Thursday, November 10, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Thursday, November 10, 2011

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

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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 114

News, page 5

Weekend, page 2

Opinions, page 3

Extra Point, back page

A FARMER’S LIFE

BY EMMA GODDARD | features staff writer

lacing several fresh tomatoes into a customer’s bag, Jason Pall stood beside his farm- grown produce, sporting a tucked-in Glade Road Growing T-shirt to represent his business. Vibrant red and green chili peppers lay adjacent to purple eggplants, touching the shades of yellow and orange squash, all mimicking colors of the fall season. Pall, with a tuft of blond hair hiding under a cap, leaned against a splintering wooden table holding a cash box and scale. He conversed with a female buyer about an heirloom variety turnip, revealing the evident passion he holds for growing crops. Holding a bundle of herbs, hands cracked and speckled with dirt — his worn khakis had a similar appearance — it was clear he had just endured a hectic day of farm work. Pall, a Blacksburg local, was unaware that his time spent in this town would guide him to an agricultural life. “I started volunteering when I was an undergraduate for a local farm that does something similar to what I do now,” Pall said. “Once a week I would go for four hours, and I really enjoyed it.” Pall moved to Blacksburg nine years ago with his wife to be part of the Virginia Tech community, where they later initiated Glade Road Growing, a small farm across from Heritage Park in Blacksburg specializing in annual vegetables, honey and apples. Although he is in no way a novice to the art of growing and farming, Pall’s business is only experiencing its first year at the Blacksburg Farmers Market since June. Rain or shine, he expects to be there every Wednesday and Saturday when the market is open. Although he does not own the land he farms on, Pall and his wife own the operation together. Pall makes up about 80 percent of the labor, and volunteers take on the other 20 percent.

EMMA GODDARD / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Jason Pall sells his products from Glade Road Growing, a local farm, at the farmers market.

see MARKET / page ﬁve

Library to extend open hours

Classifieds, page 4

Boyer reflects on largest Tech class

FILE 2011 / SPPS

John Boyer, a geography instructor, speaks to his 3,000-member world regions class, which meets in the Burruss auditorium.

BOYER TWEETED THAT HE MAY NOT TEACH WORLD REGIONS AGAIN LIKE HE DID THIS FALL to participate. “You don’t want to tell people news reporter not to come to class, but I’m trying to be as nice as possible by saying This semester may be the last that they are wasting their own chance students get to experience time,” Boyer said. “But we can’t a world regions class with 3,000 of have them wasting their time by their fellow classmates in Burruss allowing them waste others’ time Hall. by getting distracted by them in John Boyer, a geography instruc- class.” tor, tweeted on his account — Koch agreed some of the stunamed “Plaid Avenger” — last dents take away from the quality week, saying this would prob- of the class. ably be the last semester the class “Having a lot of students in the would be offered to 3,000 students class has led to disruptions in the at once. class,” she said. “Boyer has had to “I’m not saying definitively that stop class multiple times because I’m not doing it again,” Boyer said. so many people were talking that “But I will say this: I’m not going to it became impossible for some studo it like this again.” dents to hear the content.” This semester, Boyer is teachBoyer has only had to deal ing the class in Burruss Hall for with one instance of cheating via three hours on Monday evenings. Facebook during the semester. Problems have arisen because of A world regions student created the class size and location. a Facebook group to share class “The room itself is extremely knowledge and announcements. problematic,” Boyer said. “He did it for the right reasons,” The auditorium becomes Boyer said. “He was a good guy.” hot during class, and this year’s However, some students began “Indian summer” has only made using the page to cheat on their matters worse, he said. weekly unlimited-attempt, openBurruss auditorium is also not book quizzes. Students were postequipped with technology to allow ing answers to the quiz on the 3,000 students to use the Internet page’s wall, and when Boyer found during class. out about it, he contacted the “I think it’s very hard for people group’s creator to see if he could to pay attention and stay engaged stop it. Shortly after, the page was just because of the physical con- taken down. straints of the room,” Boyer said. “Within an hour, the whole “We’re trying to break down those page was shut down,” Boyer said. barriers. “Within an on page three We’re also hour, everyone make sure to check out the trying to had unfriended encourage and ungrouped, staff editorial on a potential discussion and the page smaller world regions class and interconwas shut down. nectedness The problem between the students themselves. created and took care of itself That space is just not built for it.” through social networking, and Because of the heat and the large that was that.” space, Boyer said students are easBoyer said he didn’t believe ily becoming detached and are just the cheating incident was coming to class to socialize with because of the class size, their friends or even watch TV. saying the same occurrence could Despite the problems, some have happened in another much students are disappointed with smaller class. Boyer’s announcement. Devin Although there have been issues Brock, a freshman biochemistry with the class, Boyer said it has still major, said the class works well, worked out well. regardless of its size. “I think the positives far out“I think the 3,000-person class weigh the negatives of this class,” works just as well as any other Boyer said. class,” Brock said. “Having more The class has been great, Koch classmates doesn’t make the course said, but improvements need to any more difficult. Honestly, it be made. makes it more fun. It is upon the “While I do think Boyer’s class single individual to do their work is effective, it’s not as effective as it to achieve the grade they want could be,” Koch said. “I think if the — as in any other class. Yes, it’s class was a little smaller, it would something new and different, but maintain that openness, while it works.” lowering the amount of distracBoyer said the decision is diffi- tions that the 3,000-person class cult because despite the problems, has.” he has seen some positives to the Boyer said he wants to confront large class size. these issues and make the class He compared being a student better. in the large class to living in a city; “This class is awesome. I love nobody knows the individuals, so it, and I think it’s a very, very, they are more likely to participate very great group of students,” in discussion because of the lack of Boyer said. “Ninety-five percent social pressure. of this class totally rocks. We’ve “I love having 3,000 people in had great discussions in class, my class,” said Emily Koch, a fresh- outside events have been packed, man engineering major. “Having and people are so supportive. so many people in the class moti- This is a really good group of peovated me to be more active in ple, and that’s why we’re trying to participating in class, which has make sure it gets even better. This helped me learn a lot more.” is a great class, so let’s figure out But not all students come to class how to make it greater.”

JOSH HIGGINS

[

PAUL KURLAK / SPPS

A student ﬁnishes up at the library after dark yesterday. Newman is open from 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. during the week. The hours will be extended.

NEWMAN LIBRARY PREPARES TO OPERATE 24 HOURS A DAY DURING THE WEEK BY SPRING 2012 PRISCILLA ALVAREZ news staff writer Soon, students will have one less excuse to stop studying. Newman Library is moving toward “24/5” operation hours next semester. It will open at 9 a.m. on Sunday and stay open through Friday at 8 p.m., when it will close and return to the normal service hours on Saturday. Current hours are 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. during the week — a one hour addition since last semester, when the

library closed at midnight. Yet despite the one-hour addition, students are still being asked to pack up their books and leave the library before they are ready. “I think it’s awesome the library will be open 24/5. I’ve been (in Newman) studying and the guards have kicked me out,” said Shaunmark Carroll, a junior engineering major. “I find this to be a good place to study. I live off campus, so it’ll be more convenient to study overnight and catch an early bus in the morning.” The library staff will pilot the 24/5

hours during the spring 2012 semester, and if successful, the new schedule will continue through the fall 2012 semester. Tyler Walters, the dean of University Libraries, is all for the extended hours. “I’d hate to kick students out because they’re leaving here at 1 a.m. and going to find another place to study. It’s a library, and we should be open and available to students who want to study here,” Walters said. “Our expectation is if the students want this, it will work well, and we’ll continue it on a normal basis in the fall.” Despite its willingness to try the 24/5 hours, library staff has had to

make some accommodations to make the new schedule work. Currently, there is only one employee working in the library between 1 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. whose salary is about $28,000, said Charla Lancaster, director of assessment and access services at the library. With 24/5 hours, the library has had to hire one additional salaried employee and several other hourly wage employees. When the library is open during the night, there will be one salaried employee working at the circulation desk plus one student assistant. see LIBRARY / page ﬁve

Sudoku, page 4

]

2 weekend november 10. 2011

B editors: chelsea gunter, patrickpage murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

PURSUIT OF HARMONY BY NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS | features reporter

mid the booming nightlife of Washington, D.C., one adventurous 16-year-old snuck into a club to see his musical hero Dave Holland, the bassist for Miles Davis. The young teen admired Holland for his musical prowess and played the same instruments as him: the cello and bass guitar, among others. At the time, the boy was wondering whether to continue playing rock and roll, or veer off path and pursue a career in classical music. Seeking a solution to his dilemma, he worked up the courage and approached Holland for some expert advice. “I started talking to him about my situation. I said, ‘I am kind of at a crossroads (with my music).’ And he said, ‘You should do what’s most challenging to you,’” said Alan Weinstein, a music professor at Virginia Tech. Weinstein went on to take Holland’s advice and pursue a career in classical music, which eventually brought him to his current position at Tech. Weinstein grew up in D.C. in the 1970s. At the time, the city was a “hot bed” for jazz and rock and roll, he said. Weinstein was heavily influenced by the bustling musical environment, which extended into his home life, with many of his family members seriously pursuing music. “It just assumed I would pick an instrument. I just kind of gravitated toward those people in public schools who were musicians; it became my scene,” Weinstein said. While his musical background laid the foundation for his passion for the cello, his growing interest stemmed for a childish decision he finds amusing. “(My older sisters) both played instruments where you had to stand up — the flute and the violin. As a younger person, when it came time to choose an instrument, I really chose the cello because you got to sit down,” Weinstein said.

BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS

Alan Weinstein was at a musical crossroads as a boy. But he paved a new path and eventually became a music professor.

It is no surprise based on the rich musical environment in which he grew up that Weinstein decided to pursue a career in music. Weinstein attended the New England Conservatory in Boston, Mass. and went on to further his musical prowess at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. In addition to studying music in the northeast, Weinstein also lived abroad in Berlin, Germany, furthering his studies and playing professionally. Weinstein has played professionally in the United States for many years. While most of his experiences have been with the cello, one of his most memorable moments came while playing the harmonica. “As a harmonica player, I played with Ray Charles. He was a soloist with the Roanoke Symphony, and the piece was for Ray and five soloists. The famous harmonica player couldn’t make the gig, and they asked me to take his place,” Weinstein said. Not only was Weinstein able to perform alongside Charles, but he also got to perform his solo before Charles. “The best part was there was one part where we traded solos, and Ray went after me, and he took one of my licks and developed it. That was a great moment in my life to have Ray Charles repeat what you just did,” Weinstein said. While Weinstein set out to become a performer, he feels he has an obligation to teach and pass his knowledge on to the next aspiring musician. “You spend so much time working at your craft, you are obligated to tell someone else how to do it. It almost validates what you do,” Weinstein said. Weinstein believes, especially in classical music, there is almost an unwritten code in which musicians will go on to teach, thus continuing a circle of growing musicians. see MUSIC / page ﬁve

opınıons 3

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

november 10 2011

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

MCT CAMPUS

Our Views [staff editorial]

‘Mega’ world regions should stay

eography instructor John Boyer — perhaps better known by his alter ego, the “Plaid Avenger” — indicated in a tweet today that he might discontinue his 3,000-student “mega” world regions class. In an interview with the Collegiate Times, Boyer qualified that remark, saying, “the positives far outweigh the negatives” of the class, which he regards as something of a live experiment. For students, the second statement should be encouraging. While there have been negatives (body heat in the Burruss Hall auditorium, a wellintentioned Facebook group that was usurped by students sharing quiz answers), the positive impacts of the class are indeed far greater. The most publicized event is of course “The Way’s” visit to Tech, which brought along Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. The YouTube video of a packed Burruss auditorium, with students cheering as if they were in Lane Stadium, quickly made its way (no pun intended) around Blacksburg, and Boyer quickly became something of a rock star in the community. When “The Way” formally announced Blacksburg had been added to its tour, the buzz on campus was teeming. Within a month of the start of the academic year, one class at a school in southwest Virginia had convinced a Hollywood film tour to alter its schedule. And while the movie and the class’s successful petition for a visit had elements of transcendence, Tuesday’s showcase of the Invisible Children is the pinnacle of the class’s accomplishments. With Jason Russell, the founder of the organization, on hand to speak, the class watched a documentary on the abduction of children in central Africa. The event concluded with Russell making a plea for students to continue to get involved by donating their money or time to the cause. This, of course, is all well and good, but outside of sheer numbers (one estimate was of 2,000 people in attendance) this was not something that had not been done before — the organization would not be

around if large assemblies were a novel concept. But what was strikingly unique was Boyer’s management of the event. Boyer made the event worth double credit for those in attendance. Likewise, when Russell’s pitch ended, Boyer said if the class broke Invisible Children’s donations record, then those in attendance would be “greatly rewarded” — a not-so-subtle hint they would receive more credit. With these little nudges, Boyer got the most out of his class. The deeply saddening story of the African children moved many in attendance, but it can only do so much. Those who would have donated anyway still did, but because of this little promise, it is almost certain that Invisible Children raised much more money Tuesday night than it otherwise would have. With respect to those who ask for purity of motives and actions, Boyer’s pragmatic decision to play on the self-interest of his students was nothing short of ingenious. Neither Russell nor the children he works for care why people give money to the campaign, and the benefits of the extra money are not lessened because they owe their existence to self-interest. The underlying theme in each of these instances is Boyer has been able to direct the class and coordinate it toward its goals. But in addition to his own ingenuity, none of the class’s accomplishments would be possible without the tremendous size. Despite the notorious reputation of CLE requirements among students as being devoid of meaning (world regions is CLE areas 3 and 7), Boyer has gotten the most out of his group. If only courses like music appreciation could extract this much from students, there might still be hope for Tech’s CLE program. Until then, here’s hoping the Plaid Avenger continues his mega experiment and finds new ways to get his group engaged with the world. -the editorial board consists of scott masselli and sean simons

Your Views [letter to the editor]

Hokie basketball starts now I t’s hard to believe that the basketball season is upon us. It seems like only yesterday we were dealing with the heartbreak of being left out of the NCAA Tournament. With the start of a new season comes energy and excitement, and a new enthusiasm is created. As sad as it is to see the likes of Malcolm Delaney, Jeff Allen and Terrell Bell move on, that is what college athletics is all about. The start of the season brings excitement with the return of Dorenzo Hudson and Cadarian Raines. Dorenzo, a third team All-ACC player in 2009-10, and Cadarian, a physical presence inside, no doubt will help us as we transition into the new season. Their play, along with senior Victor Davila, junior Erick Green and sophomores Tyrone Garland and Jarell Eddie, along with a very talented freshman class has created a great deal of enthusiasm for the coming season.

We can only be as good as we would like to be if we do it together. And “together” means you, the student body. As I’ve said in the past, your ownership and energy makes Cassell Coliseum one of the most unique and toughest places to play in all of college basketball. I am counting on you, as we play three games in four days this coming week. Our Chalk Talks will begin Friday at noon in D2. I look forward to welcoming a new group of Chalk Talk enthusiasts, as we discuss the upcoming opponent and Virginia Tech basketball in the year 2011-12. Please join me as we begin another great season of college basketball at Tech. I look forward to seeing you in both D2 and Cassell. Let’s have a great season “together.” Seth Greenberg men’s basketball coach

Respect for views is essential I

went and saw “Paranormal Activity 3” last week. Seeing scary, suspenseful movies right after they are released is a fun ride because of the large audience. In a way, it is fun to be mutually scared with a bunch of people about a light fixture that moves on its own. Before the movie started, however, there was this interesting Chipotle advertisement titled “Back to the Start” about how its food is sustainable. The entire ad was very enticing, despite both the lackluster Coldplay cover in the background and the irony that McDonald’s previously had a large investment in Chipotle. My only qualm with the ad was that the slaughterhouse for the pigs was metaphorically represented as cute pink pigs being pushed into the shape of a cute pink box. This slightly irked me, as it made light of a situation that is the center of many ethical debates and questions. I started talking to my friends about vegetarianism — a majority of them were, in fact, vegetarians. Perhaps it was my speaking voice (I have been told my voice carries) that caused the following occurrence. Perhaps it was something paranormal in the air. Nevertheless, to my surprise, the gentleman in the crowded, noisy theater in the row directly in front of me turned around slowly in disbelief. He astutely informed me, “If we don’t eat animals, they gonna take over the world.” I mentally cringed, but managed to put a smile on my face. Gently responding to the man’s incredible claim, I started to tell him that I feel being vegetarian is a privilege, and many people are lucky to not depend on meat and the killing of animals

for financial or physical stability. Not even a third of the way through my first sentence, the man cut me off and told me, “My girl is a vet student — you can’t argue with that.” I didn’t want to mention that being a veterinarian does not bolster a person’s knowledge about subjects such as post-apocalyptic mammal domination of Earth. So, I took an alternate route. Sensing that this gentle disagreement would escalate, I simply told him that we can agree to disagree, and I respect his opinion. I sat back in my chair, only to watch the man throw my cordiality back in my face with a grunt and a wave of his hand. How dare I be one of those disgusting, hippie, tree-hugging vegetarians? Something I have struggled to understand about the human race is why people cannot be content leaving others alone when they are not infringing upon basic human rights. My being a vegetarian did not impair the man in the theater in any way, just as his views on fiscal policy do not bother me. Everyone is entitled to live in the manner they see fit — just so long as they do not infringe upon the human rights of others. Is something wrong with that? It is times like this where I wonder why people get all flustered about gay marriage — if you do not like it, then do not get married to a member of the same sex. Does the issue of global warming bother you? If you do not think it is real, then do not bother acting green and proactively. No one is making you. Do you hate vegetarians? Then do not be one. People also frequently bash alterna-

tive medicine — no one (especially your insurance provider) is making you participate in these practices. So leave it alone if you do not like it. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind. There is nothing wrong with presenting people with something you think would change their mind. But who says that those who openly tell someone their views, as long as they are respecting basic human rights, are wrong or misguided? How bold. People also claim that their views are right and others’ are wrong because of cultural relativism. At its core, cultural relativism says, “It is OK because it is how I was raised,” or, “Because it is someone’s culture.” Via cultural relativism, people can claim it is OK that some countries beat women because it is their culture. I do not think this is OK. We as a race should hold ourselves to higher human standards and rise above cultural relativism. I do not care if the Bible has passages on discriminating against others. I do not care if women are viewed as worthless in a certain culture. I simply do not condone infringing upon someone’s basic human rights. I know a world where everyone respects everyone is a pipe dream, but I want to work to get as close to that pipe dream as I can. I know I am not the only dreamer out there.

JOSH TREBACH -regular columnist -senior -biological science major

Sustainability has come far In

light of the recent rustling about energy on campus, I wanted to share the story of sustainability progress at Virginia Tech from an involved individual’s perspective. I in no way intend to overlook the importance of energy sourcing and consumption on campus — energy is one of the most important and difficult issues to tackle. I do, however, want to give perspective on how young the broader sustainability program is at Tech and how rapidly it has grown in the past four years. Long story short, there is a university policy on sustainability and an office to implement it because students have been determined to work hard with administrators to identify feasible solutions. Students have a tremendous amount of power to shape the university — they have in the past and can continue to do so today. It was a very different sustainability climate within the administration when I first got involved. For context, I have been directly involved in sustainability initiatives here for more than five years and successfully turned my student advocacy into a full-time position as the campus sustainability planner. I got involved with the Environmental Coalition in the spring 2006, was an intern for more than two years, and started working immediately after graduating in 2009. I have had feet in both camps, per se, and can share perspectives from both sides. Here is a concise timeline leading up to the big meeting with President Charles Steger. Faculty and staff members have been working on these issues for decades. Students formed the EC in 2002, in response to facilities cutting the paper recycling program. It grew in both membership and capacity each year. The students really put sustainability on the agenda during the 2005-06 academic year with the first (of now three) “green fee” campaigns. Over 7,000 student signatures were collected in support of the initiative, and it was elevated to the Board of Visitors for approval. It did not pass.

We went back to the drawing board determined to find solutions. We continuously tried to meet with administrators to propose new initiatives but were unsuccessful in evoking major change. The first major response from the university was the establishment of a position exclusively focused on campus sustainability in September 2007. The Energy and Sustainability Committee was formed that fall semester and became an active part of the university governance structure. Flexibility, persistence and hard work finally paid off. The meeting with President Steger on Dec. 10, 2007, changed everything. Leaders of the EC, including myself, skipped final exams that morning to discuss a university commitment to act on climate change. In his April 2008 response, President Steger decided a university policy and sustainability plan must be developed that identifies and addresses the specific sustainability challenges facing Tech. On top of that, he required approval through the university governance system enabling buy-in across all layers of the university. President Steger not only listened to students, but championed this policy through the entire process. A subcommittee of the Energy and Sustainability Committee developed both the policy and the plan over the course of nine months, and it was unanimously approved by both the University Council and BOV. Policy implementation started immediately after its final approval in June 2009. The Office of Energy and Sustainability officially launched that summer with just one full-time employee and one intern. Improving campus sustainability is now a priority and evolving daily. There are currently more than 100 different sustainability projects and programs being implemented across campus. A handful of examples include the Sustain Lane Initiative to reduce impacts of home football games, test firing of biomass in the on-

campus coal boilers, the SGA led EcoOlympics in residence halls, a LEED Silver or better standard for all new buildings, and the Green RFP program to fund student driven projects. A detailed list of these initiatives, the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment and its accompanying Sustainability Plan can all be found on the Office of Energy and Sustainability’s website located at Facilities.vt.edu/sustainability. The university has made a tremendous amount of progress and has been recognized nationally for our efforts, but we still have a long road ahead to becoming a leader in campus sustainability. What is different today is that university leaders have opened their doors to listen to and act on new student or community driven ideas on how to lessen our negative environmental and social impacts. Sustainability is really a team effort, and we will need an all hands on deck approach to be successful. In closing, it is important to recognize that institutional change does not happen overnight. I encourage all of you to follow your passion, whatever it may be, and work to make a difference in your short time here. Here is what I have found to be the most effective strategies: Do your homework about a project’s feasibility, build positive and strong relationships across the university, and then be willing to go back to the drawing board to incorporate administrators concerns, not ignore them. Do your best to understand the workings of university systems and processes, and then craft your approach to navigate these channels to reach the right people to help you achieve your goals. I can tell you firsthand that one student can help leave a lasting impact at this university. You can too.

ANGELLA DE SOTO -guest columnist -ofﬁce of energy and sustainability

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 College Media Solutions Ad Director: Brandon Collins Asst Ad Director: Matt Freedman Account Executives: Brian Dickson Inside Sales Manager: vaccant Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Alex Perry Office Manager: Kayley Greenday Assistant Account Executives: Kacie Nolan, Jordan Peugh Creative Director: Casey Stoneman Asst Production Manager: Colleen Hill Creative Services Staff: Danielle Bushrow, Michael Craighead, Alyssa Morrison, Molly Vinson Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 fall/spring. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2011. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

november 10, 2011

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34 City nicknamed “Auld Reekie ” 35 Dramatist Rice 39 Foyt and Cronin 40 Felt remorse for 43 Fixe s 45 Regarding what’ s taken in 47 Grammar best seller “W oe __” 48 “Tommy” rockers 51 What tots might go after? 53 Learner 54 Like some with sedentary lifestyles 55 Painters’ protection 56 “High Noon” director Zinnemann 57 Lang of Smallville 59 Ottoma n governors 63 __ lane 64 Agt.’s cut

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GOP presidential candidates oppose bailouts DAVID LIGHTMAN AND STEVEN THOMMA mcclatchy newspapers ROCHESTER, Mich. — Republican presidential candidates drew a bright line against government help for the private economy Wednesday night, whether it’s to bail out the U.S. auto industry at home or a debt crisis in Italy that could threaten the world economy. “We are not going to pick winners and losers from Washington, D.C.,” said Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, summing up a broad consensus among the candidates in a debate here. “Let the consumers pick winners

and losers. It doesn’t make any difference if it’s Wall Street...or some European country. If you are too big to fail, you are too big.” The debate, focused on the economy in an industrial state hit hard by the recession, came on a day when U.S. stock markets plummeted out of fears of a spreading debt crisis in Italy, the world’s seventh-largest economy. The eight candidates did touch on other issues. Businessman Herman Cain again denied allegations of sexual harassment. “The American people deserve better than someone being tried in a court of public opinion based on unfounded accusations,” he said

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sounded a similar refrain against any direct U.S. aid to stem it. “There’s not a lot that the United States can directly do for Italy right now,” Cain said. “They’re really way beyond the point of return that we as the United States can save them.” Romney said he’d support international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, but would provide no direct aid to banks in Europe to stop the crisis from spreading. “Europe is able to take care of their own problems,” Romney said. “There will be some who say here that banks in the U.S. that have Italian debt, that we ought to help those, as well. My view is no, no, no. We

do not need to step in to bail out banks either in Europe or banks here in the U.S. that may have Italian debt.” Rep. Ron Paul of Texas said the U.S. should let debtors fail. “You have to let it liquidate,” Paul said. “If you prop it up, you’ll do what we did in the Depression, prolong the agony...You’re going to perpetuate this for a decade or more.” Romney also defended his opposition to the U.S. government bailing out the auto industry, long the industrial mainstay of Michigan where they were speaking. “I care about this state and the auto industry, I guess, like no one else on

this stage,” said Romney, a native of Detroit whose father, George, headed American Motors and went on to serve as the state’s governor in the 1960s. He said he preferred to let the auto industry go through bankruptcy reorganization on its own, rather than with taxpayer help and government direction. “Whether it was by President Bush or President Obama, it was the wrong way to go,” he said. Also participating in the debate were Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.

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to applause from the audience at Oakland University in Rochester, a suburb of Detroit. “Voters have voted with their dollars and they’re saying they don’t care about the character assassination.” The same audience booed when the moderator from CNBC asked former Gov. Mitt Romney about the allegations. “Herman Cain is the person to respond to these questions. He just did,” Romney said. “The people in this room and across the country can make their own assessment.” Pressed on the looming European debt crisis, the eight candidates

7-9 AM - Appalachian Sunrise 9AM-12PM - Grayson Saussure’s Language of Phonk 12-2PM - Do You Right with Adam and Mike

Week ending Nov. 4, 2011

WUVT “5 Minute” News at 5 PM Spe

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2-4 AM - The Briscoe Inferno

5-7 PM - Alex Simon’s Box of Wonders

lty

cia

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ed Mix cs Dis

Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

We Found Love • Rihanna

(1) 1

Sexy and I Know It • LMFAO

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( ) 4

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november 10, 2011

COLLEGIATETIMES

what you’re saying //comments from online readers... On lowering the cost of college: Take Your Pick.... >> 1. Raise taxes. 2. Cut state services. 3. Get a high paying job.4. Sit in a cold tent near Wall Street.

Anon.... >>

Sierra Nevada will not come to region CODY OWENS

Very true, and it’s unfortunate that I can learn more on google/youtube and the library than I do in boring lectures or terrible professors who can’t speak english. Most of the time, you are reading out of the book anyway. Why pay all this money for that? If only a degree could be a series of exams or tests for some cost instead of years the same BS. It use to be worth it but because of the cost today, it no longer is. College is becoming a scam for most degrees and it’s even becoming so for professional degrees as well. How long will it take you to pay all that debt with a starting salary? The only time it’s worth it are the few times you have that great professor and an interesting class.

Anonymous >> A huge issue in this mess is that for the last 30-40 years, people decided that the purpose of going to college was to get a high-paying job. In many ways, this was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now, to get a secretarial job in most large cities, you “need” a college education, for example, even though the skills on the job have little to do with an English literature degree. This has changed over time, and it wasn’t always that way. This has fueled more “practical” majors like Tourism and Hospitality Management, career fields that used to exist by merely starting in the job and gaining experiences and raises as you went along.This is one major factor that fuels the price of college rising FAR above what it should be with inflation. It’s because we’re willing to pay it, because American society has decided a degree is worth over $200,000.

Daniel >> College costs at VT have outpaced inflation because the level of state support has dropped. The state only covers ~20% of education costs here at VT. That is a far cry from the level of support offered to VT when I came to teach here 30 years ago.

Mike >>

news reporter Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is no longer considering Montgomery County as a site for its future East Coast brewery. Falling Branch Corporate Park in Christiansburg, Va. was second to a location in Blount County, Tenn. as a potential site, according to a Sierra Nevada spokesperson this June. The California-based brewery, which is the second largest craft brewery in the U.S., has spent the past two years searching for an ideal East Coast location. However, Montgomery County spokeswoman Ruth Richey announced on Oct. 17 that Sierra Nevada would not be buying the site. The details of why the company decided against a Montgomery County location have not been released. On Oct. 11, Backcountry. com, an online retailer of outdoor clothing and equipment, announced its plans to build its East coast headquar-

ters on the same parcel of land. Backcountry.com will provide a $20 million investment to the area along with 216 new jobs, said Brian Hamilton, the economic development director for Montgomery County. While the 1,690 members of the “Bring Sierra Nevada to Southwest Virginia” Facebook group will be disappointed, some are glad the company decided against Montgomery County, including Elizabeth Ullrich, an employee at The Cellar, a locally run restaurant known for its wide selection of microbrewed beer. “I feel like a big company like that might be a bad thing just because this is a small area that is very community oriented,” Ullrich, a junior biology major, said. “It could be bad for businesses such as (The Cellar).” On Nov. 1, Sierra Nevada issued a press release stating that they are no longer considering the Bount County location, which was formerly assumed to be its first choice. The company has still not announced that location of its East Coast brewery.

Until the Feds stop subsidizing higher education, college costs will NEVER fall.

Market: Farmer builds an agricultural life from page one

With a distant look in his eyes, it is clear Pall has undergone grueling physical labor on the farm — he spends an average of 60 to 70 hours per week growing, washing and marketing his crops, all to make ends meet. Jessica St. John, a friend of Pall’s who works on Greenstar Farm, has observed the diligent qualities he exudes around his peers and fellow vendors. “He’s definitely a really hard worker, and he’s motivated. He tends to kind

of see a lot of different possibilities and how they all work together,” St. John said. With this being his first small business, he must work day in and day out to ensure successful produce and in turn, lucrative sales. “You have to do it full time. You’ll never be good at it unless you quit everything and do it,” Pall said. “It’s too much work, and you’ll never stay on top of your system. You have to go all in or get out.” Although hard work occupies the majority of his time, Pall

finds his job extremely rewarding. Each week, he finds he is able to have at least one new crop to sell. He admires this market specifically for being farmer grown, that is, vendor grown for vegetables. It does not permit the resell of produce, which keeps the quality of the food high, allowing this to be a unique market. J.R. Thomas Rasnake, an intern working for a vendor at the market, has a similar mindset to Pall. “I visited his farm, and he’s a lot

of fun. From seeing his farm, he’s a pretty meticulous guy. He knew exactly how long every single row in his garden was,” Rasnake said. “He does a lot of cool things. I think something that differentiates JP from the rest of the market is that he really puts back into his soil.” While he is not close with every vendor, Pall is friendly with all of them and is able to refer customers to his friends when they are pursuing items he does not carry. Although not as busy as Saturdays, Wednesday markets are typically

beaming with activity, keeping Pall on his toes. Interacting with his customers is an important part of his time at the market. “They enjoy it. It’s a social activity for them to walk around, and they get a quality product,” Pall said. Although he must commit most of his time to such a demanding career, Pall finds worth through serving the people who attend the quaint market. He appreciates that they choose his products and the market food in general. He is fully aware that each cus-

tomer is happy to shop there, and they understand each vendor is trying to make a living off of what they do. Even when there are individuals who discourage Pall from the business he is in, he continues to proceed with vigor. “That’s what’s rewarding to me — when someone tells you that you can’t do something, and you’ve got to try really hard,” he said. “People have told me that this is a bad idea, and we’re proving them wrong. But it’s really the customers; they’re the ones we come here for.”

Music: Prof. shares passion Library: New hours costly from page ﬁve

“It is an oral tradition, so you can’t learn it out of a textbook. You really have to be in the room with someone showing you how to make the music work,” Weinstein said. Weinstein has been a music professor at Tech since 2003. Weinstein is well known for teaching creativity and aesthetic experience, a class that draws about 1,200 students per semester. Eric Nelson, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, enrolled in the course this semester to fulfill a curriculum for liberal education requirement. “From what I heard, it was an easy class where you could just go for the tests and do a good job,” Nelson said. Despite the rumors he heard about the class, Nelson decided to attend the first few and has not stopped going since. “(Weinstein) realizes that you are there to fulfill the credit and really makes the class interesting. It is one of my most interesting classes,” Nelson said. While Weinstein’s enthusiasm for the class is now very clear, when he began teaching the class seven years ago he did not share the same positive feelings.

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“(Teaching the class) was fairly miserable at first if I can be honest. I think I have worked at it and gotten better, and now it is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do,” Weinstein said. Weinstein sees the class as an opportunity for students who have no interest in the arts to learn something new and be able to apply it to their lives. “Everyone wants a job now where you can be creative, have independence and really find your way. Everyone is looking for self-fulfillment, and the arts have a big place at that table,” Weinstein said. Despite Nelson’s initial impressions of the class, he has learned a lot from Weinstein and has begun to see the value of incorporating the arts into his life. “The class is nothing like I expected. I thought I would just get the credit, but I am actually learning a lot. It is not completely changing me and making me a music major, but it is building that respect for all different art forms,” Nelson

said. In addition to the large lecture class, Weinstein also has the opportunity to help music majors master their unique craft. Weinstein teaches several intimate cello workshops and leads the Virginia Tech String Project, a unique program in which student musicians are able to gain handson experience teaching younger kids. As the Tech students build upon their ability to teach, the difficulty has advanced. The students began teaching third grade students, but have now progressed to fifth and sixth grade students. “They become better players from teaching because they start playing the concepts. When they start doing my job, they improve 100 percent,” Weinstein said. Just as Weinstein had once been a young teen seeking advice, he now has the opportunity to share his knowledge with other young aspiring musicians, keeping the cycle of musical passion alive.

from page one

“I don’t know how students would work those late hours. As a student, I would find it to be really hard,” said Tamara Smith, a senior mechanical engineering major and current student assistant at the library. The additional staff required will cost the library about $45,000, Lancaster said. Library staff has also cooperated with campus police to guarantee safety for all students studying during the late hours. As an additional security measure, Lancaster said the library has installed card swipe machines. Students would only be able to access the library after 1 a.m. by swiping their Hokie Passports.

Another expected cost will stem from the increased electricity usage from keeping lights on all night. Despite the increased costs, Tech is expanding the hours to accommodate a high demand from students. “The SGA played an active role in advocating to administrators that students were looking for study facilities that offered longer hours in more accessible locations,” said Corbin DiMeglio, a senior finance major and the SGA president. The pressure for 24-hour study facilities on campus started in 2008 with former SGA president Brandon Carroll and senator Melissa Yates. Carroll and Yates accomplished 24/7 operation hours

in the Torgersen Hall bridge and atrium during the fall 2010 semester. “SGA met last year with administrators and went on a tour of campus looking for potential options. Some potential options were Johnson Student Center, Newman, Newman’s first floor, Torgersen Bridge and Torgersen Hall. Every option was analyzed for feasibility and effectiveness,” DiMeglio said. The extension of hours is the first of several initiatives the library hopes to accomplish. In the next months, the library plans to use SMS texting for overdue notices, delivery service of books and wireless printing.

november 10 2011 page B

page 6 23, 2009 september

adies and gentlemen, it all comes down to this. After nine games, eight victories and some incredibly sloppy play throughout, we have arrived at the first truly important date in the schedule. Sure, it would’ve been nice to beat Clemson, and it was amazing to watch the Hokies come back against Miami, but this next one is for all of the marbles. The Yellow Jackets aren’t just another ACC opponent — or just another Coastal Division opponent for that matter. No, Georgia Tech represents more than that. Over the past five years, the Jackets have become the Hokies’ biggest rival and biggest road block in making it to the ACC Championship Game. Whether the game has a fancy name like the “Commonwealth Cup” or not, the rivalry between the ACC’s Tech schools has become the game of the season several times — including last year’s contest in which the Hokies overcame a 14-point deficit and won with a 90-yard kick return by David Wilson with 2:23 left in the game. So, while no trophy is given to the winner, the team that comes out victorious earns a much more valuable reward — the Coastal Division title and a spot in the conference championship game. Since the creation of the ACC Championship Game in 2005, the winner of Yellow Jackets and Hokies game has represented their division every season. This year looks to be no different, as the two teams occupy the top two spots. At 4-1 in the conference, the Hokies control their own destiny and a win this week would make the UNC game next Thursday meaningless. However, unlike the Hokies, Georgia Tech will need help even with a win, as its loss to U.Va. on Oct. 15 gave the Cavaliers the tiebreaker should they both finish with two losses. But considering that the Hokies and Cavs play to end the year, and U.Va.

hasn’t won that matchup in eight years, the Yellow Jackets can assume that this game will be their ticket to Charlotte. Rivalries are born from close matchups year after year, and that is exactly what we have here. Over the past three seasons, the average margin of victory between these two programs has been just five points. ESPN has taken notice of how intense these games have gotten and has made sure they are always put in front of a national audience. Since 2006, the Hokies and Yellow Jackets have played night games four times, including three on Thursdays. People usually refer to U.Va. and Miami as the Hokies’ biggest rivals, but a lack of competition and championship implications make those games significantly less dramatic. That’s not the case with Georgia Tech. After the Hokies lost to the other Tech in 2009, the accusations of their offensive linemen using chop blocks were rampant on campus for weeks. And this is despite the fact that most people can’t even identify what a chop block looks like or where it is legal. The fans aren’t the only people in Blacksburg to put a little more effort into this matchup either. Bud Foster actually flew out to Iowa before last season to learn what the Hawkeyes did to shut down the Jackets’ optionbased offense in the 2009 Orange Bowl. Simply put, people know what is at stake when these two teams play. And when the lights are turned on tonight, the battle for the Coastal Division will be back for another installment.

NICK CAFFERKY -sports special sections editor -communication major -@NickCaffCT

ACC STANDINGS

from page eight

son, will move down into the box tonight and play whip linebacker. Alonzo Tweedy (ankle) is unable to play. One other change of note is J.R. Collins moving from defensive end down to defensive tackle. Collins, who has 31 tackles and six sacks this season, was moved to get more speed and experience at the tackle spot. “(J.R.) might be a little undersized, but at the point of attack he’ll be fine,” Foster said. “When we start moving some people, he’s got some quickness that they’ll have to deal with a little bit.” Tyler figures to be an important player in tonight’s game. Last year against the Yellow Jackets, Taylor had 14 tackles and two sacks from that mike linebacker spot in a 28-21 Hokies win. This week in particular, Tyler senses a change in Foster’s attitude and demeanor. “(Foster) always gets after us every week, but this week he knows this is such a tough offense to play defense against,” Tyler said. “They’re physical, and he demands that in practice.” Tonight will likely be the most hostile crowd Thomas has played in front of. He said he expects it to be just like a home game, except a little less support. “They’re rowdy — a great crowd — and it’s fun to play in an environment like that,” Thomas said. “It’s kind of like a home environment, except they’re cheering for the other team.” Beamer knows it’s not how much you practice, but how you ultimately play when the lights come on. “We’ve had good practices, but now the question is going down there and playing well.” The Battle of the Techs will kickoff tonight at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

TEAM

ATLANTIC

Jackets: Stopping run is key to victory

COSTAL

Playing for all of the marbles

CONFERENCE

OVERALL

Clemson Wake Forest Florida State NC State Boston College Maryland

5-1 4-2 4-2 2-3 1-5 1-5

8-1 5-4 6-3 5-4 2-7 2-7

Virginia Tech Georgia Tech Virginia Miami North Carolina Duke

4-1 4-2 3-2 3-3 2-4 1-4

8-1 7-2 6-3 5-4 6-4 3-6

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Kickoff:september november23, 10,2009 2011 page 7

page A

Daredevil fills in as VT kicker lenging anymore,” Weiss said. “Snowboarding is just a whole other level of challenging.” In addition to adopting a new hobby, Weiss also picked up a minor that makes for an interesting combination with his psychology major: turf grass management. The jack-of-alltrades has spent the last two summers working on the grounds crew at the Pete Dye River Course. Weiss believes his time on the slopes and links have improved his balance while kicking. Not surprisingly, Weiss was added to the roster during the spring of 2010, connecting from 21 and 25 yards on his only two attempts of spring scrimmages. When the 2010 season rolled around, Weiss was once again forced to wait his turn behind All-ACC kicker Chris Hazley. Autumn turned to winter — another season down the drain. Still, as the snow melted, Weiss began to lick his chops at the thought of winning the kicking job in 2011 spring practice. But once practice began, Weiss spent more time licking his wounds than lips. A stress fracture in his back would render him scoreless in three spring scrimmage field goals. As Journell began to pull away with the field goal job, Weiss faded into anonymity. Despite completing spring practice sans an invitation to the ensuing fall training camp, Weiss did everything he could to nurse his spine back to health. He returned to practice for 2011 training camp with spry vertebrae, wide eyes and street clothes — gradually regaining coach Beamer’s trust. Upon completion of preseason, Weiss was added to the official roster. Although a member of the team, Weiss watched the first seven games from the stands — never complaining but always cheering. In honor of Weiss’ senior season and devout work ethic, coach Beamer decided to put Weiss on the dress squad for the homecoming showdown against Boston College. For Weiss, it brought meaning to the almost five years of thankless work. “It was a great rush — like right before you go off a jump on a snowboard or a bike,” Weiss said. “You just get that adrenaline rush… Running out there, you feel welcomed… I finally felt that I was in the position I’d been working toward, and I was finally there.” His ecstasy was foaming, but he was given little time to settle before being inundated by Journell’s flaring quadriceps. The following week of practice, Weiss was awarded the starting field goal job in Journell’s absence. He would be kicking field goals at Wallace-Wade Stadium in Durham just days later, but the news was met with mixed emotions for Weiss. “Cody’s been doing a great job,” Weiss said. “He’s earned every minute of it. I hope he gets healthy as soon as possible. I’m just glad to have the opportunity.” In the final days leading up to the Duke game, a plethora of thoughts were flying through Weiss’ noggin. But once he took the field after Tech’s first touchdown, the contemplations disappeared and all that remained were the ball and uprights. “It happened so quickly,” Weiss said. “I didn’t have any nerves. I felt great.” Weiss drained both of his extra point attempts en route to a narrow 14-10 victory. Just one week earlier, he thought he had reached the pinnacle of his football career. As it turned out, it was only a taste. As euphoric as the last month has been, it hasn’t always been an easy road for Weiss. “I’ve thought to myself, ‘Should I have transferred to Virginia Tech? Was that the right choice?’” Weiss said. At the end of the day, Weiss has no regrets. He has tamed yet another lofty challenge and has learned some valuable lessons — and taught a few as well. “A lot of people don’t have great patience,” Weiss said. “If you keep working at something, no matter what comes in front of you, then you can overcome a lot of things. Keep your expectations high and you’ll reach them.” Regardless of whether Weiss ever sees the field again, he will continue to search for his next daunting obstacle. “(I love) that rush that comes with experiencing new things,” Weiss said. “I really want to sky dive and bungee jump in the future for that ultimate rush.”

WHY I’M AFRAID OF GEORGIA TECH

judgment “T

ruth or Dare?” neophytes would be ill-advised to select Tyler Weiss as a sparring partner. The redshirt senior kicker from Spotsylvania, Va., is perennially on the prowl for a new challenge — even at the risk of life or limb. Over the course of two short October weeks, Weiss went from complete obscurity to suiting up for his first game as a Hokie, to handling the field goal duties against Duke while starter Cody Journell nursed a right quadriceps injury. It was a meteoric rise that, logically, had to originate in an abyss — a place Weiss could easily have chosen to avoid had he played it safe. But what’s the fun in that? “Check” has no place in his pokertable vocabulary. Were he a coach, he would have no use for a punter. No, he’s not the spokesman for a Mexican beer — but he’s always thirsty for a longneck of adversity. The ensuing illustration from every child’s lunchroom experience is merely a rough sketch — bear with me. Many fourth graders finish the traditional bedtime prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep” with, “… and sweet Yahweh, you rained manna on the Israelites. Think you could add a dash of tomato sauce and cheddar, and let tomorrow be ‘pizza day’ in our cafeteria?” Don’t play dumb. You know you did. Well, not Weiss — in fact, he would have been much more likely to plead for French fries. Hang tight. The only facet of skiing that Weiss found nauseating was the “pizza formation” — angling one’s skis inward so as to curb downhill velocity. Instead, Weiss subscribed to the “French fry” philosophy — keeping his skis parallel with the purpose of bombing every slope from bunny hills to black diamonds. Eight years later, the law of diminishing returns reared its ugly head, at which point Weiss transitioned into BMX dirt biking. Is it any wonder Weiss didn’t settle for the path of least resistance en route to achieving his dream of playing college football? Hardly a blue-chip recruit at Courtland High School, Weiss was undeterred. In the fall of 2007, he walked on at Murray State University in Murray, Ky. — the springboard of Frank Beamer’s coaching career decades ago. As a true freshman for the Racers, Weiss secured the field goal gig, draining seven of 10 field goals, including a long of 48 yards, and acing the 32-question PAT quiz, on his way to becoming the team’s second-leading scorer. In addition to manning the kickoff duties, Weiss also embraced the challenge of punting for Murray State’s final three games of the season. Despite a stellar rookie campaign, Weiss knew he was destined for bigger and better things. Bidding adieu to his cushy job at Murray, he set out for Blacksburg — an uphill trek in every sense of the word. Before he could enroll at Virginia Tech, he needed to spend the 2008-09 academic year boosting his grades at New River Community College. After his adoption into the Hokie nation, Weiss met with recruiting coordinator Jim Cavanaugh, who allowed him to participate in the walk-on tryout. While he impressed coach Beamer with his accuracy, Weiss couldn’t yet be on the roster because of NCAA transfer rules. Regardless, Weiss attended every practice of the 2009 season in street clothes — kicking in the shadow of Matt Waldron’s All-ACC boot. The epitome of patience, Weiss made the best of his backstage pass. “I know a lot of kids don’t like doing the ‘kicking on the side’ thing and they’d rather be in pads,” Weiss said. “But it actually did help me out, because it slowly eased me into the process of actually being on the team.” Around this time, Weiss threw a couple new wrinkles into his extreme sports repertoire. He decided to purchase a season pass to Snowshoe Mountain, a ski resort in West Virginia — which one of the cleanest, finest, classiest and least-incestuous states in the union. But Weiss had grown bored of his childhood passion — he longed to conquer a new feat. “Skiing came to the point where it wasn’t fun because it wasn’t chal-

COLLIN CARROLL -long snapper -senior -marketing management major -@collinjcarroll

FILE 2010 / SPPS

ell, at least this won’t be too difficult. Coming off a 31-17 win over thenNo. 5 Clemson, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will look to continue their success against a Virginia Tech team that just played arguably its sloppiest game of the year, a 14-10 win over Duke on Oct. 29. Since the Hokies joined the ACC in 2004, only two different teams from the league’s Coastal Division have played in the conference championship game: Tech and Tech. Don’t expect that to be changing this season, as the winner of this game will more than likely represent the division in Charlotte yet again. The Tech-squared game is known up and down the East Coast to always involve drama, and more often than not come down to the wire. Trust me when I say that Hokie fans have plenty of reasons to be concerned about this Yellow Jacket squad. Here’s why I’m afraid of Georgia Tech:

THE TRIPLE OPTION You all know what it is. I hate it. You hate it. It’s incredibly boring to watch. But it works. Since head coach Paul Johnson came to Atlanta in 2008, the Yellow Jackets have ranked among the top four in the nation in rushing offense every season. The key to stopping it is discipline — you have to tackle your man, even if he doesn’t have the ball. If the Hokies can manage that, they’ll be fine. If not, it could be a long night.

TEVIN WASHINGTON Tech fans should remember the junior starting quarterback, who played the entire second half of last year’s game after starter Josh Nesbitt broke his arm trying to tackle Davon Morgan after an interception. He can run (70.67 rushing yards per game) and throw (133.2 passing yards per game), and is overall very dangerous with the ball in his hands. Whether Tech’s defense can slow him down will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.

STEPHEN HILL The junior wideout doesn’t get the ball much (only 20 catches through nine games) but when he does, he tends to make plays. He leads the nation in yards per catch, with 30.4. His next closest competitor in that regard is Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, who averages 21.6 yards per catch — just to put things in perspective. Hill is big (6 feet, 5 inches), fast and has good hands. The Yellow Jackets won’t throw the ball a ton — they average just 12 attempts

per game — but when they do, watch out for No. 5. 16th This is perhaps the scariest thing about the Yellow Jackets. Their pass defense ranks right up there among the nation’s elite, and facing a young starting quarterback like Logan Thomas is something I can guarantee they’re looking forward to. They allow just 185.3 passing yards per game, and have snagged 11 interceptions on the year, including three apiece from defensive backs Isaiah Johnson and Rod Sweeting. If they can do a good job of shutting down Thomas’ favorite targets — Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale — early on, it could spell trouble for the Hokies. There are plenty of reasons to be afraid of this game if you’re a Hokies fan. However, there are a few areas where you should be confident. Here’s why I’m not afraid of the Yellow Jackets:

DAVID WILSON He’s been on this list just about every single week, and until someone slows him down, that won’t change. He ranks second in the country in yards (1,185) and third in yards per game (131.7). He’s run for 100 yards in eight of the team’s nine games, and has a good chance to break several school and conference records by season’s end. He should be able to find some running room against the nation’s 69th-best rushing defense. Oh, and I bet Paul Johnson screams at his kicker if he sends one No. 4’s way.

JARRETT BOYKIN AND DANNY COALE Whether Thomas has success against one of the nation’s best passing defenses might depend on the reliability of his go-to guys. Remember the Miami game — Thomas made some not-so-great throws early on, but these guys bailed him out, made some nice catches and gave him some confidence. He paid them back with the best game of his career. If Boykin and Coale can get open, and help Thomas get settled in a hostile Bobby Dodd Stadium, they’ll have a much better chance of winning Thursday night.

Rivers at the mike linebacker spot and J.R. Collins will move from defensive end to defensive tackle. These moves mean that Cris Hill — who had one of the best games of his career against Duke — will start at cornerback, and Tyrel Wilson will start at defensive end. Paul Johnson has come out and said he’s not concerned with what Foster is doing, but I think he should be. He’s clearly going with more of a speed-filled lineup, which could pay off against a quick triple-option attack.

KYLE FULLER I said he was going to have a big game against Duke, and he didn’t disappoint (eight tackles, two for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups). As I said, he’ll move to whip linebacker for this game, and his play could very well be the difference in slowing down the triple option. He played a variation of this position in last year’s Georgia Tech game — it was more of a nickel back than it was a whip linebacker — so he has some experience with this. He’s the team’s best open-field tackler, and that could come in handy against Washington and company. I don’t have to let Tech fans know just how important this game is (I shouldn’t have to, anyway) and I also don’t have to tell you just how good Georgia Tech can be (did you watch the Clemson game?). The Yellow Jackets are coming off of their best game of the season and the Hokies are coming off of their worst. It should make for an interesting game. Wilson will get his yards, but how Thomas performs will be the difference in this game. That, and whether Bud Foster’s defensive changes have a positive effect. I’m tempted to pick against the Hokies, just because the last time I picked them in a primetime game, they blew it against Clemson. However, I’m not superstitious enough to do that.

PREDICTION Hokies 21, Yellow Jackets 20

DEFENSIVE MANUEVERING Coordinators have done some crazy things to their defenses before playing Georgia Tech, and Bud Foster is no exception. Cornerback Kyle Fuller will move to whip linebacker, Jack Tyler will replace Barquell

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

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BATTLING FOR THE COASTAL DIVISION BY MATT JONES | sports editor Virginia Tech is no stranger to the city of Atlanta. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play host to the Hokies tonight in a key ACC Coastal showdown, a game that has held a lot of weight since the Hokies joined the league in 2004. Because of bowl games and neutral site events, tonight’s game will be the Hokies’ fifth contest in Atlanta since 2007. Head coach Frank Beamer knows the challenges the Yellow Jackets pose to the Hokies. “When you play Georgia Tech, you’re playing a team that plays very physical, very fast, well-coached,” Beamer said. “It’s pretty simple. You have to go in there and play a great football game.” The Hokies (8-1, 4-1) didn’t play a great football game two years ago in their 28-23 loss in Atlanta. In that game, Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt completed just one pass, but rushed for 122 yards in Paul Johnson’s triple-option attack. Bud Foster, who has gone to great lengths to figure out the option attack, has gained a great appreciation for Johnson and what he coaches his team to do. “(Johnson) does it well, there’s no doubt,” Foster said. “It’s a pain in the (butt), it really is. If it were simple, everybody would be shutting it down. You don’t see anybody shutting it down.” With the rare exception of a few bowl games, Johnson’s option attack just keeps on clicking. The Yellow Jackets (7-2, 4-2) rank No. 2 in the country in terms of rushing yards per game (328).

“They know what they’re doing; they run it very well, and they’re very efficient,” Beamer said. “Knowing it is one thing, and then getting your kids in a week’s time to react to all the things they don’t normally see in a week, that’s the issue really.” The Hokies, who had a bye week leading up to tonight’s showdown, used the extra days to rest physically as well as mentally. Quarterback Logan Thomas put football on the back burner for a few days at the request of his position coach. “Just to be able to rest my body was good for me,” Thomas said Saturday. “I think it’s good for a quarterback just to be able to get that extra few days just to prepare, see some more film and figure out some tendencies.” The extra few days will be particularly helpful for the Hokies defense, which will be maneuvering a defensive front seven that has been ravaged by injuries. Jack Tyler, who served as the No. 3 mike linebacker before Bruce Taylor (foot) went down, will start tonight. Foster met with both Tyler and Barquell Rivers, who started against Duke, last week to discuss the switch. “From what we’re asking of our mike linebacker this week, I think he gives us the best chance,” Foster said. “It just comes down to the speed of their offense and their perimeter attack; we need to have our best people on the field at those spots.” Kyle Fuller, who has been one of the best players on defense this sea-

Check the Collegiate Sports blog at CollegiateTimes.com for live coverage from the game

Follow @CTSportsTalk, @ZMarinerCT and @MattJonesCT for updates from Atlanta throughout the day

see JACKETS / page six

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