Friday, December 2, 2011 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Friday, December 2, 2011

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COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 121 News, page 6

People and Clubs, page 2

Opinions, page 3

He Said, She Said, page 5 Classifieds, page 4

Sudoku, page 4

THE FACES OF DEBT BY MALLORY NOE-PAYNE | news staff writer

THIS STORY IS THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF A THREE PART SERIES THAT HIGHLIGHTS STUDENT DEBT AT VIRGINIA TECH AND AROUND THE STATE Angi Lantin grew up an only child in an average four-bedroom suburban home. Her family had three TVs and two cars. While they may not have been considered wealthy, Lantin had never been denied anything of necessity. She even had privileges associated with being well-off, such as a car to drive herself to school in. For Lantin and her parents, the natural progres-

sion from such an upper-middle class lifestyle was a college education, one that her family couldn’t necessarily afford. “I’ve been forced to take out loans without even really questioning it,” Lantin said. “I guess right now, for the next three years, it’s a pretty austere household,” she said. see DEBT / page six

MALLORY NOE-PAYNE / SPPS

New facility threatens woods Cuccinelli joins governor race

FILE / SPPS

ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN CUCCINELLI II SEEKS HIGHEST VIRGINIA OFFICE IN 2013 CLAIRE SANDERSON news editor

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

Forestry professor Jeff Kirwan talks about the Stadium Woods and the impact of an athletic center at the Blacksburg Public Library.

PROPOSED ATHLETIC PRACTICE FACILITY MAY BE BUILT ON TOP OF WOODS BEHIND LANE STADIUM CODY OWENS news reporter A proposed indoor athletic training facility has seen opposition come out of the woodwork. A proposal for an indoor training facility was discussed by the Board of Visitors in 2006 and was approved in Virginia Tech’s Six Year Capital Plan. The estimated $15-$17 million struc-

ture will service the football and soccer teams, as well as other athletic teams. The proposed location in the Stadium Woods is estimated to be 120,000 square feet, and the construction staging area will be comparable to the Center for the Arts being built along Alumni Drive. The facility will have a turf field and will be similar to indoor facilities built for the Air Force Academy and for the Atlanta Falcons. In order to keep athletic buildings

close, the favored location for this new indoor facility will be a 2 to 5-acre section of the 20-acre forest behind Lane Stadium, informally called Stadium Woods. “It’s a concept,” said university spokesman Larry Hincker. “The facility hasn’t been cited yet, but that is the preferred site for the athletic department.” Although this plan is still in its tentative stages, it has been the target of much controversy due to its location. Forestry professor Jeff Kirwan said that the Stadium Woods is home to an ecosystem containing several trees that are suspected to predate European settle-

ment of the area. “We know there are 57 trees over three-feet in diameter,” said Kirwan. “Those trees… we think are probably between 200 and 300 years old.” The trees growing in Stadium Woods include black cheery, red maple, black locust, flowering dogwood, black oaks and white oaks, which can live from 450 to 600 years. 57 of the trees, mainly black oaks and white oaks, measure more than three feet in diameter and are estimated to be from 250 to 350 years old. see TREES / page three

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II announced that he will enter Virginia’s governor race, according to sources within the Republican party. Cuccinelli, a former Virginia state senator from Farifax County, is a member of the strictly conservative Tea Party and was elected as Attorney General in 2009. His announcement marks the beginning of a two-year primary race with Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, a former senator from Hanover County who has the endorsement from current governor Bob McDonnell. Cuccinelli is most wellknown nationally for suing the federal government over Obama’s Federal Health Care reform bill enacted in March 2010. But in Virginia he has used

his power as Attorney General to advise universities not to include sexual orientation in antidiscrimination policies, according to the Washington Post. In April 2010, he challenged a former University of Virginia professor’s research on climate change. He issued a civil investigative demand to the university, claiming that the professor’s work was in violation of the 2002 Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. Most recently, he issued an opinion that universities cannot prohibit concealed carry on campuses with a policy, but it must enact a regulation, which he said has the force of law. As Attorney General, Cuccinelli has power to issue legal opinions, advise the governor and other officials, and defend the constitutionality of state laws that are challenged in court, according to the official attorney general’s office website.

2 people and clubs september 23, 2009 december 2, 2011

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

Dance Company readies to point toes

COURTESY OF SCOTT SALCETTI

DANCE GROUP TO PERFORM WINTER SHOW ON FRIDAY, JUXTAPOSITION TO LEND THEIR VOICES KAILA TAYLOR features staff writer A group of 25 women will point their toes in the spotlight tonight. The Dance Company at Virginia Tech, one of Tech’s many student-run organizations, has been working all semester in order to prepare for their winter show. “The show will have tap, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical and contemporary routines,” said Ally Gay, senior biology engineering major and president of DCVT. “It’ll be amazing.” Their entire show will consist of 14 rhythmic dances along with two performances by the male a cappella group Juxtaposition and a 10-minute intermission. DCVT’s purpose is to create an environment for fitness, friendship, artistic expression and performance service. Along with preparing for their annual winter show, DCVT also takes

part in other activities on campus including pep rallies, the Big Event and Relay for Life. “During the year we do performances for spirit rallies and other community service events,” Gay said. “We also perform in any other activity we’re invited to.” In past years, DCVT has participated in Relay’s best dance crew competition against the High Techs and Bamboom, other dance organizations on campus. “We always try to get involved with Relay for Life and help them with any promotional events they may have,” Gay said. “Last year, we ran the victory lap during Relay for Life in some funky costumes to pump up the crowd.” DCVT practices Sunday night through Wednesday night roughly between the hours of 9 p.m. and midnight every week. “Members can pick how many hours a week they want to rehearse,” Gay said. “It depends on which danc-

es they’re in.” Amanda Evans, senior vice president of DCVT, does all the scheduling for the performances and works with production and planning as well. “People say we’re like a sorority because we’re a big group of girls,” Evans said. “We all have dance as a passion and it’s really awesome to get to dance with your best friends. We’re really excited that everything is coming together. Every year the shows get better.” DCVT consists of 25 members, which challenges the members to always stay on top of their performance schedules. “Sometimes it is very strenuous because we’re such a small group,” Evans said. Although they are a small group, most of the members of DCVT have been dancing since they were threeyears-old, making their passion for dance and the quality of their performances strong. Since DCVT is a student-run organization, students choreograph all routines. Seniors Lydia Tran and Brittney Mooney worked together to choreograph the pieces for the

upcoming show. “It was fun collaborating together for this show,” Tran said. “We wanted something that was very sensual and sexy to show that girly side.” While DCVT perform many different genres of dance, including ballet, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, modern and pointe, the performance tomorrow will incorporate jazz. “Every single dance that we do has a certain style,” said Mooney. “We chose more of a slow jazz for this show to make the moves flow more.” This year, DCVT’s jazz group will be dancing to a cover of the song “Fever” by Meiko. This routine is mainly made up of coordinated snaps, twists and turns. During preparation for all of their performances, the student choreographers come up with about 20 seconds of choreography and add on new moves as rehearsals progress until the final routine is completed. Recently, DCVT has welcomed its new members who are also excited about their first winter show as well as being an official member of DCVT. DCVT holds auditions at the

beginning of each fall semester while spring semester auditions are held as needed. After the main auditions, those who are selected try out for the specific dance genre they are interested in. “All of the members were very welcoming,” said new dance team member and freshman marketing management major Rebecca Vroustouris. “This is the best thing I could have done as a freshman.” According to the new members on the dance team, DCVT has been a great way to get involved on campus. “Being a part of this organization makes me feel like a part of the community,” said Joanna Appugliese, a freshman general engineering major in DCVT. “Tech seemed a lot smaller once I joined.” Tomorrow, this group of women, ranging from freshmen to seniors, will come together as a whole to finish off their performances for the semester. “This show is our pride and joy,” Gay said. “We really hope everyone will come out. It’s going to be a wonderful show.”

SEE THEM LIVE FRIDAY AT 8 P.M. IN BURRUSS HALL $3 FOR STUDENTS AND $7 GENERAL AMISSION

opınıons 3

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

december 2, 2011

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

MCT CAMPUS

Frequent brief breaks Dining halls should benefit students more be more sustainable When fall break rolled around I was feeling the need for more than a one-day break. Fall break simply made me fantasize about Thanksgiving and winter break. I know that when winter break rolls around I will be ecstatic … until about the third week when I get a little bored and lonely at home. Since I’m off campus this year I can come back early (though many people will still be home), but last year I was stuck. I loved going home but after three weeks all the niceties of home grew familiar again and all the niceties of school became foreign. I think it would be great to have a three-week winter break and a weeklong fall break. There are advantages to spreading out the love that we have for school breaks. Even though the thought of year round school sounds dreadful, once I realized how they are typically planned out, it sounded great. Year round schools are becoming far more common in America. Last year in an interview on NBC’s TODAY, President Barack Obama said, “The idea of a longer school year, I think, makes sense. Students are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer.” Around this time, school boards around the country, such as that of Lincoln-McKinley Primary School in Illinois, were debating a school schedule that would have students attending school in cycles of eight to ten weeks, with three to five weeks off after each. Even though it is far less sensible to have year round college, the large debate of changing schools to year round shows the importance in having scattered breaks. For me, long breaks are amazing but they do tend to get me out of the spirit of school — both in work ethic and in my social life. A long winter break is a great opportunity for internships/jobs, abroad programs, vacations, relaxing, etc., but if we run ourselves down so much up until this break, then there’s not much energy left to exert on these opportunities. When I reached my first long winter break last year, it took at least a week or two for me to really get up and do anything. I was stuck in a limbo-like realm where I was too tired to rest and too tired to carpe-diem-it-up. A one-week fall break would allow time for students to catch up, slow down and relax. Sure, one week doesn’t salvage all the mistakes and prevent all the migraines but it does slow down the domino effect of over-working or of procrastinating … maybe even slow enough to prevent the major crash all together. I’m one of those people who used to see down time as frivolous. But after ending a run of a play that kept me busy for around five hours a day for

six weeks, I began to truly value the healing that exists in coming home to watch trashy daytime television, entering a Chipotle coma, and topping it off with some intimate time with my snuggie. Around fall break is when most students are starting to get run down. It’s amazing that as early as October we start to frantically plan out how to finish up the semester. Stress starts to really set in as professors who may have been easing students into the workload suddenly up the ante. For many students there is also the time when all the “well it’s just the beginning of the year” parties start to catch up. For those students who start the year out with a lot of work, stress, responsibilities, etc, a weeklong fall break provides a great way to play catch up, or just pause and lower their stress levels so that they attack the next several work weeks in a better state of mind. For those students who have not yet reached their string of hell weeks, then this allows time to work ahead to better prepare them for the line of fire. College is so much more than rankings and recommendations. College is about balancing a bazillion things at once. While trying to swallow all the recipes college cooks up for us, we often get choked up and forget how to chew and savor. If there is time allotted for rest then there is time to alleviate the potential for becoming jaded or dull. The almighty power of rest can once again ignite the talent for creating and tasting all the deliciousness that is so well posed in those Tech brochures. When I first got those brochures I possessed that excited fluttering of stomach butterflies inside a young freshman who only sees the opportunities and not the failures. Now I have to fight for those flutters. It is expected that college is hard. We’ve all heard that lecture time and time again. We are supposed to stress ourselves out, pull all-nighters, push ourselves past limits we cannot fathom — but if we all burn ourselves out then there’s no spark that can Invent the Future (and we’ll all become so worn down that we’ll resort to using lame puns like that). College should not be a time solely meant for work and it should not be a time solely meant for last hoorahs. If we work hard and play hard, then hopefully our habits of intelligence and stupidity will carry on long after walking out of Lane Stadium and into the gates of “the real world.”

MEG LAW -regular columnist -sophomore -theatre arts major

Your Views [letters to the editor]

Basketball season in full swing First, I’d like to wish our football team the best of luck, as they get ready to defend their ACC Championship Saturday in Charlotte. What a magical season they have had. It’s been enjoyable watching their team grow and their players champion roles. It will be good to get back to the Cassell, as we take on a very talented Kansas State team at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Although disappointed with the result of our game against Minnesota, we will use it as a learning experience, as well as accentuate the positives. Playing home games against elite competition is what Virginia Tech Basketball is all about. This game against Kansas State is a pivotal game in our non-conference schedule. We need to approach it that way and hopefully, our student body, university community and season ticket holders understand the significance of defending our home court. Having an energized, packed Cassell Coliseum is impera-

tive to this team’s success.We have three experienced players returning from last season’s roster. The remainder of our roster is comprised of freshman and sophomores who are getting their first significant playing experience at the collegiate level. I’m asking you to empower them, support them and help them transition into their new roles. We need you, “The Sixth Man”. We need your energy, we need your passion and we need your support. I’m looking forward to seeing a packed student section for the first time this season. We need to create an ACC, league game type atmosphere. Last year, when we played in Manhattan, Kansas, the energy was electric; it was created by their student body. Let’s represent. Let’s show our visitors what Hokie Nation is all about. I look forward to seeing you at Chalk Talk at noon in D2 and I look forward to seeing you in the Cassell on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. It’s a great day to be a Hokie! Men’s Basketball Coach Seth Greenberg

With the third highest ranked campus food in the nation, it’s no surprise that students flock to Virginia Tech’s dining halls. A number of dining halls and many more kiosks conveniently cater to the hungry student body throughout the day. Though there’s no doubt we enjoy some of the best campus cuisine, it is not as easy to gage the efficiency with which our dining halls operate and understandtheeffecttheycanhaveonour environment. Inefficiently run dining halls can produce thousands of tons of food and material waste each day. Leftover food products not composted or donated add to the already exorbitant amounts of waste in landfills. Lack of recycling bins and sorting services add otherwise recyclable materials to the waste stream and increase the demand for virgin materials. Non-reusable and unsustainable packaging can sit in landfills for thousands of years before fully degrading and have the potential to pollute air, soil and waterways. When evaluating the efficiency of dining halls, the first place to look is the food. The distance food and ingredients travel has a substantial impact on the environment. Products purchased from distant or overseas vendors reinforce our dependence on nonrenewable energy sources such as oil and coal for shipping, and increase the air pollution associated with carbon emissions. Furthermore, the integrity of food grown and produced from distant sources is questionable in terms of the use of pesticides and fertilizers. An eco-friendly alternative is to grow as many food products as possible locally. Universities can create their own community gardens or enter into an agreement with local farmers. Local agriculture affords the school greater food accountability, efficiency and supports our domestic economy. The next area to evaluate is how a dining hall manages its waste. Dining halls can reduce their impact by collecting leftovers and composting them. Not only does composting reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, compost becomes a nutrient rich fertilizer that can be used for gardening and agriculture. Using silverware instead of plastic utensils is another way to cut back on the amount of trash generated. Many universities now incentivize the use of reusable containers and cups rather than disposable ones by offering monetary discounts to students who bring them. When it comes to packaging, less is more. Dining halls should use minimal packaging and replace Styrofoam and paper products with biodegradable and compostable materials for to-go containers. Bates College in Maine offers an excellent example of how university dining halls can be run efficiently. By recycling and composting leftovers and using minimal packaging, the college has achieved an 82 percent waste diversion rate. Not only that, but they

also sell their used cooking oil for biodiesel. For any dining hall, however, waste separation systems are essential. By placing large labeled recycling bins next to every trash bin or tray collector, individuals know exactly what to place where and are more likely to continue recycling in the future. Resource efficiency, or the lack thereof, is another factor that contributes to the impact college cafeterias have on the environment. Energy efficient appliances, natural lighting and low flow faucets can significantly reduce a dining hall’s energy consumption. An easy way to cut water waste is to eliminate the use of trays. Research shows that discontinuing the use of trays saves water that would otherwise be used to wash the trays and reduces the amount of food that goes to waste. When using trays, individuals are inclined to grab more food than they will actually eat. In terms of sanitation, dining halls should use eco-friendly cleaners instead of harsh chemicals that can pollute waterways through runoff. Cloth rags are a better option than paper towels and disposable wipes for cleaning up messes and spills. At Tech, Dining Services has made a considerable effort to become more sustainable. Though Hokie Grill still offers trays, D2 and Shultz have completely eliminated them from their halls. Dining Services’ policy mandates that all materials placed on tray returns must be sorted and recycled. In 2009, Dining Services began a composting service and has since seen a 300 ton reduction in their waste stream. The Farms and Fields project is another noteworthy initiative. The project began in 2009 in Owens Food Court and supplies the dining hall with locally and sustainably produced organic food. All food found in the Farms and Fields station is produced in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, and whenever possible the project aims to utilize the closest source. Dining Services also maintains a food garden at Kentland Farms from which they get a supply of fresh vegetables and herbs. The garden is completely administered by Dining Services and provides students with the opportunity to become a part of the food production process. What’s even better is that the garden is fertilized by compost from our very own dining halls. Although Dining Services is making strides towards sustainable dining operations, room to improve remains. One of the main areas where our university is lagging is in the availability of sustainable and biodegradable packaging. When it is known that Styrofoam can take upwards of a million years to decompose, it baffles me that we continue to rely on it.

NEETU DEO -regular columnist -junior -political science major

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december 2, 2011

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WORDSEARCH: Holidays G

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Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Carve out some special time for yourself today, with peace and quiet. Find a beautiful spot and pamper yourself. Your loved ones encourage you to take a new challenge. Go for substance over symbolism.

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WORD BANK 1Christmas 2 Easter 3Halloween 4 Fourth of July 5 Mother’s Day 6 Father’s Day 7 Memorial Day 8 Labor Day 9 RoshHashanah 10Thanksgiving 11ColumbusDay 12 Valentine’s 13 Kwanzaa 14 Ramadan 15St.PatricksDay 16 Mardi Gras 17 Hanukkah 18 New Year

VIRGINIA TECH

THE YEARBOOK OF

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

Penn State fundraisers run defense on Sandusky scandal ADAM H. BEASLEY AND ANNE DANAHY mcclatchy newspapers STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Penn State Nation has a stealth army of alumni, a half-million strong stretching from the Florida Keys to Alaska. They always have given their alma mater their loyalty, gratitude and money — lots of it. But after the appalling revelations of the past month, some Pennsylvania State University benefactors big and small are shutting their checkbooks. It’s a critical problem for a school that already is reeling and doubtless faces more bruising headlines in the months to come. In response, the school in recent days has launched a quiet outreach effort to deep-pocketed alumni, aimed at ensuring the university’s most important donors remain on board. December always is the top month for giving, and the next few weeks can make or break many nonprofits’ entire year. But this year, instead of closing the deal with many alumni, Rodney P.

Kirsch, the school’s top fundraiser, is engaged in full-fledged damage control. Since allegations erupted that former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused eight boys — and questions arose about whether Penn State officials ignored one instance of abuse — more than a dozen people who had planned to leave inheritances to the school have changed their wills to exclude Penn State, Kirsch said. Another donor canceled a $300,000 pledge. “There are no ifs, ands or buts about it: This will hurt the school, as far as fundraising,” said Patrick Malloy, class of 1965. In 2007, Malloy gave Penn State $5 million for the creation of an endowment in the name of his longtime friend Joe Paterno, the iconic coach who was fired Nov. 9. No surprise, then, that Malloy received a call from one of new President Rodney Erickson’s top lieutenants last week, seeking his continued support. Penn State got the answer it wanted: Malloy, of Key Largo, Fla., said he “won’t think twice” about giving again. Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula,

whose $88 million gift for the creation of a Penn State hockey team in 2010 was the largest in school history, voiced similar support to the university during an interview with a Canadian television station two weeks ago. But others have been far more restrained, if not downright dismissive of Kirsch’s overtures. They gave voice to the shame and anxiety that still permeates Penn State, from administrators to faculty down to the student body. Erickson, who replaced besieged predecessor Graham Spanier on Nov. 9, wants to begin moving forward. But how does the school, with 96,000 students at campuses across the state, build for the future when it seemingly is paralyzed by crisis? “I don’t know if there’s been a scandal like this before,” said Mark Dyreson, a professor in Penn State’s Department of Kinesiology. “Image is an important thing in American universities. There’s still an undercurrent of deep unease. “I think people here are truly nervous about what else might come out.” Cut through the emotions and stig-

ma, and Penn State’s fundamentals remain strong. Erickson told some 400 students at a town-hall meeting Wednesday night that Penn State is trending ahead of last year’s record number of applicants (55,411) and that employers still covet the school’s graduates. Major corporate partners such as Pepsi are, by and large, hanging tough. And while short-term fundraising will surely suffer, in most years, donations only make up 6 percent of the university’s roughly $4 billion annual budget. Furthermore, the school’s multi-year fundraising initiative had generated $1.38 billion as of July, and to date remains ahead of schedule. But any charitable losses would come on the heels of a huge drop in state support. The state’s 2011-12 budget cut the school’s taxpayer contributions by nearly 20 percent. Penn State still received $279 million, including money for its medical center, from the state this year. Hoping to recoup some of those cuts, the university is asking lawmakers for $294 million next year. Pennsylvania state Sen. Jake

Corman, who is chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said it is probably too early to gauge the scandal’s potential impact on state funding. But he has heard concerns about the university’s expected steep legal fees and who will pick up that tab. “I’m sure that during the appropriations hearing that will be a topic of discussion,” Corman said. “Depending on the answer, we’ll see how significant it is.” And state Sen. Mike Stack on Thursday released a letter he sent to Erickson questioning how the university intends to handle potential settlements in civil cases arising from the Sandusky allegations. Dried-up fundraising would only make matters worse. While gifts rarely are used for basic operating costs, they do go to faculty endowments, grants for new construction and academic scholarships. That means Penn State might not be able to grow as much as planned, could struggle to hire the best and brightest, and could disappoint promising students in need. The news doesn’t get much better for the athletics department.

Of its roughly $90 million annual budget, 28 percent comes from the Nittany Lion Club, the department’s fundraising arm. A significant dropoff in giving would hurt not just the football program, but also the school’s non-revenue sports that rely on football money to survive. Efforts to reach Ken Cutler, the Penn State athletics’ director of development, were not successful. “This is like the mother of all (scandals),” said Pete Garcia, the athletic director of Florida International University in Miami. “You’re not talking (about) it taking a couple of months to get out from underneath. You’re talking a couple of years. “For the next five, 10 years, people will still be bringing it up.” And while the true fundraising shortfall won’t be known for at least six months, the news hasn’t been all grim for Kirsch. Now that the darkest days have apparently passed, the school has received two substantial gifts from still-supportive alumni in the past few weeks. “They basically said, ‘We’re staying the course with the university,’ ” Kirsch said.

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Week ending Nov. 18, 2011

Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

It Will Rain • Bruno Mars

(2) 1

Sexy and I Know It • LMFAO

(1) 2

We Found Love • Rihanna

(3) 3

Check us out in the paper

Good Feeling • Flo Rida

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

december 2, 2011

he she

SAID

STEPHANIE LACASSE / COLLEGIATE TIMES

She said: Buying holiday gifts for guys proves tricky

He said: Thoughtful gifts can trump big price tags

Christmas can be heartbreaking. Your father’s face lights up when you open your gift, but dims when he opens your gift to him. Buying gifts for the opposite sex is probably one of the hardest things to do when your dad, or any man for that matter, refuses to ever say what they want. Like any man, he wants to be surprised and is all about the chase to find happiness. He expects us to magically know exactly what he’s thinking. When I was younger, I used to type at least two computer pages full of things I wanted and where they could be found. Talk about a girl who knows what she wants. And then there are men — no list, no hint and no sense of true happiness come the morning of. I am making the women of my family sound like poor gift givers, but that’s not the case at all. It’s downright humorous that the man has everything he could possibly need, yet my obsession of surprising him sets in for every holiday season. My dad is a sports enthusiast, so anything related to his favorite teams is a go, but after 21 years of my sisters and I resorting to old tactics, you can’t help but feel defeated. He says he does not need anything and gets more happiness watching us open things we’ve been hoping were under the tree. But what life is that? Don’t you worry, Dad. I’ll be buying you that ’67 Corvette when I make some money, but dibs on shot gun — no blitz. A friend told me today her biggest advice is to never buy a guy shoes; they’ll walk right

Well, Thanksgiving break is in the books. I don’t know if I indulged more in sleep or calories this break. Either way I can say it’s good to be back, minus the fact finals are looming, tests and group projects are accruing more than David Wilson’s football stats and Christmas is mere weeks away. Whoa, slow down, Dane. How is that a bad thing? Christmas is clearly the best time of the year. I mean, have you seen the movie “Elf ”? Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas as much as everyone, but ever since I’ve reached the age that I actually have to purchase gifts for others — especially females — it kind of stresses me out. So I went out and asked girls what they would like this Christmas to help out all the men out there who, like me, are struggling to please the ladies in their lives. The first situation you gentlemen may find yourself in is trying to buy for your girlfriend. Now you must be extra careful in this case. Go too cheap or too lame and she may kick you out for lack of effort. Go too big and she may fear you to be a “stage-five clinger” and run you out. You have a couple options here. My friend Mykenzie said, “Well if he was my boyfriend, I’d tell him to suck it up and buy me jewelry.” Upon further investigation I discovered that the five to six month mark was the cutoff for nice jewelry $50 and up. Anything under that timeframe, stick with a pair of earrings in the $20 range. I

out of your life. Sure enough, she bought her ex-boyfriend a pair of shoes and a month later, they were dunzo. Just like I wear my lucky underwear and bra combo to every Virginia Tech football game, you can bet I’ll be following that superstition. I don’t care if your man wants a pair of the new AJIII Cements and you managed to snag the last pair on Black Friday, you put them down girl and run away. Sell them on eBay. Make some money and buy him something he’ll enjoy. My mom always told me to buy a gift that you would like to receive yourself. In case you were wondering, I am aware I am a female and this is somewhat difficult to do for men. However, I have realized lately that I have the ability to view things and even sometimes act like males in certain situations. If I was dating someone, I’m at the point where I would rather give him a gift that will not only rock his world, but that we can share. I’m talking Caps tickets, concert tickets, etc. Not only will my guy be happy but — boom — I get to come along for the ride. It’s a win-win situation. I’m also debating inventing some sort of database or app for guys that will make everything easier for everyone. Men can have it on their phones and their accounts can then be accessed by the women in their life (family, girlfriends, wives, hookers, etc). Whenever he sees something he would enjoy or would die without, all he has to do is take a snapshot and upload it to the app, instantly saving the submission. When

an occasion arises, the women can simply go to the app and see everything the big guy is craving. Here’s another idea, just tell me what you want. Yes, women are guilty of playing mind games, but when it comes to gifts, as long as you, ahem, remember the date of your anniversary or the holidays, we spell out exactly what we expect to see wrapped with a cute bow on top. I’m still bitter about the pony, obviously. Long story short, girls want to see the man she’s with happy. I want to see your eyes light up like I wrapped a damn Victoria’s Secret model and somehow fit her into the box sitting on your lap. Women are self-conscious. That’s why we ask you over and over the entire day if you liked that Polo zip-up pullover we got you or the Bruce Springsteen CD package. We need a constant reminder that the man who’s bringing home the bacon is satisfied. Ladies, regardless of what you get your men, just remember if they are family, they have to love you. If they are your significant other — after Christmahannukwanzadan — Santa is in the Bahamas taking a break and not checking to see if anyone is being naughty or nice. Just saying. Good luck with finals. Take study breaks to buy gifts online and happy holidays!

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

Anonymous

know Beyoncé said to put a ring on it, but multiple girls said this was a big “no.” Save the ring for marriage, boys. Jewelry isn’t your only option. Scarves were another common answer. My reasoning is this: Girls love clothes. However, if you try to get her something that needs to fit, you run the risk of accidentally calling her fat by getting something a size too big. That won’t go over too well. After asking my friend Alex what she wants from a guy for Christmas she replied, “gifts come and go, but memories last forever.” A gift doesn’t have to be physical. Something as simple as a fun afternoon spent together or a trip somewhere cool can mean more than any pair of earrings. Romantic places include parks, museums, and aquariums — not movie theaters or Taco Bell. A well planned date with your loved one can score you major points. If you aren’t in a relationship but still want to get your female friends a gift, several girls I spoke with recommended gift cards. They show you care, but you don’t run the risk of getting something she won’t use or like. This doesn’t work well with relationships because it shows a lack of effort. Alcohol was also a common answer from girls of age. Just make sure it’s a nice bottle of wine and not a handle of Aristocrat. Personally, I am a guy who likes to put a lot of effort into my gifts instead of spending a lot of money. This is for two

reasons. First, I think a gift with a lot of effort means a lot more than an expensive gift. Secondly, I am still a broke college student. Any girl special enough — or maybe unfortunate enough — to get a gift from me will get a nice hand-written card and a cheap gift that touches on an inside joke. If you are lucky enough to receive a coupon for a free back massage, you are one of the select few. A homemade meal is also always a good call, especially if you can actually cook. Some may find it cheap, some may find it old fashioned, but it’s just my style. For all you ladies out there searching for what to get your man? Well, let’s just say I am a sucker for bowties, anything from Brooks Brothers and a good “cuddle sesh.” But to be a little more general, guys are really not too hard to shop for. Anything that can blow up or cause destruction, is edible, or has to do with sports will please 98 percent of the male population. If your man is part of that 2 percent, I’m afraid you’re on your own. For now, I’ll settle with a Hokie Atlantic Coast Championship.

Fri-Sat 7:00 & 9:30 Sun 3:00, 7:00 & 9:30 Mon 10:00am, 7:00 & 9:30 Tues 7:00 & 9:30 Wed 9:30 Thurs 7:00 & 9:30

word UNSCRAMBLER

solutions: “Nice Cars”

1) Ferrari 2) Lotus 3) Porsche 4) Bentley 5) Lamborghini 6) Aston Martin

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

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

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

december 2, 2011

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what you’re saying On the opinions column saying pipeline’s benefits exceed risks (12/1/2011): Will Kennerley: “I believe we are past the stage of national

existence when we could look on complacently at the individual who skinned the land and was content for the sake of three years’ profit for himself to leave a desert for the children of those who were to inherit the soil.” - Theodore Roosevelt. Why don’t we take Teddy’s words to heart and do something for this country that benefit the nation in the long-run and be environmentally friendly, as well as that would create jobs. Since it appears that our nation has suddenly stumbled upon $7 billion (likely all from loans) why don’t we do something truly beneficial with it, such as investing in alternative energy across an equally large area. It’s time we focused more on long-term energy investments.

Erica Largen: An important question: Why is Canada willing to

sell the USA their tar sands? Because Canada is building a sustainable economy (that can be counted upon generations from now) by rapidly investing in and increasing their national renewable energy sources. Also given the exceptionally low ratio of energy returned in a gallon of refined tar sand oil to the large amount of energy invested in making it, it can be easily seen that this is one of the least efficient, most ridiculous energy options available. What is more - jobs building a pipe line down the middle of the USA might last two years. Jobs building and maintaining wind turbines throughout the Midwest last forever and, better still, the fuel to power them is free.

Bob: While I agree that implementing renewable energy sources in extremely valuable, the fact is that the wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine. So another source will always be needed to power the country (particularly the middle of the country, as there are no tides there). Your argument that harvesting oil from the tar sands is not efficient may be true, but it provides us with a resource we need now and will continue to need - otherwise we would not be digging it up as we speak. Should we get off oil? Yes. Can we get completely off it in the foreseeable future? No, and I’d rather be buying my oil from Canadians than many countries in the Middle East. Building wind turbine and solar arrays will only solve part of the problem. Kenneth: If this is how we create jobs in the US, we might just employ ourselves to death! Seriously, though- the only reason this proposal is being considered is because of the power and influence of the oil industry. They’re not benevolently offering jobs to American citizens, they’re trying to make more money. That’s what businesspeople do, and there’s not necessarily anything inherently wrong with that, but that doesn’t mean we should go along with them unquestioningly. The use of fossil fuels comes at great cost, and this cost is not reflected in the price we pay for gas and electricity. If we make an investment in green energy instead, we can create jobs and boost the economy while doing something that actually helps to stop environmental damage and the public health risks associated with fossil fuels. I’ve never heard a legitimate argument in favor of investing in oil as opposed to renewables.

DEBT: TECH STUDENTS SHARE THEIR STORIES from page one

But it’s more than the next three years that scare Lantin, it’s the future after that. She questions how valuable her undergraduate degree will be in an economy, she says, where it might truly take a master’s to be fully competitive. “It scares me right now that I don’t even really know if I can do much with my degree, which is already going to cost me quite a bit of money after I graduate,” Lantin said. Taking out student loans, just like charging something to a credit card, only pushes the inevitable payment date farther away, at which point it’s also accrued interest. Lantin expects to be about $20,000 in debt when she graduates — the price of a new Honda Civic. And that is before accounting for interest. But Lantin has been thinking about it, and preparing for the day when she has to start making payments. She’s been saving up money from working and has been reviewing her financial aid and loan package, doing her best to understand the details. Lantin says the Occupy Wall Street movement, and the voices coming out of it, helped her to start facing the facts. One such voice is Ivan Michailow, another sophomore at Virginia Tech and a political science major. Michailow has been involved with Occupy Blacksburg, partly, he says, due to his own financial situation. Through a combination of federal grants, a scholarship and loans, he pays almost nothing out of pocket for his education — at least for now. As school progresses Michailow will receive less money from grants each year, meaning he will depend increasingly on loans instead. He doesn’t have financial support from his parents. “I’m going to be paying all the money I end up somehow scraping up just to pay these student loans,” Michailow said. “I could be putting it somewhere useful, somewhere that might create jobs. It kind of sucks knowing that it’s just the financial institutions that are collecting interest, making money.” For Michailow the solution seems to be political and dependant on other students in debt to step up and express their opinions, potentially through movements like Occupy. While there

are plenty out there who fit the description, Lantin isn’t as confident that could happen. “Paying for school isn’t a topic that people my age want to talk about, or feel like they need to talk about,” Lantin said. And even though there are others who have taken on debt, like Michailow, Lantin is still left feeling alone. When she first tried to broach the subject with friends, figuring that many were in the same boat as her, she was surprised to find otherwise. “I kind of feel like I’m alone, because I can’t ask my friends,” Lantin said. “None of them know because they don’t have to worry about it. “It’s kind of scary to not be able to talk to anyone, to relate to anyone.” For Lantin, this lack of response only adds to how overwhelming the situation can be, thrusting her into an adult world before many of her friends — a world that even her parents are unsure of. “They don’t really know what they’re doing either,” she said with a small laugh. Michailow, however, often feels more frustrated by people’s responses than overwhelmed. “(Others) are fortunate enough to have families who are able to pay for their education or they’ve found other methods to get by without taking on a bunch of debt,” Michailow said. “It kind of sucks, not going to lie. I don’t know how else to put it into words.” Christine Vadovszki is the master of those other methods. She’s a fourthyear graduate student at Tech, earning her second master’s degree. She is finishing up her ninth year of higher education, equivalent to all of elementary and middle school, without accruing any debt at all. Vadovszki attended a state school in New Jersey for five years. Because of her performance in high school she earned merit scholarships to school, and paid the remaining balance by working and with help from her mom. She only choose to attend graduate school because she was offered an assistantship, where she is paid to work as a teaching assistant. “I’m killing myself to stay out of debt now,” Vadovszki said. “I’m taking 18 class credits and work as a TA, among

other things. It’s been a really rough semester.” Unlike Lantin’s experience with undergraduate education, Vadovszki felt she did have a choice when it came to attending graduate school. And if she wasn’t able to fund her education, she’s not sure it would have been the right decision. “It wouldn’t have been worth it at the time, to go into debt like that you have to be committed to what you’re doing, and I wasn’t at the time,” she said. Vadovszki is a testament to the possibilities of avoiding debt, but doesn’t necessarily think that means others who rely on debt are lazy or have done something wrong. “I’m not a lazy guy,” Michailow said. “I worked super hard just to get into school, hoping that I could get a head start.” Michailow earned close to a 4.0 at an advanced high school with the International Baccalaureate program and felt like he did his best to find alternatives to loans. “There are a lot of people at Virginia Tech who are just as smart as me,” he said. “There are a lot of people who need financial aid now, so there’s a lot of competition for scholarships. I think just because you don’t get scholarships doesn’t mean you were lazy and didn’t put the time into doing them.” Vadovszki agrees. “I think it’s possible to keep debt to a minimum if you’re smart and proactive about it, but you have to really play the system, and I don’t know that that’s possible for everyone,” Vadovszki said. Her trick? “I’ve been fortunate, and I haven’t screwed it up.”

ON THE WEB FOR A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE ISSUES SURROUNDING STUDENT DEBT, CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ON COLLEGIATETIMES.COM

Trees: Stadium Woods predate Tech campus from page one

But Tech could potentially see more revenue with an attractive athletic facility. “We’ve got a great football program and if it’s necessary to cut down some trees to improve it and keep it running efficiently, so be it,” said Carter Ellis, a sophomore business major. “Trees are not as important as the investments that our football program has to make. There’s massive revenue that the football team brings in.” However, that site is not set in stone. Online petitioners say that the other places would be acceptable as long as the trees are protected. The petition currently had 1,650 signitures as of last night. Seiler, who said that no one has ever accused him of being a tree-hugger, believes in harvesting natural resources. However, given that the Stadium

Woods are not the only location that was considered, he does not consider this to be a wise usage of natural resources. He paralleled the development of Oak Lane to this location. When the land was originally cleared, a strip of the same-aged oaks was left. However, with the loss of their ecosystem, the trees began to die. “When you start to fragment this thing up, you can’t even end up keeping it,” Seiler said. “They’re simply irreplaceable.” However, some students find the loss of a few acres would not be ecologically significant. “Cutting down a few acres of land is not a big deal at all,” said sophomore finance major Raleigh Hayter. “It can be used for all the sports, so it could attract people involved in other sports.” When looking to the future, Kirwan said that the sacrifice of the woods will

not be worth the immediate benefits. “Having gone to college at Bridgewater, I loved it when I was there,” he said. “I can’t even bare to go back these days because of all the development. I think 30 years from now, you’ll want to come back to a campus that preserved the green spaces.” Hincker said that the details about the facility are still in the conceptual stages and that large facilities such as this often morph over time into something different than what was originally envisioned. He also said no details, including the facility’s location, have been approved. “The Board of Visitors has not yet acted,” Hincker said. “It is a location, but there have been no decisions made yet.” The Board of Visitors will discuss the facility in their next meeting on March 25-26.

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