Tuesday, April 3, 2012
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 40
News, page 2
Arts & Entertainment, page 8
Opinions, page 3
The colors of pride BY KELSEY JO STARR | news staff writer
Sports, page 5
Study Break, page 4
Lottery aids Va. public schools NICK CAFFERKY news editor
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hile on a fishing trip with his sister, Ethan Poole took a leap of faith — he came out of the closet. Poole, a sophomore Spanish major, had already revealed this information to some friends, but not his family — he was more worried about what his mom and sister would think of his sexuality than his friends. “(My sister and I) talked about it for a while,” Poole said. “Then we hugged, and she told me, ‘No matter what, I’ll always love you Ethan, you’ll always be my big brother,’ and that was really sweet.” Poole also found acceptance in the Virginia Tech community with the LGBTA. see PRIDE / page two MARK UMANSKY / SPPS
Tommy Phannareth, a junior horticulture, philosophy and biochemistry major, sits in the LGBTA office in Squires yesterday. He is also the webmaster for the LGBTA.
SGA announces future leaders MICHELLE SUTHERLAND news editor The SGA announced the new leaders for the 2012-13 school year. Dustin Dorph, a junior civil e ng i n e e ring major, was elected president, and Anjelica Smith, a sophomore DORPH c o m m u nication major, was elected vice president.
“It will be a busy year, but I’m extremely excited to serve Virginia Tech and the student body,” Dorph said. Dorph and Smith’s campaign focused on reenergizing the SGA and making it more prominent with a strong marketing team. Dorph said he could not speculate on all the issues that affect students, but he would like to focus on making students understand how the SGA can work for them and what administrators are available as resources.
There may have not been any real Mega Millions jackpot winners from Virginia, but that doesn’t mean the commonwealth came out empty handed. Five tickets from Virginia won the second level of prizes at $250,000, with thousands of others winning much smaller prizes. However, the biggest winner of this Mega Millions lottery was the Virginia public school system, which gets $21 million from the lottery that ran from the initial drawing on Jan. 24 and ended last Friday, when it reached a record-high of $656 million. “For every dollar spent on a lottery product, somewhere between 30 and 33 cents is profit,” said Jennifer Mullen, communication manager for the Virginia Lottery. “All of our profit, all of our proceeds go to public education K-12.” Virginia public schools also benefit if no one turns in the winning tickets, such as the five $250,000 winners from Friday. Winners have exactly 180 days to claim their prize money, but after that date, they no longer hold rights to their spoils. “We do have unclaimed tickets, that certainly does happen,” Mullen said.
“What happens is, by law, it is directed to go to the literary fund. The literary fund is used for educational purposes — things like school construction, renovation and teacher retirement funding.” In fiscal year 2011, $10.8 million was rolled into the literary fund because of unclaimed tickets. And while having someone try to turn in a ticket beyond the 180-day period is rare, having people dispute ownership of a ticket isn’t all that unusual. “That has certainly happened in the history of this lottery, as I’m sure it has at every other lottery,” Mullen said. “There have certainly been disputes over tickets in the past, which is why we always say the first thing you should do is sign the back of your ticket, because then what we do is verify your signature against the identification that you have to supply.” These disputes arise from the fact that lottery tickets are considered “bearer instruments,” meaning they are owned by whoever is in possession of them. In all cases, winning tickets must be taken to one of the Virginia Lottery’s offices to be verified for authenticity.
Dining services to retire Au Bon Pain iPads ERIN CHAPMAN news reporter Dining services will be forced to think differently about its plans to advance technology at the Au Bon Pain in Squires Student Center. Three months after introducing iPads that customers used to order sandwiches at ABP and the ABP kiosk in Squires, dining services has determined the iPads are not working out. The ordering software on the iPads didn’t let customers know when orders were submitted, said Luther Moseley, assistant director of dining services for Shultz dining center, Squires and the Graduate Life Center. “Therefore, people would put their order in multiple times, and at times, that caused us to make multiple sandwiches for a single
order,” Moseley said. Customers were first able to use the iPads in October 2011, mainly to head off possible health concerns — when customers filled out paper order forms they would hand them to sandwich makers, who would touch them before making sandwiches. “Using the iPads eliminates any direct contact with customers,” said Michael Bordens, assistant manager of ABP. But because dining services was beginning to lose money on wasted sandwiches, the iPads were beginning to not be as user friendly as they needed to be, Moseley said. “We can’t get the software fixed, the company has proven difficult to work with and they haven’t been able to get things corrected for us,” he said.
Regardless, Michele Stulga, a junior English major and frequent ABP visitor, thought the technology was efficient. “They were quicker than having to write out my order on paper,” Stulga said. However, there would be anywhere from five to 30 mistake sandwiches made each day, Bordens said. “When it started costing us because of the orders that were not getting picked up, that had to persuade us that we really need to be open to finding something that works better,” Moseley said. Both Moseley and Bordens expressed interest in using a system similar to that of Sheetz — pictures of food are represented on touch computer screens, and users are shown different screens as they place their orders, rather
being shown everything on one menu. Although customers won’t be able to use the iPads to place orders, the technology won’t go to waste. Moseley said employees within the department will use the iPads, if their computers need replacing. The dining staff hopes to figure out an alternative ordering system during the summer months, when the number of customers will significantly decrease. “I don’t know if we’ll find one before we open in the fall, but that’s certainly the goal,” Moseley said. “We do want to have a system like this because it’s more sustainable, there is less paper being wasted. We want to have some type of electronic pricing system.”
A view of Blacksburg, circa 1774
David McKissack (left), museum administrator, and Joseph R. Yost (right), volunteer and Smithfield Preston Foundation board member, stroll outside of the plantation during an open house Saturday.
Loran Annette (left) from Dayspring Christian Academy and Katherine Okie (right) from Radford perform a traditional dance from the time period of Smithfield Plantation, which is located near the Duck Pond. photos by Paul Kurlak
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news
april 3, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES
editors: nick cafferky, michelle sutherland newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
what you’re saying
Pride: LGBTA celebrates
On the Dept. of Education ruling in favor of Virginia Tech (March 30)
Daniel: While I understand the university’s claim from page one
Monday kicked off Tech’s annual Pride Week, in which the LGBTA holds a series of events meant to raise awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender culture and history. Throughout the week, there will be film showings, a dance, open mic night and a special talk from former “Real World: Hawaii” star Ruthie Alcaide. “It’s one week of the year that our community can really get together and celebrate our pride — because we are, at points, a very disenfranchised community,” said Jared Brumfield, a freshman animal and poultry science and political science major. “So it’s just about raising awareness and showing we are proud of who we are and we’re not ashamed of being what we are.” As part of Monday’s kick-off, LGBTA members distributed candy and condoms on the Drillfield. “The condoms are to promote safe sex,” Poole said. “Obviously, HIV and AIDS are a big problem in the gay community. And it’s just to promote safe sex and to be healthy and take care of yourself.” In conjunction with Hillel at Virginia Tech — the foundation for Jewish campus life — the LGBTA hosted a viewing of “Trembling Before God,” a film that features a group of conservative Jewish children dealing with their homosexuality, last night in Squires Student Center’s Colonial Hall. Alcaide’s presentation is the major event of Pride Week. Virginia Tech Union originally initiated her visit. However, the
LGBTA agreed to co-sponsor her speech. While Alcaide was on “Real World: Hawaii,” she was an excessive drinker, but now tours college campuses to discuss the dangers of alcoholism and encourage safe drinking. She also came out of the closet on the show, so her presentation will focus on LGBT issues, said Ashley Dalton, a senior psychology major and director of speakers for VTU. Brumfield reported that small isolated instances of homophobia have occurred at Tech, but most students are happy with the level of acceptance on campus. However, Caroline Sapyta, a sophomore environmental resource management major and the LGBTA president, said this depends on who people form relationships with. “I think it’s fairly open,” Sapyta said. “I think it’s big enough that if you surround yourself by the people who will accept you, then it’s fine. I know various people have had different interactions. Personally, I haven’t had any super bad reactions or feelings around campus, but I think it depends. I usually only surround myself with people who will accept it and not question it.” Brumfield said this week’s events will illuminate the positives of the LGBT community. “I hope that they see that we’re nice people,” Brumfield said. “We’re really good people, and we’re just people. I hope they learn — if not to love our community — to at least respect our community and see that we are just people and deserve to be treated as such.”
that officials had no way of knowing that the shooting in West AJ would be connected to the later shootings in Norris Hall, the university still acted irresponsibly in its handling of the whole shooting. Two people were murdered in a dorm and the killer hadn’t been found yet; this alone should have prompted a complete lock down of the university. Just because the murders in West AJ looked like a “domestic violence” case does not justify neglecting to inform the student body that there was a murderer on the loose. Appealing a measly $55,000 from the Department of Education fine is in bad taste and makes the university look like it cares more about money and saving face than it does about the victims. While suing individual officials is a bit excessive, the university as an entity is, in my opinion, still culpable.
Reader: Of course the university is going to fight every charge, it is expected to protect its assets from lawsuits and fines that are unfair or untrue. I do not give my money to the university so that it can hand it over to the government with both hands anytime the government makes noises. The amount matters less than the precedents potentially being set.
Boulder hits I-81 CODY OWENS news reporter PAUL KURLAK / SPPS
Jared Brumfield, a freshman political science and animal and poultry science major, is the LGBTA Pride Week coordinator.
Pride Week events Tuesday, April 3 8 p.m., Squires Colonial Hall Movie, “Gun Hill Road”
Thursday, April 5 8 p.m., Squires Colonial Hall Open Mic Night
Wednesday, April 4 7 p.m., Haymarket Theater Speaker, Ruthie Alcaide from “Real World: Hawaii”
Friday, April 6 8 p.m. to midnight, Squires Old Dominion Ballroom Pride Week Dance, music by DJ Mandibles
Drivers on I-81 were stuck between a rock and a busy place yesterday afternoon. At 11 a.m., blasting caused a large boulder to land on the interstate. There was no traffic on the road because each day, Monday through Friday, traffic between mile markers 120 and 125 in Montgomery County is detoured onto Route 460 due to construction on a truck lane. The interstate is usually reopened in the afternoon. However, conditions were unfavorable along the five-mile stretch yesterday. At 1:52 p.m., the Virginia Department of Transportation announced that a dump truck crashed into the rear of a tractor trailer near the intersection of Route 460 and Route 633. Normally, traffic would be
redirected back onto the interstate, but because of the boulder on the road, it could not be. “We had two things out of the ordinary — we had a boulder and we had an accident on the detour route,” said Jason Bond, VDOT communication representative of the Salem district. As a result, cars continued to be redirected onto the detour route, which was stopped. Traffic went to a standstill for nearly 20 minutes. “It was not a good day,” Bond said. “Traffic was backed up on the interstate because the detour route was backed up, and we had the detour in place longer than usual because there was a boulder in the road.” The detour route remained in effect until the construction team could break up the boulder on the road. I-81 reopened at about 4:20 p.m.
crimeblotter date
time
offense
location
status
3/30/2012
10:45-9:00 a.m.
Larceny of money/Fraud
Dietrick Hall
Active
3/30/2012
8:00 p.m.
Simple Assault
Dietrick Hall
Active
3/30/2012
8:02 p.m.
Possession of Marijuana
Cranwell Parking Lot
Arrested
3/30/2012
10:42 p.m.
Simple Assault
War Memorial Gym Active
3/31/2012
12:25 a.m.
Underage possession of alcohol x4
Vawter Hall
Student Conduct
3/31/2012
12:59 a.m.
Appear intoxicated in public
Vawter Hall
Arrested
3/31/2012
1:36 a.m.
Underage possession of alcohol
Pritchard Hall
Student Conduct
3/31/2012
2:20 a.m.
Underage possession of alcohol
Pritchard Hall
Student Conduct
3/31/2012
9:36 p.m.
Possession of controlled substance/Drug paraphernalia
Slusher Wing
Arrested
3/31/2012
10:10 p.m.
Underage possession of alcohol
Pritchard Hall
Student Conduct
3/31/2012
11:17 p.m.
Underage possession of alcohol
Outside Torgersen
Student Conduct
4/01/2012
5:28 a.m.
Vandalism/Destruction of Property
Cochrane Hall
Inactive
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arrestees
Kyle Malec, 18
Ignacio Gomez, 20
Matthew Laxdal, 19
opinions
editors: scott masselli, sean simons opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
april 3, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES
First lady’s address goes beyond politics
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
I
t’s not everyday you get her predecessors. For the most to meet a president — or, part, it seems she has been for that matter, the first lady. supporting her husband, raisThis will become a reality for ing her children and taking Virginia Tech students during the initiative to encourage the the class of 2012 graduation nation’s youth to slim down. Of ceremony. course, Republicans can disThere is always a small risk agree with how she tries to in selecting a politician — or acheive this last goal, but I in this case his spouse — as a think there are more important commencement speaker. There things to worry about. will be a mixed crowd, and surely some have noticed that two Democrats I am the treasurer of the and no Republicans are addressing the Virginia Tech College Republigraduating Hokies. cans, and I frequently disagree But that arbitrary, partisan with our president, but I will groan should end quickly once we always respect him ... The remember that we same goes for the first lady.” had the pleasure of hosting Gov. Bob McDonnell as a commencement speaker two years ago. Those who think the first Unfortunately, though, it lady is unfit to preside over won’t. People have already graduation aren’t worth begun whining. To make mat- acknowledging. Michelle ters worse, the safety and com- Obama’s remarkable career fort of anonymity provided began long before she met her by the Internet has embold- husband. ened even those who would There are also some who never openly oppose Michelle have questioned her motives, Obama’s presence in Lane with the most salient example Stadium. being the casual observance I am the treasurer of the that Virginia is likely to be a College Republicans at Tech, contested state in the general and I frequently disagree with election. our president, but I will always There may be some legitimarespect him, understand the cy to this, but I highly doubt we difficulty of his job and never will see campaign signs, hear doubt that his actions are crowds chanting “yes we can” inspired by the best of inten- or be asked to contribute to the tions. The same goes for the campaign. first lady. Michelle Obama has done I know that sentiment makes commencement speeches some conservatives cringe, before, and those audiences and while I’ll happily argue can attest to the fact that she is with a few friends who may a wonderful speaker. be more harsh on the presiI typically roll my eyes when dent, I will take any soul who I hear tacky, pointless calls for opposes Michelle Obama’s visit bipartisanship, but I’m willless seriously. ing to risk my skepticism and There are times when political indulge in the cliche. While differences need to be known Tech holds a plethora of people — this isn’t one of them. I high- with varying political ideas, ly doubt that those who have it has a chance to stand out expressed their antipathy to the as a school that emphasizes first lady’s commencement of community over everything graduation were making phone else. calls and knocking on doors Let’s show Michelle Obama for conservative candidates what the acoustics of Lane when we needed them. If active Stadium have to offer when Republicans like myself can be filled with enthusiastic students thrilled that Michelle Obama is and alumni. Just remember, if visiting us, everyone can. you decide to boo our first lady, First ladies have typically been you’ll be a special embarrassimmune to the harsh world ment to the Tech community, of politics. There are a few and even active Republicans exceptions, but usually those like myself will inch away from wives have inserted them- you. selves into the partisan fray by promoting their spouse’s JOHN LANGLEY agendas. -regular columnist Michelle Obama has certainly been active, but she hasn’t been -senior nearly as divisive as some of -political science major
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MCT CAMPUS
Groupon’s stock risks increase T
he saying “all publicity is good publicity” may be true in some situations, but when it comes to the stock market, bad publicity can mean the end of a company. If a publically traded business loses its shareholders and funding, it is left crippled and unable to execute normal business actions. When this occurs at the end of a business’s life cycle, it usually is not a widely publicized event. When it happens to a large and popular company that seemed to be stable, it is all anyone in the business world can talk about. As the world becomes more technological, companies have to take advantage of new ways to do business. Amazon and eBay are examples of companies that have already capitalized on this, and new online companies are sprouting up every day. One company in particular had a billiondollar idea, but it faces an exploding market and unsure prospects. Groupon is a website where users can pay money to spend less. When a user logs on to the site, they can scan through the company’s daily deals, and if they see a Groupon for something they are interested in —such as a restaurant meal or an activity — they pay the discounted amount and redeem the Groupon at the location they choose. For example, suppose you see a Groupon for Cook-Out and are craving one of its shakes. You buy the Groupon for let’s say $5 — you can bring it to Cook-Out and redeem it there for a credit of $10. It is a genius idea, and the company rocketed in popularity from the second it began operations. This boom caused the company to quickly devise a strategy to become a pub-
lically traded institution and released its initial public offering, or IPO, in early November 2011 — roughly three years after its start. The IPO was discussed on many financial news shows not only because it was a huge step for a quickly blossoming company, but also because it was the second largest IPO for an Internet service in the United States since Google. After adjustments, the final figure was estimated at $700 million. There was huge demand for Groupon shares and all signs were pointing up. But as can be seen throughout history, the stock market works in mysterious ways. The months following an IPO are extremely volatile for a company. Investors might see the share price of Microsoft drop 5 percent and not be troubled by it because Microsoft is a seasoned company. But if a company has not proven its stability and sees its prices drop, investors could very well yank their money out in fear, which would only exacerbate the price drop. This is precisely what happened to Groupon. After Groupon went public, its share price plummeted by almost 50 percent that month and is yet to recover to its original starting price — this was not exactly the start it had in mind. In addition, the company has recently reported that it missed its projected profits for this quarter by a substantial amount. And now — the cherry on the sourtasting cake — inspections have found that there are some improper accounting practices occurring in Groupon’s money records. I am convinced that in the coming weeks, we will see a
strong reaction from investors to these developments that will hurt Groupon. The Nasdaq site states that the market attitude toward Groupon stock is bullish with positive investor interest, but my personal view is the exact opposite. I see Groupon as a company that is trying to expand too quickly without a stable foundation. These events are by no means a certain death sentence for the company, but it is immensely important for Groupon to straighten out its accounting and business actions, or else the company could fail. Groupon must find ways to reach its quarterly projections to instill confidence in more investors so it can receive more funding. The company must also comply with accounting laws. More than anything, this could really drive Groupon into the ground. As consumerism shifts to the Internet, more of these companies that pride themselves on convenience and efficiency will be created. With their formation will come IPOs. Even if the IPOs are drummed up to be a great possibility for investors, I urge the investors out there to take a closer look at the company and its framework before putting money into it. As for my personal investing, I have never given into the urge of investing in an IPO for an Internet company. The skeptic in me believes it is just too flimsy a business to get involved in, and these recent developments with Groupon only reinforce that mindset.
DAVID LEVITT -regular columnist -sophomore -economics major
Students stand to benefit from Affordable Care Act L
ast week, while visiting Washington, D.C., I had the chance to meet and hear from the people defending President Obama’s health care law outside the United States Supreme Court. After about 10 minutes, I met a man not much older than me who, when he was in college, was diagnosed with a chronic lung disease. He was uninsured and didn’t qualify for Medicaid, so after his diagnosis he frantically tried to find health insurance, but because he had a pre-existing condition, he was denied coverage by every insurance company he approached. Insurance companies simply refused to help him. My new friend realized firsthand the importance of health care reform, which is why he was outside the Supreme Court making his voice heard.
Only a few years ago he was a college student like me who hadn’t even thought about health care and its relevance to his life. In an instant, that all changed. That conversation put President Obama’s health care reform law into perspective. The truth is, young people stand to benefit from everything in this landmark legislation. First and foremost, the president’s health reforms let people stay on their parents’ plans until they turn 26. This means college students don’t have to worry about what will happen if they get sick right out of college and won’t have to settle for a job because it offers insurance. People have the freedom to start a business, get another degree or take an internship without worrying about how
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they’ll pay for care if they get sick. Secondly, all insurance plans must now cover preventive services like counseling and cancer screenings for free, with no co-pay or deductible. This is important for young people, because a $40 co-pay can make the difference between whether they see a doctor for a screening or checkup. And of course, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. That means the man I met outside the Supreme Court can rest easy knowing he won’t be denied coverage when he needs it most. The law also eliminates lifetime caps, which place limits on the amount of benefits buyers can receive. The effect of the policy is people don’t have to worry about running
out of insurance benefits if something unexpected and terrible happens — like a car accident or cancer. After all, that’s what health insurance is for. Even provisions that don’t immediately affect young people prove to be important. The law strengthens Medicare, which means our parents and grandparents will be taken care of. And Medicare will be there for us when we get old. The debate over health reform was long and hard fought. Many of us stopped paying attention, assuming whatever passed wouldn’t help us. I myself was one of those people — before this week, I had no idea about how much the law helps people like me. The Supreme Court might overturn important elements of the law, which would be a huge blow to
our generation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.5 million more young adults already have health insurance thanks to the new health care law. By 2014, it will provide quality, affordable health coverage to more than 12 million young people. And that’s just the beginning. Opponents of the law should explain why they want to kick young people off their parents’ insurance, why they want us to have to pay for essential preventative care and why the man I met in Washington last week should be denied health care once again.
ANDREW WHITLEY -guest columnist -freshman -political science major
we’re YOUR newspaper. send a letter to the editor and express your views. send an email to opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.
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april 3, 2012
GUMBY’S
PIZZA & WINGS
Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Your world is steadily expanding. Educational adventures draw you in, enticing you with new languages and cultures. Your global network widens, too, as circles connect. Career keeps you hopping until June, when focus shifts to community. Love is the constant thread. Weave it.
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Week ending March 30, 2012
Top tracks
( ) Last week’s ranking in top five
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Boyfriend • Justin Bieber We are Young (Feat. Janelle Moneae) • Fun
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Somebody That I Used to Know • Gotye
(5) 3
Wild Ones (Feat. Sia) • Flo Rida
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Call Me Maybe • Carly Rae Jepson
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tomorrow’s paper for:
Unscramble the letters to solve the category “Zelda!” Have a set of words you want to see in puzzles section? Email your lists to ctadsproduction@gmail.com.
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PIZZA & WINGS
MEDIUM PIZZA
sports Offseason shifts rock baseball
editors: matt jones, zach mariner
april 3, 2012
COLLEGIATETIMES
sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
t’s been an offseason of change in Major League Baseball. Albert Pujols is an Angel, Magic Johnson owns the Dodgers and the Marlins aren’t a laughingstock any more. It’s safe to say things haven’t been quiet this winter. There’s also the addition of another wild card team to consider, ensuring that this season will be unlike any from before. One thing that certainly won’t be changing is the prominence of the American League East. Between the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Rays and even the Blue Jays, all eyes will be on the division from Opening Day onward. New York certainly looked poised to retain its grip on first place, as it bolstered its pitching staff in the offseason with the additions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda. However, with questions emerging about Pineda’s increased weight and decreased velocity, the team put him on the disabled list to start the year, and its rotation is now that much weaker. Although one might expect the Red Sox to take advantage and step in to take the division crown with their high-powered offense, their pitchers have had similar concerns. The team has been forced to turn to former Oakland pitcher Andrew Bailey to take over at closer with Jonathan Papelbon’s departure, but his health may also already be in jeopardy. With former set-up man Daniel Bard determined to join the rotation as a starter, the team will have to depend on players like Alfredo Alceves, who was also slated to be a starter, to bolster the bullpen. The team that seems best poised to fill the void left by New York and Boston is undoubtedly Tampa Bay. The Rays had a great rotation last year, but most league observers believe they will get even better as star prospect Matt Moore joins the staff. Moore only pitched in a few games last season, but scouts drool over his talent, as he already has three pitches that can be deadly at the major league level. All three teams may very well make the playoffs this year, and their continued excellence is certainly one reason the postseason has expanded. But the performance of these three squads will have a ripple effect throughout the league.
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The AL West will be one place where there’s been a huge amount of change that will feel the effects of the AL East race. The Rangers have made it to the World Series and have lost in agonizing fashion two years in a row, but they should be watched. Star closer Neftali Feliz is looking to make the leap to the starting rotation, while Yu Darvish will be forced to justify his big contract, as the team hopes Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli can each repeat last year’s stellar performance at the plate. However, the Angels have attracted the most attention in the division. After trying and failing to sign big stars over the past few years, they finally connected, locking up Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to gigantic deals. Accordingly, expectations have never been higher for the team, but it’s not without its problems. Closer Jordan Walden wracks up a lot of saves, but not without making the team’s fans sweat first. Beyond Pujols, Howie Kendrick and the recovering Kendrys Morales don’t have a lot of offense. The AL Central is another division that attracted a lot of attention over the offseason. The Tigers made the biggest splash, as they signed Prince Fielder to form a potent middle-of-thelineup threat alongside Miguel Cabrera. The concern is with the team’s infield defense. Fielder and Cabrera may be able to smack the ball out of the park, but when it comes to fielding grounders, neither are particularly adept. Young teams like the Indians and the Royals would stand to benefit the most from their struggles, and while they each have their share of young hitters, their pitching will most likely ensure they won’t be competitive until next year. Things are a little quieter in the National League. Most of the exciting talent that changed hands this offseason headed to the AL, but many of the divisions are still tightly contested. The NL Central is home to the Cardinals, the defending champions. But since they lost Pujols, few seem to be taking them seriously. They will certainly miss his power in the lineup, but with Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday and David Freese, they should still have plenty of hitting. The return
of Adam Wainwright from injury should also help them retain their hold on the division. However, the Brewers and the Reds will certainly challenge them. Milwaukee’s top of the rotation — with Yovani Gallardo, Zach Greinke and Shaun Marcum — is as talented as any in the league, while Cincinnati’s Joey Votto could very well have another MVP-caliber year. In the league’s West division, a pair of excellent pitching staffs should also provide a tight race. The Giants are renowned for the brilliance of starters like Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, but they may be hamstrung by a lackluster offense. By comparison, Arizona’s staff had a breakout year last season, highlighted by the emergence of Ian Kennedy. The team recently added Trevor Cahill to bolster its pitching, and if Justin Upton is ready to take the leap to being a truly elite player, it could easily take the division once again. The NL East should be equally as competitive as its AL counterparts. The Phillies have won the division the last several years, and while they have a powerful rotation, injuries to prominent hitters like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley could cause them problems. The Braves would hope to exploit this weakness with their collection of young arms, but they’re having injury issues of their own, as they hope to get one more year out of Chipper Jones before his body completely falls apart. Surprisingly enough, the Nationals may benefit most from Philadelphia’s decline, as Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann will pair with a strong bullpen to make this Washington team the best it’s been. Perhaps Washington’s potential rise to prominence is the best indication that this will be an unusual season, as the thought of it being in playoff contention was unthinkable just a year or two ago. Suffice it to say that if change really is a good thing, this baseball season won’t disappoint.
ALEX KOMA -sports reporter -sophomore -communication major -@krazykoma
MCT CAMPUS
(Top) Free agents Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson signed with the Angels this offseason. Young hurlers Stephen Strasburg (bottom left) and Matt Moore (bottom right) are ready for their first full seasons in the majors.
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“Gas Stations” 1) Hess 2) Exxon 3) BP 4) Chevron 5) Shell 6) Sunoco 7) Valero 8) Sheetz
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Lesson 11: What are my risks? Want to feature your favorite DJ? Send their name, music style, next show, and why they play to studybreakcms@gmail.com. Featured every Friday!
Aries (March 21-April 19) Coast to victory (even if you don’t feel like it anymore). Finishing the job satis ies and leaves space for exciting new projects. Celebrate with dinner.
Cancer (June 22-July 22) The routine you’re practicing gets enhanced by the rules you already know. Your self-discipline is respected. Don’t lirt quite yet. Study a while longer.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Things are getting busy. For the next month, as Venus enters Gemini, you immerse yourself in study and research. Imagine the project as completed and a great success.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) An assumption gets challenged. You have tons of moneymaking ideas. Keep an eye on the numbers. For the next month, group activities go well. Go for clear, direct action.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) Make household decisions for the next two days. In general, folks are on your side. Find what you seek close to home. For the next month, you’re looking good.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Go ahead and toot your own horn! Work on your portfolio. You’re entering two especially con ident days. For the next month, advance your career. Get further than expected.
Send your information and a photo to the Collegiate Times at studybreak@collegemedia.com to make an announcement.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) The road ahead may be muddy. Check out the map, and follow up on details and strategy. Check supplies and equipment. For the next month, travel beckons. Don’t get sidetracked. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You’re entering a two-day sociable phase. Friends want to play. Extra paperwork leads to extra pro its. For the forseeable future, it’s easier to save money. Go on out. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Your duties may keep you from social events. You might as well bring love and fun to your work. It’s going to be easier to compromise for a while.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Work is more fun now. Don’t fall for a con or throw money down a hole. Improve ef iciency. Pay bills. Let a partner take the lead. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Work gets in the way of romance now, but more opportunities for love abound for the rest of the month. Bring productivity to new levels. Opposites attract. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Your partnerships develop and bring positive changes. De initely choose love over money. Relax and enjoy both. There’s a lucky break.
I am set to graduate in May and was recently cited for an alcohol offense. Will I still graduate?
ANSWER: All sanctions can be applied to graduating seniors, including suspension and dismissal. The outcome depends on the nature of the incident, your own conduct history, and your plans for moving forward. Are there situations or events that may put me at higher risk as summer approaches?
ANSWER: Yes! Here is a short list of situations that bring students to our office in the spring: Spring Game, Cinco de Mayo, Quadfest, warm weather and day drinking, outdoor drinking games, drinking on the river, Bar Golf, wine tastings, senior day, post-finals “celebrations.”
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editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy
april 3, 2012
featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
COLLEGIATETIMES
Indie pop trio’s second record falls short T
he name Miike Snow conjures up an image of a lone singer on a stage, with nothing but a guitar and his voice. But Miike Snow is nothing of the sort — it is actually a Swedish indie pop trio, and none of the band members’ names resemble anything close to Miike or Snow. “Happy to You” is the group’s second record. However, its musical achievements date back much further. Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, the Swedish production duo behind Miike Snow, have brandished top hits for artists such as Brittney Spears and Madonna. Andrew Wyatt, the vocalist of Miike Snow, has studied music at a classical conservatory and been in other groups, including The A.M. The group draws from diverse musical backgrounds — this contributes to its expansive sound, but sometimes makes the record feel overly flashy. Miike Snow is trying to avoid the classic sophomore slump with “Happy to You.” Its debut album was well received by critics and even more emphatically by fans, so this was no easy obstacle to overcome.
“The Wave” is the second pianoled song and one of the album’s singles, which shows off Wyatt’s voice in a memorable chorus of ohs and ahs. “Vase” starts off with a beat that sounds like something Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids came up with before the synthesizers finally arrive behind Wyatt’s poignant voice. The album begins to teeter off around this point in memorability and excitement — the whole project feels a bit frontloaded. Still, there are other good songs like “Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)” and the last track “Paddling Out” intermixed with the rest of the album. The tail end of the album doesn’t have that many bad songs, but rather, forgettable ones. The lyrics on the album are genuinely sub par. They seem misguided and try to incorporate too much in one song. The lyrics for “Pretender” say, “I didn’t wanna wake up / but then I felt your touch / now I notice that I drink too much / and the turning of the universe oh-ah!” This sounds like a line that a prepubescent male teenager wrote in all his angst while managing to slip in some end rhyme. “Archipelago” states, The lyrics on the album are “The blanket and the sheets, the leaves the gardener genuinely sub par. They rakes are articles of faith.” seem misguided and try to The lyrics rely too heavily on rhyming and often incorporate too much in one feel void of any meaning or and instead, come song.” feeling, off as being just scraped together. “Happy to You” is not a The album takes what the group bad or even mediocre record, and did well on its last album and tries at times seems fresh and invigoratto improve upon it. The overall ing. sound of the record follows less of The album just falls a bit short a formula than the first. in ingenuity, as the band does not This album does not move too make any progressive or overly far away from the last record musi- original sounds and has some quescally, but it drops a lot of syn- tionably bad lyrics. Overall, the thesizers for the sake of piano. It album has its good and bad spots, seems as if this album traded out but it is worth a listen for pop making hit singles like the debut music fans. album’s “Animal” for a more extensive sound. JACOB WILBANKS The record starts off with “Enter The Joker’s Lair,” which has a synth -features staff writer intro before Wyatt’s vocals come in -sophomore -communication major followed by soft drums.
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you might also like: “Manners” by Passion Pit This electropop outfit from Massachusetts creates some of the most synth-infused and likable music out there. Lead singer Michael Angelakos created the first songs as a Valentine’s Day gift for his then-girlfriend. The single “Sleepyhead” is one of the most insanely catchy songs of the last five years.
“Mia Pharaoh” by Miniature Tigers Miniature Tigers are an indie pop group that formed in Phoenix, Ariz. They make light-hearted and playful music and never take themselves too seriously. The group combines guitar, keyboards and synthesizers to create an appealing sound.
april 3, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES
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International Street Fair PHOTOS BY CJ YUNGER
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A melting pot 1. Ruby Kamara-Johnson, a student at Virginia Tech, performs a bellydance with Hill and Veil. 2. Multiple ags hang from a booth at the 53rd International Street Fair. 3. Kahoirul Muslim adds sauce to beef and chicken satay for the Indonesian booth. 4. A women poses for a picture with a costumed character from Saudi Arabia. 5. Prince Dwamena, a senior biology major, DJ’s for the Caribbean Student Organization.
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april 3, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES
arts & entertainment
editors: chelsea gunter, patrick murphy featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
Tech alumnus sets sights on rap career, launches mixtape ERIC AVISSAR features staff writer Less than five months after the release of his first major mixtape “Caviar Dreams,” local rapper and former Virginia Tech student Killa J made the next major step forward in his career today, releasing his new mixtape “A1.” According to Killa J’s manager and Tech senior Matt Folkemer, “Caviar Dreams” has been downloaded almost 20,000 times. The buzz for “A1” had launched before the release with a promotional video on WorldStarHipHop.com that already has more than 50,000 views. After recording “Caviar Dreams” in North Carolina, Killa J, whose real name is Kenneth Harkness, made five
trips with his production team to Baltimore to record “A1” in WrightWay Studios. The opportunity to record in the studio
Baltimore, Killa J’s team went to great lengths to produce the mixtape. They would leave Blacksburg at 9 p.m. on a Friday, arrive in Baltimore at about I listen to the beat, get a 2 a.m. and only sleep feel for it, sit back and get from 7 a.m. to 10 in my zone. Then I just have a.m. Each studio session lasted from noon to to make it my best. My midnight. Immediately attitude is like, ‘How can I after the session, it was to head home so kill this and make everyone time those who had work the following mornlike it.’” Killa J ing could arrive on Virginia Tech alumnus, rapper time. With 18 tracks on “A1,” Killa J built upon emerged out of relationships previous connections while built with rappers Sean Hayz making new ones to assemble and Los, who has recently a number of established rappers signed with Diddy’s Bad Boy who are featured, including Los, Records. Phile Ade, Crooked I, Sean Hayz In the process of com- and Rockie Fresh. Killa J was muting from Blacksburg to also determined to make several
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i mprove m e nt s on “A1,” compared to “Caviar Dreams.” “There are better beats, better sound quality, lyrics and features. I really think I stepped up the flow as well,” Killa J said. As Killa J continues to tirelessly promote his name, others have taken notice. On HotNewHipHop. com, he has upgraded his artist status from “up - an d - c om ing” to “mainstream.” As a result, he is now able to track all of his numbers on the site in terms of views and downloads. Currently, his page on the site has more than 115,000 views. COURTESY OF KILLA J “When it comes Killa J’s second mixtape “A1,” a follow-up to “Caviar Dreams,” is being released today. to promoting, we really tried to build connections on ‘Caviar it without being signed,” Killa J well.” Dreams’ and then build from said. While Killa J said he there,” Folkemer said. “Staying independent, then get- intends to move to either “We already had a relation- ting on when you’re really on, California or Atlanta, he ship with DatPiff.com and when you’re considered one of is still living in Blacksburg HotNewHipHop.com.” the big names of hip-hop, then until the end of the semesAs part of his creative process, that’s when it’s time to look to get ter and has two local concerts Killa J said he would listen to signed.” planned. a beat, then generate lyrics for In the days leading to the release On April 21, he will be perit. of “A1,” Killa J and Folkemer forming at O’s Lounge for “I listen to the beat, get a feel were anxious. However, the spring football game after for it, sit back and get in my Folkemer said those who party. He also plans to perform zone,” Killa J said. “Then I just listened to the mixtape before during Quadfest at Radford have to make it the best. My its release each had a differ- University. attitude is like, ‘How can I kill ent favorite song — making As he continues to promote his this and make everyone like the men feel confident in its music, Killa J has also already it?’” success. begun work on his next mixtape. While Killa J continues to “Sometimes when you come “When you’re rapping, you gain fans and recognition, out with a mixtape, you know clock in when you start, and he still stresses the impor- that one track everyone is going clock out when you retire,” he tance of remaining patient to be bumpin’. I don’t want that,” said. when seeking a record deal, Killa J said. “Once you start, you just keep pointing to the recent suc“If everyone has a favor- going and going — you don’t cesses of Wiz Khalifa and ite, then it’s undoubtedly the get to sleep. I can’t rememMac Miller biding their best. If everyone has a favorite ber the last time I had a good time. song, then that tells me some- night’s sleep. Pulling all“I was never focused on get- thing is missing on the oth- nighters are easy now, they’re ting signed, because you can do ers, and they weren’t made as expected.”