Tuesday, April 10, 2012 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 44

News, page 2

Arts & Entertainment, page 5

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 6

Study Break, page 4

in the air BY NICK CAFFERKY | news editor

With the athletic department ready to build a new indoor practice facility in Stadium Woods, opponents are determined to keep the ecosystem intact

ising behind the East stands of Lane Stadium is a crowd that has seen every Virginia Tech football game. The crowd witnessed every battle in the history of the Hokies and the Fighting Gobblers. In fact, the crowd stood tall during every battle of America’s Revolutionary War. Now, the crowd of white oaks is watching the fight for its life. Over the last year, controversy regarding the Stadium Woods and a new athletic facility has caused heated discussion among students, faculty and just about everyone in the area. A proposed facility would offer Tech’s athletic department a boost, but result in the loss of some of the old trees. The athletic department is definitely building a new indoor practice facility that will cost between $15 million and $20 million — that much is known. However, the questions of when and where it will be built remain topics

of interest. Two dueling petitions are trying to sway public opinion against building the new facility on top of certain campus grounds. One hopes to keep the Stadium Woods intact. The other dislikes the alternative — building over the tennis courts and roller rink on Washington Street. A building that has been in the planning stages since 1998 will continue to languish in committee meetings and on the drawing board until the multifaceted debate is settled.

Why it’s needed Currently, all outdoor sports use Rector Fieldhouse as their indoor facility when weather doesn’t permit. The problem is it isn’t always open. Rector is first and foremost the home of the indoor track and field team, meaning the space is occupied by a giant track and inaccessible from winter break to right around St. Patrick’s Day. Not being able to practice indoors is

a problem for almost every program at Tech because Blacksburg’s weather usually necessitates indoor practice during those months. “Where we need a new indoor facility is in January and February when there’s an indoor track up,” said Shane Beamer, Virginia Tech football’s associate head coach. “That’s when you’d like to have it because there’s an indoor track in Rector Fieldhouse and Logan Thomas can’t get in there and throw routes if the weather’s bad. He can throw outside if the weather’s good, but if he needs to get inside and throw routes, or we need to kick or whatever it might be, we can’t do that because of the indoor track.” An indoor facility would alleviate that issue and give players 24-hour access year-round to a space where they can work, regardless of weather. But Thomas and the football team aren’t the only ones that stand to benefit from the new facility. see WOODS / page two

Some recent additions to Virginia Tech athletic programs 2002

2006

2007

Aug. 2009

Dec. 2009

South endzone addition

Addition of luxury suites to West endzone

Two large scoreboards to BurrowsBurleson Tennis Center

Hahn Hurst Basketball Practice Center

English Field indoor hitting facility

CJ YUNGER / SPPS

Shultz to set sail for ‘Titanic’ dinner All-day concert

to raise awareness

KARA VAN SCOYOC features staff writer Food for thought takes on a whole new meaning as dining services recreates a Titanic-themed meal complete with educational components to mark the end of Shultz dining center. Shultz will officially close at the end of the semester — the building will be overtaken by the Center for the Arts. But before its departure, dining services wanted to hold one last themed dinner. “For the last special meal at Shultz we want to go out with a bang,” said Luther Moseley, assistant director of Shultz. Planning for themed dinners starts as early as the summer, when dining services decides on the themes for the upcoming school year. “We wanted to come up with a theme that not only lends itself to the food, but also incorporates an educational aspect,” said Charles Morse, a chef at Shultz. Included on the menu for the dinner will be rack of lamb, stew, Shepherd’s pie, oysters and duck breast. “We are going to recreate the Titanic by doing a mix of all the different classes and the foods they ate on the Titanic,” Morse said. The lamb, oysters and duck represent dishes first class would have eaten, while the stew represents a traditional lower class meal. All of the different types of food will be available to everyone who pays for dinner. “For a theme dinner, the food is a little more expensive, but that’s because the food is of a higher quality,” Morse said. The meal will cost $4.85 on flex and $14.55 cash. “By having the class distinctions with the food, we have been able to balance the price because the lower class food uses cheaper cuts of meat,” Morse said. The Shultz crew has high hopes for the upcoming event. Nona Gabbert, the operations food production manager for Shultz, thinks the dinner will attract about 1,200 students. More than 500 people on

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ news staff writer

PAUL KURLAK / SPPS

Shultz will close at the end of this semester. The Titanic dinner will be its last themed food night. Facebook are “attending” the event. “We hope to win an award for the Titanic dinner like we have with past dinners,” Gabbert said. The National Association of College & University Food Services is a group that recognizes outstanding dining services on college campuses. In the past, Shultz won an award for a pirate-themed dinner and are trying to have a repeat performance with its Titanic night. To involve students across campus, all of the dining halls have facts about the Titanic that are part of a scavenger hunt. Students can participate in the scavenger hunt up until the day of the dinner, where they will turn in their answers for a chance to win a cruise dinner for two on Smith Mountain Lake. “We expect the Corps to fully support the event, but as always, we encourage the attendance of the general student population,” Moseley said. The themed foods are not the only historically accurate part of

the dinner. The timing of dinner — from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. — was chosen because that is when dinner on the Titanic was served. Additionally, there will be cutout stars with biographies of 100 people who were passengers on the ship. Clothing from the period will be displayed in the dining hall courtesy of the Virginia Tech fashion department. “We are about not only feeding your body, but also feeling your mind,” Moseley said. With past themed dinners, the themes permeated the outside of the dining hall as well, but due to construction, the team has been limited to just constructing displays inside the dining center. “We put a lot of effort into trying to do something over the top for the last meal at Shultz,” Morse said. The Corps’ orchestra, Encorps, will perform during the meal and a bugler will announce the start of dinner, just as was done on the Titanic.

“Everything we do is done by hand — we don’t just buy decorations and pull them out of a box,” Gabbert said. The event could be Shultz’s largest attended themed dinner, yet it will be its last. “Shultz has been a great place, but it’s a good time for Shultz to end with the new building coming,” Gabbert said. For Moseley, the move is going to be bittersweet. “Shultz has such a long history with the Corps, so it will be sad to see it go, but at the same time, opening the new building will offer a lot more variety to the students,” Morse said. As Shultz prepares to shut down, the dining services team has positive thoughts regarding the finale. “The general atmosphere we want is one of learning and of great food,” Moseley said. “I want those two things to be something every student walks away with.”

Local bar Top of the Stairs will be opening its doors to students Saturday for an all-day concert, serving as a fraternity’s philanthropy. The event, called Sudflood, is in its 22nd year and all proceeds will go toward Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropy Push America, an organization aimed to help people with disabilities. Push America was founded by Pi Kappa Phi in 1977 and has since helped several people with disabilities, regardless of age, in the nation. “Pi Kappa Phi is the only Greek organization to have successfully founded and successfully run over a long period of time its own philanthropy,” said Adam Phillips, director of marketing and public relations for Push America. There are about 160 active chapters of Pi Kappa Phi across the country. “The idea is that all those chapters will do Push America events on their own campus to raise funds, but just as importantly to raise awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities, bringing to light everything people with disabilities are and can do,” Phillips said. Sudflood is intended to raise awareness about the philanthropy. Six bands will be attending, including Carbon Leaf, which is headlining, Jake Troth, Always Morning, MELODIME, Ben G and Lloyd Dobler Effect. Carbon Leaf, MELODIME and Lloyd Dobler Effect performed at last year’s event. Alex Everline, coordinator of the event, said the goal is to raise at least $2,000. This event, however, does not bring as much money as its War of the Roses event in the fall, which brings in $5,000 to $6,000. It is a common event among

chapters in different universities, but, at Tech, it has contributed a considerable amount. Tech’s chapter has been recognized for raising money for the philanthropy. Phillips said it is in the top half of chapters. While most of the money goes to Push America, the organization still returns a percentage to each chapter. At the end of the year, 25 percent of every chapters’ fundraising is returned through the Circle of Giving grant, so they can give back to local organizations in their communities. The brothers at Tech have created a partnership with Pointe West Club located in Blacksburg, which focuses on helping adults with intellectual disabilities. The grants provided by Pi Kappa Phi have provided four picnic tables and have allowed them to build a garden area with a wheelchair accessible bed, according to Ben Herzog, Push America chairman for Pi Kappa Phi. These grants are available because of the amount of money the chapter fundraises throughout they year, one of which is the Sudflood concert. In the past, the concert has solely featured rock bands, but this is the first year there will be a rap artist. The price of the ticket for the 13-hour event is $17 and an extra $3 cover charge for people under 21. “It’s going to be a really great time. If you like music, you should come out and enjoy 13 hours of music all day,” Everline said.

event info When: Saturday, April 14 Where:Top of the Stairs Cost: $17 Bands: Carbon Leaf, Jake Troth, Always Morning, MELODIME, Ben G and Lloyd Dobler Effect

news

april 10, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Woods: Forest stands in way of new facility from page one

“This building will not only be used by football, but will be used by baseball and softball in January and February when the weather is inclement,” said Jim Weaver, Tech’s director of athletics. “They can go in there and have fielding practice and throw from the outfield. Lacrosse will also use it in preparation for spring season, and so will the soccer (teams).” For those teams, finding a way to practice when weather is not accommodating has been problematic. “Our whole schedule was set up based on the weather and anticipating snow days and difficult training days outside, as far as the cold goes,” said Chugger Adair, women’s soccer coach. During the winter, the women’s soccer team works out in War Memorial Gym, which is far from ideal. “They’ve been very gracious in letting us use their facilities,” Adair said. “But just having the ability to use the field turf (in an indoor facility) during that time in the months as opposed to a gym floor and having more space for the ability to play full-sided and having full training sessions — it’ll be huge for us.” January and February aren’t the only months when teams have issues sharing Rector, though. Even when the track isn’t permanently placed, it still isn’t an ideal facility because, like other sports, the track and field team needs to train year-round, which means having the track set up. When others need to use that space, the track has to be taken apart and stored. Tech’s indoor track is regarded as being one of the fastest and best in the nation, and any time it has to be taken apart, it deteriorates to some extent. “When you take up and store that track — take it down, store, it and then put it back up — over a period of time, the track itself gets worn down and you have to make repairs to it,” Weaver said. When the new fieldhouse is complete, Rector will become an exclusive indoor track building.

Impact on football recruiting While multiple teams will use the proposed fieldhouse, the football team will benefit most from the addition. Simply put, Rector is not large enough to be used for football — the

team cannot kick in Rector because the ceiling is too low — and both possible sites for the facility are centered around the current football practice fields. When finished, the facility will be a building coaches can show recruits, while attempting to lure them to play for the Hokies. “There are a lot of things that go into a decision for where (recruits) go to school,” Beamer said. “But facilities and the ‘wow’ factor when you’re able to step foot on campus and kind of see what else schools have to offer (is a big part of it). You want to make sure you have that ‘wow’ factor.” Rivals.com national football analyst Mike Farrell has seen that sentiment echoed throughout the nation. “In the arms race when it comes to facilities, more is better — bigger weight room, bigger player lounge, bigger football building, bigger locker rooms and more facilities you can show recruits,” Farrell said. In today’s competitive recruiting environment, no team wants to be at a disadvantage when it comes to enticing high school players to sign, especially when a rival is in the mix. Virginia will open its new indoor facility this fall, and the Hokies can’t afford to lose ground in the recruiting of stars from the Commonwealth.

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

The plan put forth by the athletic department has the ﬁeldhouse being built in the Stadium Woods behind the current football practice ﬁelds.

right next door to practice fields. Two years ago, the athletic department opened the Hahn-Hurst Basketball Practice Center, Tech’s state of the art basketball practice facility. A year later, the men’s basketball team had its first-ever top-15 ranked recruiting class. Coach Seth Greenberg attributes a fair share of the This is something a prosuccess to the new building. “The practice facility is a gram the caliber of Virginia huge component when we Tech should have ... They go get a kid on campus because it’s a special building,” to BCS games, they want Greenberg said. “I think the to win national champion- facility reflects the commitof the university, and ships. This is what the big- ment I think it’s huge. We have time schools have, so it’s a this building that says we’re serious about competing in must in that respect.” the ACC.” And considering Tech’s Mike Farrell football team is a more estabRivals.com national football analyst lished power than its basketball team, the new facility is well deserved. “It’s not just Virginia, but all of the “This is something a program the schools we compete against,” Beamer caliber of Virginia Tech should have,” said. “Nowadays, with the way Farrell said. “Some schools use a Virginia has recruited, with the great bubble over their regular field, and coaching and talent in the state, it’s that’s not nearly as attractive as an not just Virginia and Maryland we’re indoor facility. I just think Virginia recruiting against, it’s the Floridas of Tech wants to be big time — they the world, it’s the Alabamas of the go to BCS games, they want to win world.” national championships. This is what An example of the instant recruit- the big-time schools have, so it’s a ing boost a new facility can provide is must in that respect.”

“

As a coach that was previously South Carolina’s recruitment director in the highly competitive SEC, Beamer understands the importance of this progress. “When you think you’ve arrived — from a facilities standpoint — you’re getting passed, and fortunately, we have a great administration, with President (Charles) Steger and Jim Weaver, who understand the importance of these facilities,” Beamer said. “So whether it be a brand new locker room complex or stadium improvements, year to year, you’re always trying to improve. The indoor facility is the next step in that.”

Location There are two places the facility could be built — behind the current practice field in Stadium Woods or running parallel to Washington Street next to the basketball practice facility. The focus has been on Stadium Woods, and the athletic department sees it as the only viable option for several reasons, most of which revolve around it being contiguous with the football practice fields. The volatile weather in Blacksburg can turn a practice outside on a sunny day into a hailstorm in 10 minutes. “When you start a football practice, you don’t know if there’s going to be a storm coming up,” Weaver said. “So you need to be able to get from the

outdoor practice field to the indoor facility in a New York second, so you can beat the storm.” In those situations, the proximity of the facility isn’t just a necessity from a safety standpoint — NCAA rules on practice time give teams an incentive to keep training facilities close to one another. “The NCAA has rules that say you can’t have more than 20 hours of work a week,” Weaver said. “So we don’t need to spend 10 or 15 minutes walking to a fieldhouse and have football players outside in the middle of an electrical storm.” The facility would also act as a house for fans if a thunderstorm were to be severe enough to force an evacuation of Lane Stadium during a game. Stadium Woods is also near the locker rooms of not only the football team, but all of the Olympic sports at Tech. And many of those sports will use the complex. But over the past few months, community members who oppose cutting down a portion of Stadium Woods have become more vocal, gaining support to save the area, which has many trees that have been growing since before the Revolutionary War. In addition, seven classes in the forestry department, as well as classes in the wildlife and biology departments, use the woods for educational purposes, according to Seiler.

“I appreciate why they want it there,” said John Seiler, a professor in the forestry department. “I get it — I do. But all of the other schools (that build adjacent facilities) don’t have a 350-year-old forest next door.” Seiler has taken up the cause of trying to save the wooded area after researching the topic thoroughly and has become an expert on the topic. He says there isn’t any factual ground for the athletic department to stand on. “Debate-wise, we’re killing (proponents of cutting down part of Stadium Woods). Like, they’re losing every battle, every argument,” Seiler said. “But they get pummeled every Sunday morning when they lose a football game. These people have the thickest skin.” In hopes of resolving the issue, Tech created a committee in early February to hear both sides and form an educated recommendation. June 1 is the committee’s target date to release its findings. “We’ve been asked to do three things,” said John Randolph, an urban affairs planning professor who is heading the committee. “One is to look at the site, look at its historical, ecological value. Second, to look at the facility’s sitting and the impacts of the facility on that site and alternative sites. see WOODS / page ﬁve

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

opinions

april 10, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Our Views [staff editorial]

Stadium Woods debate: A question of value

tudents and faculty members are mounting opposition to a proposed indoor practice facility that would eliminate a portion of the Stadium Woods — a rare old-growth forest behind Lane Stadium. As the athletics department attempts to set plans for the facility, which would provide the football team and other Virginia Tech programs with a place to practice during inclement weather, it has encountered a strong pushback led by members of the university’s forestry department. The controversy can be seen many ways — athletics threatening education, environmentalism taking on endless expansion — but must ultimately be decided based on the value of the space to the university community. So what does the community stand to gain from the proposed facility? The new fieldhouse would be a state-of-theart indoor practice space for the Hokies football team and any other program that needed it during bad weather. Multiple other major football programs — including ACC rivals Florida State and Virginia — are either finishing similar facilities or building them right now. Tech’s facility would bolster the football program’s recruiting effort as Shane Beamer attempts to help the program his father built take the next step and win a national championship. Tech football’s giant revenue base should grow as a result of the improved facilities. The facility’s construction seems inevitable, but the question of where is still hotly contested. The value of the forest is decidedly harder to decipher, but will likely be the key factor in setting the location of the facility. Forestry experts have deemed the area’s white oaks — which date back several centuries — a cherished rarity for America’s East coast. The university’s forestry department uses the Stadium Woods for instructional purposes, and doesn’t want to take

a chance of losing the historic trees. Athletic officials say the facility would involve cutting down only about one-fifth of the trees, but forestry department faculty members leading the opposition movement estimate the facility would destroy or damage up to half of the forest’s old-growth oaks. But while that issue needs to be resolved before a final decision is made, the alternative location for the facility may present greater problems. The only other option that has been presented for the practice space would involve bulldozing the tennis courts and roller rink along Washington Street, next to the basketball practice facility. In addition to creating a potential eyesore adjacent to many of the campus residence halls, the athletic department’s plan B would almost certainly hinder the activities of more university students. Many students use the tennis courts, and the roller rink was just rebuilt after being demolished during construction of the basketball team’s practice facility. A relatively smaller number of students and faculty members utilize the Stadium Woods, and they should still be able to use the remaining portion of the forest. Meanwhile, if the woods’ supporters win, the entirety of the tennis courts and the roller rink would disappear. Certainly, if the facility is built in Stadium Woods, appropriate steps should be taken to ensure the survival of the maximum number of ancient white oaks. But it is difficult to see a better alternative to the facility’s proposed location. While the woods’ supporters are putting up a loud fight, the number of community members who regularly utilize or even occasionally appreciate the woods does not outweigh the clear and tangible benefits the new practice facility would provide to the university community as a whole. The editorial board is comprised of the editors of the Collegiate Times

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MCT CAMPUS

Ausan Al-Eryani featured columnist, junior, political science major

Romney’s foreign policy fails when viewed critically As

Mitt Romney consolidates his position as the Republican Party’s nominee in the 2012 presidential election, a look into his positions on various foreign policy issues highlight the enormous misguidance — some would say incompetence — a Romney presidency would entail. First, foreign policy matters. Should the American public choose the isolationist path advocated by the likes of Ron Paul, the American economy and indeed the American people themselves would cease to capitalize on the economic benefits of a more globalized world economy. There is a difference between engaging the world and overwhelming it. Paul seems to believe that any sort of interaction amounts to constitutional heresy. His policies should be swiftly dismissed as incompatible with the realities of the 21st century global order. Congressman Paul aside, presidential hopeful Romney presents a more interesting approach to foreign policy. Consider his recent statement that Russia is the United States’ “number one geopolitical foe.” Aside from sounding like presidential candidates 30 years ago, the former governor of Massachusetts appears to have forgotten about issues of cyber warfare, globalized terrorism and even the erratic nature of pariah states such as North Korea — all of which present much more direct challenges to American national security interests than Russia will in the foreseeable future. In response, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark stated, “surely one lesson of the 21st century is that America’s security in the world depends on making more friends and fewer enemies.” The good governor should remember that regardless of any of our personal dislike (to put it mildly) of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Moscow is critical in addressing issues such as winding down the war in Afghanistan and resolving other international conflicts, particularly because it holds a permanent seat on the powerful UN Security Council. Next, the Romney’s hawkish rhetoric against China is unrealistic. Though he carefully avoids stating he would start a trade war with Beijing, he has pledged to dub China a currency manipulator and present a much tougher stance against China’s trade practices — whatever that means. For such a businessoriented candidate, Romney’s comments are hypocritical. It is understandable to want to cater to voters who are keen to blindly embrace anything “anti-China,” but Romney’s remarks will simply have to be reversed — or flip-flopped — should he become president. He should take note that China, set to become the world’s top economy, will change its policies when it believes it is in its best interest to do so. Moreover, Romney should consider that the latest figures show U.S. goods and services trade with China total $390 billion. That China is also America’s banker, and that the U.S. is one of the most sued nations in the World Trade Organization, or WTO — an institution designed to actually settle international (trade) disputes — may be thought of as minor details to the Romney campaign. Shifting to the Middle East, Romney’s comments on President Barack Obama’s handling of Iran and Israel are particularly troubling. With Iran,

he has stated that the country poses “the greatest immediate threat to the world since the fall of the Soviet Union, and before that, Nazi Germany.” His critique that Obama has been too soft with Tehran and waited too long to impose economic sanctions ignore the enormously complicated nature of international diplomacy. Though it is not quite clear how Romney would noticeably diverge from the president’s approach on sanctions, he is willing to seriously entertain the notion of bombing Iran. Let’s be clear: Tehran’s nuclear ambitions are no longer a concoction of the present regime. In fact, whether the insanity of the ayatollahs continue to dominate Iranian politics, or the emergence of a genuine democracy in Tehran somehow comes to life tomorrow, Iran — unless convinced diplomatically — will acquire some sort of nuclear capabilities. Additionally, whether Romney believes the American people have an appetite for another war in the Middle East is up in the air. In regard to Israel, the presidential hopeful is absolutely wrong in his criticisms. He has argued that Obama “threw Israel under the bus by laying out his view of the policies he thought Israel should adopt in the peace process.” Notably, he denounces the president’s suggestion of a return to the 1967 borders as the basis for negotiations. In case Romney has forgotten, Obama’s position is virtually similar to his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, and his Democratic predecessor, Bill Clinton. The only real difference is that Obama said it out loud. God forbid the U.S. should be honest with our ally. Last, the good governor, like many of his neoconservative peers, continues to advocate for the expansion of the American military budget. In fact, Romney has called for an additional $30 billion in military spending. Yes, military power is important, but a reduction in our military expenditures is almost certain should the U.S. want to improve its fiscal health. Regarding Afghanistan, Romney believes we ought to bring our troops home “as soon as our generals think it’s OK.” Granted, our generals’ insight into our involvement in Afghanistan in particular is critical, but I would hope Romney has not forgotten that the U.S. is run under civilian — not military — rule. The American president is the commander-in-chief; he or she has the final say. Look no further than Obama’s handling of Osama bin Laden as proof that sometimes, the president chooses the better option. Above all, Romney presents an unimagnative and unfortunate approach to foreign policy matters. The bright side is that as the general election approaches and should he become the leader of the free world, evidence shows he will certainly change his position to fit his audience. He may not be as disastrous on foreign policy as the likes of Rick Santorum or Ron Paul, but that standard is unfortunately weak. Instead, Romney will have to challenge the foreign policy record of an incumbent who has scaled back two wars, promoted free trade around the world and rid us all of a truly evil coward. Here, Romney has a lot to prove.

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

arts & entertainment

april 10, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Woods: Location of fieldhouse remains uncertain from page two

And then third is to get perceptions of various stakeholders and constituencies that care about this issue from athletics to students, faculty and staff, and the community.” The committee is made up of 15 members, including members of the faculty, undergraduate students and members of the community at large. “Our job is really to recommend to the university what the next step should be,” Randolph said. “We are not a decision-making body, we’re kind of an advisory group.” However, some are worried the proper facts aren’t being used to make a final decision. Right now, the committee is going under the assumption that Stadium Woods is a 15-acre plot of land and the fieldhouse would take up two to three acres of that area. Seiler insists that the area is closer to 11 acres, and the idea the facility will only need two to three acres is a lie. “They keep saying they’re just going to lower this in and if there’s a tree (inches away), it won’t even hurt it,” he said. “Only God himself could lower a building down into these

woods and only take the trees in the footprint.” Seiler also suggested the athletic department is intentionally hiding the real number, which would include the plan beyond the actual facility. “They won’t give (the site plan) because they know it’s bigger,” he said. “But they know they can’t win if they say that. It’s crazy to think it won’t be bigger. It’s impossible not to be bigger.” More light should be shed on the topic later this month when the committee gets a report — from third-party consultant Biohabitats Incorporated — on the effects the construction will have on the peripheral area around the proposed facility. For those defending the woods, the power the athletic department wields makes this a hard battle to win. “They aren’t working very hard to find alternate sites because they usually get their way,” Seiler said. “Tom Gabbard (associate director of athletics for internal affairs) gets mad, saying ‘The only reason people are fighting this is because this is athletics.’ No. What’s going on is this is

getting so severe because it is athletics. If the town owned this land and said, ‘This is where we’re going to put the new library,’ this would have been over in November.” If the land were real estate though, it would be a very different discussion, as having trees that old significantly increases land value. Seiler said if it were for sale, not even the athletic department could afford the price tag.

demise of the tennis courts and the roller hockey rink on Washington Street. The area where the courts and rink sit is the only other spot where the facility could be in close proximity to the football practice fields. According to Tech’s future plans, it is where the facility is slated to go. However, three Tech clubs recently started a petition to combat the similar one to save Stadium Woods in hopes of saving the courts and rink. “I just want to raise Only God himself could awareness because a lot of lower a building down into people signing the petition have no idea of the negathese woods and only take tive impacts of the Virginia Tech students,” said Cory the trees in the footprint.” Bernhards, advisor for the roller hockey club at Tech. John Seiler Bernhards is worried professor in forestry department about being displaced — and knows the problems it causes — because it hap“If (the athletics department) had pened just a few years ago. Now to buy it — they don’t have to — a graduate student, Bernhards was they couldn’t even afford it,” Seiler an undergraduate when the club’s said. “It’s priceless as real estate just previous roller hockey rink was torn because of the size of the trees.” down to make way for the basketball If the facility is not built in Stadium practice facility. Woods, it would likely lead to the The rink that is now in danger

“

New Icelandic group deserves praise celand is no stranger to quality music acts. It is almost expected that anything imported from Iceland is going to be magnificent, thanks to artists like Sigur Ros and Bjork. Of Monsters and Men, an Icelandic sextet, recently released its debut album “My Head Is an Animal.” If the group keeps putting out music like this and continues to develop, it could soon find itself among the list of Iceland’s greats. The group members have an interesting claim to fame. They were the winners of a 2010 battle of the bands competition in Iceland known as the Musiktilraunir. From the subsequent heightened reputation, the group’s single “Little Talks” became a top 10 hit in Iceland. The group started to gain prominence in the U.S. after a radio station in Philadelphia began featuring “Little Talks” with heavy airplay. Anticipation for its debut album has only grown since. “My Head Is an Animal” was

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released this past September in Iceland, but just debuted in the United States. The American version of the album is a bit longer due to the inclusion of two additional tracks: “Mountain Sound” and “Slow and Steady.” The album is an excellent debut that features beautiful harmonies, acoustic and electric guitars, horns, as well as a multitude of other instruments. The unique sound the band creates stems from dual vocalists Nanna Hilmarsdottir and Ragnar Þorhallsson, who combine their voices into beautiful harmonies. The male-female vocal tandem keeps the record sounding new, and their voices compliment each other flawlessly. The band’s sound garners a lot of potential comparisons to other groups, but it has already crafted its own developed folk-pop sound. Of Monsters and Men’s sound features a lot of crescendos, singable lyrics and group harmonies. “My Head Is an Animal” is a remarkably strong debut album.

The album spent the week sitting in the No. 2 spot on the iTunes top albums chart, which is no small feat, especially for the first album of an Icelandic band. The band deserves the success and fame. This album will not disappoint, and the group’s sound has something for everyone to enjoy. “Dirty Paws” kicks off the album in a slow acoustic fashion and highlights the vocal harmony of the main singers, before launching into an upbeat song. “Little Talks” is a marvelous song, with horns and guitars that sound cheerful, while covering dark subject matter. Words really can’t describe the infectiousness of the song and how truly wonderful it is. “Love Love Love” is a slow simple song of acoustic guitar and a tambourine that shows off the soft voice of Hilmarsdottir. The lyrics on the album have a lot to do with nature and the sea, which seems fitting for a folk outfit from Iceland. The lyrics themselves don’t really shine on the album, but

rather how they are incorporated into the music and act as instruments themselves. The lyrics on “King and Lionheart” say, “And in the winter night sky ships are sailing, looking down on these bright blue city lights.” This is a good example of the lyrics’ theme, and they sound even better when the group members sing them. The album is a joy to listen to all the way through, and no songs feel like filler. Either one of the main singers could carry a group by themselves, but their combination is what really makes Of Monsters and Men shine. This is an incredibly accessible and fun debut for the group. “My Head Is an Animal” is a well-crafted record that is original and pleasing throughout.

JACOB WILBANKS -features staff writer -sophomore -communication major

Looking back, moving forward Although the new facility is still in the early stages of planning, the idea dates back to 1998 — just a few months into Weaver’s tenure as athletic director. “I came here in the fall of 1997 and President (Paul) Torgersen was the president at the time,” Weaver said, “and the first building I got permission from Dr. Torgersen to build was a new fieldhouse.” Weaver recognized it as a need in just his first few months on the job, but after getting a better feel for the

department, he realized there were more pressing issues that took precedent over the fieldhouse. “It became very apparent to me as I was here that first year that we needed other buildings that were far more of a necessity than we needed a fieldhouse,” Weaver said. “The football stadium needed expansion and needed work in terms of reserve maintenance on the East side, and we went ahead and built the South endzone and then the North endzone, put the Jumbotron up and then we did the West stadium.” Weaver has also renovated the athletics department itself and built a new basketball facility that opened in 2009. With those improvements complete, Weaver set his sights on completing the project he has been thinking about for almost 15 years — the fieldhouse. “We finally a year or so ago told Dr. Steger and people in the construction area of campus that we’re getting close to being ready to build that facility now that all of the other major facilities have been constructed,” he said. According to Weaver, the earliest they could break ground on the new facility is July 2013, which would probably have it complete by fall 2014. Because the fieldhouse would essentially be a giant shell, it wouldn’t take long to build, as there wouldn’t be much electrical wiring or plumbing needed in the structure.

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of demolition was just finished last year. “In the spring of 2008, our rink was torn down to make room for (the basketball) facility,” Bernhards said. “The athletic department promised us a new roller hockey rink would be built, but after two years of waiting, they rebuilt the tennis courts, but no roller hockey rink.” Preparing for the worst case scenario, Bernhards took action on behalf of his club and also the tennis players who use the adjacent courts. He went to the meeting for the Commision of Student Affairs on April 5 for a promise — should the worst come to fruition and force the players to leave their new space. “We want a replacement facility built before any demolition,” Bernhards said. “That way, it would ensure that students have a place to play tennis.”

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Lesson 12: Tolerance and Blood Alcohol Level

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I got a DUI a few weeks ago, but I really did not feel that impaired. Why didn't I feel drunk at a blood alcohol level (BAL) of 0.10? How can I calculate my BAL?

ANSWER: Because of tolerance. Tolerance Aries (March 21-April 19) Wrap up loose ends, sort out details, but wait on a inal decision. Flow in the direction of least resistance, one small step at a time. Have fun with friends.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Pluto will be in retrograde until September 18. Cancer could see transformation and change in the area of partnership and relationship. You’re emotionally balanced.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You begin a long period of expansion and career change. Imagine the unimaginable. Oh, the possibilities! Meditate for balance, and stick to practicalities.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pluto’s spending the next ive months in retrograde in your sign. You could see a big shake-up regarding how you see yourself, or how others see you. De ine your vision.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) New cards allow the game to shift. There are suddenly a variety of fresh options that weren’t available before. Enjoy your next move. Do a little victory dance.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) To err is human ... to forgive, divine. Let go of old perceptions that no longer serve, and invent new interpretations that empower. Keep it grounded with a future plan to inspire.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You’ve grown a greater awareness of what you love and where you’re going. A phase of renewal in community partnership opens for the next ive months. Blaze ahead.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You feel like you’re on top again, but don’t throw money away. Things are stirred up around material resources and possessions, in general. Friends share stability.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Keep smiling ...your fans are watching. Team projects go well, and cash low improves. You’re feeling more balanced, in general. List the positive side. Optimism wins.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A ive-month phase of destruction, upheaval and rebuilding begins in general. Find an answer in a dream. Get philosophical. Inspire courage.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Growth and development are unending. You’re drawn to exploration, meditation and vision quests. Follow your dreams: There’s no time to waste.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You’re gaining more freedom (and responsibility). A ive-month phase of renewal around communications begins. Avoid the ego labyrinth, and listen to feedback.

decreases perceptions of intoxication, while actual BAL is only slightly lower. The greater your tolerance, the less intoxicated you feel at higher and higher BALs. To estimate your BAL, you need to know how many standard drinks you had (1 drink = about one 12-oz beer, 4-oz of wine or a 1.25-oz shot). So track standard drinks, subtract the number of hours you have been drinking, and then multiple that by either 0.20 if you are a women or 0.17 if you are a man.

sports

april 10, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Rugby beats UVa for Commonwealth Shield BROOKS TIFFANY sports staff writer Rivalries are cornerstones of college athletics, with the ongoing Virginia Tech-University of Virginia battle being no exception. The two schools met again this past Saturday, as their men’s rugby teams dueled for the Commonwealth Shield — the Hokies took home the win, beating the Cavaliers, 24-22. The idea behind Commonwealth Shield stems from that of the Commonwealth Cup — a 4-foot trophy the Tech and UVa football teams compete for every year. “We wanted something to play for each year between these two universities,” said Tech ruby head coach Andy Richards. “We have a great rivalry going on here. They do it in football, and that was the idea — to have something tangible each year.” With last year’s inaugural match for the shield being cancelled due

to weather and perhaps serving as an omen for the dramatic battles to come, the two clubs were finally able to take the pitch this past Saturday under much better conditions and get the amped-up rivalry under way. With a large crowd on hand, Tech and UVa delivered an exciting match with a dramatic finish, befitting of the first matchup with the coveted Commonwealth Shield at stake. The Cavaliers struck quickly, scoring the first try and converting, to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Tech answered shortly after with a try of its own and also converted to tie the game up. However, UVa followed up with another try and converted, then tacked on a penalty kick to jump out to a 17-7 lead. Tech wouldn’t let it get too out of control though, as it responded with a try of its own but failed to convert, making it 17-12. The Cavaliers seemed intent on extending their lead just before

halftime, but an impressive defensive stand by the Hokies denied them and kept the deficit at five points at the break. The Hokies seemed to carry over the intensity of their pre-halftime defensive stand and came out firing with the wind at their backs. The script was flipped in the second half as the Hokies would strike quickly and seemed to dominate, nearly putting the game away as they built a lead of their own. But the Cavaliers would rally back to get within two as the clock was winding down. All was quiet as the Cavaliers had a chance to win the match with a penalty kick on the final play but failed to capitalize to the relief of the Hokies. Cheers erupted as the final whistle blew — the Hokies had hung on to win. “We really had a gut check this week,” Richards said. “And there’s a determination among these guys that’s going to take them through, and that was the difference at the

end really.” Though neither of these clubs are in the running to win the Atlantic Coast Rugby League at this point in the season, their passion for the game and desire to stand victorious over their rival with shield in hand was evident throughout the entirety of the match — a testament to the competitive spirit that is college rivalries and more specifically, Tech vs. UVa. “We’re not in the ACRL standings this year,” Richards said. “We’re not going to win the tournament, but we had something to play for today. People understand college rivalries, they understand rivalries in the ACC, and they understand the rivalry between UVa and Virginia Tech and where we get it from.” As the match ended, the Tech players charged the field and amassed in the center for a resounding VPI cheer, the coaches and team leaders expressing words of encouragement for a hard-earned victory. “They really, really deserved this,” Richards said. “We worked really hard. We’ve lost some close games by a point where we didn’t quite get over the finish line. It’s a great achievement, and it’s deserved because we worked really hard for it.” In the middle of the post-game STEVEN SILTON / SPPS celebration, team president Bill Senior team captain Matt Heitzer barrels over a UVa player during his Whalen spoke to the team of the team’s 24-22 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday in Blacksburg. key difference he saw in this match as opposed to those of past that saw Matt Heitzer, who had the honor of its fellow-football program, the Hokies fall just short. of hoisting the shield for the Tech which holds a commanding 13-3 “It’s like what coach said,” Whalen rugby team as it was his last match lead since its respective cup series said. “Those five minutes at the end against UVa. was introduced in 1996. of the first half when we didn’t let “It feels amazing,” Heitzer said. “It The junior varsity team, which up that try, when in any other game was such a tough game, to be able routed the Cavalier reserves 64-5, we would’ve. That’s what won us to come out on top and hoist up the will host Lord Fairfax Community this game, that intensity we brought shield is pretty special.” College this Saturday with a 2 p.m. when our backs were against the With the first engraving on the kick off on the upper Rec-Sports wall.” Commonwealth Shield going the field, while the varsity team closes An integral part of that inten- way of the Hokies, the Tech rugby out its season at Wake Forest on sity was team captain and senior team looks to echo the dominance Saturday, April 21, at 1 p.m.

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