Thursday, September 15, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Thursday, September 15, 2011

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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 86

News, page 2

Weekend, page 6

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 5

Classifieds, page 4

Sudoku, page 4

Functional? CODY OWENS news reporter

SSES A L C H AT TRO M OMPUTERS N I E K A C ENTS T S LEARN VIA D U T S F RITY O S THOUSAND O N I M TINY ACHERS, A E WITH T

Some freshmen may never have to raise a red plastic cup, at least not for academic reasons. More than 2,000 students, mostly freshmen, take introductory math courses online at the Math Emporium, where human teaching comes by request only. However, 93 students are currently taking Math 1015 and 1016, the most popular freshmen requirement courses, not on a computer, but in a classroom. For some students, not having a professor teaching the calculus courses and presently answering questions can hinder the learning process. “I don’t understand how freshmen are supposed to be able to teach themselves calculus without a teacher,” said Adam Pearcy, a sophomore biochemistry major. “Maybe an upperclassman, but certainly not a freshman.” But now, some students don’t have to “teach themselves.” During summer sessions I and II, a professor taught Math 1015 and 1016 in McBryde Hall. The classroom seated a maximum of 40 people. The Empo, which is open 24/7, houses 537 Apple computers and is the testing location for seven math courses, including Math 1015 and 1016. It has graduate assistants and instructors available to help with math questions, but students must hail them by placing a cup on top of their computers. The Empo has received praise from some students, as it allows them to work on their own time and continually practice problems to prepare for quizzes. Last fall semester, the average grade point

average for a section of 54 students taking Math 1015 at the Empo was 2.52. This summer, the class average of 29 students taking the same course in a McBryde classroom was 3.05. While 10 sections of Math 1015 are currently taught in the Empo, three sections are in McBryde — the same small setting as the summer. The McBryde-based classes meet for 50 minutes a day, Monday through Friday, and seat about 30 students each. Susan Anderson, who has taught Math 1015 in a classroom setting since 2003, said the courses have been offered at both the Empo and in a classroom for years. “Students learn differently,” Anderson said. “Many students enjoy using technology to learn mathematics, while others prefer a classroom setting with a teacher. We have been able to offer three lecture sections of Math 1015 each fall for years.” Anderson said her fall lecture classes consist of 30 to 35 students who turn in homework daily and receive graded assignments. Another professor for Math 1015, Marlene Cothren, said this format allows for a close relationship with her students. “We quickly learn our students’ names, have a real sense of their different mathematical levels and are able to personalize our lectures for each class,” Cothren said. “We enjoy our students and teaching the material.” Cothren said most of her students find success in the course. “Students have said the daily drills of classroom problems and homework problems have greatly helped them to undersee EMPO / page four

MATH GRADES In-Class Averages:

Summer Session I 2011

3.05 1.93

MATH 1015: MATH 1016: Empo Averages:

2.35 2.45

MATH 1015: MATH 1016:

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Spring 2011

DANIELLE BUYNAK / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Students to embark on new trip KELSEY JO STARR news staff writer By the spring, 32 honors students hope to be very uncomfortable. The students will be participating in the Presidential Global Scholars Program, which focuses on study abroad. The program is not majorspecific but designed to make students “global scholars,” according to its website. “What this does is it puts a student in a situation where they’re uncomfortable,” said Terry Papillon, director of the program and University Honors. “If they’re going to be significant citizens internationally, they need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.” The program will take the students to Riva San Vitale in Switzerland. “We’re going to take students from all different colleges and all different departments, and talk about things that are generally applicable to students who are going to be active citizens locally, nationally and globally,” Papillon said. “The discipline is honors.” The classes will be taught almost exclusively by university distinguished professors, most recommended by

University President Charles Steger. “I think the program is great because it has an all-star cast,” said Harry Rosenbaum, a fifth-year architecture student. Rosenbaum went to Riva San Vitale in the past with an architecture program. The honors students will live and study at Riva San Vitale along with a new group of 16 architecture students. With 48 Virginia Tech students in all, Papillon said he hopes to keep cultural problems to a minimum while in Switzerland and maintain the program’s reputation. “Switzerland is a little bit more guarded, so it’s a little bit harder for American students to break into the culture of Riva San Vitale,” Papillon said. “It’s also a relatively small town so we try as best as we can to integrate the students into the community. But 48 students is a pretty big number for a town this size.” Chris Prohoda, a junior engineering and materials science major, said he is enthusiastic about being immersed in a new culture, and he applied even though he will probably be staying at Tech for an extra semester because of the trip. “I’m excited to explore such a stunning country,” he said. “I love Europe.”

While Tech students have had one or two serious drinking-related incidents in Riva San Vitale in past years, Papillon said these were not unusual for a study abroad trip. Riva San Vitale poses the additional challenge of not being a very tourist-heavy area, where English is not widely spoken. It is located in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, so a local instructor will teach students Italian during the semester. Because this will be the program’s first year, there is no language requirement for students applying to go on the trip, but for future GSP trips, elementary Italian will be a prerequisite. Paul Heilker, an English professor, is traveling with the group, and said he hopes to teach students to reach across cultural and language barriers. “There’s a lot of talk of being a global citizen, but what does that mean?” Heilker asked. “Global awareness is one thing — getting outside of your own cultural context, learning to speak across intercultural barriers.” Heilker plans to accomplish this by teaching his students the communication skills necessary to reach out to all cultures, regardless of language. Instead of courses lasting the see ABROAD / page two

Parking lot to close KELSEY JO STARR news staff writer

Prices Fork Parking Lot 4 will close next week, so construction on the new Signature Engineering Building can begin. The construction will displace 400 commuter/ graduate student parking spots. The Stranger Street entrance to the faculty parking lot will also be closed. People who want enter the lot must now use the entrance off Perry Street. Full information on possible parking alternatives can be found by going on the Virginia Tech parking website, Parking.vt.edu.

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

september 15, 2011

crime blotter

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

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

date reported

time

offense

location

status

arrestees

9/13/2011

5:30 a.m.

Vandalism to a door

Newman Library

Inactive

N/A

9/14/2011

1:20 a.m.

Found Property (Golf Cart)

Lane Stadium area

Inactive

N/A

what you’re saying //comments from online readers... Robin>> I’d love to let me kids try this out but we don’t have an iDevices. Any plans to open it up to other platforms?

Mark>> You know...for all you business majors out there...

On Sept. 11, 2001 issues still being unresolved: terrible>> There’s very little worse than someone who refuses to believe basic science and engineering and I can’t believe the CT gives a platform for false rumors flat out lies to be spread.It’s very simple. A plane fully loaded with jet fuel slammed into each building where the resulting fire weakened the structural supports until the buildings collapsed. Massive structural and fire damage to WTC7 caused its eventual collapse. http://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/ wtc/wtc_finalreports.cfmAnd specifically about WTC7: http://www.nist.gov/manuscriptpublication-search.cfm?pub_id=861610Read those instead of watching some pixelated youtube footage with an agenda stapled to it.

Abroad: Students weigh cost whole semester, students will take a series of two-week modules. The classes based on various disciplines, including science in a global context, writing, Italian, culture and leadership. The modules will total 18 credit hours, and cover areas two, three and seven of the curriculum of liberal

education. “(The modules) will be directly relevant to Europe and where we are,” said Kim Carlson, the assistant director of the program. We’ll be thinking about why these things matter to the rest of the world.” In addition to Tech tuition, students are asked to pay around $3,000 for their own travel and other

nation

Spotify doesn’t quite hit the spot

On the new app to help teach fractions:

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13216540656465514

COLLEGIATETIMES

fees. “It would put a financial strain on me,” Rosenbaum said. “But if students can make it work, I would highly recommend it.” Financial aid is available via the education abroad office. Papillon has also been putting money aside personally for scholarships to ensure that any student who wants to go has the opportunity.

Subscription services have been touted as the future of music for the past decade. But at least in this country, they’ve never taken off. However, a new generation of digital music services have started to crop up that have many tech pundits abuzz that the era subscription music has finally arrived. Much of this enthusiasm has been focused on the recent — and much anticipated — U.S. launch of Spotify. Ballyhooed in Europe, where it got its start, Spotify has much in common with earlier subscription offerings. For a monthly fee, consumers can listen to any song in Spotify’s catalog of 15 million tracks and play them as many times as they want. The service streams those songs over the Internet to users, allowing them to listen to the songs instantly. But Spotify purports to offer a “new way” of listening to music that goes well beyond previous services.

For example, consumers can listen to a limited amount of music from Spotify for free, choosing the songs they want to hear and creating playlists. Users have to pay for the service only if they want to listen to an unlimited number of songs each month or if they want to use the service on their mobile devices. Spotify also touts that it was built with social networking in mind. Users can post on Facebook and Twitter a link to the songs they are listening to so their friends can listen in also. By signing into Facebook from the Spotify software, users can share playlists they’ve created and view and even download playlists posted by their friends. The service has other cool features. One, called Artist Radio, is similar to Pandora: It essentially creates a “radio station,” or stream of songs, based on one particular artist. If you choose Artist Radio while looking at a profile

of The Decemberists, for example, you might also hear songs by The New Pornographers, The Jayhawks and Wilco. It can be a great way to discover new music. To use Spotify, you have to download the company’s music player software, which looks a lot like Apple’s iTunes. The application allows you to play software not only from the service, but also songs stored on your computer. Additionally, Spotify offers apps for the iPhone and for Android devices that allow users to stream music from the Internet and to download songs to play when they are offline. The basic appeal of services such as Spotify has long been obvious: The ability to instantly play any song without having to buy it or wait to download it. - Troy Wolverton, mcclatchy newspapers

world Palestine still aims for UN recognition JERUSALEM — Palestinian leaders will ask the United Nations Security Council for full U.N. membership, Palestinian officials said Tuesday, despite a U.S. vow to veto the request fears that it could be fatal blow to the moribund peace process. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas scheduled an announcement for Friday night, as two senior U.S. envoys prepared to return to the region to mount a last-ditch effort to revive PalestinianIsraeli peace talks, which have been stalled for nearly a year. European Union officials, meanwhile, pursued their effort to prevent a new crisis in the Middle East. struggling to draft a compromise U.N. resolution that could satisfy Palestinians and Israelis. But a U.S.-based European diplomat, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely, admitted that EU members were deeply divided. He said that reaching a deal before the new U.N. General Assembly opens next week was “a long shot.” “There will be a U.S. veto and then we enter unchartered waters,” he said. Maen Rashid Areikat, the Palestinian Liberation Organization representative to the United States, said Abbas would ask the Security Council next week to pass a reso-

lution upgrading the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations to “non-member observer state” status. “We want to seek full membership ... and seek a resolution in the Security Council,” he said in Washington, adding that Lebanon, the current council president, has agreed to sponsor the resolution “on our behalf.” Non-member observer status is the lowest level of full U.N. membership. It would confer on the PLO, which runs the Palestinian Authority, the same standing as the Vatican, giving it a seat in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly and access to international institutions like the International Criminal Court. The PLO is currently a U.N. observer without voting rights. Mohammad Shtayyeh, a senior official of Fatah, the largest faction in the PLO, was quoted by the Al-Jazeera satellite network as also announcing, “We are going to the Security Council.” “We are going to seek full membership based on the 1967 borders,” he told a news conference in the West Bank administrative center of Ramallah, referring to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, lands captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

The move is fiercely opposed by Israel, which denounces it as an attack on its legitimacy and a “unilateral step” tantamount to seeking recognition of Palestinian statehood in violation of the 1993 Oslo Accords, which call for a negotiated settlement. “Peace will be achieved only through direct negotiations and not through unilateral moves,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli officials have threatened unspecified retaliation for any Palestinian attempt to seek full U.N. membership. The measures could include the withholding from the Palestinian Authority of tax revenues that Israel collects for the Palestinians and accelerated construction of Jewish settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians, experts said. President Barack Obama and his top aides for weeks have asserted that the United States, one of five vetowielding permanent Security Council members, would block such a resolution. They contend that approval of the resolution would undermine U.S.-led efforts to revive direct talks on establishing a Palestinian state - Sheera Frenkel and Jonathan S. Landay, mcclatchy newspapers

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september 15, 2011

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Your Views [letter to the editor]

name is Christopher My Mortweet, and I am writing to bring attention to Matt Gabriele, a candidate for the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors District G. Matt has secured the Democratic nomination, and I am thrilled that he is making the effort to enter public service. Matt is exactly the type of voice we need on our Board of Supervisors. Not only is he a young, intelligent Virginia Tech professor, but he is also a model citizen. Matt understands the issues facing the Blacksburg community and will bring fresh new ideas with him. Through his work on the Board of Trustees for the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Libraries, he has seen some of the issues facing local governance. Matt is a family man with a second-grader attending Gilbert Linkous Elementary School. His wife is also active in downtown revitalization. We need real community members like Matt Gabriele making decisions for our district. I wholeheartedly support his candidacy and encourage you to visit his website G4Gabriele.com.

Cut line

-Christopher Mortweet senior biochemistry major MCT CAMPUS

Religion a pitfall for GOP uring the Republican presidenD tial primaries in 2008, Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who is also a pastor, addressed a religious question by asserting that Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office. His answer defused the religious tension the question created, but concern remained. It turned out that almost all the candidates in that election faced questions regarding their faith. Today’s field of candidates is facing the same concerns. There is a general — and perhaps valid — view that Republicans have become the party of religion or, to be more specific, fundamentalist Christians. The labeling of conservatives as “the Religious Right” has been firmly applied and will stick for quite a while. The issues that arise from this label vary from abstract principles of secular government to specific issues, such as teaching evolution in schools. Today’s candidates have so far been able to focus on economics. Social issues have taken the back seat, but they may emerge soon. The candidates sound the same when discussing the economy. With the exception of Ron Paul, a Texas representative, the candidates generally agree on foreign policy. But dialogue regarding social issues, including those of faith, will truly separate the candidates from each other. Texas Gov. Rick Perry understands this and has already brought faith into his campaign. Before he announced his candidacy, Perry attended a prayer rally that served two functions: drawing media attention to his possible bid and gathering evangelical support. But not all the candidates are as willing to flaunt their faith. Both Mormon candidates, Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and John Huntsman, the former governor of Utah and U.S. ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, will want to keep

faith issues more discrete — Gallup polls have shown that a significant portion of voters would not vote for a Mormon. However, if Perry and the other Christian candidates bring faith into the debates, they will also have to be careful. While they need to gather strong Republican support to win the nomination, they also need to appeal to moderates in the general election. Taking a hard stance on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, evolution and others may deter the much needed independent vote. In this regard many of the candidates have been reckless. Michelle Bachman, a Minnesota congresswoman, implied that Hurricane Irene and the recent earthquake were signs from God regarding the state of politics. She later claimed she was being humorous. Regardless of whether her remarks were genuine, she either made a horrible joke or admitted to a disturbing aspect of her faith. Relatively unknown candidate Rick Santorum, a lawyer and former Senator from Pennsylvania — who seems the most quackish — has been more than happy to take a hard stance on social issues. Fortunately for everyone, he doesn’t have much of a chance. Perry is already perceived as being the evangelical’s candidate, and any attempt to secularize his campaign would seem fake. He will also need to target the frontrunner —Romney. While the two may butt heads over their credentials, their bickering is unlikely to significantly sway primary voters. Another weak spot for Romney could be his moderate-conservatism (at least compared to the other candidates). However, those issues had been exploited in 2008, and many Republicans assert that while he isn’t the perfect candidate, he has the best chance of winning. Romney has also protected himself from those attacks by criticizing most of President

Barack Obama’s policies. The best way for Perry to strip supporters from Romney’s camp — and add them to his own — is to pull voter attention to religious issues. But he must exercise caution. Perry’s campaign will most likely have to find a way to bring faith into the mix without directly targeting Romney’s (or Huntsman’s) beliefs specifically. If Perry steps too far, and indirectly insults Mormonism or any other religions, he can push away the moderates in both the Republican primaries and the general election. Republicans have a perception — valid or not — of being against secularism, science and diversity. Politically active evangelists and their followers have transformed the party from that of business to that of religion. While it is returning to its pro-business roots by prioritizing economics, the party still must consider one of its foundational voting blocs — evangelical voters. While economic and policy issues have so far been the main concern of the debate, I fear religious and social issues will surface, further contrasting the candidates. If such issues do arise and carry into the general election, the Republicans will lose to Obama. Useless concerns over the president’s religion, birthplace or hidden agenda will re-enact 2008’s election with a healthy surplus of electoral votes going Obama’s way. Only if the Republican nominee can stay clear of divisive issues, and focus on economic and foreign policies will he or she have a chance to win the presidency.

JOHN LANGLEY -regular columnist -senior -political science major

Boeing suit bad for jobs B

oeing landed itself in the middle of a federal lawsuit earlier this year after it announced it would be locating a manufacturing plant in South Carolina. The new plant will create about 2,000 new jobs — anyone would celebrate the job creation, especially with the current state of the economy. However, Democrats, who consistently put their own interests before those of the American people, are up in arms over Boeing’s decision. You see, most of Boeing’s employees are in Washington state, where unions run amuck. South Carolina, however, is a “right-to-work” state, meaning unions won’t be a problem for the company. Since 1975, Boeing has endured five strikes in Washington. These strikes affect the company’s efficiency, and they cost it a lot of money. (And suddenly it all makes sense as to why Democrats are so in love with unions — they don’t like economic prosperity unless it is their own. So, down with profitable businesses.) Boeing argues that locating the new plant in South Carolina is simply a move that will save the company money. It is a very strategic and financially sound decision for a company that continues to operate during the current economic downturn. Democrats against this decision argue that the company is trying to punish its union workers in Washington. Leave it to the Democratic Party to make an accusation with nothing to back it up. Boeing has never fired any of its unionized employees in Washington, so punishment is not, and has never been, on its agenda. Better yet, no jobs are being moved from Washington. Boeing might be in violation of federal law if they were taking jobs from Washington, but that isn’t the case. The jobs in South Carolina are completely new, and the Democrats

are whining about those 2,000 new jobs, even when unemployment is at 9.1 percent. Just what is so wrong with a “right-to-work” state anyway? What is it about labor unions that make Democrats all warm and fuzzy inside? Clearly unionized employees aren’t worried about honesty and integrity, as many unionized teachers in Wisconsin were seen a few months ago taking fake sick notes from doctors so they could continue protesting in front of the state capitol. Public image isn’t a forte for unions. They also aren’t worried about helping businesses perform well. While auto unions in Detroit, Mich. were demanding so much money for their members that auto line workers were making over $81 per hour in 2006, auto companies were struggling to stay afloat. Hence, auto unions were a major player in the auto industry’s collapse. For Democrats, this issue boils down to campaign contributions. Democratic candidates get most of their campaign contributions from big labor unions. The math is simple. Two thousand additional unionized workers in Washington means more money for Democratic candidates. On the other hand, 2,000 jobs in South Carolina means the only thing the Democrats will get out of those employees is hard work. The fact that so many Democrats have been outspoken with their opposition to the South Carolina plant is mind-boggling. I don’t need to see yet another example of how Democrats are hindering economic growth. I just want politicians on both sides of the aisle to create a business-friendly environment.

MATTHEW HURT -regular columnist -junior -history major

Perry: A dangerous candidate for America In

2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was put to death in the Texas people’s name. This is, of course, nothing unique coming from the state that boasts about its record as the leader of executions in the United States. But the circumstances of this case were strangely different than most. For the first time in its history, Texas ordered a review of the evidence which led to Willingham’s conviction, after his execution, to see if there was enough to support his death. When the committee was prepared to issue its final report in 2009, Texas Gov. Rick Perry suddenly replaced three of its members and installed a personal ally on the board. The report, which was projected to be “scathing,” ended up merely stating the tools for the investigation were outdated and inaccurate. However, the committee refused to actually do its job and form an opinion about the Willingham case. This case is certainly a disgusting example of the horror of capital punishment, but more importantly it is an insight-

ful starting point for studying one of the GOP’s frontrunners for the 2012 presidential nomination: Perry. I have previously written about my overall sense of horror regarding the current contenders for the Republican nomination, but never before have I been so terrified about the prospect of someone winning the White House. Perry shares many of the hateful and disgusting views as his rivals, but what makes Perry far more frightening is that he is relatively successful with voters compared to the lessbalanced competitors. According to Gallup, Perry is a leading candidate in the GOP election. I have had a difficult time figuring out where to begin when analyzing Perry, simply because his very pathetic stewardship of Texas and his campaigning have resulted in such a mass of evidence. Unlike many of his current competitors, Perry is not so much a fascist as he is a theocrat. To be sure, he hates Social Security — calling it a “Ponzi scheme” and socialistic — and Medicare. He thinks

abortion is murder and homosexuals are an abomination, and he believes “if you don’t support the death penalty and citizens packing a pistol,” then you should stay away from Texas. So it seems quite obvious that he touts the common totalitarian line of the current GOP stock, but what makes him special is the fascinating mixture he has of equal parts zealotry and corruption. In terms of his zealotry, a plethora of examples emanate from his career. Whether it was his likening of homosexuality to alcoholism or his using the term “treasonous” when referring to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, he seems to consistently take the most radical positions conceivable. In terms of education, Perry incorrectly remarked to a child that Texas schools teach Creationism alongside evolution (which according to Texas law is unconstitutional). He also agrees with the state’s lack of

a sex education requirement in its schools’ curriculum, which might explain why Texas has the third highest teen pregnancy ranking. Add to this his record with the economy and job creation in his state, and what I see is the corrupt liar hidden beneath the illusorily clean exterior. It is true that the governor’s overstated statistic that 40 percent of all jobs created since 2009 were in Texas, but this is merely a door to the truth of his reign as governor in economic terms. First, this statistic has been true for Texas since 1970, which I believe makes it a more longterm trend rather than the governor’s doing. Beyond this, however, is a far more important truth — since Perry has become governor of Texas, unemployment and jobless rates have increased dramatically. Furthermore, Texas is tied with Mississippi for the state with the most workers making at or below minimum wage. If we add that the biggest sector of jobs for the state is the government, which has

increased drastically since the supposedly anti-government Perry took office, we get a better picture of Texas’ job situation. On top of this, the governor is bribing companies to bring their workforce to the state, and he doesn’t have an issue with giving government jobs and money to his top donors. Sinclair Lewis once wrote, “when fascism comes to America it will be draped in a flag and carrying a cross.” Perry is the most terrifying member of the current movement in this country to install despotism with the help of Christ and the founding fathers, but his current success makes him more than this. He is nothing less than a nightmare, which would then manifest itself into reality if he is elected. Marx was right, “a specter is haunting” us right now, and his name is Rick Perry.

JASON CAMPBELL -regular columnist -junior -philosophy major

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september 15, 2011

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Empo: Few math classes offered as lectures for various teaching styles. “If a student for some reason did not mesh with my teaching, he was sort of stuck,” Hodges said of his in-classroom courses. “Here, there is an enormous opportunity for different styles of help.” Despite the variety of teachers available at the Empo, students such as Ryan Drischler, a freshman university studies major who is currently taking Math 1015 as a lecture, prefer the relationship gained in a small class. “I think it’s better. I hate online classes,” Drischler said. “I like having a personal experience with a teacher so that they can explain it.” With such a large ratio of students to instructional assistants at the Empo, students have expressed dissatisfaction with the time it takes an assistant to respond to their red cup.

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stand the material,” Cothren said. “At first the students are not so enthusiastic about all the work, but they make a commitment to meet five days a week with daily homework, weekly computer labs, five tests and a comprehensive final. The time commitment pays off.” But many students may not be able to take the course that fits their learning style. Just 93 students this semester get to take the course in a classroom, while thousands go to the Empo. In an article for National Cross Talk in 2005, Chuck Hodges, the thenmanager of the Empo, replied to student complaints of not having a teacher, writing that a dozen teachers and teaching assistants are available to help throughout the Empo, allowing

“When I’ve placed my red cup atop the computer, it takes at least 10 minutes before I’m helped, and it’s subpar help at best,” Pearcy said. Introductory math courses were once taught solely in classrooms, like most courses at Virginia Tech. The number of rooms these courses took up on campus brought the concept of the Empo to life in a former Rose’s department store in 1997. As a result, 76 more campus classrooms were made available by the Empo’s second year. Since then, the Empo has received awards for its model, and other universities such as the University of Alabama and the University of Idaho have established similar programs. DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Help Wanted

Windsor Hills residents Paid position delivering newspapers to the doors of your apartment complex. Early mornings and commitment of either 2 or 4 days/ week required. Apply at collegemedia.com/ join. For questions, feel free to contact business@collegiatetimes.com.

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Enthusiastic instructors needed for preschool, school-aged, and advanced gymnastics classes. VA Techniques Gymnastics is located in Christiansburg. Cheryl@ vatechniques.com for details. 540.381.5151

Virginia Tech Sweatshirts: Heavyweight 12.5 oz. VT hoodies available at derrinusa. com.

WORDSEARCH: Blacksburg Restaurants Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W O

WORD BANK

W I

W U

W Z

W A

1 The Cellar 2 Backstreets 3 Hokie House 4 Souvlaki 5 Gillie’s 6 Kobe 7 Firehouse Pizza 8 Gumby’s 9 PK’s Bar and Grill 10 Sycamore Deli 11 Boudreaux’s 12 Cabo Fish Taco 13 El Rods 14 Poor Billy’s 15 Sharkey’s 16 Champs 17 River Mill 18 Substation

3 Checkup charges 4 Inviting words before “Want to come over?” 5 Mystical decks 6 Vacant 7 Dangerous snake 8 Darn 9 Mendes of “Hitch” 10 It may be a scoop 11 Hitched 12 Plots 13 Words to live by 14 “The Merry Widow” operettist 18 Latin term usually abbreviated 21 Window part 22 Early Chinese dynasty 25 Canadian young adult fiction author McClintock 26 Nice summers 28 Numbers in a corner, often

By Dan Naddor

ACROSS 1 Lexington and Concord fighters 11 XXXV years after the creation of the original Magna Carta 15 Apple consumers? 16 River through Lake Brienz 17 Start of an aptly expressed linguistic observation 19 Duplicated

20 Roma road 21 Word with sharp or trouble 23 Hand 24 Leagues: Abbr. 25 Like performances by the Wallendas 27 Place to build 28 Flying need 30 Is down with 31 Observation, part 2 32 Source of support

9/15/11 45 End of the 35 It’s about 325 observation miles east of Texas’s H-Town, 49 Abbr. on folk song sheet music with “the” 50 Listed 36 “Return of the 51 They have their Jedi” dancer pluses and 37 Like Cologne and minuses vicinity 52 Fabled tortoise’s 39 Condescend trait 40 Fowl with a showy mate DOWN 41 Herbal drink 43 “Bewitched” witch 1 Bud 2 First name in 44 Place with tyranny swinging doors

29 Texters’ amused syllables 31 Mexican bread 32 What an asterisk may indicate 33 Lotion additive 34 City WSW of Sacramento 35 Lays eyes on 36 Armchair partner 37 Hall of Fame defensive back Mel 38 Like hell 39 “Edda” author __ Sturluson 40 Coat opening? 41 Volcanic fluid 42 Perjurer’s admission 44 “Melrose Place” actor 46 Explosive initials 47 __ judicata: decided case 48 Some alarm respondents: Abbr.

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

9/13/11

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

sports 5 september 15, 2011

ACC prepares for historic weekend of rematches DAVID COOPER sports staff writer Saturday will make history for the Atlantic Coast Conference, as four of its teams will host ranked opponents. The ACC has never experienced this rare occurrence before, and all these games are rematches from last season. The four games are Auburn at Clemson, West Virginia at Maryland, Ohio State at Miami and Oklahoma at Florida State — the conference lost all four of them last year. Let’s take a closer look at how each team fared last season and what differences there will be this year. Auburn at Clemson

The Auburn Tigers will be visiting Death Valley in a game Clemson has been waiting for all offseason. The game between these schools last year took overtime to determine MCT CAMPUS a winner and was the only overtime game Auburn, the eventual national Former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor and Miami QB Jacory Harris meet at midﬁeld following Ohio State’s 36-24 victory last season. The two teams will meet again Saturday. champion, played in. Clemson blew a 17-0 lead to lose 27-24. Clemson’s freshman kicker missed a 31-yard field goal to tie the game in overtime. The good news for Clemson is No. 2 Cam Newton is no longer under center for Auburn. Both teams are breaking in new quarterbacks — Clemson’s Tajh Boyd and Auburn’s Barrett Trotter. However, Trotter and company seem to be making the smoother transition. Clemson is coming off two unconvincing wins against Troy and Wofford, which doesn’t bode well for ACC fans hoping they can go four for four in this weekend’s games. The Clemson Tigers do get this one at home, but their inexperience on offense going against a tough Southeastern Conference defense will be the difference in the game. West Virginia at Maryland This game was a blowout from the start last season. West Virginia jumped out early on Maryland 28–0, which led to a 31–17 victory. However, at that point, the Terrapins coaching staff had not realized current quarterback and 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year Danny O’Brien’s true potential, as he watched from the bench. This is an interesting matchup between two head coaches in their first season with their respective schools. West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen is attempting to bring the high-powered offense he had as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State to the Mountaineers. However, the team’s offense has been very streaky early on this year. They found themselves down 12-10 at halftime to Norfolk State, only to score 45 points in the second half in a route. Players like West Virginia’s Noel Devine and Maryland’s Torrey Smith had big impacts in this game last season but have now moved on to the NFL. It will be interesting to see who steps up in this game, and fans should expect a very close contest between these two schools. Ohio State at Miami ESPN’s Heather Dinich called this game the IneligiBowl, playing on the fact that both of these teams are under heavy investigation by the NCAA and neither is at full strength for this game. Last season, Ohio State defeated Miami 34-26, mainly because of former Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who racked up 346 yards of total offense. However, this Ohio State team looks a lot different without longtime coach Jim Tressel. This is another matchup between first-season head coaches that should be very interesting. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris expects to play against the Buckeyes, which might not be a good thing for the Hurricanes, as he was picked off four times in this game last season. Whoever has the least number of turnovers will win this game. Oklahoma at Florida State College GameDay will be in Tallahassee, Fl. for this clash of two national title hopefuls. The No. 1 ranked Sooners will have to deal with a very difficult environment as the Seminole fans have been waiting a long time to be nationally relevant again. Similar hype surrounded this game last season, as the Sooners rolled on the Seminoles 47–17 in Norman, Okla. ACC fans hope for a different outcome this season, as the Seminoles are carrying conference’s reputation with them. Both teams are led by Heisman Trophy hopefuls — Oklahoma’s Landry Jones and Florida State’s EJ Manuel. Jones led the Sooners in this game last season and racked up nearly 400 yards passing. He will have a more difficult time this season as the Seminoles have tightened up their defense, allowing only 275 yards of total offense combined over their first two games. This game has huge national title implications, and conference pride is on the line. It should be a great game for fans to watch.

6 weekend september 15, 2011

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

‘Funniest man’ to appear at The Lyric TORIE DEIBLE

LOOP

Thursday, Sept. 15

features staff writer Knock knock! Who’s there? James Gregory! James Gregory who? Why the funniest man in America of course! It’s rare to come across entertainment that appeals to all audiences. Most comedic acts use foul language or poke fun at mature subjects. However, stand-up comedian James Gregory takes a different approach. Gregory, who was born in Lithonia, Ga., has been a full-time stand-up comedian for 29 years, and has always had a love for comedy and spreading laughter. Through hard work and dedication, his passion became his profession. Now recognized as “the funniest man in America,” he tours the nation bringing smiles to people of all ages. His relaxed demeanor and southern drawl, along with his unique sense of humor, enables him to captivate audiences. Gregory is constantly on tour, traveling most days of the week. His shows sell out fast, and his fan base grows after every performance. During his current tour, “Save the Chicken,” Gregory is making a pit stop at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Gregory plans to use his family-friendly routine to bring some humor to this small town.

IN THE

What: Blood Drive Free T-shirt and pizza for donors, walk ins needed, sponsored by VT Red Cross Club When:11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Where: University Mall - Commons Area Cost: Free What: Business Horizons Business Horizons is a student organization that sponsors the annual Business Horizons career fair. The organization is in its 29th year supporting Virginia Tech and Pamplin College of Business. When: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Where: Squires Student Center Cost: Free

What: Grand Opening of Honors Residential College When: 2 p.m. Where: East Ambler Johnston Hall Cost: Free What: Blacksburg Live Music Open Mic When: 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Where: Awful Arthurs (18 and up) Cost: Free

PHOTO & CARTOON COURTESY OF JAMES GREGORY

Those interested can purchase silver tickets for $27 and gold tickets for $32. To purchase tickets and learn more about Gregory, visit TheLyric. com. The Collegiate Times spoke with Gregory to discuss his career track. COLLEGIATE TIMES: When did your comedic profession begin? JAMES GREGORY: It began in 1982 at a comedy club in Atlanta, Ga. called “The Punch Line.” My friends and I used to drive there on amateur night, not because we liked the show, but because we loved comedy. My friends had thought I was funny and kept daring me to get on stage on amateur night, so I finally got the courage to do it. So it all just started by performing at open-mic night. And over the years, I made some progress and decided to go into comedy full time. It’s my 29th year in it. CT: How do you feel about being referred to as “the funniest man in America?” GREGORY: I think it’s great. That all started by a newspaper editor in Huntsville, Ala. back in the late 80s. He came to review my show one night, and that was his idea to refer to me as ‘the funni-

est man in America.’ Other media sources started picking it up, and I figured I might as well go along with it. I do really think though that word for word, admitted by many, this is the funniest stand-up comedy show that’s on tour in the country. One thing I’m really proud of is that this comedy show that we’re doing is absolutely, 100 percent, totally family friendly — all ages are welcome. There are not too many comedy shows like that touring the country today. CT: How would you describe your sense of humor? GREGORY: My show is based on real life. A lot of people call it observational humor. Anything I do on stage is totally relatable to the audience — silly impressions of family members or relatives, talking about what is happening in the news, reactions to winning lotteries. It’s all family friendly, and anyone in the audience can relate. CT: Can you explain the “Save the Chicken” tour? GREGORY: Every year we name the tour. There is so much emphasis in the recent two to three decades about what I always call the so-called endangered species. We were talking about this one night at the coffee

shop, and I had said to my friend, “If you want me to be really concerned about your endangered species, you need to convince me that we’re almost out of chickens.” That’s what I would worry about, so I did a whole routine about endangered species, and then I got into the idea of the endangered chicken. That’s where the ‘Save the Chicken’ idea came from. CT: What’s the favorite part of your profession? GREGORY: I’d say being on stage. I love being on stage. I love the sounds of laughter and the response from the audience. In the kind of work that I do, showtime is the easiest part of the day. Through the tours, I go to a different city each night. Most days I get up early for interviews, pack up, drive 200-500 miles, do a show. Then early the next morning, you drive 400 miles to another show. Then there’s the packing and unpacking in and out of hotels. That’s the real work. So showtime is definitely my favorite part of the day. CT: What would you say to people thinking about purchasing tickets to your show? GREGORY: It will be the funniest night of their lives.

Friday, Sept. 16 What: MVMT Where: Awful Arthurs (18 and up) When: Doors open at 9:30 p.m. Cost: $5 Cover What: Super 8 (movie) Where: Squires Colonial Hall When: Tickets on sale at 7:30 p.m., shows at 8 p.m. Cost: $2 w/ student I.D., $3 non-students

Saturday, Sept. 17 What: Diversity Tailgate - Meet with Bevlee Watford and current engineering students Where: Duck Pond end of Drillfield (maroon and white striped tents) When: 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Cost: Free for alumni, families, friends and students What: DJ Dat Boi Where: Awful Arthurs (18 and up) When: 9 p.m. Cost: $3, 21 and up, $5, under 21

Sunday, Sept. 18 What: Ethan Zohn- “Survivor” winner and cancer survivor Where: Squires Commonwealth Ballroom When: 5:30 p.m. Cost: $7 online, $10 at door, catered by Panera - register at hillelatvirginiatech.com

NADIA GROOME & DANIELLE BUYNAK / COLLEGIATE TIMES