Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Print Edition

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aking care of business see page six

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

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News, page 2

Arts & Entertainment, page 5

Ed Spencer to retire in 2012 VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT AFFAIRS WILL STEP DOWN TO SPEND TIME WITH HIS FAMILY CLAIRE SANDERSON news editor Ed Spencer, the vice president of student affairs, announced his retirement yesterday after nearly 30 years at Virginia Tech.

Sp e n c e r said he plans to retire by June 30, 2 0 1 2 .

Afterward, he said he is looking SPENCER f o r w a r d to having more free time to spend with family.

“I’m going to do what I want to do, when I want to do it,” Spencer said.

Spencer said he wants to see more of his grandchildren, become more involved with his fraternity Sigma Chi, and travel.

The class of 2012 chose Spencer as its sponsor and surprised him at its ring dance with a 2012 class ring.

“I now wear my undergraduate ring on one finger and my 2012 VT on the other as my retirement ring,” Spencer said.

Spencer came to Tech on Jan. 1, 1983, as the director of housing and dining services. Previously, he worked

in student affairs at the University of Delaware for 12 years.

“My wife and I were struck by the beauty of this place,” Spencer said, adding that he had not heard of Tech before being invited to campus for his initial interview.

But working with college students was not always on Spencer’s mind. He originally went to medical school.

“I realized after I was (in medical school) that my calling was working with college students,” Spencer said. “I realized a little later than I should to follow my heart. I’ve never had any doubts since.”

During his time at Tech, Spencer played a major role in changing the dining program on campus.

“The awards that the dining program has won and being handed that program and being able to turn it around — that’s really a dream come true,” Spencer said.

Spencer said the university will conduct a nationwide search in coming months for his successor.

“The goal is for the provost, with the help of the search committee, to select someone by mid-to-latespring semester,” Spencer said.

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 6

Classifieds, page 4

Sudoku, page 4

Blacksburg occupied CT NEWS STAFF

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or the second time in less than a week, Blacksburg was occupied.

Occupy Blacksburg held a protest Saturday, Oct. 15, to show solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Waving signs and carrying banners, members of the community gathered in front of The Cellar Restaurant and listened to speakers before they marched through downtown Blacksburg.

The Occupy Virginia Tech group held a similar protest at the War Memorial Pylons last Thursday.

While that protest was populated predominately by students, Saturday’s saw a more diverse crowd.

“Occupy Virginia Tech was mainly students where people came out for job security and student debt,” said Kyle Gardiner, a senior political science major. “Occupy Blacksburg had a much larger age variety and reflected more general concerns about a government that is no longer serving the people.”

Gardiner spoke at Occupy Blacksburg but did not at the Tech protest. He said he didn’t feel comfortable protesting amid the memorials to American soldiers, since Occupy Virginia Tech was held near the War Memorial Chapel.

Protestors at Occupy Blacksburg offered many different reasons for why they came out Saturday and gave their opinions about the movement’s purpose.

“It’s about the 99 percent that don’t control all the wealth in the country standing up and taking back what is theirs,” said Abby Hays, a junior political science major.

Others said they were dissatisfied with the state of the job market in the U.S. “I know people here are concerned with the fact that there are no jobs for them after college, and they are burdened with a lot of debt,” said Robert Fentress, the senior instructional see OCCUPY / page four

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

(Top and bottom left) Montgomery County School Board member Penny Franklin speaks to protesters. (Bottom right) Occupiers gathered with signs near The Cellar Restaurant.

Harrington’s mother files lawsuit for $3.5 million LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST SECURITY AT CONCERT CLAIRE SANDERSON news editor Morgan Dana Harrington’s mother filed a lawsuit for $3.5 million against the company that was in charge of security at the concert her daughter attended the night she was abducted.

Gil Harrington filed the suit in Roanoke County Circuit Court last Tuesday, according to an article in the Roanoke Times.

Morgan, a Virginia Tech student, attended a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesvile, Va. on Oct. 17, 2009. She left the concert alone and was not allowed back into the venue.

Her remains were found 101 days later in a nearby farm. Her death has been ruled a homicide, but no suspects have been named.

Gil is suing Regional Marketing Concepts, Inc., claiming that it should have allowed Morgan back into the concert after leaving.

She said by not allowing Morgan back into the venue, the company left her daughter vulnerable.

The suit also states that RMC should have known Morgan suffered an injury to her chin after leaving her seat to go to the bathroom because it was reported to event staff.

Dan Schmitt of RMC would not comment on the lawsuit itself, but he said the FILE 2010 / SPPS “no-reentry” policy is standard practice at large concerts, according to the article.

Gil Harrington stands at the one-year anniversary memorial.

HARRINGTON FAMILY LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN TO CATCH KILLER PRISCILLA ALVAREZ news staff writer Still determined to find their daughter’s killer, Morgan Dana Harrington’s parents have launched a new campaign called “Help Save the Next Girl.”

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the disappearance of Morgan, a Virginia Tech student who went missing when she was in Charlottesville for a Metallica concert at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena. Her body was found 101 days later on Jan. 26, 2010.

Morgan’s killer has yet to be identified. Dan and Gil Harrington established HelpSaveTheNextgirl.com on Oct. 3 to build community awareness about women’s safety. They are also using the campaign to aid the search for Morgan’s murderer.

The campaign includes haunting messages, such as “20 Years Old / 5’5” tall / 6 Feet Under” and “She was the girl next door? Is this the guy next door?”The website provides links to the Virginia State Police tip line, the National Center for Missing Adults and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children so people can contribute tips. The Harringtons said they hope to prevent Morgan’s murderer from attacking someone else.

“As time grows longer, I am getting more frantic and concerned about (girls falling victim to the same killer) as a possibility,” Gil said.

Stephanie Koehler, the manager of SAKinterMedia, and Bruce Bryan, the manager of B2C Enterprises, helped develop the campaign.

SAKinterMedia produced the first strategy media piece, and B2C Enterprises focused on advertising and communicating with media outlets. Web Art, a web design company in Ohio, built and hosts the website.

Media General, a communications conglomerate that owns newspapers, TV stations and other media across the Southeast, also assists the campaign. The company streams advertisements for the campaign using unused inventory on its website. Comcast Virginia and several other media groups have run the advertisements as well.

“The idea is revolutionary. There has never been any public service campaign that has partnered with media on the advertising side to communicate the message,” Koehler said.

The goal for the website is to expand and become a national resource for parents who suffer the pain of losing a child. The Harringtons intend for the site to become a portal where parents can get information if their child is missing. It will eventually include links to information about pending violence against women cases.

“This is the tool to put in the hands of families who are looking for their loved ones,” Gil said.

The campaign also seeks to gain momentum to pass Kathryn’s Law, which would ensure that state and local police investigate homicides and rapes that occur on a college campus, as opposed to a university’s police force or student conduct officials. The law stems from Kathryn Russel, a student at U.Va. in 2004, who was allegedly raped by a student she knew from class, according to an article in the Washington Examiner.

Local law enforcement dismissed Russel’s case, so she filed an incident report with campus police.

Russel said she didn’t feel the university handled the case correctly, and her mother took it upon herself to make sure students would be entitled to the same investigative services as the community, according to the article. Kathryn’s Law, or Virginia House Bill 2490, would move on-campus felony charges to local police.

The Virginia State Crime Commission will present its findings of a months-long study into whether investigations of on-campus felonies should be handed over to local police, according to the article.

2 news september 23, 2009 october 18, 2011

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

what you’re saying //comments from online readers...

On the story about iPads at Au Bon Pain: omg >> So. . . Why couldn't they just take orders like any regular sandwich joint? As in tell the cashier what you want, they type it in and they make it.You know the ipads arent going to last. And as far as the health dept thing . that's crap. If I read it right , anytime a customer pays for their meal by handing a card or cash to a cashier, it means the whole kitchen is contaminated ?

This is what our tuition pays for . . . grrrr

date reported 10/14/2011

time 6:11 p.m.

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

Possesion of Marijuana

status

Woods Behind Lane Stadium Larcency of a Laptop Squires Student Center Burglary of a textbook and backpack Lee Hall

Arrested

Possesion of Fake ID/ Appear Draper Road Intoxicated in Public/ Underage Possesion of Alcohol 12:42 a.m.

Appear Intoxicated in Public/ Prices Fork Road Underage Possesion of Alcohol 1:39 p.m.

Appear Intoxicated in Public/ Outside Henderson Underage Possesion of Alcohol Hall 1:49 p.m.

Appear Intoxicated in Public Alumni Mall 2:12 p.m.

Underage Possesion of Alcohol x2 Lee Hall 2:25 p.m.

Underage Possesion of Alcohol Lee Hall 2:31 p.m.

Posession of a Fake ID Pritchard Hall 3:13 p.m.

Appear Intoxicated in Public Outside Eggleston Hall 3:42 p.m.

Appear Intoxicated in Public Alumni Mall 1:23 p.m.

Underage Possesion of Alcohol/ Outside of GLC Appear Intoxicated in Public 2:16 p.m.

Underage Possesion of Alcohol/ O’Shaughnessy Hall Possesion of Fake ID 2:58 p.m.

Underage Possesion of Alcohol/ Alumni Mall Appear Intoxicated in Public 4:47 p.m.

Underage Possesion of Alcohol/ Lee Hall Appear Intoxicated in Public 2:00-5:00 p.m.

Vandalism to clothing items and rug Lee Hall 12:31 p.m.

Runaway Juvenile Burruss Hall 10:00 p.m.-10:00 a.m Larceny/ Recovery of Bicycle Parts Pritchard Hall

Arrested

Active Active

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

13216540656465514

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

october 18, 2011

The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

MCT CAMPUS

Our Views [staff editorial]

F

ive days after Occupy Virginia Tech rallied at the War Memorial Chapel, what has changed? About 100 students and community members gathered to yell and air their grievances, primarily about student loans and job prospects to whoever would listen. To observers, the rally was reminiscent of a flash mob, dispersing as quickly as they came.

The university has not since responded to the protesters, and it seems unlikely that they will. Why would they? They have no obligation to assent to the demands of a group of students who willingly took their money with a promise to repay it. The protesters, here and on Wall Street, seem to forget that businesses aren’t political. With the exception of consumer retail stores, they don’t care if people don’t like them — as long as it doesn’t affect their profits.

The inefficacy of the protests only further questions the motives and reasoning of the protesters. If they truly expect Tech president Charles Steger to walk out of his office, bow at their feet and wipe out their loans, they are in for a major disappointment. The university, just like the financial firms on Wall Street, cares only about getting repaid by its borrowers.

But this does not have to be the legacy of Occupy Virginia Tech. If the group — if it can be called such — shifts its pri-

orities to warning high school and college students interested in higher education about the dangers of taking on student loans and the need to examine the job market for their majors, it would be counted as a socially useful movement.

Instead of complaining about bleak job prospects with a tone that gives the impression that they feel entitled to graduate and immediately enter a wellpaying position, the protesters could encourage high school seniors to consider cutting costs by studying at a community college before finishing their degree at a four-year institution.

Likewise, graduate students feeling pressure could warn undergraduates to not accept the traditional logic that more education necessarily means higher pay and a guaranteed job.

Regardless of whether these students made wise decisions to take out the loans that are now burdening them, the Occupy Virginia Tech movement is unlikely to accomplish any special reform of their debts to the university. However, there is no reason they cannot contribute to prevent younger students from making the same mistakes. If they move on this goal, they will be able to claim a positive impact on the “99 percent” they claim to defend.

-The editorial board is comprised of Scott Masselli and Sean Simons

Your Views [letter to the editor]

Parking notices are necessary

R

ecently, Mark Dewyea wrote a column criticizing our church’s towing policy.

I believe a key component of professional journalism is to research the facts before writing. By so doing, one avoids the embarrassment of writing opinion based on conjecture.

Dewyea admitted he was in a bad mood when writing. He further admitted being biased by his experiences in northern Virginia.

Forming opinions and an article amid circumstantial frustration and factual ignorance rarely leads to informed communication.

Blacksburg Baptist Church’s “no parking” signs are required by town code.

Though our lots are private property, we cannot protect and enforce our parking rights even for funerals and weddings if such signs are not prominently and permanently displayed.

On days when towing is probable, we place freestanding yellow and black signs in the center of our driveways as an additional, obvious, unavoidable warning.

Our goal is to avoid towing anyone. When towing is required, our church receives no portion of the towing fee. I wish we could offer daily public parking, but we cannot.

While we dislike towing, sometimes such is necessary.

Therefore, we must reserve the right to tow at any time.

Since our lots are privately owned, our needs are ongoing,

and our parking facility is grossly inadequate. A simple, 30-second email would have obtained this information.

While Dewyea notes that he attends church, he perhaps attends one that meets only on Sundays and maybe a night a week. Such churches are fine churches, but BBC is not such a church.

Ours is a very large church that provides ministries from early morning until late evening six days a week and on Saturday mornings. Many of these require all our parking.

Furthermore, on football game days, we curtail programming to rent our parking spaces to the public. All proceeds are used to support youth outreach to some of the most impoverished communities in the nation.

I have no doubt that Dewyea is a good person. I wish he had taken time for research. Doing so might have prevented the publishing of an article wrought with baseless opinion and bereft of factuality.

As a fellow Christian, I am certain he inadvertently forgot that a requirement of our faith is to issue the benefit of the doubt when circumstances are uncertain.

This omission is regrettable.

Remembering it might have led to less spurious writing, an applied effort to gain factual knowledge, stronger relationships, and better understanding for all.

Thomas R. McDearis senior pastor Blacksburg Baptist Church

Faculty interaction needed T

hroughout the semester, I have continually encountered the phrase “social capital.” The two most notable incidents were during a diversity workshop by KPMG through the Pamplin College of Business and the grand opening ceremony for the Honors Residential College at East Ambler Johnston. In the case of KPMG, they focused on the diversity components of this social capital, but at the Honors Residential College, the focus was on the importance of the social capital among the residents and faculty involved in the program.

Our hosts defined social capital as the connections and relationships that exist between people — in this case, faculty and students living in the residence hall. As I toured the renovated East AJ with the tailored amenities and spaces for the residential college, I kept thinking about the social capital concept.

We see it at work almost daily within the residence halls, dining halls, student centers and in the classroom.

This is crucial for the development and success of students, but where are the social capital opportunities for faculty and staff? As students, if there is no real engagement between faculty and staff, there is a void from the loss of an interdisciplinary perspective. Social capital is just as important, but sadly I don’t believe that many have really thought about this in that context.

I ask myself, what are the opportunities for faculty and staff to get together outside of the traditional meeting situation? Where can faculty from different disciplines interact and talk to each other? Where can staff interact and talk to each other within the university setting? When you think about it, there are not many formal occasions where this interaction happens at Tech.

One of the traditional events is the

Staff Appreciation Day held each May (after the end of the spring semester) as the faculty and administrators help serve food and coordinate events.

That is not about interactions, but more of an opportunity to thank the staff for their efforts.

Other events are campus-wide activities such as the Diversity Summit, where staff and faculty can participate in dialogue opportunities, or programs designed by CIDER focusing on teaching.

However, beyond a limited handful of opportunities, there is often a distinct separation in efforts for faculty and staff. If we are committed to expanding opportunities for students, then the university needs to have the same level of commitment for faculty and staff.

Unfortunately, for many within our community, the needs of certain groups are given greater priority than others. In talking with other faculty and staff, they have lamented the lack of opportunities for interaction. They often talk fondly of experiences at previous institutions, where they had opportunities to access a faculty and staff dining hall, for example, and were encouraged to engage their respective colleagues.

This traditional type of dining hall is a place where faculty and staff can interact freely. Some use it for meals, while other use it as a place to engage with others. Some schools have gone away from this model because of costs, or concerns of elitism, but my concern is that the void it leaves has not been filled at many schools, including Tech.

Could a faculty and staff dining hall ever be successful here? Preston’s at the Inn at Virginia Tech often serves in this capacity especially at lunch when you can often see department heads, vice presidents and other academic leaders, but also everyone else. If there wasn’t a dining hall, could there be a

lounge solely for faculty and staff? Just down the road, Radford University has Muse Hall, where they have set aside space for faculty and staff. It is equipped with coffee and snacks, and it is encouraged as a place for one-onone meetings or discussions.

There are other ways that we can foster social capital among faculty and staff. A few years ago, the faculty senate and the Provost’s office sponsored a series of receptions on Friday afternoons to increase engagement among faculty.

The experiment was short lived because of cost, as well as lack of participation due to lack of awareness. Could we not bring this effort back in a more inclusive format?

In addition, wouldn’t it be fascinating if the respective governing bodies of the faculty and the staff senates were to hold a joint meeting to engage in a dialogue about this topic? As an institution, Tech is about true engagement and openness through the Principles of Community.

Therefore, it should have faculty and staff directly engage each other in a dialogue about these issues.If we can think outside of the box, and as mentioned by the speakers at the grand opening, take the ancient concept of the residential college model and give it a 21st century twist, why couldn’t we think do the same thing in exploring the ways to enhance the opportunities for interactions and social capital among faculty and staff?

RAY PLAZA -regular columnist -graduate student -curriculum and instruction

Interest in politics must be higher T

his past summer, I was fortunate enough to study in England. While there, I was able to meet people from many different countries and various backgrounds.

We attended class together and spent a lot of time with each other as a large group.

At one point, my pluralistic pack of people started talking about the different political systems (specifically, the forms of government) in each of our respective countries.

Some of us Americans were asked what we thought about the political system in the U.S., namely, the democratic form of government. One of my colleagues said something that stuck with me — “The biggest argument against democracy in the United States is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”

I winced, then smirked. Was that true?

LZ Granderson, a columinst for CNN.com, recently wrote an article echoing what my compatriot said in England. He basically said the American people are a huge cause of the problems in the country today, simply because many of them are “just plain stupid.” Granderson gives some compelling examples.

For example, he cites Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign, and that despite his history of adultery in two of his marriages (and his ironic discussion of the country’s sense of morality), he still actually managed to win 8 percent of the votes in a straw poll in Florida. Granderson goes on to note Michele Bachmann, Marion Barry and Jan Brewer as those who reinforce his claim that the typical American should be receiving some of the heat for the problems in our country.

Blaming “idiot” Americans does not seem to be a novel thought. I remember hearing in high school a common argument (often used

by Democrats) that “we would not have these problems if people were smarter.” This, logically, is true to an extent. If people were more educated, studies and research shows us,

there would be lower discrimination of women, various races, members of the LGBTA community and more.

Research at the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan shows that with increased education comes lower rates of anxiety and depression, lower self reports of acute or chronic diseases and lower mortality. Overall, one’s health seems to improve with education.

However, just because people are more educated does not mean there would not be any problems at all.

There would simply be new problems. In less developed and educated (education and development go hand-in-hand) countries, their issues revolve around the necessities — food, water and health.

In more developed and educated countries, there are problems about human rights and equal respect for all people (take America for example). In extreme cases, first world “problems” are borderline ridiculous by comparison to other countries. (“One pillow is too low, but if I sleep with two pillows, it hurts my neck,” I heard a woman say the other day.)

But there are difficulties with such an argument. How would one “make people smarter?” By leaving books everywhere? By correcting individuals when they are incorrect? For some reason, people like to think that simply reciting facts is enough to educate someone.

Although we are led to believe (in the way the current educational system is set up) that is the way to educate someone, realistically, it does not seem to be effective.

If simple fact recitation was effective, then why would people still do things they know are detrimental to their health or well-being (smoking, for example)? To better educate someone or a group of people, there has to be social change accompanied by new ways of approaching the world. If someone believes that a vaccine will give their child mental retardation (thank you, Michelle Bachmann), you cannot simply fix

things by telling them otherwise.

Social change is key.

I do think that if people were more excited and interested in politics, there would be more focus and attention on important governmental issues, and hopefully, solutions and resolutions to those issues.

Granderson acknowledges that sometimes people are just lazy. I, personally, have many friends who say “they do not follow politics” or they are “too busy to be bothered with politics.” This is unfortunate.

Granderson says that such views “(epitomize) what is wrong with our government.”

To an extent, I agree with him.

When people do not follow politics, they do not understand the impact their allegiances make. And this is all fine — people are free to do what they want, and no one should force them into following politics if they do not want to. However, the catch is that these people are still voting, and their votes, based on what they saw on Fox News one time or who they liked on “The Apprentice,” count just as much as the most meticulously researched votes casted by responsible citizens.

Regardless of whether that is “fair,” it is the way things are in this country.

Perhaps the solution is a fusion of education and motivation. To make our democracy all that it could be, there could be a social movement toward an increased emphasis on political motivation and involvement. Maybe then people would become more informed on social issues through an interest in them and would be more inclined to be a part of the political process.

Ultimately, we as Americans need to either learn to live with the issues in government today and hope we can move past them or bring about some sort of social change that can give us, the people, a new perspective on the world.

JOSH TREBACH -regular columnist -senior -bioloigical sciences

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october 18, 2011

WORDSEARCH: Disney Characters Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Practice makes perfect, and the spotlight is on. Keep up the action, and consider accepting new responsibilities. You can handle them. Stay focused on the job at hand to see past confusion or chaos. Listen to your coach.

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Have a set of words you want to see in puzzles section? Email your lists to ctadsproduction@gmail.com.

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By Neville L. Fogarty

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check the Collegiate Times every Wednesday for the drink of the week

DOW N 1 Playground runaround?

2 Fish delicacy 3 Michigan neighbor 4 Court figure 5 Greets the visitors 6 Open org.

7 Good-lookers 8 1991-’96 Indian prime minister 9 Put the kibosh on 10 Silents star Pitts 11 “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” autobiographer 12 Private place 13 Exhorts 18 Gossip-worthy 22 New England catch 23 “Avatar” spec. effects 24 Upper lim b 26 Water bearer, maybe 27 One in a herd

category “Fruits”

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Check out tomorrow’s paper on page 5 for the answers!

ACROSS 1 “__: Legacy”: 2010 sci-fi sequel 5 Chihuahua city 11 Is for all?

14 Top-notch 15 2010 W orld Cu p campeón 16 Polar abbr .

17 Acquire incriminating info (on), as hinted by 19-Across 19 “I’m heading out,” in netspeak 20 Ethically indif ferent 21 Facebook friends, e.g.

23 Pearl weights 25 Stone’ s 14: Abbr.

30 It often gets away, so we’ve heard 33 Cartridge filler 34 Partners 35 Deadwood’ s terr.

36 “Get lost!”

38 Antitank weapon 39 Civil W ar love song 40 Totaled 41 Robin’s way dow n 42 Uno e due 43 Bentley of “Ghost Rider ” 44 One taking a lot of notes 46 Claudius’ nephew 49 Congeal s 50 Brit. fliers 52 Pig at the table 54 “Ohio” folk-rock quartet, initially 57 Hockey great 58 “Covert Affairs” org.

59 Soccer mom’s need 60 Hooved grazer

10/18/11 28 First-century B.C. pharaoh, briefly 29 “... but a __ without a cat!”: Alice 30 Pay-per-view event 31 Color in a stable 32 “Here’ s how I see it,” in netspeak 33 Lament about a lost opportunity, as hinted by 32Across 36 Unexpected issue 37 Bracelet bit 38 “Break time’s over,” as hinted by 41-Across

41 “Oh, and did I mention ...,” in netspeak 44 Bullish start?

45 Eliza’ s ’elper 46 Storied cocky racer 47 Poet Pound 48 Check out 49 Slatted containers 51 Rich soils 53 Wood shop device 55 “That’ s too funny!” in netspeak 56 Charity for young alopecia suf ferers, as hinted by 55Across

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

61 Scrape up, with “out” 62 Turn right?

63 Mideast airline 64 “Norma __” 65 Large TV family 66 Marathon prep, maybe

(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

10/14/11

Occupy: Protesters voice myriad of complaints from page one

designer and developer for the Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning at Tech.

(It’s a) similar thing for the staff, as their salaries haven’t increased, while some people at the top of the university are making a lot of money.”

Margaret Breslau, one of the organizers of Occupy Blacksburg, said Wall Street hasn’t felt the same economic woes that have afflicted the rest of the population.

“Wages have been falling in this country, and yet the top 1 percent had the highest profits ever even in this time of crisis and economic downturn,” Breslau said.

They’re still getting a profit while wages are falling, people can’t find jobs and student loans are spiraling out of control.”

A common stance among occupiers at the protest was that the government’s affiliation with corporations has resulted in political inequality.

Travis Merritt, a graduate student

studying physics, said wealth often equates in large amounts of political leverage, and he wants to see the government work more for the 99 percent, rather than the rich 1 percent.

“People are saying that it is a socialist movement, but it is wholly democratic, trying to get back to the one person, one vote,” Merritt said.

People are going to Wall Street because that is where they are seeing most of the influence.”

With so many beliefs expressed in one place, some bystanders questioned the effectiveness of having a protest without much direction.

Will Stacy, a Tech alumnus, said despite a lack of direction, protesting is an effective measure in showing leaders people’s will.

“How do we begin to put pressure on our government to create policies that limit the effect of large corporations on our policy decisions?” Stacy asked.

I don’t understand any other way, other than

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voting, which doesn’t seem to be working. We’re here mainly to start that pressure.”

Breslau said the Occupy movement is spreading as more people connect with what it stands for.

“The fact that it happened in New York was just one example of something that everyone across the country and the world has been really wanting,” Breslau said.

Saturday’s protest was held in conjunction with protests not only in cities across the country, but also across the globe.

From Brussels to Berlin and Taipei to Tokyo, protesters came out Saturday to voice their concerns on wealth disparity and others.

Reaction to the protest was mixed.

Cars driving by gave out honks of support, while at least one driver flipped off the protestors as he passed.

“This is just the first of many opportunities for people to speak out, to be heard and to conDANIEL LIN/ SPPS tinue the solidarity,” Breslau Occupy Blacksburg protesters held signs to make their message known to passersby on Main Street. said.

Today’s Radio Schedule xed M i cs Dis

Art Day

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7-9 AM - Tyler and Will

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WUVT “5 Minute” News at 5 PM

9AM-12PM - Jared Auwarter

7-9 PM - Tha Soul Jonez

12-2PM - Angela & Eddie

9 PM-12 AM - The Money Shot

2-3:30PM - KILL YR IDOLS- Chris Winfield 12-2 AM - John Sadler 3:30-5 PM - KV Wrenn 5-7 PM - The Music is Decadent & Depraved

Week ending Oct. 14, 2011

2-4 AM - Chris Luceri 4-7 AM - Mixed Discs

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Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

Sexy and I Know It • LMFAO

(3) 1

Someone Like You • Adele

(1) 2

We Found Love • Rihanna

(5) 3

Pumped Up Kicks • Foster the People

(2) 4

Moves Like Jagger • Maroon 5

(4) 5

arts & entertainment 5

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

october 18, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

Local DJ drops out of college to pursue career ERIC AVISSAR features staff writer This time last year, he was a transfer student at Virginia Tech after moving from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Today, local rapper Killa J is releasing his second mixtape “Caviar Dreams,” bringing his dream of becoming a professional rapper closer to a reality.

The mixtape’s release comes with a substantial deal of buzz surrounding both the Tech and national hiphop community. DJ Ill Will, who hosted Wiz Khalifa’s “Burn After Rolling” mixtape, is hosting “Caviar Dreams,” along with DJ Rockstar.

Both DJ’s also hosted Meek Mill’s, “Mr. Philadelphia.”

Popular hip-hop websites, including HotNewHipHop.com and DatPiff.com, are featuring the mixtape for download on their respective front pages.

For Killa J, whose real name is Kenneth Harkness and goes by KJ, the big break came after the release of his song, “Monster.” Without many avenues for advertisement outside the realms of social media, the song began to spread quickly through word-of-mouth on the Internet.

On CurrentHipHop.com, “Monster” received more than 3,000 downloads on the first day of its release, a figure comparable to many mainstream artists. Killa J said at this point, he believed he could become

a successful professional rapper.

According to his website, KillaJ.com, the song has been downloaded over 25,000 times and has over 50,000 plays.

Matt Folkemer, a senior business economics major, is Killa J’s manager and close friend. Both spent most of their summer looking for studios to record and make the mixtape in.

Folkemer described Killa J’s style as rap.

“His style is unique — there is no one style that exactly fits him,” Folkemer said. “I think he is like a mix between Wale and Lupe Fiasco.

He has a lot of substance — his music is very lyrical.”

Killa J, who dropped out of college after completing two semesters as a mechanical engineering major, made the decision to focus on his music after releasing his first mixtape, “Fourth and Inches.”

“It wasn’t a tough decision to leave school. Music is what I’ve always wanted to do, and there’s no way around it. Something just had to happen,” Killa J said.

“I’m not going to get anywhere if I do both, because then both would suffer. I didn’t want to do it halfway.”

The entire mixtape was recorded in North Carolina at the home studio of rapper Ricky Ruckus, who worked with Killa J on both mixtapes. Artists who will be featured in the mixtape include Ruckus, Da Joker and J.R. Writer, an artist Killa J has looked

up to for many years. Production of a new single, which will be released after “Caviar Dreams”, has also been recently completed.

Although he is currently unsigned, Killa J indicated that getting signed is not necessarily a goal of his for the near future.

“It would be really great to get signed if it happens, but it’s not a goal right now,” he said. “I’d rather do it without a label’s help. You don’t have to meet other people’s demands — it’s great just doing it on your own.”

Currently, the Martinsville, Va. native is affiliated with Curfew Entertainment LLC, a company initially created by Brian Evans to perform concerts under his performing name DJ Curfew.

Killa J also plans to perform future concerts at various college campuses including Radford, Penn State, Howard, Mississippi, Towson and Harvard universities, as well as the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, among others.

Despite constantly pulling allnighters to make the mixtape, Killa J said all of the work he did outside of the studio was worth it because of how much he loves recording the music.

“I love being in the studio,” he said.

“When I’m in there nothing else really matters, and it feels like where I belong.”

Western film ‘Blackthorn’ keeps the viewers guessing B

utch Cassidy rides again in "Blackthorn," but this time he's grayer, warier, wiser. Sam Shepard steps into the iconic role, and he fills Paul Newman's cowboy boots spectacularly.

In this imaginative bit of mythmaking, the old gunslinger evaded that fateful ambush by the Bolivian army, took the name James Blackthorn and spent 20 years in peaceful obscurity, raising horses in the High Andes and banking his money like any upright citizen.

His last wish is to visit Etta Place's grown son back in America, a young man who might be the Sundance Kid's boy or his own. Then along comes a first-time robber (Eduardo Noriega) who derails the plan, and Butch has no choice but to strap on his six-shooter and grudgingly ride with the greenhorn. Spanish director Mateo Gil

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reappraises the last desperado's legend in a funny, violent examination of America and American cowboy films.

The film derives a lot of inspiration from George Roy Hill's 1969 "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," offering a little of everything _ action, adventure, drama, romance and wit. No matter how dangerous the situation, Butch has a cantankerous one-liner ready.

It's virtually impossible not to like this vinegary gentleman bandit. Gil is equally influenced by Sergio Leone's sweeping, flashback-heavy spaghetti westerns.

Working against traditional concepts of heroism, his troubled, darkly humorous protagonists are driven by greed, revenge and a rough sense of justice.

The veteran Irish actor Stephen Rea shares several sharp scenes with Shepard as an alcoholic former Pinkerton detective who always suspected Butch was in hiding. Gil keeps us guessing whether the old lawman will turn Butch in to redeem his reputation or set his respected adversary free.

The film is neatly paced, wellacted (the charismatic Noriega holds his own against his for-

midable co-star) and filmed in some of South America's most gorgeous landscapes. The scenes shot by ace cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchia ("Glengarry Glen Ross") in Bolivia's great salt desert are simply other worldly.

"True Grit" proved that the right kind of Western could still be a marketable commodity.

"Blackthorn" proves that surprise hit was no fluke. They really can make 'em like they used to.

COLIN COVERT - mcclatchy newspapers

6 sports september 23, 2009 october 18, 2011

B editors: matt jones, zachpage mariner featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

Offense shines again in comeback victory

E

ight total yards, zero first downs and zero points.

Virginia Tech’s first quarter offensive production against Wake Forest last Saturday may have been bad enough to put its coaches into question with the man upstairs.

“There’s a time on the sideline there, early going on that borderline I lost my Christianity,” said Bryan Stinespring, offensive coordinator on Tech’s radio station, following the game.

It was a shocking development for a team that had, just one week earlier, scored 38 points and silenced the critics on playcalling decisions and the performance of quarterback Logan Thomas.

Nonetheless, the Hokies had been through this same song and dance.

Last season, Tech erased two double-digit deficits in ACC play against North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. The Hokies also took the lead after falling behind 17-0 to Boise State in the season opener, although eventually losing.

Yet this time, the comeback was on the shoulders of Thomas, not former Hokies signal-caller Tyrod Taylor.

Tech also learned midway through the first quarter that All-American cornerback Jayron Hosley would miss the remainder of the game with a hamstring injury.

Defensive coordinator Bud Foster was already without the services of three starters against Wake Forest — defensive end James Gayle (ankle), defensive tackle Antoine Hopkins (torn ACL) and linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow (foot). Both Hopkins and Gouveia-Winslow were ruled out for the season because of the severity of their injuries, and Gayle didn’t even make the trip to Winston-Salem.

With Hosley — one of the Hokies’ best defenders and playmakers on the defense — ruled out, the pressure on the offense amplified.

Thomas not only responded by leading the Hokies to a comeback victory, but the offense roared back from its first quarter woes.

As head coach Frank Beamer put it, nobody “panicked” (or ended up actually losing their Christianity).

Tech scored 38 points and gained 465 total yards, and Thomas scored four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the

final three quarters.

The development of the Hokies offense into a potent threat the past two weeks has injected life into a previously embattled team.

It seems like an eternity ago Tech was trudging off a cold and rainy Worsham Field after a 23-3 loss to Clemson. Yet Thomas, running back David Wilson, Tech’s offensive line and corps of receivers are firing on all cylinders, and the Hokies have gotten back to the offensive production they had last season with Taylor at the helm.

In addition, the Hokies appear to be using a very similar formula to the one that got them to the ACC Championship last year.

Last season it was the leadership of Taylor and the strength of the running game that blazed the trail to Charlotte. This year, Thomas has assumed the role of the mobile and strong-armed leader for the offense while Wilson is the Hokies work horseback.

Wilson is fifth in the country in rushing yards, with 903. Through seven games, he has rushed for more yards than Ryan Williams did in his spectacular 2009 campaign.

Most importantly, Tech has controlled the clock to keep pressure off its banged-up defense.

In fact, the Hokies rank fifth in the country in time of possession, and last season, they finished 17th.

With five games remaining on the regular season schedule, including two primetime ESPN matchups, the Hokies have their work cut out for them.

Georgia Tech’s upset loss to Virginia also gave the Hokies a huge boost in the Coastal division this past weekend, effectively washing out the loss to the Clemson Tigers because they play in the Atlantic.

Last season, the Hokies played Wake Forest the same weekend and reeled off six straight victories after beating the Demon Deacons (including the ACC Championship), leading to berth in the Orange Bowl.

Now all eyes are on Thomas to get the Hokies back there.

MICHAEL BEALEY -sports editor -junior -accounting and information systems major

TREVOR WHITE, BENJAMIN CHOI / SPPS

(Top) Logan Thomas (3) leads the Hokies onto the field during the Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest game. (Bottom left) David Wilson (4) breaks a tackle for a large gain. (Bottom right) Danny Coale (19) runs after receiving a pass from Logan Thomas (3).

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