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9/11: A generation answers the call

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

A member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets stands at the War Memorial Pylons on campus to salute the American ﬂag during Virginia Tech’s Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony on Sunday.

AS PART OF A ‘GENERATIONAL SHIFT,’ SOME MEMBERS OF THE CORPS OF CADETS SAID THE SEPT. 11 ATTACKS INSPIRED THEM TO SERVE BY ZACH CRIZER & MICHELLE SUTHERLAND | news staff On Sept. 11, 2001, Sean McLaughlin watched the second tower fall from across the river. Ten years later, the sophomore chemical engineering major stood at the War Memorial Pylons alongside fellow members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. The events of that day set many of them on a course toward service — a course that brought them all together Sunday to mark the anniversary of both a national tragedy and a generational shift. Maj. Gen. Randy Fullhart, Tech’s commandant of cadets, said current members of the corps were undoubtedly influenced by the Sept. 11 attacks and the decade that followed. “I think this generation is reflective of values that are born of challenge — whether that be the challenge of terrorism or the challenge of a changing global economy,” Fullhart said. “I think there is a realization of the value of ethical leadership in our military and in our society. They have come here realizing that this is where those skills will be honed, where those values will be reinforced.” Those applying to join the corps are asked, “What major influences in your life made you want to join the Corps of Cadets?” For Zach Summer, a freshman from Stafford, Va. in university studies, Sept. 11 was the answer. “I saw the leadership that was happening in our country,” Summer said. “All the leadership and courage they showed that day inspired me to become better myself.” Summer said he made an unconscious decision that day. “My third grade class was in recess, and all the teachers came out crying in panic,” he said. “At the time, I really didn’t realize what it meant. But when I got home, my mom explained it. I didn’t realize it then, but at that point, I knew I wanted to be in the corps.” McLaughlin said the devastation from the attacks hit close to home. One of his friend’s parents perished in one of the towers. “One of the teachers said he got pulled out because the Twin Towers collapsed,” McLaughlin said. “I found out later that his parents died.” Others said they already knew they wanted to be in the military, but Sept. 11 cemented the decision. “For a long time, ever since I was a young child, I knew I wanted to be in the military, but I would definitely say that day confirmed it,” said Luke Hinsdale, a junior apparel, housing and resource management

major who is in the corps. “Ever since then, I have never wavered from that decision to be a military officer.” All three men consider themselves part of a surge of young Americans who felt called to do something for the country in the wake of Sept. 11. “I think much like all of America, it brought to their hearts that we are all in this together,” Fullhart said. “And each of us has a way to contribute to the country as a whole. For these young men and women, their hopes and their dreams are to continue to serve, as many have done before them. Some of them will serve in the military and others will serve in the private sector as leaders of ethical character. I’m so proud to have them as part of the corps.” Fullhart said the corps is growing, in part because of this rush of interest in leading America into the future. “I think what it reflects is that 9/11 was not just an event,” he said. “It changed our country, and it changed the people who grew up in these last 10 years. So I think it brought with it a sense of responsibility — a sense that we cannot take our freedoms for granted. We all shoulder part of the burden to assure those freedoms, so this is their way of not only paying back, but paying forward.” But Sunday, under a crisp blue sky and a bright sun, the focus was on the past. “I try every year to get to (a Sept. 11 remembrance event),” McLaughlin said. “It’s just something every year I try to get to and that I can do to help any way I can so the memory is never lost.” Members of the university community gathered at the pylons to remember those lost in the attacks and honor Tech students who rushed to aid the cause. President Charles Steger, SGA President Corbin DiMeglio, GSA President Shree Narayanan, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion William Lewis Sr. and Fullhart addressed the crowd. Members of the corps offered a rifle salute and played taps in remembrance. Summer said he was honored to wear his uniform and stand as a part of the corps for the anniversary ceremony. “These pylons all mean something different to us, but it’s very special,” he said. “It’s hard to stand at attention with all these emotions running through you.” Follow the writers on Twitter: @zcrizer, @michellejsuth

CIA ofﬁcer recalls post-9/11 experiences MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news editor Ken Stiles is a CIA officer in residence at Virginia Tech. He teaches geography courses and advises Tech and Howard University’s Intelligence Center for Academic Excellence. In an office adorned with Afghani pakols — woolen hats which he sells for $10 — camel and horse saddlebags, and a Pakistani battle ax, he took time to talk with the Collegiate Times about how his job has changed since Sept. 11, 2001. COLLEGIATE TIMES: What did you do before coming to Tech? KEN STILES: I was in Iraq for a year. I was there from early ’09 to the middle of 2010. I worked with the Iraqi Intelligence Service. (And I’ve been a CIA officer since) ’84. I was hired as an imagery analyst looking at the Soviet Navy. So I did that basically until the collapse of see CIA / page two

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Stiles, a CIA ofﬁcer in residence at Tech, poses in his ofﬁce.

Former agent looks back CODY OWENS news reporter For Kevin Foust, Sept. 11, 2001, began with cake and coffee. On that morning, the special agent in the FBI’s counterterrorism division was in his Washington, D.C. office celebrating the retirement a fellow agent. During the celebration, a coworker burst into the office and told Foust to turn on the TV — a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. “Just like everybody else, we saw the images, and we discussed what we thought happened: Was it a suicidal pilot or an accident?” Foust, now a deputy chief of police with the Virginia Tech Police Department, said. Before long, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the second tower at 9:03 am. Silence fell momentarily upon the office. Looking back 10 years later, Foust recalls his years of service in the FBI and his experiences investigating the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. “Ten years went by quick. It seems like it was only yesterday,” Foust said. “It’s by luck and by hard work that we haven’t had that scale of an attack on U.S. soil again.”

A passion for fighting terror Foust is a graduate of Grove City College in Pennsylvania. After working as a loan officer, a position Foust said he hated, he began his career in law enforcement as a sheriff’s deputy. This position led to a job in the FBI’s narcotics division in 1987. By 1992, Foust was working in Washington, D.C. He said he felt “burned out” with narcotics investigations and jumped at the opportunity to join the FBI’s international counterterrorism squad after a chance run-in with the program’s supervisor. “At that time, in 1991-92, there was only one squad in the FBI doing that, and that was this squad in Washington,” Foust said. “Our territory was the world — we had jurisdiction around the entire globe. If there was a terrorism incident on an American citizen abroad, we could investigate that.” Foust developed a passion for the job. He said unique situations, in which he found himself overseas, often forced him and his fellow agents to “fly by the seat of our pants,” but he enjoyed it. As an agent in the counterter-

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

Foust is currently a deputy chief of police within the VTPD. rorism division, Foust investigated several attacks connected to Al-Qaeda, including the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and the bombing of the Yemen in October 2000. “What those attacks showed us was that (Al-Qaeda) was extremely dangerous in their ability to learn from their mistakes and adapt,” Foust said. In 2001, Foust applied to be unit chief of the FBI’s Usama bin Laden Unit. (Many U.S. agencies spell the Al-Qaeda leader’s name “Usama.”) Foust got the job and was slated to step into the position in late September 2001. But the events of Sept. 11 would change those plans. Immediately after the attacks in New York, Foust prepared to assemble the FBI’s rapid deployment teams, which are designed to respond to any terrorist attack in the United States within three hours. “In the middle of all this, my boss walked into my office and said we weren’t going anywhere,” Foust said. “I asked why, and he pointed out my window. I could see smoke coming up on the horizon — a plane just went into the Pentagon.” As head of the UBLU, he was the leading investigations into what he called the biggest attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor. “I can’t describe the pressure,” Foust said. “The president and people on down were making decisions based upon the infor-

mation we were providing, so if you’re giving bad information, it could have horrible consequences for not only this country, but for people around the world. You had to be double sure and triple sure you were giving the right information.” Foust gives his staff all the credit for the unit’s accomplishments. “The staff that I had on 9/11 and afterward were some of the best people I have ever had the honor to work with — just top-notch people,” Foust said. “I was extremely blessed to be surrounded by exceptional talent.”

Enough is enough Foust described the work he did as all-consuming and said he was often absent from his young family — he typically arrived home from work at close to 1 a.m., when his son was asleep, only to be back by 6 a.m., before his son woke up. Foust said the turning point in his career came with the realization that he was missing out on his son’s childhood. One night as Foust spoke with his wife, she told him that when he would travel for work before Sept. 11, their son would ask her when his father was coming home. For some time after Sept. 11, he continued to ask about his father, but one night, he stopped. “That did it for me — that was enough,” Foust said. “In see FBI / page two

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

september 13, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

Former engineering dean died FBI: Foust content at Tech news editor Hassan Aref, a professor and former dean of the College of Engineering, died at his home on Friday, Sept. 9. Aref came to Virginia Tech as dean on April 1, 2003, after Tech put out a nationwide search to fill the position. When Richard Benson was named the dean AREF of engineering in 2005, a position he still holds, Aref continued to teach in the college, specializing in computational fluid mechanics. “I am his successor, and in my job every day I get to see the things he put in place as he was dean,” Benson said. “There are things he put in place which I have been very happy to continue.” Aref helped the engineering fundamentals department transition into that of engineering education, one of the first of its kind in the country.

In 2003, Aref also facilitated the creation of Tech’s first supercomputer, named System X, which was the third fastest in the world at its time. “It was a bunch of students and faculty who off the shelf built a supercomputer,” Benson said. “The fact that they made a supercomputer rather than bought one — that is a wonderful Virginia Tech story, and I don’t think it would have been possible without the support of the dean.” Aref was the former chief scientist of the San Diego Supercomputer, and Benson said he used his expertise in computing to make the System X program a success. While Aref was a brilliant scientist and an innovative dean, Benson said, he also looked out for the well being of his faculty and their families. “There is one certified daycare program in town — Rainbow Riders — and he was willing to use funds from the dean’s office to provide slots at Rainbow Riders for the children of engineering faculty and some graduate students,” Benson said. Everyone will tell you that Hassan

Aref was a witty person. He had a sort of dry sense of humor. He was a very kind man, but he had a wit.” Aref was born in Alexandria, Egypt and received his undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Aref recieved numerous awards and recognitions throughout his lifetime. Most recently he received the G.I. Taylor Medal from the Society of Engineering Science, a highly selective award that is given out with no fixed schedule. The medal was last awarded in 2003. Aref will receive the award posthumously at a ceremony on Oct. 12. Benson wrote a letter to the college, saying it has lost a tremendous friend and scholar, and asking students and faculty to keep Hassan, his wife Susanne and the Aref family in their thoughts and prayers. The cause of Aref’s death was not made public. Follow the writer on Twitter: @ClairSanderson

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shootings. Foust said the professionalism with which the VTPD responded to the shootings and the way the community united attracted him to the school. “FBI agents always tell each other you’ll know when it’s time to go,” Foust said. I pretty much made up my mind on that day that this is where I want to finish up my law enforcement career.” Foust began his job as one of the two deputy chiefs of police with the VTPD on May 2, 2011. He is also

my opinion, the FBI has been around for years. It went along fine before and is probably going on better without me. But I’m only going to have one family. My role as a father is far more important than my role as a law enforcement officer.” So in 2003, Foust transferred to the regional FBI office in Roanoke. As a member of the Roanoke’s FBI office, Foust helped police respond to the April 16, 2007, campus

the assistant director of security for the university. He works with security issues both on the Blacksburg campus and at various Tech facilities around the world. While his job still entails traveling, at least one aspect of his career has changed — this is the first time Foust has been required to wear a uniform to work. Despite the strangeness of wearing a uniform, he appreciates that the VTPD provides the clothing, while the FBI required him to buy his own suits.

what you’re saying //comments from online readers... On the article about Federal Court tossing healthcare law: anon >> That’s our justice system. Doesn’t matter if its unconstitutional, they will find some reason to deny the case and enforce obamacare. What a loss for the state let alone the nation

anonymous >> By extension its unconstitutional for taxpayers to be forced to pay for Medicare for others...especially if its bankrupt by the time they retire.

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

Follow up to Larceny/Theft from a War Memorial Gym building 3:23 p.m. Simple Assualt Burruss Hall 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Larceny of a Bicycle Torgersen 8:04 p.m. Underaged possession of Alcohol x3 Rasche 1:04 a.m. Apper Intoxicated in Public/ Torgersen Underaged Possesion of Alcohol 1:18 a.m. Appear Intoxicated in Public Squires Lot 2:30 a.m. Underage Possesion of Alcohol Pritchard Hall 4:38 a.m. Driving Suspended/Other Agency Squires Lot Warrant Service 2:00 a.m. Appear Intoxicated in public/ Outside Pritchard Underage Possession of Alcohol x2 11:21 p.m. Appear Intoxicated in public/ Kent St Underage Possession of Alcohol 3:00 p.m.-12:17 a.m. B-Lot Larceny/Theft from a vehicle 1:21 a.m. Underage Possession of Alcohol x2 Library Plza 5:36 a.m. Cochrane Underage Possession of Alcohol x3 10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. Slusher Lot Vandalism of a vehicle

status Unfounded Active Active Student Conduct Student Conduct

13216540656465514

CLAIRE SANDERSON

Arrested Student Conduct Arrested Student Conduct Arrested Inactive Student Conduct Student Conduct Active

CIA: Stiles remembers lost friends from page one

the Soviet Union. As I joke, it kind of screwed up my career trajectory. After that, I started working on Middle East societal issues, and within that, I got into GIS, Geospatial Information Systems. That kind of laid the ground work for what I’ve been doing ever since 9/11. CT: How did your work change postSept. 11? KS: After 9/11, there was a meeting down at the White House and (CIA) Director Tenent said, ‘I can have a team of our officers there in a week or so.’ Through word of mouth, he asked me to come down, talk to him and help him with a problem that he had, as far as all the information being gathered and used for analysis. So I kind of set up the targeting cell for Afghanistan. CT: What exactly is the targeting cell? KS: That means we take all the information we’re gathering in the battlefield and synthesize it to try to figure out where the bad guys are, who they are, how they’re situated to try to figure out how to approach them and go against them — whether it’s our forces, the U.S. military at the time, or Afghan forces. We take in all the different kinds of intelligence. This was kind of the first time this had ever been done, and we tie it all together with GIS.

9/11 changed everybody’s life — certainly, mine tremendously. CT: Can you tell me a little more about what you did in Afghanistan? KS: The agency’s strategy was to put in small teams working with the different Afghan resistance groups. The first team called Jawbreaker went in the northeast corner. The second team kind of went into the central part of Afghanistan south of Mazar-i-Sharif where there were a couple of warlords that were powerful there. Basically we worked with those resistance elements to help them prepare to attack and defeat the Taliban. All of our teams had maybe half of a dozen officers in each team. The leader in each team was a GS15, or an SIS1, senior executive, senior intelligence service. In the military, that’s like putting a general in charge of six privates. All the team leaders were experienced Afghanistan hands, counterterrorism hands, paramilitary officers. My job was to support them with information they were sending back to me. We were getting all the information from all the teams as well as other sources to try to build a picture of the battlefield, if you will, in Afghanistan. We were putting all that together and then sending it back out to the individual teams. These guys were pretty much out there by themselves. We had one team on horseback. All the others were mobile in Toyota pickup trucks are at a warlord’s base of operations. Then, the U.S. military got involved with an air campaign in which the different teams helped target enemy locations for the bombing effort. So I was helping air teams. When I got there in ’02 I was also working with the Afghan units that were helping stand up and fight the Taliban, and protect their government, as well as working with U.S. military units that were in country. CT: What was the hardest part about your job the past decade? KS: Losing four friends. I carry them on my bracelet. That was definitely the hardest. The first casualty of the war was a case officer by the name of Mike Spann — he was a former marine officer working for us. He was in Mazar-iSharif. They had captured a tremendous amount of Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and put them in this fortress. There was an uprising and he got caught in the uprising and was killed. It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

Our second casualty occurred in January of ’02 in Khost, Afghanistan — a guy by the name of Nate Chapman. He was an army sergeant detailed to us, so he was active duty but in essence working for the CIA. He was a good friend. That and certainly leaving my family the number of times I did, and the length. Prior to 9/11, I was just the (director of intelligence). I may go to conferences overseas, maybe go to some sort of training, but I never did the kind of travelling I did after 9/11. Probably for about half of 2002 I was elsewhere. CT: Why did you want to travel so much? KS: I thought I could help by being on the ground. There’s nothing like being shoulder to shoulder to the officers that are going to be going out and doing the operation. There’s nothing like being there and knowing the ground truth, and knowing what’s going on. CT: What have been some of the most rewarding experiences? KS: Probably the neatest episode was when I was leaving Afghanistan, I had been working with the Afghan intelligence service. On my last day there, my interpreter asked if I would give them the honor of having lunch with the guards. I said sure, absolutely. Now when I use the term guards, I mean boys younger than you — they were 16, 17, 18 years old, guarding the facility. They had only known war. Most had been born and raised in the Panjshir Valley, up in the northeast, probably in a cave or up a valley. When they became of school age, their parents would send them to Pakistan because there were no schools up there. They came back to help fight against the Taliban. These guys didn’t know what I was doing, of course they were not cleared, their job was to guard me. But through my interpreter, they said, ‘Mr. Ken, they want to thank you for coming a world away to help us. They know that you have small children, and you have left those children to come help us.’ So one would run off to get some bread, one would run off to get some Pepsis and gave me these little gifts to give to my children. I truly think those people saw us and what we were doing as their last chance to have a free country from the tyranny of the Taliban. It’s hard to explain what that felt like with those kids — I mean soldiers, but literally kids. That definitely sticks out in my mind.

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

september 13, 2011

Your Views [letters to the editor]

West Virginia joke not needed

MCT CAMPUS

Networking key to job search et’s face it, getting a job or L internship is becoming nearly impossible without some inside help. A friend of a friend, a former colleague or even an acquaintance met at a party all seem to have the potential to serve as tickets to dream jobs — but more people are realizing this. And people are calling acquaintances friends with greater ease to foster friendships purely for self-interested, albeit professional, goals. Websites such as LinkedIn have made an entire platform based on the palpable value that networking has, as well as the demand for it. The idea of displaying your resume for all professional acquaintances to see seems to advocate a “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” mentality. Whether this is good or bad, the reality is that this is the direction job hunting is taking. Regardless of whether we like it, networking is a skill that needs to be added to our arsenal as young professionals. In the past, it has been commonly thought that connections and networking were only necessary skills for government or big companies. However, as a result of heightened competition, these skills and tactics are becoming increasingly relevant for all young professionals entering the job market. Personally, I cringe at the idea of networking. Still, there is no choice but to cope with this growing reality of the professional world. I lean toward believing that the growing relevance of networking paints a picture of a very grim reality — gone are the days that true merit and qualifications alone garner an person with a job. With this strategy, much more fuzzy factors come into play, ranging from likeability to mere word-on-the-street information about a person. This new state of affairs is disheartening for

those who cherish the notion of healthy competition and a may-thebest-man-win attitude among job seekers. For me, networking brings to mind the infamous “elevator speech.” Increasingly taught in development seminars, the tactic entails catching a high-up from a company in the elevator, and selling employers on your most interesting and relevant life story. It’s hard not to grimmace at the notion that the elevator speech is becoming a prevailing job-hunting technique. The driving factor behind the networking era is, as most things in the news today, largely attributed to the struggling economy. With unemployment as high as it is, competition for jobs is arguably at an all time high. As a result, it has become common to seek an in-road to a job or internship, as the regular process of submitting an application and waiting for a response often proves too improbable to leave to chance. This leaves students and job-seekers, even those who personally dislike the idea, left with no choice but to expand their own job networks. To stay ahead of the curve, students need to adapt to the everchanging pace of the world, which is changing rapidly. Every moment of the day is defined by business deals, stock fluctuations, website launches, and workers being laid off and hired. As young adults hovering somewhere around 20 years old, we have a good chunk of our lives ahead of us, and this ever-changing world is the only one we will know. A second, and possibly more pertinent, reason to pay attention to this movement is many researchers agree that networking is an inherently difficult task for the vast majority of people.

While this may seem obvious, it is important to recognize because it shows networking is a learned skill. People spend entire courses studying marketing, while all of us are expecting to market ourselves to strangers, often in just a few sentences. The importance of networking is becoming so apparent that courses on it are being taught at the graduate level in public and business administration. Additionally, a simple Google search brings up several websites’ teaching tips, tricks and strategies aimed at successfully training people to network well. People need to be prepared to essentially link up with someone to act as an advertisement of them so they may do the same for us. Lastly, networking college students should be aware that the way they perform at a specific job or internship can follow them much longer than they hope or predict, simply because of increased communication. The more people we know also means the more people our bosses and colleagues know. Word on the street gets out, and fast. Leaving a good impression on a family friend or an employer from an internship is just another way of proving your abilities. Although the backhanded appearance of networking is lamentable in a culture centered on meritocracy, it is nonethess a necessary skill to be sucesseful in finding the job of your dreams.

NOOR KHALIDI -regular columnist -senior -economics major

Sept. 11 inconsistencies still unresolved increasing amount of An Americans are questioning the official story of the events that transpired on Sept. 11, 2001. Rallying cries such as “9/11 was an Inside Job,” “9/11 Truth,” and “Investigate 9/11” have been swirling around. According to the official story, as put forth by the federal government, 19 Sunni Muslims — planning and coordinating from the caves and fields of a remote Third World nation — hijacked four commercial jetliners, evaded the most sophisticated defense system in the world, and flew said jetliners into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. What drove these men to carry out the suicidal mission, the narrative goes, was not United States sanctions, interventions and occupations overseas, but simply the fact that “Americans are rich and free.” Anyone who dares to question the official narrative is deemed a “conspiracy theorist.” This is quite ironic considering the official story itself is a conspiracy theory — after all, the very definition of a conspiracy is two or more people meeting in secret to carry out an evil or unlawful plan. Regardless of whether government officials are telling the truth about Sept. 11, those who question the official story raise some interesting questions that every American should at least consider. Many questions still surround the collapse of 7 World Trade Center. Everyone is aware that 1 World Trade Center and 2 World Trade Center collapsed that day, but few realize another 52-story-tall building collapsed eight hours later. Typing “WTC7” or “World Trade Tower 7” into YouTube brings up thousands of videos of the building. To the unemotional and rational observer it is perfectly clear that fire and structural damage — neither of which were significantly present — did not bring the skyscraper down demolition style. Before Sept. 11, fire had never collapsed a steel reinforced concrete sky-

scraper. Typing “skyscraper fire” into YouTube enables viewers to see dozens of skyscraper fires over the past few decades. Some of the fires were literally towering infernos that spanned dozens of floors. Not a single one of them collapsed. Miraculously, though, on Sept. 11, fires brought down three modernday skyscrapers. It is incredibly difficult to bring down a skyscraper. Even under the controlled situation of a planned demolition, things go wrong. Typing “skyscraper demolition” into YouTube brings up numerous botched demolitions. The mystery surrounding WTC7 has birthed groups such as Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth. This group, comprised of over 1,500 architects and engineers, is calling for a new investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. Family members of Sept. 11 victims have also started their own groups. One in particular, Remember Building 7, is in the process of flooding New York’s media with commercials about 7 World Trade Center. Other questions surround the bizarre crash sites at Shanksville, Penn., and the Pentagon. Searching Google images for pictures of the crash sites show the absence of airplane debris. The wreckage of Flight 93 at Shanksville looks like it could fit inside a shoebox, and a Toyota pickup would have no problem hauling away Flight 77’s wreckage from the Pentagon. What really fuels speculation is the fact that the Pentagon has yet to release video footage of Flight 77 crashing into the outer wall — even though every square inch of the Pentagon was under surveillance, only a few still shots have been released where it is not even possible to distinguish an airplane from a cruise missile. These and countless other questions have been raised about Sept. 11. The questioning of the official story has spawned dozens of documentaries, such as “Loose Change 2nd

Edition,” “Loose Change Final Cut” and “Terrorstorm,” all of which are available on YouTube. Netflix users can watch “9/11 Press For Truth” and “Loose Change An American Coup.” The former is about Sept. 11 family members and their push for a true investigation into the attacks — the latter addresses the history of false-flag attacks, and how governments use real or simulated crises to strip citizens of their rights and liberties. Under the guise of a War on Terrorism, Washington started two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians; started quasi-wars in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya, where unmanned aerial drones continue to terrorize local populaces; spied on its own citizens through illegal, warrantless eavesdropping of emails and phone calls; assassinated or indefinitely detained foreigners without due process, while claiming the right to do the same to American citizens; and militarized and federalized local police that are increasingly resorting to extremely violent tactics against non-violent citizens. Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11. Because the U.S. government used Sept. 11 as a justification for the seemingly neverending War on Terror, every American should educate themselves about the tragic event. Although researching the matter might not answer all the questions raised by those who do not believe the official story, it may wake a person up to the fact that there are many inconsistencies in the government’s account of that day.

CHRIS DUNN -regular columnist -graduate student -political science

I wanted to give some feedback (i.e. my opinion) to Collin Carroll on the use of West Virginia stereotypes in our school newspaper. First of all, freshen up your writing. You want to use imagery, try something fresh. It’s not a new or particularly apropos stereotype. Second, try self-editing next time. How is it that I am reading a stereotype about a West Virginian hermit several sentences into a sports article? It didn’t need to be there, and I don’t care what else you have to say because I’m hung up on something you didn’t even give pause to. Lastly, although First Amendment rights trump what I’m about to say, try having a little more tact when you’re writing a column for a mixed group of people. My parents are from W.Va., and I get instantly heated when someone says something defamatory about the state — and why shouldn’t I? I am deeply insulted when someone insults my home state of Virginia. To think that that type of cheesy stereotype is really in the same league as other (wellwritten) articles in the Collegiate Times is laughable to me.

Cristen Chaﬁn biomedical and veterinary sciences

Paul’s ideas are not on the fringe It is very encouraging to see a relatively non-biased and intellectual article about Ron Paul and Gary Johnson. Jordan Plahn is one of many Americans who is finally starting to wake up and see the corruption on both sides of the aisle in Washington and feel the need for non-establishment candidates. I applaud Plahn for a well-written article — however, the article fails to see past blatant media bias against Paul. Furthermore, Plahn seems to accept it as fact. I am personally sick of hearing Paul is a “fringe” candidate and additionally that his views are “unconventional.” Plahn’s use of the term “protest candidate” is no better. Whether you agree with Paul, his federalist-libertarian philosophy more closely resembles that of our nation’s founders than any other politician. Austrian (or as Plahn used, Hayekian) economics and the

belief in free markets is not something new or unconventional, it is what our nation was built upon. Suggesting that preemptive wars of aggression are usually based on lies, promoted by propaganda, do not serve to improve our national security and are unconstitutional without a formal declaration of war from Congress is not fringe — it’s principled and honest. As for the War on Drugs, it has utterly failed us worse than Prohibition, so not only is it unconstitutional, it’s not working. I fail to see how any human capable of rational thinking cannot see this. Billions of dollars have been spent to stop Joe College from smoking a joint and this effort has only been successful in creating organized crime, prisons full of non-violent offenders and, ironically, cheaper, more potent and available drugs. It shocks me that anyone would believe anything from a candidate who refuses to admit this. RealClearPolitics.com average has Paul in third place among declared candidates at 8.3 percent nationally. A recent Gallup poll has him as high as 14 percent nationally. John Huntsman is at a meager 1.3 percent — that is a fringe candidate. It is high time we recognize Paul as a top-tier candidate and accept that his views are resonating with people. People are tired of lies, demagoguery and corruption. Any politician who would not admit the wars in Iraq and Afganistan are not for freedom but are a racket for the special interests, will not admit the War on Drugs has failed, and would not admit that Keynesian economics and the Federal Reserve essentially equate to socialism for the rich should be considered “fringe” (read: liars). Paul placed second (a very close second) at Ames in Iowa and is polling consistently in the top four nationally. Of course the media and the establishment candidates want you to believe he is a protest candidate: If he was elected, their pockets would no longer be stuffed with the corrupt money of special interests groups. The revolution may not be televised, but you can be sure the people of America are waking up.

Eric Smith President, Libertarians at Virginia Tech

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4 arts & entertainment

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

setember 13, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

‘Contagion’ leaves viewers searching for hand sanitizer ith the onset of cold and W flu season comes Steven Soderbergh’s disaster film

suburban father (Matt Damon), doctors (Kate Winslet and Laurence Fishburne), epidemiologist (Marion Cotillard), and Internet blogger preaching government conspiracy (Jude Law). This cast, boasting an impressive Oscar track record filled with both nominations and wins, does not disappoint. All actors are believable. Matt Damon delivered a standout performance, not so much because he was better than all the other actors, but because he didn’t pale in comparison to them. What makes “Contagion” different and better than other pandemic films, such as “Outbreak” (1995), is

“Contagion.” If you consider yourself to be a hypochondriac, stop reading now, and whatever you do, don’t see this movie. Playing out like most epidemic/ pandemic films do, “Contagion” follows the fictional MEV-1 virus as it latches on to an unsuspecting host and rapidly spreads throughout the world in a matter of weeks. MEV-1 is essentially a mutated version of the very-real bird flu — it produces flu-like symptoms and kills the host within days. The characters vary and include

that it plays out as more of a documentary than a Hollywood disaster movie. No, “Contagion” is not meant to be a faux documentary a la “District 9” (2009), but the briefness of each character’s story lines, the wide sweeping view of the world in crisis — as opposed to a small town or even one city — and the detachment of the audience from the characters does have the feel of a documentary. Some may view the cold, starkness of the movie as a negative aspect. It’s hard to become emotionally invested in a film if the characters are illustrated as broader portraits of society. I honestly kept expect-

ing Matt Damon to break out some “Bourne Identity” moves and find the cure for MEV-1 with only his bare fists. In any decent story, there is typically a character that desires something and then in some way attains — or doesn’t attain — what he or she desires. Often there are obstacles and some sort of change that occurs within the character — physically, emotionally, mentally or whatever. Many of the strongest movies have powerful characters who exhibit this. However, many people may feel the character development was lacking, or even missing, after seeing “Contagion.”

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WORDSEARCH: Chick Flicks Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid. C

Q W

K W

O W

W N

WORD BANK 1 The Notebook 2 Titanic 3 Pretty Woman 4 Valentine’s Day 5 Dirty Dancing 6 Sixteen Candles 7 Sex and the City 8 Steel Magnolias 9 Bride Wars 10 Clueless 11 Definitely Maybe 12 In Her Shoes 13 Bring It On 14 Legally Blonde 15 Mean Girls 16 Sweet Home Alabama 17 Miss Congeniality

8 Bank holding 9 Saxon start 10 Chute above the beach 11 Persian Gulf emirate 12 Like some mortgages 13 DDE predecessor 18 Rope fiber 22 Paternity proof, briefly 24 Mud nest builders 25 Naysayer 27 It surrounds Lesotho: Abbr. 29 ’80s-’90s legal drama, and this puzzle’s title 30 The Daily Beast, e.g. 33 To be, to Brutus 34 Like the Islamic calendar 9/13/11 9/10/11

By James Sajdak

ACROSS 1 Beginning for the birds? 4 Shaq on the court 9 Beat __ to one’s door 14 Vietnam Veterans Memorial architect 15 Ramadi resident 16 Local cinemas, colloquially 17 Whip-cracking cowboy of old films 19 Weight room sound

20 Venetian arch shape 21 Ethel, to Lucy 23 Canyon-crossing transport 26 Fridge raider 28 Hong Kong harbor craft 29 Field for the fold 31 Remote power sources? 32 Thing to blow off 34 Sign before Scorpio 35 Sky blue 38 Postgrad hurdle 40 “Cosmos” host

62 Parks and others 41 Lotto relative 42 Assure, with “up” 63 Zellweger of 43 Titan is its largest “Chicago” moon 64 Prince Valiant’s son 48 Most foxy 50 Landmass DOWN encompassing 1 Doles out the Urals 2 Cialis competitor 51 Wax-filled illumination 3 Tailor’s measure 4 Van Gogh work 54 Bombast 55 Artist’s topper 5 Gun lobby org. 56 Victor’s chuckle 6 Ahead of time 59 Conductor Previn 7 Shade in the 60 Came up Caribbean 61 Sargasso or Coral

35 Refs’ whistle holders 36 Natural burn balm 37 Pitts of “The Gale Storm Show” 38 Signs off on 39 Chile __: stuffed Mexican dish 42 N.L. team managed by Tony La Russa since 1996 44 Scarlett’s home 45 World Cup chant 46 Horseshoes feat 47 Revolutionary Hale 49 Fully fills 50 Hewlett-Packard rival 52 Banned orchard spray 53 Full-grown filly 55 Setting for many a joke 57 Taoist Lao-__ 58 Majors in acting Friday’s Puzzle Solved

9/9/11

Many of the characters in the film are flat, but the most important character of the movie is not. The virus itself becomes the main character. The impersonal filming of the human characters was done on purpose. The audience watches in horror as MEV-1 spreads throughout the world, tearing apart families, causing widespread panic and leaving no one unharmed. In a way, MEV-1 becomes a sort of super villain. “Contagion” is terrifying to watch, but even while trying to cover your eyes with your hands, you find yourself peaking out from the cracks between your fingers.

“Contagion” is not going to satisfy every movie-goer. It has a different feel to it than many blockbuster movies. But for those curious enough, it is definitely worth going to see. Scary and intriguing, “Contagion” is one of those films that leaves you thinking about it days after it’s over. So what are you waiting for? Grab a bottle of hand sanitizer, wipe off that theater seat with some Lysol and go enjoy “Contagion.”

COURTNEY BAKER - movie reviewer - senior - political science major

sports 5

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

september 13, 2011

Hokie football: Passing offense struggles in first real test ou didn’t expect it to be pretty, did you? YWhen Virginia Tech walked out of Greenville with a sloppy 17-10 win over East Carolina, head coach Frank Beamer was the first to offer an apology to his players. “I’m disappointed with

“

I’m disappointed with the penalties ... We had eight penalties in the ﬁrst half ... I think when you play like that, you’re just mentally not quite where you need to be, and that’s my fault. FRANK BEAMER HEAD COACH

myself about how we came out and played,” Beamer said. I’m disappointed with all the penalties. We had two interceptions called back by penalties — we had eight penalties in the first half, one interception in the red zone, missed a field goal, we dropped a pass, had a punt for 30 yards — it was just over and over. I think when you play like that, you’re just mentally not quite where you need to be, and that’s my fault.” Beamer knows an ugly win when he sees one. Saturday’s victory marked his 200th with the Hokies. He can thank many of those victories to his lunch pail defense bailing out a beleaguered offensive output. Throw the 66-13 win over FCS (formerly Division I-AA) Appalachian State out the window in week one. Saturday marked Tech’s first test against one of its own — an FBS program, that is. Logan Thomas completed just eight of 20 passes for 91 yards and zero touchdowns in his first career road start as the Hokies quarterback. While every pass he threw was not perfect, there were several key drops that did not help his cause. Danny Coale and Marcus Davis both dropped would-be touchdowns, to go along with a pair of consecutive drops by D.J. Coles and Jarrett Boykin on a crucial third-quarter possession. Meanwhile, Bud Foster’s defense absolutely smothered

the explosive Pirates offense most of the evening. Dominique Davis passed for just 127 yards while being sacked five times. The relentless pressure generated by Tech’s defensive line made it nearly impossible for the Pirates to consistently move the ball, which was crucial considering how generous East Carolina’s average field position was. The Pirates started, on average, at their own 33-yard line (Tech’s was its own 26). They went three plays and out on three of its final four possessions of the game. After the Hokies trailed 7-3 at halftime, they virtually abandoned the passing game in the final two quarters. After halftime, the Hokies ran the ball 27 times while throwing just 10 passes. Thomas rushed 11 times for 66 yards. Such a heavy workload exposed Thomas, who is backed up by an extremely unproven Mark Leal, to a lot of physical punishment. “I actually feel OK right now,” Thomas said. “I’ll probably be a little sore tomorrow ... I’ll take my beatings and go with them ... I’m not one to shy away from contact, and that’s what I got here.” If it weren’t for a pair of cupcake opponents in Arkansas State and Marshall on the horizon, it would be more of the same from the Tech offense for the foreseeable future. The passing game is just not clicking yet, and there is no chemistry between Thomas and his receivers. Expect that to be the main focal point in the next two weeks as Tech prepares to host Clemson and Miami at the start of October. The Hokies can only hope that is enough time to bridge the gap between Thomas and the receiving corps because scoring points is only going to become more difficult later in the season. East Carolina ranked dead last in the country in 2010 in total defense. While it is an improved unit in 2011, Tech had no business scoring only 17 points against it. South Carolina scored 56 points against the Pirates a week earlier. An unbelievably favorable schedule means the Hokies still have a realistic chance at an undefeated season — it’s just that

Men’s soccer stuns Tar Heels in 2OT HOKIES USE SOLID DEFENSE, GAME-WINNING GOAL TO OPEN ACC PLAY WITH HUGE UPSET DAVID COOPER sports staff writer Everything seemed to fall into place Saturday night for the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team. The weather was perfect, the crowd was electric and the result was an upset of the No. 1-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. Coming into Blacksburg, the Tar Heels were riding a bit of a high, after having beaten previously No. 1-ranked Louisville the week prior. Their focus may not have been all there, and it showed early on. The Hokies started off well as the midfielders were able to keep the ball on the Tar Heels’ side of the field for most of the half. It was a very physical game, as three Tech players picked up yellow cards before the 45 minute mark. Forward Michael Garrick went down hard in the 14th minute after a North Carolina defender took out his legs as he was jumping for the ball. Luckily, Garrick was able to reenter the game in the second half and was a strong component to the Hokies’ win. By the end of regulation, the Hokies were on the ropes as North Carolina outshot them 19 to six. The score remained tied at zero, due — in most part — to the play of Tech goalkeeper Kyle Renfro, who accumulated nine saves over the course of the game. The best save of the night came in the 97th minute as North Carolina attackers got the ball inside the box for a close range shot that bounced off Renfro and was headed out of the goal by a Tech defender. “I was dialed in every minute of the game,” Renfro, who put his skills on display Saturday night

in front of a near-capacity crowd, said.

“

We trained hard. We knew they were going to be good and control the ball a lot. All of those things proved to be true. MIKE BRIZENDINE HEAD COACH

With time running out in the second overtime period, the game seemed as if it would inevitably end in a tie. The Hokies defense was simply trying to stay alive against a North Carolina offensive onslaught until Tech captain, James Shupp, found himself inside the box and punched the ball into the back of the net from six yards out. “I just put myself in the right spot at the right time, and luckily, it went in,” Shupp said. No one on the field seemed more deserving to hit the gamewinning goal than the fifth-year senior, who is one of the few veteran players on the young Tech team. Mike Brizendine, the head coach, was “ecstatic about the win,” which he conceded was the biggest of his coaching career. The team’s preparation proved to help the Hokies with the win. “We trained hard,” he said. “We knew they were going to be good and control the ball a lot. All of those things proved to be true.” The team will wrap up their five-game home stand against Longwood University Tuesday, hoping to build off this monumental win. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

easy of a slate — that is assuming the offense, mainly Thomas, can make the necessary progress. The sophomore is oozing with potential, but he and the coaching staff must figure out how best to use it in time for the meat of the season. All signs point to the Hokies defense being back to its usual self after a lapse in dominance in 2010. The pressure now sits squarely on the shoulders of the offense — namely Thomas. “It’s right around the corner,” Thomas said of the offense finding a rhythm. “I think we’ll get better throughout the year, and once we do we’ll be a tough offense to stop.” It would certainly help things.

JOSH PARCELL -sports reporter -senior -communication major

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Top: David Wilson (4) is brought down by East Carolina defense. Below: East Carolina’s Bradley Jacobs (3) attempts to take down Josh Oglesby.

6 weekend september 23, 200913fff, 2011 september

page B editors: lindsey brookbank, kim walter featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES