Friday, October 28, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

IGADLO / COLLEGIA RIA Z TE T O T C IME VI S

STRUGGLING FOR SURVIVAL BY ERIN CHAPMAN | staff writer

ZOMBIE RUN POSTPONED FOR LATER DATE, GROUP CITES LACK OF OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT, SECURITY

ZOMBIE RUN

Friday, October 28, 2011

Those fearing an impending zombie outbreak at Virginia Tech can rest easy. In September, Stephanie McCracken, a junior majoring in biochemistry, created a Facebook event for Survive Blacksburg in the hopes that she and some friends would play, but she didn’t expect over 1,000 people to RSVP in the first month. With such a huge interest in the event, which was planned for today, Oct. 28, the creators were forced to

take a step back and think about the legal issues involved with planning such a large event on campus. According to university policy, organized events on campus are only allowed if they are sponsored by a student group or see ZOMBIES / page three

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News, page 3

Features, page 4

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 8

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LIVING HIS DREAM

Halloween, page 2

University officials age, Tech seeks replacements CODY OWENS news reporter

ONCE DIVING IN FRIGID ANTARTIC WATERS, TECH PROFESSOR FOCUSES ON LOVE OF BIOLOGY NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS features reporter

MAZIAR FAHANDEZAH / SPPS

Diving under the ice, deep down into the cold Antarctic waters, a team of researchers prepared to survey and explore the biological life in the depths of the ocean. However, the seemingly harmless observational research mission led to a close call for one of the researchers, providing a fearful experience he

remembers vividly. “I was the last one in (the water), but when they cut my air on, they didn’t cut it on all the way. I didn’t know that until I got to the bottom,” said biology professor George Simmons. When Simmons dove down into the ice to join the rest of his team, his regulator shut off 100 feet below the surface, sending a shiver down his spine. see SIMMONS / page six

Left, Simmons displays a helmet he use while diving in the Antartic. Right, Simmons is frequently seen around campus on his bike.

Forum explores food Tech launches

scholarly journal ERIN CHAPMAN news staff writer

DANIEL LIN/ SPPS

(L-R) Franklin Harrison, Bari Webster, and Jon Catherwood-Ginn perform impressions of “too much food.”

CHOICES AND CHALLENGES FORUM STARTS LOCAL DIALOGUE ON “WHAT IS GOOD FOOD?” AT LYRIC, GLC JENN BATES news staff writer Virginia Tech encouraged students to consider how they think about food during Thursday’s 26th annual Choices and Challenges Forum event. “Food really touches everybody in some way. Everybody has an opinion about what makes good food,” said Saul Halfon, a science and technology in society studies assistant professor and one of the co-coordinators of this year’s event.

Choices and Challenges is a program designed to start a community dialogue on national food regulation, producing and marketing local food in our region, food and virtue and food and the obesity epidemic. The main event was a panel that included experts from across the country to discus this year’s theme, “What is good food?” There were also smaller events throughout the day that focused on more specific topics like organic food, obesity and cost. “The last thing we want to do is tell people what we think is good food.

Some panelists may do that, but that’s not our mission in organizing the forum,” said Daniel Breslau, an assistant professor of science and technology in society. Morgan said people choose their food based on a variety of factors like taste, convince and affordability. “(Food) is a huge issue. It involves everybody, not just one particular group. It’s the broadest issue we’ve ever done,” Breslau said. Rachel Schurman, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota; Julie Guthman, professor of community studies at UC Santa Cruz; Karen Karp, the foundsee FOOD / page three

In an increasingly technologydriven culture, more things are being done online rather than on paper. One way to show off a student’s work is on an ePortfolio. Virginia Tech recently launched the International Journal of ePortfolio to provide a scholarly resource for promoting ePortfolio technology in a classroom setting. “There has been an interest in portfolio assessment for decades where you create a paper-based portfolio,” said Eddie Watson, associate director for the Center of Instructional Development and Education Research. “(The) tools came about in the late 1990s (and) facilitated portfolio development online.” Wilson, who is an executive editor of the journal, said ePortfolios can demonstrate proof of student

“

WHEN IT COMES TO EPORTFOLIO, IT’S KIND OF LIKE THE WILD WEST

learning that differs from standardized testing. “There was a huge vacuum around ePortfolio and we designed a journal to specifically fill that niche,” Watson said.

Peter Doolittle, director of the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research and an executive editor of the journal, said the journal hopes to provide articles about how employers use ePortfolios when looking at job applicants. Watson said there are certain disciplines where there is zero ePortfolio culture within the hiring process, but that could change over time. “A lot of it is employer training. They are not necessarily aware what an ePortfolio is or that it is an option of something that they can look at,” he said. “I think it’s going to be context based, some employers might highly value one while others might not,” Watson said. Tierney Jones, a senior English major, took a one-credit class to create her ePortfolio. Having a complete ePortfolio is one of the requirements for her major. “I understand the concept and I think it’s a good way to keep track of things you may have forgotten when it comes time to write a resume,” Jones said. “With liberal arts, your experience takes place in the classroom so an ePortfolio makes sense to showcase what you’ve done.” Still, Jones hasn’t come across an employer that has shown an interest in viewing an ePortfolio during the job application process. “There have been decades of resumes so people know what is expected. When it comes to ePortfolios it’s kind of like the wild West, we don’t know what employers want, what students can provide, see JOURNAL / page three

Two of Virginia Tech’s top leaders announced their impending retirements within the past month. Ed Spencer, the vice president for student affairs, and Raymond Smoot, the university treasurer and CEO of the Virginia Tech Foundation, both recently announced their plans to retire in the summer of 2012. The two men have been integral members of the Tech community for decades and played significant roles in countless changes to the university. How e v e r, the announcements are becoming more comin higher SMOOT mon education. “It’s really not that unusual that two senior vice president announced their retirement,” said university spokesman Larry Hincker. “What would be unusual is if we had many of those. It’s entirely possible because of what is called the baby boomer generation.” This is a trend in universities across the nation. According to The Chronicle for Higher Education, eight members of the Association for American Universities are currently searching for replacements for their retiring presidents. Upperlevel leadership in most university departments SPENCER is graying. While the average age of university presidents is 60 years old and the average duration of their position is 10 years, those figures vary greatly. Scott Gowen, president of Tulane University, is 65 years old, has held his position for 13 years, and shows no indication of wanting to retire. The former president of the University of Virginia, John Casteen, retired in 2010 at 66 years old after leading the university for 20 years. Closer to home, Paul Torgersen held the position of the president of Tech until he was 70 years old. Tech’s current president, Charles Steger, is 64 years old, making him close in age to most university presidents. In his 11th year of his presidency, some may wonder if retirement is in his future, but he has not made any mention of those plans yet. “Because someone gets 65, it means they are approaching what is retirement age, but you can’t make the assumption that they will be gone in a year or two,” Hincker said. However, as the leadership of Virginia Tech continues to age, succession will be an issue that will be eventually faced. If the retirement of similar leaders is any indication, university retirements might possibly happen at close intervals. With the replacement process being formalized, though, the placement of a new leader will not be as hectic as it could be. Universities have several options when replacing administrators who are retiring. In see RETIREMENT / page three

halloween october 28, 2011

theme page

page B

Friday - October 28

What: Count Down to Murder — A Murder Mystery Presented by New River Stage When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Preston's (Inn at Virginia Tech) Price: $55

What: 10th Annual Abingdo n Spirit Tour When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Nancy’s Fancy’s, Abingdon Price: $10, $8 children und er 12. What: Ghost Walk - historic tour of Salem cemetaries When: 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Where: 801 East Main St., Salem Price: free

What: Grave Intentions Spook Show When: 3:00 p.m., 7 p.m ., and midnight Where: Ramada Inn, 1927 Franklin Road, Roanoke Price: $12 What: Dr. Pain's Haunt ed Asylum When: 7:00 p.m. Friday, 7:00 p.m. Saturday Where: 17 Seventh St., Salem. Price: $10. What: Hallowscream at Natural Bridge When: 7:00-10:00 pm Where: 60 Bell Tower Lane, Natural Bridge Price: $10, $7 for age s 5-12. What: Field of Scream s When: 7:00 p.m. Where: Salem Avalan ce Baseball Stadium Price: $10 What: Awesomesauce Halloween Freak Sho w When: 10 p.m. — 2 a.m . Where: Gillie's Price: free

Saturday - October 29

What: Downtown Blacksb urg Trick-or-Treating When: 4:30 p.m. Where: Lyric Theater, Blac ksburg Price: free What: Halloween Dance Par ty with DJ Charles Ray When: 9 p.m. — 2 p.m. Where: Sharkey's Price: free What: Nightmare on Draper — Halloween Costume Par ty When: 9 p.m. — 2 a.m. Where: Awful Arthur's Price: Ladies free until 11:3 0 p.m., everyone with a cos tume on free until midnight What: Rocky Horror Picture Show — sci-fi night (dress as your favorite scifi character) When: 10 p.m. Where: Squires Common wealth Ballroom Price: $3 with student ID, $6 general public

in the loop Monday - October 31

What: Kappa Delta sorority' s Fall Festival When: 1 p.m. — 4 p.m. Where: Drillfield Price: $3

What: Family-Friendly Boo -Doo Trick Or Treating When: 3:30 p.m. — 5:3 0 p.m. Where: First and Main Sho pping Center Price: free

What: Family-Friendly Hall oween Carnival When: 6 p.m. — 8 p.m. Where: Blacksburg Commun ity Recreation Center Price: $2 What: Haunted for a House When: 8 p.m. — midnight Where: Alexander Black Hou se Price: $2 for students, $5 general public

What: Family-Friendly Dow ntown Blacksburg Halloween Happenings When: 4 p.m. — 7 p.m. Where: Around downtow n Blacksburg and Market Square Par k Price: free What: Family-Friendly Hap py Halloween Par ty When: 4 p.m. — 5 p.m. Where: Blacksburg Libr ary Price: free

What: Boo Bash with K92 When: 8 p.m. — 11 p.m. Where: Awful Arthur's Price: free, 21+ only What: Rocky Horror Picture Show — "fantasy after dark" night (wear a costum e) When: 10 p.m. Where: Squires Commonwea lth Ballroom Price: $3 with student ID, $6 general public

Get spooked in Blacksburg Pumpkin carving easy

cares at Halloween used to be as easy as strobe lights and an overenthusiastic dad in a costume. Not anymore. The generation of Paranormal Activity and Saw won’t bat an eye unless you have genuine demonic infestation or elaborate Rube Goldberg death traps — and believe me, death traps don’t run cheap these days. Getting under the skin of such a jaded population requires thinking outside of the box — traditional spooks won’t cut it in a time when peoples’ biggest fear is losing their iTunes library. True horror in the 21st century is more likely to be found hidden in everyday life than a ramshackle cabin deep in the woods. So forget the haunted house this year. Thrill seekers looking for terror this Halloween would be better off checking out these gruesome locations. Top of the Stairs bathroom: Like all horror stories, the cramped confines of this bar restroom initially appear normal. Before you can say Amityville, however, mysterious forces turn the lavatory into a nightmare of putrid odors, expelled bilious contents and a pool of unidentifiable liquid patrons must wade through to reach the latrine. If shoes could have nightmares this would be it. High school friend’s “party”: Remember that guy you were kind of friends with in high school? Nice kid, maybe tried too

hard? Well he’s throwing a huge party and you, like, totally have to come man, it’s going to be crazy. Take the bait and you’ll wind up “celebrating” the festivities with his roommates and two girls waiting in the corner for a DD ride. Dorm room: Don’t be fooled: The HD Battlefield 3 and seemingly unlimited snacks are a trick to lure you into a hellish pit of social awkwardness. Seconds turn into minutes and minutes pass into hours and before you know it Halloween has been spent trapped in a dingy cave of perpetual adolescence. Fraternity party sofa: A festering monument to bacteria and crusted bodily fluids. At some point you may find a dance partner eager to take your talents to a more comfortable area — make this decision carefully. More hygenic alternatives include a gravel driveway, rusty toilet or pile of manure. Valley Towing: You can practically hear the dueling banjos as you make your way through the Christiansburg backwoods. If the ominous compound ripped out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre doesn’t send chills up your spine, the outrageous price gouging certainly will. DX: Let’s not beat around the bush: The plaza outside this late night haven already attracts what can charitably be described as an odd crowd. Add a holiday celebrating occult imagery to the mix and you get the strangest scene this side of a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening. Rave: The DX crowd on more drugs. A bad decision for plenty of reasons, but especially so given that crazed outdoor parties are proven to be 56 percent more likely to attract youthchopping masked killers than their indoor counterparts. Back of a patrol car: Unlucky ghouls and goblins may find their celebration cut short by the DD ride from hell. If spending the night locked up in your Richard Simmons costume isn’t terrifying enough, the thought of talking to parents the next day should put the fear of God into the bravest soul. This would be the scariest Halloween destination if not for... The Math Emporium: The most terrifying place imaginable to spend a Halloween night. Rows after rows of bleak expressions glued to computer monitors offer a chilling vision of a future where humans are enslaved to robot overlords. Abandon hope all ye who enter this yawning void of despair.

ANDREW REILLY -features staff writer -senior -communications major

For the Scariest Halloween treats in Blacksburg, come to...

t’s finally the time of the year again when even the trees celebrate Hokie spirit, and maroon and orange sweep across the nation from tree to tree. One of the most celebrated days on college campuses — other than Hokie football victories, of course — is right around the corner, and although we may be too old to trick-or-treat, there is still one timeless fall tradition that never gets old: pumpkin carving. From classic jack o’ lanterns to intricate carvings of ghosts and witches, pumpkin carving is a great and entertaining way to spend an afternoon with friends. However, as simple as carving a pumpkin may sound, it takes time and diligence requiring several steps in order to be successful. Step one consists of formulating a carving design and choosing a pumpkin. This is a crucial step in the process because the size and shape of the pumpkin must correspond to the design you are planning on carving. Do you get a plump, round pumpkin or a taller, oval-shaped one? The choice is completely up to you and whatever you choose, make sure it suits what you need. Some great places to purchase a pumpkin within the New River Valley area include Sinkland Farms in Christiansburg or local grocery stores like Kroger. Step two requires gathering all of the necessary tools and materials. You must have

a sharp knife that can cut through the thick skin of the pumpkin as well as several votive candles. Choosing the carving location is also an important task. Pumpkin carving can get a bit messy, so it’s best to do it outside on a deck or patio. If neither of those are available, make sure to spread several layers of old newspapers on the floor. Make sure garbage bags and paper towels are readily available. Investing in some wet wipes would also be extremely beneficial. Step three requires you to get a tad sticky and messy. First, cut a circle on the top of the pumpkin that is wide enough for you to reach both of your hands through. Remove the stem end and scrape off any seeds or pulp that may be attached to it. You will use this as a cap so make sure you don’t dispose of it. Now, if you’re not afraid to dive right in, use your hands to scoop out all of the seeds and pulp from inside of the pumpkin. If you can’t handle getting the gooey insides of a pumpkin, use a large spoon to scrape everything out. Dump the seeds and pulp into a garbage bag or into a large bowl to save for special pumpkin recipes you may want to prepare. Time to get creative. For step four, a great way to go about carving out a design is to first draw the pattern with a permanent marker. Avoid small features, because

they tend be difficult to carve out. For more intricate patterns, the outline is useful because it works as a guideline and makes the carving process a whole lot easier. Create any design you’d like. Stick with the traditional triangle eyes and nose with a zigzag mouth or try something more detailed like a witch or spider. Step five is part you’ve all been waiting for: the actual carving. Using a sharp knife, carefully and diligently follow your pattern and cut all the way through the pumpkin. This step takes the longest and you must have patience. As you go about carving, push the excess pumpkin out from inside of the pumpkin and throw away the pieces. Finally, we have reached step six. When all is finished and the pumpkin is completely carved to suit your design, place a lit candle inside of the pumpkin. This adds the final t ouch creating the overall look, completing the carving process. Pumpkin carving is a tradition that any age can enjoy. In between getting ahead on your homework and planning your Halloween costumes, put some time aside, gather your friends and neighbors, and take part in this enjoyable fall tradition.

TORI DEIBLE -features staff writer -sophomore -political science major

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october 28, 20011

COLLEGIATETIMES

Food: Forum starts community dialogue from page one

er of a food business consultancy; Fred Kirschenmann, president of Kirschenmann Family Farms; and Danielle Nierenberg, co-president of Nourishing the Planet for the Worldwatch Institute, were featured panelists at an event in The Lyric Theater. The panel was moderated by Barbara Bekken, a Tech geosciences professor. The panalists had different opinions on what makes good food. “If it costs 99 cents, don’t eat it,” Schurman said. The panelists spoke about top-

ics relevant to college students trying to eat more healthily, like organic food, genetically modified food, buying local foods and how individuals can enact change. “Buying local food has become a fetish,” Guthman said. “Wal-mart is local somewhere. Localism is distracting (from the problems in the food system).” The speakers addressed the fact that students who might not have as much money may find it hard to afford organic foods. “Organic food is designed to cost more,” Guthman said. “It

costs more for the farmers to grow their crops and for retailers to sell the crops; farmers grow organic to get a higher price for their product.” Kirschenmann, an organic farmer, said he has to pay $5,00 per year in certification costs, additional costs to make sure the food is processed organically, and additional costs to make sure the food is marketed as organic. “Organic labeling is over simplistic,” Karp said. “When the price of food goes up, people get excluded,” Schurman said.

Journal: Employers unsure from page one

and how we can bridge that gap in a meaningful way,” Doolittle said. Courtney Scaggs, a sophomore English major, is currently working on creating an ePortfolio she believes will help her stand out to employers. “I think it’s a really great concept but there are still a few kinks that need to be worked out with the program used to create them,” Scraggs said. Jane Rorrer is a Career Services advisor who works with students planning to pursue a career

in health care after they receive their bachlor’s degree. Rorrer said many students put together an ePortfolio to apply to various graduate programs. “It’s a one-stop-shop, students can constantly be updating (their ePortfolio) without having to take time to come into Career Services to update their information, we’re doing away with all the paper,” Rorrer said. Watson said ePortfolios are most beneficial in disciplines where students have work they can initially collect and go back late and make

reflections on. “Some disciplines might have a lot of production, but more test-driven areas such as math wouldn’t have a lot of product,” Wilson said. In the future, Doolittle sees and expansion of ePortfolios and possible integration with other social networking sites. “This journal helps inform this conversation in a scholarly way so we aren’t just making things up,” Doolittle said.

Retire: Tech looks nationally from page one

Spencer’s case, a national search will be conducted, looking at candidates inside and outside the university. “I don’t think that you can assume that senior leaders, your deans and the vice presidents, will necessarily come from within,” Hincker said. “Different organizations have different theories about whether you should hire from within or you come from without. It’s going to vary based on the position.” When Hassan Aref resigned from his position as the dean of the College of Engineering in 2005, a national search was conducted that recruited Richard Benson from Pennsylvania State University to the role of dean, which he still holds today. Similarly, the leadership at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute was also selected from outside Tech. However, many vacant roles are filled from within the university. When Smoot announced his retirement, his replacement, John Dooley, was chosen from within the same organization, partly because the university felt his knowledge of the Virginia Tech Foundation and experience with the university was valuable. When the College of Arts and Sciences was restructured into two colleges in 2003, the new College of Science hired long-time faculty member and physics chair Lay Nam Chang to be dean. In

2006, when the College of Science conducted a national search for a permanent dean, Chang won the position from an initial pool of 30 candidates from across the nation. Many members of the university are preparing for advancement in the university by using the Executive Development Institute. The EDI’s website states university retirement rates over the next six years are projected to be at 12 percent, meaning the development of current faculty is essential. One of the EDI’s purposes is to “identify and groom future leaders that will serve the university.” Mekeisha Williams, the executive director of the university organizational and professional development program, said t he EDI is being used to develop current faculty to supplement recruitment in replacing the roles left vacant because of retirement. “We’re saying that the standards that we have for individuals that we’re looking at externally are the same standards that we have for individuals that we’re looking at internally,” Williams said. “The EDI actually stems from that thought process and was designed and developed to groom internal talent.” The EDI takes about 20 faculty members each year to take part in a two-year long development process. The first year focuses on leadership growth in organizational and community senses and provides insight on the individual’s personal leadership.

The second year pairs the participant with a senior faculty member for a mentoring phase who helps the participant with individual goals. “In the course of two years, they’re identified with developing our talent pipeline through the grooming of individuals,” Williams said. Williams said the EDI is not about replacing the recruitment process or naming faculty to fill empty roles in the university. Rather, the program focuses on growth through the gain of knowledge. “We don’t do succession like the core business model of, ‘you’re going to take this person’s position,’” Williams said. “We talk about succession in developing people in certain competencies and core functions. You figure out what is needed for growth.” The premise of development programs like the EDI stand central to the high retention rate at Tech. The average university might have a turnover rate of 7 to 12 percent, meaning that out of 1,000 people hired in a university, 7 to 12 of those employees will be new. At Tech, the turnover rate is 4 percent. Richard Sorenson, the dean of the Pamplin College of Business, has retained his role as dean for almost 30 years. When Smoot retires next year, he will have been with the university for almost 40 years. “Virginia Tech is counter to the trend,” Hincker said. “We have a great field of longevity among our senior leadership, which is quite different from other universities.”

On the date set for concealed carry protest//

Zombies: Run may beneﬁt charities

is that a gun in your pocket?>> A group of fat, white, bald, angry men are gonna wave their guns in the air. Who cares? Sounds like they carry in their belt something lacking below the belt.

Anonymous>> Even if a college student wants to carry just to make up for a lack of size other places, shouldn’t they still have this freedom?

Anonymous>> Commence with the ad hominem!

Eric Smith>> Really? Everyone who drives an F350 is lacking below the belt too, right? You’re an idiot. Besides, it’s concealed carry we are talking about. How does that improve your ego or impress ladies if no one knows you’re carrying?

Anonymous>>

CORRECTIONS

Wow, someone was quick to the racist punch. I’m a fit 32 yr old black female that is for concealed carry. Don’t jump to stereotypes to quick.

In “Professor pays it forward,” (CT - Oct. 27), the author of the article is Nick Smirniotopoulos. The byline was mistakenly omitted. The Collegiate Times regrets this error. In “Local DJ drops out of college to pursue career,” (CT - Oct. 18), the article is based on Killa J, a local rapper. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

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JUSTIN GRAVES -public editor -senior -sociology major

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from page one

organization and if they have prior approval. “I figured it would be me and a few friends so that it would be big enough to be fun, but I didn’t think it would get big enough to where it would become an issue,” McCracken said. “(But) I realized that having an event this big on campus would be very obstructive,” McCracken said. Tech agreed with her stance. “If you have a group of people on the sidewalk they might be disrupting people trying to get to class, the issue becomes that an event may be a disruption to the orderly flow of campus activity,” said university spokesman Larry Hincker. Survive Blacksburg was designed as a large game of tag, except with zombies doing the tagging. The event would pit a group of “infected” zombies against the rest of the “uninfected” playing the game. McCracken got the idea from similar games in D.C. and in her hometown of Hampton. “Basically I got an invitation on Facebook and I thought wow this sounds really fun,” McCracken said.

In the game “zombies” and “humans” start a central point and throughout the game the object is to reach three checkpoints and become a survivor. Armbands distinguish the living from the dead — a green one for zombies and a yellow one for the alive. Once you have been tagged you switch your wristband to green. After talking with the events planning office McCracken realized that for it to be a universityrecognized event, the group needs a sponsoring organization. Having insurance and security officers for the events also became an issue. Some organizations had shown interest in supporting the event, but none had the funding for the insurance or security Survive Blacksburg would require as of last night, Oct. 27. According to McCracken, insurance alone on the event would run $5,000. If the plan does come through in later months, McCracken hopes to make a possible charity event, having every participant pay $5 to play and have the profits go to a charity such as Invisible Children or Relay for Life. “I want to do it right, I don’t want it to turn into something where people are being disruptive, destroying property or getting hurt,” McCracken said.

october 28, 2011

he she

page 4

SAID

She said: Stories endure

It’s

Halloween weekend and I’m looking in my closet for an original idea. I have the choice of a little black dress, a little black dress or another little black dress. Wow, I sound like Posh Spice right now. Anyway, I can hook a dress up with a pair of cute animal ears on my head and I’m good to go for the weekend, right? Wrong. That may have worked in high school when we had a lack of creativity, but I am in college. I have the skill to come up with a killer costume. Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays celebrated at college. There is sure to be a plethora of things to do every night and because everyone is dressed up, there is almost magic in the air. Each night is almost like a coming out party for each freshman girl. Finally, she doesn’t have to have a parentapproved costume on when she leaves the house and switch into her actual costume at a friend’s house. I’m here to tell you I made the mistake of going out super scandalous freshman year, lost the people I was with, and ended up getting walked home by two random guys dressed as tourists. Let me explain before you sit there wondering how this could have possibly happened. My suitemate and I decided to dress up as something together for Friday night and promised that as long as we stuck together, it would be genius. We went to Walmart and grabbed child-sized Mario and Luigi costumes and went to town on them. We cut the jumper to make it a shirt and wore soffe shorts that matched. It was brilliant. The costumes came with huge hats labeled “M” and “L.” We added some sparkle and shine and we were on our way. We literally went to as many houses as if we were trick or treating. We would run around singing the Mario theme song and even jump in the air and yell “brring,” as if we hit a coin. The best was when I went up to “hit a coin” and this random guy picked me up and put me on his shoulders and said, “Hey look, now you’re a big Luigi.” I’m pretty sure I laughed until I cried after that one. We continued our night and made our rounds until we came to a doomed stop — the house where I lost my Mario. We walked in together and both headed straight for the dance floor, which was nothing out of the ordinary. The turning point was when I went outside for air and assumed she followed me out. About 20 minutes later, after circling the party and asking everyone if they had seen my Mario, I decided to sit on a curb and wait. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, two guys walked over to me and began to ask how my night was. In my head I was thinking, “Oh great, creep status. Get me out of here.” Yet, they ended up being genuinely sweet. They asked

The Help

me if I wanted DX and d of course my ears perked up in an instant. ant. The picture of a grilled chicken filet with che cheese h ese clouded my vision. Naturally, I quickly ckly agreed. d To this day, I couldn’tt tell you who the mys mystery steery r men were that escorted d me to DX. The night was a a fun and successful blur. and ur. If you are out there an nd remember saving me, I am would m grateful and woul ud love to buy you both some DX. Mo Moral of my story, make sure you don’t get separated e and have a repeat of my night. ght. I was lucky to have nice ce guys find me along their way home but you ou can never e be too safe. People would say, “Hey, Hey, isn’t that Mario and Luigi?” in dining halls months after Halloween and we would just lookk at each other and wink. The adventure of Mario rio and Luigi will forever live on. That is how important nt your costume can be. It can put you on the map, randomly ap, have people random o ly put you on their shoulders, uldeers r , and create one n of the greatest adventures have. es you can hope to ha h ve. Ladies, be unique and don’t settle for the ttypical ypical schoolgirl or maid outfit. utfit. You have so much more to offer. Get into a costume that holds your hat hold ds yyo our assets in for dancing, lets you run around Blacksburg, and won’t embarrass future heard re employers. I’ve hea ard r one of my friends saying ng she wants to be a pig in a blanket or other wittyy ideas like th that. hat a. Here is where my token tok oken en bitterness bit itte tern rnes ess about abou out male costumes begins. ins. I hate how w eeasy asy guys have it. I’m going goin go ingg to a Halloween Hallo low ween en party on Saturday where yo you u an and d yyour our date dress up as a couple. uple. Every Eve v ry single singlle idea idea we we thought of consisted of me m making aking an intricate costume while he had wear something d to just wea ar someth t ing he could find in his closet. oset. Itt may be one of the few times girls can dress inappropriately ss inappr rop o riatel elyy and gett away with it, but I wish the same standard h iitt had th he sa ame m sta and n arrd for guys. Put some effort into you your costume, o r co ost stum u e, gentlemen. I recently heard of the most he mo ostt cclever leve le v r male costumes and pick up lines ever. es ev ver. Al Alll a guy ha has to t do is wear is pajamas, preferably onesie ferably a one n sie with thee feet attached. When a girl aasks him what skss hi sk h mw hat he is, he replies, “Ready to snuggle.” would o snug ggl gle.” I woul uld d definitely eat that up and give an aanyy guy major props for that one. That’s the kind of hustle we’re looking for. Regardless of what you are or where you go, remember to have fun this Halloween. It’s going to be an adventure.

PG-13

STEPHANIE LACASSE / COLLEGIATE TIMES

He said: Creativity is a must

KELLEY ENGLISH -featured columnist -junior -marketing & managment major

Fri 7:00 pm Sun 3:00 & 7:00 pm Mon 10:00am & 7:00 pm Tues 7:00 pm Wed 7:00 pm

here is only one weekend during the entire year that it is not only socially acceptable, but also socially encouraged, to become someone you probably aren’t. This weekend, despite being totally pointless and without real historical backing, leads to some of the best parties of the year that you surely don’t want to miss. In order to not look completely ridiculous, you must wear a costume. But wearing a costume can also make you look completely ridiculous. I remember the days when Halloween meant just going to the store and buying some extremely overpriced outfit you will only wear once. Now that I think about it, I know girls that still do that. The success of the night was measured by the quality and quantity of candy. A bag full of Take 5 bars made for one hell of a night. Almond Joys were a total letdown. But alas, as we moved into high school, Halloween lost its valor. Instead of candy and “aw’s” from families, trick-or-treating would get you a call to the cops and potentially a restraining order. I know I thought this holiday had truly lost its excitement for good by senior year, but little did I know what was waiting around the corner. When I entered college, Halloween suddenly became just as awesome, if not more so than when I was young. Exit bags of candy, enter Solo cups. Where walking from house to

house was done to get candy before, it is now done only to get to the next party. College Halloween — where the only thing less visible than your clothing is your dignity. The most important part of Halloween in college — yes, even more important than that apartment party you cannot move around in — is the costume. This is how to make or break your Halloween weekend. A good costume will get you into the best parties, score you a conversation with the cutest girls, and may even get you a free cup. Bottom tier costumes will send you back on the Blacksburg Transit before you can even say, “I’m a police officer.” What are these costumes at the bottom of the totem pole? The uncreative football players, kitty cats and nurses. It’s definitely not a costume if you wear that jersey to football games. You are not a nurse, hun, you are a floozy. Being a typical college male, I have no problem with females choosing to show their assets. All I ask for is a little creativity when it comes to your costume. I have seen the bunny rabbit act pulled a few too many times during my tenure. Those experienced “Halloweeners” such as Kelley and I know there are few limits to college Halloween costumes. Except that NuvaRing costume I saw a few years back. Still trying to figure out if that is extremely creative

or downright disgusting. I can only imagine the pick-up lines he used that night. There are a few rules I follow when searching for a costume. First of all, I must be able to dance. I will simply not let a bulky costume get in my way of grinding with that cutie in the Pocahontas outfit. Sorry robot, you’re out. Second is the durability factor. I need my costume to survive when it is 1:55 a.m. and I am sprinting from the bus stop to make it to the doors of DX in time. Also, be warned that couple outfits can turn awkward when your partner leaves you to spend the night in Oak Lane. When Mac and PC from the Apple commercials are separated, you just look like a nerd. Other than that, pretty much anything goes. I expect to see a lot of Don Drapers, Casey Anthonys and more than likely a Twilight reference or two. I just encourage you to dig deep and think of something new. What am I going as you may ask? Well, you will just have to find me apartment hopping in Pheasant Rage to find out.

DANE HARRINGTON -featured columnist -junior -industrial & systems engineering major

The Lyric Theatre 135 College Avenue ~ Movieline: 951.0604 www.thelyric.com

Haunted for a House to benefit the restoration of the Alexander Black House and Cultural Center

On the lawn between the Thomas-Conner and Black Houses at 104 Draper Road. Saturday, October 29th 8pm - midnight

solutions: “Ice Cream” 1) Mint 2) Strawberry

$2 students $5 general public

Design Build Sponsored by: Construction Habitat for Humanity Public Consortion International Association (Virginia Tech Administrators (Virginia Tech Chapter) Chapter) of Virginia Tech

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Take a tour through Blacksburg’s only outdoor haunted adventure this Halloween weekend!

3) Chocolate Sigma Lambda Chi

4) Neapolitan 5) Raspberry

opınıons 5

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

october 28, 2011

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

ON HALLOWEEN

Celebrating for any reason I t’s that time of the year again: Time to celebrate every Hokie’s favorite holiday that doesn’t get break dedicated to it. Of course I’m talking a brea about Hal Halloween weekend, which usually equates to a drun drunken haze of half Halloween-themed, half party-themed events spanning over three party crazy nigh nights and two days. Although Althoug my sister prefers the holidays that “bring people together” in the more traditional pe ways — tthrough events like family dinners on Thanksgiving, or opening presents with friends Thanksgiv and family on Christmas morning — I love college’s vers version of Halloween. For me, it “brings people together” just as more family-oriented to holidays d do, but in a different way, and with different people peo — our friends. Of cou course, for young children that aren’t yet famili familiarized with the party scene of college (or the party scene of high school, for that matter), Halloween is usually a fammat ily oriented holiday through activities like orien trick-or-treating, which parents can participate in trick-or-tr (or at least leas chaperone). But for u us college kids, Halloween represents a time where wher we can get together with our friends, dress up llike idiots, get obliterated, let loose and have fun. This means that Halloween can often bring people together in ways society doesn’t peo always approve of, but it doesn’t mean something app constructive constructi isn’t taking place, or something destructive destructiv is taking place. Here are a few ways that Halloween can bring college students together in non-traditional ways: stu First and foremost are the parties. The biggest, craziest, loudest and often most memorable parlo ties take place on Halloween weekend, which means all different kinds of people are coming together tto escape from the stresses of the college work week week. I’m sure most Hokies remember their first Halloween weekend and the parties they went to — well, wel at least part of the weekend, hopefully. And all this is taking place behind the Halloween-themed backdrop of all the celebraHalloween tions across acro Blacksburg, which makes the weekend even more exciting, and even more memorable. But, of course, a party-filled weekend is nothc ing witho without the pre-party drinking scene that college students must partake in. This includes a st

broad range of fun activities, including all sorts of drinking games, tailgating and football to watch. Of course, all of these can be slightly altered by adding a Halloween themed aspect to it, making them fit into the weekend more enjoyably. Drinking games and tailgating can be done with special drinks made just for the Halloween weekend, such as a pumpkin spice jungle juice, or candy corn flavored shots. And I don’t know what represents the fall season better than watching some great college football games with friends throughout the Saturday of Halloween weekend. However, there are also alternative activities for those that choose not to participate in the party atmosphere in college. Scary movie watching, non-alcoholic gatherings, pumpkin carvings and all sorts of other Halloween themed, s ober activities take place over the weekend — if you’re not into drinking, there are still plenty of things to do. Finally, let’s not forget all the work we put intothinking of and creating all our costumes for when we go out. Roommates or friends will often help design or make their costumes together, using their collaborative efforts to create the best costume possible, as to stand out among the crowds of people they run into during the hectic nights of the weekend. Sometimes costumes can turn into a contest to judge the best costume design if two people who have gone as the same person or character run into each other over the weekend. Of course, this is only one aspect of the Halloween weekend — a trip home to spend time with the family is another possible plan for the weekend — but these are the aspects that make Halloween such a fun holiday for me, while still adhering to goal of bringing the people we care about together. The fact that I get to celebrate a holiday with my close friends, doing many of the things I already prefer to do on a college weekend (with a Halloween twist added, of course) makes it very worthwhile for me to spend it in Blacksburg.

DIETER SELTZER - regular columnist - sophomore - philosophy major

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Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

ON HALLOWEEN

All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

No hoopla in Halloween S o I’m pretty sure I am in the minority when I say when I went to college, I really didn’t get into Halloween any more than I did when I was in high school. I have never gotten into the decorations, costumes or thematic elements like ghost stories or haunted houses — the elements of Halloween everyone I know really seems to enjoy. After I became too old to appropriately trick-ortreat (no child can deny the pull of free candy), I just saw Halloween as a day that other people celebrated that happened to be 10 days before my birthday. My birthday is my favorite holiday, even though no one else sees it that way, so Halloween pales in comparison. Especially this year, as I begin to get unmanageably excited about turning 21. While other people plan their costumes for a month and spend hours shopping for just the right elements, I got excited about taking my little brother, Paul (our brother who is in elementary school) trick-or-treating and not doing homework. Although I did take a small commission for my trick-or-treating escort services in the form of the candy my brother didn’t want, I most enjoyed the time I spent with my brother. I have noticed over the years, and especially in college, I get the most excited about the cute, fun things that Halloween has to offer to bring people together and not the debauchery or frightening elements. Not only do I usually plan my costume at the last minute, I rarely partake in any other Halloween festivities other than small “celebrations” with my friends. I haven’t carved a pumpkin in years. The most telling example of this is my favorite part of my Halloween “celebrations” last year. My best friend lived in a neighborhood that primarily consisted of non-college students and several families with children of trick-ortreating age. My friend, her roommate, and I got together, made dinner and dressed up to hand out candy to the kids in her neighborhood. While we did dress up in costumes, theirs were store-bought and mine was a few things I threw together at the last minute. But most importantly, what I got most out of this experience was nothing particularly related to Halloween — I enjoyed the smiles of the little kids when they received their free candy and I

had a great time hanging out with my friends. We took a million ridiculous pictures and avoided doing our homework due the next day — though that is a regular occurrence in my life. Although our celebration was not the traditional kind — seeing as a majority of it took place before 9 p.m. — we had a great time because we were doing something we enjoyed. I know a lot of people see Halloween as a reason to be as wicked as possible. Halloween and their inevitable parties are done, at least here at Virginia Tech, to the max. They are always bigger and more over the top than your typical college party. The costumes for the ladies look like they get smaller and smaller every year — and there is always one that I see a million of. I remember two years ago it was the “sexy referee.” Some people find it fun to go to haunted houses or get together with their friends and watch scary movies — but I guess I’m too boring to like that kind of thing either. I think the majority of horror movies are too stupid for me to get into — they all have the same general plot line and since I startle easily, I tend to annoy people by screaming every ten seconds. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy holidays — including ones other than my birthday. But I like holidays that bring people who care about each other together to enjoy each other’s company — which is why the period from November 1 through January 2 is my favorite time of year, hands down. I love the fact that I get to spend extra time with my family members, who I do not often see otherwise, in a joyful and celebratory setting. To me, Halloween is a holiday that is fun for little kids, but as you get older it is really what you make of it. At face value, Halloween isn’t my thing. But I find ways to celebrate that make this a fun day for me — and I usually have a good time. So instead of totally rejecting a holiday because you don’t like it, turn it into something you like. Since Halloween is on a Monday this year, I won’t be able to take my brother out, but maybe I’ll find something else to do.

Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 fall/spring. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue.

GABI SELTZER - regular colomnist - senior - philosophy major

STEPHANIE LACASSE/ COLLEGIATE TIMES

october 28, 2011 page B

page 6 23, 2009 september

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

Regular Edition Today’s Horoscope: It may be a fixer-upper, but it’s perfect. A few small changes make a big difference, and home investments keep your systems flowing smoothly. It’s all coming together. Do some longterm planning, practical goals sprinkled with wishes.

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ohgst

mmmuy

W D

W W T

W E

W H

W Q

W I

W T

W N

W S

WORD BANK 1 Candy 2 Costume 3 Pumpkin 4 Skeleton 5 Ghosts 6 Vampire 7 Werewolf 8 Spiderweb 9 Goblin 10 Spooky 11 Witch 12 Broomstick 13 Jack O Lantern 14 Trick or Treat 15 Boo 16 Haunted 17 Graveyard 18 Ghoul

Unscramble the letters to solve the category “Halloween” Have a set of words you want to see in puzzles section? Email your lists to ctadsproduction@gmail.com.

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ACROS S 1 Put one’ s hands at ten and tw o 6 Aptly named lotion 10 1970 NBA expansion team 14 Poet Neruda 15 Affect, in slang 16 Reed in a pi t 17 Entrance exa m study guide? 19 Jim Davis pooch 20 Parlor treat 21 “Break a leg ” 23 Mediterranean high spot 25 Dazes

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

10/28/11 26 They go nowhere 30 Lead singer Michaels of Poison 31 Sphere 32 American patriot Deane 34 Legally prevent 37 Game with a Ural territory 39 Only part of Egypt in Asia 41 “Ditto” 42 They’re tucked in a cannonbal l 44 Suisse capita l 46 Selfish sor t

47 Russian refusal 49 Squash relativ e 51 Flanders city 54 Sink or swim , perhaps 55 Cross, ofte n 57 Title for Bovar y 61 Man __ 62 Behar ’s home? 64 John __, th e Lone Ranger 65 Atty.-to-be’ s exam 66 Maternally related 67 Six-sided rooms 68 Guidelines: Abbr. 69 Battle of the __

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29 Less fruity ? 33 W rap around a wrap, maybe 35 Drop 36 Identifie s 38 Googlin g elements 40 Net __ 43 8-Down user 45 Puts on a par (with ) 48 Olympi c qualifyin g event s 50 Incomplete 51 Martin’ s “That ’s __” 52 Staircase support 53 Its maker claim s it won a blue ribbon in 1893 56 Pack 58 Trojan W ar hero 59 Floating speck, perhaps 60 Looks closely at 63 Some NF L linemen

DOW N 1 Mudbath of ferers 2 House of Dana perfume 3 “By a swan’ s __ bill”: Keat s 4 Gave the runaround 5 Spins 6 Back 7 Throat trouble 8 Card worth a fortune? 9 Engross 10 Snoopy-wearingshades trait 11 Steal of fice supplies? 12 Declare 13 Looks fo r 18 Menace with a blond cowlic k 22 Schoolyar d pressure 24 Stage surpris e 26 Doofus 27 “__ Brockovich” 28 Missing letters ?

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

10/27/11

Simmons: Reﬂects on 40-year career from page one

“I had on this big suit, so I couldn’t manipulate my oxygen tank,” Simmons said. “As I looked up to the dive hole, I realized that if I screamed, they would pull me up and the wires would all get tangled. We would all be stuck at the bottom of the ice.” Simmons calmed himself and slowly began pulling himself up to the surface. Struggling for air but slowly nearing the surface, his regulator turned back on, giving him the air necessary to propel him to the surface. Whether it was diving to the depths of the ocean or exploring the woods near his childhood home, Simmons has always had a fascination with nature. “Growing up around a lot of living things, I was naturally drawn to biology,” Simmons said. Simmons grew up on his family’s farming estate in Newton, N.C. Experiencing childhood in a different era, Simmons said he was able to take advantage of the abundant nature around his home.

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“When I was growing up, there were not a lot of electronic gadgets,” Simmons said. “When your grandparents told you to go out and play, they meant it. They didn’t expect you back until nighttime.” It is no surprise, based on his upbringing, that he went on to major in biology at Appalachian State

“

EVERY TIME I DROVE UP ON CAMPUS I THOUGHT, ‘GOD, THIS IS A PRETTY PLACE’

University. However, his true passion was to become a teacher. His interest in biology simply served as the platform to pursue his dreams of teaching at

the high school level. Simmons said his pursuit of a teaching career was greatly influenced by his teachers in school. “Teachers were always those people that took an interest in you. They are the folks who talk to you in a mature way, challenge your thinking and help you to work to your potential,” Simmons said. Upon graduation, Simmons took a student teaching position at a local high school. However, the experience did not go the way Simmons had imagined it. “Everything came out exactly how I wanted, except the student teaching position — that was a disaster,” Simmons said. “I can’t tell you what a poor job I did.” Prior to the student teaching position, Simmons had worked in several construction jobs operating heavy machinery. Initially, he had considered putting his educational aspirations aside and taking a construction job. His academic advisor instead suggested he pursue a master’s degree in biology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, as it was known at the time,

which would grant him the opportunity to become a professor. Simmons took his advisor’s advice and attended graduate school at Tech. After receiving his master’s degree, he took a teaching position at Virginia Commonwealth University. Three years later, however, he was back at Tech, where he was offered a job in the biology department. “Coming back three years later it was like a brand new department,” Simmons said. “There was a new department head, who had hired a lot of new staff. It was a completely different environment.” While Simmons had decided to come back, he did not think he would stay very long, much less for the duration of his career. “I thought I would be here four or five years and then move on, but every time I drove up on campus I thought, ‘God, this is a pretty place,’” Simmons said. In addition to the sheer beauty of the campus, Simmons also cited the energy and excitement of Tech’s students as a reason for staying. “The students here are wonder-

ful, sincere and they really want to learn,” Simmons said. “They are the salt of the earth. They are so bright and full of potential. You gotta love it.” Simmons views his initial struggles with teaching high school students as a valuable learning experience, but admits he is more content with the college crowd. “In high school, it is not cool to be smart and talk to the teacher,” Simmons said. “At the college level, these kids don’t have to be here. They are here because they want a higher education.” Simmons has been teaching at Tech for 40 years and is currently an Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus, an honor bestowed only to a few faculty members. The honor is based on achievement as a professor, as a researcher and as an ambassador to the university, embodying its core values. Samantha Adams, a sophomore majoring in biological sciences and psychology, thinks the honor is very fitting for Simmons. “He is an excellent professor. He really embodies ‘Ut Prosim’ because

he is always willing to help his students,” Adams said. Adams took Intro to Biology with Simmons, a class he has taught for more than 40 years. Simmons feels that class participation is a good way to involve the students and diminish the feeling of anonymity, allowing him to impact the students more personally. “If you are in my class, I want an answer. If you don’t have one, then you can get help (from) other students. It is interplay between explaining and developing thought-provoking questions to try and figure out what is going on,” Simmons said. Adams said the participation activities in class were very helpful, Simmons said other teaching techniques helped her remember important information. She also notes her gains in the classroom far transcended biology. “He taught us some valuable lifelong lessons,” Adams said. “He talked about professionalism and made us think about how your life decisions now will affect you later.”

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kickoff: october 29 @ 12:30 p.m.

Duke: Pass attack to test ailing defense Afraid: Duke lacks from page eight

Carolina to face a Duke team still spinning its wheels in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Duke head coach David Cutcliffe has a resume similar to Beamer’s, just without the wins at his current program to back it up. Cutcliffe is 12-24 since arriving in Durham in 2007. Last Saturday, Duke fell to Wake Forest 24-23, losing a 17-0 lead in the ball game. It doesn’t get any easier for the Blue Devils this week against No. 12 ranked Virginia Tech. “I think Virginia Tech is worthy of any high ranking,” Cutcliffe said. “They’re really playing well. I think all of their weapons are coming into play on offense, very difficult to defend. They’re a difficult match-up for us.” Beamer won’t be taking the challenge lightly either, even though the Hokies haven’t lost to Duke since

1981. “I think Duke is a really good football team,” Beamer said. “They are a very efficient, extremely well-coached football team and I think we’ve got to get ready to play a football game down there this week.” The Blue Devils like to pass the ball, which could put the Hokies in a situation they would rather not be in. If Hosley and Gayle are not at full strength, and the Hokies are forced to replace several linebackers, the passing game could spell trouble for the Hokies. Duke has the weapons on the offensive side to make the Hokies pay. Wide receivers Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner are two of the best the league has to offer, and quarterback Sean Renfree is fourth in the ACC with 1,800 passing yards. “I think (Vernon and Varner) have 47 and 34 catches,” Beamer said. “They

spread it around, that’s one thing they do with the passing game. The running back caught a lot of balls. They have a quarterback that can throw it. They know what they are doing with that for sure, having flexibility presents a lot of challenges for you.” For Cutcliffe, he’s not looking forward to facing the Hokies right now, who have hit their stride as of late. Quarterback Logan Thomas has three-straight games of 260-plus passing yards, and David Wilson is the nation’s leading rusher. “(Thomas’) skill level is very similar to Cam Newton,” Cutcliffe said. “He’s fast, he’s big, he’s strong. Mike O’Cain has done a tremendous job with his release and his pocket awareness. Unfortunately for us, he’s hit stride right now. He’s playing really well.” As far as Wilson, the Blue Devils will have their hands full. Maybe just one breakout performance away

from bursting onto the national scene, Cutcliffe likes what he sees. “He’s a guy that gets better the more physical, the more intense a game gets, and he seems to like that,” Cutcliffe said. “If I were a pro scout, I would be locking in on that. I enjoy watching him play. I think he’s a heck of a player.” The Hokies, who took care of Duke at home 44-7 in 2010, expect this year’s matchup might be a little bit tougher. “I think they are a year older, they do a great job coaching their players,” Beamer said. “For being a (3-4) football team, I think they are a good.” The Hokies square off with the Blue Devils Saturday in Durham at 12:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on The ACC Network. Follow the writer on Twitter: @MattJonesCT

Money: Has to come from somewhere from page eight

‘80s) get precisely what they wanted all along — amateur athletes living prodigal lifestyles. What about families who can’t afford necessities not covered by current scholarships, such as car insurance, gas money and a cell phone bill? Students who hail from difficult financial situations qualify for a Pell Grant, valued up to $2,775 per semester, which covers any additional living expenses. Why do college athletes accept illegal benefits? Is it to provide for their families? I’d like to think so, but the problem runs much deeper than players’ pockets. It’s a lack of respect for the integrity of college football. Giving players more money won’t solve the insubordination. We already have more money than we know what to do with. Scholarship football players received a check for $4,143 at the beginning of the season to cover room and board for the semester. Add to that a training camp check for $150, a Thanksgiving check for $150, a $400 meal enhancement check, $600 at the bowl game, and $15 in spending money after every home game. You’re looking at $5,533 in cash during the fall semester — not including the possibility of qualifying for a $2,775 Pell Grant. Football players need to eat, and universities are well aware. We are provided three meals and a snack per day during our almost three-week training camp, totaling $585 per player. Training table, eaten after three practices per week, is valued at $531 per player for the semester. Between catered meals and snacks on road trips, each player receives about $482 in food during the season. NCAA bylaw 16.5.2.h states, “An institution may provide fruit, nuts and bagels to a student-athlete at any time.” Therefore, we are each given roughly $285 in such snacks. After each weight-lifting session, we

receive two protein shakes, which yield a season total of $400. During our week of training at our bowl destination, we eat an additional three meals and a snack per day, on the house — a total of $211 for the week. There are a few other benefits that come with the territory — many of which we never see a price tag. Our textbooks are free, and valued at a conservative $400 per semester. Between hats, shirts, sweatshirts, jumpsuits and shoes, Tech gives us approximately $270 in free clothing during the season. Freshmen receive a free laptop valued at $1,000, which can be prorated to $100 per semester. The money adds up fast, especially during bowl season. The Orange Bowl gives players a $300 electronic gift suite, from which to choose any combination of electronics, so long as the total doesn’t exceed the given amount. Players also receive $200 in

“

IF SOMEONE CAN’T SURVIVE ON $12 PER DAY, WHEN FOOD AND RENT ARE TAKEN CARE OF, I QUESTION THE ADMISSION PROCESS

clothing and luggage. I’m not even including the bowl ring, travel reimbursement to and from the bowl, or the cost of lodging in a four-star hotel. When we finish playing football,

we leave with a degree from Tech — valued at $5,254 per semester for in-state tuition. Tutors are at our disposal and paid for by the athletic department. In one semester, the benefits total $14,551 per player. The NCAA limits the work week to 19 hours for student-athletes, which includes practice, meetings and weight-lifting. Over a 20-week season, we put in a total of 380 hours, at an hourly wage of $38.29. While I understand we don’t have the luxury of allocating that $14,551 however we’d like, what else would we spend it on, other than food, clothes, toys and tuition? Even when we look solely at the cash, we’re in abundance. A nice apartment in Blacksburg will cost roughly $450 per month, or $2,250 per semester. Purchase a Mega Flex meal plan for $1,459, and your meals are covered. With $5,533 in cash during the fall, this leaves athletes with $1,824 in extra spending money per semester, $364 per month, $81 per week or $12 per day. If someone can’t survive on $12 per day, when food and rent are taken care of, I question the admission process. Let’s compare this figure to the proposed plan, which would give athletes an additional $1,000 per semester. Players would instead have $2,824 after room and board are paid, $564 per month, $125 per week, or $18 per day. The money has to come from somewhere. ESPN’s new contract with the ACC is worth $1.86 billion over 12 years — roughly $12.9 million annually per school. According to an article on Forbes.com, Tech’s athletic department cleared over $14.8 million in profit during the 2009-2010 academic year. However, that figure reflected the profit with the old ESPN contract, worth only $5.5 million. When an ACC school receives a bid to play in a Bowl Championship Series game, the conference receives

roughly $18 million — which is then divided up evenly across all 12 members. Don’t forget about the merchandise — Tech sells player jerseys for $60 a pop in the bookstore. What happens with all that leftover cash? Some of it is reinvested in the football program. Our new $18 million locker room facility and pending $25 million indoor practice facility are prime examples. Who benefits from those? The remaining cash doesn’t last long at a school where baseball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling don’t generate any revenue. Athletic department faculty and coaches’ salaries, travel expenses, equipment costs and tuition scholarships for these sports are funded by football revenue. That’s not to say these sports don’t deserve the funding. What would Sunday afternoons in Blacksburg be like without Kelly Conheeney scoring the game-winning goal to beat the eighth-ranked women’s soccer team in the country? At the end of the day, there simply isn’t enough money to justify paying players anything outside of a scholarship. Even if there was enough dough, the compensation currently received by athletes is more than generous. At some point, we need to accept the fact that we’re in college, and we’re supposed to learn how to stretch a dollar. Next time someone says to you, “college football players should be paid,” you can respond, “they are.”

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won’t continue their success on Saturday.

from page eight

been known for its impressive passing attack, despite coming up short pretty much everywhere else. Renfree has thrown for 23 touchdowns in his collegiate career, and has completed almost 68 percent of his passes this season. He’s not very mobile, but he has impressive arm strength, and arguably the best receiver in the conference to throw to (that’s not a dreadlocked freshman from Clemson I won’t mention by name here).

CONNOR VERNON In two and a half years of playing for the ACC’s worst football program, Vernon has put up pretty incredible numbers: 175 catches, 2,371 yards and 10 touchdowns. The junior from Miami, FL is putting up another solid stat line this season, as he already has 652 yards and three touchdowns to his name. He ranks third in the conference in receiving yards per game — behind Wake Forest’s Chris Givens and the aforementioned Clemson freshman Sammy Watkins — and could have some success getting open depending on the health of Jayron Hosley.

MATT DANIELS The preseason third team All-ACC strong safety is one of the lone reasons to watch out for this Blue Devils defense that ranks near the bottom of the conference in almost every statistical category. Daniels is third in the conference in tackles with 69 — just 49 behind leader Luke Kuechly — and averages almost 10 per game. The ball-hawking senior isn’t the exactly the best thing to ever happen to this team, but he’s good enough to make a living playing special teams on Sundays. Watch out for No. 40 this weekend, as he’ll no doubt make a few plays.

IT’S JUST THAT TIME OF YEAR This makes two weeks in a row for every Tech fan’s favorite phrase. The team simply did not show up in the first half of last week’s game against Boston College, and it almost came back to bite them. Don’t forget, the Eagles were about to retake the lead midway through the third quarter before Tariq Edwards’ red zone interception. I don’t care if the Hokies haven’t lost to Duke since 1981 — anything can happen on any given Saturday, and that’s why they play the game. Yes, the Blue Devils are having a pretty good year compared to what they normally do, but their program does not compare to Tech’s, and that will show at Wallace Wade on Saturday. Here’s why:

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3-1 3-2 2-2 1-2 1-2 1-3

I put these two together because putting them in separately every single week is getting kind of redundant. If you pay attention to Hokie football news online, then you’ve already heard these two stats: 1) Thomas is the first quarterback under Frank Beamer to throw for 260+ yards in three straight games last week, and 2) Wilson became the first player in the country this season to reach the 1,000yard rushing mark, and he’s on pace to set the ACC singleseason record if Tech can make the conference championship game. I see no reason these two

DANNY COALE AND JARRETT BOYKIN It’s a similar situation here as it is above — I usually only put one or the other in every week, but with the way they’ve both been playing, it seems fitting that they both make this week’s list. Last week, Coale jumped to second on both the school’s career receptions and receiving yardage lists, behind none other than his teammate. If you thought that the ’08 class of receivers comprised of Eddie Royal, Josh Morgan, Justin Harper and Josh Hyman was missed after leaving Blacksburg, just wait until this duo does. Look at their combined career numbers: 300 catches, 4,860 yards and 23 touchdowns. Enjoy the two of them while they’re still here, Hokie fans. I have a feeling the school won’t see another receiving pair like them for quite some time.

KYLE FULLER The sophomore cornerback is the most underrated player on Tech’s defense. It’s not even up for debate. A lot of the spotlight in the defensive backfield goes to his teammates — Jayron Hosley, for being an All-American; Eddie Whitley, for being the vet eran leader; and Antone Exum, for being the reason opposing receivers are afraid to run slant routes — and Fuller is often left out of the conversation. Fuller is the best tackler on the team — I did a double take when he missed one last week against BC — and is an above average cover corner. Look for him to make a big play or two on Saturday.

LUNCH PAIL DEFENSE Most of you are probably thinking I’m crazy for mentioning the defense as an advantage, considering all the injuries that have taken place in the past few weeks. However, with the exception of the three starters lost for the year — Antoine Hopkins, Jeron GouveiaWinslow and Bruce Taylor — everyone else should be good to go for this week’s game. That includes James Gayle, Jayron Hosley and Alonzo Tweedy, who have all battled injury problems the last three weeks. And let’s not forget that the Hokies are very deep at the linebacker spot, where two of the season-ending injuries are. Barquell Rivers, a 2009 starter, will start for Taylor on Saturday, but you can also expect to see Jack Tyler, who started in the Orange Bowl, to get some reps as well. Duke is having a better year than usual, and the Hokies are hurting on the defensive side of the ball, but that’s still no reason for me to be honestly concerned going into Saturday’s game. Tech just has too many playmakers on both sides of the ball to allow an upset. The defense should be fine with the personnel it has against a “maybe above average on a good day” Blue Devil offense. Thomas throws for at least 260 for the fourth straight game, and Wilson goes over 100 for the eighth time this season.

PREDICTION Hokies 38, Blue Devils 7

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Friday, October 28, 2011

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Hokies look to stay on top MATT JONES sports editor It’s been a tough week leading up to Saturday’s tilt against the Duke Blue Devils. Performance wise, the Hokies have been on a role the last three games. Thirty-plus point outbursts against Miami, Wake Forest and Boston College would have many fan bases beside themselves with excitement. The Hokies will have a chance to put a complete game together against the Blue Devils, and there should be no shortage of offense in Wallace Wade Stadium early Saturday afternoon. However, it’s been anything but an exciting week heading into Saturday’s game. The buzzword around Hokies practice has been “injuries,” and it’s for a reason. Tech is down three defensive starters from the beginning of the season, and impact players James Gayle, Jayron Hosley and Alonzo Tweedy are all banged up. So when it comes down to it, how are the Hokies

still able to stay competitive and win games, despite all the injuries? “Well, you know it goes back to recruiting good the last few years; we’ve gotten good players that just haven’t played very much,” said coach Frank Beamer. “The next guy has to be the player when he gets into the game, you’ve got to step it up, that’s what our guys have done.” One of the season ending injuries came in the Hokies’ Homecoming game against Boston College. Bruce Taylor, the Hokies leading tackler, suffered a mid-foot sprain that will sideline him for the rest of the season. “Losing Bruce is tough it’s not only the plays he made, but the type of leader he was, what he meant to the whole football program,” Beamer said. “We have several positions on defense this year we’ve had to fill, it’s time to do it again.” Saturday, the Hokies will travel south to North see DUKE / page seven

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People need to realize that players do get paid judgment College football players have been walking with a spring in their step since Monday, when NCAA president Mark Emmert supported a proposal that would increase studentathlete grants by as much as $2,000 annually. An advocacy group known as the National College Players Association gathered a petition of 339 athletes in support of a plan which would more accurately reimburse players for the full price tag of attending college. So here’s my question: In a world that begs for a cure to the plague of boosters and agents, will this proposal be the messiah? Let me answer by saying Nevin Shapiro won’t be the last spraytanned tycoon with a hair gel addiction to host a yacht party for college football players. The proposal wasn’t intended to cure the problem of illegal benefits,

though it would be comical if that were the case. Bless Emmert’s heart for attempting to compensate the talent for bringing millions of dollars to schools, TV networks and the NCAA. If athletes choose to turn down tens of thousands of dollars in booster money, it won’t be because they’ve been greased with a couple extra G’s from their university. I’m a little weary of this new plan. Giving players some extra cash is a nice thought, but it could compound the sense of entitlement so rampant in college football, which could ultimately lead to the acceptance of illegal benefits that will actually make a difference in their lives. If you give a mouse a cookie... With regards to a solution to the booster and agent problem, I subscribe to Sandra Bullock’s doctrine in “Miss Congeniality.” An undercover FBI agent, Bullock is competing in a beauty pageant interview when host William Shatner asks, “What is the one most important thing our society needs?” While every other contestant drones, “world peace,” Bullock prescribes, “harsher punishment for parole violators.” The NCAA officials have done a great job of cracking down on uni-

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versities and players for the illegal flow of benefits — reducing scholarships, vacating wins, post-season bans, etc. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing them administer the “death penalty” in extreme cases — schools need to

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understand the weight of this issue. I can’t stand when people say, “You know what? This is ridiculous. Schools should just pay college football players.” Would schools offer contracts worth tens of thousands of dollars to a kid who’s never played a down of college football? Recruiting would become a nightmare. Would every kid get the same contract? If not, players would whine, become jealous, and the game would completely lose its innocence. Title IX activists would have a cow.

Enough said. College football is supposed to represent the reason we first started playing the game — because we love it. America is only big enough for one professional football league filled with egotistical dollar-chasers. Most importantly, if schools start paying players, we’re letting the crooks win. Shapiro, Terrelle Pryor, Reggie Bush and even Sherwood Blount (the booster behind Southern Methodist University scandal in the see MONEY / page seven

Why I’m afraid of the Blue Devils In years past, this headline would make even the most ignorant Virginia Tech student laugh hysterically. Everyone, football fan or not, knows that Duke’s football program is exactly that — laughable. The Blue Devils haven’t been ranked in the top 25 since 1994, haven’t been to a bowl game since 1995, and have won only 25 games since 2002. I repeat: 25 wins in the past nine and onehalf seasons. By comparison, Tech averages that many wins in just over two years. Of those 25 victories, six of those wins have come against Football Championship Subdivision programs, and just nine have come against ACC opponents. The Hokies won nine Atlantic Coast Conference games last season (if you include the ACC Championship Game). But fortunately for the Blue Devils, none of that will matter on Saturday. All that matters is the guys in maroon and orange and 60 minutes of football. They’ve already surpassed their average over the last nine years of 2.4 wins per season, and compared to their usual standards, have done so quite impressively. The only shortcoming has been a seasonopening loss to Richmond, but hey, who doesn’t lose to an FCS program every once in a while, right? It’s totally acceptable nowadays. But besides that, Duke has won three games, including a conference victory over Boston College. The Blue Devils put up an impressive first half against Stanford (sound familiar?), and scored 23 unanswered points against Wake Forest last week before losing 24-23. Here’s why I’m afraid of the Blue Devils:

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The junior gunslinger has already thrown for 1,800 yards this season. Duke has always see AFRAID / page seven