Friday, August 26, 2011 Print Edition

SAID

he she

on being a freshman on page 5 STEPHANIE LACASSE / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Friday, August 26, 2011

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 75

News, page 2

People & Clubs page 5

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 4

Classifieds, page 6

Sudoku, page 6

Hurricane Irene threatens coast MICHELLE SUTHERLAND & MALLORY NOE-PAYNE news staff Hurricane Irene could be the most powerful storm to hit Virginia shores since 2007.

The category three cell is moving at 14 mph northwest from the Caribbean, according to the National Weather Service. It could potentially rival Hurricane Isabel, which hit the East Coast in 2003, as it becomes stronger.

With sustained winds at 115 mph, the Weather Channel calls the midAtlantic region threat level “extreme.”

On Thursday, Governor Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency to make resources readily available. He has left evacuation decisions to municipal governments.

Parts of Virginia and North Carolina have already called for evacuations.

The Outer Banks ordered tourists to leave, and Virginia Beach evacuated Sandbridge. Norfolk issued a voluntary evacuation for residents. And Ocean City has been cleared.

Old Dominion University closed its campus until Monday. Therefore, the university’s incoming freshmen will not be able to move in until then, and classes will start Tuesday.

Joe Atmore, a sophomore civil engineering major at ODU, plans to move into his apartment despite the weather,

but he will be unable to use university resources.

“I think it will be OK,” he said. “I’m not too worried.”

Colin Harris, a sophomore chemical engineering major at ODU, was told to go home when he tried to move into his dorm.

“They said I could leave my stuff there, but I had to leave the following day,” he said. “I understand ... They take flooding very seriously there.”

William & Mary will be closed Friday through Monday and is rescheduling its Opening Convocation. It issued a mandatory evacuation of dorms.

Christopher Newport University also canceled classes Friday and issued a mandatory evacuation.

Irene is expected to hit the East Coast along the border of North Carolina and Virginia Saturday afternoon. The hurricane is likely to strengthen during the next two days before hitting the coast, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds, according to the National Weather Service. While Blacksburg is not in the forecasted track of the storm, Virginia Tech does have facilities in the Hampton Roads and Richmond areas. In a news release sent Thursday, Tech recommended people in those areas monitor local media for the weather latest updates. In the meantime the Office of Emergency Management advises individuals in the storm’s wake

to follow directions from local authorities. The office also suggests people fully charge cell phones, withdraw cash, obtain first aid kit, and fill car gas tanks and necessary medical prescriptions before Irene enters the area.

MONDAY P.M. 60 MPH

SUNDAY P.M. CATEGORY 1, 85 MPH SATURDAY P.M. CATEGORY 2, 110 MPH FRIDAY P.M. CATEGORY 3, 120 MPH

IRENE

DANIELLE BUYNAK / COLLEGIATE TIMES

i want you to pick up the football preview on Tuesday

Fans reacts to Jobs’ resignation TIFFANY HSU & SHAN LI mcclatchy newspapers LOS ANGELES -- To millions of Apple fans, it’s less “cult of Mac” and more “cult of Steve.”

At a time when chief executives of billion-dollar corporations are reviled for skyrocketing pay packages, golden parachutes and lavish lifestyles, Apple Inc.’s Steve Jobs was the giant exception , a superstar CEO so revered by fans that they followed his every move like a celebrity.

“He transformed the brand when he took over and made it into a kind of lifestyle that people wanted in on,” said Los Angeles art director Adam Nathanson, 33, standing outside the Apple store at the Grove shopping center in Los Angeles the day after Jobs stepped down as chief executive.

“I don’t know the guy who is taking over,” said Nathanson, sadly. “I don’t even know his name.”

The shock among Apple fans was widespread, online and in person, even though it was well known that Jobs had serious health problems.

In an age when people’s work and recreational lives revolve so much around technology, Jobs was seen as the champion of making digital tools more humane.

“He’s had a huge, direct influence on so many of the gadgets we

use on a daily basis , our computers, our phones, our music players,” wrote Leander Kahney, a blogger for Apple fan site cultofmac. com. “It’s a nasty shock and a sad day.”

A major part of Jobs’ appeal may have derived from his story. Though he co-founded Apple in 1976, he was booted out of the company in 1985. After he returned in 1996, when the firm was in dire financial trouble, the hits started coming, including the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. “Cult leaders are born from great stories and Steve Jobs has the best story ever: a prodigy phase, a fall from grace, the return of the prodigal son and the phoenix rises,” said Mike Mannor, an assistant professor of management at the University of Notre Dame. “Add that to his incredible charisma and a shroud of mystery, and you have an iconic oracle figure.”

Mark Davidson, 45, a faithful Apple customer for three decades, said Jobs might be irreplaceable.

“I’m not sure anyone else can create revolutions over and over and change so many aspects of our lives,” he said, outside the Apple store.

Fellow 30-year Apple customer Jeff Zugale, 45, said there were other great tech leaders. Jobs, however, was spe-

cial.

“I have the same level of respect for Bill Gates,” said Zugale, a commercial artist in a variety of media.

“But Steve Jobs is definitely more lovable.”

Some fans, though also saddened, said they trusted that Jobs has left a strong corporate structure. After all, the company did not seem to be much affected by his recent medical leave.

“He’s stepped away for months now and the company is doing fine,” said Lindsey Jacobson, 28, a standup comedian. “If Jobs was the only idea-maker, I would be worried. But I’m sure that place is crammed with idea-makers.”

There were also Apple fans who went so far as to resent the consternation over Jobs’ stepping down.

Javier Arbona, 35, a geography doctoral candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, said the company was far more than one man, no matter how visionary.

“It’s nothing personal against Steve Jobs,” Arbona said, “but there needs to be some perspective. Nobody’s talking to the folks working at the Apple factories in China. The marvel of these technologies also owes a lot to how they’re made, where they’re made and the sweat of people who make them.”

2 news

editors: claire sanderson, michelle sutherland newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

august 26, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

world Apple refuses to close shipping locks

what you’re saying //comments from online readers...

On the need for inter-faith dialogue:

Arafat>> Yet the philosopher Maimonides, a Jew who lived for a time in Muslim Spain and then fled that supposedly tolerant and pluralistic land, remarked, “You know, my brethren, that on account of our sins God has cast us into the midst of this people, the nation of Ishmael, who persecute us severely, and who devise ways to harm us and to debase us....No nation has ever done more harm to Israel. None has matched it in debasing and humiliating us. None has been able to reduce us as they have....We have borne their imposed degradation, their lies, and absurdities, which are beyond human power to bear.”Notably, Maimonides directed that Jews could teach rabbinic law to Christians, but not to Muslims. For Muslims, he said, will interpret what they are taught “according to their erroneous principles and they will oppress us. [F]or this reason ... they hate all [non-Muslims] who live among them.” But the Christians, he said, “admit that the text of the Torah, such as we have it, is intact”--as opposed to the Islamic view that the Jews and Christians have corrupted their scriptures. Christians, continued Maimonides, “do not find in their religious law any contradiction with ours.”

Anonymous>> Remove a perfectly good 9 hole golf course to erect buildings where people can pay money to make fake friends.......genius.

Alum>> I hope SigEp doesn’t envision leaving their current residence, they currently have the best frat house going in terms of location, size and privacy.Moving to strictly an Oak Lane house would be a disaster for their recruiting. Oak Lane is boring, over-regulated and not close to anything.

crime blotter

River at the turn of the century.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District control the locks to limit flooding during heavy rains and to allow cargo ships and boats to pass.

In July 2010, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin sued the federal government to force a temporary closure of the locks until other carp-control methods could be put in place. Critics, however, alleged that the effort was “politically motivated” and could devastate the regional shipping industry and put residents who live in flood-prone areas at risk.

A native of China with no known predators in the U.S., Asian carp have overwhelmed

native fish populations by outcompeting them for food, jeopardizing the Great Lakes’ estimated $7 billion annual commercial and recreational fishing industry.

Although the 7th Circuit of Appeals upheld the lower court’s ruling, it disagreed with U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow’s opinion that the “plaintiffs cannot establish a showing of irreparable harm.”

“We are less sanguine about the prospects of keeping the carp at bay,” the panel wrote.

“If the invasion comes to pass, there is little doubt that the harm to the plaintiff states would be irreparable.”

-cynthia dizikes mcclatchy newspapers

nation New app memorializes 9/11 victims NEW YORK , An iPad and iPhone app introduced Wednesday by 9/11 memorial officials will preserve victims’ legacies for the smartphone generation, officials said.

“We wanted the names on the memorial to be more than just names on the memorial,” said Sean Anderson, chief technology officer for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. “You

c-

can learn more about the people as individuals and learn how they potentially relate to one another.”

The app, called the 9/11 Memorial Guide and available for free on iTunes, allows users to search a victim’s name and points them to the panel where the name is located.

More importantly, developers said, the app offers biographical information such as a photo,

birthplace, hometown, agency and first-responder rank , painting a more complete portrait of the lives lost.

The names on the plaques surrounding the two reflecting pools in the footprints of the World Trade Center towers aren’t arranged alphabetically.

1 3 2 1 6 5 4 0 6 5 6 4 6 5 5 1 4

V I O L A T I O N - A F F I D A V I T

date reported

time

offense

location

status

8/24/2011

11:26 p.m.

Possession of Marijuana / Drug Paraphernalia

Vawter Hall

Cleared by Arrest

8/25/2011

2:43 a.m.

Underage Possession of Alcohol/ Appearing Intoxicated in Public x2

Outside the Inn at VT

Cleared by Arrest

mcclatchy newspapers

13216540656465514

On the fraternity houses being built on Oak Lane:

CHICAGO , A federal appeals panel Wednesday rejected the request of five Great Lakes states to close Chicago-area shipping locks. But the panel warned that if ongoing efforts to stop the advance of Asian carp halt or slow down the issue could be revisited.

The ruling by the three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals follows a district court decision in December that concluded the invasive species did not appear to be an imminent threat and closing the locks might not keep them from reaching Lake Michigan anyway.

Locking gates were built into the Calumet-Sag Channel and the Chicago River to limit the amount of water releasing out of Lake Michigan when engineers reversed the flow of the Chicago

opınıons 3

editors: scott masselli, sean simons opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

august 26, 2011

Congress on repeat

The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

i s now time for state legislatures to redraw their congresIt sional districts, which can reshape national politics in very important ways. Last year, Republicans won 63 seats in the House of Representatives, as well as winning 11 governorships across the states.

In many of these states, Republicans also hold a majority in the states’ legislatures, creating a grand total of 26 states in which the GOP has unified government, or holds both the governorship and a majority in the legislature. Because state governments redraw congressional districts every 10 years, it is likely we are going to see a lot more going red in the coming election cycle.

When a single party presides over a unified state government during a redistricting year, it tends to redraw districts in ways that protect their incumbents. This means that districts are redrawn to create clear and reliable partisan majorities such that a candidate from a given party is guaranteed election in that district. As districts are redrawn in this manner, many of the GOP freshmen in the House will find that their reelection prospects have greatly improved, and there may be a lot less turnover in the House this election cycle than one might expect, with congressional approval at an abysmal low of 13 percent.

The Republicans are not the only ones playing this game either.

Democrats have maintained unified government in some key states, such as Illinois, and will undoubtedly use the same redistricting tactics to protect their incumbents and make the state less GOP friendly.

Divided state governments are also prone to the creation of safe districts. This is because parties compromise on districting in ways that allow each party to create some safe districts to protect its current incumbents. This sort of redistricting strategy is very problematic for the House, however.

Safe districts create polarizing pressures in Congress. As an incumbent in a safe district, your only worry about the election is the primary. It is the party base that comes out to vote in primaries. These are the people that are very passionate and tend to be more liberal or conservative than the majority of Americans. To win a primary, a candidate must appeal to this base, which means they will take a more liberal or conservative stance on issues than their broader constituency supports. The pressure to appeal to the party base pushes candidates, and eventually party platforms, outward on the political spectrum, creating fewer moderate candidates and party stances.

This is a problem for Congress because there is less ideological overlap among Representatives.

Without that overlap, compromise dies. This is what we have seen growing in Congress for at least a decade. There are more hardliners and fewer moderates in the House, and public policy has suffered because of it. In the 2008 elections, in which the GOP gained a large majority in the House, the seats that were turned over were those of the Blue Dog Democrats, who are a group of moderates in the party. The GOP freshmen that have replaced them are Tea Party affiliated, conservative hardliners. This shift has nearly eliminated ideological crossover in the House, thus creating heightened party polarization and less compromise.

The polarization of Congress has had many painful effects. The budget debates exemplify this breakdown in legislative governance, also known as political sclerosis.

Congress’s inability to find common ground on raising the debt limit, cutting spending and raising taxes is the result of strict adherence to ideological extremes. Without compromise, the debt issue has been postponed without any clear way to resolve it. Even a manufactured crisis, such as a government default, cannot bring our Congressmen together long enough to solve a major national issue. This is a huge problem for our political system that must be resolved if there is any hope of having a national government that is responsive to public needs.

Redistricting this year will likely add to our political sclerosis. As more safe districts are created, Congress will likely become more polarized making it more ineffectual. It will be business as usual in Washington, as ideologues butt heads and the public is left dismayed at the inefficiency of our political system. Perhaps the parties will realign toward the center of the political spectrum and the spirit of compromise will return. Until then, Congress will maintain its insanely low approval rates and major issues will go unsolved.

JOSH DEAL -regular columnist -history major

MCT CAMPUS

With more knowledge comes better campus understanding N

ew students at Virginia Tech face a plethora of challenges and responsibilities. Making friends, decorating rooms, finding sufficient time for food, making it to classes on time — each thing seems to add its own excitement to the whole college experience.

The responsibility that seems to be much more stressful than exciting, however, is the daunting task of navigating campus.

In a college as large and sprawling as Tech, getting lost is a guarantee. Take a wrong turn amid the similar Hokie stone buildings, and a person might find themselves in the middle of Blacksburg, wondering how they ended up at the Math Emporium. Finding the right dining hall to meet newly acquired friends is next to impossible without a guide, and few people want to look as new as they are by pulling out a map.

College is a whole new level of navigation. It requires a sense of direction never before needed in school — a brave new world of different buildings and classes so far apart that any student who hasn’t been similarly challenged before would be overwhelmed.

In elementary school, a student’s

biggest worry is how to find the drawer with the glue sticks or remember bus numbers. With middle school came the unfamiliar task of having to move from classroom to classroom. High school gave the new challenge of navigating the roads during behind the wheel classes, added onto the continued responsibility of different classes from middle school. However, during each of these grade levels — which consume about 15 years — one thing remained consistent: Students stayed in one building. Sure, we may have strayed to a gym or the occasional class awkwardly detached from the school, but for the most part, high schools are contained to a single building.

College presents the new challenge of having to actually go from building to building, usually by foot, within set times.

This brand new challenge is even more daunting when placed in the context of Tech. According to U.S. News, Tech is a sprawling 2,600 acres, an enormous number especially to those who may have come from city areas where no such space is available. Navigating while weaving through a student

body of about 25,000 people and trying to get to class on time seems nearly impossible.

There are, fortunately, several methods to avoid getting too lost in the labyrinth of the daily Tech bustle. Finding familiar landmarks makes finding classes, and residence and dining halls much easier — especially obvious ones such as Burruss Hall. These highly recognizable points make directional orientation that much more possible. Having a friend help you get from one place to another is not only safer, but also provides a backup in case memory fails to recognize a trusty landmark.

Tech also offers an application for iPhones, called the Hokie Mobile app, which provides a GPS system, giving the user their location, as well as an easy-tonavigate campus map. The app has received positive ratings on the iTunes website, making it prime for those able to equip it.

Don’t have an iPhone? Then pulling out an old-fashioned map just might have to be the back up.

They may be obvious, but they remain as useful as always.

There’s always the option of

asking a passerby as well. With such a large student body, student passing by are guaranteed to be helpful. Spotting out an upperclassman is probably going to be more helpful because the chances of getting incorrect directions is severely reduced. Being awkward and asking for help is a lot better than being awkward and late to class. Other resources, such as information desks in certain buildings — Squires Student Center, for example — will be more than happy to point directionally challenged students the right way.

Getting to really know campus is a thing that would probably take a student weeks, if not months, to accomplish. It requires a level of comfort and a healthy dose of familiarity, both of which are acquired by time. Until that time has passed, however, freshmen will remain standing on the Drillfield, map in hand, scratching their heads in confusion.

NIKKI CLEMONS -regular columnist -freshman -English major

Blockbusters lack originality a creative writer, one of your greatest fears is that As you’re going to run out of material.

While there is truth in saying all stories have been told, people are able to recreate that idea and make it different and unique.

But in Hollywood, I’m starting to think the writers are on strike again. Or maybe the writers were slowly killed off one-by-one, and their murders were hushed up.

I’m not sure as to the exact reason it’s happening, but the movies coming out look more like products of a manufacturing company than of any creative thinking or art.

If somebody was bored enough and made a chart of the number of movies I have seen throughout the years, the trend line would be a very steady decline.

Maybe it’s because there are just fewer and fewer movies that are worth the everincreasing prices, especially when you can easily rent it for a dollar.

The writers in Hollywood have simply forgotten how to innovate. They find a formula that works and stick to it until we get

tired of seeing the same movie, with only slightly different characters.

The worst culprits of this are comedies. When I saw The Hangover for the first time, I thought it was one of the funniest movies I had seen in awhile.

The comedy style was fun, upbeat and different from what everybody else was cranking out at the time — because let’s be honest, how many times have we seen the slightly awkward guy going for everyone’s dream girl who already has an alpha male boyfriend, and all of his other awkward friends have slightly off-beat senses of humor?

At the time, The Hangover was a nice refreshing change of pace from that same exact script. I’m not even going to comment about the sequel to The Hangover, because I think sequels are something completely different than just stealing themes and ideas and placing them in other movies.

For example, Due Date, starring Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr., was just an excuse for Galifianakis to be the exact same character he was in The Hangover.

Due Date’s plot was basically

nonexistent — guy tries to get home to his wife before she has her baby, and Zach Galifianakis does funny things. Every other problem or scenario they tried to bring up was completely half-baked.

Hollywood’s most recent recipe has been the “let’s just be friends and still have sex” movies, such as Love and Other Drugs, No Strings Attached, and the most recent Friends With Benefits. All of those have come out in the past year or so.

I will also admit I am not a fan of 3D movies. Don’t get me wrong, the effect is pretty cool and a different experience than what we are used to.

But how many 3D movies have you gone to and come out thinking it was the next classic, a movie that people will still be talking about 50 years down the road? 3D movies are not the types of movies that care about storylines.

You can either have special effects or a storyline, never both.

I’m completely appalled at the fact that they’re remaking both Dirty Dancing and Footloose.

They say it’s the next round of classics for the next generation.

Somebody should probably let them know you can’t remake a classic, that’s why it’s called a classic.

Even our childhood classics are being taken over. I just saw a commercial the other day for the re-release of Disney’s The Lion King, but this time in 3D. I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of excited about the idea of seeing it again on the big screen and getting to re-live my childhood.

But I just think how much I cried as a little girl when Mufasa was murdered. Now I think about him falling off the cliff in 3D right in front of my face into the pit of wildebeasts.

If they had 3D when I was a kid, I’m pretty sure I would still be traumatized. I just wish that Hollywood would give us what we’re paying for. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy a good bloody gun fight every once and while, but something with a little bit more effort would be great. Our generation deserves its own set of classics.

SHELBY WARD -regular columnist -senior -English major

we’re YOUR newspaper. send a letter to the editor and express your views.

send an e-mail to opinionseditor@ collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Zach Crizer Managing Editor: Lindsey Brookbank Design Editors: Danielle Buynak, Victoria Zigadlo Public Editor: Justin Graves Web Editor: Sarah Watson News Editors: Claire Sanderson, Michelle Sutherland News Reporters: Josh Higgins News Staff Writers: Erin Chapman, Meighan Dober, Abby Harris, Elizabeth Haydu, Cody Owens, Mallory NoePayne Features Editors: Chelsea Gunter, Patrick Murphy Features Reporters: Nick Smirniotopoulos Features Staff Writers: Courtney Baker, Torie Deible, Dane Harrington, Kevin McAleese, Andrew Reily Opinions Editors: Scott Masselli, Sean Simmons Sports Editors: Matt Jones, Zach Mariner Sports Reporters: Michael Bealy, Nick Cafferky, Courtney Lofgren, Josh Oarcell Sports Staff Writers: Eric Avassi, Zander Baylis, Alyssa Bedrosian, Cody Elliott, Taylor Hay, Alex Koma, Ashleigh Lanza, Brian Marcolini, Cody Owens Photo Editor: Daniel Lin Special Sections Editor: Liana Bayne, Nick Cafferky Public Information Director: Dishu Maheshwari Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Chief: Spenser Snarr Copy Editors: Debra Houchins, Nora McGann Layout Designers: Nadia Groome, Kaitlyn Kicia, Bethany Melson, Matthew Ryburn Online Director: Jamie Chung Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Philipp Kotlaba Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Paul Kurlak Lab Manager: Austen Meredith College Media Solutions Ad Director: Brandon Collins Asst Ad Director: Matt Freedman Account Executives: Brian Dickson, Alyssa Brown Inside Sales Manager: Mario Gazzola Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Adam Shata Assistant Account Executives: Kevin Jadali, Janssen Claudio Creative Director: Casey Stoneman Asst Production Manager: Colleen Hill Creative Services Staff: Danielle Bushrow, Michael Craighead, Alyssa Morrison, Molly Vinson Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times.

365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number.

Students must include year and major.

Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible.

Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times.

Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors.

Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason.

Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Have a news tip?

Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations.

The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university.

The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com.

Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com.

Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 fall/spring. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2011. All rights reserved.

Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

sports 4

editors: matt jones, zach mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

august 26, 2011

Dual perspectives: The issue with Miami Koma: Will Miami get the NCAA’s toughest penalty?

T

he most imposing phrase in college football is a simple one: the death penalty.

It may sound overly dramatic for something as straightforward as the NCAA’s ability to ban a school from participating in a sport after repeated violations, but for a major college football program, it could be considered a fate worse than death.

Since the rule’s inception in 1985, the only major recipient of this punishment has been the Southern Methodist Mustangs in 1987.

However, after the recent revelations by former University of Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, the Hurricanes may soon join the ranks of the law’s victims.

Shapiro, who was convicted for his role in an elaborate Ponzi scheme, claims he used investor funds to provide Miami football players and coaches with extravagant monetary benefits.

The claims have reignited debate about whether the university should have a football program at all, considering the frequency with which they’ve committed infractions in the past.

Although such an assertion may seem extreme at first, the more that is learned about Shapiro’s accusations, the less ludicrous it becomes.

The booster’s purchased jewelry, extravagant dinners, and even an abortion for one player’s girlfriend — making it clear things got out of hand in South Florida.

Unfortunately, this kind of opulence seems pretty commonplace for the area. Whether it was Luther Campbell’s “pay-for-play” system or the infractions involving student aid in the mid 1990s, it seems as if a culture of continued disregard for NCAA law has developed in the program.

Although the NCAA clings to its amateurism ideals, it’s becoming clearer with each new college football scandal that no major program is completely devoid of violations. The only recourse the NCAA may have left is attempting to remove the “forbidden fruit” aspect of athlete ben-

TWO OF OUR SPORTS STAFF WRITERS, ALEX KOMA AND ALYSSA BEDROSIAN, GIVE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE SITUATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI.

Bedrosian: Is the broken system worth salvaging?

I

efits to stop such n the wake of the rampant infringecollapse of North ments.

Carolina’s football Furthermore, program, another it’s worthwhile to ACC university has consider exactfallen under invesly how much tigation. energy has gone Yahoo! Sports into uncovering released a report these violations. on Aug. 16, claimAccording to ing Nevin Shapiro Mark Emmert, provided impropthe NCAA presier benefits to 72 dent, there had Miami football already been a players and other month-long invesathletes from 2002 tigation launched to 2010. According into Shapiro’s to the former claims before they Miami booster, reached the press, seven coaches from not to mention both the football the lengthy probes and men’s basketinto Ohio State ball programs had knowledge of these football and other violations. Shapiro programs earlier said he spent milthis year. lions on parties, Is the genprostitutes and eral public ready even an abortion. to believe that Now almost a money and energy week away from couldn’t have been its season opener used to help develat Maryland, the op a fair system for Miami football procompensating stugram is faced with dent athletes? the possibility of an Regardless of entire shutdown, these possibilities, it seems as MCT CAMPUS also known as the death penalty. if, for now, the First-year Miami head coach Al Golden has inherited a program that faces numerous penalties.

Additionally, the Hurricanes are NCAA is reviewing beyond hope. the eligibility of 15 players on this Their only chance at avoiding the The University of Miami at a glance year’s squad. Quarterback Jacory death penalty is to attempt to show Harris is among the current playthat administration has things under The University of Miami, currently coached by former ers accused of receiving improper control — the recent announcement benefits. stating they’re investigating 15 playTemple head coach Al Golden, has a long history of Miami now joins a growing ers’ eligibility is designed to do just success in their history.

A fi ve-time national chamlist of NCAA powerhouses that that. pion, the ‘Canes won the national championship in have faced similar allegations.

At this point, however, there is a Investigations at Ohio State, more relevant question: Can such a 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2001. The program corrupt system even be controlled?

Michigan and Southern California has produced numerous players that went on to have proved this problem exists not only at Miami, but also within have success at the NFL level, including Ray Lewis, ALEX KOMA many programs at large universi-@krazykoma Michael Irvin, Andre Johnson, and the late Sean ties.

-sports staff writer Taylor. The program, however, is facing a dark future.

The NCAA has continued to -sophomore punish programs that violate rules.

However, the root of the issue has not been addressed. Big-time college athletes earn millions of dollars for their respective universities and coaches. And now athletes are turning to outside sources for other forms of compensation.

The NCAA and the world of college athletics are now posed with some serious questions: Are college athletes being taken advantage of? Has college athletics turned into a minor league system and have student athletes become professionals?

The major problems the NCAA faces today result from the culture created within college sports — a culture governed by money.

Nick Saban was the highest paid college football coach last year, earning $5.17 million at Alabama.

This is an astounding number considering Saban coaches “amateurs”.

With the amount of cash flow seen in college sports today, it is easy to understand, and even rationalize, the actions of athletes who are looking elsewhere for compensation.

Yet despite the likelihood of most big-name college athletes accepting benefits from boosters and other outside sources, the reality is that only a small percentage of universities are getting caught. It is nearly impossible for the NCAA to keep tabs on all its athletes.

So how can this persisting problem be fixed? A few changes to the rules and an extra thousand dollars in the pockets of athletes will not be sufficient. Athletes will continue to accept cash and other benefits, and the NCAA will continue to chase after programs if the system in place continues. Either change the culture of college football, or start putting the cash where it truly belongs — in the hands of the athletes.

ALYSSA BEDROSIAN -@AlyssaBedrosian -sports staff writer -sophomore

august 26, 2011

editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

people & clubs

COLLEGIATETIMES

SAID

He said: Three tips every freshman needs to know to succeed at Tech he extremely long line of cars. The unbearable humidity. Lugging the T 100-pound fridge up to the 12th floor of Slusher Tower. The unavoidable embarrassment your parents bestow on you in front of your new hallmates.

The excitement. The nervous feeling.

The tears in your mother’s eyes as she drives away — these are memories that make up the first day of college.

But after this hectic day, what’s next?

It’s been two years since my freshman year, but I haven’t forgotten it at all. Moving to college is one of the biggest changes of our lives. I’m here to walk you through it — or should I say run, because that’s the only way I’ll keep up. Follow these three simple rules and you might just be the most popular freshman on this side of the Drillfield.

First, get involved. In high school you had service clubs, student government, academic teams and other random clubs, but in college you have those organizations and more for all types of people and interests. So how do you know which one(s) to join?

Simply seek out whatever you are passionate about. Love to lead? Look into class office. Do you love live action role playing? Then join the club for fellow LARPers. Is Quidditch your fancy?

Boom, we have that too. Want to join a fraternity or sorority? Tech has great Greek life. Probably 99 percent of my best memories from college are with my fraternity and the other clubs I’m involved with. The other one percent consists of rare naps.

Your friends may not always want to join the same groups as you, but that’s no reason not to sign up yourself.

College is the place to try new things.

Clubs recruit hardest in the first few weeks, so head to Gobblerfest Friday and see what’s going on. Not only will you get a bunch of free stuff, but you may also find your next favorite hobby.

Second, be spontaneous. This goes hand-in-hand with being involved.

My freshman year I received a flyer on the Drillfield asking if I wanted to join the rowing team. I had never rowed before, and I didn’t know anyone on the team, but I decided to go for it. The next morning I was up at 6:30 a.m. working out. By the end of the week I was on a boat in the middle of Claytor Lake. If I hadn’t been impulsive that day, I never would have met some of my best friends on this campus — and I would have definitely gained that freshman 15.

Your friends might randomly come to your room asking to do something fun. Say yes. My freshman year, a friend asked if I wanted to go to the University of Kentucky for the weekend to see horse races. “Where’s my bow tie?” I quickly responded. The spur of the moment decision turned out to be one of the best ones I made all year.

Lastly, be positive. I try to live by a quote I claim I created but probably found on Twitter. It reads, “A positive attitude is the number one key to success.” I am going to tell you now that college will suck at times. Any fresh-

man needs to prepare to go to an 8 a.m. class on a Friday in the rain, pull an all-nighter for their least favorite class, walk across the Drillfield while battling hurricane-force winds blowing in their face, and study their butt off only to get a bad grade.

You can hold your head down during these bad times and confine yourself to the back library corner, or you can throw on a smile and greet the day.

A positive attitude will make you more receptive to both friends and teachers.

I’m not saying you need to be all puppies and sunshine 24/7, but having a warm personality — even when the weather is cold — will get you a lot further in life than your grade point average will.

Well, it’s that simple. Freshman year is a time to grow as a student, person and Hokie. Following these three guidelines will put you on the path to having the best year of your life. You only have a limited time at this school, so make the most of it. Looking back in 20 years, do you want to say, “Those were the best four plus years of my life?” Or would you rather say, “Eh, it was OK. We were pretty good at football I guess?” I know which one I’d choose.

DANE HARRINGTON -featured columnist -junior -industrial & systems engineering major

She said: A look back at freshman year yields advice, never forgotten memories tudents come to Virginia Tech not quite knowing what to expect.

S Here’s some advice I wish upperclassmen would have told me at the start of my freshman year.

Sure, your orientation leaders and maybe even Hokie Camp counselors were bursting with resources, but to what extent? Are they really going to help you down the road when you’re in a crisis? Will they answer your frantic Facebook chats or messages?

The answer is yes.

They will probably pee their pants with excitement when they see a notification in their inbox and it’s a freshman. All upperclassmen have fallen in love with Tech throughout their time here and would do back flips to prove how amazing it is to the new kids in town. If I became a little more flexible, I would literally throw back flips.

I am secretly depressed — I am a junior and wish I could go back to freshman year, doing everything the exact same way. The experiences I had and friends I made allowed me to grow up, while having as much fun in college that everyone says you’re going to have. Freshman year is about adding people on Facebook and Twitter like it’s your job. There will be times when you’re walking to class surrounded by thousands of people you cannot wait to meet, and it will hit you — “Holy crap, I’m in college.”

The Drillfield will be full of people throwing flyers in your face and bikes that do not stop and will run you over.

Don’t worry, it’s these battle scars that are always good conversation starters and make sitting next to a stranger in class less awkward.

My biggest piece of advice is to just get out there. Go to class, actually pay attention, and introduce yourself to anyone and everyone. Freshman year is when you will meet the most people — embrace that. Everyone is still on the same playing ground and usually wants to meet you too. Get some studying done during the first couple of weeks. I know it feels like summer camp right now, and you’re still getting used to doing whatever you want, whenever you want, but remember why you’re here. Don’t let the midterms sneak up on you because they will.

After a bustling school week, which includes going to bed too late for no reason and regretting it when you wake up the next morning, comes the infamous college weekends. There is so much to do on campus that you can literally have a meeting for a club or organization every weeknight, but a lot of your weekends will probably be spent down Roanoke Street. Or perhaps you’ll be wandering around cam-

pus with friends trying to see what cool things our little college town has to offer. Freshman year is about knowing what to do on the weekends by the Facebook groups you are “attending” and the “Let’s go Hokies!” chants on the late night buses.

With every new situation comes the crucial do’s and don’ts. If you follow any of these, you will be well on your way to having the best freshman year possible.

Do attend every special occasion at D2 like the infamous Chocolate Day (just imagine chocolate tacos, chocolate pizza, chocolate everything) and other themed days. Just make sure you get there early and grab a table before you head for food.

Don’t wear a lanyard around your neck with your Hokie Passport attached to it. Upperclassmen will instantly know you’re a freshman, and it will not only hurt your swag, but it will also eliminate any chance of lying about what year you are.

Do attend the snowball fight between cadets and civilians when

Tech has its first big snowfall. It gets extremely competitive. I’m talking bloody noses and black eyes kind of serious. Tradition states that the cadets always beat the civilians.

Basically, Tech has become a huge white canvas. It’s up to you to fill it in with activities you want to try, people you meet, memories you make and nights of laughing until you cry. And don’t forget taking tests that are too hard for anyone, eating entirely too many quesadillas from Owens, running from the bus in order to make it to DX in time before it closes at 2 a.m., and as cliché as it sounds, leaving your mark on this campus.

Get ready for the best years of your life.

KELLEY ENGLISH -featured columnist -junior -marketing management major

STEPHANIE LACASSE / COLLEGIATE TIMES

he she

5

august 26, 2011

page 6

Summer workouts strenuous but necessary judgment

i g h t days E from now,

the months of rigorous workouts will seem totally worth it, and every soul in Lane Stadium’s student section will remember why they love Virginia Tech.

Until Sept. 3, all we have to cling to are distant memories of Lane trembling as devotedly rabid fans bounce to the tune of “Enter Sandman.” As we eagerly wait to emerge from the tunnel, we will be thinking of the admission price we paid for seats that good.

I’m sure many of you worked long hours interning at a company back home in hopes of landing a job offer.

Still others of you might have spent a little too much time puking off balconies.

In either case, we can relate.

Next time you run into a football player on campus, mention the word

“400s.” I can guarantee you will see his body violently shiver, and dry heaving is sure to follow. This taboo word triggers memories of rising at 7 a.m. during the first summer session to sprint the circumference of the track, rest minimally, then do it all over again.

Strength coach Mike Gentry firmly believes that for best results, you must rinse and repeat.

Although I have never personally witnessed, nor participated in such atrocities — like you, I was interning back home during summer session one — my teammates tell stories that bring the anguish to life.

The second summer session requires us to conquer a new beast: 110s. While 400s test our endurance, 110s assess our speed. We have 15 seconds to run 100 yards and 45 seconds to rest — we do that 16 times in a row.

Over the course of these sprints, most of us enter a familiar state, which players have ceremoniously christened “out back”. When a player is “out back,”

he tries to move his legs faster, but they refuse. Typically, these players will dive across the finish line at the end of each sprint, and remain on the ground for the next 44 seconds. Hacking, wheezing and cotton mouth are common side effects. A player tormented by “out back” syndrome no longer feels the lower half of his body. In fact, some imaginary obstetricians are now administering 110s as a substitute for epidural anesthesia.

Still hate your internship?

A recurring debate sweeps the locker room every summer and winter.

Which conditioning drill induces the greatest degree of “out back”: 400s, 110s or winter workouts? For those unfamiliar with winter workouts, imagine Bud Foster staring into your soul while you exceed your agility limits for 45 minutes straight. It’s not a fun experience. Regardless, 400s almost always take the cake.

In addition to completing these sprints twice a week, we filled the other

three work days with weight lifting — squats, power cleans, push jerks, bench presses and a smorgasbord of other exercises.

Summer workouts certainly have their perks. I worked out in the 7:30 a.m. group, and the rest of my day was filled with some combination of fishing, air conditioning, Netflix and Wendy’s Frosty milkshakes. It pays to take an online media writing class.

We woke up at 7:15 every morning for breakfast, and prayed the bacon would be authentic and not made from turkeys. Team morale took on new heights each time we caught a whiff of the real deal.

Next on the docket were position meetings to watch film with our coaches. Specialists don’t have these position meetings, so we found better ways to use our time, such as sleeping in the player lounge — much to the chagrin of the linemen.

Before suiting up, we — I should say they — had more position meetings.

Campus Events 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 9AM6PM. THIS SALE IS SPONSORED BY University Bookstore

Volunteers Wanted HONOR STUDENTS: Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society is seeking motivated students to establish a campus chapter. Contact: Director@ PhiSigmaTheta.org

For Sale VIRGINIA TECH SWEATSHIRTS Heavyweight 12.5 oz. VT hoodies by Derrin. Now available at www.derrinusa. com.

VPI COLLEGE RING, never worn, pristine, $1000. email mfcauthen@gmail.com 803.754.1064

By Frederick J. Healy

ACROSS 1 Jags of the past 5 32 ounces at Long John Silver ’s, e.g.

15 Actress Thompson 16 Good time for criticism ?

17 “__ of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world”: Emerson 18 Brains 19 Merrimack River city 21 __-Z: Camaro model 22 Ref ’s rulin g 23 “Singin’ in the Rain” co-director

8/30/11 24 Caspian country 25 Refuge 26 “W orks for me ” 28 They may be held up by fans 29 Wkly . message 30 Lea ladies 31 Easy mark 32 “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral ” screenwriter 33 Kinkajou cousin 34 Color on the Irish flag 37 G roup that of fers free memberships to spouses 38 Mauna __ 41 Baccarat cal l

42 Trying to be quiet 44 Dominates 45 Villain named Julius 46 Bubblegum pioneer 47 Chemical ending 48 San Francisco’ s __ Tower 49 Eminent 50 Starts an operation 53 Jazz singer Anderson 54 One who gives things away 55 Marlin’s lost son 56 Half-awake 57 Opera conductor Daniel

DOW N 1 Romantic writing?

2 Bar staple 3 He won comedy and dram a Emmys for the same rol e 4 Nickname for an athletic “kid ” 5 Home of A. Warhol’s “Campbell’ s Soup Cans” 6 1972 DDT banner 7 They may be fond 8 Work basket 9 Apply to 10 Cougar , e.g., for short 11 Rick’s pianist 12 “Did we get the nod?”

13 Nodding, with “out” 14 Give the nod 20 Have 24 Clanton and a “South Park” siblin g

25 Royal Arms of England symbol 27 Scrape, to a tot 28 Rest, as at an inn 31 Database command 32 Family nicknames 33 Pitching device?

34 Some winds 35 Unfair treatment 36 Warren’s “Bugsy” co-star 37 Bears no resemblance to peanuts?

38 Be postponed 39 Previous 40 Get together about 42 Sad, on the Seine 43 Current event around Christmas?

45 Stupid 48 Star of TV’s “Trackdown” 49 Persona l column?

51 Abbr. in Québec place names 52 Triumphant cry Friday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

8/26/11

Specialists could choose from napping, playing pool or video games in the lounge. We were, however, forced to attend the afternoon special teams meetings.

We took the field at 4 p.m. and finished practice around 6:30, just in time for dinner. From there it was more special teams meetings and a team meeting that welcomed a new guest speaker each night.

Now that you can recite our daily itinerary, let’s talk about the stuff that happened between 4 and 6:30 p.m.

If you didn’t get season tickets, I recommend you start dating a guy on the team and use one of his complimentary tickets. Guys, we can’t help you.

Sophomore quarterback Logan Thomas is a specimen. At 6-feet, 6-inches and 254 pounds, I don’t foresee many corners, linebackers or even defensive ends being able to bring him down by themselves. Lastly, I have too much respect for Logan to compare him to Cam Newton — “Xerxes” from

“300” seems more fitting.

We have more depth under center than you think. Redshirt freshman quarterback Mark Leal sports a Rich Gannon sidearm release, pinpoint accuracy and the feet to buy extra time. In Saturday’s scrimmage, he was 8 of 13 for 72 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

I’ve never seen a human hit the hole as hard as running back David Wilson.

He front squats 445 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds. On Saturday, Wilson averaged 10.4 yards on nine carries, including a 40-yard touchdown scamper. At practice you will hear him chanting Chris Berman’s “WHOOP!” every time he makes a cut, or barking like a rabid dog. A guy with that much pent-up energy was born for the gridiron.

Even though senior tackle Blake DeChristopher went down with a strained pectoral before camp started, see JUDGMENT / page eight

august 26, 2011

editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

people & clubs

COLLEGIATETIMES

7

Tech professor fosters construction of MLK memorial CHELSEA GUNTER features editor Spread across 1,000 acres of parkland in Washington, D.C., are memorials and figures of past United States presidents.

However, a new edition will soon upset the status quo. In upcoming months, President Barack Obama, as well as people from across the world, will witness the opening of the first memorial on the National Mall to highlight a person who has never been a president.

On the west portion of the National Mall, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial will open, situated between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, near the Tidal Basin.

While Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically black fraternity, proposed the memorial in 1984, the bill to endorse it was not signed by Bill Clinton, the president at the time, until 1996.

Three years later, Alpha Phi Alpha approached Jaan Holt, a Virginia Tech 1964 alumnus and professor in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Holt also serves as the director of the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center. Along with his team at the center, Holt organized a competition for the memorial’s design. At the competition in 2000, Holt’s team received over 900 entries both nationally and internationally for the design. On Sept. 10, 2000, the ROMA Design Group of San Francisco, Ca., was chosen as the winner.

Eleven years later, Holt will make his way to the National Mall to see the project come to a close.

The memorial’s dedication ceremony was originally scheduled for Sunday. However, because of Hurricane Irene’s threats to the northern Virginia area, the dedication has been postponed for a date undetermined in September or October, according to CNN. The Collegiate Times spoke with Holt to discuss his team’s

process, his favorite moment during the project and advice for aspiring architects.

COLLEGIATE TIMES: When did the development of this memorial project begin?

JAAN HOLT: The competition was held in 2000, and we probably took a year to develop the whole competition event, so we started (around) 1999. We had a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts of about $50,000, but we also had some initial help from campus. The Alpha Phi Alpha people — the people that actually ran the whole Martin Luther King effort — came to us because they did not have a site.

We helped them prime (the) site that’s directly in line with Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Jefferson. If you draw a straight line from Mr. Lincoln to Mr. Jefferson, you will see that the Martin Luther King memorial sits directly on that line. Then, of course, we ran the competition.

CT: What were your responsibilities?

HOLT: Our responsibilities were first to help them find the site. We studied the historical relationships of the various memorials that were already on the Mall and tried to find a free site that was large enough and could have historical references to both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the whole Civil Rights Movement all the way back to the days of slavery. And it came to us — the relationship really was between Lincoln freeing the slaves and Jefferson, the author of the “Constitution.” The second thing was to run, publicize, organize (and) find the place to hold a jury for 900 entries, which were held at the Verizon Center. We had an international jury — I think it was a total of nine individuals — who looked at all those entries and chose the winner. The ROMA group was chosen as the winner, and they have been with the project ever since. It’s taken them about 11 years to raise the $120 million.

CT: What was the most challenging obstacle you faced?

HOLT: Having to face that this was actually going to happen, that nothing was going to stop us, that we were going to succeed in making this a reality in that location. You know, he’s surrounded by presidents there, and he obviously was not a president. So it isn’t so easy to get a location on the Mall.

CT: What was your favorite part of the process?

HOLT: My favorite moment was seeing the whole Verizon Center fill up with work that honored this individual coming from all over the world. It didn’t come just from our country. It came from everywhere — every country practically in the whole world sent something. It was quite a phenomenal expression of the universality of this individual.

CT: Explain the final design.

HOLT: The main element in it was building from Martin Luther King’s own words — “The stone of hope. The mountain of despair.” That phrase was taken by the entrants to design a cut through a very large stone, move it a certain distance and change a portion of it into an image of Dr. Martin Luther King.

They did that very cleverly by making a round curvature that faced Independence Avenue and reduced the noise on that site.

CT: What advice do you have to other aspiring architecture students?

HOLT: Well I was in a room when the earthquake occurred, and the room was a lecture room in the Lyceum in Alexandria.

On the wall of that Lyceum are sculptures of Cicero and another Roman poet Seneca. One of the quotations of Cicero is, “The spirit is your real self.”

And I think you have to serve your spirit if you’re going to really get the most of your life.

MCT CAMPUS

The newly completed Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial rests on the National Mall in D.C. Its official unveiling has been postponed to further months due to Hurrican Irene’s threats to the East Coast.

......radio for everyone

s i s a O ld Ma Wor

rket

Take a study b reak!

We have a wide selection of imported groceries and snacks from over 50 countries!

Try Wasabi Peas, Plantain Chips, Choco Pie, Salmon Jerky and other exotic snacks!

Indulge in our selection of beverages...

Gourmet cane-sugar sodas Orangina Natural energy boosters and many more!

540-953-3950 1411 S. Main St. Blacksburg, VA

Open 7 Days a Week!

Friday 9 am-9 pm All other days 10 am-8pm

visit us online for events & specials! www.oasiswm.com

Brand New Precor Strength and Cardio Equipment Group Fitness Classes • Personal Trainers ● Indoor Running Track ● Message Therapy

Fall Into Fitness 2011 August 27th

Free All Day - Giveaways Special Classes

Body Pump TM Body Step TM

Zumba Classes

8 sports

editors: matt jones, zach mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

august 26, 2011

Judgment: Hokies make strides in preparation for season from page one

the way for Wilson’s inevitable record-setting year. The newcomers have not disappointed. Junior tackle Mike Via destroyed summer conditioning, push-jerking 360 pounds.

Sophomore center Andrew Miller is certifiably insane — in a good way.

The receiving corps is ridiculous.

We can talk about the big names all day — Coale, Roberts, Boykin, Davis, Coles — but keep your eye on junior Corey Fuller. The former walk-on just earned a scholarship, stands 6-feet, 2-inches tall, runs a 4.36-second 40 and could catch salmon on the way to a spawning ground.

Finding depth along the talented defensive line will be a deciding factor in our success. Sophomore defensive end James Gayle is the perfect blend of former Hokie ends Chris Ellis and Jason Worilds — all three frighten me deeply.

Freshman defensive tackle Luther Maddy was lightly recruited and

is poised to be a nightmare for every school that overlooked him.

Defensive line coach Charley Wiles has been very impressed with Maddy’s motor and explosiveness. In other words, the kid is a man-child.

You want to hear a story of redemption? Talk to sophomore linebacker Telvion Clark. He was sent home from the Orange Bowl for breaking curfew, but came back hungrier than ever. Clark was by far the most improved player in camp.

Heading the group is All-American cornerback Jayron Hosley, who also serves as an electrifying punt returner. Let the record show that I successfully tackled Hosley on a punt in the spring game. That day we saw which one of us is the truly superior athlete.

Speaking of special teams, junior punter Scott Demler has been stewing over the Danny Coale punting media craze all summer. He has proven himself as the most consistent punter, and therefore earned coach Beamer’s trust.

The kicking battle continues to remain heated, but sophomore Cody Journell has separated himself from the pack during practice this week.

The real test of a man’s character is whether he can drain a 50-yard field goal while the specialists sing the Florida State war chant — Journell passes with flying colors. While we wouldn’t have to worry about that until the ACC Championship game, it’s nice to have that in our back pocket.

With offensive weapons galore, an underrated defensive line, a dynamic secondary and tons of character, our 2011 campaign is sure to be an unforgettable one.

COLLIN CARROLL -long snapper -senior -marketing management major -@collinjcarroll

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Following their Aug. 20 scrimmage, the football team ran sprints on the Lane Stadium field. The Hokies open up play on Sept. 3 against Appalachian State at 12:30 p.m.