he she
SAID
on the first football game
see page four
Friday September 2, 2011
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 79
News, page 2
People & Clubs, page 4
Opinions, page 5
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Classifieds, page 6
Construction looms over Cage MICHELLE SUTHERLAND even close to running out of resident spaces.” news editor However, students are wary of the upcoming parking situation. Parking at Virginia Tech is an art, “Parking is rough depending on not a science. the time of day, and I got parkThe university is about to alter ing tickets more than once,” said parking patterns to build the human Claire Vogler, a junior music major. and agriculture biosciences building “Construction on the Cage will just I on part of the Cage parking lot. make it worse.” Parking services estimates a loss The construction is slated to begin of about around 400-500 spaces sometime this academic school year, because the building’s presence pending permits and approvals. The and surrounding construction. project is funded at more than $53 Regardless of the lost spaces, park- million. It is one of many academic ing services said there will be plenty buildings to be constructed on the of spaces for residents. western part of campus, as the uniIn the event that there are not versity shifts westward, said Larry enough parking spaces in the Hincker, the university spokesman. Cage, residents will be able to keep “There’s a plan for a whole new their cars in the Lane Stadium and agriculture and biosciences quad Chicken Hill parking lots, both over there somewhere in the vicinity located near the stadium. of the vet school and that residential However, residents will have to student parking lot,” Hincker said. move their cars from those lots for “That’s the long-range plan, probgame days. Residents will be able ably not for tomorrow or the next to keep their cars in the commuter day, but over the next decade or so.” lot by Prices Fork Road and in the However, some students find the Perry Street parking deck Friday idea of an expanding campus dauntthrough Monday morning by 7 ing. a.m. without citations, Bo Frazier, “The Cage is a highly inconvethe parking services assistant man- nient place already,” said Tierney ager, said. Smith, a senior English major. “The Officials claim the loss of spots location of it for science buildings should not present too much of a seems off to me. If you have a class in hassle. McBryde or Surge, you aren’t going “Right now as it stands, we’ve to be able to make it to the cage in probably got a 500-space excess in 15 minutes.” that particular lot in the Cage for Elizabeth Haydu, a news staff writresidents,” Frazier said. “We’re not er, contributed to this report.
The Trek
walk .7 miles +13 mins
Starting this academic year, on-campus residents who park in the Chicken Hill parking lot will need to add an extra 30 minutes to their Friday night plans to move their cars to the parking garage before each home football game.
walk .7 miles +13 mins
Drive 1.4 miles +5 mins VICTORIA ZIGADLO / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Tech makes sustainability honor roll
MICHELLE SUTHERLAND
CODY OWENS
Virginia Tech is one of the most sustainable universities in the nation, according to the Princeton Review. As a “nationally recognized campus sustainability leader,” Tech was one of 16 colleges recognized by the Princeton Review in its 2012 Green College Honor Roll, selected from a list of 768 schools. Each college on the honor roll received a Green Rating of 99 — the highest score given. The Princeton Review highlighted the Office of Energy and Sustainability, which the Board of Visitors’ Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment Resolution created in 2009. The OES aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pursue energy efficiency and seek LEED Silver certifications or higher on all new construction projects. “As an intern with the office, I’m proud to say we’ve been working really hard, and it’s awesome to get recognized for it,” said Liza Dodson, a senior mathematics major who works with the OES. Programs recognized include Lumenhaus, the solar house built by Tech students which placed first in the 2010 European Solar Decathlon, and the dining services’ Garden at Kentland Farm, which provides organically grown food for on-campus dining centers. Additionally, Tech was noted for
FILE / SPPS
Tech’sLumenhaus, the winner of the 2010 European Solar Decathalon, was cited by the Princeton Review. having a 48 percent alternative transportation rate. “It’s apparent they’ve made efforts to accommodate for sustainability,” said Claire Wiklud, a freshman biology major. “The transport system is phenomenal.” The university was previously recognized on the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges in both 2010 and 2011. However,
Tech’s inclusion on the Princeton Review’s Honor Roll shows even greater progress toward sustainability. Sustainability projects currently happening on the campus include the Sustain Lane Initiative, a student-driven program which provides off-site sorting and recycling of all game day wastes, and the eco-friendly reusable con-
tainers offered in Owens Dining Center. “Virginia Tech is about inventing the future,” said Kyle Gardiner, a senior political science major and SGA director of sustainability, “and there is nothing that’s going to be more important this century than creating a sustainable economy and a sustainable lifestyle.”
Books too expensive CLAIRE SANDERSON & MALLORY NOE-PAYNE news staff Seven out of 10 college students have skipped purchasing textbooks because they were too expensive, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, asked students if they had ever decided against buying a textbook because of cost cost. Of the 1,905 respondents, 70 percent replied that they had. The study surveyed students at 13 colleges and universities across the United States in February, March and April of this year. The study found that of the students who chose not to purchase a textbook for a class, 78 percent said they thought they would do worse because of it. “Sometimes I wonder if I waste my money buying textbooks,” said Kelly Raltson, a sophomore communication major. “I spent $100 and haven’t been able to read it, so why did I buy it?” Other students have found ways to get around buying textbooks, such as renting books or sharing them with friends. “I’m actually renting most of my textbooks,” said Sarah Vacher, a junior human nutrition, foods and exercise major. “Another I got from the library — it’s an older edition.” For another class, Vacher said she chose not to purchase a book because she didn’t think it was necessary. “The class seems ridiculously easy, and I didn’t see the point,” she said. According to the study, 81 percent of students said a new edition of a textbook being published had a major impact on the cost and resale value of their book. About half of the respondents said the higher prices of books packaged with extra or unnecessary items affected their buying decisions as well.
CT, staff finalists for ACP awards news editor
news reporter
Sudoku, page 6
The Collegiate Times website and two individual staff members are finalists for national awards. CollegiateTimes.com is nominated for the Associated Collegiate Press’s Online Pacemaker Award, managing editor Lindsey Brookbank is nominated for Reporter of the Year — the highest individual award presented by the ACP — and editor-in-chief Zach Crizer is nominated for Best Feature Story of the Year. The CT’s online edition is one of 49 finalists, selected out of 251 entries, for the Online Pacemaker award, which is given to the news sites on the leading edge of college journalism. Judging is based on quality of news, excellence of design, breaking news coverage, interactivity and multimedia, according to the ACP website. Multiple sites are selected for the honor. “It encompasses journalism and technology,” said Peter Velz, a 2011 Virginia Tech graduate who was CT editor-in-chief last academic year, the time period the awards honor. “A lot of credit goes to Jamie Chung.” Chung, a junior computer science major, is the CT’s online director and designed many of the site’s features. The paper previously won the award in 2008. Brookbank is a finalist for the Reporter of the Year award because of three of her articles — “Forever in their minds: Kevin Lawall’s parents, siblings seek meaning in his suicide,” “Missing peace: Morgan Harrington’s parents need answers,” and “Chain Reaction: Actively Caring seeks wide-
spread impact.” “Lindsey’s were really great,” Velz said. “Two of her stories, when I got them, seemed like the kind that get award attention. They aren’t the kind you see in college journalism. She did a great job — they were very compelling narratives and beautifully written. I’m really proud.” Other finalists in her category are Julie M. Zauzmer of the Harvard Crimson and Matt Stevens of UCLA’s Daily Bruin. CT staffer Caleb Fleming won the 2009 Reporter of the Year award in Austin, Tex. after publishing an investigation into former Tech student Robert Kovack’s disappearance nearly 12 years ago. Fleming graduated from Tech in spring 2011. Crizer’s nomination stems from his article “Ex-felon moves forward.” He is up against Lark Turner of the Daily Northwestern, Nina Earnest of The Daily Iowan, Kyle Campbell and Megan Durisin of The State News, and Ally Marotti of The Lantern. “Zach’s story was very compelling,” Velz said. “I’m glad it got recognized because it’s a very unique story to Tech.” Velz expressed fond memories working for the CT. “Now that I have had a short taste of life outside of college, I can say that working with Zach, Lindsey and the other staffers was one of the best ways to prepare more than anything else in college,” he said. “ACP is a good reflection of that. I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to get involved to work for the CT.”
2 news
news editors: claire sanderson, michelle sutherland newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
september 2, 2011
COLLEGIATETIMES
what you’re saying //comments from online readers... On the best professors teaching in Pamplin: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/18056/best-professors-teach-in-pamplin
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.
Apple’s new MacBook Air props up cloud computing MOVE SIGNALS APPLE’S AIM TO KEEP THE FUTURE OF LAPTOPS LIGHTWEIGHT YET FULLY FUNCTIONAL JOHN BOURDAU mcclatchy newspapers
Brett>>
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Earlier this summer, Apple eliminated its If you actually have taken any of the upper level HTM courses you would learn they entry-level plastic-clad MacBook are actually very hard! HTM Policy makes the other Business Policy classes look like to make the just-updated nothing...know your facts! VT HTM Class of 2010 MacBook Air line, once a pricey niche laptop, its mainstream computer. engineering graduate>> In making the move, Apple signaled its view that the future not everybody is going to be (nor wants to be) a scientist or an engineer. research in of laptops will be lightweight machines that increasingly rely other disciplines is good because it means students who go through that curriculum on cloud services provided will (hopefully) learn from it, have a competitive advantage when they get out of school, through remote servers. and be able to bring that to the a particular company within the tourism industry. It comes as the company gears up to push its ultimately this would allow them to get paid more and have better opportunities down iCloud service and vision of a the road without having to capitulate to capitalists and without having to unionize highly synchronized world which wouldn’t give you an advantage over other people.look up the definition of in which music and other material can be accessed across capitulate before you use it. a number of highly mobile devices. hokie_1997>> “It’s about the mobile Internet and cloud computing,” Sterne Agee analyst Shaw I’m always a little embarassed that Pamplin actually has a hospitality and tourism Wu said. “It’s just getting major. I mean - exactly what kind of ‘scholarly research articles’ get published in started.” “hospitaility and tourism management?” The cost-effectiveness of placing a chocolate Apple’s strategy envisions on the pillow? The best way to fold a towel to ensure maximum moisture absorpition? a modern world that relies on computers on the go — InternetWhat a joke.If you really want to be an effective hotel manager, and you feel that connected smartphones, you have to go to college, perhaps you should major in spanish - so that you can tablets and paper-thin laptops that are light and easy to communicate with the cleaning staff. carry. The just-replaced low-end Prior HTM Student>> MacBooks, like the MacBook Pros, are heavier, thicker and have a hard drive that, I graduated from Tech’s HTM program a few years ago. It was actually one of my while enabling users to store majors. Yes, some of the classes are SUPER easy. Some of them, not so much. more content on their lapAs far as “scholary research articles”, they usually aren’t based on the ideas that tops, is bigger and has moving parts. you call a joke. Most of the “schloarly research articles” that I have read pertain to The MacBook Pros have the eco-tourism, effects of tourism in small communities, effects of tourism in different processing power and storage countries, sustainable tourism, etc. There is a ton of research out there on how the capabilities to replace desktop hotel industry, food and beverage industry, cruise ship industry, airline industry, and/or computer. casino industry impact different areas (whether it be ruining natural beauties/resources, The MacBook Air uses flash memory that limits how creating jobs, causing pollution, or what have you). I guess you would consider these much can be stored on the a “joke” as well.The tourism industry itself is one of the top 3 employers in the US and machine. By losing some computing it brings in hundreds of billions of doallars a year in revenue. I would think that would capabilities, the MacBook Air gains longer battery life and have some weaight as to the importance of the program but obviously not to you... lightness, making it the ultimate mobile device in an era in which Anon>> more content will be stored in the cloud. “I think (Apple’s) iCloud “not everybody is going to be (nor wants to be) a scientist or an engineer.” - True but strategy is very real and this there is an overwhelming shortage of American college students who want to be a is a further sign of it,” Wu scientist or engineer. It’s hard and demanding but at least you will have a job right said. out of college if not at least in a few months. Business majors will be more in demand When then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who resigned last when/if the economy rebounds which is still several years away at this rate.
week, introduced the company’s new online storage and syncing service in June, he said Apple was ushering in the “post-PC” era of computing in which people would be connected to their digital data no matter where they were or what Apple device they were using. While cloud services are not new, Apple’s iCloud technology is built into its operating systems — the iOS for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and the Mac OS for its laptop and desktop computers. This, Jobs said, ensures the service is seamlessly tied into the Apple ecosystem. Jobs, though, did not announce the death of traditional laptops. On the contrary, Apple seems firmly committed to its aluminum unibody laptops. With the entry-level MacBook Air now offered at $999, Apple is pushing its thin-isin strategy as the rest of the industry also shifts to lighter laptops. In May, Intel announced the Ultrabook, a less-than-1-inch thick tablet-like laptop, and said thin devices will be 40 percent of the consumer laptop market by the end of next year. Taiwan-based Asus said it will offer an Ultrabook based on Intel’s chips for the holiday season. Sony recently introduced its super-thin Vaio Z. When Jobs introduced the MacBook Air in 2008, he called it the “world’s thinnest laptop.” Its slender design was tech eyecandy. Priced at $1,800, though, the computer was viewed as fun and sleek but not practical for most consumers. A drop in the cost for components and flash memory has helped make the sleek machines much more affordable. “Every time they get rid of something and replace it with something new, that becomes the mainstream product,” said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies. They are the only company that does that. The norm is, if you have
“
Every time they get rid of something and replace it with something new, that becomes the mainstream product. TIME BAJARIN PRESIDENT OF CREATIVE STRATEGIES
a successful product, you don’t kill it.” Analysts, though, don’t expect Apple to kill its MacBook Pro line, which includes such features as more powerful processing for doing things such as video editing, optical disc drives that allow users to play DVDs and copy material onto them and a graphic chip that lets users play more intensive games. “You will see Apple put more emphasis on the MacBook Air,” Bajarin said. The MacBook Air will become the lion’s share of (sales) of its laptop line. But this does not mean they will do away with the MacBook Pro.” The new MacBook Air, which comes in 11-inch and 13-inch models, is equipped with Intel’s Sandy Bridge ultra-low voltage processors, a backlit keyboard and the latest ports, dubbed Thunderbolt, which allow users to transfer much more data than previously. The 11-inch model weighs a bit more than 2 pounds and provides up to 5 hours of battery life, while the 13-inch Air weighs about 3 pounds and offers up to 7 hours of battery life. MacBook Air models range in price from $999 to $1,600 without add-ons. While the MacBook Air’s aren’t loaded with Intel’s “latest and greatest” fast chips, which suck up battery power more quickly, they get the job done for most consumers, IDC analyst Bob O’Donnell said. “The bottom line is, notebooks have a future,” he added. “You look at the MacBook Air and see that notebooks have a future.”
nation & world
Gadhafi fleeing across desert toward Niger, rebels say BENGHAZI, Libya — Ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is fleeing south across the Sahara Desert, bound perhaps for the border with Niger, the military spokesman for the rebel National Transitional Council told McClatchy Newspapers on Thursday. Col. Ahmed Omar Bani said Gadhafi had escaped from the town of Bani Walid, southeast of Tripoli, on Thursday and had managed to make it to Sabha, some 400 miles south of Tripoli.
But Bani predicted that Gadhafi wouldn’t remain long in the sprawling garrison town and instead would flee another 350 miles across the desert into land-locked Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, now under military rule. Bani’s account of Gadhafi’s flight came as the fugitive former dictator issued a defiant call to his supporters to “continue the fight from city to city, valley to valley, mountain to mountain” and predicted that “It is going to be a long
battle. “The Libyan people cannot kneel, cannot surrender; we are not women,” he said in an audio recording broadcast on al-Rai, a Syrian television channel. It wasn’t clear whether the aim of this latest broadcast was to motivate loyalists in his hometown of Sirte, as well as Bani Walid and Sabha, or to provide cover while he escaped the country he ruled for 42 years. It followed contradictory signals about his ultimate inten-
tions by two of his sons who are still in Libya. Libya’s new transitional leaders on Thursday delayed for at least a week the Saturday deadline for Gadhafi loyalists in Sirte to surrender or face military assault. The same ultimatum has been issued to Gadhafi’s supporters in Bani Walid and Sabha. The three cities are thought to be the last significant pro-Gadhafi outposts in Libya. National Transitional Council
officials said they extended the deadline because there had been signs of progress in their talks with tribal elders in Sirte, a city of about 100,000 on Libya’s Mediterranean coast. “People in Sirte say they are with the revolution,” Bani said, but they fear” that Gadhafi loyalists “will kill all of us” if the council attempts to enter the city by force. “Maybe we will have another solution this week that will
avoid bloodshed for Libyans,” he said. Bani didn’t reveal how rebel leaders were tracking Gadhafi’s movements. He said rebel forces had positions on several sides of Bani Walid and supporters in the other towns. Bani said rebel leaders hoped that if Gadhafi fled the country or fell into rebel hands, loyalist resistance would collapse in Sirte and the other two cities.
editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 2, 2011
people & clubs
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drinks, buns, a variety of condiments and toppings, and drinks. Looking to have a barbecue, but don’t feel like Reserving grills: Students must reserve the grills through the resident going through the hassle of going to the store? learning coordinators of their specific living community. Students can find the their office in the resident life area offices. Let dining services help. Where to grill: Grills are spread around the residential side of campus in In the spirit of the upcoming football season, students will be looking for the quad areas next to O’Shaughnessy Hall, Pritchard Hall, Slusher Hall, ways to tailgate the highly anticipated event. One option, often overlooked, Eggleston Hall and the newly renovated East Ambler Johnston Hall. The grills are conveniently located in the social quad areas to provide for a good is throwing together a barbeque with the help of Owens Food Court. Purchasing barbeque supplies from Owens can be done with a flex plan, grilling environment. meaning that just like other purchases, the order will be half off. Intrigued? Despite these advantages, the program has been around for two years and has seen little use. John Sherer, the executive chef at Owens, explains. “We have yet to get an order this year,” Scherer said. “We do not get to many orders in the fall. Toward the end of the year, when students’ flex dollars are about to run out, we tend to get more orders.” So how can you order and start barbecueing? Items can be ordered online by filling out an order form. However, a minimum of 72 hours notice is necessary to process the order.The form can be found here: Dining.vt.edu/assets/doc/cookoutform.pdf Orders can also be placed in person. Once the order is processed, students can pick up everything at Owens Monday through Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. or between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Although pickup is only offered during the week, students without a fridge in their dorm can purchase a Styrofoam cooler to preserve the food in order to cook out on the weekend. Food available and prices: -Five-ounce hamburgers: $1.40 each -Two-ounce all-beef hot dogs: 60 cents each -Assorted cookies: 40 cents each -Five-pound bag of charcoal: $10.00 Other items available for purchase: Utensils, Styrofoam coolers,
VICTORIA ZIGADLO / COLLEGIATE TIMES
4 people & clubs september 2, 2011
he she
SAID
He said: Waiting for fall football to begin proves almost unbearable ’ve spent 5,820 hours stalking ESPN for any blurb I349,238 about Logan Thomas or David Wilson. I’ve spent minutes talking to any man, woman or child that will listen to me ramble on about how great we will be this year. I’ve spent 20,954,280 seconds thinking about that sad end to a great season and the chance for redemption. At kickoff tomorrow, it will have been 242 days, 12 hours and 38 minutes since Virginia Tech took the field to play a football game. I don’t know about you, but that has been far too long by my standards. At last, the wait is over. For those of you who have never attended one of these sacred events of the sporting world, you are in for an experience of a lifetime. There are only a few places that exhibit Hokie spirit more than a Saturday afternoon in Lane. You get up earlier than you did for class all week to throw on your maroon and orange and start grilling with your fellow Hokies. You yell, “Let’s go,” to people you have never met only to be answered with, ”Hokies!” It’s aabout bout jumping as high as you can when you hear that first chord of “Enter Sandman” come on. You get a shiver down your back as you see your boys slap the piece of Hokie stone as they run out of the tunnel. All of these fantastic traditions let you know that football is back. You may be asking, “Dane, it’s just a football game, what’s the big deal?” I apologize for my bluntness, but you are sadly mistaken. Tech football games are an expression of love for one’s school. This expression is vocalized by yelling, high-fiving, throwing your friend in the air after touchdowns, doing the Hokie Pokey, and of course, jumping up and down to “Enter Sandman.” A few things define every school. For the University of Virginia, that happens to be dressing up for
football games and being inferior to their rival — the South. But here at Tech, we have created an environment of respect and service for our school, our community and even our biggest rivals. Our school motto, Ut Prosim, and “Hokies Respect” demonstrate this. These two staples of the Tech atmosphere are in full force at football games. Where else is it cool to treat the opponent with respect? I was confronted by opposing fans after one of our biggest wins against Nebraska two years ago and one of our biggest losses against Boise State last year. They told me how respectful and passionate my fellow Hokies were. These two instances made me prouder to be a Hokie than any other win — well, at least until we get that national championship. So be excited, as we have been waiting months for this day to come. Go to the spirit rally Friday on the Graduate Life Center lawn. Welcome an Appalachian State fan over to your tailgate, and tell him or her what Hokie respect is all about. Eat a turkey leg at the game, even though I always found that to be a mild form of cannibalism. Embrace these times no matter if you are first row of the north end zone or top row of the east. You have no place to complain when you are spending a Saturday afternoon with 66,000 of your friends.
editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
She said: Game day starts early, lasts all day he first two weeks of school are just T about over. Adios syllabus week — the butterflies have subsided, and we have all started getting into the rhythm of the fall. Or have we? Suddenly your heart skips a beat as if you’ve found a parking meter downtown with an hour left in it — Hokie football returns this weekend. I cannot even believe how badly I have been in withdrawal. I have my Virginia Tech face tattoos on my bookshelf waiting to be put on, my Tech accessories have been rediscovered, and I have been completely stocked for the tailgate for days. My favorite part of home football games, aside from the incredible games themselves, is getting to see the massive amount of alumni roll in on Fridays. Take a look around today and notice all the Hokie-colored RVs and amazing people that are present in our small college town. I get goose bumps every time I see an elderly couple around town still completely engulfed in the Hokie spirit. I love walking up and asking them how much Tech has changed since they’ve been here or if they need help finding a nything. They all have their own stories they are dying to share with current Hokies. You probably have the best conversation you’ve had this week with them, and they’ll be the ones giving you free food at their tailgates or
business cards for their grandson’s company. Hokies love helping Hokies. I can’t think of a better time to come together and make these connections than while watching our amazing football team beat the snot out of App State — or anyone else we play. Speaking of the game, this Saturday has a 12:30 p.m. kickoff, so we all know what that means. Kick back and rest up Friday night so you can wake up as early as possible to tailgate like the Hokie Nation should. Get out of bed and be outside tailgating no later than 8:35. Yes, I meant 8:35 a.m. Lower your eyebrows freshmen. Welcome to Tech. You will not be anywhere close to one of the first Hokies out there, so brace yourself. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t matter where you tailgate before the game as long as you have a great group of people with you and plenty of beverages, music and food. As always, leave your tailgate at least 30 minutes or so before kickoff to walk to the stadium and battle the masses to your seat. This is when I don’t feel bad about skipping the gym because I know I will literally be jumping for five minutes to “Enter Sandman” and standing up cheering for the entire game. Important things all Hokies should remember are key plays. Every time Tech has a crucial third down, get out your car keys and shake ‘em like a Polaroid picture. Make as much noise as possible and continue the tradition of psyching out our opponent. I don’t even drive to the games, but you
better believe my car keys are in hand, fully loaded with the most obnoxious key chains I can find. Another great up-and-coming tradition, which was more recently created, is the third quarter paper airplane throw. All season tickets are printed by students and used to get into the games. At the end of the third quarter, everyone tries to make a dank airplane that is going to soar and make it to the field. Sometimes during less exciting plays by the opposing team, more students are cheering for the airplanes making it the farthest than for the game. Saturday will be like Christmas to me. I most likely won’t be able to sleep because of anxiety. I may or may not sleep in my orange and maroon bow, but you better believe I’ll be up at 7 a.m. I’ve been warming up my voice to scream, “Let’s Go,” as well as studying the starting lineup. To all those seniors, this is your last season as a student, so make sure you’re spending it with the right people. I challenge you to stay for the entire time every home game — you won’t regret it. The beginning of a season that will change Tech’s history is upon us. See y’all at the game Hokies.
KELLEY ENGLISH -featured columnist -junior -marketing management major
DANE HARRINGTON -featured columnist -junior -industrial & systems engineering major
STEPHANIE LACASSE / COLLEGIATE TIMES
opınıons 5
editors: scott masselli, sean simons opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 2, 2011
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
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
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High schools falling short of standards you attended school, whether If it was an elementary, middle or high school — public or private — there is now over a 60 percent chance that your school is currently failing. Only four school districts in Virginia, of 132, are not considered failing, and none of them are located in northern Virginia. To make sense of this, consider this example: 10 years ago, Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Va., was Time Magazine’s High School of the year. In 2011, Stonewall Jackson High did not make adequate yearly progress. Now many former students must be asking, how did this happen? I attended high school in northern Virginia, and my school was excellent. I was well prepared for college, I passed all of my SOLs and I meet general societal standards for intelligence. Well, it is likely not the case that your high school has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. The answer lies in the unreasonable standards the federal government is requiring your former schools to meet. This year, in mid-August, Virginia results of testing and other benchmarks were released, with the standard being No Child Left Behind. NCLB is a federal act, passed by Congress in 2001 and signed into law in 2002. This law was designed to push states to develop and implement their own standards in reading and math which all students had to meet. Meeting such standards had to be demonstrated by achievement on state-designed standardized tests. Tied into schools meeting these standards is federal funding for education. This law seems pretty reasonable at face value. Assuring students have the basic skills to survive in our society seems like one of the main goals of education, with reading and math skills as good starts. But the devil is in the details. What makes the requirements for NCLB so unreasonable for Virginia students is that by 2013, all schools in Virginia and in the United States are supposed to have 100 percent proficiency in reading and math. If they do not meet such standards, they are considered failing. This is an all-or-nothing designation. They also must have increasing achievement across years — meaning if a school has a 99 percent success rate in reading, they must have a 100 percent success rate the next year. On top of this, groups of students categorized by race, class or disability, must meet the same standard. As college students, why should we care? We have already graduated from high school, and therefore we have
few, if any, ties to public schools. Well, think about this. If you have younger siblings attending one of these failing schools, it could mean huge repercussions for your sibling’s school or school district. These repercussions would usually come in a loss of funding for said schools, meaning a number of programs — whether they be music, sports, etc. — could be cut or minimized. However, this is unlikely, as Virginia is seeking a federal waiver from meeting NCLB requirements. But there is always a chance. However, there is another aspect of this situation that many of us should seriously consider. Many college graduates take seriously the idea of getting married and starting a family soon after we graduate. Additionally, many students at Virginia Tech may want to pursue teaching as a future career. Meaning in the next few years, some of us could have children of our own, who would likely attend public schools. Or, in a professional setting, we would come into direct contact with the education focus that NCLB has created. And again, our siblings could be affected. If this heavy concentration on standardized testing continues, it could mean serious problems for America’s educational future. There are already entire curriculums in public schools being designed around meeting testing standards — see the Prince George’s County Public Schools Maryland HSA biology curriculum. This disregards many other valuable functions of education including, but not limited to, intellectual exploration, the implementation of labs and other activities which aid the learning process, room for creativity and alternate learning styles, as well as room for teachers to have an increased role in the learning process. This is an educational future that seems quite dismal. America prides itself as a nation of innovation and creativity. We produce some of the world’s leading intellectuals, business people and fine artists. If we continue down the road of simply meeting basic goals, our current and future students will lose access to an education that will make them future world leaders.
GABI SELTZER -regular columnist -senior -philosophy major
MCT CAMPUS
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Funding cuts undermine education
he Budget Control Act of 2011 T passed earlier this month entails major cuts in government spending in the immediate and near future, with education taking one of the biggest hits. A couple of harsh consequences of this bill include a disappearance of subsidized loans for graduate students and a threat mechanism aimed at Congress, promising immediate major cuts to education spending as well as other domestic programs. These will occur if a deal isn’t made by Thanksgiving involving more spending cuts deemed necessary by Speaker Boehner and other Republicans calling for a decreased deficit. While some may shrug off these cuts as one-time, necessary measures to keep America’s economy afloat, perhaps there is a bigger picture here that is rooted deeper in the American political system. One look at the recent trends in global education performance and the big picture becomes clear. An article in the Agence FrancePresse from December 2010 notes that the United States has fallen from one of the highest-ranked countries in terms of education to a mere middle-of-theroad non-competitor. In fact, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. was ranked 14th out of 34 countries in reading, 17th in science, and had an abysmal below-average rank of 25th for mathematics. Furthermore, the OECD reported that Canadian high school students are, in some categories, more than a full year ahead of their American counterparts. What’s most baffling about the report is that it clearly states an investment in our education would not only get the money put in paid back, but returned several times over. The OECD report states gradual increases in math scores over the next 20 years would result in a $41 trillion gain for the U.S. economy. Isn’t this the kind of money deficit hawks, such as Congressmen Boehner and Paul Ryan, are looking for? Furthermore, while America’s higher education institutions are still among the best in the world, they are getting harder to afford, especially in the current economic climate. Universities all over the country are increasing their tuitions, including noticeable increases coming from Virginia Tech for the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters. According to US News and World Report, the top 20-ranked national universities all have a set yearly tuition between $33,000 and $44,000 (for the 2010-2011 academic school year),
Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Philipp Kotlaba
with no lower tuition benefits for instate students. The highest-ranked university with tuition below $20,000 is the University of California, Berkeley at $10,868 for in-state students (outof-state tuition is $33,747). Moreover, no institution ranked in the top 40 has an out-of-state tuition below $30,000, except for Georgia Tech and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In addition to increasing tuition for undergraduates, the recent passing of the budget deal means that graduate school will become harder to afford as well. The elimination of the Stafford Loan for graduate students means all loans available to aspiring graduate students will be either un-subsidized or private beginning July 2012, adding an estimated $7,000 in federal student loan debt. So those students attending graduate school out of necessity, avoiding the severely underperforming employment market will have to climb even deeper into debt, decreasing the chances that graduate school will help pay off their college debts. What has seemingly unfolded in the past decade is a trend of neglect in American politics when it comes to educating our country’s children. In both cases of pre-collegiate learning and higher education, our government has taken conscious steps that make receiving an education in America harder — actions that seem antithetical to everything our country and government stand for. As the son of a high school teacher, the brother of an aspiring teacher, and as a student myself, I have come to appreciate the importance of a quality education not only through high school but through college as well. The ominous fact that attending college as an undergraduate costs, in many cases, more than buying both a house and a car, and the reality that it’s not going to get any easier, is discouraging and even frightening. If this trend of neglect continues, America could join the rest of the countries of the Western Hemisphere — save Canada — where a quality education is, for the most part, merely a privilege for the wealthy only, rather than a universal right. I only hope our politicians aren’t willing to lower a nation often hailed by its citizens as “the best in the world” to such a disgraceful level.
DIETER SELTZER -guest columnist -sophomore -philosophy major
College Media Solutions Ad Director: Brandon Collins Asst Ad Director: Matt Freedman Account Executives: Johnson Bray, Kevin Jadali, Alyssa Brown, Brian Dickson, Janssen Claudio Inside Sales Manager: Mario Gazzola Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Adam Shata Office Manager: Kayley Greenday Assistant Account Executives: Alex Perry, Kacie Nolan, Jordan Peugh 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.
september 2, 2011
page 6
Ford makes play for younger drivers by supplying Zipcar GREG GARDNER mcclatchy newspapers DETROIT — By supplying up to 1,000 cars to Zipcar Inc., whose members rent cars on an hourly basis, Ford Motor Co. is making a move to reach a new and growing generation of younger buyers who may not want to buy a car — at least not now. “The love affair with the automobile that drove generations to buy a car as soon as they turned 16 is just not showing up with this millennial generation,” said Robert Parker, Ford marketing manager. While many may remember a day when teenagers couldn’t wait to get their license, the percentage of 16-year-olds with a driver’s license has steadily declined in the past two decades. Ford is now the only Detroit automaker to partner with Zipcar.
Two years ago Executive Chairman Bill Ford, who pushed the Zipcar deal, said, “the future of transportation will be a blend of things like Zipcar, public transportation and private car ownership.” With this deal, Ford vehicles such as the Focus and Escape will eventually make up about 10 percent of Zipcar’s fleet. With 605,000 members, the 24/7 hourly rental service is on more than 250 college campuses. Zipcar lost $11.7 million in the first half of the year, but its sales grew 40 percent to $110.7 million from a year earlier. Expanding its relationship with Zipcar allows Ford to reach potential younger buyers and bet that a still-unprofitable upstart in the growing car-sharing market can fend off larger and much betterfunded rivals. The two-year partnership gives
Ford access to more than 250 college campuses and younger urban dwellers who only want cars when they need them. Zipcar’s largest markets are New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., areas where Asian and European automakers have larger markets. There is growing evidence that younger consumers, especially those in college towns and large cities, are delaying purchases of new vehicles. “Twenty-somethings are growing up in a period of considerable economic insecurity. They’re seeing their parents holding on to vehicles longer than they used to and facing challenges to finding jobs themselves,” said Jesse Toprak, an analyst with TrueCar.com. Americans scrapped 2.1 million more vehicles than they replaced since 2008, R.L. Polk reported ear-
lier this year. Such data is leading industry leaders to wonder if American consumers will buy 16 million new cars and trucks a year — the average annual U.S. industry volume in the decade leading up to the 2008 financial crisis — in the foreseeable future. While General Motors and Chrysler sell cars that may be offered through Connect by Hertz, Enterprise’s WeCar or other carsharing ventures launched by traditional rental companies, Ford is betting on Zipcar, partly because it was first and partly because it has created a culture — such as calling its members “Zipsters” — that Ford regards as receptive to both the cars and in-vehicle communications technology such as Sync. Among the schools where Zipcar has vehicles are Harvard University, Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford
University, the University of Southern California, the University of California-Berkeley and George Washington University. “Zipcar has been around for more than a decade. They are on more than 250 college campuses, and these include very influential schools,” said Robert Parker, Ford group marketing manager. “These are the next generation of leaders.” Parker said the vast majority of the cars Ford sells to Zipcar over the next two years will be Focuses, although it could include additional Escapes, which Ford has supplied to the car-sharing company for the last few years. He expects Zipsters will log about 1 million hours behind the wheel of the Focuses over the next two years. Zipcar accounts for 50 percent of the car-sharing market in the U.S. and Canada, but Hertz and Avis Budget are coming on strong.
Ford’s long relationships with those customers provides a hedge if the Zipcar deal doesn’t pan out. Most services involve a membership fee and an hourly rate. Some insurance is provided, but deductibles vary among competitors. Zipcar pays for gas, but members are expected to fill up when they return the vehicles. Ford and Zipcar will offer $10 off the annual membership fee ($35 or $25 depending on location) for the first 100,000 new university students members who sign up, 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. Zipcar rates can range from about $7.50 an hour from Monday through Thursday and $14 an hour from Friday through Sunday, while Hertz and Avis are offering more discounted prices in many markets.
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topic:
National Capitals
HOW TO PLAY:
8 Did nothing 9 Symbol of honesty 10 Bad-mouth 11 Sweetie pie 12 Whirlpool brand 13 Like some slippery floors 18 Sally in space 21 Anglers’ baskets 22 “So I was wrong” 23 2009 Peace Nobelist 24 Leslie Caron title role 25 Sub 26 British weapon designed in Czechoslovakia 27 Three-time Masters champ Mickelson 31 Ruffles features 32 Had 33 Challenged 34 Campfire base 35 __ buco By Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel
ACROSS 1 Soaking spots 6 Mideast ruling family name 11 Field call 14 Language that gives us “kayak” 15 Abu __ 16 She played Beatrix in “Kill Bill” 17 Romantic evening components, perhaps 19 Strain 20 Reason-based faith
21 Film in Cannes 22 California Gold Rush staple 27 Watering hole 28 23-Down was one: Abbr. 29 “Able was __ ...”: palindrome start 30 Try in court 32 Came around regarding 36 Alien statutes 40 It can make a star shine 41 4-Down titles 42 Stadium take 43 Like sashimi 46 Cause of star wars?
Spell the phrase in the grid above it, writing each unique letter only once. The correct solution will spell the complete phrase along a single continuous spelling path that moves horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Fill the grid from square to square - revisiting letters as needed to complete the spelling path in order. Each letter will appear only once in the grid.
37 Snatch 38 __-Rooter 39 “A Clockwork Orange” narrator 43 New Jersey’s state tree 44 Top server 45 Burrowing marsupial 47 Puts in the can? 48 Radii neighbors 49 Homeland of 23Down’s father 50 Volleyball great Gabrielle 51 More elusive 55 Dr.’s study 56 Were now? 57 Cassis apéritif 58 Seventh Greek letter 59 Mandela’s org. 60 Mary __ Ash, cosmetics company founder
© 2011 Thinking Machine, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
easy
HARD
9/2/11 47 Wurlitzer whirlers 65 He passed Lou in 2009 to become 52 27-Across the Yankees’ allofferings time hit leader 53 Plant moisture 66 Pulitzer writer buildup Kidder 54 Quaint stopover 55 Decide once and DOWN for all, and what one can do to the 1 Certain eBay click ends of 17-, 22-, 2 Darth, at one time 36- and 473 Large cask Across 4 Gandhi, for one 61 Hens do it 5 Directs 62 Novelist Jong 6 Attaches to the 63 Blue Cross house competitor 7 SeaWorld 64 Yellow __ performer
Thursday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
visit www.Pathem.com
9/01/11
sports 7
editors: matt jones, zach mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 2, 2011
Dual perspectives: Conference expansion Koma: TV deals have a big part to do with A&M a world where the Big 10 conferIn ence has 12 teams and the Big 12 conference has 10 teams, it’s easy to become disinterested in the changes in conference alignment that occur in college football. However, Texas A&M’s recent announcement of the school’s intent to leave the Big 12 by July of next year deserves attention from any college football fan, as it may be the first domino to topple as the sport is permanently altered. The Aggies are understandably frustrated with their current conference, as the Big 12 recently lost Nebraska and Colorado to the Big 10 and Pac 12 conferences, respectively, and has yet to find any schools to replace them. They’re also undoubtedly aggravated with the amount of attention the Texas Longhorns seem to be receiving, specifically with the impending creation of the new Longhorn Network in partnership with ESPN. The school seems to have their sights set on moving to the SEC, which has produced the last five national champions. While such a move would certainly increase their national profile, it seems a little unwise competitively. Texas A&M would almost certainly be slotted in the SEC West division, which means competing with national powers, such as Auburn, Alabama and LSU, who happen to be three of the last four national title winners. However difficult such a move may be, the SEC seems to be welcoming the Aggies with open arms, as the conference hopes to gain an inroads into the valuable state of Texas, and is now looking to add a 12th team to even out the divisions. Teams such as Florida State, Clemson and even Virginia Tech have been bandied about as possible candidates, and while such a drastic move seems unlikely in the near future, it raises questions about the future of the college football landscape. If the SEC were to attract another bigname program, it may soon force the remnants of the other, less competitive, conferences to take swift action. Texas and Oklahoma considered a move to the Pac 12 over this past summer but ultimately declined. However, the departure of Texas A&M may force their hands and would be only the beginning of major changes within the sport. It is exceedingly possible that the Big 12 could dissolve entirely, especially given that the conference recently signed a 13-year-long television deal with Fox
TWO SPORTS STAFF WRITERS, ALEX KOMA AND ALYSSA BEDROSIAN, GAVE THEIR THOUGHTS ON CONFERENCE EXPANSION.
Bedrosian: Four super conferences mean playoff T
he never-endSports worth over ing confer$1 billion, which ence realignment could now be of college football voided with the continues, as Texas loss of the Aggies. A&M announced A d d i t i o n a l l y, Wednesday that it is although confercutting ties with the ence officials insist Big 12. they’re pursuing With only nine replacements for teams remaining, the their lost schools, future of the Big 12 is the prospective in jeopardy. Just over universities either a year ago, Nebraska appear to be uninand Colorado left the terested, such as conference as well. BYU, or lackUpon the Aggies’ ing the national acceptance into prominence to the Southeastern fill the void, such Conference in 2012, as Pittsburgh or one question remains: Louisville. Who will become the With the loss 14th team of the SEC? of the Big 12, the The addition of remaining schools Texas A&M will would scatter to the make the Eastern and other power conferWestern divisions ences, and less sucof the SEC uneven. cessful conferences, Most likely, the SEC such as the ACC will begin to search or Big East, may for another football find themselves powerhouse, and conglomerating rumor has it that this to remain comteam may be plucked petitive, creating a from the Big East system where this or Atlantic Coast hybrid conference, Conference. the Pac 10, Big 10 Virginia Tech has and SEC are all that MCT CAMPUS been thrown around remain. Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman and the Aggies are leaving the Big 12, likely for the SEC. in the conference Going even furexpansion discussion, ther, these new thanks to its proximity, football tradisuper conferences could realize that, Conference expansion at a glance tion and large fan base. given their success negotiating TV deals Yet according to Jim Weaver, the and forming their own networks even In 2011, the University of Texas launched its Tech athletic director, the Hokies have before the latest mergers, the NCAA own network, powered by ESPN in a move that no plans to relinquish their position was entirely unnecessary. It would seem of dominance in the ACC and join that all the governing body has done worries the Big 12 because of the revenue split the SEC. recently is sanction the schools for antifrom the TV contracts. Texas A&M became the “Virginia Tech has always wanted to quated violations, so who’s to say the first school to see the writing on the wall for the be in the Atlantic Coast Conference, schools themselves wouldn’t be eager to and I would think that’s where we’re jettison it? dissolution of the Big 12, and Tuesday announced going to stay, because it’s the right thing This version of college football history they would seek other athletic conferences. This and the best thing for our university,” is a long way off from actually occurring. Weaver said. But fans should realize that it’s closer puts the future of the Big 12 and the stability of Despite what may happen within than most people realize, and Texas the other BCS conferences in limbo. the Big 12 or SEC, it seems apparent A&M’s departure is just the first step. that the landscape of college football In the future, it could be looked upon as the galvanizing element that changed the sport permanently.
ALEX KOMA -@krazykoma -sports staff writer -sophomore
is changing rapidly. The possibility of four super conferences may become a reality over the next decade. The idea of four, 16-team super conferences sounds scary to some, yet this outcome may be inevitable. The SEC and other powerhouse conferences will continue to grow. Meanwhile, the small conferences will eventually die out. To those within the college football world who are in favor of a playoff system, four super conferences may be the solution. A “final four” of sorts could be played between the four conference champions or possibly an eightteam playoff with the winners of each division. The remaining teams would compete in bowl games as usual. But what does conference expansion mean for the little guy? Realistically, the future does not look bright for the lesser teams and conferences of college football. Teams that were once champions of their respective conferences will most likely never reach a conference championship again. There is a downfall to four super conferences, but there are also benefits. The creation of super conferences would take the power from the NCAA and give it back to each individual conference. Conferences would yield significant power and could act as their own governing bodies. Additionally, a playoff system becomes much more attainable with just four conferences. With the institution of a playoff, the champion’s credibility would no longer be disputed. Despite the controversy surrounding conference realignment and super conferences, it is clear the world of college sports is changing fast. Tradition has transformed college football into what it has become today, yet in some ways tradition has ran its course. We are ushering in a new era of college football, with conference realignment being just one of many changes in the foreseeable future.
ALYSSA BEDROSIAN -@AlyssaBedrosian -sports staff writer -sophomore