Thursday, October 27, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Thursday, October 27, 2011

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 106

News, page 2

Features, page 5

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 6

Classifieds, page 4

Sudoku, page 4

CLEAN COAL? BY KELSEY JO STARR | news staff writer

Students rallied yesterday to close the Virginia Tech Power Plant in the name of health. Protesters such as Anna Bullen, a senior psychology major, claimed that emissions from the plants smoke stack are clogging up the windows in Thomas Hall. Thomas is a residence hall in the Upper Quad that is located across from the plant, which houses both cadets and civilian students this year. see COAL / page two

Date set for concealed carry protest

Professor pays it forward Nuclear engineering degree takes shape

JOSH HIGGINS

ABBY HARRIS

news reporter The Virginia Citizens Defense League will protest at Virginia Tech for concealed carry on campus on Nov.17 — also the same day as the Tech v. North Carolina home football game. The main part of the protest will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., although the VCDL has been approved to protest beginning at 8 a.m., according to a VCDL statement released yesterday. Protesters plan to meet in front of Squires Student Center along College Avenue and Otey Street. The protest is named Operation Campus Safety at Virginia Tech. The VCDL protesters will carry signs, pass out informative pamphlets and answer questions regarding concealed carry on campus. In order to protest on campus, the VCDL had to be endorsed by a student organization, and waited to announce the date of their protest until an endorsement could be procured. The Virginia Tech Libertarians have agreed to endorse the group. Eric Smith, president of the Virginia Tech Libertarians, helped to get approval from the university for the demonstration, the statement said. The VCDL has planned a series of protests at Virginia colleges that ban concealed carry, and is waiting on endorsements from student organizations at other colleges to set dates for other protests. The organization suggests supporters stop donations to these schools and send those funds to Blue Ridge Community College — the only Virginia college that has not banned concealed carry.

news staff writer

employees throughout my career,” Wertalik said. “I always tried to do my best because that was what was done for me. My main mentors always wanted to help me.” Wertalik explained that her determination to help younger employees stemmed from one of her core philosophies, which she currently attempts to implement with her students. “My philosophy on life is pay it forward,” Wertalik said. “Just do it for someone else one day because somebody else will be there and they will need that. Sometimes it feels better to give than receive.” Though Wertalik’s illustrious marketing career took her to various places, it was actually her husband’s career as a glassblower that brought her unexpectedly to Virginia Tech. “I always joke that I will write a book called ‘From Brooklyn to Blacksburg and everywhere in between,’” Wertalik said. While Blacksburg was an unlikely destination for Wertalik, she made the most of the change by starting her own marketing business.

The Virginia Tech Graduate School could offer a masters degree or Ph. D in nuclear engineering by next year. The program is essentially two steps away from being official. Since the program was approved by the University Council on Oct. 3, it will go up for approval by the Board of Visitors at their next meetings on Nov. 6 and 7. If the BOV approves it, the program must then be approved at the state level by the State Commission on Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV). SCHEV approval could take six to nine months, which means the program will be made official in either fall 2012 or spring 2013. The idea for a nuclear engineering program — that developed back in the of fall 2006, beginning a long process toward approval — has been spearheaded by Mark Pierson Pierson, an associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, worked with nuclear submarines in the Navy for 23 years before he came to Virginia Tech to get his Ph.D. in mathematics. Upon graduation, he decided to remain in the Blacksburg area and began teaching within the Mechanical Engineering department here at Tech. Pierson took on the creation of the program after Kenneth Ball, the department head of mechanical engineering, and Richard Benson, the Dean of Engineering, noticed that he had experience in nuclear engineering.

see PROFESSOR / page two

see DEGREE / page two

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

WERTALIK USES LIFE LESSONS TO INFLUENCE AND CONNECT WITH MARKETING STUDENTS Every student has had those professors who read off the Powerpoint slides and expect arduous note taking in return. Occasionally, however, students encounter someone like marketing professor Donna Wertalik. Alison Serota, a senior marketing major, has experienced two of Wertalik’s classes and has grown accustomed to the energy she brings to the classroom. “Once you meet her, you feel, hear and see her passion for her students and for marketing,” Serota said. Wertalik’s unmistakable passion is only enhanced by her beaming smile and her energetic voice. However, this strong, confident character did not always have this devout passion for marketing. Wertalik said she originally entered Fairleigh Dickinson University, located in New Jersey, with aspirations of practicing law. However, during her sophomore year she discovered a newfound interest in marketing. “I had a phenomenal (marketing) professor who was very real-world

and made it fun,” Wertalik said. “It really made me want to understand the subject so much more.” After graduating with a marketing degree, Wertalik entered the professional field where she worked for a variety of different companies, including big corporations like Nestle, PACE and Ogilvy. Throughout her illustrious career, one of the key things that allowed Wertalik to build upon her strong passion for marketing was the presence of strong mentors. “One mentor I had… every time he would introduce me, he wouldn’t say, ‘This is my assistant;’ he said, ‘This is my colleague,’” Wertalik said. “That right away put us on the same platform. It was a rite of passage that he provided for me in coming into my own.” Having been profoundly impacted by these strong mentors, Wertalik attempted to take on this role of mentorship when she became more experienced in the field. “I always mentored younger

HOW A DEGREE COMES TO BE IDEA PREAPPROVAL ON GRADUATE SCHOOL PROGRAM DEPARTMENT CREATES PROPOSAL APPROVAL AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL GRADUATE CURRICULUM LEVEL (MEETS STANDARDS, PAPERWORK DONE) APPROVAL BY UNIVERSITY COUNSEL APPROVAL BY BOARD OF VISITORS APPROVAL BY STATE COMISSION ON HIGHER EDICATION IN VIRGINIA DEGREE AVAILABLE

2 news september 23, 2009 october 27, 2011

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

COAL: SOURCE OF DUST DEBATED Degree: Process near completion from page one

But Todd Robertson and Ted Acord, employees at the plant, said that it is the coal dust from the road that is causing the problems. “What they’re seeing at Thomas Hall is not coming from our stack,” Robertson said. “The stack is 180 feet tall, while Thomas Hall is about 50 or 60.” Wind blows coal dust from the yard onto the street, which in turn gets blown onto the windows of Thomas by both the wind and cars driving back, according to Robertson. Robertson and Acord also said they were unsure about what is causing the health problems for Thomas residents. “We’re exposed to it every day,” Robertson said. “And what’s causing their effects, I don’t know. We don’t have the same problems with our workers. I don’t deny that the health problems are there, I just don’t know what’s causing them.” Students focused on the health effects of coal, highlighting the black dust that builds up on Thomas Hall windows. They dressed in hazmat suits and marched together from the Drillfield to Thomas in order to clean the windows and show the amount of coal dust that accumulates. When students cleaned the windows, their white cloths were stained black with coal dust after just three or four swipes, said Arielle Kohr, a senior human development major who wiped the windows herself. “We are here to show that we, the Virginia Tech community, value Hokie health over corporate profit,” said senior psychology and biology major Muriel Vinson. Students referenced both president Steger’s and the Tech community’s lack of action towards clean energy. “It all comes down to priorities,” Vinson said. “The administration needs to prioritize the transition from using coal to clean energy over building new buildings every year.” Vinson cited the new performing arts building, saying that the school does not even have a strong performing arts program. The Center for the Arts building has a budget of $93,993,000 and will be expected to open in 2013, according to the Tech website.

from page one

DANIEL LIN / SPPS

Top: A view of the coal pile at the Virginia Tech Power Plant. Bottom: Trucks provide coal deliveries daily.

“I think what’s key to make it successful is that you have to have really some strong champions within the university that really want this, because somebody has to do all this hard work,” Pierson said. “You have to have a faculty champion, and the department head has to be a champion, and your dean, and so we just happened to have all those pieces.” The process began in fall 2007 with nuclear engineering classes that were taught as “special topics” classes. Once those were shown to be successful, Pierson filed the paperwork to make the nuclear engineering classes officially part of the course catalog. While there are currently 10 nuclear engineering courses at the graduate level, there are more courses in the works for the undergraduate level. Pierson completed the paperwork for all of the nuclear engineering classes himself, while teaching class in the meantime. When the first nuclear engineering courses were offered in 2007, a total of 60 students were enrolled in the classes. Now, over 200 students are enrolled in nuclear engineering classes. Plans are also in the works for an undergraduate degree in nuclear engineering, and Pierson said he is looking forward to the possibility of a nuclear engineering minor. Pierson said that they are setting up the graduate degrees in nuclear engineering first so that graduate research will bring in grant money to the university, which will help to build the program further. The majority of funding for developing the graduate program has come from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The program received one $300,000 grant and one $600,000 grant from the NRC as a part of their faculty development program. The $900,000 total will be used to support the hiring of faculty. The NRC also gave the program $400,000 to give fellowships to gradu-

ate students, which assists with their stipend and tuition, and funds their research. Additionally, the NRC has supplied two grants of $100,000 per year to develop courses within the program. Tech currently has four faculty members, including Pierson, teaching nuclear engineering classes. Two of the four faculty members are women, resulting in a 1:1 ratio of female to male nuclear engineering professors. “I think we’re quickly moving towards a really strong program,” said Leigh Winfrey, an assistant professor of nuclear engineering. “That’s one of the reasons I took the job here.” Pierson said that the department hopes to maintain the equal ratio of male to female as they continue to hire more faculty. He said they plan to hire another faculty member by the end of this year, and two or three more in the next couple of years. Pierson said that once the nuclear engineering program is official, he hopes to have Tech’s program in the top five nuclear engineering programs within 10 years. “They certainly have the ambition, the passion, and the plan to do so,” said Karen DePauw, Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education. “It’s hard to say what will actually happen, but they’re pretty dedicated (and) committed to doing that.” Pierson’s proposal for the program estimated that by the fifth year, the nuclear engineering program will issue about 20 masters degrees per year, with about 50 students total in the program. “I think we’re going to beat that goal,” Pierson said. “I think we’ll be there in the second or third year.” Once the amount of faculty and students within the nuclear engineering program grows, Pierson hopes that the program will split from mechanical engineering into its own department, and possibly even its own school of nuclear science and engineering.

Professor: Wertalik motivates students to ﬁnd their passions In 2005 Wertalik, along with business partner Deb Roberts, founded Speak Advertising, an independent advertising agency. “Our tagline was ‘a voice for every brand – why advertise when you can speak?’” Wertalik said. It is this core principle of branding that Wertalik uses with her students today, helping them to identify their unique characteristics as students and selling them to employers. “Whether it is a brand or person, it is about understanding how much power (they) have inside of them and unleashing that power,” Wertalik said. In 2008, Wertalik separated from her business partner and the company became solely under her control, changing its name to Speak Marketing.

As Wertalik has been teaching at the university since 2006, she has dialed down her personal business, focusing more on philanthropy projects and core branding for schools and nonprofits.

“

You see the ﬁre, and we have had those moments where you see their eyes light up because I know their potential and know they will do well. DONNA WERTALIK MARKETING PROFESSOR

With less demand from her business, Wertalik freed herself up to commit fully to her students, vying to help them find their unique calling.

“I enjoy helping (my students) find their spark – what they want to do in life,” Wertalik said. “You see the fire, and we have had those moments where you see their eyes light up because I know their potential and know they will do well.” Wertalik has helped many students, including Serota, to find this spark. “She is so passionate about helping her students find their passions,” Serota said. “It is nice to know that there is someone who is willing to put in that time.” One way Wertalik helps students discover their interests is by helping them mold their personal brand, which she says comprises of their unique aspects as people. “In marketing, we always talk about branding — what is the unique selling proposition?” Wertalik said.

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Wertalik has helped Serota develop her personal brand by developing her interest in sports marketing and helping her network with the right employers for job opportunities. “The way she talks about (personal branding) is she finds things to be extraordinary about yourself that you might think as just ordinary,” Serota said. Wertalik stresses the importance for students to shape their personal brand in college so that they can sell their distinctive characteristics when they get out into the workforce. “Your brand launched the day you were born, and when you graduate from college you are (being propelled) into the real world and (must) utilize your personal brand throughout your life,” Wertalik said. “How you develop yourself in the academic world and

bridge that (gap) with the real world is really critical.” Wertalik emphasizes this connection between academics and the real world by allowing her students to interact with actual marketing clients. “In all my classes, my students have the opportunity to work with realworld clients,” Wertalik said. “Students right away have the opportunity to interface and engage.” As part of Wertalik’s push for realworld engagement, last year she took a group of students to New York City where they got to meet with renowned marketing companies and experience what the field of marketing is truly like. In addition to getting that real, tangible experience, three students on the trip last year got job offers from the marketing companies they networked with.

Wertalik continued the tradition this year, providing a new crop of students the opportunity to network with large international corporations like McCann Worldgroup and Omnicomm Group. Whether she is engaging her students in the classroom, or helping them identify their aspirations outside the classroom, Wertalik has had tremendous success in developing her students’ as both people and future professionals. “We need to develop the students because at the end of the day, my product is the students,” Wertalik said. “If I don’t work so hard on the launch and (getting) them to understand everything before they get out the door, then I am not serving them right.”

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

date reported

time

offense

location

status

arrestees

10/25/2011

11:30 p.m.

Larceny of a bicycle

Outside Pritchard Hall

Inactive

N/A

10/25/2011

3:30 p.m.

Larceny of an iPad

Brooks Center

Active

N/A

13216540656465514

from page one

Practicing toward perfection

Left: Members of the Corps of Cadets Gregory Guard practice drills on the upper quad. The rifles are deactivated Springfield M1903s with firing pins removed and barrels plugged. Right: Sophomore sociology major William Frosell (VPI Company) instructs members on a particular drill. Photos by Daniel Lin

opınıons 3

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

october 27, 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 Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Paul Kurlak Lab Manager: Austen Meredith

MCT CAMPUS

Gun law hurts campus safety With regards to the article entitled “Concealed carry group to visit tech” by Josh Higgins (Collegiate Times Oct. 20), I would like to formally announce that the Libertarians at Virginia Tech will be sponsoring the Virginia Citizens Defense League and their protest. We are proud and excited to host an organization who has passionately and tirelessly worked to protect the Second Amendment rights of Virginians. I can neither speak on behalf of the VCDL (the opinions that follow are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of VCDL), nor can I give out any details until the protest approval is finalized. Currently, students, faculty and staff are not allowed to carry a firearm on campus under any circumstances. Violation of this rule all but guarantees an expulsion for students and an immediate termination for faculty and staff. Law-abiding citizen-students who have a concealed carry permit are unable to defend themselves once they cross an imaginary line onto campus. Permit holders are authorized by the Commonwealth of Virginia to carry a concealed firearm almost everywhere, with very few exceptions. To obtain a permit they must undergo a background check and take a course that teaches basic firearm safety. It should also be noted that permit holders have an extremely low crime rate compared with their peers. Yet, despite all of this, Tech still feels the need to disarm these people. Remember, on the tragic day of the April 16 massacre, Seung-Hui Cho did not have a concealed carry permit, nor did he care about the fact that he was breaking the rules as he sneaked guns into classrooms. Policies such as the ones in place by Tech serve only to disarm those who obey the law. Though we cannot say for certain what would have happened on that tragic day had students been allowed to be armed, we do know there is a possibility he could have been stopped. As a libertarian, my concern lies much more with the blatant disregard for individual and constitutional rights than in the practicality of armed students

preventing shootings. Lest we forget, the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, inalienable right guaranteed to us by our Constitution, which Tech, as a public university, should have no authority to regulate. Now Tech is proposing a new set of rules which would ban visitors and other non-university-affiliated people from carrying on campus, incriminating those who violate this order. The proposal would, of course, also now make criminals out of students, faculty, and staff who chose to make the decision to carry a firearm for self-defense. We honestly do not know why they are doing this other than the mere fact that Ken Cuccinelli’s recent opinion seems to give them an implied authority to do so based on the the way current legislation is interpreted. It has never presented an issue nor, to my knowledge, has anyone ever actually been seen carrying on campus. Our school’s leadership has fallen into a culture of fear, where logical thinking and respect for civil liberties are tossed away in favor of a false sense of security. Tech administration is making an issue out of something that is clearly not one: they intend for this to be the final nail in the coffin of our right to defend ourselves. We will not stand for that, and we will join the VCDL in protesting the sophomoric legislation proposed by Tech, which continues to whittle away at our rights. I challenge anyone to make a logical argument as to why students, vetted and licensed to carry by the Commonwealth, should not be allowed to carry on campus. One of the more comical arguments to me revolves around the supposed issue of drunk students shooting each other in an argument that would otherwise just lead to fists. To the people who have been constantly reiterating this tired argument, do you realize that those of us who are concealed carry permit holders are already allowed to be carrying, without incident, at fraternity parties and downtown? One year later and there have been no shootouts at off-campus

parties or at the ABC establishments. That is because permit holders, as law-abiding citizens, only wish to exercise a natural right and responsibility to self-defense and do not unlawfully carry while intoxicated (or drinking at all). I challenge anyone to make a logical argument supporting the obvious fallacy that these regulations would in any way deter a criminal or madman from murdering students. Someone who is willing to do something so heinous, insane and clearly illegal will not care about the fact that he broke a few rules sneaking firearms onto campus. It is bad logic at best, and intentional irrationality at worst.Libertarians at Virginia Tech will always stand on the side of logic and, more importantly, liberty. There is a reason our forefathers fought, bled and died to be able to create the most powerful document protecting civil liberties in the history of mankind — the Constitution. Furthermore, there is a reason they chose to explicitly enumerate the right to keep and bear arms. Some 220 odd years later, many of us have forgotten this reason and have succumbed to mob-style democracy, happily giving away our own rights and slowly tearing down the very foundation of this great nation. I recognize this issue is extremely polarizing and can get many people on both sides outraged. I encourage us all to be civil to one another as we are all part of the great Hokie community and, in the end, we are all working towards the same goals: liberty and security. Though we may disagree on how to achieve the maximization of these goals, we further ourselves through civil and constructive debate. I leave you with words of Benjamin Franklin: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

ERIC SMITH -president, libertarians at Virginia Tech -junior -chemical engineering major

we’re YOUR newspaper. send a letter to the editor and express your views. send an e-mail to opinionseditor@ collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.

Campus carry: a natural right “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” These words are found in Article 1, Section 13 of Virginia’s constitution. Section 1 states men’s rights, including the right to bear arms, are inherent — that all men, “when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact,” be deprived of their rights. This means that public officials and institutions, such as Virginia Tech, cannot deprive people of rights simply because one joins the student body. Many students agree with Tech’s decision to ban concealed guns on campus: this is unfortunate. Those who do are not just throwing out the right to bear arms or the right to carry guns at school — they are throwing out the principle of unalienable rights. A quick reading of Virginia’s constitution and the Declaration of Independence informs us that men are free, independent creatures with inherent, unalienable rights. Because natural rights come from God, the role of government is to secure these rights, not infringe upon them. When people voice support for policies or statutes that infringe upon any of the rights enshrined in the U.S. or Virginia constitutions, they are implying the government can pick and choose which rights we really hold. In other words, there is no such thing as a natural right to life, liberty, speech or religion. Instead, anything goes and these pesky “rights” can be done away with so long as a sufficient majority or a few people in positions of power believe it expedient to do so. It is because rights come from God — versus a police officer, school board, court or legislative body — that we should not support Tech’s decision to ban people from concealed carry on campus. Personally, I am not into guns, do not have a concealed carry permit, and would not carry one even if Tech reversed its policy. I just recognize the principle of natural rights. I also recognize the fact that schools and police will never be able to protect students. Two years ago, near the lobby of the Graduate Life Center, doctoral student Haiyang Zhu took an eight-inch butcher knife and savagely murdered Xin Yang. Police responded swiftly. However, they were too late as it took only a few minutes for Zhu to decapitate his fellow Hokie. As the adage goes, “when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.” As well-meaning as they might be, police are not able to keep us safe. The court system has acknowledged this fact. In 1975 in Washington D.C., two men broke into the house of Carolyn

Warren, Joan Taliaferro and Miriam Douglas. Warren called police at 6 a.m. to report that somebody had broken into their house and there were screams coming from the second floor. The screams were from Douglas who was being raped. The dispatcher mistakenly reported to squad cars a less-than-urgent “code 2,” instead of the urgent “code 1.” When police arrived they poked around outside for five minutes before deciding to leave. Twenty minutes after the initial call Warren once again dialed 911. The dispatcher assured the woman help was on the way. This time the call was never even dispatched to officers. Shortly thereafter the two men found Warren and Taliaferro hiding on the third floor. Over the course of the next 14 hours, the two men committed unspeakable acts against the three women. Due to the negligence of the police officers, the three rape victims decided to sue the District of Columbia. The case, Warren v. District of Columbia, went to D.C.’s highest court. In 1981 the court ruled the women were not entitled to remedy because police do not have a legal responsibility to provide personal protection to individuals. That is correct: The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that police have no legal responsibility to protect individuals. The Warren case, as well as the horror that took place inside the GLC, show that police are unable to keep us safe. This means we are responsible for our own safety. Even though I would not carry a firearm, I would feel much safer if my fellow students were allowed to. Instead of fearing their own shadow, students in Virginia should pressure school administrators and state lawmakers to follow Utah’s lead. Students in Utah are allowed to conceal carry at public universities because their state protects their right to bear arms. Adopting a similar policy would respect a right enshrined in Virginia’s constitution. It would also empower every student to defend themselves and their fellow students, which is surely better than seven adults having to flee one man with a butcher knife.

CHRIS DUNN -regular columnist -graduate student -politcal science major

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october 27, 2011

page 4

WORDSEARCH: Boy Bands Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Let your loved ones support you, especially when tempted to spend big bucks on something inessential. Let them remind you of basics, like family dinners and the dreams you’ve been building. Take stock of where you stand, and notice the ones beside you.

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By Jonathan Porat

word UNSCRAMBLER

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Unscramble the letters to solve the category “Ice

Cream”

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

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ACROSS 1 Given by 5 Milton or Shelley 10 2004 Best Actor 14 __ lamp 15 Rocker ’s place 16 Top 17 Had too much 18 Comforting words 19 Midas competitor 20 Lawyer after too much cof fee? 23 Military response 24 Came with 28 Bowie’ s scientist role in “The Prestige”

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WORD BANK Nsync No Authority Backstreet Boys Boys II Men B2k Boyzone Take That West Life Be Biv Devoe Hanson 98 Degrees Five LFO BB Mack Bream Street 2Gether Hi Five

DOW N 1 Left the coop 2 Ham’ s medium 3 Printing extras 4 Is living the dream 5 ’60s TV munchkin 6 MS W ord output 7 OPEC founding member 8 Cancel, slangily 9 “... over __ flock by night”: Luke 10 Deal with 11 __-Locka, Florida 12 MTV Generation member 13 Old designation for strong beer 21 Bit of sediment 22 Big engine sound 25 __ concern 26 Geographical mnemoni c 27 Spring for, with “to” 29 Reaction to an offensive line, perhaps 30 Zap

10/27/11 32 “I’m just __ boy, I need no sympathy”: “Bohemia n Rhapsody” 33 Bank worker that never takes time off 36 A day at the spa? 39 Snub, sa y 41 First U.S. multimillionaire 42 Draft status 43 George, Abe et al.? 46 Prime meridian std. 47 Pianist Claudio 48 Ruby’ s spouse

50 Welcome site 53 Onetime “SCTV” head writer Harol d 57 Place to find both parts of 20-, 36and 43-Across 61 Gertz of “Still Standing” 64 Truth held to be self-evident 65 Roquefort hue 66 Israeli arm s 67 Tubes on the table 68 Gas or elec. 69 Olympic VIPs 70 Newark’ s county 71 Chilly and wet

31 Recess riposte 33 Equally irate 34 Complete, briefly 35 Saki ’s real name 37 “My bad” 38 Addresses with dots 40 “Phew!” evoker 44 Sunniest place on Earth, per Guinnes s 45 Cork’ s locatio n 49 iPod accessory 51 Like losers’ faces after a buzzerbeating shot 52 April concer n 54 Island nation near Sicily 55 Trap at the chalet 56 Move furtively 58 Some reds, briefly 59 Actress Skye 60 Roswell’ s st. 61 Makeshift band instrument 62 Nitrogen-based dye 63 Day’ s beginning?

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10/26/11

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Today’s Radio Schedule Mixed Discs Day Art New Music New Music

7-9 AM - Appalachian Sunrise 9AM-12PM - Language of Phonk 12-2PM - Do You Right with Adam and Mike 2-3:30PM - The T-Coch Rock Block

New Music

3:30-5 PM - Ian Moore

Jazz

5-7 PM - Alex Simon’s Box of Wonders

Specialty Specialty

WUVT “5 Minute” News at 5 PM

Night Art Specialty Mixed Discs Mixed Discs

Week ending Oct. 14, 2011

Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

We Found Love • Rihanna

(3) 1

9 PM-12 AM - The Rare Groove 12-2 AM - Travis Brown

Sexy and I Know It • LMFAO

(1) 2

Someone Like You • Adele

(2) 3

2-4 AM - The Briscoe Inferno 4-7 AM - Mixed Discs

Pumped Up Kicks • Foster the People

(4) 4

Moves Like Jagger • Maroon 5

(5) 5

7-9 PM - Phelonious Funk

weekend 5

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

october 27, 2011

Halloween costumes 101: unique, cheap, ideas KRISTEN SORENSON features staff writer What to wear? Whether you love dressing up or just can’t bring yourself to do it, Oct. 31 is the one night of the year when anything — and practically everything — goes. For many, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase their creativity, or sometimes, lack thereof. If the weary witch, bed sheet “ghost,” or typical togas just don’t cut it for you, try looking for inspiration elsewhere. If buying an expensive one-night getup isn’t in your budget, take advantage of what is already in your (or even your friends’) closets. Your perfect costume could be waiting to be put together right at home — some assembly required. This year, skip the store-bought uniform and create your own fun ensemble.

Pop culture provides an excellent creative avenue for Halloween costumes. Movie stars, celebrities and even video game characters become popular choices for Halloween apparel. This year, expect to find people parading as the swashbuckling Jack Sparrow, iron-clad Tony Stark, ever-classic Audrey Hepburn, Nicki Minaj or even a colorful Angry Bird. For a group of girlfriends, why not go Greek and each dress up as your favorite goddess? This costume is fairly uncomplicated to make. Thrift stores are great places to go when looking for costume parts, such as the local YMCA Thrift Shop located on North Main. Dollar Tree and Walmart have inexpensive accessories to dress up your outfit as well. Find a plain, over-sized white dress, a navy blue and gold scarf, some gold Mardi Gras beads, gold rib-

bon and your favorite pair of strappy sandals to wear. Roll up the fabric to get the dress to fit like you want, adorn with ribbon, scarf and beads, stick some decorative leaves in your hair and finish off the look with some fake grapes. If you’ve ever seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s or simply wished to emulate Audrey Hepburn’s effortless, classic beauty, this inspiration could create your perfect costume. Find a simple, A-line black dress, black patent pumps, sleek black arm-length gloves and a mini tiara for your coiffure. While lots of pseudo-Hogwartians donned their dress robes this past July for the end of the Harry Potter era, why not relive the magic once more? Whether you identify more with the infamous protagonist, his unnamable enemy, or have red hair and love the Weasleys, grab your wand, a maroon,

green, blue or gold tie along with a black robe for the finishing touch. If you’re more into gaming or just cartoon characters in general, grab a friend or two and dress as Angry Birds. These bright creatures have sling-shot themselves into the hearts of people worldwide. While this one might be tempting to buy instead of making your own, it just might be easier than you think to construct. Pick an oversized solid-color sweatshirt (red, yellow, green, blue, black or white), stuff it with a pillow for that round bird look, and cut out eyes, eyebrows, and a beak from felt. Wear matching pants and maybe add some black felt tail feathers too. Disney Princesses are a favorite among the ladies. Guess what? Disney just officially added another one: Princess Rapunzel from last November’s hit musical “Tangled.”

Don’t spend your evening locked up in your tower because you don’t have the right outfit — grab a long blonde wig, a shiny, colorful dress (check out the local thrift store), a sparkly tiara, some flats, and you’re good to go. For those looking to go all out, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga are your go-to girls. Any sparkly makeup, wild, colorful, messy hair and any “combination” of odd clothing/accessories you can find make up an excellent compilation that would do these ladies proud. For Ke$ha, don’t forget leggings, boots, lots of face and eye glitter, and a graphic tee. Don a leather jacket, lots of bling, and let your hair do whatever it wants. For Nicki, find a pink, blue, or blonde wig with heavy bangs to start. Choose bright pink lipstick, heavy eye makeup, and wear anything tight and obnoxiously colorful. As

far as Gaga goes, any geometricallyshaped article of clothing (or otherwise) plus a long blonde wig will do. If you’re not into coming up with your own costume, you can always purchase one. Even though there may be 20 Lady Gagas at your party, you can bet none of them will look the same. If you’re looking to buy one, The Costume Closet in Blacksburg is a new place with limited amounts of each costume, so that no one can steal your exact look. Inexpensive outfits can also be found online. Hurry though, the holiday weekend is approaching quickly. Whichever you choose, have fun making and wearing your costumes. If this weekend’s costume doesn’t turn out as you hope, there’s always next year. Happy Halloween!

Store owner sells costumes for tight budget NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS features reporter College is a period in which students decide what they are passionate about and take the first steps out in the real world toward their future. Liz Sheih, owner of the Costume Closet, is a recent graduate taking those first steps into the real world, charting the path for the rest of her life. “I am young so I have a while to choose what I want to do,” Sheih said. “My parents always told me that if you are not enjoying what you are doing, then you are not living life to the fullest.” Sheih graduated in May 2010 from Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. with a dual-degree in interior design and business. While she hadn’t anticipated leaving the area so soon after graduation, she got engaged to her boyfriend who was offered a full-time engineering job in Christiansburg, Va. “I am a certified fashion forecaster: I come up with colors that are coming in season,” Sheih said. “There was nothing for me to do here.” While the New River Valley may not have been an ideal place for Sheih to capitalize on her interest in interior design, she found it was a great opportunity to explore her interests in entrepreneurship. “Along with my private school education, came a very hefty student loan. Coming out (of that) I said, ‘What is something I could do that I really enjoy, that kind of has to with fashion, that I get to interact with people and would be fun for a time?’” Sheih said. Sheih noticed that Blacksburg did not have a business that properly addressed the market for Halloween costumes, and resolved to open the Costume Closet, which is located on Draper Ave. near the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market. While many post-graduates might want to find a steady job to ease their way out of their student loans, Sheih has embraced the risk of running a business. “I like risk — that sense of danger. I love the adrenaline behind it and I also enjoy working for myself,” Sheih said. The store has enjoyed a wealth of success since opening on Oct. 1, capitalizing on the high demand for costumes leading up to Halloween. Naairah Khawaja, a freshman business information technology major, went in for some last-minute Halloween shopping and was surprised by the store’s good selection. “I didn’t know that they had so many costumes since it is a pretty small store,” Khawaja said. “They have a lot to offer everyone.” Khawaja was not only surprised by

word UNSCRAMBLER

solutions: “Platonic Solids” 1) sphere 2) cube 3) tetrahedron 4) octahedron 5) dodecahedron 6) icosahedron

the wide selection but also by the quality of service, an aspect that Shieh has put a lot of effort toward. “I believe that if you are going to do something, you should do something with quality and integrity and then you will be successful,” Sheih said. Sheih has confidence that her products are high quality, reasonably priced goods, remembering that many of her customers might have nagging student loans of their own to deal with. “Being a recent college student has reminded me that the prices cannot be too high,” Sheih said. The Costume Closet is a seasonal business. After Halloween, Sheih will close her retail space until next September, when she will reopen and be available for customizable preorders. Sheih said the Costume Closet is only the first step — she has various other seasonal business ideas to meet the demand of the Virginia Tech student population. While many business owners would prefer to run a steady, year-round business, Sheih does not follow the status quo. “I enjoy things that are seasonal. I believe it stems from interior design, because when the season changes all of the décor changes,” Sheih said. While Sheih has enjoyed great success from the Costume Closet and has high hopes for her other business ideas, she realizes that her entrepreneurial efforts would not be possible if her husband wasn’t supportive of her, both financially and emotionally. “I have found someone who loves me and supports me and thinks that what I am doing as an entrepreneur is amazCOURTESY OF CHELSEA GUNTER ing because he wouldn’t do that,” Shieh Costume Closet owner Liz Sheih dresses to theme with her dog Gucci, enjoying her seasonal Halloween store located on Draper Avenue. said. “I am blessed to have this opportunity; I don’t take this for granted any can in turn affect someone else’s life.” able to interact with people daily and day.” While Sheih plans to engage in vari- impact them in a positive manner, Sheih believes this opportunity to ous short-term activities to help others, these extravagant long-term goals have pursue her entrepreneurial desires suits she has an extravagant plan for the long served as a strong motivation for her her well, claiming that she had always term. short-term business pursuits. By building financial capital to envisioned herself working more than “I want to renovate castles and viljust a typical office job. las in Europe and set them up as bed facilitate her large-scale future proj“The entrepreneur spirit in me feels and breakfasts. I would run them from ects and gaining valuable business that I am called to help people in more home, but I would go and visit them experience, Sheih is taking those than a typical way,” Sheih said. “By once a month, which is great since I like initial steps out of college and into the real world, chasing after her showing honest business characteris- to travel,” Sheih said. tics, you can affect someone’s life, who Sheih stated that in addition to being ambitions.

6 sports october 27, 2011

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

Volleyball victorious in both weekend matches

AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS

Tech sophomore middle blocker Victoria Hamsher spikes the ball.

AUSTIN MEREDITH / SPPS

AUSTEN MEREDITH / SPPS

Senior libero Morgan O’Neill celebrates after the team wins a set.

O’Neill goes for a dig during Sunday’s 3-2 Hokies victory over Clemson.

Hokies come back to beat Tigers Tech wins close one over GT ASHLEIGH LANZA sports staff writer Even though the Virginia Tech volleyball squad picked up a close 25-22 win in the first set, all of the momentum gained came to a screeching halt after the Clemson Tigers took the next two. Blowing out the Hokies by margins of 00025-13 and 25-14, respectively, the Tigers took complete control of the match. However, the Hokies battled back to win the fourth, and forced a decisive fifth and final set. Consequently, Justine Record, senior outside hitter, galvanized her teammates with three consecutive aces to open the final game and pave the way for a victory, three sets to two. After the win, head coach Chris Riley praised his team for its resilience and composure to rally and win. “Our aggressiveness was the biggest difference between those games,” Riley said. “We made it harder for them to defend in transition — we wanted to be completely aggressive even when we made errors. We were able to transition and attack, and they weren’t.” Tech also benefitted from having much better depth than

their opponents, as Riley gave playing time to almost twice as many players as Clemson did. “I just think we had a different game plan. We moved people around, had different setups, and I said we need to be aggressive,” Riley said. “Go out and keep swinging on every play, and this time it paid off.” Cara Baarendse, junior middle blocker, led the Hokies offensively for the third straight game, notching 13 kills. Justine Record and Jennifer Wiker, junior outside hitter, had 10 kills apiece. “A lot of the attacking success came from our passes being perfect every time, which allowed (setter) Erin (Leaser) to give me great sets,” Baarendse said. After the Tigers established control of the match in the third set, the fourth had five early ties until the Hokies took a 9-8 lead. From there, the hosts never looked back as Victoria Hamsher, sophomore middle blocker, made two critical plays. The first was a spike blasted into the middle of the court to give the Hokies

a 17-13 lead, forcing the Tigers to call a timeout. Hamsher also made the block on the game point to clinch the fourth. The biggest moment of tension in the final set came after the Hokies lost their early lead coming out of their own timeout. Still, the Hokies refused to relinquish the lead after a 7-7 tie, as Samantha Gostling, sophomore outside hitter, wrapped up the win in style with a cross-court spike. Tech also enjoyed an unexpectedly impressive performance from Jordan Fish, freshman setter, who recorded the first double-double of her career with 23 assists and 12 digs. After winning two five-game matches in a three-day span, Fish voiced her delight in the close victories. “I’m really physically exhausted, but it feels good. It’s good to know that we are capable of coming back in any situation,” Fish said. The Hokies improved to 13-9 overall on the season, with a 6-5 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Both five-game wins will provide the team with crucial momentum for a stretch of four straight road games, playing away from home until Nov. 11 against Maryland.

Clemson Set 1: 25-22 Set 2: 13-25 Set 3: 14-25 Set 4: 25-19 Set 5: 15-11

Kills: Baarendse, 13 Assists: Leaser, 24 Digs: O’Neill, 28 Blocks: Hamsher, 4

ERIC AVISSAR sports staff writer The Virginia Tech volleyball team won at home Friday night when they beat evenly-matched opponent Georgia Tech, three sets to two. Both the Hokies and the Yellow Jackets came into the match tied at 4-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. “Tonight we played together as a team,” said Justine Record, senior outside hitter. “We started swinging more aggressively because we knew that we were covering each other.” The first game truly showed how evenly matched the teams were. In a set that had six lead changes and both teams within three points of each other the entire time, the Hokies were up against a tough Yellow Jacket defense, but fell 25-23. Junior outside hitter Monique Mead seemed to be foundation of the Yellow Jackets offensively and defensively, putting up 24 kills and 13 digs on the night, including seven in the first set alone. “Monique took over,” said head coach Chris Riley. “(We) spent so much time worrying about her that (the Yellow Jackets) would set someone else, you’re unbalanced defensively against them.” The second set showed a change

Georgia Tech Set 1: 23-25 Set 2: 25-20 Set 3: 25-17 Set 4: 11-25 Set 5: 15-8

of pace, with the Hokies taking the lead early in the game and holding onto it to grab a win, 25-20. Set three continued in the Hokies favor, who forced the Yellow Jackets into two timeouts just minutes between each other as the women took a great lead that frustrated the Yellow Jackets. After the second timeout, the Yellow Jackets tried to gain momentum as they scored three points in a row, but the Hokies came back after a timeout to win the set 25-17. Just as the Hokies thought they had taken control of the match, the Yellow Jackets came back more determined than ever to win the fourth set 25-11. The Yellow Jackets handled the Hokies, keeping them to a .038 hitting percentage, substantially lower than the .272

average that they had during the first three sets. “Sometimes it’s hard to get out of your own,” said Riley. “We had a couple of good sets where we worked well and then we had a couple of sets where they worked really well and we couldn’t stop what they were doing.” The Hokies have had three five-set victories in the last five matches before the game, and added this as number four of six as it toppled the Yellow Jackets, 15-8. “We are sometimes inconsistent but we were able to perform when we needed to,” said Jennifer Wiker, junior outside hitter. “We really stepped up and worked as a team and came together to pull through the sets.”

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Kills: Baarendse, 17 Assists: Leaser, 26 Digs: O’Neill, 16 Blocks: Hamsher, 6

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