ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR Thursday, December 1, 2011
ZACH MARINER sports editor David Wilson was named the ACC Offensive and Overall Player of the Year yesterday, after helping Virginia Tech get back to its fifth ACC Championship Game in seven years. Wilson, who needs just 61 yards to break the school record for
single-season rushing yards, was named on 18 of the 45 ballots. Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, who leads the nation with 191 tackles, came in second with nine votes. After backing up current NFL running backs Ryan Williams and Darren Evans for two seasons, Wilson has made the most of his first year as the offense’s fea-
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tured back. He ranks third in the nation in rushing yards (1,595) and fifth in rushing yards per game (132.9). There’s a good chance he’ll break Williams’ record for singleseason rushing yards (1,655) on Saturday night, and he still has a decent shot at breaking former Virginia standout Thomas Jones’ conference record of 1,798 yards.
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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 121 News, page 2 Opinions, page 3 Sports, page 5
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BREAKING BOUNDARIES
BY ANDREW REILLY | features staff writer
Town officials wary of growth ERIN CHAPMAN news reporter Blacksburg was recently named the number one place in the country to raise a family by Bloomberg Businessweek, potentially creating growth problems in the area. Controlling growth is one of the most important issues that Blacksburg Town Council members will continue to look at over the next few years. “All we can do really is to plan very carefully for the kind of walkable, livable communities that we want,” said Leslie Hager-Smith, a Town Council member. Hager-Smith said she is familiar with rapid growth in previous places she has lived. “Especially in a downward economy people are likely to be more mobile and search more widely to better their prospects,” she said. Hager-Smith said the Town Council is aware of the type of growth people want in Blacksburg. “I know that Charlottesville has some of the worst kind of development — the kind that we are trying to avoid,” she said. Charlottesville has a population of 43,475, while Blacksburg has a population of 42,620, according to most recent census figures. Charlottesville has also received numerous awards and recognitions including the number one city to live in the country by Yahoo Real Estate.
Despite its size, Charlottesville has seen a 3.5 percent population decrease between 2000 and 2010. However, nearby Albemarle County has a population of 98,970 and saw a growth of almost 25 percent between 2000 and 2010. Blacksburg began seeing similar trends before Businessweek made its announcement. Hager-Smith said the 25 percent growth over the last 10 years in Christiansburg compared to the 7.7 population growth in Blacksburg might mean that big things are coming for the town. “We are consciously working to accommodate significant growth,” Hager-Smith said. “The present Town Council welcomes growth, but we are very earnestly trying to accommodate it while preserving the character of the town we love.” Terri Nichols moved to Blacksburg in 2003 with her husband and young sons. Nichols looked at many places but decided on Blacksburg. “It was a combination of things that led us to Blacksburg, the quality of the schools was really important, as well as a small town with low crime,” she said. Businessweek evaluated 4,169 cities and towns with a population between 1,000 and 50,000, a
UGANDA BREAKDANCE GROUP RAISES AWARENESS WITH FILM
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boisterous World Regions crowd welcomed Ugandan street dancer and philanthropist Abraham “Abramz” Tekya to Burruss Auditorium Tuesday night for a presentation on tragedy and triumph in his war-torn African home. The main event of the evening was a screening of the award-winning, Red Bull-sponsored documentary “Bouncing Cats,” which profiled Breakdance Project Uganda. BPU is an organization that was formed in 2006 to empower disadvantaged youth in Uganda through hip-hop. Tekya sat down with the Collegiate Times to discuss the project, his aspirations and the global appeal of hip-hop culture. see BREAKDANCE / page two
see GROWTH / page two DANIEL LIN / SPPS
Tech raises AIDS awareness Frozen treat stores struggle KELSEY JO STARR news staff writer
PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
Carol Gomez, a sophomore, hands out condoms on the Drillfield to promote AIDS Awareness Week.
LGBTA TEACHES PHYSICAL TOLLS OF MEDICINE, IMPORTANCE OF AIDS PREVENTION THIS WEEK MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news editor Today is AIDS Awareness Day, and throughout the week, Virginia Tech has been providing students with information about the disease.
Yesterday on the Drillfield, LGBTA members passed out condoms and fliers citing the need for safe sex and AIDS awareness. “Even though (the medicine) is advancing, it’s not something to take lightly,” said Brandon Holland, a senior biology major.
During the 1990s, there was a big push for awareness, and the number of new AIDS cases significantly dropped. But, most of the current generation is unfamiliar with the problems firsthand and assumes that medicine makes it a nonissue, Holland said. “Our generation doesn’t care because of medicine, but there is a see AIDS / page two
Deet’s Place has been known to have lines stretching out the door some nights just for its ice cream, milkshakes and the famous Blacksburg Sunset — making it difficult for local businesses to compete. The Ben and Jerry’s in Kent Square on Washington Street closed its doors for good at the beginning of November. The store was having difficulty obtaining customers, especially during the colder seasons when ice cream is not as popular, said Bob Pack, the owner of Pointe West Management, which leased the area to Ben and Jerry’s. “It makes sense because I imagine most students go to Deet’s and get ice cream there,” said Cassidy Grubbs, a sophomore English major. Ben and Jerry’s also had to compete with Rita’s Italian Ice and Old Fashioned Custards, and the Frosty Parrot, the new self-serve frozen yogurt shop that has already been highlighted by Best of Blacksburg for best frozen treat after only being open for two months. Jim Hagan, the owner or Rita’s, said ice cream and Italian ice shops face many challenges in the area. Aside from seasonal problems all stores of this kind face, Hagan said the college schedule creates challenges. “My issue is that in the summertime, how do I get townspeople to come in?”
Hagan asked. “If you have 7,000 students during summer school and normally 30,000, that means I’m losing 23,000 students during the summer.” Hagan said the early winter weather is also affecting business. “If we’re not having warm days, my numbers go down. We’re not only just a season business, but also weather dependent,” he said. Hagan also said the lack of parking in the area creates a major issue, and he would like to see more space allocated for visitors behind Sharkey’s. Roger Henderson, the owner of the Frosty Parrot and Blacksburg local, said a lot of his success stems from the fact that self-serve frozen yogurt is a new popular trend, and the business model attracts customers. Tanner Hurley, a junior biology major, said the Frosty Parrot has more appeal to students because of its prices and location. The Frosty Parrot is located on North Main Street, and Rita’s is located on College Avenue. Both of their storefronts are directly on the street and visible to potential customers. Ben and Jerry’s, however, had its storefront tucked inside of a less visible patio area. Pack said the previous Ben and Jerry’s spot will be rented to Modea for additional offices. Ben and Jerry’s was unavailable for comment.
STUDENTS LIKE SELF-SERVE YOGURT MORE THAN TRADITIONAL ICE CREAM PARLORS LESS PROMINENT LOCATION MADE IT DIFFICULT TO COMPETE WTH DEET’S
TOO FEW PEOPLE REMAIN IN BLACKSBURG DURING THE SUMMER