my family friends and followers who checked on me,” wide receiver Dyrell Roberts tweeted. As frightening as that morning was, no one was hurt. VT Police Chief Wendell Flinchum
reminded us at an 11 a.m. press conference that the person was seen carrying a gun–not making threats or pointing it at anyone. No other witnesses reported seeing a gunman or anything suspicious. Officers from five different police departments patrolled campus but found nothing. Still, those with close ties to Tech can’t hear news of a gunman on campus without remembering April 16, 2007. “Painful seeing VT campus shots with CNN & Fox News logos this am,” tweeted Bill Roth, play-by-play radio announcer for Tech football
games. “Hurtin’ for the 32.” Another VT Alert text message came in at 12:01 p.m. reminding us that police were continuing to investigate the campus. There had been no other sightings. These developments begged the question: did these youths cry “wolf,” or were they simply mistaken? “Hope them lil kids was just trippen,” offensive guard Jaymes Brooks tweeted. As things on campus cooled down, Brooks’ theory seemed more and more likely. Regardless of the mood on campus, our families back home remained
vigilant. “My MOM just called me and said Come Home,” quarterback Ricardo Young tweeted. While we continued to pray and hope for safety on Tech’s campus, nothing could distract from preparing hard for the 2011 season. “This gunman betta not disrupt my first day of practice,” running back Josh Oglesby tweeted.
COLLIN CARROLL -sports columnist -red shirt senior -marketing management
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
Our first day of football practice got off to a rough start after three teenagers reported seeing a man carrying a gun on campus last Thursday morning. By the grace of God, most of the football players were lifting weights or in the locker room when the gunman was spotted. We could only pray that everyone else on campus was in a safe place. We received a text message from VT Alerts at 9:53 a.m. alerting us of a person with a gun near Dietrick Hall, where we eat all our meals on campus. The alert urged us to stay inside and
page
SPORTS
10
Men’s basketball team heads Andrew Luck to Canada for extra practice stays humble CODY ELLIOT It is August and the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team has already had four practices. The team is working in preparation for a trip to Canada on Aug. 17-18 against the University of Windsor. The NCAA allows teams to make these types of trips every four years and it serves as a team builder more than a competitive event. Coach Seth Greenberg says that he’s using this time to find out who they are as a basketball team. “We are using this time to get a feel for who they are offensively, what they’re capable of defensively, and getting a good solid foundation,” Greenberg said in a press conference Saturday, Aug. 6. With five new freshmen, as well as some new staff members, Greenberg says he thinks this trip to Canada is “huge” for the team’s development. “What happens with freshmen is you give them so much in the first two weeks, and they get frozen,” he said. “So instead of playing on instinct, they look frozen and moving in slow motion.” Now, the team will be beyond that when practice begins in October. As far as new staff, the only new member in terms of on-court teaching is Rob Ehsan who comes from Maryland. Greenberg says one thing he has done great is “connect with the kids.” Greenberg also noted there are also some minor differences between how Maryland did things and how Tech runs their program but that has been an easy transition thus far. The group of players that will benefit the most from this trip is certainly the new players.
“
We are using this time to get a feel for who they are offensively, what they’re capable of defensively, and getting a good solid foundation.” SETH GREENBERG HEAD COACH MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
MARK PURDY
sports staff writer
“The freshmen have been a pleasure to be around,” Greenberg said. “All five freshmen are qualified and cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse so all five freshmen will go to Canada.” The most anticipated freshman of the group is certainly forward Dorian Finney-Smith, nicknamed “DoeDoe,” who was ranked as high as the number 17 spot in the ESPNU top 100. “Doe-Doe’s just an easy guy to get along with,” Greenberg said. “He’s just
mcclatchy newspapers
BENJAMIN CHOI / SPPS
Seth Greenberg addresses the media last Saturday afternoon. Greenberg is entering his ninth year as head coach of the Hokies. a nice kid so he’s integrated nicely. He’s a guy that just wants to be a good teammate.” Greenberg continued to speak highly of Finney-Smith referring to his unselfishness and coachability as his greatest attributes. The biggest surprise of the freshmen, according to Coach Greenberg, is guard Marquis Rankin. “He can guard the ball and he’s fast,” Greenberg said. “He’s really an aggressive point guard. I’m really pleased with him.” He also stated that it is possible Rankin could wind up being the team’s best on ball defender. One thing the freshmen have been open with their coach about is the difficulty of adjusting to the speed of Division I basketball. “All of the freshmen say the speed of the game has been a little bit surprising,” Greenberg said. “They watch it on TV and think, ‘Oh, I can do that.’ Then all of a sudden, the ball’s reversing and they have to close out and the guy is a little faster going by them.” Coach Greenberg also made note of the team’s leadership which he says has done a great job this summer. “Erick Green has had a great summer, Dorenzo (Hudson) is getting better, and Victor (Davila) carries himself like a four year starter, Jarell (Eddie) is in the best shape of his life, and Cadarian Raines is finally getting healthy.”
Two players that will not be making the trip are Jarell Eddie and Allan Chaney. Chaney, who has a heart condition that kept him sidelined all of last season, has been cleared by a doctor in Philadelphia to play, but not yet by the Virginia Tech medical staff. Greenberg says that decision “will be made by a couple people, not just one.” Eddie is currently ineligible due to not taking six credits this past semester but the team plans to appeal that decision and Greenberg appeared confident that he will be able to play once the season begins. One thing that Coach Greenberg does enjoy this year is having a healthy team able to play. “Last year we finished with seven guys and three walk-ons,” he said, “So this is fun and it’s competitive. There aren’t any bad players in the gym.” He noted that Dorenzo Hudson is fully recovered from his foot injury but JT Thompson is not quite one hundred percent yet after his ACL injury. While the Hokies certainly hope to win games on their two-game trip up north, the results are inconsequential. What they really hope to develop is chemistry amongst a group of guys that has a lot of potential to be special this season. Now, it’s time to begin preparing for it.
So far, so good for Andrew Luck. Monday, he completed the first practice of his final season at Stanford. He suffered no noticeable injury to any body part and no noticeable inflation of his ego. That last part could be a danger, you know, for a 21-year-old quarterback who owns the entire college football world. Figuratively, anyway. Luck is a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, on merit. His Stanford football team is ranked sixth in one preseason poll. (Yes, that’s sixth in the nation, not in the Pac-12.) After his decision not to enter the NFL draft last spring, Luck was universally applauded for his academic bent. He spent the summer being featured in national magazines and being lauded from coast to coast as the best quarterbacking thing since sliced Manning. Surely, this must affect his relationship with teammates a little bit. Right? Evidently not. “Am I allowed to tell him he threw a bad pass?” asked senior receiver Chris Owusu, repeating a question. “I don’t think I’d ever tell him that, because I don’t think he’s ever thrown a bad pass. But I wouldn’t be afraid to tell him if he did throw one. It wouldn’t hold any weight, though, because we know how good he is. There’s no one like him in college football.” Luck begged to differ. “They’ll still speak their minds and say mean stuff to me,” Luck maintained after leaving the practice field Monday. “We still have arguments.” About what? “I don’t know, football, girls, whatever college kids talk about,” Luck said. On the field and off, he seems determined to downgrade any random accusations of glamour against him. Luck has rid himself of the floppy hair and thick beard he wore the past few months and now sports a buzz cut and razor stubble. Gives him more of a football feeling, Luck said. He also is eager to be critiqued by new coach David Shaw and his staff. “Thank God he has the personality that he has,” Shaw said Monday. Yes, that personality is no rumor. Luck remains one of the most grounded great athletes to pass through the Bay Area. The suspicion here is that his father has at least something to do with it. At the University of West Virginia
from 1978-81, Oliver Luck was a three-year starter, set school passing records, threw for 43 touchdowns and led the Mountaineers to a bowl victory over Florida. In fact, you could easily make the case that before his senior season, Oliver Luck was a bigger deal in the state of West Virginia than his son currently is in the state of California. Or even the half-state of Northern California. In West Virginia, the Mountaineers football team is by far the No. 1 sports attraction. In the Bay Area, Stanford’s football team has to fight through the prosports clutter to get attention. One would imagine that Oliver Luck had to deal with some pretty heavy ego-stroking and fawning attention and that he might have advised Andrew about how to avoid getting too impressed with yourself. Andrew says they haven’t discussed it once. Any influence Oliver had over Andrew in that regard has occurred by osmosis. “I guess I’m fortunate that the wise parenting I received over the previous 20 years has carried over, because we’ve never talked about that sort of thing,” Luck said. “My dad hasn’t said much about his college days. Oh, a few times, he might start telling stories. And I’ve seen some highlight film of him from college. I remember thinking he looked really small. Which is funny, because growing up, I thought he was a pretty big guy.” Some of his dad’s stories, said Andrew, are about how tough a place Mountaineer Field could be for opposing teams because of the packed seats and the loud, liquidcourage-fueled fans. Stanford can only wish for such an atmosphere. Despite the preseason buzz around the team, plenty of good seats remain available. Season-ticket purchases are up 43 percent but at 25,000 sold, that still constitutes just half the capacity of Stanford Stadium. A fast start surely will boost single-game sales. There’s some irony, of course, in the fact that Stanford’s keep-sportsin-perspective attitude will allow Luck to go through the autumn without feeling crushed by adulation. He hasn’t instituted a no-autographs-in-sociology-class policy for a simple reason. He is hardly ever asked to sign one. “I do appreciate the level of anonymity here,” Luck said. “But you know, there are so many students here who are so amazing in what they do, it’s like, why bother the jock in the last row?”
page 11
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Campus Events
For Rent
THE BIGGEST POSTER SALE. Biggest and Best Selection. Choose from over 2000 different images. FINE ART, MUSIC, MOVIES, MODELS, HUMOR, ANIMALS, PERSONALITIES, LANDSCAPES, MOTIVATIONALS, PHOTOGRAPHY. MOST IMAGES ONLY $7, $8 AND $9 SEE US AT Plaza in Front of Bookstore ON Wednesday Aug. 17th thru Friday Aug. 26th, 2011. THE HOURS ARE 9AM-6PM. THIS SALE IS SPONSORED BY University Bookstore
WINDSOR HILLS APARTMENTS 1200 square ft. 2 bedrooms 1 bath with a den. First floor. $856/ month. Ready for immediate move in. Contact Jeremy for more details. 757-270-6244 or mejeremy@vt.edu 757.270.6244
For Sale VPI COLLEGE RING, never worn, pristine, $1000. email mfcauthen@ gmail.com 803.754.1064
Events SKYDIVE! One-day first jumps from 13,500’ from 22-jumper twin engine airplane. Gift Certificates! www. skydiveorange.com 540.943.6587
it's beautiful. it's blacksburg.
go camping.
Help Wanted BECOME A BARTENDER UP TO $300/ DAY. No Experience Necessary. Training Course Available. 1-800-965-6520 EXT210 THE TOWN OF Blacksburg is currently accepting applications for the following positions: Recreation Assistant/FullTime, Front Desk Attendant/Part-Time, and Water Aerobics Instructor/PartTime. For more information, please visit our website: www.blacksburg.gov. An EEO Employer M/F/D/V
By Billie Truitt
ACROSS 1 World Wide __ 4 Gunpowder element 10 Turns seaward 14 Firefighter ’s tool 15 Dream up 16 Losing strategy? 17 Lather-holding cup 19 Homely fruit 20 Eye part containing the pupil 21 Timeline divisions 23 Habit wearer 24 Kimono sashes 25 Sock mender’s tool
it's summer.
8/11/11 28 Magi 30 Sweden neighbor 31 Utmost degree 32 Church instrument 35 Flag maker Betsy 36 Violin knob fo r pitch adjustment s 38 “__ to that!” 40 Ecstatic way to walk 41 Roman 700 44 1992 Olympic skating champ Yamaguchi 46 As an alternative 48 Retriever or pointer 51 Heidi ’s height s
52 2011 minus year of birth, roughly 53 It replaced the franc 54 Handling the jo b 55 Member of an Iraqi minority 57 Joke that gets funnier with repetition 61 “Now ___ me down ...” 62 Complete 63 Hurry , old-style 64 Clearance event 65 Smells to high heaven 66 Blasting spl y.
Buy and sell your camping equipment in the Collegiate Times Classifieds today!
www.collegiatetimes.com DOW N 1 Used to be 33 Raggedy doll 2 Lettered piece of 34 Whodunit writer court evidence 3 Pessimistic about Marsh Wall Street 36 Try out 4 Biol. and chem . 37 Unwelcom e 5 Coffeepot for a engine sound crowd 38 Peppery sala d 6 Jeans part green 7 Hall of __: 39 Twenty enshrined athlete Questions choice 8 One-eighty 41 “Afternoon __”: 9 Win back suggestive #1 hi t 10 Campus e-mail of 1976 address letters 42 Ship’ s leader 11 Special report 43 Jewel box subject contents, briefly 12 Sturgeon yielding 44 Military pants expensive caviar 45 Hardens 13 Tight-fiste d 47 Zesty taste 18 Workbench 49 McJob holder clamp 50 “__ know you?” 22 Noisy sleepers 54 Vending machine 24 Part of BYOB bills 25 Bruce of “Coming 56 Hair coloring agent Home ” 58 Author Anaïs 26 Prefix with -plasty 59 Rub the wrong 27 Pirate’ s quaf f way 29 Canadian 60 Retrieve lawman on Thursday’ s Puzzle Solved horsebac k
Complete the grid so that each column, row and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9. Copyright 2007 Puzzles by Pappocom Solution, tips and computer program at www.soduku.com.
(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
8/4/1 1
collegiatetimes.com august 11, 2011
page
12