Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

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Hokies march for Trayvon Group projects yield less work JOSH HIGGINS news reporter

BRAD KLODOWSKU / SPPS

Last night, members of the Virginia Tech community met at the Pylons to march for solidarity for Trayvon Martin, a teenager killed last month

Showing support, students march in hoodies to prove the clothing Martin wore was not suspicious KELSEY JO STARR news staff writer Last night, members of the Blacksburg community marched to show solidarity for Trayvon Martin, who was killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman last month. On Feb. 26, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed while walking home to his father’s house in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., which has sparked major controversy since. In response, many people on Facebook changed their profiles pictures to Martin wearing a hoodie like he was the night of the incident. Kelsey Sams, a sophomore civil and environmental engineering major, who organized the march, emphasized that it was not meant to be a protest. “I wanted to organize this event to show Trayvon and his family Virginia Tech cares and we are aware of the situation,” Sams said. “This isn’t to make a statement, this isn’t a protest — this is just to show his family that we care.” But when junior biology major Ayana Stukes saw one of the profile pictures, she was reminded of her little brother, who she said looks a lot like Martin. “It’s really disturbing that a man can get out of his car and call the police on a black boy in a hoodie,” Stukes said. “Even if he wasn’t wearing a hoodie at the time, he gets out of his car and calls the police because there’s a black boy in the neighborhood? What if someone decides to shoot my little brother? He’s 14 years old. It’s ridiculous. The injustice is sickening.” That image was one of the reasons that Stukes joined about 300 students at the Pylons to march in silence for Martin. In light of controversy sparked by Fox News television show host Geraldo Rivera, who said that one of the reasons Martin was shot

was because he was wearing a hoodie and looked suspicious, marchers walked across campus with hoodies up. Various attendees, such as freshman industrial design major Jasmine Orange, believe Rivera had no right to associate wearing hoodies with looking dangerous. “I wear hoodies all the time, and I don’t think I look suspicious,” Orange said. “I see kids in college wearing hoodies all the time—no one looks suspicious. That’s not fair.” According to the Orlando Sentinel, Zimmerman had initially called the police reporting suspicious activity. Although officers told him not to pursue Martin, Zimmerman proceeded to confront him. Martin was eventually killed by a gunshot to the chest. When questioned, Zimmerman claimed he was entitled to by a Florida statute commonly called the “Stand Your Ground Law.” The authorities proceeded to release Zimmerman with no charges pressed. Under Stand Your Ground, a person has the right to use deadly force if they feel like they are in danger of death or severe bodily harm. However, Florida statute emphasizes a person should retreat first and use arms as defense only as a last resort. Shanae Mobley, a freshman housing design major, believes having such a law is unnecessary. “If there’s already selfdefense in place in our justice system, why do we need another law to emphasis it?” Mobley asked. “I think that it’s just a set up for people to use it in racial ways that would allow for this situation to happen.” Others, such as PhD student of clinical psychology Kenya King, believe, even if the law is justified, Zimmerman does not have the right to defend himself with it. “Stand Your Ground does not protect you if you are the pursuer,” King said. “His team see MARTIN / page two

If you feel like that group project is making you think sluggishly, you just might be right. A new study by the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute shows that group work can have negative effects on astuteness in certain settings by inhibiting expressions of intelligence. “What our research has done is highlight the ranking process associated with the emotional signal that may undermine high-performing individuals’ expressions of intelligence,” said Kenneth Kishida, lead author of the study. The study found that multiple brain regions — including the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens, which are related to emotional processing, problem solving, and rewards and pleasure, respectively — responded to social activity during the study. However, it is not conclusive that the social activity causes decreased brain activity in other areas. In addition, the study discovered a gender gap, as fewer women with comparable baseline IQ scores fell into the high-performing category.

Lori Stallard, a freshman Spanish major, has felt less productive in group settings. “I feel like one person usually does all the work because they don’t want to fail, so they take on all the work,” she said. “(When that happens,) I feel like they think I’m stupid, that I’m not contributing enough. So I sit there and let them do all the work. Yeah, I think group settings can have a negative effect.” While he said he does not know whether the results translate into real-world settings, Kishida said the study definitely illuminates some concerns over the negative effects of group settings. “These kinds of group structures can have dramatic effects on people’s performance,” Kishida said. Group work is a large part of curriculums in college courses, and Kishida said that, although no research confirms any methods of mitigating the effects of group settings, this study can help group project leaders strategize about how to best structure a group setting. “Our study says that some individuals are harmed by being in an implicitly competitive group,” Kishida said. see GROUPS / page two

Steger poetry prize is largest in country KELSEY JOE STARR news staff writer

BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS

John Williams, a sophomore aerospace engineering major, sits and reﬂects by the pylons while waiting for the march to assemble.

need to know George Zimmerman, a Latino community watch captain in Sanford, Fla., shot Trayvon Martin to death on Feb. 26, stirring national outrage and debate over the incident — and the definition of self-defense. MARTIN’S STORY: The black 17-year-old was unarmed and walking back to his father’s girlfriend’s house after a trip to 7-Eleven to get Skittles and iced tea. Zimmerman called 911 to report him, calling him a “real suspicious guy.” The tapes reveal he got out of the car and followed him, although at some point the dispatcher told him he did not need to follow the teen. The teen’s girlfriend was on the phone with him and said he was scared and on the verge of running home. ZIMMERMAN’S STORY: He says went to his car and Martin followed him and started a fight — punching him several times. The Chicago Tribune reported that witnesses saw Martin on top of Zimmerman. The community watch activist argues he acted in self-defense, and police have so far said there is not enough evidence to show otherwise.

Despite being a computer science major, Derek Ong has always found himself more drawn toward the fine arts, specifically poetry. The senior is fulfilling his passion by entering his poem in the President Steger Undergraduate Prize for Poetry competition. He is looking forward to comparing his work with other poets in a more prestigious environment. “I found it really interesting,” Ong said. “I didn’t know there was something really this prestigious for poetry. The only thing I really knew about for poets in this area was the Silhouette and that’s really all I’ve known about. So hearing about this was surprising.” On April 19, President Charles Steger will be awarding a prize of $1,000 to one lucky writer at the annual award ceremony at Skelton Conference Center at the Inn at Virginia Tech. Steger got the idea for the prize because he wanted to expand his mission for providing a liberal education for all students at Tech. “When I look at what our mission is in terms of education and our students, we want people to have a holistic education,” Steger said. “I think it’s very important to people to understand that as they grow and develop over time, how you need to develop all dimensions of your intellect, not just logical deductive stuff, but your intuition and aesthetic judgment.” The prize, which has been running since 2006, is the largest undergraduate prize in the United States, and then only topped by Oxford University, which awards £1,000, or roughly $1,600. The idea started as nothing more than a dinner time conversation between Steger and Nikki

Giovanni, a distinguished university professor of English. “It started when Dr. Steger and I were having dinner and he said to me, ‘If I gave you $1000, could you have a poetry contest?’ and I said ‘you bet,’” Giovanni said. She chose to name the award after Steger. “I didn’t want it to be the ‘Edgar Allen Poe’ award or something like that,” Giovanni said. “I thought that it should be here and it should be named after the president who thought ‘let’s do something with the arts kids.’” In addition to the cash prize, the first prize winner also receives a trophy made of silver, designed locally by Faith Capone of Capone’s Fine Jewelry. “If you’re giving a gift, you want it to be something that someone would be proud to keep on their desk,” Giovanni said. “. . . I didn’t want to give just money. You forget after you spent it. You might remember for a couple of months, but then you don’t know where it went. I wanted it to be not just the check, but I wanted it to be something you want to send home to your parents. We wanted it to be beautiful.” The theme for the poems entered is “The Future” in conjunction with Virginia Tech’s model: Invent the Future.” Students can interpret the topic in any way they want. Ong is currently working on two submissions, unsure which he will submit. “I have two different pieces right now,” Ong said. “I’m not really sure which one I’m going to end up submitting. One is just about how often we look into the future and forget about today and the other is about that we can’t advance into to the future if we keep looking into the past. It’s just very much how I see PRIZE / page two

news

march 28, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

2/25/2012

2:58 p.m.

Follow up To Harassment

Squires Student Center

Inactive

3/26/2012

9:30 a.m.

Fraud (credit card)

Eggleston Hall

Inactive

Martin: Students discuss inequality from page one

might want to rethink that legal defense because the very fact that he was in pursuit, and I don’t mean necessarily chasing, but following this individual suggests that he was the aggressor, he was the pursuer.” Questions have been raised as to whether the killing had racist undertones. Martin was black, and Zimmerman was Hispanic. Christian Matheis, a first year graduate student studying ethics and political philosophy, believes the shooting was, at least in part, based on race. “Whether or not we can get into the psychology of the person who pulled the trigger is a different matter from whether or not, socially, people who look a certain way and dress a certain way are profiled and are more suspect,” Matheis said. “There is not equal recognition under the law for people of color in this country, and they are treated as if they’re potentially villains and poten-

tially dangerous more often than people who have white skin. I don’t think that there’s any part of the country where profiling is not part of our culture at this point,” he said. After the march, Sams addressed the crowd, and was followed by senior aerospace engineering student Moises Seraphin, who read a poem he wrote about the event entitled “Tears for Trayvon.” “I’m from Miami, Fla., and it’s something that’s affected my entire community and everyone I know back home,” Serphin said. “It resonates. Even though I’m in Blacksburg, I still feel it, and being a poet, I feel like I express myself through my writing and it’s the only way I can get what I feel off my chest.” Many of the people in attendance believe Zimmerman should be brought to a proper trial. “All we ask for is justice,” Serphin said. “A lot of people are asking for so much more, but all we ask for is justice.”

what you’re saying On the Board of Visitor’s change in gun policy

It's simple...:

“Being in these competitive groups is not good for everybody; some people are harmed. But people can start to think about the effects that groups have on individual performance in groups.” One potential way to minimize intelligence-inhibiting factors is to decrease or eliminate inter-group competition, Kishida said. In addition, he said studies like this one can help scientists and group leaders better understand how to execute effective group strategies. “These kinds of studies where we’re taking brain measurement and looking at group dynamics in a measured, objective way is a totally different thing,” Kishida said. “When you see the scientific approach and the biological process behind it, you can really start to process a better understanding of these social processes we engage in every day.” In the study, individuals took IQ tests and were placed into groups with similar scores. The groups then performed group work, such as cognitive

problem-solving tasks. During the process, researchers asked them questions to match a standardized test created by the researchers. This test was used to measure intelligence. To make the groups competitive, the researchers told the group how each individual was doing on the test. Once the group work was finished, the individuals were placed in new groups. The new groups were based on whether their cognitive ability increased or decreased throughout the group work, and they were called “high-performing” and “low-performing” groups. Once identified, two of every five subjects in each group had their brains scanned to examine the biological processes that result from social interaction in groups. “That’s the basic signal that was shared and tied the groups together — answering the same questions at the same time and receiving feedback about how they were doing in this implicitly competitive environment,” Kishida said.

Thou shalt not kill.

Anonymous:

Passing a regulation or a policy will not keep criminals from bringing guns on to campus who don't care about regulations and policies. It only prevents lawabiding citizens from being able to defend themselves - which sets up the environment perfectly for any lunatic who wants to shoot a bunch of unarmed people.

Anonymous:

BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS

Moises Seraphin recites a poem in remembrance of Trayvon Martin.

Groups: Projects Poetry: Faculty hinder intelligence encourage arts from page one

arestees

from page one

feel about life. People are so worried about other periods of time that they don’t concern themselves with today or they dwell on the past and don’t allow themselves to move on. It’s just something I feel very strongly about. In a society, we need to stop looking back and start being content with today.” At a ceremony in April, the top ten poems are read by their respective writers. Various faculty members also read poems of their choice, and food and drinks are provided for all who attend. “It’s nice to have pretty things for the students,” Giovanni said. “The athletic end of our university, and I am a big fan, is first class. So why shouldn’t the arts students be first class? And first class for them is things like flowers and food and the award itself.” Steger intends to cultivate the arts with this award. “Things like poetry don’t get much support, so I wanted to do several things. I wanted to emphasize my interest in broad liberal education, and to support an art form I think is very powerful if people understand it. Most people have never read a poem. But when you read the

really good ones, they have an enormous impact on you if you take the time to reflect on them.” There are normally about 50-60 poems submitted every year, but Aileen Murphy, assistant director of creative writing for the department of English, believes the number should be higher. “We want people to know about this, we want people to participate,” she said. “I can send things to every undergraduate student in English, majors or minors, but I can’t send something to every undergraduate student in the university. There are people who can do that, but I don’t think they would let us do that.” At the moment, Murphy will send emails out to English students, and most other students, like Ong, will only find out if they hear about it from a friend in the department. Despite the less than desirable numbers, Giovanni is optimistic about the progress of the Steger Prize. “With any prize, you have kinks,” Giovanni said. “Eventually, things take over. We’re beyond the halfway the point now. We want to be at the place that everyone can say, ‘I think I’m going to submit this to the Steger.’”

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Excellent logic for an action film. However, oddly enough real life differs from these sorts of things and extra weapons would probably end up causing more harm than good. But, hey, I can see where you'd think you're Bruce Willis or something. Sorry dude. In real situations, like 4/16, extra guns in that building would not have helped. Think about when the cops enter the building. Who are the bad guys? The guys with guns. If three people are concealed carriers and started shooting at the other guys with guns, there's a hell of a lot more mess to clean up. What are you going to do... ask them if they're "good guys" or "bad guys"? No, you'll probably take a few bad shots at whoever else is shooting and probably hit someone else. Why? Because it's not a movie. It's real life. And no one's aim or logic will be worth a lick. There are actual lives being affected by your imagination and hypothetical images of yourself as a hero. Sorry to break it to you, cowboy.

Local Guy:

There is some logic to your response, however police are easily identifiable. If you were a good guy shooting and the police appeared, you would put down your weapon and move out of reach of it. In hostage release situations, all persons coming out are treated as the hostage taker until otherwise determined. If Cho was unsure of how many of his victims may have been armed, he would have had to change tactics or maybe never have acted at all. There is no easy answer or correct answer. I would feel safer if I had a handgun locked in my desk drawer.

Tim:

Excellent logic for anyone who has studied criminology, aka the behavior and thought patterns of criminals.

Anonymous:

The "extra weapons" you speak of are already present in public places more often than you might think. It's a rare to nonexistent occurrence that a person carrying a weapon for self-defense causes harm to others accidently. Your opinions, and university policy are based on irrational fear. No one can say for sure whether armed students or professors would have lessened the damage on 4/16, but my bet is that it would have. To say that "no one's aim or logic will be worth a lick" is really ridiculous. The shooting went on for a long time- there's a good likelihood someone could have placed a good shot. As has been said, when the police get there, you drop your weapon to avoid confusion. And in the 4/16 case the shooter was already dead by that time.

opinions

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march 28, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

MCT CAMPUS

Power in branches needs to be checked D

uring a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Chairman Patrick Leahy and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. appeared to share a chuckle over issues related to the targeted killing last year of an American citizen by the United States. According to news reports, Leahy goodnaturedly reminded the attorney general that his committee was still waiting for a copy of a classified Department of Justice memorandum in which the killing was justified on statutory and constitutional grounds. With a smile and a laugh, Holder acknowledged that there was disagreement within the administration about whether to honor Leahy’s request. Some observers expressed surprise that he would even acknowledge the existence of such a memo, let alone suggest that anyone would consider giving it to Congress. A U.S. citizen, suspected terrorist Anwar Awlaki, born in New Mexico, died in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in September. One would hope, of course, that when the killing of one of our own citizens was proposed, it would have warranted a legal analysis, in writing — and apparently it did. But the mirth over Congress’ entitlement, or lack thereof, to the memo is a sad commentary on the current state of separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. The courts have recognized repeatedly that in order to perform its basic constitutional responsibilities, Congress can and must acquire information from the president and the departments and agencies of the executive branch. The fact that the memo is highly classified is no excuse, nor is it likely to fit within the very narrow doctrine of executive privilege, as enunciated by the Supreme Court. So Leahy would be within his rights to be piqued. But is Congress getting or not getting this memo really the point here? Holder has publicly outlined the memo’s bottom line, and he has likely given more detail in closed session committee briefings. But shouldn’t Leahy ask his own legion of lawyers, who are at least as competent as those in the executive branch, to assess the state of the law for him? Here, in a nutshell, is what they would probably find: First, the Supreme Court has not ruled (yet) that the due-process clause of the Constitution prohibits the executive branch, without judicial review, from targeting and killing an American outside a war zone. Second, there are no statutes on the books that prevent the president from ordering such an action. Third, any executive orders or other policy statements that might be interpreted to preclude such a killing do not bind the president. Finally, it may be that the justification of self-defense is sufficiently strong to answer the moral and ethical questions,

(although we do not know the details of the administration’s position). So, Sen. Leahy, now you can stop asking for memos that you neither need nor are likely to obtain, and get to work. In the 1970s, Congress did just that, taking a hard look at the excessive intelligence activities of agencies within the executive branch. It did not like what it found, nor did the American people. Months of hearings by select committees of the House and the Senate resulted in new laws limiting, most notably, the power of the executive branch to target American citizens. Back then we were outraged that our phones could be tapped without a judge’s order, so Congress enacted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to require judicial oversight. Regarding targeted killing, pressure from Congress got President Ford to issue an executive order prohibiting assassinations altogether, though we were killing only foreigners in those days. So now we are targeting not just the phones but the lives of Americans, and there is no constitutional doctrine, statute or executive order addressing the issue. This is where the framers would have expected the legislature to take a good, hard look. The framers—political realists one and all—would not be surprised, however, by the deafening silence on this issue from Capitol Hill. Presumably, the Republican majority in the House is in favor of the aggressive policy, and the Democratic majority in the Senate may be reluctant to lead the charge against a policy embraced by one of its own in the White House. But Leahy wants to do something, so he is checking the oversight box by publicly asking for memos, rather than holding hearings to examine whether, once again, we may need legislation to curb executive branch excesses. In the 1970s, Congress enacted the safeguard of judicial review before the executive could conduct electronic surveillance of Americans, and noncitizens, inside the United States, not trusting the executive to make those decisions on its own. And in 2008, the law was amended to protect Americans’ phones and email overseas too. Leahy should redirect his attention from asking for memoranda from the Justice Department to focus his committee’s energy on the real issue facing Congress: Should the president of the United States be able to order the killing of an American citizen with no review outside his own executive branch advisors? Even if Leahy trusts this president to tread cautiously with such enormous, unchecked power, what about the next one, or the one after that?

VICKI DIVOLL -mclatchy newspapers

Regulations waste money In

just three years, the Obama administration has issued 75 new major regulations affecting Americans, and with the economy still recovering, this is not what the American people want or need. In our country’s history, there has never been a president that has imposed so many regulations at such a high cost. And although he is not writing the rules himself, he is the head of the executive branch and he needs to implement Congressional laws in a responsible manner. The regulations go too far and hinder businesses and their implementation has cost us over $5.8 billion. The major regulations have stemmed mostly from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Obamacare and the Environmental Protection Agency. It is not the government’s job to pick who wins or loses in the economy, and the fact that it insists on doing so at taxpayers’ expense is appalling. The following are some examples of how regulations have been wasting our money while taking away our freedoms. One of the major and most costly regulations is a part of Obamacare, which requires health insurance companies to produce a summary of benefits and coverage based on the government’s template and glossary. Though this is a regulation within the act, it is just one example of how the plan as a whole is going to put us fur-

ther into debt. This change in reporting will cost the health insurance industry millions of dollars and man-hours. The most recent Congressional Budget Office projection is that Obamacare is going to add $1.5 trillion to the deficit. Another area of the Obama administration’s overreach is the Department of Energy’s regulations. The department is assessing urinal efficiency across the United States for the first time since 1998. According to recent laws, the DOE must enforce tougher urinal efficiency standards across states. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration already regulates urinals, the DOE now has to step in and apply more red tape and require businesses to provide urinals in ratio with how many employees they have. The department is spending our tax dollars assessing the efficiency of urinals, while our country spirals further into debt. Next time you are in the bathroom, remember that the government is studying the efficiency of your water use. Along with furthering education, Michelle Obama’s platform of decreasing childhood obesity has created strict nutrition guidelines for elementary and high schools. Because of this, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service is now requiring stricter nutrition standards for school

breakfast and lunch programs. Ninety-eight thousand schools will be affected, costing $3.4 billion over the next four years. The regulations require students to have no more than one cup of lima beans, peas, corn or potatoes per week and schools will have to change up the usual vegetable choices with darker green, orange, and dry bean varieties. All parents want their children to eat healthier, but is it the government’s job to regulate what kind of vegetables are allowed? No, it is the parents’ responsibility to control their child’s diet and make decisions for them, not Big Brother’s. Regulations are meant to keep our citizens safe, but these policies have reached far beyond ensuring our safety and have become hidden costs because the private sector has to comply, or face fines or punishment from the regulatory agency. These are just a few of the ways the Obama administration is regulating our day-to-day lives. As students, we need to realize how we are being constrained by this presidency and make an adjustment in November. If elected for another term the Obama administration will be sure to create more regulations, wasting taxpayer money and putting our nation further into debt.

MADELINE HENNINGS -regular columnist -senior -political science major

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We are Young (Feat. Janelle Moneae) • Fun

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

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march 28, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Blue bloods highlight Final Four teams or the first time in years, the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament consists entirely of perennial programs. There have been no VCUs or George Masons this year. Every double-digit seed has been denied entrance to the Elite Eight and Final Four. Butler and Richmond didn’t even bother coming to the dance. There hasn’t been a midmajor coach who’s become the hottest commodity on the market due to a team’s tournament success, à la Shaka Smart of VCU and Brad Stevens of Butler. In the last few years, there has been a small school that no one outside its home state knows of, who goes against the odds and flips the whole tournament on its head. This phenomenon is known as a “Cinderella story.” But it hasn’t been the case this year. The added total of seeding of this year’s Final Four is only nine, compared to last year’s 26. It’s been a good year for the big dogs, and a bad year for those who love when the giants fall. To be fair, this tournament hasn’t been completely devoid of upsets; the second round featured two major upsets: Norfolk State upending Missouri, becoming the fifth 15 seed to ever beat a two seed, and Lehigh beating Duke just hours later to be the sixth. However, neither made it past the second round. It’s possible the tournament needs a Cinderella team in order to enliven the atmosphere. There hasn’t been a single buzzer-beater, there have been more games decided by 13-plus points than games decided by one possession, and no mid-major made it past the Sweet 16. Collectively, it has been an unexciting tournament.

FINAL FOUR Kentucky vs. Louisville CBS, 6:09 p.m. Kansas vs. Ohio State CBS, 8:49 p.m.

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Maybe I sound like a bitter bracketeer who loves seeing one seeds fall even more than seeing my bracket stay unblemished, but this has been par for the course this year in college sports — even college football’s Cinderella team, Oklahoma State, was denied a bid to the National Championship Game so another powerhouse program could win in its place. There might be something about New Orleans and its MercedesBenz Superdome that draws in the big names. The 2003 Final Four was a field of powerhouses, most notably Carmelo Anthony and the champion Syracuse Orange. The 2012 BCS National Championship game may have had nearly ten first-round picks in the NFL draft between the two teams, and this year’s Final Four might be a preview showing of a number of lottery picks in the NBA draft as well. Even though Cinderella missed her carriage’s departure, the remaining games will still be worth watching. The rosters of Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State and Kansas are filled with All-Americans, Player of the Year Finalists and AllConference First-Team players. No. 1 overall seed Kentucky highlights the Final Four and is the favorite to win it all, and it’s with good reason. The Wildcats’ “oneand-done” approach to recruiting is controversial and breeds a lack of team unity (imagine if DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall were still on this team), but there are no such signs of it this year. Freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael KiddGilchrist are likely to be the first two players selected in the 2012 NBA draft, but right now, they’re fueling a very dangerous Kentucky squad and they both make everyone on the floor better. Standing in the way of Kentucky is in-state rival Louisville. After a stunning loss in the second round last year, Rick Pitino’s Cardinals have been on a warpath, winning the 2012 Big East Tournament and upending teams like Florida and Michigan State en route to New Orleans. There’s certainly no love lost between John Calipari and Rick Pitino, and it will show on the court Saturday. Louisville gave Kentucky all it could handle earlier in the year before losing 69-62 in Lexington. Calipari lacks a national title in his repertoire, and what success he has had has been nullified due to scandals, vacations

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Tyshawn Taylor and Kansas will represent the Big 12 in the Final Four. The Jayhawks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday night on CBS. and NCAA violations. Meanwhile, Rick Pitino hung up a title banner for Kentucky in 1996, and will be looking to do the same for Louisville. Pitino wants to stamp his ticket into the Hall of Fame, and Calipari wants to show that he can win without a scandal tainting his accomplishments. Kansas’ rocky start to the year didn’t stop it from going on and earning a two seed, and it’ll face fellow two seed Ohio State in the

Final Four. When the teams met back in December, the Buckeyes were without forward Jared Sullinger, and as a result, Kansas forward Thomas Robinson had a feeding frenzy on the stat sheet and led the Jayhawks to a 78-67 victory. This game is full of star players like Sullinger, Robinson, Tyshawn Taylor and William Buford. Sullinger and Robinson will be assigned to guard one another, which will absolutely be the

matchup to watch. Can Sullinger’s physical dominance be able to stop Robinson’s freakish athleticism, or will it be the other way around? This battle between All-Americans could decide the winner. With only three games left undecided, it’s shaping up to be a wild finish, despite the lack of an underdog. The coaches, players and programs remaining are the best the sport has to offer, and these Final Four matchups will be like watch-

ing Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali duke it out. Regardless of which two teams live to play in the championship on Wednesday, we as fans are in for a thrilling conclusion to another classic tournament.

MIKE PLATANIA - sports staff writer - junior - communication major

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Aries (March 21-April 19) The ball is in your court, and the shot’s wide open. Stay light on your feet, and repeat signals if they get garbled in translation. Play all out, and remember: It’s a game.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) You’re dreaming of a place, a captivating place. Is it your next vacation destination? A future study opportunity? Or a new job relocation? Consider it carefully.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Your community plays a strong role in today’s performance. Don’t be self-conscious. Give it all for the best of others. Their victories are your victories.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Take every opportunity to share your love with your partner. Assess cash low. Seek professional advice regarding an area that’s got you stumped. Get a second opinion, even.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Grab a chance for happiness. If you make a mess, clean it up. If you fail, try again (with some modi ications). Avoid the avoidable errors, but why not live a little?

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Get your ducks in a row. Pay attention to details and collect the earnings of your efforts. Think twice before spending your savings. Reward yourself with a party.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Your partner ields an opportunity, which gives you time to think up new possibilities. Don’t take it for granted. Create something that will inspire.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) One last check for costume, hair and makeup, and you’re onstage. You don’t have time for nerves, so stay in the moment, and say your lines. You’ve practiced. Relax.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Every little step moves you closer to your goal, even if you have to backtrack at times. Play well with others and you’ll have more fun. Notice small blessings.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Things clear up a bit and you can complete dif icult projects now. You can save by doing the work yourself, but take care of your health. Rest. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Creativity is on the rise. Allow the right side of your brain to take over for a while and surprise yourself (and others). Romance follows you around. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Telecommuting can provide new opportunities today. Listen to a family member for a new solution to an old problem. They can see something you can’t.

I got Kirby and Auggie as br brothers from a breeder when they were 5 weeks old. They are now 10 months old. Kirby loves to run around, pester his brother and destroy things while Auggie’s favorite thing to do is sleep!

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food & drink 6 Local Mediterranean cuisine prevails editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy

march 28, 2012

featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

COLLEGIATETIMES

ita Vera, located at 235 N. Main St., offers a distinctly enjoyable Mediterranean dining experience. The menu is expansive yet inexpensive, providing a wide variety of options at a reasonable price. Growing up in a background saturated with classic Mediterranean food, I was excited to see what Pita Vera had to offer. In order to fully embrace the experience, I grabbed a few friends and headed over to the restaurant to assess the quality of the dining experience for myself. Seated in a spacious booth, I peered around the restaurant to get a feel for the vibe; various paintings hung on the wall complemented by an assortment of decorative ceiling tiles, which served to enhance the multicultural dining experience. The quiet music in the background set an enjoyable mood without hindering the conversation I shared with my friends. As I surveyed the menu, the broad range of entrees made me glad I brought company so I could taste several items. Unsure of what to get, we decided to order a wide variety and share an eclectic feast sure to please any appetite. We started out with an appetizer of hummus and pita — a Mediterranean classic. The pita was warm and served freshly out of the oven. The hummus tasted fresh, with added spices and oil to augment its authentic taste. We didn’t have to wait long for our entrees and the appetizer helped to make the wait more enjoyable, easing our grumbling stomachs. When our waitress finally arrived with our food, we welcomed the assortment of dishes, which were spread across the table, leaving no space unattended. Needless to say, we were satisfied with the plethora of food and were elated to dive in. I started with the gyro plate, which consisted of a thin, warm pita filled with seasoned beef, let-

tuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce — a traditional Greek sauce made from cucumbers. The classic dish did not disappoint and offered a mouthful of flavors, from savory meat to the tangy sauce. Once we had conquered the gyro, we moved on to the extra-large pizza, topped with mushrooms and sausage. While not exclusively or uniquely Mediterranean, it boasted a distinct taste compared to traditional American pizza. The fresh, thin crust was topped with a nice portion of gooey mozzarella cheese along with chewy, chunky mushrooms and sausage. The complementary additions of grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes added a kick of flavor to the already tasty pizza. To finish the meal off, we tackled the mixed kabob platter, which included fresh pita bread, hummus, rice, grilled vegetables, and seasoned chicken and beef. The kabobs offered a great combination of flavors, which were delicious as I dipped the warm pita into the hummus and topped it off with a mix of rice, veggies and meat. Once we had finished our meals and wiped the plates clean, we sat in contentment. The amount of food was just right for our party of four, and the assortment of entrees provided quite the dining experience. With all the food we ordered, the total ended up a bit more than $10 each, which was an affordable price, considering the vast feast we had devoured. I was very satisfied with our meals, the service, the atmosphere and the overall experience. I would recommend Pita Vera for high quality Mediterranean cuisine and a unique, multicultural experience.

NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS -features reporter -sophomore -communication major

BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS

Located on North Main Street, Pita Vera offers an extensive menu of Mediterranean-style cuisine including gyros, kabobs and hummus.

Drink of the week: Tennessee lemonade BY JIMMY HUDNALL | features staff writer

Recipe: Cheddar bay biscuits BY EMMA GODDARD | features reporter

Call it lemonade for adults. This rendition of the classic summer beverage maintains the drink’s distinguished taste while adding a strong, yet tolerable “kick” at the end. Try crafting this for your friends at your next party rather than sticking to the generic stuff. The muddled lemon slices give the drink a smell almost identical to lemonade. The bourbon leaves a distinctive aftertaste that is quite strong, separating this alcoholic version from regular lemonade. The drink is actually quite strong, so you might want to adjust the ingredients if a heavy type of drink isn’t your thing. Overall, Tennessee Lemonade serves as the perfect refreshment after a long day in the sun with friends and family.

For anyone who has been to Red Lobster, it’s common knowledge its Cheddar Bay Biscuits are a crowd-pleasing item. Suprisingly though, they are simple to make and don’t require a car ride to a restaurant or a large sum of money. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups Bisquick mix 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar 2/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Ingredients: 2 ounces simple syrup 2 slices fresh lemon 1 1/2 ounces Gentleman Jack Bourbon 1 ounce triple sec Ice Fresh lemon to garnish (optional) Directions: 1. Bring syrup to a boil in a sauce pan over high heat. Allow to cool. 2. In a mixing glass, muddle the lemon slices and add bourbon, syrup, ice and triple sec. 3. Shake and pour into a glass of your choice. COURTESY OF LUKE MASON

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 2. Combine Bisquick, garlic powder and cheese in a medium to large bowl. Stir in milk until everything is combined. 3. Drop dough into lumps onto baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. 4. While the dough is baking, melt the butter and stir in parsley and garlic salt. When the timer goes off, take out the biscuits and brush the butter mixture onto them. 5. Bake biscuits for an additional five minutes or until golden brown.