Thursday, September 1, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

Hidden treasures

BY ANDREW REILLY | features staff writer

As the features section’s man on the ground, my chief responsibility is keeping a finger on the pulse of Blacksburg. It is with some measure of pride that I consider myself fully in tune with the local zeitgeist — well versed in the needs and desires of the community. see TOUR / page ﬁve

Thursday, September 1, 2011

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Striding toward safety JOSH HIGGINS news reporter Virginia Tech and University of Virginia researchers invented a sensor system that predicts a person’s susceptibility to falling, a project they hope will help elderly people stay safe. Tech engineering professors Thurmon Lockhart and Dong Ha collaborated with Karen Roberto from the Center for Gerontology and U.Va. engineering professor John Lach on the project. The sensors indicate when characteristics conducive to falling are present, which allow users to be vigilant and take measures to prevent falling — a method Lockhart calls “proactive control.” Roberto said she hopes the research, when implemented in real-life situations, will be able to effectively prevent falls. “If we are able to identify with some confidence those who are high-risk fallers, then our next step after that will be developing better environmental interventions, as well as individual interventions, to help prevent those falls,” Roberto said. The project grew after the National Science Foundation provided them with a $1.2 million grant to perform research on fall and injury prevention in elderly patients. The sensor is currently being tested at the Locomotion Lab, which located on the fifth floor of Whittemore Hall on campus. To test peoples’ susceptibility to falling, the lab uses a walking track made up of multiple floor plates that can be moved electronically. Subjects are strapped into a harness and are told to walk along the path. The plates along the path are normally still, but occasionally they move sporadically, simulating the effects of the typical trip or fall. The sensors are placed around the chest and ankle to measure different biomechanical factors involved with falling. Although the research is currently limited to the elderly, Lockhart and Roberto believe the impact of their research will expand. “What is beneficial for older adults really will benefit society as a whole,” Roberto said. Roberto and Lockhart also said the

Classifieds, page 4

Sudoku, page 4

Local man wins lottery ELIZABETH HAYDU news staff writer Last Friday, Thomas Wurtz of Christiansburg got lucky. The Vietnam veteran won the first $1 million in the Right on the Money scratch lottery offered by the Virginia Lottery. Wurtz purchased his ticket at the Prices Fork BP in Blacksburg. “I knew immediately, instantly that it was a $1 million winner,” Wurtz told the officials for the Virginia lottery. “It feels good all over my body. That’s how it feels.” Wurtz served in the 101 Airborne Division during the Vietnam war.

Wurtz decided to receive his winnings in the form of cash, $645,000 before taxes, rather than receiving installments across 25 years for $1 million. He said he had no immediate plans for his recent winnings, according to the Virginia Lottery website. The Right on the Money scratch lottery features a top prize of $2.5 million and a second prize of $1 million. Mr. Wurtz is the first player to win the $1 million prize, which means nine million-dollar tickets are unclaimed. The BP where the ticket was sold also received a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Ph.D. student Rahul Soangra demonstrates the apparatus that was used to develop wearable fall sensors. Researchers use the moveable ﬂoor plates to study the biomechanical factors of trips and falls. research will become more important in the future as a large portion of the population grows older. “What we’re seeing here is an interaction between an older population,” Roberto said. “We know there are changes, and (these people) tend to be at higher risk of falling.” The research will likely expand into the working world because of interest in preventing injuries from falls on the job, especially because a larger number of older people are remaining in the job market, Lockhart and Roberto said. Lockhart also said because of technological innovation, the sensors might become popularly used in medical facilities or sold commercially as health improvement products. The creation of the sensor system is the first part of a four-year study on fall prediction and prevention. The researchers expect to test their

sensors outside of the lab next year, when they will install the system at a long-term care facility in Radford. The researchers involved with the project said the idea has been around for nearly 10 years, but funding and the expense of performing the tests prevented them from doing so until now. Lockhart said he believes a major influence on the project’s success so far is that the research team is made up of professors from many disciplines. Lockhart, Ha and Roberto are industrial and systems engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and human development professors, respectively. “The most important thing is we cannot just work ourselves as engineers and gerontologists or electrical engineers,” Lockhart said. “I think the power came from becoming an inter-

disciplinary research team, and that, I think, is most important.” Lockhart joked that the sensor should be used to measure the force of impact when he falls while skiing. “I bet you it’s more than 10 G’s,” Lockhart said. Lockhart also expressed interest in studying the impact of black ice and falling around campus. Roberto said she hopes that the research will be able to have a positive impact on future health and safety “That’s what it’s all about — can we make a difference in the lives of older adults that, someday, will be us,” Roberto said. Lockhart also said he hopes to make a positive impact. “You mix the engineering and health, and it becomes something that is very compelling and can do some good in society,” Lockhart said. “That’s always a good feeling.”

Obama’s job plan criticized LESLEY CLARK mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — Under pressure to move the needle on the nation’s stubborn unemployment rate, President Barack Obama is expected to call next week for a package of job-creating proposals that include extending a payroll tax break for the middle class and rebuilding the nation’s aging bridges, roads, schools and airports. But with Democrats and Republicans in Congress at odds all year on how to create jobs, there’s little evidence that their impasse will break

anytime soon. Even the timing of the speech was up in the air late Wednesday, with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, rejecting Obama’s call to address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday night, the same time that Republican presidential candidates will be debating in California. Obama, who previewed some job proposals last month during a Midwest bus tour, called Wednesday for bipartisan support for his pending package, saying that voters want politicians to “put aside politics and start making decisions based on what see JOBS / page four

At your ﬁngertips

read EXTRA POINT tomorrow THE

FILE 2010 / SPPS

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

september 1, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

nation Ford markets to car-sharing students

On Hospitality and Tourism professors who were honored: Going out on a limb>> Ok, I’ll say it first. Hospitality and tourism is not a university curriculum. Great for the profs honored here, but it’s really just an excuse to pollute research with a staff of capitulating capitalists.

Brett>> If you actually have taken any of the upper level HTM courses you would learn they are actually very hard! HTM Policy makes the other Business Policy classes look like nothing... know your facts! VT HTM Class of 2010

engineering graduate>> not everybody is going to be (nor wants to be) a scientist or an engineer. research in other disciplines is good because it means students who go through that curriculum will (hopefully) learn from it, have a competitive advantage when they get out of school, and be able to bring that to the a particular company within the tourism industry. ultimately this would allow them to get paid more and have better opportunities down the road without having to capitulate to capitalists and without having to unionize which wouldn’t give you an advantage over other people.look up the definition of capitulate before you use it.

On the column that stated Michael Vick has paid his dues and has earned forgiveness: Anon and on>> Michael Vick served his time and paid some fines. Great. He also murdered a bunch of defenseless animals. You’d all scream for blood if someone did this and wasn’t a football player. The very fact that 3 years later people are still trying to apologize for his behavior shows how guilty people’s conscience can be. OJ was a darn good ballplayer, too.Sorry; he doesn’t get a free pass just because he’s mumbled about how sorry he is in public. He’s a cruel sadistic guy, and if you support that ... well, good for you. Sleep well.

Bob @ Anon and on>> As a dog owner/lover and human being, I do not condone what Michael Vick did, but I believe in our justice system. Our justice is in place (a) to deter people from doing bad things and (b) to rehabilitate those who do. Whether the justice system has truly succeeded in MV’s case remains to be seen, but I’d like to think it’s possible. Whether MV still IS a “cruel sadistic guy,” remains to be seen. I believe the spotlight he has on him, coupled with the support network he has - driven by WHATEVER reason, be it money, fame, god - has a lot to do with keeping him on the straight and narrow. But consider this: Vick is a much more effective speaker than anyone the Humane Society could possibly hope for and will get through to many more kids than some genuine animal lover. His involvement alone will stop countless animals from being beaten, tortured, or killed.

redmin>> For Pete’s sake. Vick is a wildly rich and successful man, adored by millions of fanboys such as yourselves. Why, exactly, do you care if others forgive him? Who’s the next put-upon celebrity you think needs your defense? Trump? Kardashian? Sheen? Because I feel the pain of all these victims. They have it so hard.

crime blotter

DETROIT — Ford will provide up to 1,000 cars to car-sharing network Zipcar at more than 250 colleges throughout the U.S. to reach younger consumers accustomed to driving Toyota Priuses, Nissan Versas and Mini Coopers when they use the rent-when-you-need service. The partnership will last two years and gives Ford a marketing tool it has lacked as the car-sharing service has grown in college towns and larger cities, especially on the east and west coasts. “Today’s students are thinking differently about driving and transportation than they have in the past,” said Bill Ford, the automaker’s executive chairman. “This program enables today’s new drivers to experience our latest fuel-efficient vehicles, while helping them reduce their cost of living and help relieve congestion on campus. We’re looking forward to making Ford a staple of their college experience.” Ford and Zipcar will offer $10 off the $35 annual membership fee for the first 100,000 new university

students members who sign up for Zipcar, plus $1 off the hourly rate for the first 1 million hours of use on any of the new Ford vehicles at select colleges and universities. New Ford vehicles start arriving on campuses this week. The new generation of Ford vehicles will include the 2012 Ford Focus. Scott Griffith, chairman and CEO of Zipcar, says the alliance will help Ford and Zipcar better understand the preferences of the college-age drivers. “We’ve had Zipcars on campuses for more than eight years and as a result we’ve learned a lot from the next generation of drivers. We’re targeting a generation that only knows how to buy music by the song, so paying for a car by the hour is a natural for them,” said Griffith. Zipcar has established partnerships with more than 250 universities throughout North America, including Harvard University, Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, Michigan

State University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of California-Berkeley, Loyola Marymount University, Florida State University and George Washington University. Car-sharing programs such as Zipcar are increasingly becoming students’ first experiences behind the wheel. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 declined by 19 percent from 1978 to 2008. According to an independent study commissioned by Zipcar in 2010, almost half of all 18- to 34-year-old drivers are driving less, and nearly two-thirds would drive less if alternative transportation options were available. “Millennials appear to have developed a very different view of the automobile. Access and convenience are their top priorities,” said Griffith. - greg gardner, mcclatchy newspapers

world Libyan rebels offer Gadhaﬁ ultimatum TRIPOLI, Libya — Revolutionary tourism was booming Tuesday in Moammar Gadhafi’s former home and headquarters, where euphoric visitors honking horns and firing Kalashnikov rounds seemed unanimous on one point: The man who ran Libya for more than four decades must be captured or killed. “We need to cut off the head of the snake,” said Ahmed Digin, a rebel standing guard at the sprawling Bab al-Aziziya compound, now open to a public delirious with the unexpectedly rapid fall of Libya’s long-feared leader. “That is the only way to convince people that there is no use in resisting the revolution.” The rebels have in effect ended Gadhafi’s lengthy rule. But finding him, insurgent leaders say, would quell remaining opposition and erase any doubt that Libya has embarked on a new era. Many suspect that Gadhafi is hiding in his hometown, Sirte, a loyalist enclave about 225 miles east of the

capital. On Tuesday, the rebel leadership issued an ultimatum: AntiGadhafi forces will give officials in Sirte until Saturday — after the threeday Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the conclusion of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan — to surrender or face attack. Ali Abdul Salaam Tarhouni, a representative of the rebels’ Transitional National Council, told reporters that rebel leaders “have a good idea” where Gadhafi is. “We don’t have any doubt that we will catch him,” said Tarhouni, who declined to provide additional details. Libya’s interim leadership demanded that neighboring Algeria repatriate members of Gadhafi’s family who have fled there this week — among them his wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren, including one reportedly born in the Sahara desert as the family made its way into exile. The rebels want to put family members on trial along with Gadhafi. The

news that much of the ex-leader’s family had escaped focused people’s interest on the question: Where is Gadhafi? To many here, Sirte is the obvious answer. “You know, they say the elephant always goes back to his home to die,” said Mohammed Hejazi, a rebel in a red beret at a beachside base that was once a private resort for the Gadhafi family. Others speculate that Gadhafi may be in the southern desert town of Sabha, a location that could facilitate escape to sub-Saharan Africa, where Gadhafi cultivated robust support. Additional possibilities include loyalist enclaves such as the city of Bani Walid, 95 miles southeast of Tripoli. Then there are those who believe Gadhafi remains in the capital, ensconced in a clandestine hiding place. - patrick j. mcdonnell, mcclatchy newspapers

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

date reported

time

offense

location

status

arrestees

8/30/2011

11:15 a.m. - 7:15 a.m.

Larceny of money

Newman Library

Active

N/A

8/30/2011

4:00 p.m - 12:00 p.m.

Larceny from a vehicle

I Lot

Inactive

N/A

8/31/2011

2:43 a.m.

Possession of Alcohol / Appearing intoxicated in Public / Possess Fake ID

College Avenue

Cleared By Arrest

Ty P. Moseley

8/31/2011

2:43 a.m.

Appearing Intoxicated in Public

College Avenue

Cleared By Arrest

Lucas C. King

13216540656465514

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

Solar energy firm files for bankruptcy RENEE SCHOOF mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — California solar manufacturer Solyndra announced Wednesday that it was shutting down a factory built with the help of a $535 million federal loan guarantee and would file for bankruptcy. It’s the latest blow to U.S. efforts to regain a top spot in solar manufacturing and create jobs in the globally fastgrowing clean-energy sector. Another American company, Evergreen Solar, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. Solyndra put 1,100 people out of work with the closure of its plant in Fremont, Calif. President Barack Obama visited the factory in May 2010 and stressed the importance of increasing U.S. production of solar panels. Solyndra, which made cylindrical solar photovoltaic systems for commercial rooftops, said in a statement that it couldn’t scale up fast enough to compete with larger foreign manufacturers. It had been struggling with competition from China. Solyndra exported its solar systems around the world, most recently to a supermarket rooftop in a suburb of Brussels. It also built the rooftop solar system for Seattle’s football stadium, Qwest Field, home of the NFL’s Seahawks. Solyndra President and CEO Brian Harrison said the company’s failure was unexpected. He blamed regulatory policy changes that created oversupply and falling prices, and said it had become impossible to raise capital. The global economics of solar power have been changing fast, the Department of Energy said in a blog post response to the Solyndra news. It

cited these trends: —China, which exports more solar panels to the United States than any other country, has been providing interest-free financing to its companies. —European countries have been reducing their subsidies for solar power. Europe is the world’s biggest solar market. —The price of solar cells has fallen 42 percent since the beginning of the year. In Congress, the Solyndra loan guarantee already had become the focus of a fight over Obama’s economic stimulus program, which included money to boost renewable energy. The Republicans who control the House Energy and Commerce Committee had been investigating the use of stimulus money in 2009 for the Solyndra loan guarantee. The company ran into financial problems afterward and hadn’t hired as many people as expected. The committee issued a subpoena in July that compelled the White House Office of Management and Budget to turn over documents about the Solyndra loan guarantee. “We smelled a rat from the onset,” committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., said in a statement Wednesday. “As the highly celebrated first stimulus loan guarantee awarded by the DOE, the $535 million loan for Solyndra was suspect from Day 1.” Rep. Henry Waxman of California, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said in a statement that the bankruptcies of Solyndra and Evergreen showed “that the United States is in

MCT CAMPUS

danger of losing its leadership position in the clean-energy economy of the future.” “Congress needs to get serious about promoting energy independence, reducing emissions that contribute to climate change and developing clean-energy industries in the United States,” Waxman said. “We should be doing everything possible to ensure the United States does not cede the renewable-energy market to China

and other countries.” Department of Energy spokesman Dan Leistikow noted that private investors had put more than $1 billion into Solyndra and the company had sold more than 1,000 solar systems in 20 countries. Leistikow defended the loan guarantee program, writing on the department’s blog, Energy.gov: “We have always recognized that not every one of the innovative compa-

nies supported by our loans and loan guarantees would succeed, but we can’t stop investing in game-changing technologies that are key to America’s leadership in the global economy. These projects, which include more than 40 other companies, are on pace to create more than 60,000 jobs.” In solar manufacturing, foreign competitors have claimed a large share of a growing market. The DOE blog item included a chart

that showed that U.S. share of the solar market dropped from 43 percent in 1995 to 7 percent in 2010. However, the U.S. was a big fish in a small pond in the 1990s, when global solar production was tiny compared with today. Solar purchases have been going up in recent years, boosted by favorable policies in Europe, Canada, China and some U.S. states.

opınıons 3

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

september 1, 2011

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

MCT CAMPUS

Saving the planet can save the economy he post-graduation future T appears to hold more uncertainty than promise for many college students. With the possibility of another recession looming overhead like a dark cloud, difficulty finding and keeping a job seems imminent. Some are looking to higher education for an escape, but for many that also means racking up expensive loans. Now, more than ever, is the time to make a serious investment in the environment. Our generation has the opportunity, and I would say responsibility, to save our economy by saving our planet. As students and soon-tobe professionals, it falls on us to provide an efficient and effective solution to both of these pressing matters. Our population has more than exceeded the Earth’s carrying capacity. Statistics show 60 percent of the world’s coastal waters are polluted, and 20 percent of the world’s population suffers from considerable water shortages. Precious natural features, such as the rain forests and wetlands which are necessary for our survival, are being destroyed for timber and human development. Non-

renewable resources including oil, coal and gas are being depleted at a devastating rate. The 1970s witnessed the peak of oil, and in the past decade the increasing gas prices attest to the nose dive in oil supplies. As for coal, many argue that the lifespan of existing coal reserves will last less than a century. Our staggering population and severe dependence on dirty energy sources to fuel lifestyles not only add to the degradation of our planet, but also compromise the economy. Our government spends nearly $1 billion per day on foreign oil. We could be putting that money toward investing in clean energy sources and reducing our debt to foreign nations. Not only is coal one of the greatest pollutants, the mining takes place predominantly in small towns where individuals rely on blue collar jobs for their livelihood. Ruthless coal mining companies challenge the financial and physical stability of these individuals by polluting their air and water, and subsequently causing serious ailments such as lung cancer and brain tumors.

Those spared the aforementioned hardships are often forced off their property because of its resource rich character. If the working class is the backbone of our economy, are we not jeopardizing our future by placing greater value on a dirty energy source than on the health and homes of these individuals? It’s time to put our planet and people before big businesses, coal companies and oil tycoons. It’s time to implement a sustainability driven economy that uses the planet’s resources responsibly. What our nation needs is economic accountability. As the future of America, it’s our job to know both the economic and environmental cost of our energy sources. The solution to our economic hardships is in front of us. Some may only see the negative in a failing economy, but we can view it as the chance to change the course of our planet. By investing in clean, efficient and renewable energy sources we can build a sustainable economy for the 21st century. The field of clean energy is one of the fastest growing sectors

that will not only offer job opportunities for those with higher education, but also for those with blue collar skills. Alternative energy technology, such as wind and solar, will create millions of jobs for engineers, architects, entrepreneurs, urban planners, technicians, construction workers, factory workers and craftspeople. Investing in the field of clean energy does not imply simply setting up windmills, and installing solar panels and building dams. There are many more steps that our government and we as individuals can take. By investing in locally produced foods and commodities, we can reduce the dependence on oil and coal associated with long distance transportation, support local farmers and strengthen small businesses. Investing in sustainable infrastructure, such as mass transit, will create jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut the crippling need for foreign oil. The renovation of existing roads to incorporate better bike lanes can recruit workers and provide more incentive for individuals

to leave their car at home. The creation of more dirty materials recovery facilities, which not only collect trash, but also sort and separate recyclables, can efficiently reduce waste and offer employment. The World Watch Institute reports that annually Americans spend more than $18 billion on makeup, $3 billion on tanning and $5 billion on Christmas gifts for pets. If we can spare such huge amounts of money on frivolous purchases, we are more than capable of investing in a clean energy economy. More importantly, if the environment can provide us with the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we establish our livelihoods upon, we are responsible for its conservation. While the economy is a human construct, the environment is not. It’s our responsibility to preserve its intrinsic value.

NEETU DEO -regular columnist -junior -political science major

Bush and Perry not Governors’ denial irrational two of the same suit L George W. Bush and Rick Do Perry loathe each other? Are they blood enemies? There’s plenty of speculation these days about a personal animosity. Jeb Bush, the former president’s brother, says none exists. After covering both Texans, I still don’t know. But I do know this: the distinction runs deeper than any personal grievance. The differences are more profound. And understanding them is a key to understanding Texas politics, which many around the country are trying to do again with Perry running for the White House. Both are conservatives, but they come at politics from competing spheres — and I don’t mean Yale vs. Texas A&M. The universities represent a cleavage between the modern, business-style Texas politician and the cowboy brand of yesteryear. Despite an occasional inclination for quick-draw comments as president — like his “bring it on” challenge to Iraqi insurgents — Bush approached politics more as a problem solver. His orientation reflects the career track and culture he was part of before he ran for governor in 1994. Texas has a broad base of corporate managers, business professionals and independent entrepreneurs. The orientation of this professional class, which includes many engineers and technocrats, is toward getting things done. Or, at least, focusing on how to get things done so their enterprises stay afloat. If that means taking risks, they will take a calculated one. That’s essentially what Bush did when he tackled the state’s messed-up school finance system as governor and tried to reform the nation’s flawed immigration system as president. Some Republicans opposed him on both issues. They thought he would spend his political capital unwisely. They were right in one way: Bush lost those gambles, just as he lost before on oil ventures. But at least he tried to deal with a problem. People derided him for being a CEO president, and indeed he did seem too detached at times, but his MBA background guided his approach to politics. It also reflected the modern professional class that populates met-

ropolitan areas like Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin-San Antonio. That’s where you find the headquarters of such corporate giants as Exxon Mobil, Dell and AT&T. Perry’s style is far more rooted in Texas’ past. In some ways, he is closer to the way Lyndon Johnson came up through politics. Each came from rural communities and had their world widen once they hit college and bigger cities. But they never lost their rooting to Texas’ rural, cowboy heritage. Hence, the swagger that Perry brings, just as LBJ had his own in-your-face-Texan style. Politics also was more of an industry in that older tradition. LBJ was a political lifer. And he was surrounded in his days in Congress and the White House by Texas legislators who were Capitol Hill barons, thanks to their staying power. For them, politics was more akin to blood sport than solving problems. That’s been true, too, for Perry, who has been in elected office since 1984. As governor, he’s not known for many major signatures outside of keeping taxes low and appointing allies to state boards. In fact, he’s often shown tepid leadership on such big issues as correcting Texas’ school funding problems. Getting too engaged could cost him politically. What’s surprising about Perry’s rise is that the mythology he represents still lives on, even as the state long ago moved beyond its rural heritage. But we keep dealing with these competing strains. Last year’s governor’s race provided another glimpse into the duality: cowboy politico Perry vs. manager/businessman Bill White. My proclivities run toward the problem-solvers, but, as I noted on a column about White vs. Perry, they lack the frontier politician’s flair. The country is getting ready to see one more example of the old style as Perry takes on all comers. He’ll reaffirm the old Texas stereotype, even though his home state is more complex. And the differences are reflected in the gulf between Bush and Perry today.

WILLIAM McKENZIE -mcclatchy newspapers

eon Trotsky is reputed to have quipped, “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.” Substitute the words “climate change” for “war” and the quote is perfectly suited for the governors of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, all of whom have ridiculed or dismissed the threat of climate change even as their states suffer record-breaking heat and drought. In his book, “Fed Up!” Texas governor and presidential aspirant Rick Perry derided global warming as a “phony mess,” a sentiment he has expanded on in recent campaign appearances. Susana Martinez, the governor of New Mexico, has gone on record as doubting that humans influence climate, and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma dismissed research on climate change as a waste of time. Her solution to the extraordinary drought: pray for rain (an approach also endorsed by Perry). Although they may dismiss climate change, a changing climate imposes costs on their states and the rest of us as well. In Texas, the unremitting heat has been straining the capacity of the electric grid, killing crops and livestock, and threatening water supplies. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, the grid’s governing body, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, bases its forecasts on the average demand over the previous 10 years. In a world without the threat of global warming, this is an entirely reasonable approach. But what if climate change makes the past an unreliable guide to the future? Then Texas is left with the present situation, in which the grid operator is forced to procure power in a tight market where wholesale prices have skyrocketed to 60 times normal. Grid problems in Texas are but one pixel in a vast panorama of weatherrelated costs. In 2010, extreme drought in Russia and floods in Australia contributed to a doubling of grain prices. This year, floods from the Dakotas

to Louisiana, and drought in the American Southwest and parts of Europe, have kept grain prices high. The floods in Australia also contributed to a rise in steel prices in 2010 by closing Brisbane’s port and interrupting the shipment of iron ore. The Mississippi floods this spring affected the delivery by barge of materials ranging from grain to such basic manufacturing chemicals as caustic soda and cumene. This year may surpass the 2008 record of $9 billion-plus weatherrelated disasters, and it probably will be the costliest in U.S. history in terms of tornado damage. Add it all up — well, you can’t because, as in the case of the Mississippi floods, it’s hard to pry apart weather-related damage from the compounding effect of dunderheaded human actions such as walling off the river from its natural flood plain. Politicians who dismiss the risk of climate change like to talk about the uncertainties of the science. And, at least in one sense, they’re right. It’s impossible to assert that global warming contributed X amount of damage to this year’s floods, much less finger climate change as a precise component of the extraordinary violence of this spring’s tornadoes. The best climate science can say is that a warming globe provides a nurturing context for more intense storms and weather extremes. Scientists can offer only scenarios, rather than a script, as to how that will play out. Richard Seager of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory labs offered one such scenario in a much-discussed paper in the journal Science. It postulated that a warming globe would shift upperatmosphere circulatory patterns and lead to “perpetual drought” in the American Southwest and other subtropical regions around the world. Given that events on the ground have been playing out in a way that supports Seager’s hypothesis, one would think, for instance, that planners for electrical grids and other

sectors likely to be affected would stress-test their models for situations in which prolonged heat and drought became more frequent events. Via email, Seager told me that, indeed, the study had prompted concerned government officials to contact him. But how likely is any follow-up action if the very highest elected officials in the affected states dismiss the threat with scorn? Though there have yet to be political costs to adopting an anti-scientific posture on the threat of climate change, the real economic costs of mispricing this risk have caught the attention of a good segment of the business community, from commodity traders to insurers. Reinsurers in particular (companies that insure the insurers against catastrophe) see risks on a global scale and have the data that allow them to sort out local effects from global trends. Insurers also are the best equipped to price those risks — when politicians let them. For instance, increased hurricane risk in Florida caught the attention of insurers and reinsurers in the 1990s, even as people flocked to the coast to live. Responding to the perceived threat, insurers tried to raise rates, but a succession of Florida governors stymied these increases, causing many insurers to abandon the market and the state to form an insurance pool to provide protection for homeowners. Rick Scott, the new governor, remarked on the record that he does not believe in climate change, which means Florida’s taxpayers — and the rest of us, if a major disaster strikes — have joined him in making a bet that global warming is a myth. In the states governed by climatechange deniers — and in the nation as a whole, where we are doing too little to address the threat of a warming globe — nature seems to be calling that bet.

EUGENE LINDEN -mcclatchy newspapers

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page 4

september 1, 2011

Jobs: Obama looks at middle class tax break from page one

growth and pro-job creation.” The president said Tuesday in a radio interview that “if Congress does not act, then I’m going to be going on the road and talking to folks, and this next election very well may end up being a referendum on whose vision of America is better. “The American people voted for divided government, but they didn’t vote for dysfunctional government,” he said on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show.” “And if they see one side not willing to work with the other to move the country forward, then that’s what elections are all about.” The coming speech could be key to Obama’s re-election efforts, with the sluggish economy pulling down his

is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties.” “It is my intention,” the president said in a letter to congressional leaders, “to lay out a series of bipartisan proposals that the Congress can take immediately to continue to rebuild the American economy. It is our responsibility to find bipartisan solutions to help grow our economy, and if we are willing to put country before party, I am confident we can do just that.” Already, Obama has signaled that he’d use Republican opposition as a 2012 re-election campaign theme if the GOP rejects what his administration said would be projects determined by independent analysts to be “pro-

popularity ratings to all-time lows. Liberals, unhappy with the president’s summer debt-ceiling negotiations with House Republicans, are pressing him to offer a sweeping jobcreation plan, not one that’s limited to what might pass muster with congressional Republicans. Obama is hemmed in by budget considerations, but 68 liberal groups wrote to him this week pressing him to go “big” and “bold” and pay for it by increasing taxes on the wealthy. The Center for American Progress, a liberal policy-research center with close ties to the Obama White House, has suggested that the U.S. put up at least $65 billion for infrastructure

projects, as well as efforts to reduce the number of U.S. home-mortgage foreclosures. “President Obama should not meet halfway those who only offer economic incoherence,” the center said in its own plan. “He should take them head on.” Michael Ettlinger, the center’s vice president for economic policy, said he expects Obama to call for an infrastructure bank to pay for repairing aging roads and bridges, as well as to put construction workers back to work retrofitting buildings to make them more energy-efficient. But he said the size of the president’s proposal had yet to be determined. “Someone needs to show the

American people that someone is trying to do something about job creation,” he said, suggesting that Obama needs to “throw down the gauntlet. If the president comes out with something tepid, we’ve got no chance of forcing that kind of discussion.” Republicans have called for more tax breaks and repealing regulations that they say are smothering job creation. Democrats note that in a sign of the recent partisan division, congressional Republicans are signaling that they will oppose Obama’s bid to extend an employee payroll tax cut for another year, a tax break that had bipartisan support when it passed in December.

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WORDSEARCH: HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W A

W K

W R

W W Y

W S

By Frank Virzi ACROSS 1 Note for a soprano 6 Puts away 11 Jet or tim e follower 14 Heart chambers 15 __ vincit amor 16 Dander 17 Family line of bar makers? 19 “Wheel of Fortune” request 20 Huge amount 21 Malamute and mastiff 22 “The Road to Wealth” author 24 Windfall of chicken pieces?

WORD BANK 1 Harry 2 Hermione 3 Ron 4 Ginny 5 Neville 6 Luna 7 Dumbledore 8 Snape 9 McGonagall 10 Hagrid 11 Tom Riddle 12 Sirius Black 13 Lupin 14 Draco 15 Gryffindor 16 Ravenclaw 17 James 18 Lily 19 Hufflepuff 20 Slytherin

9/1/11 27 Four-tim e Masters winner, familiarly 30 Cockamamie 31 Vichyssoise veggi e 32 Lloyd or Paul of Cooperstow n 34 Teachers College advanced deg. 37 Glasgow girl under a spell? 41 Pitches between innings? 42 Clod chopper s 43 Source of Dav y Crockett’ s cap 44 City on the Aar 46 Slugger Ramirez

47 Frat guy with a spatula? 52 Angiogram image 53 Like San Francisco’ s Coit Tower 54 Google Earth image 57 Popular ending? 58 Unwanted grass at the Cotton Bowl ? 62 Celestia l Seasonings product 63 Hot coal 64 Bunsen burner cousins 65 Terre Haute sch.

Guess he didn’t read the paper.

DOW N 1 “... why __ thou forsaken me?”: Matthew 2 “Am __ strict?” 3 Nana 4 With it 5 Links assistant 6 Mah-__ 7 Build up 8 __ and outs: peculiaritie s 9 Blotto 10 Michener novel set in Japan 11 “Michael Collins” star 12 Desilu co-founder 13 Davis of “A League of Their Own” 18 “Who touches a hair of __ gray head ...”: Whittier 23 Campaigned 24 Collaborative website 25 Tight spot s 26 Turow work set at Harvard

27 Goya’ s “Duchess of __” 28 Pond plant 29 Reuters, e.g. 32 Big shot 33 Cousin of atmo35 “Runaround Sue” singer 36 Say no to 38 Like some machinery nuts 39 Part of NFC: Abbr. 40 Fight memento 45 Me. hours 46 Sounded like a Siamese 47 Greater Antille s nation 48 Percolates 49 Lazybones 50 Orchard fruit 51 IBM products 54 Maître d’ s offering 55 Not much at all 56 Soft “Hey!” 59 Latin 101 verb 60 Wall St. actio n 61 1940s mil. venue

Wednesday ‘s Puzzle Solved

66 They may be French 67 Reservations

9/1/11

The president’s expected call next week for a program to use private and public money for highway and rail construction picked up support, if somewhat qualified, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which called it an “interesting concept,” depending on how it’s structured. But some of his expected proposals face opposition even among his allies. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called Wednesday for “boldness” but said the union would oppose pending trade deals with South Korea and Colombia, which Obama has said would boost U.S. exports. Other proposals the president is said to be looking at include a business tax credit for new hires.

september 1, 2011

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

weekend

COLLEGIATETIMES

Tour: Stepping off the beaten path from page one

I’m of the belief, for instance, that college students will engage in sufficient amounts of intoxication and sexual activity without a publication screaming at them to do so. Likewise, the next person clamoring for a guide to local hotspots like Top of the Stairs and Cabo Fish Taco will actually be the first. These establishments are here, they are the same as they’ve always been, and people will go to them regardless of what anyone writes. What then, readers are surely wondering, can this self-righteous wannabe Hunter S. Thompson tell me about this area? Why, only the insider know-how obtained from three years of dedicated service to the community. Or, absent of that, the results of one frantic day traversing around town in hopes of discovering something no one else has. The following travelogue is the account of this frenzied quest. My exploration of this homey college town began as only the most professional undertakings do — with desperate social media pleas for advice. Having exhausted the collective knowledge of my online network, I hopped in my yet-to-be-unpackedfrom-summer vehicle and began a search for hidden treasures. Alumni, the acquaintances most eager to help because of their desperate longing to relive college, suggested the first stop — The Western Store in Christiansburg. My first clue that this place would not be the average retail establishment came from the eerily lifelike Native American mannequin seated in a chair next to the front door. It is without a doubt one of the most disconcerting sights in the commonwealth. This was not the best first impression for a store, but they don’t pay me the big bucks to run away in fear from every life-size Squanto doll I see. Walking inside is like taking a DeLorean back to the Wild West — or at least the 1980s. Aside from some modern Virginia Tech merchandise, the entire store seems to be frozen in a charmingly anachronistic place in time. It’s a refreshing change of pace in an era of monolithic retail chains. Shelves are filled with Stetson hats and cowboy boots as far as the eye can see, and there appeared to be enough Wrangler jeans to outfit Bret Favre’s entire backyard football league. The elderly lady at the register was quick to make conversation about nearly any topic — the store, her life, why my thoroughly northern demeanor wasn’t prohibitive of taking part in the cowboy lifestyle. “Cowboy is a state of mind — it’s an attitude,” she said, and I was nearly convinced until imagining the ridiculous sight of this Yankee in cowboy boots. Still, the impressive selection of offbeat attire and accessories offer more than enough reason for anyone to make the 10-minute drive down South Main Street. I purchased a new belt — “Genuine leather, made right here in Giles County” — and proceeded onward, bidding a fond farewell to this uniquely satisfying store and its terrifying Native American watchman. The Starlite Drive-In was intended to be the next stop in Christiansburg, but as the name suggests, it is closed during the day. No matter — a visit isn’t required to know what to expect. Drive-in movies are a throwback to a bygone era that functions as an inexpensive alternative to the Multiplex experience, as well as a strategic date opportunity for amorous couples. Showtimes and directions can be found online at StarLiteDriveIn.biz for this weekend-only attraction. A quick visit to the local Rugged Warehouse was the final item on the agenda before returning to the comfortable confines of Blacksburg. The discount clothing store put other discount clothing stores to shame. Warehouse offers name brands like Nike, Dickies and Izod for heavily marked down prices, as well as an inexplicably large amount of San Diego Chargers jerseys. It’s easy to recommend for students looking for cheap outfits and for the New River Valley’s apparently sizable contingent of Phillip Rivers devotees.

The return trip to Blacksburg was both welcoming and unnerving, as I pondered the challenge ahead. How do you discover under-the-radar places in a town that basically consists of two roads and a university? This panic disappeared when I realized the real challenge would be to not find underground establishments in a place where students patronize the same eight businesses. En route to some of the more exotic dining locations in Blacksburg, I stopped at the polar opposite of Rugged Warehouse — Alligator Alley. The Alley is a one-stop shop for affluent spenders to assemble an outfit of high-end name brands, such as Lacoste and Vineyard Vines. Between it and 310 Rosemont, Tech Greek life is able to maintain the adequate illusion of an SEC lifestyle at a thoroughly ACC school. Feeling the hunger pangs which only a day of constant travel can create, I decided to stop for Blacksburg’s best kept secret — The Excellent Table’s incredible African cuisine. The take-out only restaurant, located in an unassuming hole in the wall in Market Square Park, is a local treasure. Frankly, it’s nothing less than a small miracle to find delicious, affordable Ethiopian food in a small southwestern Virginia town. In a cruel twist of fate, however, the restaurant was closed. My dreams of scooping up tender spiced meats with spongy, delectable injera bread would have to wait for another day. As it so often does though, fate wrote straight with crooked lines as I ended up at Green’s Grill and Sushi on College Avenue next to The Lyric Theatre. Truth be told, the menu at Green’s is bizarre — an odd fusion of Asian and Middle Eastern dishes. My personal preference for food to be cooked renders me unable to comment on the sushi, but the grilled offerings left a positive impression. Northern Virginia dining has given me decently high standards for Middle Eastern food, and it was a pleasant surprise to find that the chicken shawarma lived up to my expectations. The side salad was a bit skimpy, but the overall dining experience was satisfying and reasonably affordable. Green’s makes an excellent steppingstone into the cultured world for students who consider Chipotle exotic cuisine. After appreciatively passing by Sycamore Deli — home of the best sandwiches in town and the only literally underground location on this tour — I hopped back in my “Duke Mom” emblazoned car to serve one last remaining demographic. The inevitable flood of hipsters that roll into Blacksburg each year need their unconventional whims entertained, and I knew of just the places for them. Seeing as no self-respecting hipster will support the evil and totally passe-empire that is Starbucks, an alternative coffee den is required to do work and listen to Arcade Fire records. Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea, located on North Main Street near Buffalo Wild Wings, more than fits the bill. Its home-brewed coffee and support for local artists makes it a prime destination for Pabst-drinking indie spirits. Nothing follows a good coffee better than frolicking around children’s play equipment, and no location in Blacksburg serves this important need better than Caboose Park, named for — what else — a real caboose on location. The park offers the best of both worlds: ironic enjoyment of kid pleasures for hipsters and real childhood whimsy for the youthful at heart. Just like that, my adventure had come to an end. Then it came time to actually write this story and suddenly one more stop was necessary. There’s only one place appropriate to end a travelogue of underground locations in Blacksburg — the Underground itself. Scoff at the “townie bar” all you like, but the London Underground Pub is one of the most fun scenes downtown. If the prospect of free darts, cheap drinks and interesting people turns you off, by all means stick to Big Al’s. The rest of us will have a perfectly good time without you. I might even be there “researching” a story. Everyone knows that rye whiskey shots lubricate the creative juices.

features staff writer

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

The Western Store in Christiansburg provides shoppers with the ultimate cowboy gear.

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

Sycamore Deli, a local favorite that serves up sandwiches, is located on Turner Street.

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

Caboose Park, a local playground for kids to explore, is located on Patrick Henry Drive.

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

The London Underground Pub, where many locals hang out, is located on Main Street.

Check out the follow-up story next Wednesday

Follow two members of the features staff tonight as they explore downtown Blacksburg for a 21st birthday celebration. Andrew Reilly

If the prospect of reading live updates from the CT tour of Blacksburg bars interests you, tune into this Twitter account tomorrow night. Aug. 31

@murphy0110 Patrick Murphy

Follow myself and @wrylyreilly this Thursday as we accompany @ nanikins2012 downtown for her 21st! #collegiatetimes. Aug. 31

Alumni comedians to perform TORIE DEIBLE

Downtown adventures @wrylyreilly

BETHANY MELSON / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Every day, memories are made at Virginia Tech — some are rip-roaring hilarious and indelibly etched into students’ minds, while others are selectively chosen to be forgotten. On Friday, the Lyric Theatre features Tech alumni performers who will put on a comedy stand-up, which begins at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12. Tech alumni Laura Prangley, Anthony Quinn, Mike James, Brendan Kennedy and Jason Kypros, as well as Connor Gorman, a senior business marketing major, are anxious to offer some comic relief as they take the stage together for the first time. “The concept of this show started because of a simple conversation in a basement in the Lower East Side, and now it’s being brought to life in a 477-seat theater,” Prangley, a 2008 graduate who majored in communication, said. “That’s something special.” The group is confident in their Friday night show after their triumphant of two sold-out performances in Washington, D.C., last year before the Tech versus Boise State football game. “It was the perfect way to kick off a weekend of old friends and a new football season,” Prangley said. Mike James, a 2006 graduate who majored in history, said he is excited to perform in front of his fellow Hokies again. “Nothing beats the thrill of performing in front of a live audience, especially in the place where I went to school,” he said. Each comedian has his or her own personal goals. Some, like James, simply desire to be “excellent and rich,” while others, like Prangley, strive to convince the university to forgive all of their student loans. “Each of us has a different story that each person who is a part of Tech can appreciate,” Quinn, a 2008 graduate who majored in sociology, said. “People will hear and relate to all of our stories, and can look forward to our twisted perspectives.” Quinn started his comedy career in Blacksburg and performs his weekly comedy show, “Comedy Exposed,” every Wednesday night at Awful Arthur’s. And his aspirations don’t end there. “My immediate goal for the future is to build my comedy club at Awful Arthur’s to the point where it can expand and spread to Roanoke,” he said. “I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot and that I have convinced some people that taking an hour or two out of their day to see me is worth it.” As for the future of the entire group, the thought of performing in Burruss Hall would be ideal. “The moment I stepped into Burruss Hall in freshman orientation, I became infatuated with performing on that stage,” Prangley said. “It’s a goal to have the show there one day.” With the prospect of performing in Burruss Hall one day and the comfort of being back in Blacksburg, the alumni comedy group is more ready than ever for their show tomorrow. “I’m truly looking forward to the warm welcome that Blacksburg is all about,” Prangley said. To learn more about the comedy show, visit TheLyric.com or the “Alumni Comedy Show” Facebook page.

6 sports september 1, 2011

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

Crittenton real victim of Arenas’ gun scandal NICK CAFFERKY sports special sections editor he fall of former all-star Gilbert T Arenas from fame after a gun incident in 2009 is well documented. Arenas was shipped to Orlando to get rid of his ridiculous contract and locker room antics, which quickly went from welcomed to a nuisance. He is now nothing but a benchwarmer in Orlando. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. That is the story everyone in sports knows about. However, there was another player in that incident that has a story far more tragic: Javaris Crittenton. For the most part, the media ignored Crittenton because he wasn’t a big name. That all changed this weekend when Crittenton became wanted by the Atlanta police for the alleged murder of Jullian Jones, a 22-year-old mother of four. Jones was standing near two men, one of whom was most likely the intended target. In a statement made by Carlos Campos, police spokesman, the motive appears to be revenge for a robbery committed in Crittenton’s home. His lawyer is claiming innocence, but how did Crittenton even spiral into a situation like this? Every one of his teammates is shocked that the quietest guy in the locker room was capable of doing something of this magnitude. Gilbert Arenas ruined his career — that’s how. During Arenas’ tenure in a Wizards’ uniform, I was definitely on the bandwagon. He could do no wrong in my eyes, and when the gun incident in January 2009 happened, I was the first to stand up for him. I said things like, “The guns he brought in weren’t loaded,” and, “He was just playing around! Crittenton over-reacted.” I was wrong. The whole altercation started because of a gambling debt Arenas had from a card game on the team plane. These card games often involve players betting tens of thousands of dollars and have become a huge issue in NBA locker rooms. But Washington is a poster child for why it shouldn’t be allowed. When Crittenton threatened to shoot Arenas in his recently repaired knee if he didn’t pay up, Arenas spread four guns in Crittenton’s locker

with a sign that read, “Pick 1,” taunting Crittenton. Regardless of how much money the debt was, Arenas wouldn’t exactly have missed a meal to pay it off. In the 2009-10 season, Arenas made $16.19 million and was in the second season of a deal worth $111 million over six seasons. The debt was chump change to him — he didn’t pay because he was a poor sport. He’s a child that never grew up. Crittenton? He made $1.48 million — still way too much for someone to get sympathy — but considering he was playing poker games that had pots with five figures, it isn’t a stretch to say he was probably not very good with his money. On top of that, the NBA essentially blackballed Crittenton for the incident because he is just an average guard in a league that has hundreds of others just as talented and without glaring character flaws. Crittenton was forced to play in the NBA developmental league last season for the Dakota Wizards — a gig I can only assume pays in food stamps and makes players perform halftime shows such as the Flint Tropics in the movie “Semi-Pro.” Money had become such a problem for Crittenton that he had to crawl on his hands and knees to ask Arenas, the person that got him in this mess, to loan him some money to help pay his mother’s medical bills. In sociology, there is a term called “secondary deviance,” which says that after being labeled a criminal, the person is more likely to continue along that path because they have already been labeled a criminal — think of Dan Aykroyd in “Trading Places.” It looks like secondary deviance has claimed another victim. Just five years ago, Crittenton was a high school student wih a 3.5 grade point average and member of the Future Business Leaders of America. He was a gifted basketball player with a full scholarship to Georgia Tech. Now, he‘s about to go on trial to see if he is going to spend his entire adult life in prison. There’s the real story behind what happened in 2009 — not that “Agent Zero” is sitting on a bench in Orlando making almost $20 million a year. A mother of four is dead, and the life of a 23-year-old man is in limbo. I wonder whether Arenas still thinks his joke was all in good fun.

MCT CAMPUS

Former Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton was arrested Monday for the alleged murder of Julian Jones, a 22-year-old mother of four.