Thursday, February 2, 2012 Print Edition

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x Thursday, February 2, 2012

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 11

News, page 2

Weekend, page 4

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 5

The Extra Point, back page

Students of the sky

BY NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS | features reporter As four college students wait patiently on a plane soaring in the depths of the sky, they encounter the surreal moment of preparing to jump.

Everything disappears as they step out of the plane and their adrenaline is used to fuel their

competitive spirits, combining to form synchronized shapes as they descend back into reality.

While the mere idea of skydiving may spark frightening and colorful reactions from most, several Virginia Tech students embrace the thrill of extraordinary freefall.

However, even Skydiving Club president Christy Hite, a junior communication major, was not so fearless prior to her first jump, which sparked her keen fascination with the sport. see SKY / page two

COURTESY OF DAVID WINGARD Skydiving club members Christy Hite, Miles Sonntag, Jason White and Doug Barron skydive in this year’s Collegiate competition.

Colleges get less from state Dorm split into houses JOSH HIGGINS news reporter Plagued by an economic recession, state governments across the nation have been appropriating fewer funds from the state coffers to higher education.

Between fiscal year 2011 and 2012, state funding for higher education declined 7.6 percent nationally, according to the annual Grapevine study. The study, conducted by Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy in coordination with the State Higher Education executive officers, collects data from state agencies around the nation and compiles them into a database.

Specifically at Virginia Tech, state funding has decreased from $182.2 million in 2001 to $131.3 million in 2011.

“I think the decline reflects the limited capacity of states to increase funding for higher education,” said James Palmer, the editor of Grapevine. “The states, for the most part, don’t have the revenue to make those increases, especially in light of competing demand on state budgets for things like health care.”

However, Tech’s Office of Government Relations is working with state legislators in the Virginia General Assembly to influence the amount of funding provided to Tech from the state.

Elizabeth Hooper, the state legislative liaison for the Office of Government Relations, works with state legislators in the general assembly to raise concerns about and advocate for the + university.

“While we do perform lobbies to function, we consider ourselves liaisons because we are state employees and we work for a state agency,” Hooper said. “In general, we

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provide information about legisla- has been shrinking,” Hincker said. tion. We can provide information “That is the reason for why tuition and make legislators aware of what has increased significantly over the our budget requests may be.” past decade. The state has been disIn addition to speaking with leg- investing in higher education, and islators about university concerns in order to keep the lights on and and issues, Hooper, along with pay the salaries of the faculty, we’ve Tech’s President Charles Steger and increased tuition.” other officials from government For the 2011-12 academic year, relations, relay information from the estimated cost of tuition was legislators to the university. $8,899, up $801 from the year “We need to know the intent of before. the legislators,” said Larry Hincker, However, Gov. Bob McDonnell, the university spokesman. “The whose gubernatorial campaign president’s job really is to speak platform included higher education for Virginia Tech and to ensure support and reforms, has implethat legislamented plans tors underto improve stand what state support Higher education fund- for higher our needs eduare and the cation. ing is really tied to the impact of “We really fortunes of the economy. had legislation. the spotIn general, If the economy goes up, light put on they speak us,” Hooper state funding for higher said. “We realfor higher education ly had to show education goes up.” and try to why the highensure that er education the state was a worthy funds its James Palmer investment.” fair share 2010, Grapevine editor In to higher McDonnell education in the state of Virginia.” issued Executive Order No. 9, estabAmid a recession-stricken econ- lishing the Governor’s Commission omy, however, it has been difficult on Higher Education Reform, for states to provide as much fund- Innovation and Investment to ing for higher education as they address higher education issues. have in the past.

In 2011, the Higher Education “Higher education funding is Opportunity Act — which estabreally tied to the fortunes of the lished a new funding system and economy,” Palmer said. “If the instituted incentives for universities economy goes up, state funding that improve degree completion, for higher education goes up; if the enrollment and graduation rates — economy goes down, state funding was passed. goes down.” see FUNDING / page two This decrease in funding has forced universities to make changes in their budgets and locate new sources of revenue. +.1% “Over the past decade, state investment in higher education $ +12.1%

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Maryland

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-41.3%

New Hampshire

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-25.1% Arizona

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-14.7% Virginia

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-13.4% Pennsylvania

Illinois

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-13.5% California

Changes in state funding BETHANY MELSON / COLLEGIATE TIMES

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ news staff writer Whether you’re walking to West End Market or driving down Washington Street, the construction for West Ambler Johnston does not go unnoticed.

West AJ, which will be a residential college, is currently being renewed and will be open to students next semester.

A residential college differs greatly from a residential hall.

A residential college is multigenerational, meaning there are students of all grade levels living together, with a faculty principal serving as the head.

“The idea of there being different years living together is appealing to me,” said Lauren Holloman, a freshman international studies major. ”It’ll be exciting to make more friends in a diverse community.”

The residential college has already begun admitting upperdivision students.

“We’ve received an enormous response,” said Frank Shushok, the associate vice president for Student Affairs. “There have already been 500 students to sign up and the remaining spaces will be for incoming freshmen. It has exceeded our expectations by a long shot, and we had very high expectations.”

Students have the opportunity of living there during their entire academic careers, passing on traditions and mentoring. Also essential to the program are students who come from various academic backgrounds.

West AJ is set to hold 830 students who will be split up into groups of about 200 in four houses. Each house will encompass more than part of a floor, allowing for interaction between students in different houses.

An associate faculty principal, a graduate student and undergraduate students will lead each house. Additionally, the houses will have councils. Students elected to the councils will help develop new traditions within West AJ.

BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS

The common area that students from East and West AJ halls will share see WAJ / page two includes (from top to bottom) a rec room, lounging area and kitchen.

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february 2, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

WAJ: New idea behind clustering from page one

“Eight-hundred-and-thirty people is a lot of people, and one of the fundamental aspirations for the residential college is for students to know and be known — know others and be known by others in the residential community,” Shushok said.

“We also want each of the four houses to have elements of their own identity and tradition.”

But the large number of students in the program has caused debate in the honors residential college in East Ambler Johnston. There has also been concern regarding the lack of security between the two buildings.

East and West AJ will share the common area that connects the two buildings. So far, there haven’t been any plans for card swipes, which can prevent students of West AJ to enter East AJ. Right now, there are about 400 students sharing the space — a number that will almost triple next semester with the new students from West AJ. “It’s nice not to have as many people,” said Patrick Good, a freshman industrial & systems engineering major. “When we share, it’ll fill up, but it’ll be fun to see and meet new people” There is also an added concern of safety. The students in East AJ have developed firm relationships and are comfortable enough to leave their doors open and unlocked.

The addition of more students sparks a question: Will people be able to continue to leave their doors open?

“I’m not really concerned because I don’t think people would be circulating, but probabilities go up (of possible stealing),” said Alise Willis, a sophomore architecture major.

Students have expressed their views about the situation on the “Honors Residential College at Ambler Johnston” Facebook page.

“I’ve been really impressed by the kind of things students are debating,” Shushok said. “We’re going to listen carefully and engage them in the discussions.”

In the next five years, a third residential college is expected to develop. But there are no details, as of now, about when it will start up or where it will be located.

editors: nick cafferky, michelle sutherland newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

Sky: Club turns danger into hobby from page one

“I was terrified at first, but the second you get out (of the plane) nothing else matters; it is just awesome,” Hite said.

Hite contemplated whether to skydive in the years leading up to her freshman year of college. Yet it still took serious convincing for her to do it for the first time.

“I had always wanted to go (skydiving) once, but I didn’t think people went more than once,” Hite said. “Once you do it though, you have got to keep going.”

Miles Sonntag, a senior math major and club officer, described a similar phenomenon after his first skydiving experience.

Sonntag, who is also a member of ROTC, attended Army airborne school during the summer prior to his sophomore year where he was required to do five jumps as a part of his training.

“When I got out (of airborne school), I realized I had to go out and jump again,” Sonntag said.

Once Sonntag and Hite com-

pleted their first dives, it was not long until they were searching for more — a search that ultimately led them to competition skydiving.

The pair competes on the national stage at a competition called Collegiates, which is held every winter in Arizona.

The competition consists mainly of team formation dives, in which team members must cooperate to form various predetermined shapes during their descent.

Tech’s team enjoyed unprecedented success by winning the four-way formation dive competition at Collegiates three years ago.

Hite says she hopes Tech’s current team can live up to its successful past.

“They are our idols, and they have been mentoring us,” Hite said.

Three of the four members from that team went on to form their own professional competitive skydiving team named

Carolina Turbo XP. The club has struggled to achieve the remarkable success of three years ago but has made great strides to return to a competitive form.

Two years ago, the club only had enough committed members to compete in the two-way formation. At Collegiates this year, the club earned a bronze medal for the six-way formation and was competitive in the four-way formation, despite not placing.

In addition to earning a bronze medal, Sontagg and Hite were also part of a 32-diver team, which broke a national record for a large diving formation.

While the club had a successful competition, both Sonntag and Hite want to live up to their predecessors and improve for next year, which requires discipline and sacrifice.

“In the sport, there is always something you can challenge yourself in,” Sonntag said. “You may be great in one discipline, but you can always broaden and

get better. Nobody is perfect.”

To improve their skills, the divers need access to a dive drop zone or a wind tunnel for practicing, which are both a few hours away from campus.

In addition to the arduous commute, accessing these facilities is often pretty costly, which is a huge deterrent for some divers.

“We have all made sacrifices. In terms of money, we need to save it. It makes you realize what you don’t need anymore,” Hite said.

For a beginner, the first dive costs approximately $185, which is naturally a barrier for most college students.

However, Hite said the money is worth every penny. And since she earned her skydiving license, that price has decreased — she now pays about $25 per dive.

Although money and resources may be hard for some to obtain, Hite encourages students to not be discouraged.

The club’s mission is to promote skydiving as a safe, exciting and accessible sport for students.

Therefore, the club works with students individually to eliminate barriers.

Currently, the club has about 15 active members — a number that Hite wants to see increase.

“I would like to see more people getting licensed and more numbers going to Collegiates,” Hite said.

In terms of personal goals, Hite hopes to become a professional skydiver. Regardless, she knows the sport will always be an integral part of her life.

“I want to go as far as I possibly can,” Hite said. “My dream in the sport is to be as competitive in the four-way as possible.”

While Sonntag echoed her desire to continue diving, his commitment to the military makes his professional aspirations more difficult.

“I would love to reach the professional level, but I have other commitments in the Army,” Sonntag said. “The skydiving will never die, though. It will always be a part of me.”

Funding: Tech loses money Tech on list of best from page one

Still, universities have suffered state funding cuts under the recession. According to the most recent Grapevine study, Virginia schools have seen a 14.7 percent decrease in state funding between the last fiscal year and this fiscal year.

“States are still funding higher education, just not at the rate that they had been in the past,” Palmer said. “Looking back at the data historically, we’ve seen that state funding for higher education is very much tied to the ups and downs of the economy. When the economy declines, state tax revenues typically decline. That means they don’t have the capacity to increase the funding for higher education that they do when the economy is booming along.”

Hincker said the university division, one of the two state agencies Tech is divided into that focuses on academic

instruction, has had to make up for appropriation cuts by increasing tuition. Tech’s other state agency, the Cooperative Extension/Agricultural Experiment Station Division, which fulfills the public service and outreach mission for Tech, had to cut back on its mission to cope with funding cuts.

However, state funding for Tech may be on the rise this year. According to a release from the Office of Government Relations, this year’s state executive budget has proposed $137.7 million instate appropriations for Tech, up from $131.3 million last year.

“We are fortunate and very grateful that the governor has put in new monies for us at the extent of other agencies,” Hooper said. “Other agencies were asked to submit contingency savings plans, so other agencies may actually see cuts this year.”

State funding on the nation-

al level is still on the decline.

According to the Grapevine survey, state funding for higher education declined in 41 out of the 50 states.

For Palmer, it will be interesting to see how universities cope with funding cuts.

He said universities might increase in their class size and part-time faculty members, making up for appropriation reductions.

“That’s going to be the big challenge: How can colleges respond to this downtick in state funding, while minimizing the impact on students and their families in terms of the tuition they have to pay,” Palmer said.

“I do anticipate that funding for higher education will eventually increase as the economy recovers from the last recession.

But the bottom line is, we’re not going to see a significant uptick in funding for higher education until the economy moves out of the doldrums it’s currently in.”

online programs KELSEY JO STARR news staff writer Virginia Tech has claimed many spots on the U.S. News & World Report’s first-ever list of top graduate programs.

The master’s program for information technology was highly ranked in three separate categories on U.S. News’ list for top graduate computer information technology programs: 16th for Student Services and Technology, 10th for Faculty Credentials and Training, and fourth for Student Engagement and Accreditation.

According to the program’s website, the graduate program combines computer science, electrical engineering, business information and technology, and accounting and information systems.

Thomas Sheehan, the director for information technology programs, is not surprised the program did this

well because of how long it has been running.

“We’ve been in the online business for 12 years,” Sheehan said.

The online program also gives an experience that is close to that of a real classroom, Sheehan said. Tech faculty regularly give live lectures. In addition, students can press a button to speak and write on a communal virtual blackboard that the professor and other students can see.

“The only downside I’ve ever seen is that you can’t look around and see if someone’s not getting it,” Sheehan said. “If students don’t raise their hands, they’ll never know.”

The program has about 1,300 registered students, with 70 to 90 students graduating every year. These students come from all over, ranging from Virginia to the Arabian Seas, as well as parts of Korea.

Tech’s graduate engineering program was ranked 56th for Student Engagement and Accreditation on the same list.

opinions

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

february 2, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Your Views [letter to the editor]

Islamic states don’t speak for Muslims T

he events in the last decade have brought a constant stream of negative news from Muslim states. Human rights issues in Muslim-majority Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan are held up as examples of how Islam has held back these societies. After all, these states claim to be staunchly “Islamic,” and hence they must speak for the religion Islam itself. Is this true? Can a religion be gauged by the acts of states?

No historian can deny that Islam emerged as the religion of a severely persecuted, small community in seventh century Arabia and ultimately triumphed against fearsome odds under Prophet Muhammad’s leadership. The reason for their persecution was simple: Islam’s message threatened tribal customs and orthodox practices of existing religions in Arabia.

The first Muslim migration to escape persecution was to Abbysinia, whose Christian ruler, Negus, believed in tolerance and permitted the refugees in his kingdom — an act for which the Prophet expressed his deep gratitude.

It is, therefore, ironic and tragic that powerful clerical Muslim states today use the name of Islam to oppress non-Muslims and also Muslims of other denominations. In fact, early Islamic history contradicts the acts of today’s Muslims.

A tradition about Prophet Muhammad states he insisted Christian priests from Najran offer their prayers in his mosque. He also debated religion with them openly and went to the extent of granting them the freedom to practice religion however they wished. This contrasts greatly with leadership in modern Islamic states.

It is impossible to imag-

ine today that someone can publicly question an Ayatollah in Iran or a Mufti in Saudi Arabia. An oft-ignored Quranic verse states, “There is no compulsion in religion.” Even less, however, know of its context.

Before the Prophet migrated from Mecca to Medina to escape religious oppression, some people of Medina had dedicated their children to be raised as Jews. The parents, who later converted to Islam, objected when the Jewish guardians kept these children with them.

The Quranic verse pertains to this particular event when Prophet Muhammad forbade the parents from forcibly taking back their children or converting them to Islam. This is ironic given how some states today force Islamic injunctions on nonMuslims.

If such Islamic traditions of noncompulsion are authentic, which they are, then how do clerical states justify their position? It’s simple — by keeping these traditions away from the larger public or by creating imagined enemies to emotionally force the public behind them.

Invoking dogma to hide inconvenient truths is not the exclusive practice of Muslim regimes. Indeed all repressive states — religious or secular — rely on similar tools. In fact, moderate Muslims, such as those in the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, have to face stiff persecution in Muslim states because their interpretation of Islam threatens dogma.

Thus, next time one hears a Muslim state claiming to act in the name of Islam, perhaps several pinches of salt can be added.

Syed Ahmad graduate student

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MCT CAMPUS

Gingrich: Too shaky to win A

lthough Mitt Romney emerged victorious in the winner-take-all Florida primary, a troubling statistic for his campaign (and the GOP, should he get the nomination) is that he still failed to win the Tea Party vote in the state. It seems that people’s dissatisfaction with Romney stems from the proclaimed front runner’s monotony.

The overused and irrelevant complaint, “Mitt has trouble connecting with voters,” is unfortunately, costing him. Now the lowawareness and easily bored voters are demanding a more dynamic candidate without a Massachusetts (liberal) resume. Their most favored alternative seems to be Newt Gingrich, who, despite losing the Sunshine State, has always proven to work best given the worst odds.

This year may start out with a touch of irony if Reagan-nostalgic conservatives decline a charming, successful governor from a liberal state in favor of an odd little academic with two ex-wives. But Gingrich has been dismissed as such before, and he has shocked his critics every time. He has done so twice already on the campaign trail.

First, he became a serious contender for the presidency during a chaotic campaign in which virtually all of his senior staff resigned. Second, he had the nerve to tell the governor of Texas and a former senator to drop out of the race and give him their support. The governor apparently listened.

Does that not seem a little odd?

Two experienced and unquestionably conservative politicians with benign personal lives are losing to Gingrich in a popularity contest among Republicans. Then again, everything about the former speaker of the House seems enigmatic.

He is clearly brilliant, well versed in history, confident (that may be putting it mildly) and pragmatic.

However, Gingrich is also arrogant (see the paragraph above), unlike-

able (most of his peers despise him) and scheming. He is like a modern day Henry Kissinger without the Cambodia ordeal — though a presidency may grant him a similar controversy.

The surest sign of Gingrich’s drive is his success today. This is a man who resigned as speaker, has a controversial personal life, was the subject of a congressional ethics investigation and holds ideas that are inspired by, and may have inspired, science fiction novels. And this man may be the Republican nomination for the highest executive office in the United States.

Gingrich’s campaign tactics have revealed how unique he is as a politician. His ambitions were harmed quickly by a staff exodus to Tim Pawlenty’s campaign (they have to be regretting that decision), but he remained friendly to his competitors at the debates and on the campaign trail. He then surged after Herman Cain’s collapse and became more aggressive as all of the campaigns got nastier.

Now, Gingrich and Romney are engaged in a vicious back and forth.

All candidates tend to become more aggressive when every vote matters; Gingrich is unique in that throughout the campaign, he probably hasn’t ever seriously listened to consultants, while all his rivals have — especially Romney.

Gingrich, it seems, only listens to Gingrich.

I just can’t see any political consultant comfortably condoning Gingrich’s speeches about dinosaurs, building a lunar base amid a recession or criticizing debate moderators instead of his opponents.

Gingrich’s campaign has continued to gain momentum. He won the South Carolina primary and has received many more endorsements after his victory. He has gained the support of former rival Rick Perry, several state-office holders in Florida and the supposedly coveted endorsements of Sarah Palin, Chuck Norris and

Cain. There has to be a good joke involving Cain’s sexual harassment allegations and Gingrich’s two ex-wives.

The ultimate question and concern for Republicans is, if Romney fails to galvanize the base, how would Gingrich fare in the general election against President Barack Obama. I don’t think he would do well. Gingrich has already stated that if he secures the Republican nomination, he will immediately challenge the president to three Lincoln-Douglass style debates.

That almost certainly won’t happen — I don’t know why would Obama agree to such a thing. And while Gingrich is a great debater, everyone knows the president is better.

Also, it will be hard to contrast the conservative from the liberal when one advocates more spending on infrastructure while the other pledges to build a moon base. President Obama will win, however, because of personal factors. It will be hard for Gingrich to court the evangelical vote, which can be crucial, with three marriages while the president has only one.

That may, however, only be a small hindrance compared to Gingrich’s major liability: his unpredictability. The supporters of President Obama, Sen. Rick Santorum, Congressman Ron Paul and Gov. Romney know what will happen if their candidate wins.

Gingrich fans can’t say the same.

He had one of the most turbulent speakerships in American history and has had a frantic campaign.

The man himself is simply odd — his name is Newt.

And if voters have to choose between Obama’s overall stability and predictability, as well as Gingrich’s dynamic nature, even a few Republicans will likely vote for four more years of the same.

JOHN LANGLEY -regular columnist -senior -political science major

Contraception law threatens churches T

send an email to opinionseditor@ collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.

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he Obama administration recently passed a mandate requiring most United States employers to provide health care plans that cover contraceptive services for female employees free of charge.

This mandate includes religious-affiliated businesses, such as private schools, hospitals and other religiously funded social services.

The problem is some religious faiths, such as Catholicism, do not permit the use of contraceptives by their practitioners. Because the president did not grant an exemption for these groups, their religious freedom is being impeded.

These organizations have been lobbying for an exemption to the mandate but to no avail.

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said the department took religious organizations into consideration. But consideration only goes so far; at the end of the day, it did not grant the exemption.

However, the department extended the compliance date for these religious-affiliated businesses to 2013. This will hopefully give organizations time to invest more in lobbying and possible legal actions against the mandate.

The businesses that will have to provide health care plans

that cover free contraceptive services for female employees include Catholic colleges, schools, hospitals and charitable organizations.

All of these businesses or organizations founded their values on the Bible and providing private social services to help those in need.

Women who work for these institutions and do not have access to birth control through their health insurance have affordable options available to them outside their employers if they choose to seek contraceptive services.

I am not arguing contraception should not be available to anyone because it is against my religion. I am stating that this intrusive form of government into the religious beliefs of individuals is against the fundamental values of our founders and the First Amendment.

Bishop Zubik stated, based on the First Amendment issue, “This isn’t simply a Catholic issue, and I don’t even think it’s an issue that’s just about people of faith.

It is in the first case, an infringement of religious freedom in the United States guaranteed by the First Amendment of our Constitution.”

Zubik went further to say President Obama is ignoring the Catholics and saying “to hell with them.” The Supreme Court has defined freedom of religion in multiple

cases, and it has always upheld the importance of people’s religious beliefs no matter a case’s outcome.

Not only does this offend American values, the lack of an exception may have implications for the services churches and religious groups are willing and able to offer without offending beliefs.

If the mandate goes through as is, religious leaders will have an ethical dilemma of whether to provide services this country needs — such as higher education and private nursing homes — or to maintain their religious beliefs, trust in God and not provide the mandated health insurance for their female employees.

Sister Carol Keehan, the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States stated, “This indicated the need for an effective national conversation on the appropriate conscience protections in our pluralist country, which has always respected the role of religions.”

Unless the president and Sebelius resolve this problem by granting the exception, the issue of religious liberty will be a major question for the 2012 presidential campaign.

MADELINE HENNINGS -regular columnist -senior -political science major

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Probing James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ – what Hollywood can learn from the greatest blockbuster sequel of all time

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ike the dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park,” Hollywood has lumbered through different evolutionary periods.

The silent films of the 1920s begot the “talkie” era of Classical Hollywood, giving way to New Hollywood as relaxed censorship laws in the late ’60s allowed filmmakers to expand methods, tackle controversial themes and say the “f-word” a lot. Fortunately, Americans only had to tolerate intellectually challenging cinema for about a decade before George Lucas showed what people really wanted to see was stuff blowing up.

The beginning of the blockbuster era was actually pretty awesome.

Directors like Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis combined technology with heartfelt storytelling, and for a while, it seemed like special effects and intelligent filmmaking would have a long, frisky marriage.

However, Lucas giveth and Lucas taketh away. The “Star Wars” prequels came out, the world was introduced to Jar-Jar Binks and it’s basically been downhill ever since. Academics have yet to name this visionary period that has provided treasures like “Meet The Fockers” and 15 “Saw” movies, but I have a suggestion: The Sequel Era. As anyone who’s had the distinct pleasure of having their retinas assaulted by the “Transformers” trilogy can attest, franchise films are the bread and butter of 21st century Hollywood.

Unless a film stars Will Smith or

Leonardo DiCaprio, the only way studios will green light a hefty budget is if there’s a “2” or “Squeakquel” in the title.

Every mind-numbing year of superhero films and remakes kills a little more hope that the days of original, high-concept blockbusters will return.

“Back to the Future?” Today, it would be back to the drawing board. “Indiana Jones” might make it on account of audiences’ seemingly insatiable appetite for Nazi ass-whoopin’ but only after some ridiculous changes, such as adding a useless teenage sidekick and replacing controversial religious artifacts with something ludicrous like “interdimensional beings.” Thank goodness Spielberg would never let that disaster happen.

Since Hollywood is intent on carpet-bombing cinemas with sequels, it might as well crib some notes from the greatest one of all time: “Aliens.” No filmmaker can touch director James Cameron’s nearly impeccable record of crafting blockbusters. His 1986 follow up to Ridley Scott’s terrifying “Alien” found the self-proclaimed “King of the World” on top of his game.

Whereas Scott’s original was a smallscale, claustrophobic horror story of survival, Cameron unleashed fullout alien warfare on audiences, as Sigourney Weaver’s heroine Ripley returns to the planet where the nefarious extraterrestrials reside with a squad of Marines and enough firepower to give Michael Bay a wet

dream.

There have been equally bravura sequels since — “Terminator 2,” “Spider-Man 2” and “The Dark Knight” jump to mind — but it was Cameron’s masterpiece that established the blueprint. What made “Aliens” work so well was the fundamental principles for continuing a story that, if followed, would make the annual barrage of sequels a less soulcrushing experience.

1. Why the **** is this happening?

Compare the narrative of “Aliens” to the storytelling fiasco that was “The Matrix: Regurgitated.” “Aliens” gracefully expands upon its predecessor’s themes of corporate conspiracy and Ripley’s emergence as a hero, but more importantly, it provides a plausible reason for doing so, creating the feeling that the audience is watching a bigger story cohesively flow from one film to another.

In contrast, “The Matrix” sequels never once felt essential to the plot of the original. Neo, fighting a zillion clones of Agent Smith, just looked like the filmmakers saying, “Screw it, special effects are super cool.” The five-hour slog included underground orgies and robots blatantly lifted from “Aliens,” but not a single justifiable reason for its existence.

2. Bigger is better — but not necessarily in the way you think The rule of thumb to making sequels is that you need to up the ante.

However, filmmakers confuse raising the stakes with “more, more, more,”

which is how you end up with the abomination that is, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” “Aliens” does blow up the scale — the last 30 minutes is action spectacle at its bombastic best — but Cameron also increases the emotional stakes to the same degree.

Ripley’s famous line, “Get away from her you bitch!” has so much impact because the audience is invested in her effort to protect the orphan girl Newt.

3. Closure, closure, closure The audience didn’t stick with the characters through their entire journey to see a set-up for yet another sequel. While films with cliffhangers, like “Pirates of the Caribbean,” are the chief offenders in this regard, it’s tragically common in contemporary blockbuster filmmaking to throw in a scene or two toward the end to set up future plotlines. What happened to just telling a good, complete story?

“Alien 3” is a debacle, but no one thinks less of “Aliens” for it. Cameron took audiences on a once-in-a-lifetime thrill ride and let them enjoy their well-earned closure. Maybe, just maybe, the man behind the top-two highest grossing movies of all time knows what he’s doing.

ANDREW REILLY -featured columnist -senior -communication major

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

sports

february 2, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

5

Basketball hopes to bounce back vs. Duke BROOKS TIFFANY sports staff writer The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team will host the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils tonight in what it hopes will be a repeat of last season’s shocking upset of the then-No. 1 Duke.

However, this time Tech (129, 1-5 ACC) won’t be dreaming of a NCAA tournament bid contrary to last year, when much of the Hokie Nation thought the ticket had been punched. This year is about experience for the players, continued improvement and what they can do in the long run.

“Again you evaluate them with the way they are progressing in their games,” said head coach Seth Greenberg. “I do it each and every practice. I’m looking at a bigger picture.

There are concerns about guys hitting a wall; it’s a first time for young guys especially to count on significant minutes.“ The “bigger picture” is a tough pill to swallow for many fans who are feeling the growing pains of such a youthful program — but there is hope.

The Hokies have shown they can elevate their game this season; the only problem is their A-game is limited to one half.

Most recently, the Hokies fell to Maryland 73-69 in a game that saw Tech stumble out of the blocks in the first half, scoring only 19 points but returning with fury in the second, scoring 50 points to nearly catch the Terps.

The one-half games have been a symptom of the youth and inexperience of Tech all season and are a primary focus of coach Greenberg.

“We’ve got to put 40 minutes together — there is no doubt about it,” Greenberg said. “We’re in a situation at times where we are a very good basketball team competing at a very high level, our offense for sure is much more efficient when it is in front of us.”

The Hokies are going to have to put together two halves if they are going to stand a chance against Duke (18-3, 5-1 ACC). It also wouldn’t hurt if the Blue Devils’ recent

offensive struggles against St. Johns, in which they almost gave up another home loss, followed them to Cassell Coliseum.

On second thought, counting on Duke’s offense to slip up isn’t a solid strategy.

“The biggest thing is you have to decide what to take away,” Greenberg said. “Do you do Plumlee or the 21 three-point shots a game? It’s a decision you have to make. Maryland chose not to double Plumlee, and he had a career game. You bring a second defender in the post and then they start shooting up threes, you also have to take away transition and those second chance opportunities, those 50/50 balls where they tip it out and get a three.”

Indeed, Greenberg and the Hokies will have some important decisions to make in regard to stopping Duke’s offense, which is ranked No. 11 in the nation in points per game and No. 13 in field goal percentage.

The Blue Devils’ defense is a different story, however, as they have consistently struggled in putting teams away, with the defense tending to unravel as the game wears on.

The Hokies will need Erick Green to keep doing what he’s been doing, while looking for Dorenzo Hudson and Victor Davila to continue their recent spike in production and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Green in a leadership capacity.

“We need to get more of a leader on the floor,” Greenberg said, “getting our guys more organized and again doing good things. I’m pleased with Victor Davila as of late and Dorenzo Hudson. We’ve got to keep grinding, that’s what it is.

In the league there are a lot of games to be played, we’ve got to continue to improve each day, if we do that and we’ll be fine.”

With continued improvement, it seems as if it’s only a matter of time before Greenberg and the Hokies turn the corner and leave behind the growing pains of this season. Tech stands poised to make that turn tonight in Blacksburg.

FILE / SPPS Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in The Hokies upset No. 1 Duke last season 64-60 on Feb. 26.

Tech is 6-20 against top 10 teams under Seth Greenberg.

(Top left) Terrell Bell Cassell and will be aired on lays it up in traffic. (Top right) Malcolm Delaney guards Duke’s Nolan Smith. (Bottom) Students storm the court following the upset victory.

ESPN.

Beamer: Tech gets five RBs from page eight

Harris’ new head coach compared him to a former standout running back in Blacksburg.

“Drew Harris — they talk about him up there like Kevin Jones — and I think he is certainly a quality, quality player,” Beamer said.

Two other signees who could also potentially see time at running back are four-star linebacker Trey Edmunds (Ringgold, Va.) and athlete Jerome Wright (Highlands Springs, Va.) “We’re going to give them all a shot, and figure out what the best options are right now,” Beamer said of his plethora of incoming running backs. “I think all these guys are competitive and all of them want a chance to play, and I think when you get guys like that, there are different things you can do with them.”

Offensive line coach Curt Newsome will welcome three new faces to his unit this fall, in three-star Augie Conte (Powhatan, Va.) and two-stars Jack Willenbrock (Exton, Pa.) and Adam Taraschke (Fredericksburg, Va.).

Conte, a 6-foot-6-inch, 270pound tackle, was the No. 14 player in Virginia and a first team all-state selection among private schools on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Tech’s coaching staff noticed Willenbrock blocking for Harris

at Downington East High School in Exton, Pa., where the two were teammates.

“Jack is an inside player, a center or guard-type player,” Cavanaugh said. “He’s 6-foot6, 260 (pounds). He’s tough as nails. Coach (Mike) Gentry will get him in the weight room, get him a little bigger, and we’ll have a heck of an inside player there.”

The Hokies also picked up a tight end commit in Dakota Jackson (Roanoke, Va.).

Cavanaugh compared Jackson to current Arizona Cardinals tight end and Pulaski, Va. native Jeff King.

“We lose (Chris) Drager there, and obviously, we have an offense that plays with the tight end,” Cavanaugh said. “Many times we play with two tights and two wide. This young man will get a chance to show what he can do. He just seems to get better and better as he goes along.”

Rounding out the offensive side of the class are three wide receivers, as well as an athlete in Caleb (Midlothian, Va.), who will probably end up playing receiver.

Three-stars Stanford (Lithonia, Ga.), Mark Irick (St. Matthews, S.C.) and Thomas Smith (Williamsburg, Va.) will accompany Caleb in providing depth to a receiving corps that just lost two of the best its ever seen.

Caleb, who played quarterback and free safety in high school, was invited to the Army All-

American game but didn’t play due to a meniscus problem.

He has the best chance of the four to see early playing time in Blacksburg.

“He was one of the four highly ranked kids in the state who we are thrilled to get,” Cavanaugh said of Caleb.

Stanford was somewhat of a surprise commitment, picking Tech over TCU and UCLA at the last minute.

“He’s fast. You can’t coach speed — you try to recruit it,” Cavanaugh said. “This kid has good hands. When you put him out wide, the other team will have to certainly make adjustments to his speed.”

At the end of the day, Beamer was more than happy with this year’s class.

“I really feel good about this class,” he said. “I mean really, really good.”

The head coach felt so good, in fact, that he’s already begun looking ahead toward next year’s class.

“We’ve already met for next year and already have enough film watched for next year, and I think we’ll continue to,” Beamer said.

“Offensive line will be a key position for us, and then after that, it’s kind of how many we expect to get or how many we’d like to get at each position, or if we wouldn’t take one unless it’s just a great one. We’ve kind of got that all figured out. We’ve really got a good start on next year’s recruiting, to be quite honest with you.”

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from page eight

Much like Edmunds, Ekanem was another highly recruited instate defensive player. Although he suffered a torn ACL this past December, the Hokies maintained their commitment to him. Shurburtt believes if he’s healthy, he’s “ready to go.”

The Hokies are clearly fond of him as well.

“He’s a highly recruited young man who has a great toughness about him,” Cavanaugh said.

“He’s made a lot of plays this year. He had a knee injury; he’ll handle that when he comes here.

If he’s cleared by the physicians, he’ll play. If they think he needs

some extra time to rehab, we’ll do hat.”

Head coach Frank Beamer, who’s been through plenty of tough recruiting battles in the past, knows the Hokies finished strong in an important year.

“We were really pleased with the way this day turned out,” Beamer said.

“Colors” 1) magenta 2) turquoise 3) orange 4) amethyst 5) charcoal 6) maroon 7) lavender 8) salmon

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february 2, 2012

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Neptune ends its transit in your sign today, and moves to Pisces (until 2025). Creativity’s profitable, but money could seem like an illusion ... it can disappear as easily as it appears. Budget and schedule manage that. Dream big and follow through with a solid plan.

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BRIAN & ALYSSA married since: August 21, 2010 he says: You don't really love something 'about'

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she says:

first date:

SIGNING DAY EDITION

HOKIES INK SEVEN FOUR-STARS Shane Beamer helps pull in record Clarke, Edmunds add recruiting class, bolstered by Caleb to defensive depth ZACH MARINER

MATT JONES

sports editor

sports editor

National Signing Day was a little kinder to Frank Beamer this time around.

Thanks in part, no doubt, to his coaching staff ’s newest addition — Beamer’s son Shane.

“I think he’s very detailed, and he works at it,” Beamer said. “A lot of those kids, (recruiting director) Jim Cavanaugh started them out, and Shane, I think, did a good job of finishing it off.”

The younger Beamer — who spent a decade getting experience recruiting in SEC country — was a big help to Virginia Tech in his first year as a part of the staff.

“I think he did a great job at South Carolina,” said Gerry Hamilton, the national recruiting analyst for 247Sports.

“I think that’s carried on over to Virginia Tech. I think he’s one of the guys who is a grinder in the business, and he’s proven to be a good evaluator over his time. From an organizational standpoint and just grinding away getting it done, he’s been good wherever he’s been.”

Shane was the lead recruiter on eight of Tech’s 28 signees.

“He’s one of the best recruiters in the country, and any time you can have a guy like that on your staff it can help,” said JC Shurburtt, the national recruiting director for 247Sports. “His familiarity with Virginia Tech and the state of Virginia obviously helps. Also going through some real wars at Mississippi State and South Carolina, prepares you for the wars you fight in the state of Virginia.”

The Hokies reeled in seven four-star recruits — the most they’ve had since Rivals.com started keeping track in 2002.

The class as a whole rated out at No. 20 in the nation, according to Rivals.

“I think it’s a solid class,” Schurbutt said.

“It’s a top-20 class in the country and near the top in the ACC. It’s a solid effort with a lot of potentially good players.”

Of their 28 total commitments, 13 will more than likely end up on the offensive side of the ball, and despite not having a marquee quarterback (or any quarterback, for that matter) this group doesn’t lack potential for serious star power.

Highlighted by yesterday’s commitment of wide receiver/athlete Joel Caleb (ranked No. 84 overall in the country according to Rivals — the class’ highest-ranked commit), this class should give play-caller Mike O’Cain plenty to work with in the coming years.

“I think the guys we got today — you talk about Joel Caleb and what a terrific kid he is, not only a player, but a terrific kid,” Beamer said. “This Joshua Stanford kid, we kind of got on him late, but h e’s ver y

EVA RUSSO / RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH

impressive ... That’s kind of how the whole class has been. We’re really pleased with the way this thing turned out.”

Tech brought in an impressive trio of running backs, including two four-stars in J.C. Coleman (Chesapeake, Va.) and Drew Harris (Exton, Pa.), and three-star Chris Mangus (Raleigh, N.C.).

Coleman, a January early enrollee and the No. 3 all-purpose back in the nation according to Rivals, committed last April and could potentially see playing time as early as this fall.

The 5-foot-7-inch, 169-pound back has garnered comparisons to current NFL standouts Ray Rice and Maurice JonesDrew for his burst and more compact stature. He will compete with Tony Gregory and Michael Holmes for carries this spring.

“He’s not a real tall kid by any means, but you talk about productive. His statistics are phenomenal,” Cavanaugh said. “He is something. He has great vision in the hole.

He’s very quick, very compact. He’ll be a heck of a player.”

Harris, the No. 11 prospect in Pennsylvania, has struggled with knee injuries in the past, and it’s likely that he’ll redshirt this fall. If he can get healthy, expect him to compete for playing time, as well.

“Heck of a player,” Cavanaugh said of Harris. “Hurt his knee his senior year, toward the end of the season. He’ll be evaluated; we’ll see where he is and go from there. We obviously have a need at that position.

Coach (Beamer) talked earlier about kids leaving.

We need to find a couple tailbacks at this group.”

For a defensive unit that has ranked near the top of the college football world in the past decade, National Signing Day is an opportunity to reload.

On Wednesday, the Hokies added 15 recruits that project to play defense, giving Bud Foster and the defensive staff some new toys to play with.

While the recruiting process begins early in the high school career, signing day is the first chance for a prospect to officially put on the baseball hat and call himself a member of that school.

Virginia Tech is unlike many schools with regard to its recruiting process. Signing day, while still an exciting and unpredictable few hours, is largely decided months in advance. This year, the Hokies watched as four-star defensive end Ken Ekanem (Clifton, Va.) announced that he’s coming to Blacksburg, but defensive tackle Korren Kirven (Lynchburg, Va.) and linebacker Jawand Blue revealed they are heading to Alabama and Miami, respectively.

With the No. 20 recruiting class in the country on Rivals.com, the Hokies choose to focus more on coaching the players once they’re on campus.

“I’ve always thought Virginia Tech was one of the better evaluating staffs under coach Beamer in the country,” said Gerry Hamilton, the national recruiting analyst for 247Sports. “They have done a great job developing players and turning out so many NFL players over the years.”

Focusing on the defensive side of the ball, Tech continued its trend of getting athletic players in the front seven and loading up the secondary with ball hawks.

No player better exemplifies that than linebacker Deon Clarke (Chesterfield, Va.).

At 6 feet, 2 inches and 205 pounds, Clarke is a perfect fit for Foster’s defense.

He has the ability to make tackles in the open field, as well as push the line of DEAN HOFFMEYER / RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH

see DEFENSE / page five

see BEAMER / page five

LEFT: JOEL CALEB WIDE RECEIVER/ATHLETE MIDLOTHIAN, VA. CLOVER HILL HIGH SCHOOL NO. 84 OVERALL IN NATION NO. 3 OVERALL IN VIRGINIA NO. 7 WR IN NATION

scrimmage and make plays between the tackles.

“Deon Clarke at outside linebacker is very athletic. I think he’s a sideline-tosideline player,” Hamilton said. “I expect him to be a tremendous player for Virginia Tech. They’ve done a great job developing linebackers — they’ve had a lot of guys go through there over the years who maybe haven’t been as highly ranked as others, but ended up being better players.”

There is perhaps no better example of that than three-star defensive back Donovan Riley (Baltimore).

Riley, a 6-foot, 190-pound safety, was recruited by wide receivers coach Kevin Sherman and verbally committed to the Hokies last year.

“Donovan Riley is a guy that’s under the radar who can be better than people think,” said JC Shurburtt, the national recruiting director for 247Sports. “He’s a smart player; he’s going to learn his assignments well.”

Defensive tackle Nigel Williams (Richmond, Va.) is the type of player Tech loves to get into the program and continue to develop.

“He’s 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, and once he grows into what he could be, (he) could have some plus athleticism,” Shurburtt said.

One of the more publicized pickups on the defensive side of the ball was fourstar outside linebacker Trey Edmunds (Ringgold, Va.). A Parade All-American, Edmunds has the size and speed combination needed to play the position at a high level.

“I just think if he fills out ... and if he can add strength and muscle mass to go with the speed and the quickness he has, I think Edmunds has a chance to be a big-time player down the line,” Hamilton said.

Edmunds’ father, who attended Maryland and went on to be a two-time Pro-Bowler for the Miami Dolphins, has natural athletic ability. Some even believe Edmunds can be a two-way player at Tech.

“He’s a special player in this group, he’s one of five tailbacks that we got,” said Jim Cavanaugh, the director of recruiting at Tech. “Trey is one of those kids who is a very unique athlete. He could play outside linebacker for us, and we want to see if he can play tailback also. He’s going to come here and see if he’s talented enough to do both as he settles in in his career.”

Shurburtt thinks Edmunds could see some early playing time in Blacksburg.

“I wouldn’t count out a guy like Trey Edmunds, a blue collar guy, stepping in and maybe providing some depth (as) a linebacker and playing special teams,” Shurburtt said.

RIGHT: DEON CLARKE OUTSIDE LINEBACKER CHESTERFIELD, VA. LLOYD C. BIRD HIGH SCHOOL NO. 162 OVERALL IN NATION NO. 6 OVERALL IN VIRGINIA NO. 13 OLB IN NATION