An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Friday, September 16, 2011
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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 87
News, page 2
People & Clubs, page 6
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 5
Classifieds, page 4
Sudoku, page 4
Lance says a lot: YouTube sensation feels fame josh higgins
news reporter
L @FignewtonVT: I am now Facebook friends with the the #fratstar himself, LanceDiamond. My life goal is complete
@andresgarrido: Lance Diamond was on Anderson Cooper. I’ma rage when I see him on campus.
PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
ance Diamond was a trending topic on Twitter last week. He also attended multiple psychiatrist, psychologist and medical clinic appointments. The Virginia Tech freshman, a business major, made a YouTube video that went viral and garnered national media attention for jokingly attacking Rainbow and Sperry Top-Sider brand shoes after his feet became blistered from new shoes. In the video, he mentioned filing a lawsuit against the companies, saying the shoes should have included a warning label. Diamond, who performs stand-up comedy, purported that the injuries inflicted by the shoes — he said he walked on his heels for three days — prevented him from establishing a good social life and jeopardized his chance to become a “frat star” at Tech. He is a star now. The video became popular after it emerged on the website BroBible.com. It was later featured in the Huffington Post and on Anderson Cooper’s CNN talk show “AC360.” During the show’s “Ridiculist,” segment, Cooper mocked the video. Among his jabs, Cooper said Lance Diamond sounded like “a porn name,” and labeled Diamond a “future frat star.” As the media promulgated the video, Diamond — whose YouTube username is SirLancelot113 — received recognition and numerous random Facebook friend requests from students at Tech and other colleges. Since then, his friends and other Tech students have approached him to ask about the fame. He said some people had even asked for his autograph.
200 LIKES, 920 DISLIKES
2:50 / 6:27 DANIELLE BUYNAK / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Business fair draws crowd
66,821
Diamond received mixed reactions from the video — some found it funny, while others took his actions seriously. Some comments on the video state it is an embarrassment to see DIAMOND / page two
200 likes, 920 dislikes
Court hears papers’ alcohol ad argument Case overturned by U.S. Magistrate Judge
Federal court of appeals reverses decision
PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
news reporter Business Horizons had the largest number of employers attend than in past years. Around 150 companies came to Old Dominion Ballroom and Commonwealth Ballroom in Squires Student Center yesterday to recruit students for a variety of professional opportunities. “Business Horizons is a way for not just business majors but all majors to have face time with companies that are
here to recruit Virginia Tech students,” said Andrew Lazor, a junior business information technology major. “They come in, get booths set up, and we get to talk to them about career opportunities, internship opportunities, co-op opportunities — basically everything.” Pamplin College of Business sponsors the annual fair, which the studentrun Business Horizons team organizes. This year, 20 students were involved in planning and running the large event, including Anna Lonker, a sophomore management and marketing major. Lonker said this year’s fair boasted the
Building promotes research ERIN KELLY news staff writer A new hobby is a part of campus. The new Human and Agricultural Biosciences Building 1 — HABB1, pronounced “hobby” — is the first of potentially four research facilities that will make up the future Biosciences Precinct at Virginia Tech. The project will cost just under $54 million, and is set to break ground in December. Hugh Latimer, Tech’s campus planning architect, expects it to be open by January 2014. “If you look at the current facilities in the agriculture quadrant, they are very out-of-date and inhibit our faculty from moving forward with their research,” said Saied Mostaghimi, the director of Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Quality space for research is our number one issue.” With 88,200 square feet of new laboratory space, Mostaghimi said the issue will be alleviated. The building will house research facilities for the biological systems engineering department, in addition
to other faculty from the CALS. Some parts of the HABB1 are designed with open laboratory space, according to the CALS website. The lack of walls dividing workspaces are intended to better enhance collaboration among researchers. Currently, faculty from both the CALS and the diological systems engineering department are randomly dispersed on campus, occupying laboratories in Seitz Hall, Latham Hall and the Corporate Research Center. The distance puts faculty at a disadvantage when trying to integrate research and expertise, said Ryan Senger, an assistant professor of biological systems engineering. HABB1 will include a full-scale pilot plant, something Tech has not been able to offer researchers on campus in the past. “The pilot plant will put us one step closer to some of our technologies eventually being commercialized,” Senger said. “As engineers, when we research, we start on a very small, bench-top scale. The way we go from small-scale to a large-scale production plant is by using a pilot plant. There are usually very significant problems addressed in the pilot plant that you
just cannot do on the laboratory scale.” The key research initiatives for HABB1 are food, nutrition and health, as well as biodesign and bioprocessing. HABB1 and its pilot plant will allow faculty to move forward in their research and take discoveries to commercialization. Plans have not been put in place yet for other research facilities for the new Biosciences Precinct. “After HABB1, we will probably design research buildings similar to it, but at this time I do not know what the top priority for specific research will be,” Latimer said. “I do know that HABB1 will have the features we have come to expect in our research buildings at Virginia Tech.” Mostaghimi agreed, and said he thinks HABB1 will help Tech attract more faculty and graduate students. “We are getting ready to hire new faculty, and it is hard because we are competing with so many other good universities,” he said. “Once you have a presentable building and a nice space that lends itself to doing quality research, it will help attract new faculty and graduate students.”
2010
CODY OWENS
most employers to date. Companies such as Deloitte, KPMG, Target and PWC were present to offer full-time jobs and internships to students of many majors. “Everything from accounting and finance to hospitality and marketing,” she said. “We have students anywhere from MBA to undergraduate.” For students who networked with the companies and gave out resumes, the next step is to wait to see what results. “I brought 20 resumes. I only have one left,” said Ali Siddiqui, a junior accounting major. “I found a lot of cool companies and gave them my resumes. I hope to hear back from them.”
2008
BUSINESS HORIZONS JOB FAIR SEES GREATEST EMPLOYEE TURNOUT WITH ABOUT 150 COMPANIES
2006
Students gathered in Squires Commonwealth Ballroom to meet prospective employers on Thursday.
VA Supreme Court hears arguments on whether the CD and CT are “college student publications”
Sep. 14, 2011
Lawsuit filed by CD and CT, found the law unconstitutional
MATTHEW RYBURN / COLLEGIATE TIMES
The Cavalier Daily and the Collegiate Times filed a suit in 2006, now being heard by the Va. Supreme Court.
COURT TO DECIDE IF COLLEGIATE TIMES, CAVALIER DAILY MEET STATE DEFINITION OF COLLEGE PAPER MALLORY NOE-PAYNE news staff writer The Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether advertisers can place alcohol-related ads in the Collegiate Times and The Cavalier Daily, the University of Virginia’s newspaper. The decision will determine if the publications fall under an Alcoholic Beverage Control regulation, which bans alcohol-related ads from college newspapers. If the courts decide the CT and The Cavalier Daily do not fall under the rule’s three-pronged definition of a college newspaper, then they will be exempt from the law. The law partially defines a college student publication as one that is “distributed or intended to be distributed primarily to persons under 21 years of age.” “There’s a wide readership of the Collegiate Times, and while some undergrads are not 21, there is a large readership that’s over 21,” said Kelly Wolff, the general manager of Educational Media Company at
Virginia Tech, the CT’s parent company. Rebecca Glenberg, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, is using the fact that a majority of the CT’s and Cavalier Daily’s readers are over 21 to argue that neither paper can be defined as a “college student publication” under the law. However, “if the Virginia Supreme Court interprets the regulation in such a way that these two papers are college student publications,” Glenberg said, “then they will go back on to decide the constitutionality of the case.” The CT, in conjunction with the Cavalier Daily, initially filed a suit against the law’s constitutionality in 2006, arguing it was a violation of the First Amendment’s guarantee to freedom of speech. At the federal level, after several rounds of appeals, Glenberg argued the law was discriminatory against a narrow segment of the media. “In the greater Charlottesville community, there are several publications geared toward the young
adult, college community,” said Jason Ally, the Cavalier Daily’s editor-inchief. “The fact that they are able to run alcohol advertisements, from a business standpoint, puts us at a disadvantage.” In 2010, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, an appellate court for Virginia’s districts, ruled that “college student publications primarily target college students and play an inimitable role on campus,” and therefore the narrow ban served a significant state interest in diminishing underage drinking. If the Virginia Supreme Court rules in favor of the CT and the Cavalier Daily, they would be the only two schools affected by the ruling. It would not address the law’s constitutionality, Glenberg said. The initial suit could have potentially struck down the ban for all papers. Ally expressed optimism that the ruling would grant the Cavalier Daily an exception but said it would not fully accomplish the suit’s goal. “In the broader picture it would be a disadvantage because this ban would still apply to other college newspapers in the state,” he said. A decision is expected by November.
2 news
editors: claire sanderson, michelle sutherland newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
september 16, 2011
COLLEGIATETIMES
what you’re saying //comments from online readers...
Diamond: Living with fame
On the parking lot closure next week:
from page one
Let me ask you something - if Tech made Freshmen leave their cars at home, would you want the Cage to become Commuter parking??? You would have to walk a mile to 90% of the classrooms on campus! Why not just walk from your apt? Tech DOES have a reliable way of getting you to class on-time. Every year, the Blacksburg Transit is voted one of the top small town transit systems in the country, and they make significant efforts to please the masses. Rather than leave an hour before your class, why don’t you take the empty bus that comes 15 minutes BEFORE the bus that is completely full? Why leave your apt an hour early and drive when you can take a bus 30-45 minutes in advance of your class? Heck you can even WALK to campus in 30 minutes from most places in town. Stop being lazy and QUIT YOUR WHINING!
West End accepts credit/debit ERIN KELLY news staff writer West End Market will now accept credit and debit cards as an acceptable form of payment, but will remain a cash-free facility. Dining Services wants to see how
the newly available payment methods are received at West End, as part of a pilot program for Turner Place, the new dining hall to open in fall 2012, said Ted Faulkner, the senior associate director of Dining Services. “Our goal is to alleviate confusion for our visitors and really improve all guest experiences in our campus din-
ing facilities,” Faulkner said. West End has become the fourth dining facility on campus to accept credit and debit cards. It will continue to accept funds from campus flex plans, dining dollars and Hokie Passport accounts, as well as cash loaded onto West End cards via DART machines.
crime blotter
IMPACT ON DIAMOND’S LIFE Since the video was released, Diamond said he has been harassed with phone calls, texts and e-mails, including some from suicide hotlines. He was diagnosed with bipolarity at Baylor University before he transferred to Northern Virginia Community College. But he said his condition has been stabilized through medication, and he was cleared to attend Tech this fall. The Centreville, Va., native said a person located his contact information and disseminated it to multiple people, including Tech officials. On Sept. 4, two police officers visited his dorm room. They informed him that officials had received thousands of e-mails about him, and wanted them to check up on him, Diamond said. Diamond then visited Student Services for Disabilities and local medical clinics because of the e-mails, so he could determine if they had received the e-mails and assure officials he was in a healthy mental state. Lance’s 21-year-old brother, Drake
c-
Diamond, a senior at the University of Virgnia, said the emails sent purported that Lance had anger management issues and needed help. “I think it was absolutely unfair and wrong of this person to label Lance in this way, based on the video,” Drake Diamond said. “It seemed to me — and yes, I am his brother, so I know him very well — that the video was obviously a joke. I mean come on — y’all couldn’t tell he was joking when he started eating dry Ramen noodles?” Lance and SSD now have two private investigators looking into the alleged harassment, and Lance said he may take legal action. He said Tech began looking into the video and required him to attend two psychologist appointments, two psychiatrist appointments, an SSD appointment and two medical clinic visits for check-ups last week. Diamond said he believes these are actions more of concern than anger from Tech, but was upset by the measures the university took after the video, saying they should have been dropped once he reassured them there was no need for concern. “I have homework to do. I have better stuff to do with my time than go see two psychologists,” Diamond said. “I can’t do this for the rest of my life and the rest of my time here.”
FAME’S AFTERMATH Shortly after the video was posted, people around Diamond’s residence hall began to recognize him. People also paid his admission to a party two weekends ago, he said. “I got nothing but love,” he said. Diamond said he hopes to establish a good social life at Tech even after going viral online, but would like to reap some benefits from fame. Among his goals, to be featured on “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report,” or “Tosh.0.” He hopes to participate in Greek rush, saying he is particularly interested in three fraternities.
RESPONSE TO ANDERSON COOPER In response to Anderson Cooper’s comments on the video, Diamond wants to know why he decided to “take shots at a college freshman” for a video intended to be humorous.
Diamond said no one from CNN ever contacted him to ask if the video could be used or inform him of the video’s airing, which he said was unexpected. Although Diamond said the experience of being aired on Cooper’s show was “unbelievable,” he criticized Cooper for degrading him and his video. “I’m a tough guy, but if I wasn’t a tough guy, I could have taken offense to that and done something stupid,” he said. “But I didn’t, and I’m fine, and I thought it was hilarious.”
DIAMOND FAMILY’S ROUGH WEEK “I think Lance is handling his ‘fame’ well,” Drake Diamond said. “Life is 90 percent how you react to what happens to you.” He said Lance had become slightly narcissistic from the fame, but also said if he had been in his shoes, he probably would have done the same. During a visit last week, Drake provided Lance with advice for the situation. “I essentially said, ‘Lance, you didn’t do anything wrong,’” Drake said. “‘The video was very funny and you were on CNN — I think that is really cool.’” Drake did say, however, that he should let the attention he’s received die down so he can become known as someone other than “that guy who was on CNN.” He said the family has felt the impact of Lance’s time in the spotlight. “His ‘owning haters’ on Twitter and Facebook have increased exponentially since the video got on national TV,” Drake said. “I believe the video has added stress to our family” Drake said he doesn’t believe the video’s content was meant to be serious. “My initial reaction was, ‘This is Lance just being Lance,’” he said. Drake joked about some things in Lance’s video and Cooper’s show, “My name, Drake Diamond, sounds much more like a porn star name than Lance Diamond,” he said. “And I, too, have an affinity for McChickens.” He said Lance had made a few YouTube videos before. “I don’t think his intent was to try to ‘get famous’ or offend ‘frat stars,’” Drake said. “He was sardonically commenting on something that he observed and thought people would laugh at — it really is that simple.”
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V I O L A T I O N - A F F I D A V I T
date reported
time
offense
location
status
arrestees
9/14/2011
8:00 a.m.
Larceny/Theft from a buillding-wallet
McBryde
Inactive
N/A
132156465514
the university. “I think it’s funny that people are taking it so seriously,” Diamond said. Anonymous>> “That’s why it got blown up — because people are taking it serious.” Just another reason to hate Virginia Tech parking. Seriously, stop charging $200 for parking As of Thursday night, the video had passes when you are constantly taking our parking away. been viewed almost 67,000 times on Diamond’s account and 61,000 times on an account that posted a copy of the Anonymous>> video. Diamond’s video had 200 likes, 920 dislikes and 246 comments. The good thing is that VT allows anyone to have a vehicle...some schools limit it! Maybe Diamond said he took no offense to VT should start limiting who can have vehicles on campus which would potentially help the negative comments he had received, but wished people would be honest and eliminate parking issues! tell him in person, rather than “hiding behind an Internet screen,” bashing him Anonymous>> and his video. Although Diamond said he believes Perhaps they should make freshmen leave their cars back home. If Tech A) can only give a most people found the video amusing, he emphasized that he had no intention handful of people on-campus housing past freshman year and B) doesn’t have a reliable, of embarrassing anyone. He wasn’t serialways-on-time bus system that always has room for students, then they should at least be ous in the video, but instead was trying able to give their off-campus students parking spaces. It’s absolutely ridiculous that I have to to be humorous. leave my apartment almost an hour early just to guarantee that I’ll park and make it to class “I hope no one took offense, and espeon time (and my drive to campus is probably ~7 minutes). cially to Tech administrators and everyone, that was not the case,” Diamond said. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, but @Anon>> I love it here, and all this hate is making me want to transfer.”
opınıons 3
editors: scott masselli, sean simons opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 16, 2011
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
MC T CAMPUS
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Innovations dominate culture dad says a lot of My things. However, he is pretty great about not saying, “Well in my day, we’d have to spend all our time in the library,” in response to my complaints about the spinning rainbow circle of torture my MacBook produces when it’s running slow. But he does say when he was a kid, everyone thought the next generation would be living it up like the characters of the popular cartoon, “The Jetsons.” This thought seems ludicrous, but you never know when an iHovercraft will crawl onto Walmart’s shelves. There is a part of me that thinks our generation is completely different from that of “The Jetsons.” However, another part wonders about how tangible the show would become if we took take away the cheerful cartoonish colors, sprinkled on some Apple products and stirred in some concrete. Every day our country cooks up something to throw into the world’s technology boiling pot. With each new dish, the middle of the Venn diagram comparing “The Jetsons” and our reality grows fatter. Is it true that the only real thing separating us from “The Jetsons” is the fact that high technology is a concentrated luxury in the world shared by few? I think a far more important question is: If we are on the path to becoming “The Jetsons,” do we want to and should we continue to travel along it? Personally, my thoughts on this are all over the place. I am the kind of person who leaves their Blackberry in the other room to escape the constant beeping and obligation of always be reachable, but I am also the kind of person who has spent full days joyfully Facebook stalking and watching instant Netflix for an instant vacation. Every day I see technology’s triumphs — we all do. We all know someone who has been cured of an illness, which could have been debilitating or fatal a few years prior. Every day I see technology’s poisons — we all do. We all know someone who has been deprived of creating their own life story by being sucked into a virtual o ne. As a side note, I have nothing against virtual reality. If you enjoy playing a video game, that’s great. Everyone deserves and needs a distraction from the grim events the world
and mass media constantly produce. Yet, how fine is the line between having fun with technology and becoming utterly dependent on it? Although I have gotten in the mood for dissing technology, if I were given the choice to live like “The Flintstones” my whole life, I’d still say hell no. Is there a middle ground between the two? I don’t think so — at least not a ground expansive enough to blanket the entire planet. It upsets me when I travel down the East Coast and see the middle class growing smaller. I start to see huge mansions pop up just one street over from deteriorating or condemned houses. Technology connects and separates us more than ever. And this gap does not just exist in the deep South, but all over the world. I would never want to get rid of some of the beautiful traditions that thrive throughout Third World countries, as I would never want to rob the world of houses that contain bowling alleys. What would I like to rob the world of? I would enjoy stealing every pretentious smile that is reflected in the glass of an iPad 1 as it gets tossed to the side for an iPad 2. Yes, lets proudly replace and improve technology, but get over yourselves. Technology is awesome. I love it. I crave it. I need it. But I hate when I let my hands steer my big SUV into the thought pattern of looking down on those who are driving an older and cheaper car. Yet when this happens, I get this conflicting voice in my head that wonders, “Is it their own fault or society’s fault that they can’t own a better hunk of technology?” I have a lot of opinions and few concrete answers on whether it is better to indulge in technology or treat it like an unwanted addiction. As I try to swim through this murky and enigmatic sea of questions, I see my dad’s hand plunging into the water and hear his voice gently whisper, “Moderation.” Go play “Angry Birds” during class or have a “True Blood” marathon, but don’t forget to go splash in puddles with friends.
MEG LAW - regular columnist - sophomore - theatre arts major
Technology use unites people
he United States women’s socT cer team may not have been able to bring home the world cup this summer, but Virginia Tech was able to. Well at least when it came to Robotics. The Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) won the RoboCup, a soccer world cup for robots. It was the first time in the history of the event that a United States team had won. The Tech team won first place in the adult humanoid division with their famous robot CHARLI 2. I already knew all of this when I was flipping through the August issue of National Geographic, and I saw three miniature robots with the emblem, “VT” across their mid-section. This immediately grabbed my attention. These smaller robots were a part of the 2010 RoboCup and they placed in the semifinals in Singapore last year. The article was entitled, “Us. And them.” and was about robotic achievements all across the world. I started to read, trying to see if it mentioned this year’s amazing win by the Virginia Tech team, and not just their almost win a year ago. But my Hokie pride was let down to know they were not mentioned again. Perhaps the magazine went to print before the tournament in July. As I began to read, I did find myself getting more and more into the article. At Carnegie Mellon University, they were even working on an android female. Her movements were described as jerky, extremely mechanical and from what I could tell, someone dancing “the robot” would have been smoother than this “chick.” But this female version of a robot (whatever that means) is heading in the right direction of where scientists and researchers want to go in. But are we ready? I will admit I am an abomination to my generation when it
comes to technology. People have watched me text on my phone and declared it was like a “blast from the past.” And I am just now admitting I might be ready to join the dark side and get a Kindle or Nook, instead of sticking to paper books. So maybe this girl that still writes her notes in pen and paper gets a little more shocked at the thought of humans and machines operating together. I mean, I saw the all the Terminator movies, how well did giving intelligence to robots work there? In some aspects I believe robot technology can significantly improve the quality of human life. For example, using robots that can operate with a mechanical precision the human hand might lack or in combat, using robots, instead of human beings, to diffuse bombs. These are already technologies being developed and improved. Now some robots are even being programmed to decide the best course of action, depending on the obstacle they are given. If they are given a cup instead of a ball to pick up, they must decide how much pressure and the exact movements of their hands in order to carry out the task. These tasks take an extremely long time to plan out compared to a human brain. We don’t even have to think about these things consciously. But scientists are trying to find ways to program these actions into conscious decisions for their robots. It’s all very interesting. One of the only things that really concerns me is that one scientist said he saw robots, in time, being like clones. Instead of having to teach a class, his robot clone could stand in for him while he did more research. The disturbing part came when he said that instead of visiting his mother at the nursing home he could just send his clone. He felt it would be exactly the same, and
what would it matter if his mother couldn’t tell the difference? I would say if this is how he actually feels then he is probably so cold and calculating that, yes, his mother most likely couldn’t tell the difference between her son and a robot. The creator of the RoboCup has a dream of robots playing against the human world cup champions and beating them by the year 2050. Seems like a pretty ambitious goal to me, because it doesn’t matter how far the programming may come from now, I cannot imagine us capable of replicating the process of how quickly and accurately the human brain can make decisions. And then to go one step beyond and say we can actually make the human brain better, quicker to react, and to take action — I’m not sure I believe it’s possible. Or maybe I just don’t want to believe. At least not in our lifetime, that is. I don’t care how advanced we may get in the future, no amount of technology will ever replace something which makes us innately human, some may call it the soul or spirit. Call it what you will, you cannot manufacture that. Generations above us claim our age group doesn’t know how to interact with people anymore. I disagree, I think we interact more with people than ever before. We are constantly connected with people, whether it’s via Facebook, text messaging, tweeting, skyping, whatever. But the most important thing is it is with people. That is just something I hope we never lose.
SHELBY WARD - regular columnist - senior - english major
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september 16, 2011
page 4
Abroad fair to explain travel opportunities opportunity, and more. The upcoming Education Abroad Fair, which takes place next Wednesday, Sept. 21, on the Drillfield, will provide students with information on the study abroad options. And the Dominican Republic isn’t the only location students can visit — there are a plethora of countries where students interested in going global can go to. Jones said there are opportunities for almost everyone. “That was one of the cool things about the program I was a part of — it was able to meet everyone’s needs,” Jones said. Jones lived at resort called the Punta
Cana Ecological Center and took a wide range of courses, including sociology, Spanish and geography of medicine. Aside from taking courses, Jones said she spent her time absorbing the culture and creating relationships with locals. “I tell people I gained a Dominican soul because we met Dominicans and got to know them,” she said. However, Elizabeth Kiefer, a senior history major, was exposed to a much different culture when she studied abroad in Sheffield, England last spring. Kiefer took many courses toward her major, but while the workload was similar, she noticed a major difference
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NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS features reporter While young Dominican students prepare for classes, some wander out to the well to fill a cup of water to share with classmates. Others wait in line to use the school’s lone outhouse bathroom — this was one of the many sights Addie Jones, a senior geography major, encountered while studying abroad last spring in the Dominican Republic. Jones travelled to and studied in the Dominican Republic through Virginia Tech, and other students have the same
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in a student’s responsibility in England’s university system. “It is so much more about what you do there,” Kiefer said. “(For) the final (exam) you are supposed to know everything and all the outside sources your teacher told you to read. For the two weeks before exams, I was pretty much locked in my room studying.” Although her classes demanded more individual responsibility, Kiefer said the time commitment was not much different than that at Tech. However, she said the class sizes in England were smaller and more intimate, allowing her to get to know her classmates and professors better.
“They did a lecture and a seminar, and the seminar was about twelve people and the whole class was about 30 to 40 people,” Kiefer said. “I really liked it because you got to discuss topics directly with your professor.” Having a program that consisted of only eight people in the Dominican Republic, Jones also appreciated the opportunity for a closer, hands-on learning environment. Jones called the type of learning experiential, in which students taught geography at nearby schools, where there was a dense population of Haitian refugees. Jones also took four major trips while
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abroad, many of which were tied into her classes. For her history trip, Jones explored local waterfalls with her professors and classmates. Kiefer also did additional traveling. Her university had a 25-day break during April, giving her the opportunity to explore England, Spain, Italy and Germany. To learn more about potential study abroad opportunities, head to the Drillfield next Wednesday 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Additional information is also available at the Office of International Research, Education and Development, which is located on Prices Fork Road, and on its website, EducationAbroad. vt.edu.
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7 2008 Adam Brooks romantic comedy 8 Contact, e.g. 9 Show anger, say 10 ‘’Do __ Diddy Diddy’’: 1964 hit 11 Start of a rule with numerous exceptions 12 Trunk item 13 Most severe 18 “__ tu”: Verdi aria 19 Sold (for) 24 Bouncy 26 Kicks 29 Drink from a dish 32 What an ellipsis may mean: Abbr.
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ACROSS 1 Island where florins are spent 6 Unoccupied 10 Mental keenness 14 Charged 15 Hold 16 Minimally 17 Where few people live 20 “Is that __?” 21 Entertainer 22 Rural pro 23 Having no chapters? 25 Prohibit 27 Hardly handy
28 Quiet, in a way 30 Mattingly’s predecessor 31 20-20, e.g. 33 Persian for “crown” 35 Summer arrivals 36 Debugging aid? 41 Bar patron who appears in every “Cheers” episode 42 Bordeaux bottom 43 Clavell’s “__Pan” 44 Marsh bird 46 Norse war god
9/16/11 65 Um preceder? 48 Schism 66 Early Sam & outcomes Dave record 52 Jai alai ball label 54 Float seller 67 Club income 56 Clark’s “Mogambo” co- 68 Head lock star 57 Huge DOWN 59 Solid-rock 1 Lawyer’s suit? 2 Spoil, as a picnic center? 3 How a knot may 60 Pick wielder 63 Three-time ’80s come speed skating 4 Like some judgment gold medalist 5 Kennebec River Karin 64 Kathryn of “Law outlet, with “the” & Order: C.I.” 6 “Same here”
34 Black shade 36 Big-time 37 Tempest in a teapot 38 Colombo’s country 39 Same old same old 40 You’ll be busted if you use it 45 Blues singer James 47 Extents 49 One in a cruise ship line 50 Chucks 51 Floods 53 Had something 55 Full deck in old Rome? 58 Drive-__ 61 St. with a panhandle 62 Easter opening?
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sports 5
editors: matt jones, zach mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
september 16, 2011
ACC looks to prove itself in non-conference matchups eek three of the college footW ball season is shaping up to be quite a test for the ACC. Four teams go up against ranked non-conference opponents, and there are two conference games being played (Virginia vs. North Carolina and Boston College vs. Duke). That being said, here are the five biggest games of the week.
“
I can remember when I was in here being announced as the head coach I had people telling me that I had to beat West Virginia RANDY EDSALL MARYLAND HEAD COACH
No. 18 West Virginia (2-0, 0-0 Big East) at Maryland (1-0, 1-0 ACC) West Virginia has started its 2011 season on a strong note under new head coach Dana Holgorsen, with wins over Marshall and Norfolk State. However, the Mountaineers will face their first BCS-conference opponent
this week in Maryland and look to continue a five-game winning streak against the Terrapins. Quarterback Geno Smith leads the offensive attack, and has six touchdowns and no interceptions through two games. Maryland debuted under new head coach Randy Edsall on Labor Day by beating Miami in thrilling fashion. Edsall pointed out in a news conference on Tuesday the importance of the team’s rivalry with West Virginia. “I can remember when I was in here being announced as the head coach I had people telling me that I had to beat West Virginia,” he said. “I understand the importance with them being a neighboring state.” If the Terps want to avenge their 31-17 loss last season, they need redshirt sophomore quarterback Danny O’Brien to step up. O’Brien had a sharp debut against the Hurricanes, completing 31 of 44 passes for 348 yards, however he will face West Virginia’s unusual 3-3-5 defense this week which could pose problems.
Prediction: Maryland 31, West Virginia 28 No. 17 Ohio State (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at Miami (FL) (0-1, 0-1 ACC) The game between these two teams might as well be renamed the “IneligiBowl,” as both Ohio State and Miami are embroiled in controversy with the NCAA. Former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel resigned on May 30 amid a tattoo parlor scandal detailed by Sports Illustrated. Miami also found itself in the center of controversy after Yahoo! Sports reported booster Nevin Shapiro gave improper benefits to more than 70 athletes from 2002 to 2010. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes under head coach Luck Fickell are undefeated so far, although they scraped by Toledo last week, 27-22. Quarterback Joe Bauserman has filled in admirably for the departed Terrelle Pryor, who is now a member of the Oakland Raiders after leaving Ohio State. Bauserman has thrown for four touchdowns and no interceptions in
his first year starting. Fickell explained in a news conference how the team is moving forward from the controversy around the program. “We hope and we think that this is what the game is all about, to be able to handle adversity and we believe it’s going to make us stronger in the long run,” he said. “As long as we continue to handle it in the right way, and communicate better in every aspect that we can, but it comes from the top down.” Miami, on the other hand, will give the keys to the offense back to Jacory Harris after he served a one-game suspension for his involvement in the Nevin Shapiro controversy. Harris will take over for Stephen Morris, who completed 19 of 28 passes for 195 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions against Maryland. Firstyear head coach Al Golden explained his decision to Joe Rose on 560 WQAM on Monday. “His maturity and experience in terms of our operation will give us the
best chance to win this game,” he said. “Period.” Prediction: Ohio State 28, Miami 21 No. 1 Oklahoma (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) at No. 5 Florida State (2-0, 0-0 ACC) In what could be the biggest game of the season up to this point, No. 5 Florida State will host top-ranked Oklahoma in Tallahassee. While, the Seminoles were humbled in Norman last year, when the Sooners rolled 47-17, they will hope to put themselves firmly on the map this season with a statement win. Second-year head coach Jimbo Fisher will look to first-year starting quarterback E.J. Manuel to lead the Seminoles to victory. Manuel has started the season strong, throwing six touchdowns and just two interceptions, although he has not faced a BCS-conference opponent yet. The atmosphere and intensity in Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday will surely bring back memories of Bobby Bowden’s days of ACC dominance. The game will be televised nation-
ally on ABC with ESPN’s College GameDay in attendance, too. Oklahoma has a distinct advantage in that it has the experience Florida State lacks at the quarterback position, with third-year starter Landry Jones, along with two weeks to prepare for this game. Sophomore wide receiver Kenny Stills, who served a onegame suspension for a DUI charge, will be back against the Seminoles. Stills and Ryan Broyles form one of the most talented receiver combos in college football. Nonetheless, head coach Bob Stoops has a well-known issue with playing on the road, as 29 of his 31 losses while at Oklahoma have been in away or neutral-site games. Prediction: Oklahoma 38, Florida State 34
MICHAEL BEALEY -sports reporter -junior -accounting major -@mhbealey
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people & clubs 6He said: Finding perfect september 16, 2011
editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
She said: Roommate avoidance a mistake
abode key to fun times time — the handshake followed by the thought of, “Man, this guy looked cooler on Facebook.” Then there’s the awkward first conversation about the drive in. Maybe your initial interaction with your freshman year roommate went similar to mine, or maybe you already knew yours from high school. Either way, you undoubtedly went through a similar yearlong journey with more ups and downs than the elevator in Slusher Tower. Sure, you guys are overly friendly the first few weeks, but soon you have to catch yourself from blurting things out. “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll get the trash even though I’ve taken it out every single time.” Then when it comes to sleeping arrangements you have to bite your tongue so you don’t utter, “Sure, I’ll sleep in the study lounge, bro. You have fun with your ‘friend’ that always seems to only come over after 2 a.m.” But then you snap. At this point you take one of two routes: the confrontational or the passive approach. The confrontational person will blow up and attack the roommate. The floodgates open as every little bump in the road comes out. This often leads to many awkward situations from then onward. Then there is the passive approach. This involves roommates just going about their lives without saying anything and often results in a lot of muttering under the breath and behind the back complaints. I cannot say this is any better, as it will almost certainly lead you to being trampled on time and time again. Hopefully you can find an approach in the middle of the two extremes that will lead to a more peaceful relationship. My only advice to surviving a roommate horror story is to be both honest and stern. Be honest with each other, especially when it comes to what bothers you. This will at least allow you to understand the problems, even if one party is unwilling to fix them. This is why you also must be stern. Doing so will prevent you from being pushed around and taken advantage of. No matter how bad it may be or get, there is an end. You always have the opportunity to change your living situation after the first year. But be careful because you must act quickly to make sure you get the best place with a good group of friends. It can be stressful trying to figure out your fate so early, but it is well worth it. I waited far too long my freshman year and was only able to get an apartment
with one other person. This was fine because I liked the guy, but it led to much higher rent and utility bills. I learned from this experience and began searching for a different apartment and roommates early my sophomore year, in preparation for the next. This led to the discovery of the Croquet House. Getting such a big head start allowed me to find an awesome house close to campus and fill it with seven of my best friends. We have created a culture of being the Croquet Society, which is on Facebook and Twitter. It is even officially recognized as a business by Google Maps. While croquet may not be your forte, the point is that starting early — now — will only yield positive results. There are plenty of options for any type of person. Staying on campus is extremely convenient, but you have to share a room, and you probably cannot stay there on breaks. An apartment is great for those who want their own room, but you always run the risk of neighbors who like to rage until 4 a.m. on a school night. Finally, you can get a house, which is great for a community feel, but can often be both expensive and of poor quality. For those in Greek life, living in your fraternity or sorority house can be an amazing experience, but comes with many distractions. In the end, it comes down to your preferences. If you’re like me, you will rarely spend any time at your home. My house has essentially become the place where I sleep and spend my weekends. The rest of my time is spent either on campus, at work or at the Empo. But if what they say is true — that your home is where your heart is — then anywhere in Blacksburg is good enough for me.
SE / ACAS ANIE L ES STEPH EGIATE TIM COLL
remember the interaction I Iofspecifically had after putting the key into the door my Lee Hall dorm room for the first
SAID
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DANE HARRINGTON -featured columnist -junior -industrial & systems engineering major
Now that the honeymoon phase with your roommates is over, you can start being real, even if that means noticing the little things that have been bugging the heck out of you. My freshman year, my roommate and I were into very different activities, but were always very friendly and cordial. We had our ups and downs but in the end, when each of us had separate tragedies happen throughout the year, we could always rely on each other. We were there with open arms, ears and perhaps a slice of cake to make the other fee feel better. Yoou u don’t have to be best ffriendss with your roomm roommate(s), but you also don’t ha d ave ttoo le lett sh shar aring a small living space have sharing rruin a good goo ood friendship. frie fr iend ndsh ship ip. The biggest thing iis to be oopen p n and pe and honest, honest and if that doesn’t work, tr w ry othe h r me he m th hod d Say your roomtry other methods. matea lwayys leaves lw e his es his i orrh mate aalways her undergarments o the floor orr next on nex to the th shower. If you’ve tried to express exp x ressyyyour our co cconcern for their lack off mem e ory and are tired of picking memory up soiled articles, art start moving them to notic noticeable places. Take p illow for example. If I pillows walk wa lked d into my room and my walked u un dies we undies were on my pillow, I woul uld not no only be grossed would out, but also completely ou embarras a embarrassed. If it were me, th he pr p o the problem would be so olved instantly because I solved coul co uld ul d no n longer seriously could look o my roommate in the eye — ev ever again.
The worst kind of roommate is the “mute.” They come home and go straight to their room, or if you are living in the dorms, their side of the room. I am the kind of person who likes to say “hey” to someone every time I see them, even if I’ve already seen them twice earlier in the day. Some roommates are not exactly that way. It makes you kind of want to ask, “Either you tell me who shoved a stick up your butt, or what did I do wrong?” But seriously, I am mostly confrontational, but I was raised to be cordial so I would probably stick with, “Hey, how was your day?” instead. However, if it is a constant occurrence, and I am in the wrong mood, you better believe that question will come out like word vomit. My biggest piece of advice is to just kill the person with kindness. Smile and get on with your bad self. In the end, they are choosing to have a bad day and that in no way means you are too. Another issue is deciding where and with whom to live next year. All upperclassmen know it is never too early to start signing leases if landlords or realtors are willing. The sooner you give your parents the peace of mind that this hurdle has been jumped, the happier they’ll be — and that could turn into care packages in the future. Keep in mind when I say the sooner the better, I mean it. I know some of my friends have already signed leases for next year, and the first month of school isn’t even complete yet. Make sure you have a lease signed by at least the end of November — if not way before. This is not like the biology test you procrastinate studying for. You will miss out on all of the prime real estate if you wait too long.
Grab your friends and start scoping out places. Sounds easy right? Wrong. Finding a place might be easy but deciding who to live with is a whole other story. I’m sure you are thinking about your three closest friends and ultimately picturing a beautiful, happy life in an imaginary apartment or house. Here’s the tricky part: Are they picturing you in their heads? The tough part about picking roommates freshman year is you have most likely only known these people for about a month. I’ll cross my fingers that a year from now y’all are still as happy as you are now. I don’t mean to freak you out. For a lot of people, this is the case, yet in some groups, girls get in a catty fight or guys hook up with their “best friend’s” main attraction. There are so many great places to live here in Blacksburg. Whether you choose to live in an apartment with a pool, a house located close to downtown, or even the prime real estate close to the football stadium, it will all turn out OK. Plan ahead with your friends, do your research and stay on top of things. I personally cannot wait for next year and as crazy as it sounds, once you have found the place, you will find yourself getting excited a year in advance as well. Good luck and happy house hunting Hokies!
KELLEY ENGLISH -featured columnist -junior -marketing & management major