STEVE JOBS 1955-2011
Apple reported that Steve Jobs, its former CEO, died yesterday. Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955 and became the co-counder of Apple in 1976. Jobs was diagnosed with a cancerous pancreatic tumor in 2004, but he continued to serve as Apple’s CEO until Aug. 24, 2011.
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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 97
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Dude, where’s my car? BY CODY OWENS | news reporter
Classifieds, page 4
REPORTER CODY OWENS RODE ALONG WITH A TOW TRUCK OPERATOR LAST FRIDAY NIGHT
New towing company steps into local market
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hen Trent Strickland woke up on the morning of Sept. 18, something was missing. “My truck was parked outside my apartment and was towed,” said Strickland, a sophomore mechanical engineering major and Terrace View Apartments resident. “I freaked out because I had bought a pass.” While the tow operator thought Strickland was double parked, photographs showed he was not, and he retrieved his car at no charge. In the process, Strickland became acquainted with a new fleet of tow trucks in Blacksburg — those of Campus Automotive. While Valley Towing manages hundreds of towing contracts in Blacksburg and Radford, another towing company, Campus Automotive, is now patrolling many local parking lots. Campus Automotive, which formerly provided only emergency road-side towing for people whose cars had broken down, is now the contracted towing service for more than 40 private properties in Blacksburg and Radford. Terrace View entered into contracts with Campus Automotive instead of Valley Towing for the first time this August.
CAMPUS AUTOMOTIVE TAKES SEVERAL TOWING CONTRACTS
According to Virginia state law, no initial towing fee between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. can exceed $125. Between the hours of 7 p.m. And 8 p.m., a fee of no more than $25 can be added to the normal charge of $125.
DANIEL LIN / SPPS
A private parking lot must have a sign stating that trespassing vehicles will be towed, and the sign must be at each entrance to the lot.
Matt McMurray, Campus Automotive owner, prepares to tow an illegally parked truck in Pheasant Run. If you return to your car while the tow is in process, the tow truck operator is required to release your car. However, you will be charged $25 to reclaim it.
The man behind the tow truck For most, Friday night is the gateway into two full days of relaxation. For Matt McMurray, it is the busiest time of the week. “On gameday weekends, there are more people in town, there are more parties and there are more people visiting others,” McMurray, owner of Campus Automotive and one of its tow truck drivers, said. “On a busy night, we might tow 25 cars from apartment complexes.” At around 10 p.m. on Friday, McMurray left the Campus Automotive garage, located at 415 National Drive, just off South Main Street near Montgomery Regional Hospital. As he hopped into his Ford F-550 tow truck, he carried a large white binder — inside are towing laws for the state of Virginia, Blacksburg and Radford, as well as parking information for the more than 40 properties Campus Automotive manages. “Every single complex has a different set of rules and parameters,” McMurray said. “That’s why we made the book, so we can eliminate mistakes.” Inside are also his company’s guidelines. One rule states all tow truck drivers should treat any towed vehicle as if it were their own. McMurray also maintains a personal policy for his company that gives victims of a tow are given a chance to reclaim their vehicle for
TOWING TIPS: A car will be towed if: it blocks other vehicles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, dumpsters, driveways, fire lanes or parking lot entrances; if it is double-parked; if it is on the grass or sidewalk; if it is in a painted yellow zone; or if it is parked illegally.
Matt McMurray, the owner of Campus Automotive and a Tech alumnus, said the decision to accept towing contracts stemmed from a desire to expand the business his father opened in 1979. “The apartment complexes have been approaching us for years to come take over, but we always resisted it. We were a bit afraid to do it,” McMurray said. “With this economy, and in the middle of building a big shop, we had to do something. It was out of necessity that I had to accept those contracts.” McMurray is changing the face of his business. “We used to have a service station that sold gas, did auto repair and towing,” McMurray said. “Right now, we’re in a transition period where we’re just doing towing, but we’re in the process of building a new shop on North Main Street.” Initial plans for the new building began in July 2010, and McMurray said he hopes it will open by next year. He said he will use the shop both for auto repair and towing. The new location, which will be near East Coasters Bike Shop, will be more central to students than the current location at 415 National Drive in Christiansburg. Once Campus Automotive took a few initial property contracts last August, it joined the New River see COMPANIES / page six
Sudoku, page 4
a reduced fee of $25. Sometimes, operators are even more lenient. “We’re supposed to get a $25 drop if we do any kind of work to the car, but there have been many that I’ve let go,” said Aaron Lovern, an operator with Campus Automotive. “To me, it’s not worth the paperwork, and it’s good to them.” At 10:41 p.m. that night, McMurray entered Pheasant Run. As McMurray walked around the parking spaces of the townhouse complex, he explained the complicated parking situation in Pheasant
Run, which he said is one of the most towed private properties he manages. “The problem with Pheasant Run is that there are six different types of parking spots with six different parameters,” McMurray said. “There is so much to watch out for.” He mainly looks out for parking decals. Towing mishaps often occur when the decal is placed in areas that are difficult to spot, he said.
Cars cannot be towed from a public road without the consent of the driver, police or town official.
see TOW / page four
An additional charge for storage will be added to your bill after the first 24 hours that your car is at the towing company’s garage. It is important that the parking decal is visible. Many properties require the decal to be on the driver’s side lower corner of the windshield or the driver’s side back window. DANIEL LIN / SPPS
(Top) McMurray documents a car’s license plate. (Left) He checks for a parking decal. (Right) A car is brought to the impound lot.
More students feel depressed Alert creates confusion JOSH HIGGINS news reporter College is said be the best time of a person’s life, but for many it is one of the most difficult. Incoming freshman reported lower emotional health in 2010 than in any year since 1985, according to a survey by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. “People are afraid to talk about it,” said Shannon Passaro, a sophomore business major and the president of To Write Love on Her Arms, a student support group for emotional health issues. “And that’s how you wind up with people committing suicide and things like that.” Today is National Depression Screening Day, though online depression screeninngs are offered all the time through Cook Counseling Center’s website. Erin Gregg, a senior classical studies major, said knowing about screenings
could have been helpful for her. “I do (think that depression screening day would be helpful),” Gregg said. “It’s something that I have dealt with, and if something like that had been in place and I had known about it, I would have found out a long time ago.” The UCLA study found that only 51.9 percent of students believed their emotional health was in the highest 10 percent or above average. Some theories propose that the slow economy is causing students to experience more stress, said Pearl Chiu, an assistant professor of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and the Virginia Tech Department of Psychology. The amount of stress and the decline of emotional health have also been attributed to the tough transition into college. “Traditionally, freshman year is the toughest year for students,” Chiu said. “It’s the first time a lot of people have lived away from home and are learn-
ing to manage time on their own.” Passaro also said that college life takes a toll on students. “College is so hard to get into, first of all,” Passaro said. “And then there’s so much pressure to go to graduate school, to be the best in your class, and to do all kinds of things. Students want to stand out — to make a difference — but it’s hard to do.” But she said that help is available. “Things will get better, and you’re not alone in anything you’re dealing with,” Passaro said. “There’s always somebody who will listen and care.” Chiu said that students can also help themselves though “self-care.” “The important thing is to have something you know you enjoy that you can do separate from classwork,” Chiu said. “There’s no formula for a cure-all, but the important thing is to find what makes you feel better and what you enjoy, so you can keep them on the backburner (for when you need stress relief).”
CLAIRE SANDERSON news editor A woman was robbed at about 4 a.m. yesterday near the 1300 block of Mary Jane Circle, according to a Virginia Tech Police Department alert. However, Tech Police initially sent out an alert that said the crime occured near the Math Emporium. Tech Police sent an email at 7:36 a.m. saying “a woman was leaving the Math Emporium headed toward her vehicle when a man approached her with a hand gun.” However, Tech Police sent out a correction email at 7:59 a.m. saying the crime occurred at Mary Jane Circle. Mark Owczarski, university spokesman, said there was a
miscommunication between the Blacksburg Police Department, which responded to the incident, and Tech Police, which sent out the alert. “As people were responding, the Virginia Tech Police Department had in its mind that it was at the Math Emporium and not Mary Jane Circle,” Owczarski said. “I believe it had to do with the execution of the information.” Sergeant Joe Davis of Blacksburg Police said he did not know where the miscommunication between the two departments began. Owczarski said it is challenging for police who are busy responding to a crime to double check information before it is sent out. “In terms of the challenge of getting a mesage out really quickly,
you don’t always get the details,” Owczarski said. The woman, a 20-year-old Tech student, described her perpetrator as a short black male wearing a black “puffy” coat and white scarf. The woman was getting out of her car when the man approached her with a hand gun, forcing her to get back into the vehicle and drive him to multiple local ATMs. He released her unharmed near the 1600 block of Patrick Henry Drive at about 5 a.m. The Blacksburg and Tech police departmentscontinuetolookforthe suspect. If you have information, call Blacksburg Police at 540-9611150 or Tech Police at 540-2316411.
2 sports september 23, 2009
B editors: matt jones, zachpage mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 6, 2011
Dual perspectives: Offensive struggles
DANIEL LIN / SPPS
Virginia Tech offensive lineman Nick Becton sits on the bench during the waning minutes of the Hokies 23-3 loss to Clemson last Saturday. Becton matched up against the Tigers’ Andre Branch, who had four sacks.
Koma: Play calling must improve for Hokies to play to their potential T
he more things change, the more they stay the same. When Bryan Stinespring announced he would be handing play calling duties over to quarterbacks coach Mike O’Cain, most Hokie fans thought things really would be changing on offense. However, after Saturday night’s debacle against Clemson, it’s clear this old adage holds true. There are certainly a lot of problems with Virginia Tech’s offense right now — a struggling offensive line, a quarterback who might not actually be good at throwing passes, and inconsistent wide receiver play have all been issues. Despite these concerns, it seems unfair to place the blame solely at the feet of the players. Even the best players in college football need to be placed in favorable situations by the coaching staff to succeed, and that simply hasn’t been the case for Logan Thomas, David Wilson and company. The reliance on the running game has become part of the problem, but it’s hard to fault Wilson for just being too good. Instead, O’Cain’s strategy of running on the first two downs into the teeth of the opposition’s run defense, and then forcing Thomas to complete a long pass on third down, has had predictably terrible results — the team deserves better. Similarly, the use of Wilson and
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fellow running back Josh Oglesby has been downright confusing. Obviously Wilson can’t work miracles on every play, no matter how hard he tries, and has to sit occasionally. And Oglesby undoubtedly has the talent to provide a nice change of pace. However, he’s not an electrifying runner like Wilson. He’s an effective short yardage runner and even has decent hands out of the backfield, but he’s not an every-down back. Consequently, it makes sense for Oglesby to be on the field on second down with one yard to go, as he was in his first appearance of the game on Saturday. He busted up the middle for an 11-yard gain and provided the offense with good momentum in its first drive of the second quarter. What was puzzling was his appearance on three straight downs when there were more than 10 yards to go, typically Wilson’s territory. The results weren’t pretty — Oglesby managed a loss of a yard, a loss of four yards and a gain of one yard in those three attempts to solidly kill the drive’s energy. When the team finally attempted to take advantage of his strengths by calling on him on a crucial third-and-one scenario in the third quarter, they chose to call an outside run, where he was completely stuffed for a loss of five yards. The situation is the same with
Thomas. He is clearly more comfortable when throwing on the run, yet play after play O’Cain sticks him in the shotgun. He hasn’t shown the ability to accurately read a defense at this early point in his young career, but that hasn’t stopped the team from expecting him to. It’s surely an unenviable job that O’Cain has to do, and it’s easy to question these types of decisions without being under pressure in the moment. But that doesn’t change the fact that some of the offensive choices he’s made are head scratching to say the least, and maybe even “Stinespring-esque” at worst. It’s easy to forget this is a talented offense, despite its flaws. And it’s certain they’ll be eager to prove it against the Hurricanes this weekend. However, if they continue to be mismanaged this way, the onus will be even greater on the defense to win games for the Hokies, which produces results like those against the Tigers. For the whole team’s sake, let’s hope O’Cain can right the ship and help his offense succeed rather than struggle.
ALEX KOMA -sports staff writer -sophomore -communication major -@AlexKomaCT
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TWO SPORTS STAFF WRITERS, ALEX KOMA AND ALYSSA BEDROSIAN, GAVE THEIR THOUGHTS ON WHAT VIRGINIA TECH’S OFFENSE NEEDS TO DO TO PLAY BETTER AGAINST THE MIAMI HURRICANES
Hokies offense at a glance After playing four unheralded non-conference opponents to start the year, Tech’s offense was exposed in last weekend’s 23-3 loss to Clemson. During the game, it became evident that the Hokies can no longer rely solely on David Wilson to carry their offense for them. Logan Thomas must throw the ball better for Tech to have a chance to repeat as conference champions, and that has to start on Saturday against Miami.
Bedrosian: Offensive line needs to step up T
he Virginia Tech Hokies were embarrassed last Saturday in their Atlantic Coast Conference home opener, losing 23-3 to No. 13 Clemson. While it seems most obvious to blame quarterback Logan Thomas’s mediocre performance or the Stinespring-esque play calling, Tech’s offensive woes continued Saturday night because of the continued insufficient play of the offensive line. Clemson defensive end Andre Branch tallied four sacks for the Tigers, two of which came during a crucial drive for the Hokies late in the fourth quarter. Redshirt junior Nick Becton and redshirt senior Andrew Lanier shared the left tackle position, yet both were unable to stop Branch when it mattered most. Although both left tackles graded above 80 percent, it was obvious Saturday night that Thomas wasn’t given the protection he needed to convert. Although the Hokies’ first-string offensive line had given up just one sack heading into last week’s ACC matchup, it is evident that improvements must be made when competing against stiff conference competition. “We have to fix some technical things,” said Curt Newsome, offensive line coach. “Now we need to improve, and we don’t need the quarterback hit. That’s our number one goal each week.” Although the offensive line deserves credit for running back David Wilson’s 6.2 yards per carry against Clemson, Tech’s offense will need a better per-
formance from the line headed into Saturday’s matchup against Miami. Miami’s defensive line is coming off a big game against Bethune-Cookman, tallying seven sacks for a loss of 39 yards. Despite the fact that this performance came against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, the Hurricanes’ young defensive line got the confidence booster it needed headed into Saturday’s game. The reality is that the Hokies’ offense cannot rely solely on Wilson’s acrobatics. With the struggles at quarterback, the mediocrity of field goal kicker Cody Journell and Tech’s conservative play calling, the Hokies’ offensive line must step up to the plate if they expect to head to another ACC Championship game in December. Thomas hasn’t lived up to the expectations that many had for him, and he certainly hasn’t come close to filling former Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s shoes. Nevertheless, Thomas and Taylor are two very different quarterbacks. Taylor didn’t need a lot of help from the offensive line because of his freakish mobility outside of the pocket. The offensive line no longer has that luxury. It is up to this veteran line to fulfill the leadership role that is obviously absent in Tech’s offensive unit.
ALYSSA BEDROSIAN -sports staff writer -sophomore -communication major -@AlyssaBedrosian
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editors: scott masselli, sean simons opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES
october 6, 2011
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Zach Crizer Managing Editor: Lindsey Brookbank Design Editors: Danielle Buynak, Victoria Zigadlo Public Editor: Justin Graves Web Editor: Sarah Watson News Editors: Claire Sanderson, Michelle Sutherland News Reporters: Josh Higgins News Staff Writers: Erin Chapman, Meighan Dober, Abby Harris, Elizabeth Haydu, Cody Owens, Mallory NoePayne Features Editors: Chelsea Gunter, Patrick Murphy Features Reporters: Nick Smirniotopoulos Features Staff Writers: Courtney Baker, Torie Deible, Dane Harrington, Kevin McAleese, Andrew Reily Opinions Editors: Scott Masselli, Sean Simons Sports Editors: Matt Jones, Zach Mariner Sports Reporters: Michael Bealy, Nick Cafferky, Courtney Lofgren, Josh Parcell Sports Staff Writers: Eric Avassi, Zander Baylis, Alyssa Bedrosian, Cody Elliott, Taylor Hay, Alex Koma, Ashleigh Lanza, Brian Marcolini, Cody Owens Photo Editor: Daniel Lin Special Sections Editor: Liana Bayne, Nick Cafferky Public Information Director: Dishu Maheshwari Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Chief: Spenser Snarr Copy Editors: Debra Houchins, Nora McGann Layout Designers: Nadia Groome, Kaitlyn Kicia, Bethany Melson, Matthew Ryburn Online Director: Jamie Chung Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Philipp Kotlaba MCT CAMPUS
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[staff editorial]
Meters would solve parking problem V
alley Towing and Virginia Tech Parking Services, in either order, may be the two most hated entities in Blacksburg. Freshmen learn quickly to fear the sight of a rectangular orange folder on the windshield of their cars, and upperclassmen begin to question their memories when they return to their sweet parking spaces, only to find someone else’s car in their spot. The ubiquitous Valley Towing feeds off of student mistakes, but it is empowered by contracts with property owners to remove illegally parked cars. Companies solicit Valley Towing’s services and set the hours when they want them patrol their lots. Towing contracts are a necessary evil — property owners are entitled to using their property, and without companies like Valley Towing, that property would be gobbled up by drivers who don’t pay for it. The problem is, parking is still
scarce. The safest way to a Chipotle burrito requires customers to have one person wait with the car and keep an eye out for tow trucks, while the others run inside to get food. There is something wrong here. On a Sunday night, business owners are unlikely to be parked on their premises, yet drivers are still turned away by threats of towing. Wouldn’t it make sense if those spots were available when property owners aren’t using them? It would certainly be good for downtown businesses — not having to walk three blocks to get to The Cellar would definitely encourage customers to pump up the local economy by dining out more often. Of course, as much as drivers would like it, business owners aren’t going to give up spots out of the kindness of their hearts. Fair enough. What if more metered spots
were added to the prime downtown parking spots, with the revenues going to the businesses that own them? Businesses could easily specify the hours that the spaces are available for public use and retain their exclusive-use rights during all other hours. The new meters could even be subsidized by the town, which would take in more tax revenue thanks to the increase in commerce. Since business owners set the public hours themselves, and meters control the amount of time a driver can use a space, everyone should be better off. All businesses need to do is determine the hours they don’t need the spots they own. The Blacksburg Town Council would be wise to push this type of change to downtown business owners in the future. the editorial board is composed of scott masellli and sean simons
Towing a necessity A
s an economics major, I couldn’t believe my eyes while reading “He said, she said: Towing” last week. If my education has taught me anything, it’s that scarce resources must be given value so they can be allocated properly. Do the writers think parking spaces grow on trees? Things are fine during the summer. I never have a problem parking by Top of the Stairs or hopping out to grab a burrito from my favorite place, Chipotle. When Virginia Tech students come back, however, it is an entirely different story. Sitting in traffic on Main Street and carstalking in the Squires lot are necessary actions. Now don’t get me wrong, nothing would make me happier than being able to park wherever and whenever I want (Sharkey’s happy hour, here I come). But I know we can’t have everything for free — even though many seem to think otherwise. As much as I hate Valley Towing — I’ve been out there, and I know they are the type of jerks who would make someone punch a wall or make a sensitive guy read “Harry Potter” — I know they serve a purpose. Valley Towing makes it difficult to park but ensures spots are given to those who want them
[letter to the editor] bars of downtown Blacksburg. BT schedule Unfortunately, they may find change bad themselves stranded at the cor-
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ear Blacksburg Transit, I get it. I really do. You took a look at the academic calendar and noticed there are no classes on Friday — Virginia Tech is on a fallbreak. Perhaps students may take the opportunity to go home, leading to a lower demand for BT’s topnotch service. A reduced schedule sounds pretty reasonable. Perhaps, though, you should have checked out another calendar: the 2011 home football schedule. As most of us know, the University of Miami football team is storming into town this weekend. Along with them will be a surge of thousands of alumni, students and fans flooding the New River Valley. Many of them will seek refuge in the fine restaurants and
ner of Main Street and College Avenue. Dramatic hurricane puns aside, I find it strange that BT is operating on a reduced schedule, while the population of Blacksburg swells in size for 72 hours. The BT provides an incredibly valuable service of safe transportation throughout our beloved town. Cutting off service early while thousands of students, alumni and fans are celebrating all that downtown Blacksburg has to offer — and hopefully a Virginia Tech win — seems irresponsible. Come closing time this Friday and Saturday, I hope everybody is able to find a safe ride home. - anthony cosentiono class of 2005
Towing policies should be looser most. If I’ve learned anything during my time at Tech it’s that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. If you give something away for free around campus and downtown, you pay a cost somehow, usually in the quality department. If parking spots were given away free of charge, people wouldn’t know the value of a spot, and its quality would go down without an incentive. Pretty soon it would become common knowledge around Blacksburg that the parking situation was horrible. And when people finally got a spot they would see how crappy it really was — filled with potholes and loose asphalt, since the repairmen would have no real incentive to fix them. People might even give up on parking altogether. Valley Towing is a necessary evil if we want to maintain the quality of the spots. It doesn’t take much to imagine how terrible things would become without them.
Bryce Stucki -guest columnist -senior -economics major
I
was walking down North Main Street this Saturday when I saw something that really made me mad. Granted, I was already in a pretty bad mood. I had just spent the past two hours in the freezing rain, sitting next to an extremely inebriated group of obnoxious frat guys, watching my Hokies waste chance after chance en route to getting utterly destroyed by Clemson. So what could make my day even worse than it already had been? Posted prominently in a church parking lot was a sign that read “Thou Shalt Not Park or Thou Will Be Towed” in gaudy, oversized red lettering — really? Although the poster was extremely cheesy, that’s not what bothered me about it. The most troubling aspect of the sign was how unbelievably greedy it was — especially coming from an organization that preaches the values of generosity and benevolence on a weekly basis. I could understand enforcing parking regulations on Sunday mornings or on nights for church-related functions, but on a Saturday night, I highly doubt anyone was in church. And with the large influx of cars and the subsequent need for additional parking spaces because of the game, wouldn’t it be more in accordance with its righteous Christian val-
ues for the church to allow community members to use their parking lot instead of extorting fees from those who tried? Perhaps the sign rubbed me the wrong way because I grew up in the urban jungle of northern Virginia, where many private establishments have contracts with the local towing companies that give them unrestricted access to tow parked cars in exchange for a share in the subsequent fee — a practice known as “predatory towing.” A lot of times, the signs dictating parking regulations are discreet and unclear. Although I have never personally had a car towed, I have heard horror stories from my friends and family involving exorbitant fees, inhumane amounts of paperwork and long delays in getting their cars back. As a result, pretty much every time I park somewhere downtown, I am anxious that I’ll come back to find my car gone and a ticket waiting for me in its place. The fact that I’m a typical broke college student makes the latter all the more troubling. However, I don’t really have a problem with enforced towing. Businesses should have the right to reserve their parking spaces for paying customers and enforce this principle through towing. And we should respect their right do so by parking where we
should. However, I have a hard time understanding how they can justify extending this rule beyond business hours — at which point it doesn’t inhibit their income in any way to allow others to park in their lots. To me, it’s simply a matter of greed. I can understand a private business trying to make a quick buck or two under the table by excessively enforcing arbitrary parking laws, but I find it troubling to learn that local church leadership has stooped to this level of material voracity. As a church-going Christian myself, I was even more disgusted by that sign than I was with the sub-par performance of our football team — and that’s saying something, considering we only managed to put up a measly three points. In my view, offering the use of its facilities to the public would be an ideal and simple way for the church to serve a collective need of the local community — many members of which actually attend the church themselves. Without the participation of the community, the church itself wouldn’t even exist. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense that the least it could do is allow people to use their parking lot freely, as long as there isn’t a church function going on? I’m strongly tempted to post my own sign next to theirs that reads: “Thou shall stop being hypocrites.”
MARK DEWYEA -regular columnist -senior -English major
Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Paul Kurlak Lab Manager: Austen Meredith College Media Solutions Ad Director: Brandon Collins Asst Ad Director: Matt Freedman Account Executives: Johnson Bray, Kevin Jadali, Alyssa Brown, Brian Dickson, Janssen Claudio Inside Sales Manager: Mario Gazzola Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Adam Shata Office Manager: Kayley Greenday Assistant Account Executives: Alex Perry, Kacie Nolan, Jordan Peugh Creative Director: Casey Stoneman Asst Production Manager: Colleen Hill Creative Services Staff: Danielle Bushrow, Michael Craighead, Alyssa Morrison, Molly Vinson Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 fall/spring. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2011. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.
october 6, 2011
page 4
Tow: Operators help stranded drivers from page one
Expr xpress ess Your Y ursel self. f.
While the location of the decal varies among different apartment complexes, McMurray said the most important thing is that they are visible. “First of all, we check the car thoroughly for a decal because people put the decal everywhere — they’re on the side, they’re on the back window, they’re on the front window, they’re in random spots,” McMurray said. “Most of the time there are two people in a truck, and we’ll both check it over just to make sure that we don’t make a mistake.” McMurray soon came across a truck without a decal that was parked in the wrong area. Before he began the process of preparing the vehicle
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for towing, he photographed the truck from multiple angles to prove the parking violation, as well as the car’s condition before it was towed. To safely tow a vehicle, rolling dollies are placed around each tire and connected by bars. The tow truck then raises the car with a wheel lift. Once a vehicle has been towed, McMurrary notifies the Blacksburg Police Department so drivers who call about their cars know what happened. When a vehicle owner comes to the Campus Automotive impound yard, they can reclaim their car by paying a $125 charge if it was towed between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., or a $150 charge if it was towed between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. McMurray said driving a tow truck with a car hitched behind it is not
nearly as difficult as driving one through an apartment complex on Friday night. Students in the complex were eager to voice their opinions of the towing industry, both audibly and visibly. In the five minutes it took to prepare a truck in Pheasant Run for towing, several passersby noticed the process. “I think it’s a shady way to make a living,” said Jeff Mason, a junior economics major who was in the area that night. “I think that they could find something better to do. College kids don’t have that much money to begin with.” McMurray said he is aware of how people view towing companies, but hopes the other services Campus Automotive offers — like emergency tows for stranded motorists
— will earn the company a better reputation. “Patrolling the lot allows the spaces to open back up,” McMurray said. “I feel like what we do is good. The best thing that we can do is continue to do the things we do during the day with the road-side assistance, so there’s a difference between night and day.” Lovern recalled a particularly bad snowstorm in 2009 that blocked many roads in Blacksburg. He and other tow operators responded to tow many broken down or stuck cars. “We hadn’t slept for 24 hours. I-81 was shut down,” Lovern said. “The state police told us that we had to get out there.” He said after the storm, Campus
Automotive felt people’s gratitude for their work. “You should have seen the Christmas postcards that year from how we helped so many people,” Lovern said. “But if you look for reviews on Google, you’ll only see the bad reviews. You don’t see the other side.” Many drivers at Campus Automotive have experience in other fields, with one being a former police officer, one having driven military convoys with the Air Force, and several currently working with rescue squads and the volunteer fire department. One driver, Neil Beqari, is pursuing his master’s degree in business administration at Radford University.
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5 She said: Relax with loved ones for break october 6, 2011
editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
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He said: Enjoy the extended weekend STEPHANIE LACASSE / COLLEGIATE TIMES
all break is officially here. I know you’ve counted down the days to this infamous holiday for weeks. But now that it has arrived, how will you spend it? I am here to walk you through a typical fall break for someone staying in Blacksburg. Waking up anytime before 9 a.m. on this day is simply sinful. I find it difficult to sleep in anymore because of my straight 8 a.m. schedule, but I will have no problem not getting out of my bed at 7 a.m. to meet the cold Blacksburg wind on this day. Once you are finally able to roll out of bed, it is time to greet the day. When you reach this point, your options are limitless. I personally feel fall break is the time to do something outdoors, as it is one of the last few weeks before the Drillfield becomes a frozen tundra. It is one of the most beautiful times of the year when the leaves turn maroon and orange, but the weather is still bearable. And southwest Virginia is filled with activities that are perfect for this time of year. There are a multitude of awesome hikes, such as the Cascades, Dragon’s Tooth and Mcafee’s Knob, within a 45-minute drive. And any day hike is not complete without a trip to Homeplace, which makes D2 look like Shultz. If you can handle the inevitably long wait, plate after plate of delicious southern food will greet you. For those non-adventure enthusiasts, a simple trip to the Duck Pond is always a nice way to spend a fall afternoon. And if the picnic is accompanied with food and friends — or that girl you’ve been mackin’ on — the day is sure to be even better.
With many students going home, it is a perfect time to try a new Blacksburg downtown restaurant. I often steer clear of these places because of long lines or my hectic schedule, so fall break allows students to spend time trying new cuisine. For those of you lucky souls who don’t have Friday classes anyway, take some time to hang out with your lessthan-fortunate friends in engineering who are normally busy all morning with class. This mere day off truly is a holiday for us, and we would appreciate if you withheld any comments telling us this is a typical Friday for you. Whatever you do on this “holiday,” just make sure you spend it doing something you enjoy. Virginia Tech gives us this break as a way to get away from the stress of school, if it is even just for a day. I know I’ve been running around like a madman the last few weeks because of tests, projects and extracurricular activities, so the thing I am looking most forward to is relaxing. If you are thinking about going away for the weekend, I recommend you stay in. On top of Friday being a time to do whatever you want, Saturday is going to be a great day for football. Our team needs all the support it
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can get coming off a tough week, and Miami will not treat us lightly. I have yet to see the Hokies lose to the U since I’ve been a student, and I sure as hell won’t accept a loss because all of the passionate students decided to go home. So use this weekend to catch up on work, enjoy a Saturday in Lane and, most importantly, spend time with the people you love. Just be careful — because the break is only 24 hours long, it will certainly be over before you know it.
DANE HARRINGTON -featured columnist -junior -industrial & systems engineering major
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s a junior with no Friday classes, fall break isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in my eyes. Not to mention the fact that my father is in the military and stationed in Germany — so much for going home. Out-of-state students can relate and know exactly how I feel. Going “home” has turned into going to friends’ homes, going to my sister’s home or even just staying in my Blacksburg home. But I will say that I’ll take a measly Friday off for fall break to get a weeklong Thanksgiving break any day. It’s really nice to be able to go home, relax and gain a few pounds before returning to Virginia Tech, only to have our brains essentially participate in a triathlon for finals. However, it just doesn’t seem fair watching my friends go home all the time, and then once again for fall break. I wish I had the option to take advantage of living just a few hours away. It upsets me when I hear people complain about how far they live, or debate whether to drive an hour and a half home or not. Get your butt on the road and enjoy some home cookin’! I recently raved about Tech in one of my previous articles about food, but let’s get real — school food has nothing on your momma. For fall break my freshman year, my suitemate let me go home with her, which was really nice. I didn’t have to suffer the vision of happy parents coming to visit their children or an empty campus because everyone went home. I got to experience her family and become close with them, while enjoying a getaway from the hustle and bustle of college. I had the opportunity to experience her cute little town, meet some of her extended family and ultimately feel a part of it as well. Throughout my visit, I made best friends with their pets, which included the sweetest cat and a dog. Sometimes I see dogs around campus on nice days and can’t help but miss my two golden labs that are currently living in Germany with my parents. I miss having someone wag their tail or meet me at the door with love. No, I don’t think coming home to inebriated friends counts as the same kind of welcome. Like any other football weekend, the fans who stay in town for fall break are the ones that are painted up — the ones who truly care. Who cares if it is fall break? They are out tailgating and grilling just like any other game day. Yes, if fall break fell on the weekend
of an away game, we could all have the luxury of watching it from the couches in our homes scattered across the country, but if there is a home game, you bet your ass our fans will stay. I saw this firsthand last year when fall break landed on homecoming weekend and my particular organization had a candidate, so naturally, I stayed to watch the game and wait for the results. I have to say, it was by far one of my favorite memories watching our Hokies dominate with my closest friends around me. It felt like we took over an entire section in the North End Zone — our presence was indescribable. It didn’t feel like a break because no one left, and we all celebrated the Hokie victory together. This year, I am lucky because my dad is coming to me. I am part of the 2013 Leadership Team as Ring Dance Chair, so he came to escort me to Ring Premiere. He is staying the entire week to watch our Hokies revive themselves and beat Miami. I’m sure this fall break will be much like homecoming weekend. Although, I’m not so sure the stands in Lane will be as full, especially after last Saturday’s rough loss to Clemson. However, a wise fellow Hokie once said, “Remember, though, there wasn’t a person in America who thought VT would go 10-2 or win the Atlantic
Coast Conference after the loss to JMU. Beamer always rallies the troops.” This weekend, I hope I see as many little kids in their old Tyrod Taylor jerseys as those in Logan Thomas jerseys. Neither Taylor or Michael Vick were legendary Hokie quarterbacks overnight. A large blame to the loss may go toward Thomas’s lack of experience and snap judgments to run the ball. However, Hokie football has never been about a hero. Think about it, if the games were all about the offensive line, we would never have created the “Key Play.” Whatever direction you decide to take this fall break, be sure to take advantage of it. If you are lucky enough to enjoy some hours at home or simply catch up on some sleep in your apartment here in Blacksburg, realize that you are at the highest peak of the roller coaster, and it’s all twists and turns from here on out this semester. This year, I get to enjoy it with some family, but who knows what next year will bring.
KELLEY ENGLISH -featured columnist -junior -marketing & management major
6 news Companies: Tow operators aware of students’ negative opinions editors: claire sanderson, michelle sutherland newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
october 6, 2011
COLLEGIATETIMES
from page one
Valley Apartment Council, a professional housing organization consisting of 31 associate members all involved in property management. This led to contracts from more apartment complexes. By August, Campus Automotive was able to count Collegiate Suites, Maple Ridge Townhomes, Pheasant Run and Terrace View among the 40 properties it now has contracts with.
VALLEY TOWING Gabe Di Giovanni bought Valley Towing nine years ago when the business was still known as Tek Tow. Valley Towing possesses a large number of towing contracts in Blacksburg and Radford. “We do a lot for Raines Property Management, CMG, Townside and others,” Di Giovanni said. “We do parking lot management for The Village. That’s one of the larger ones we deal with.”
In August, however, Valley Towing’s place in the local towing business began to diminish. “When I asked Terrace View why they changed, they said they wanted to try somebody different, and they were concerned about the large cost involved in signs because a lot of their signs keep getting torn down,” Di Giovanni said. “They also mentioned that Campus Automotive might be a little bit closer, making it more convenient for people impounded to pick up their vehicle once they get their location in Blacksburg.” Apartment complexes may be looking to boost their residents’ perception of parking enforcement. Student opinion of Valley Towing is largely negative, at least partially because of where the cars are taken. Daniel Wirdzerk, a senior mechanical engineering major who lives in a CMG property, complained about Valley Towing’s remote impound yard, located at 810 Jennelle Road in Blacksburg.
“I got towed the first week of classes because I didn’t renew my parking sticker,” Wirdzerk said. “As soon as the deadline ended, Valley Towing took it away. I had no idea where my car was for a while. Valley is pretty far away.” Other students accused Valley Towing of seemingly sitting in wait to tow their cars. Bennett Salmon, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, shared this frustration. “I was at The Village dropping off a friend. I was gone 15 minutes, and when I got back, the car was gone,” Salmon said. “I spoke to someone on the phone who was not the most friendly guy and found that it was towed 10 minutes (before). It seems like they were waiting or watching me in order to tow my car.” Di Giovanni is aware of criticisms and accusations such as this and said they do not hold true. “All that you hear are people complaining about us laying in wait for them to illegally park,” Di Giovanni said. “We have hundreds of properties
that we have to patrol, and we only have one or two trucks out. So there is no way we can just sit and wait for someone to improperly park. We’re a roving patrol, going from one stage to the next looking for permits.” McMurray said Campus Automotive works on a similar method for patrolling. “Some properties call us and some we patrol,” McMurray said. “Properties like Hunter’s Ridge and Pheasant Run, we would patrol.”
“A SHADY BUSINESS” Regardless of the name on the side of the truck towing the car, drivers will always be upset when their car is towed. Towing companies are frequently cited as being opportunistic, shady, and — according to some — “heartless.” The towing businesses have been attacked with more than just words. Campus Automotive said its drivers have had beer thrown at them, while Valley Towing said it has been the target of bottles, paintballs and even a
Roman candle. Valley Towing trucks had their tires cut, while a Campus Automotive truck was urinated on. According to business reviews from the Better Business Bureau, of which neither Valley Towing nor Campus Automotive are members, Valley Towing has received 11 complaints in the last 12 months, while Campus Automotive has received none. In light of public criticism, both Di Giovanni and McMurray said what they do is important. “Obviously, there is a need for parking lot enforcement,” Di Giovanni said. “We have people call us up every day and ask us to remove a vehicle because someone has parked in their space, or there is no place for them to park where they have paid to park.” Di Giovanni said towing is a vital service to the public. “We’re called shady and maligned for a lot of the things that we do, but in actuality we are performing a service that has to be performed. If someone didn’t do parking lot enforcement in
Blacksburg, then the parking situation would quickly overflow, and nobody would be able to park.” McMurray said the companies wouldn’t be necessary if all rules were followed. “Most people know what to do and what not to do. Others — I don’t know,” McMurray said. “If everyone paid attention to the parameters, we wouldn’t have to tow at all, and the world would be a much better place.” Whether towing companies in the New River Valley are draconian or dutiful is up for debate, but their presence on the streets isn’t. As Di Giovanni says, tow operators have a job to do. “Our number one goal and priority is to make sure that we do a good job for the people who contract with us,” Di Giovanni said. “If I had the choice of having the people who I’m working for get upset with me or the people who I tow get upset with me, I think that I would have the people who I tow be upset with me.”