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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 119

News, page 2

Arts & Entertainment, page 4

Later classes, lower grades?

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 5

Classifieds, page 4

Sudoku, page 4

The future of soda

A NEW STUDY LOOKS AT THE CORRELATION BETWEEN CLASS TIMES AND AVERAGE GPAS JENN BATES news staff writer

cated, productive and are likely to study. Adrienne Sanchez, a sophomore accounting major, said she prefers afternoon classes. Sanchez said she tried to take more morning classes so that she would have her afternoons free to study, but when she went to her early classes, she did not pay attention because she was too tired. “If class is too early, I am not

A recent study suggests that students who take earlier classes earn better grades than those who take later classes. But the study’s findings do not seem to hold true at Virginia Tech. In this study, which was conducted by Pamela Thacher and Serge Onyper at St. Lawrence University in New York, 253 students at the school took surveys and tests measuring memory and cognitive function. At the end of a semester, the researchers gathered the grade point averages of the participants in the study to see if there was a relationship between amount of sleep, VICTORIA ZIGADLO/ COLLEGIATE TIMES quality of sleep, and start time of classes. “Later class time and more motivated to go, especially livsleep does not translate into a ing off campus. It takes so much higher GPA or better academic longer to get there,” she said. Onyper agreed that different performance,” Onyper said. “If students don’t have anything biological rhythms are imporin the morning, they are more tant factors to consider. “It’s a good point. You do have likely to go out and party.” Onyper said there is a minor to account for the preferences, difference regarding the times but the relationship between of classes influencing grades (different biological rhythms) —students’ GPAs were about and grades wasn’t there in the .02 higher for each hour earlier sample,” he said. Weisband also said the study that classes start. But the study also revealed that the biggest should have taken into account different i n f lu e n c e , earning in terms of Later class times and lstyles. He scheduling, is drinking. more sleep does not said whether a person The study translate into a higher is a critical has come symbolunder some GPA or better academic and ic reasoning criticism performance. If students learner or because it analytic did not take don’t have anything in an thinker has into considerat ion the morning, they are large implications on nu m e r o u s more likely to go out what hours other facof the day tors that and party.” they perinfluence form best. s tu d e nt s’ Serge Onyper B u t decisions Researcher at St. Lawrence O n y p e r to schedule classes University said current research at certain suggests different learning times. Edward Weisband, a politi- styles don’t exist. “It’s a myth. Students don’t cal science professor at Tech, said this study overlooked dif- learn better one way or the ferences in students’ biological other,” Onyper said. Peter Doolittle, the director rhythms, which can affect their learning ability at certain times of the School of Education at Tech, agreed with Onyper. of day. “There is no good solid “That kind of generalization is dubious,” Weisband said. “You research that supports learning have to take into account peo- styles as an approach,” Doolittle ple’s different rhythms (that) said. “(Different learning styles) play an important role in how have no impact on student performance.” people learn and perform.” Arthur Buikema, a biological Weisband explained there are two major groups when it sciences professor at Tech, said comes to learning. There are he disagreed with the study’s the early hawks, who work best findings that later classes sugin the morning and lose energy gest lower grades. “I have just as many ‘A’ stuas the day goes on. Then there are the night owls, who prefer dents at 8 a.m. as I do at two in to start the day later and gradu- the afternoon. Good students ally work up to their peak per- do well regardless,” Buikema said, adding that he has never formance capabilities. Haley Young, a first-year grad- changed his teaching methods uate student studying account- throughout the day. He said some faculty meming, is one such early hawk. Her bers actually prefer to teach at ideal class time is 9:30 a.m. “I’m a morning person,” 8 a.m. because fewer students Young said. “I like having the show up and their classes are smaller. rest of the day free.” Some students prefer morning Young said she thinks students who take morning classes tend classes as well, though maybe to get better grades because the not quite as early as 8 a.m. Alex Telkowski, a junior civil students who are willing to get up that early are more dedisee GRADES / page two

Starting class

will gain you, on average 25 more minutes of sleep

PAUL KURLAK / SPPS

Eli Betz, a senior at Blacksburg High School, uses the new Coca-Cola Freestyle drink machine at Firehouse Subs yesterday.

The new, touch screen soda fountain at Firehouse Subs allows customers to choose from 120 different soda ﬂavors CODY OWENS news reporter Rodrigo Martinez stood frozen, with an empty cup in hand, staring at the machine. The junior aerospace engineering major had gone to get a drink while he waited on his meal at Firehouse Subs. However, the soda fountain in front of him was not what he was used to. In late October, Firehouse Subs installed a $13,000 touch screen soda fountain called the Coca-Cola Freestyle. “It’s bound to attract additional customers along with putting Firehouse Subs at the forefront of what I am sure will be commonplace in the next 10 years,” said Grant Bowden, a junior finance major. “Seriously, how often can you mix raspberry, orange, vanilla, lime and cherry (sodas) to create an explosion of fruit flavored Coke.” Using the touch screen display, customers can choose from 21 available base drinks, ranging from Coca-Cola to Minute Maid. The options multiply when the machine offers different flavors for each drink, such as Cherry Coke or strawberry lemonade. A Freestyle machine provides 120 different drink options compared to the eight to 12 options offered by traditional soda fountains. It even offers Orange Coke, a flavor that was formerly only available in Eastern Europe. By January, additions to the fountain’s repertoire will add 20 more flavors, including Mello Yello. “You can mix and match as well,” said Nick Polliard, a junior industrial and systems engineering major and Firehouse Subs employee. “There is orange Hi-C, but there’s also vanilla Hi-C, so there are a lot of people who come in and make a Dreamsicle (drink).” Indeed, Firehouse Subs said the machine, which is the only one of its kind in Blacksburg, has helped business. “Sales have increased. People come in here a lot and want to just purchase drinks. It’s definitely been a good change,” said Carl Wissemer, the franchise owner of Firehouse Subs in Blacksburg and three other locations. “We increased prices only a little bit, but not too much. It’s like 20 cents more for just the meals.”

But the machine involves a bit of a learning curve. “It takes a while for people to figure it out,” Martinez said. “The design is just completely different from your regular lever machines.” Kylie Sturgeon, an English major and Firehouse Subs employee, said most customers enjoy using it. “At first, it’s very confusing as there is a lot of information to take in at once, but I think people really like it,” Sturgeon said. “It’s designed to be as user-friendly as possible.” First tested in 2009, the Freestyle has only been on the market for two years, but it has already spread to multiple chains across the U.S., including Moe’s and Five Guys. It was called the “most advanced soda fountain ever” by Popular Science in 2009. However, the Moe’s and Five Guys locations in Blacksburg do not have the machine yet. Josh Jones, a Blacksburg Moe’s employee, said he hopes the restaurant gets a Freestyle machine soon. “I think it would be good for business. I think that people tend to really like the Firehouse Coke machine,” Jones said. “A lot of people have come in here and asked if we were going to get it. We want to get it, but we’re corporate owned, so they get the last say. But hopefully sometime in the future.” Andy Meltzer, an employee at the Subway on University City Boulevard near Firehouse Subs, said the novel machine at the neighboring sandwich shop has not hurt business. “It does slow things down because there is only one nozzle, so that would create a really long line,” Meltzer said. “It’s nice because they get more drink choices, but these are our most popular choices, and we do just fine with those.” Perhaps the most distinctive thing about the red-and-white machine is that unlike a traditional soda fountain, the Freestyle delivers its wide range of drinks through a single nozzle. “My concern when we got it was if I got Cherry Coke and the next person got Sprite, then they would taste the cherry because it’s coming out of the same nozzle,” Sturgeon said. “Because it comes from separate lines, you don’t have that.” Within the fountain are numerous

46-ounce cartridges, similar in appearance to printer cartridges, which contain the concentrated ingredients of the drinks. Once a drink is picked, the concentrated ingredients are mixed with water, sweetener and additional flavors such as cherry or grape flavoring. The Freestyle uses “PurePour” technology, which was originally created to deliver exact doses of drugs and dialysis treatments. The high-tech machine also sends daily data to Coca-Cola about drink consumption and business trends. Inside its cartridges are radio-frequency identification tags, used to notify suppliers when cartridges are running low. The technology also makes Firehouse Subs employees’ lives much easier. With traditional soda fountains, employees must load five-gallon bags of concentrate into the machine, which is time-consuming. Freestyle cartridges, which are simply inserted in the machine, streamline this process. Employees also say the machine distracts people waiting in line, making the wait time less of a hassle for customers. “It helps us as people spend more time playing with the drink machine that they would spend ordering,” Sturgeon said. “We don’t have issues with waiting time because people are chilling at the drink machine.” Customer reaction to the Freestyle is largely split between bewilderment and astonishment. “I think it’s pretty cool,” said Justin Reyes, a senior political science major. “Anytime you bring something like that with technology, people are going to be drawn to it. It’s like video games; kids are going to love pushing all the buttons.” Sturgeon said the Freestyle could be the forerunner in a new wave of soda fountains. “It wouldn’t surprise me if this becomes the norm,” Sturgeon said. “The price is expensive, but I think it is worth it in the long run, especially if you have a successful business that does really well with sales.” Polliard also said touch screens in food service are going to become more common in the future. “If you look at Sheetz or Wawa, it’s already like this,” Polliard said. “Even if you go to the ABP on campus, you order from an iPad. It’s just easier for people to order.”

2Grades: news Later classes linked to drinking september 23, 2009 november 29, 2011

from page one

engineering major who has an 8 a.m. class every day this semester, said his ideal class time is from about 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. He said waking up earlier this semester has made him more motivated to do work during the day and get his homework finished on time. “I think that waking up earlier makes people think they should do more and get more done,” Telkowski said. Kara Carpenter, a sophomore civil engineering major, said she too prefers early classes. But she disagreed that earlier class times translate into better grades. “I don’t think the time of day necessarily affects how well I do in the class. If I’m taking a class I am really interested in, I do better in it, regardless of what time

it is offered,” Carpenter said. However, she said it is harder for her to pay attention to professors in the afternoon. “In morning classes, there is less to be distracted by,” she said. “You don’t have friends Facebook messaging you or texting you because most of them are still asleep.” Christine Kaestle, an assistant professor of human development at Tech, said the study’s design brings up some important concerns about the difference between association and causality. “You have to factor in the fact that students have some choices regarding what classes they take and what their schedules look like,” Kaestle said. “Students are not randomly assigned to have 8 a.m. class-

es, so the students taking early classes may have pre-existing differences when compared to students who take later classes.” Doolittle also emphasized that the study is correlational and cannot be used to infer causation. He said the study can be classified as light, meaning it is not overly powerful. Doolittle said if the researchers were really interested in this relationship, they would have to track people over longer periods of time, rather than having students think back on their sleep times and activities over one week. “This is not the kind of study we would want people to make decisions on,” he said. The finding that students who drink more tend to do worse in

class isn’t exactly breaking news, Doolittle said. The study was conducted using students at St. Lawrence University, which Onyper said may have influenced the data. St. Lawrence University is a small liberal arts college with an enrollment of about 2,500 and tuition of about $40,000, according to the school’s website. About 99 percent of the student body is traditional 18-to22-year-old college students, Onyper said, who all live on campus. The university is located in a small town with no industry around it, therefore, the campus is the center of student life. Onyper considered each of the factors to be specific to St. Lawrence University.

US seizes 150 websites selling fake merchandise STUART PFEIFER mcclatchy newspapers LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities have seized 150 Web domain names they said were used to traffic counterfeit brand-name merchandise. The website seizures targeted the illegal sales of counterfeit products, including professional sports jerseys, golf equipment, DVDs, shoes, handbags and sunglasses, authorities said Monday.

Visitors to the sites now find a banner that says the domain name has been seized by federal authorities and that copyright infringement is a federal crime. During the investigation, federal law enforcement agents made undercover purchases of products from online retailers, officials said. In most cases, the goods were shipped directly into the United States from suppliers in other countries. If the trademark holders confirmed that the pur-

chased products were counterfeit, seizure orders for the domain names of the websites that sold the goods and associated websites were obtained from federal judges, authorities said. “The sale of counterfeit goods cheats consumers and robs legitimate businesses — both large and small — of the fruits of their hard-earned work,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer, who oversees the Justice Department’s criminal division. “We will not tolerate those who seek to profit by abus-

ing the Internet and stealing intellectual property at the expense of authors, artists and inventors. The Department of Justice will continue to work aggressively to combat intellectual property crime.” The seizures were part of an ongoing investigation dubbed Operation in Our Sites, which targeted online counterfeiting and piracy. Since its launch in 2010, authorities have seized 350 domain names that were allegedly used to sell counterfeit goods.

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

what you’re saying On the concealed carry protests: Anonymous: This debate is interesting and I'm not

sure what I think about actually allowing the guns on campus, but I totally disagree with those cited in the article wanting less regulations for gun permits. We should ABSOLUTELY have mental health be part of requirements to get a gun. I think this would make a huge difference with gun violence. I totally believe in 2nd amendment rights for many reasons, but we need to make it strict for those who have deeply disturbing psychological issues. I propose that a firearm seeking individual should have to get a recommendation from a licensed psychologist. Every case of gun violence that has touched my life (4/16 included) was due to a formally diagnosed, mentally ill individual.

Eric Smith: Josh, thank you for a well-balanced, wellwritten article :) You would think that would be the normal here, but we appreciate the fact that both sides of the argument were actually heard; whereas it is often that our side is left out.

The Courts Disagree: Virginia Supreme Court: Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn noted that previous Supreme Court opinions do not “[cast] doubt on laws or regulations restricting the carrying of firearms in sensitive places, such as schools and government buildings. Indeed, such restrictions are presumptively legal.”US Supreme Court: District of Columbia v. Heller"Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms..." VTteacher: What about the right NOT to have a gun in your vicinity? I do not want guns, concealed or otherwise in my classroom or anywhere near me, for that matter.

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

11/16/2011

10:30 p.m.

Follow up to Harassment

Math Emporium

Student Conduct

11/26/2011

9:30-9:35 a.m

Trespassing

Dairy Field

Active

11/27/2011

9:24 p.m.

Possession of Marjuana/Drug Paraphernalia x2

Barringer

Arrested

arestees

Andrew Boyd, 19 Michael Payne, 18

opınıons 3

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

november 29, 2011

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

Your Views [letter to the editor]

Palestine bus column misleading

ina Barkawi’s column in Tuesday’s edition of the Collegiate Times titled, “Palestine students ride for equality” was a blatant attack on the legitimacy of the State of Israel by making extremely inappropriate, unsupported, and overall false accusations and inaccurate analogies, which ignore cause and effect, and inverts the reality of the situation in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Let’s begin with Israel’s bus system in the West Bank. There are Israeli and Palestinian administered buses, but neither have rules against others riding. Where can we see an example of this? Let’s take this very protest into consideration. These six Palestinian activists went to the bus stop in the Jewish town of Kochav Yakov (with 100 excited reporters) to assumingly get thrown off of the Israeli “segregated” bus system. What actually happened? They boarded the bus and rode it along side Israeli riders as they would on any other bus anywhere in the world. Upon reaching Jerusalem, the protesters did not have the proper documentation to enter Israel, and it wasn’t until then that they were stopped. Other policies restricting Palestinian citizens, such as the security barrier and checkpoints between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, were constructed, but only after more than 1,000 Israeli civilians (Arab and Jewish alike) were blown up in terrorist attacks by Palestinians during the intifada between 2000 and 2005. In addition, comparing the Palestinian struggle to that of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. leads to the assumption that either the Palestinian movement has been one of nonviolent civil disobedience, or that the movement involved firing thousands of rockets at cities, setting off explosives in restaurants and sneaking into neighborhoods and massacring families (as was committed this past spring in the town of Itamar) for the sake of their cause. Barkawi goes on to speak of Virginia Tech’s commitment to accept students regardless of the color of their skin. This is exactly why we should be standing with and not against Israeli institutions and universities that also accept all kinds of Israeli students, including Arab Muslims, Christians, Bedouins and Druze. Israeli universities, such as Hebrew University, also share a unique experience with Tech as they were also the victims of a massacre. In 2002, a Palestinian “freedom fighter” detonated a bomb in a university cafeteria killing nine students, including three Americans, and injuring 70 others. In addition to the diversity and equality within Israeli universities, all Israeli citizens enjoy civil rights and equality

under the only real democracy in the region. Currently, 20 percent of Israel’s citizens are Arab. These citizens have every right that Israeli Jews have including freedom of speech, rights of assembly and protest, and voting rights. Arab citizens even hold seats in Israel’s parliament. I commend these young Palestinians for their creativity in calling attention to their frustrations in a nonviolent way, especially because their leadership is still glorifying terrorists by praising those responsible for deaths of Israeli civilians. President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority met with Amal Jum’a, a recently released terrorist prisoner, to show his appreciation for her. She was arrested in 2004 on the day before she was to carry out her suicide bombing attack on Israeli citizens and was released due to a prisoner swap of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners for one captive Israeli soldier in Gaza. Abbas was also quoted last month calling for the release of his Palestinian brothers and sisters saying in the “very near future, we will see here our brother Marwan Barghouti and our brother Ahmad Sa’adat, Ibrahim Hamed and Abbas Al-Sayid, returning, released, to the homeland, Allah willing.” All of these men are currently serving one or more life sentences for their roll in planning suicide bombings and assassination attempts against Israel. Ibrahim Hamed orchestrated the previously mentioned Hebrew University bombing in 2002. Barkawi’s column makes false accusations against the state of Israel and false analogies between the Palestinian struggle and peaceful movements that struggled with their injustices in a nonviolent way. Comparing these things is just an insult to the unique and courageous efforts made by African Americans and their white supporters during the Civil Rights Movement. The U.S. president quoted in Barkawi’s piece, John F. Kennedy, was a strong supporter of Israel and was once quoted saying, “Israel was not created in order to disappear — Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.” His statement is a strong one and reminds us we shouldn’t allow our vision of Israel to be “broken by adversity;” least of all adversity from the president of the Students for Peace and Justice of Palestine club at Tech, which is using outlandish analogies and slogans to play to readers’ values of freedom and equality to recruit for her student organization.

Lauren Fialkow class of 2012 international studies

MCT CAMPUS

Green energy must wait A

debate rages in the United States and the world regarding the continued development and implementation of renewable energy sources. In and of itself, renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and hydro, are extremely useful and viable options to contribute to the power grid. Yet, misplaced benefits to renewable energy programs, such as Solyndra and German rooftop solar panels, have cast the entire initiative in a bad light. While advancements in renewable energy should be pursued, the government, at this point in time, ought to avoid the use of subsidies. Government subsidization for green energy derives completely from the fact that renewable energy cannot compete with coal and natural gas in terms of efficiency, cost and availability. In a society where businesses would collapse with unreliable energy, relying on wind and solar entails inherent risks. People are likely to be skeptical of further subsidies after witnessing the alarming debacle involving Solyndra. Following a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy and a $25 million tax break in California, Solyndra filed for bankruptcy this September. Although risks are inherent in all government handouts, subsidies amid the current global economic turmoil brought a firestorm upon the White House, and rightly so. Scarcity dictates that the government should utilize available resources on the highest priorities of those it governs. With 14 million Americans out of work, government subsidies must wait. As part of the 2009 stimulus package, President Barack Obama called for the creation of more eco-jobs in the U.S. Despite failures in the plan, $50 million led to the training and employment of 10,000

workers in eco-friendly industries. Although the numbers aren’t groundbreaking, it shows that in a time when more than 9 percent of Americans are out of jobs, spending $50 million for 10,000 jobs is far better than spending $535 million for 1,000 jobs at Solyndra. In the list of government priorities, direct job creation should be placed above the indirect creation of jobs through subsidies. Furthermore, there exists the question of global competitiveness. If companies in the U.S. were made to pay a carbon tax to encourage renewable energy use, then they would be at a distinct disadvantage in global markets, unless other countries adopted a similar measure. Yet, there is no reason to believe other major economies, notably China, would agree to such a global tax. During a time when the global economy is suffering, imposing new taxes on business is akin to adding more weight to a sinking ship. Although renewable energy research should undoubtedly be encouraged by the government, now is not the time to begin throwing funds at the issue. The U.K. has spent more than £100 billion ($155 billion) to build two offshore wind farms, despite the fact that these cost more than three times as much as their on-shore counterparts. Along with the construction costs associated with the wind farms, the British government must also spend £10 billion ($15 billion) on 17 gasfired plants by 2020 to act as a backup for wind power, excluding costs incurred after construction. Such a sum of money would be significant during the best of times, but in this period of stagnated growth (the U.K. gross domestic product grew by 0.5 percent in the third quarter), this money could be used to alleviate the myriad of other issues facing the U.K. (see London riots). Despite all the advances made

in renewable energy technology, they still suffer from extremely poor efficiency. The maximum theoretical efficiency of a windmill is 59 percent, as determined by Betz’s Law. In reality, the vast majority of windmills hover around 15 to 20 percent efficiency. Solar power may be ever further behind, as the most efficient solar panel, the Sanyo Electric 200 Watt HIP-200BA19, costs more than $1,000 per panel for an efficiency of 14.89 percent. Further consider that the average solar panel has a useful life of 20 years and the situation becomes increasingly expensive. Would it not be considerably shrewder to delay the large scale implementation of solar panels for several years to allow further advancements in solar technology? At the same time, the government could spend the money, which would otherwise be used for energy subsidies, on more pressing matters of our time, like reducing unemployment and a trillion dollars’ worth of student debt. While renewable energy is undeniably a necessary part of the American energy portfolio, the economic problems our country faces makes spending significant amounts of money on energy subsidies largely irresponsible. In a few years, when the economy has (hopefully) rebounded and more Americans are working, the government can look to support the continued research and development of renewable energy technologies. Until then, people come first and the government must support those who continue to struggle the most.

JORDAN PLAHN -regular columnist -sophomore -engineering science & mechanics major

US holds an obligation to the lower class, history shows As

I watched the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate, I was reminded of my fiscally conservative cousins. Recently, one of them pontificated that the United States needs a second Great Depression so citizens can learn the values that made their country great again. According to her, we lost our values of responsibility and living within our means that we learned in the 1930s and exercised in the 1950s. I agree entirely. In the past 15 years, we lost our political will to take responsibility for our economy through smart regulations on industry. Furthermore, we have spent trillions of dollars on tax breaks for people who didn’t need them and wars that were not paid for. In the meantime, we have ignored the needs of the poor and middle class by gutting vital social programs. After the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the Glass-Stegal Act’s banking regulations that made investing safe, profitable and relatively predictable. With thousands of people living in Hoovervilles and the banking industry clearly overleveraged, the American people would settle

for nothing less than tight limits on how much money banks could lend relative to the capital they maintained on hand. Banks were still allowed to take risks and make profits, and lending didn’t stop. Our economy recovered initially, then boomed for 30 years. But opaque and reckless banking practices of the 1920s were made illegal. As a people, we took responsibility for making our economy stable and prosperous through collective action to limit the banking practices that lead to the Depression. More importantly, we brought banking practices to light. Our grandparents (or greatgrandparents) saw the economic devastation of the Great Depression, and they knew reckless banking practices in the 20s were to blame. The American people settled for nothing less than Glass-Stegal and the smart regulations it imposed. Decades later, Lyndon B. Johnson implemented the Great Society, which included Food Stamps, Social Security and Medicare. As a school teacher in Cotulla, Texas, Johnson saw the horrors of poverty that persisted in rural areas

firsthand. He saw students who ate one meal a day — a school lunch — and sometimes nothing when classes were not in session. They weren’t dieting. They were extremely poor. In Congress, the Senate and the White House, Johnson worked to eradicate poverty. He proposed the largest expansion of anti-poverty programs since Roosevelt’s New Deal. Millions of seniors and poor people got basic healthcare, and the schoolchildren Johnson taught in Cotulla could afford to eat more than one meal per school day. Johnson understood both the moral and the economic imperatives of securing the financial safety of the poor and middle class. He led our nation to take collective responsibility for those who could not help themselves. In the 1990s, the Republicancontrolled Congress repealed Glass-Stegal. Under the guise of perpetuating the economic boom of that decade, Hank Paulsen lobbied Congress for permission to lend more money than GlassStegal would allow. Around that time, Ronald Reagan and George Bush both passed

enormous tax cuts without paying for them, and then had the gall to say Johnson’s and Roosevelt’s social programs were unaffordable. We have been living beyond our means by spending trillions of dollars on tax breaks we could not afford. Every candidate in the debate reaffirmed their commitments to balancing the budget while cutting taxes, which necessarily means chipping away at major government programs. The modest Wall Street regulations of the Dodd-Frank reform bill has come under attack even while the recession that the deregulatory culture allowed has continued. At least Glass-Stegal lasted 60 years. David Axelrod recently said, “Mitt Romney is carrying the tattered flag of Herbert Hoover.” But he’s wrong to single out Gov. Romney; the entire Republican Party has repeatedly proposed the same deregulations and reckless fiscal policies that led to the Great Depression. In stark contrast, President Barack Obama has taken responsibility for our economic recovery. The Recovery and Reinvestment Act

stopped our economy from falling off the cliff that Hoover’s economy did. Through the American Jobs Act, the president is proposing the common sense investments in our people that made us great in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. This country has been a victim of its own success in eradicating extreme poverty. The moment poverty ceased to be palpable for every family like it was in Cotulla, we lost the values that made our country great and our economy prosperous. Maybe my cousin is right, we do need a second Great Depression. Maybe we do need people to know what poverty is and to see how much damage an unbridled banking sector can do. I sure hope it doesn’t come to that, but by rejecting common sense regulations like Dodd-Franks and attacking the investments Obama is proposing in education, infrastructure and social programs, we may be heading in that direction.

JOSH YAZMAN -regular columnist -sophomore -economics major

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

november 29, 2011

page 4

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

WORD BANK

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: A new perspective arrives on an old family problem. This could change everything. Step into a new leadership role and a corresponding rise in status. Consider an investment in education this year, for yourself or someone close.

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

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College Media Solutions your campus advertising agency

DOW N 1 Bolts 2 Get tangled 3 Designer McCartney 4 Nautical beam 5 Not prone to making small talk 6 Entitlement 7 Classic number 8 “Voulez-vous coucher __ moi?”: “Lady Marmalade” lyric 9 Most objectionabl e 10 Timid 11 Sched. producer 12 Vast quantity 13 Horse power? 21 Sp. title 22 Biblical pottage recipient 26 Nerve centers 27 New Years’ highlight s 28 Like white rhinos and black swans 30 Certain NCO

Unscramble the letters to solve the

UNSCRAMBLER

11/29/11

ACROSS 1 Newspaper sectio n 5 Deafening 10 Drop hints, say 14 Required payment 15 Regional woodland 16 Strength 17 Shipmate of Starkey 18 Donny and Marie ’s hometown 19 “In my opinion ...” 20 Red-hot entrée?

Check out tomorrow’s paper on page 7 for the answers!

23 Night class subj . 24 Observance 25 Book before Job 29 Siskiyou Count y peak 31 “Life __ a Highway”: 1992 Tom Cochrane hit 32 Charlottesville sch. 33 Bather usin g magnesium sulfate? 37 It’s heard around the water cooler 40 Schille r’s “An die Freude,” e.g.

41 Roman existence 42 Avoidance of chewy candy? 47 “Aladdin” monkey 48 Actor Gulager 49 Nats division 53 Beefsteak, fo r one 55 Sign of disrespect 57 Sweater letter 58 Best man’ s moment of uncertainty? 61 Altar neighbor 64 Associate with

65 Phone button letters 66 Bantu language 67 Matrimony , for one 68 Tannin source 69 “Smokey and the Bandit” vehicl e feature 70 Rigatoni alternative 71 Hang

31 Challenged, in a way 34 Meatless protein source 35 Eponymous ice cream maker 36 Nice beas t 37 Punkie, e.g. 38 Timber wol f 39 Word in a coined phrase? 43 X-__: tool brand 44 Rise, as a balloon 45 Not debatable 46 “The Sound of Music” baroness 50 Secret spot ? 51 Jungle queen 52 Early 20thcentury presidentia l portraitist 54 Absorbed eagerly 55 Hofbrau vesse 56 __ Marti n 59 Math rati o 60 Cuts 61 HIV -treating drug 62 Bear ’s option, on Wall Street 63 __-pitch

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

11/29/1 1

‘Twilight Breaking Dawn’ part one too many Y

es, the “Twilight Saga” is my guilty pleasure. And yes, the films are terrible. I know perfectly well that each film is filled with terrible acting and a plot that continuously falls flat. As a “Harry Potter” fanatic, I have high standards and held off on reading the “Twilight” series for a while. Eventually I gave in because I had to give it to Stephanie Meyer: Her idea was creative. I enjoyed reading the first book because it was a light, easy read. However, the following books seemed to be even more simplistic. Every three or four pages she would throw in a big word to make her writing more “sophisticated”. But I read on because I, among many others, wanted to figure out the end result. I can’t back out and neglect the rest of these dry, predictable films. However, watching them is painful. Part one begins with the wedding the world has been waiting for. Jacob has his little fit again

MOVIE REVIEW

— Taylor Lautner is probably the worst actor on the planet. I see why people are attracted to him. He’s a good-looking guy, but acting is just not his thing. And shockingly, audiences are once again supposed to sympathize with two characters that have sulked over being apart for the past three films. The happiest day of their lives turns into yet another tragedy when the couple finds out babies don’t actually come from a stork. Kristen Stewart is uncouth. We all know that. But it’s pretty hard to distinguish the quality of her acting when she stands next to Lautner. However, Robert Pattinson remains something nice to look at. I have to say I have been very impressed with the recent films he’s been in, including “Water for Elephants” (2011) and “Remember Me” (2010). I think my favorite part of the film was the special effects — insert sarcasm. The scene where all of the computerized wolves have a serious conversation is downright hilarious. I constantly found myself laughing throughout the movie during parts that were not intended

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to be funny. While I am someone who can enjoy a good horror film, some of the scenes within this movie were downright disgusting. I was horrified at the fact that there were children sitting in the row behind me. And I haven’t even begun to talk about the uncomfortable sex scenes. I understand it is a movie about vampires, but to those who get queasy, beware. In case you haven’t realized, there seems to be a constant theme within the movie — awkward: the sex scenes, the acting, the baby and even the plot. Everything. Toward the end of the movie my mom asked if I had a brown bag to put over her head because she was embarrassed to be seen walking out of the theater. However, I will sadly pay the $10 to see the final movie. I’ve come this far; I can’t back out now. While it was a terrible movie, I don’t remember the last film I’ve laughed that hard at. Although humor was not the director’s intentions, I was thoroughly entertained nonetheless. My opinion? Wait for Redbox folks.

Opened Nov. 18 Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes Rated PG-13 The Regal New River Valley Stadium 14 and Radford Theatre are featuring the ﬁlm at different times depending on the day. Prices also vary. CHELSEA GUNTER -features editor -communication major -junior

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7-9 PM - Tha Soul Jonez

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12-2PM - Angela & Eddie

9 PM-12 AM - The Money Shot

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2-3:30PM - KILL YR IDOLS- Chris Winfield 12-2 AM - John Sadler 3:30-5 PM - KV Wrenn

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more info

5-7 PM - The Music is Decadent & Depraved

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

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Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

Sexy and I Know It • LMFAO

(2) 1

It Will Rain • Bruno Mars

(5) 2

We Found Love • Rihanna

(1) 3

Good Feeling • Flo Rida

( ) 4

The One That Got Away • Katy Perry

( ) 5

sports 5

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

Thomas, Wilson lead Tech back to ACC Championship

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

Virginia Tech beat U.Va. this weekend 38-0 in Charlottesville, Va. The Hokies advance to the ACC Championship Game on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C., where they will seek revenge against the Clemson Tigers.

he play is quite simple, yet it hasn’t been defended consistently all season. Logan Thomas takes the shotgun snap, and depending on which side the play is designed, reads the defensive end. If the end crashes down, Thomas gives the ball to the running back around the outside. If the end holds his ground, well, Thomas is going to take it up the gut himself. That read-option play has been successful just about every time the Hokies have run it. Sprinkled in with some other variations of the play, the team’s 1-2 punch in the backfield is downright lethal. “It’s a great play,” said David Wilson. “It’s designed well, and especially with the personnel. I’m faking on the outside, and that’s a dangerous place for me to be, so the defense flows. Then Logan does what he does best.” On second-and-10 from the U.Va. 14-yard line on the Hokies opening drive, Mike O’Cain decided to let his quarterback do a little bit of running. Sprint-option left, one cut up field and Thomas had already left his mark on the Commonwealth Cup. That six-play, 83-yard touchdown drive quieted the Scott Stadium crowd, and the 38-0 final score sent them back to the parking lots let down. “I don’t think we ever expect to win like that,” Thomas said. “We respected Virginia … but I think we just played our best ball today.” When the Hokies are clicking in all facets of the game like they were Saturday in Charlottesville, they’re a tough team to match up with. The Hokies head into the ACC Championship riding a sevengame winning streak, making that Oct. 1 loss to Clemson seem like years ago. “I think offensively we’re a better offense right now,” said head coach Frank Beamer. “And of course that goes back to your quarterback and his play. But you know, we have the ability, I think, to be a balanced group.” The run-pass threat the Hokies possess has been key during the winning streak. When Wilson isn’t finding room to run, Thomas has shown his ability to pick apart a secondary through the air. When Thomas isn’t connecting with his receivers, Wilson has picked up chunks of yardage

on the ground. Most analysts thought the Hokies would struggle in Thomas’ first year as a starter. However, as the season has progressed, the offense has at times looked better than it did last year. Beamer, who recruited Thomas as a tight end, could not be happier with what he’s seeing from his signal-caller this year. “To me he’s a perfect quarterback,” Beamer said. “You know, he’s a great leader, he’s got great respect from his teammates. I think he has a great way in the huddle, and all those other things that you want your quarterback to be other than being smart and competitive and all those things, too.” It’s been a smooth changing of the guard in the offensive backfield, as Thomas and Wilson have both put up big numbers in their first years starting. With two senior receivers (Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale), four senior offensive linemen and a group of underclassmen that consistently rise to the occasion, the offense has had no trouble putting up points. “Regardless who the ball goes to on this offense, we’re going to make plays,” Wilson said. The Hokies have risen to the occasion on defense, especially with so many starters out with injuries. “Defensively, you know, we’ve played well,” Beamer said. “We’ve had some tough injuries over there. But again, we’ve always played hard and fairly efficient there.” The rematch with Clemson in the ACC Championship Game will be a test for the Hokies, but it’s one they’ve been studying for since their first game. The Hokies know what works and what doesn’t, who can and can’t make plays, and what it will take to beat the Tigers. “To me it’s one game, it’s two really good football teams, and everyone knows what’s at stake there,” Beamer said.

MATT JONES -sports editor -junior -communication -@mattjonesCT

more info Information courtesy of Virginia Tech athletic communications ofﬁce - Hokies senior wide receiver Jarrett Boykin (54 catches) is on the cusp of breaking the school’s single-season receptions and receiving yards records. He needs two catchs to break the record of 55 set by Ernest Wilford in 2003. - Logan Thomas scored on a 14-yard rush early in the ﬁrst quarter, his 10th rushing score of the year. He needs one more to tie Bruce Arians, who had 11 rushing touchdowns in 1974, for the single-season quarterback record for rushing scores. Arians is now the offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. - This marks just the second time in school history that the Hokies have won 11 games in the regular season (1999). The school record for wins in a season is 11 and has been accomplished several times. - Since Tech lost to Clemson 23-3 on Oct. 1, quarterback Logan Thomas has accounted for 23 touchdowns (14 pass / nine rush) and thrown just two interceptions.

word UNSCRAMBLER

A BALANCED OFFENSE DRIVES HOKIES TO FIFTH ACC TITLE GAME APPEARANCE IN SEVEN SEASONS

solutions: “Finals Equal ____” 1) stress 2) frustration 3) studying 4) exhaustion 5) pain 6) freedom

6 weekend september 23, 200929, 2011 november

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