Friday, September 7, 2012 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Friday, September 7, 2012

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

COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 9 News, page 2

Tech to honor life of Toni Morrison

People & Clubs, page 4

news staff writer

Th is fall, Virginia Tech will celebrate the life and work of American novelist, editor and professor Toni Morrison. Morrison has written s e v e r a l a w a r d winning n o v e l s , c h i l d r e n ’s b o o k s MORRISONand plays, and she has been gaining awards for her work for over three decades. She will be welcomed alongside other greats including Maya Angelou, Joanne Gabbin and many others — including Tech’s own poet and professor, Nikki Giovanni. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 16, in the Burruss Hall auditorium from 7-9 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Morrison will speak alongside other noted writers, musical acts, political speaker, and university officials. Tickets are free, but because the turnout is expected to be quite high, they will be required for

Study Break, page 6

Transforming art

lthough the Hokie Bird is and always will be Virginia Tech’s most beloved mascot, the stilt walkers from Tron Nation BY EMMA GODDARD| features editor make for a close second. By the time football season and Gobblerfest have rolled around, everyone — even freshman — are well acquainted with Iron Techtron (originally Hokietron), which towers over the school’s students. Like something out of a Transformers movie, the appearances made by these tall characters, are widely accepted in the Blacksburg community. Owned and created in 2008 by Jesse Johnson, a Tech alumnus who majored in studio art, Techtron still remains highly active at various events. “[When people first saw it] they didn’t know what it was,” Johnson said with a laugh. “They were either scared or took pictures.” After working at Hard Rock Park as a stilt walker and having taken a junk art class in school, Johnson brought the idea to Tech. Now, Johnson works alongside friend David Youngs, a senior hospitality and tourism management major. Youngs is currently Tron Nation’s manager. Youngs said the two met while working at The Inn at Virginia Tech a few years ago, and have since worked together to keep this phenomenon growing. Johnson recalls Youngs’ first time on stilts, saying how his fellow Hokie picked it up quickly. When Johnson initially created Techtron, Youngs said the first character was mostly bare with black as the primary color. They said they have since decided to “come back in black” this school year. Dressed in Tech colors or not, students can always expect to FILE 2011 / SPPS see these figures decked out

Tickets go on sale Monday, September 10 for event celebrating life of renowned author JONATHAN ROBERTS

Opinions, page 5

admittance. Tickets are available starting September 10, and will be available through the Student Center and Activities Ticket Office in Squires. A reception will precede the event in Pamplin Hall from 5-6 p.m., where Morrison and Angelou will be presented with a lifetime achievement award. Th is event is open to the public, and no ticket is required. “Morrison’s work is inspiring, brave, and memorable. I am looking forward to hearing her speak this semester,” said Molly Wagner, a senior marketing major. Other notable speakers include Pulitzer Prizewinning poet and United States Poet Laureate (1993-1995) Rita Dove. Dove was also the Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2004-2006. Tech President Charles Steger is also expected to speak in celebration of Morrison’s life and work at the event. Follow this writer on Twitter @JonRobertsMedia.

Tron Nation’s Samurai-Tron made an appearance at last year’s Gobblerfest, entertaining the audience.

Gobblerfest grows to giant proportions

see TECHTRON/ page four

Dive in with Scuba Club

Fourth annual event boasts record setting numbers for club and community participation MAX LEONG news staff writer

Today, students have the opportunity to see the campus in a new light during the fourth annual Gobblerfest. This year’s Gobblerfest runs from 4-8 p.m. on the Drillfield, as opposed to its usual downtown location. Gobblerfest co-coordinator Monica Hunter said recent exponential growth of attendance has made Gobblerfest too large for

The free food deﬁnitely got me interested, but I think getting out and seeing the entertainment with friends should be worthwhile too.” Nick Scyoc Freshman General Engineering downtown. The Drillfield is a main hub for campus activity, thus making the movement an obvious choice, according to Hunter. The College Avenue construction was also a deciding factor in holding the event on campus. The festival’s success in recent years can be attributed to vast participation by various Tech organiza-

tions, and has showcased campus life since it began in 2008. While that is still the main focus, it has since become an event centered around campus club representation and gathering the entire Blacksburg community. In its first year, Gobblerfest began as a collection of 100 tables, grew to 300 tables last year, and will boast 478 tables this year. In order to allow the organizations to refine their booth presentations, Hunter and other coordinators have moved the event to the second Friday of the semester, as opposed to opening week. “It’s a bonus that this occurs just before the Austin Peay football game,” Hunter said. Returning students, alumni, and community can enjoy a ferris wheel and mazes, a full lineup of the student performers, a men’s basketball team and a spirit rally. There will also be a barbeque and a “Men In Black III” screening to close the event. “The free food definitely got me interested, but I think getting out a nd seei ng t he enter t a i n ment with friends should be worthwhile too,” said Nick Scyoc, a freshman general engineering major.

COURTESY OF LEAH POTTS

Duff Robertson, an aerospace engineer and scuba club ofﬁcer graduating this December, explores the marine life with fellow members.

Current members have high hopes, helping others discover diving through a pool on Drillﬁeld today EMMA GODDARD features editor

More unique than a lanyard and more captivating than a beer cozie, students can try something new at Gobblerfest: scuba diving. Hoping others will be able to discover the same enthusiasm they feel, the members of Scuba Club at Virginia Tech are bringing diving to the public right on the Drillfield. Tonight at Gobblerfest, anyone who is interested will have the chance to test out the waters in an approximately 20-foot wide and four-foot deep, manmade pool in the middle of cam-

pus. Sanders said the club is working with the help of Nigel Harris, the assistant director of aquatics and instructional programs for Recreational Sports. Scott Sanders, an industry adviser and club alumnus, still works with the club today with a major passion for scuba diving. While he was in the MBA program at Tech, Sanders also started Avalon Dive Center with Tech student, David Whitehurst. “We invest so much time into this to change people’s lives with that first breath underwater,” Sanders said. “People can see it on TV, but until you put that regulator

on and that mask on, and are completely weightless in the water just like a fish ... you can’t imagine.” Sanders said Harris will be the certified pool operator to verify that it is safe, by overseeing the chemicals and monitoring the stability of the pool. In total, 20 people are volunteering for this event to keep things running smoothly. Four people will be available at the front of the setup talking to individuals who are interested in signing up for classes or newsletters. In addition, volunteers will run the classroom and registration portion while others will be in charge of setting up the equipment. After going through a classroom setup, signing

medical paperwork and having a quick briefing, students can get the equipment

“

We invest so much time into this to change people’s lives with that ﬁrst breath underwater.” Scott Sanders Co-owner and instructor at Avalon Dive Center

for their diving experience. Trying this diving experience will be free of charge and bathing suits will be available for those who aren’t dressed for the see SCUBA/ page four

news

september 7, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

editors: mallory noe-payne, victoria zigadlo newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

what you’re saying

Avoid traﬃc

On Boyer calls Obama to come to Tech

Anonymous: If the REALLY wants to

discuss Foreign Plicy, why not invite Hillary Clinton – Secretary of State??

headaches.

Michael: What about Condi Rice? She is way ahead of anyone on foreign policy.

2012: How about Bush? He was the greatest president our generation has seen.

Voldemort: He says at the end of the video

KNOW WHERE TO GO

to bring Biden, Hillary, Michelle, etc.

resident parking

On Brownstone Development

Nardo: If there is one, could a link to a

graphics page of the project be provided? Thanks.

move your car to one of these lots by 10:00p.m. the night before the game

Local Loves: Here's a link, check it out:

http://www.thebrownstoneblacksburg.com/ It's an extremely well designed facility, features parking and the residences are of great sizes and layouts. There are already large contiguous spaces committed both on the street level retail and the residences. One of the best features is the restoration of the old Annie Kay building which represents a great expression of local architecture from the early 20th century. Further, this ties in the street scape from the core of the downtown arts district to the municipal complex, Clay Court and the coming OBMS redevelopment...effectively connecting the two parts of downtown to become one. I hope the town approves this emphatically and unanimously. It's a great design that fits within our town scape.

The Cage Price Forks Road Road: Lot 6 Perry Street Garage Garage: Levels 2-5

bus schedule: game day shuttles begin three hours before the game and run two hours after normal bus schedule will be suspended for two hours after the game all buses will leave from Washington St. outside Cassel Colliseum

On Despite expansion, Hokie spirit remains unchanged

Shuttle P1 - Runs to oﬀ-campus parking lot at 520 Patrick Henry Road Shuttle P2 - Runs to oﬀ-campus parking lot at 3109 Prices Forks Road Michaela Reardon/Collegiate Times

Anonymous: Continued growth is not

a good thing. Sometimes having a limited capped size ensures that the best students get the best education. Constant growth eventually has to stop...eventually you run in to diminishing returns and yes you do impact the city the quaintness and the environment around you. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. There will be a limit at some point soon on what Tech can adequately sustain and on the quality of the graduate Tech produces. When does Tech become a Big 10 school where you are just a number? Has it already become that? I don't know but it sure feels like its pretty close... There needs to be balance and Tech's administrators have to walk the fine line between being accommodating to all qualified students and retaining that small college look, feel, culture and atmosphere. Once lost that is nearly impossible to recover.

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

8/31/2012

2:24pm - 2:30pm

Follow up to larceny of a bookbag and laptop computer

Torgersen Hall

Unfounded

9/3/2012

8:37pm

Follow up to aggravated assault

Washington Street

Active

9/3-4/2012

3pm - 9am

Follow up to burglary/Desruction of property/Commercial

Southgate Center

Unfounded

9/5/2012

5:30pm - 9:07pm

Larceny of an electric meter

Outside Owens Hall

Inactive

4/29/2012

n/a

Larceny/ Shoplifting

Dietrick Express

Inactive: reported by Student Conduct

4/29/2012

n/a

Larceny/ Shoplifting

Dietrick Express

Inactive: reported by Student Conduct

5/11/2012

n/a

Destruction of property

O’Shaughnessy Hall

Inactive: reported by Student Conduct

arrestees

editors: mallory noe-payne, victoria zigadlo newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

news

september 7, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Taking a bite into Blacksburg Gobbler Connect receives mixed reviews PRISCILLA ALVEREZ news reporter

COURTESY OF LAURA MATNEY

Krista Gallagher and Kris Schoels (above) compiled the best recipes seen and tasted around the area.

New Cookbook consists of popular recipes from Tech’s dining halls and Blacksburg’s restaurants MADELEINE GORDON features staff writer

In hopes of capturing the essence of Virginia Tech student dining, alumnae Krista Gallagher and Kris Schoels have recreated some of the best recipes from around campus. In their new cookbook, “A Taste Of Virginia Tech,” authors Gallagher and Schoels guide readers through the amazing food surrounding this university. From dining halls to downtown Blacksburg, Gallagher and Schoels have the favorites covered in the recently released book. With an acclaimed dining program, it’s understandable students and alumni would crave the food at Tech. For co-author Gallagher — a 2003 graduate with a Bachelor of Science in human nutrition, foods and exercise — this nostalgia for campus dining led her to the idea for a cookbook dedicated to Tech eats. “I started thinking about the university and missing all these amazing dishes that I just adored when I was in college — the soups from West End, London broil, mashed potatoes,” Gallagher said. “I found so much comfort in those when I was at school.” Gallagher began to wonder, “What makes the food at Virginia Tech so awesome?” Tech dining is special, Gallagher said, because most colleges’ food do not have a good reputation. “I just thought there was something really special about it, and then once I started doing some research, I realized that there was a real story behind t h e success of the food at Tech,” she said. At one point in her new project, Gallagher’s progress on the cookbook stalled. She enlisted the help of Schoels, a fellow Delta Delta Delta sorority sister and

and how the food community really developed at Tech,” Schoels said. 2005 graduate with a BS in “I think one of the coolest fashion merchandising. parts of the book for me was Although the two first the stories of the restauconnected as undergradu- rants and how the owners ates over a mutual love of ended up in Blacksburg. It Britney Spears, post-grad shows their passion for the they discovered they also community and the shared affinity for the food town.” at Tech. Gallagher and Schoels can “It’s been a really great attest to the fact the recipes partnership. We have defi- really do capture the essence nitely been on the same page of the food surroundthe entire time,” Schoels ing the campus, and are said. able to evoke fond memories “And now we are better of time spent in friends than we ever were at Blacksburg. “Everyone (who gave us the recipes) took such great care and paid so much The people and the attention to detail that passion behind these you really can recreate them at home,” Schoels dishes are what said. Their book was an off makes them work.” and on project beginning Krista Gallagher in 2007, but was finally finished in April of Co-author of “A Taste of 2011 and released in August Virginia Tech” of 2012. For the authors, the book is a work of passion and worth every minschool.” ute and every ounce of their “A Taste of Virginia time and effort. Tech” features 80 reci“The people and the pes, including 15 from passion behind these dishes West End Market and five are what makes them work,” from the recently opened Gallagher said. Turner Place at Lavery Hall, According to Schoels, in addition to numerous the book is a way for recipes from Blacksburg both men and women to restaurants such as show how much Tech and Cabo Fish Taco and the Blacksburg commuGillie’s. nity meant to them. They The authors personal- also hope this book gives ly tested each recipe fea- readers an idea tured in the cookbook and of what it means made four research trips to be a Hokie. to Blacksburg to taste vari“I hope that this book ous foods. will be a great keepsake “I like to say we for people. It just gives you definitely ate our way one more reason to be proud t hrough Blacksburg,” of being a Hokie,” Gallagher Schoels said. said. In addition to recipes, Gallagher and Schoels will Gallagher and Schoels be signing copies of their included a collection of book today from noon essays with titles like “From to 2 p.m. at Turner Place Mystery Meat to Fresh and Saturday from 9 to 11 Maine Lobster,” which a.m. at the Volume 2 bookdetails the evolution of store. the dining hall experience Copies are available for at Tech. purchase at their appear“It’s not just recipes; the ances, as well as in the book also tells the stories of campus bookstore. the restaurants downtown

“

The Division of Student Affairs has launched a new digital organization system for campus clubs to mixed reviews. On May 4, Gobbler Connect became available to all student organizations on campus. Groups are able to gather all information in one place and submit forms electronically, whereas all previous exchanges involved paperwork. “One of the biggest issues that we have is student organizations that come in from year to year (saying), ‘I didn’t get anything passed on from last year’s officers, don’t know where to start, don’t know what to do,’” said Steve Burrell, assistant director for student organizations. ”We felt the functionality within this would be very helpful to our student organizations.” Right now, there are 477 student groups registered on Gobbler Connect. Organizations are required to fill out registration forms through the website, which has caused trouble for some. Carly Gallagher, treasurer of the Rock Climbing Club, had a difficult time setting up the club page for registration. “It was just frustrating. (The) way it was set up was very poorly done because there was almost no direction on what to do and how to go about registering for clubs or what the process was,” Gallagher said. In the future, re-registering will be a one-step process since most of the organizations will already be on the website, Burrell said. He will also be hosting

training sessions for student group leaders on how to manage Gobbler Connect. Ga l lag her bel ieves Gobbler Connect will be a good resource, but will not be used as frequently as expected by its designers. “I’m not sure that a lot of clubs are going to be very active in using it because most clubs already have Facebook pages and also websites and the Listserv that students are going to for information. This is kind of just tacking on one more thing,” Gallagher said. However, Burrell hopes the site will serve as a compliment to social media sites, whichorganizations are already using. According to him, student groups are now able to gather all information in one place and submit forms electronically without the hassle of paper forms, a service not available on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Burrell is most excited about organizations tracking their service hours on the site. Currently, Greek life is tracking their own hours in yearly reports, VT Engage is working with student groups to document hours and individual organizations are recording their own work. “If they track it in here, we’ll be able to report that this year we had 27,000 individual students that put in 1.3 million hours of community service. That’s not something we’ve ever been able to capture, so I hope that our student groups will utilize that,” Burrell said. In addition to helping students organize them-

selves, Gobbler Connect is formatted in a way intended to appeal to students by looking similar to other popular social media sites. Campus Labs, a company dedicated to improving connectivity on campuses, designed the website. They have brought this design to 300 other campuses in the country, customizing it to each campus life. “We want our student organizations to see the benefit of what they can do in one place managing their student organization,” Burrell said. If popularity rises, Burrell hopes faculty and administration will join Gobbler Connect in the future. Gobbler Connect could link all student organizations in one easy-to-use forum. But at present, it won’t. What appears to be poor beta testing alienates student groups from taking advantage of the service. Since its inception, it has been impossible for groups to reserve classrooms. Having a website that cannot do such a basic function defeats its purpose. It is also unclear how to do many of its other features, so groups will have a hard time tapping its full potential. Had the university tested the website more, these problems could have pre-emptively been fixed. Follow this writer Twitter @priscialva

people & clubs

spetember 7, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

editors: emma goodard, nick smirniotopoulos featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

Techtron: Group towers Paul Ryan on living at home from page one

in various recycled materials, casually sporting their all too well-known but humorous plastic derrieres. Currently, five characters exist, although only three of them are active. Tron Nation consists of mainly male and one female character, which Johnson says seems to be the most popular. Their most recent addition to the group was Mini-Tron. Still tall, Mini-Tron is not as intimidating as the rest. “I did a fashion show on campus [as the female character] and I tried to walk like a girl,” Johnson said. “It’s hard.” Although most of their performances occur on campus or in the Blacksburg area, both Johnson and Youngs have been hired to travel to numerous locations in the U.S. At $150 for an appearance, both men have visited different colleges like Louisiana State

University and Texas A&M University for football games. More recently, Johnson was called to New York City by a Tech alumnus to promote Encaff Energy Stix.

“

This big group started yelling at me and one (from the group) tackled me.” David Youngs Manager of Tron Nation

While the responses from the businesses and organizations they have performed for have been positive experiences, rival universities have not always been as appreciative. “Last year at a UNC game I was at a tailgate by myself,” Youngs said. “This big group started yelling at me and one

[from the group] tackled me.” But by contrast, Youngs said that Techtron has also received great feedback at football games from the opposing teams’ fans. He recalled a Tech-Alabama game where Johnson was pulled through a crowd of students to the front, where he was displayed on a large inflatable screen. Tron Nation has received media attention from the likes of ESPN, ESPNU and continues to see its popularity rise. To top off the excitement, they were recently voted fourth place in the Tailgate Kings competition according to www.bestcollegetailgate.com. The group is steadily rising to fame and will continue to represent the school they love through their appearances. Students will have the opportunity to meet some of the characters from Tron Nation at Gobblerfest later today.

Scuba: Club to make splash at festival from page one

Leah Potts, a sophomore at Tech and a Scuba Club member who recently became a divemaster, will also be present at the event to help out her fellow divers. Initially discovering diving as a junior in high school, Potts joined the club spring break of last year. After being at a low point There’s so much for some time, Sanders that they were able to diversity underewater said rev ita lize ever y t hing that people don’t see once Potts came on board. until they get down “It’s nice to see people there.” doing something you love,” Scott Sanders Potts said. Co-owner and instructor at According to Potts, once Avalon Dive Center others discover scuba and decide that they want to be certified, they can submit a by one or two instructors. deposit of $100 on site and Each student’s dive expe- will receive their books to rience will last approxi- study before attending their mately 15 to 20 minutes, first class. and the in-water experience Sanders said that five is planned to stop around classes are scheduled with 8 p.m. a maximum of ten people occasion. Sanders said this experience typically costs $175 when the club goes to the Florida Keys. Six participants will be able to be in the pool at one time, accompanied

“

per class. Once in the club, members will meet every two weeks and have a dinner together each semester. They can also participate in an underwater photo competition and will have the opportunity to go on trips to the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. They’ll experience the perks of diving by discovering different wrecks and reefs. “There’s so much diversity underwater that people don’t see until they get down there,” Sanders said. “Our motivation in leading the club and as dive professionals is to take somebody and lead them through that process of being confident and comfortable underwater. You literally change people’s lives.”

QUENTIN FOTTRELL mcclatchy newspapers

To Rep. Paul Ryan, college students forced to move back in with Mom and Dad are the poster children for the bad economy. But from a personal finance perspective, experts say returning home can be a triumph. “College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life, “ Ryan said at the Republican National Convention last week.

“

College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms.” Paul Ryan U.S. Congressman

It’s a growing trend: There are more adult Americans age 34 or younger sleeping in their childhood bedrooms now than at any other time in the past 30 years, studies show. Nearly one-quarter of those ages 20 to 34 were living at home between 2007 and 2009, up from 17 percent in 1980, according to a study released this month by Zhenchao Qian of Ohio State University. The rate is closer to onethird for 25- to 34-yearolds, says Kim Parker, the lead researcher on another recent survey, “The Boomerang Generation.” But just because more young adults are moving in with their parents doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Andi Cooper, 31, a communications specialist from Ridgeland, Miss. who recently moved in with

her parents, says people shouldn’t feel sorry for her. “I’m extremely happy,” she says. And she’s not alone. Some 78 percent of those surveyed in the Pew study say they’re satisfied with their living arrangements and 77 percent feel upbeat about their future finances. “If there’s supposed to be a stigma attached to living with Mom and Dad through one’s late 20s or early 30s, today’s boomerang generation didn’t get that memo,” Parker says. It may also be part of a larger cultural shift: People are also getting married later in life and f lying the coop later, Qian says. To be sure, many young adults are living with their parents strictly because of joblessness, low wages or high housing costs. About one-third of 25to 34-year-olds say they moved back or never left because of the economy, the Pew report found, up from 11 percent in 1980. But there’s a silver lining too. Nearly half of these young adults say they have paid rent to their parents instead of to some anonymous landlord, and 89 percent say they have helped with household expenses, the report found. And many college graduates in their 30s who still live at home to save money say they’re glad they avoided buying a home at the peak of the market. Cooper says she has a lot of friends who bought homes in their 30s, before 2008 — and are now unable to sell them because they have negative equity. Despite having a graduate degree in Wildlife Science and a well-paid job, she says she never even considered buying a house. “I definitely feel blessed to have dodged that bullet,” she says. Moving back in with one’s parents may even make

sense for those who can afford a place of their own, others say. “Living at home promotes saving,” says Sheldon Garon, a professor of history at Princeton University and author of “Beyond Our Means: Why America Spends While the World Saves.” He says it could help students pay off the $1 trillion they now owe in student loans. “There has been a stag-

“

I deﬁnitely feel blessed to have dodged hat bullet.” Andi Cooper Communications specialist

gering increase in student debt in the last few years,” Garon says. “It may make a lot of sense for young people to trim their costs.” On a personal note, college graduates also reap the benefits of having two mature roommates who can give them va luable adv ice about planning their future. Qian says this is a critical time for many young people. Case in point: Jennifer Marcus, 26, a public-relations executive and television blogger, works in New York and moved back to her childhood home in New Jersey last September. “They gave me emotional support after a really tough breakup,” she says. “I also switched jobs this year and my parents were monumental in helping me with that decision.”

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editors: josh higgins, bethany melson opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

opinions

september 7, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Our Views [staff editorial]

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff

Gobbler Connect has potential, needs more work Gobbler Connect could link all student organizations in one easy-to-use forum. But at present, it won’t. What appears to be poor beta testing alienates student groups from taking advantage of the service. Since its inception, it has been impossible for groups to reserve classrooms because HokieSpa does not rec-

ognize groups that are registered in Gobbler Connect. Having a website that cannot do such a basic function defeats its purpose. It is also unclear how to do many of its other features, so groups will have a hard time tapping its full potential. Had the university tested the website more, these problems could have pre-emptively been fi xed.

MCT CAMPUS

On: The Democratic National Convention

Editor in Chief: Michelle Sutherland Managing Editor: Nick Cafferky Design Editors: Andrea Ledesma, Alicia Tillman Public Editor: Erin Chapman Web Editor: Chelsea Gunter News Editors: Mallory Noe-Payne, Victoria Zigadlo News Reporters: Priscilla Alvarez, Cody Owens Features Editors: Emma Goddard, Nick Smirniotopoulos Special Section Editor: Cody Elliott Features Staff Writers: Ben Kim, Katie White, Kara Van Scoyc, Allie Sivak, Jacob Wilbanks Opinions Editors: Josh Higgins, Bethany Melson Sports Editors: Matt Jones, Zach Mariner Sports Writers: Brooks Aker, Eric Avissar, Zack Conway, David Cooper, Jacob Emert, Brian Marcolini, Danny Nokes, Adam Norman, James O’Hara Sports Reporters: Alex Koma, Mike Platania, Brooks Tiffany Special Sections Editors: Cody Elliot, Gina Patterson Copy Chief: Nora McGann Copy Editors: Mackenzie Fallon, Kristen Gunther, Allison Hedrick, Alexis Livingston, Kayleigh McKenzie, Kate Thornhill Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Ryan Francis Circulation Manager: Travis Neale Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Brad Klodowski

DNC failed to analyze DNC upheld unrealistic current state of politics and ‘out-of-touch’ goals The Democratic National Convention has been a fascinating spectacle of political intrigue and civic progression from the infamous platform scandal to its being the most diverse party convention in American history. Beyond this, however, the convention illustrates how both Democrats and Republicans view the failures of the president, with Republicans using public deception to make them worse and Democrats relieving the president of responsibility. The Republican Convention in Tampa last week left the Obama campaign in a state of wonder, as obvious lies and half-truths were poured from the mouths of supposedly rational politicians and into the ears of the American people. A peculiarly salient example of this is the claim Paul Ryan made during his acceptance speech for the vice presidential nomination when he said Obama was to blame for the United States losing its AAA credit rating. There is no doubt Obama deserves some blame regarding this embarrassing moment, but recall Standard & Poor’s specifically cited the failure of the American government to cooperate with itself as the cause of its downgrade. Another example of an obvious falsehood was Mitt Romney’s claim during his acceptance speech that “more Americans wake up in poverty than ever before.’” Though this statement rhetorically sounds powerful, factually it is devoid of any substance since the population of the United States is currently higher than ever before; the poverty rate is nowhere near a record high. In fact that poverty rate is 7.3 percent, lower than it was when these statistics were fi rst being measured in 1959. It is however, the highest it has been since 1993. I do not want to focus on the lies told by Republicans in Tampa or the defense Obama received in Charlotte by various speakers, but instead want to look at the real failures of this administration. Toward this end, Republicans generally blame Obama for failing to adequately establish policies that would lead to the swift recovery of the American economy, as well as pushing this nation further toward the repulsive chimera of “socialism.” In opposition to this, Democrats generally defend the president’s policies by saying they need more time to take effect and that Republicans have thwarted Obama’s most important policies. Both of these views are true in certain respects (the president is attempting to expand entitlement programs, which some can take

to be “socialistic,” while his policies do need more time to be fully judged), neither states the true failure of this administration: the inability to adequately calculate the state of American politics. Obama has attempted to govern under the mentality of rational cooperation in which his core doctrine of thought has been if he rationally discusses with his opponents, both parties could reach an equitable agreement. Th is belief was based on a view of American politics that what is in the national interest is what should prevail when governing, and that political opponents do not see each other as personal opponents. The president hoped congressional Republicans were reasonable, mature and patriotic citizens but his hope made him blind to the reality of what this new breed of Republican was. Instead, as Senator McConnell has said the Republican Party’s only interest has been the defeat of this president and not the best interest of the American people. When they should have been compromising with the president, they were fi libustering; when they should have been cooperating on ideas, they were thwarting free discussion; and when they should have been working in the best interests of the American people, they were working in the best interest of their presidential candidate. I do not believe the president ever dreamed congressional members would sacrifice the best interest of the American people in order to win a presidential election, yet this is exactly where he failed most as president. He did not predict a political party would be hijacked by delusional megalomaniacs and yet this is precisely what has happened. He did not predict that the speaker of the house would so indifferently destroy the possibility of reasonable governance in order to win an election, yet this is precisely what has happened. And he did not predict his personal shortcoming in analyzing the state of American politics would lead to his possible administrative failure, and yet this is precisely what has happened. Th is country desperately needs a strong voice of rational conservatism to be a strong nation and Obama’s greatest failure was in believing the Republican Party currently has such an ideology. JASON CAMPBELL -regular columnist -philosophy -senior

It is rather ironic when a political party likes to paint their opponent as someone who is out of touch, and then turns around in Charlotte, N.C. at the Democratic National Convention and present themselves eqaully as out of touch. What I expected to be a simple convention full of traditional Democratic talking points such as “Tax the rich,” “Everybody should drive electric cars” and “It’s all George Bush’s fault,” turned out to be, instead, an intensely colorful and chaotic fireworks display showing how the Democratic party has lost all touch with reality. First, I’ll point to the whole party platform debacle, which was easily the most entertaining part of the entire convention. Upon the writing and passage of the party platform, it was quickly discovered the Democrats left out any reference to God and made no recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. For clarity, I’m not arguing that religion — any religion — should directly dictate what the government does. The fact is, the American people are a very religious people. You’d think a simple mention of the word “God” to appeal to members of all faiths would be a move that would never be secondguessed in America. It makes sense, after all, when you’re trying to get people in this country to vote for you. It was when party members tried to amend the party plan that we realized this is how the Democratic Party truly wants to represent themselves. Additionally, I missed the memo that said Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was even up for debate. Even President Obama, whose support for Israel over the past three and a half years has been weak at best, said he believes Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. So then, why this omitted from the party platform? Democratic leaders can’t seem to adequately explain why this failed to make it into the party plan in the first place, while the rest of us are on the outside looking in, just scratching our heads. Then there’s the omission of God’s name. Now, everyone knows members of the Republican party tend to be more religious, or at least outspoken about the religion (typically Christian) they practice. However, aren’t the Democrats trying to get people to vote for their candidates in November, or are they fully aware of this circus they are putting on for the American people and simply don’t care? To remedy these two omissions, a motion was made on the floor of

the convention to amend the party plan. A two-thirds vote for the affirmative was required to amend the plan to include God and Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The vote was held not once, not twice, but three times until the chair ruled that, in his opinion, the “ayes” had it. But that’s not even the half of it. Upon watching the video of the vote, it is clear that the “ayes” did not have a two-thirds majority, and more than likely, didn’t even have 50 percent. The “nays” were clearly louder. Yes, America, this is the party that did not wish to include any reference to God in its party’s plan nor did it wish to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Not only did the delegation vote against it, they booed and hissed when the motion was accepted. Out of touch doesn’t even begin to explain this one. Don’t worry. The plot thickens This was the convention where the head of National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws proudly proclaimed that having free abortions on demand is the high point of the American dream. Huh? This was also the same convention where a law-student best known for demanding the government pay for her birth control — as if it’s the government’s responsibility to pay for her “fun” — is celebrated as some sort of American hero. What? Even more ridiculous, this was the convention where San Antonio mayor, Julian Castro, was able to mock free markets and call them “magical” to the tune of cheers ringing throughout the convention hall. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the Democratic Party most Americans are accustomed to. This is a party taking extreme positions on certain issues and calls it “patriotism.” They resort to telling lies and stoop down to name-calling just to try and get votes and call it “tolerance.” Before this convention, I thought the Democratic Party was out of touch with reality. Af ter t his convention, though, I’m beginning to wonder how the party was ever in touch with reality to begin with. MATTHEW HURT -regular columnist -political science -senior

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september 7, 2012

Regular Edition GET INSIDE THE GAME

Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Your people are your greatest resource, so celebrate them on this birthday. Your career is growing steadily this year. A writing or educational adventure may develop after October. Plan your priorities, and ask for what you want since you’re likely to get it.

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7 5

2 7 4 1 6 3

8 1 4

4 9 5

61 Overachievers, and a hint to a word that can precede both words of the starred answers 64 Odom of the Lakers 65 Pianist Gilels 66 Case for notions 67 Annapolis frosh 68 Smelling awful 69 “Look __, I’m Sandra Dee”: “Grease” song

6 2

8 4 6 7 5

Week ending September 7, 2012

By Nancy Salomon

ACROSS 1 Beat to a pulp 5 Dapper Dans 9 Very cold 14 Mental block buster 15 Guinness who played Obi-Wan 16 Memorable mission 17 *Sydney’s locale, familiarly 19 Bantu-speaking South Africans 20 Ain’t right?

Top Tracks We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together • Taylor Swift

(1) 1

One More Night • Maroon 5

(3) 2

Some Nights • fun.

(4) 3

Whistle • Flo Rida

(2) 4

Good Time • Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen

9/7/12 21 *Man, according to a longtime Desmond Morris best-seller 23 WWII bond designation 26 Mental block buster 27 Spoiled-rotten kids 29 Doggone 33 *Bluntly 37 Sun Devils’ sch. 38 Work like a dog 39 Clumsy dummy

40 Iditarod racer 41 “I’m with ya” 42 *Skip-over-ads button 46 Like porn 48 Very strange 49 Skyline-blurring phenomenon 51 One begins parallel parking in it 55 *Hosting squad 59 Lucy’s landlady 60 “It was you,” in a Verdi aria

DOWN 1 Big name in muffler replacement 2 Love to bits 3 Runoff collector 4 Memorable Alps crosser 5 Bleacher creature 6 Stale 7 Rounded hammer part 8 “Get outta here!” 9 Feasts one’s eyes on 10 Gave the slip 11 Tra-__ 12 “No need to wake me” 13 Two caplets, say 18 Wombs 22 Twisty-horned antelope 24 Droop 25 Cultural credo 28 Hillary’s department 30 Big shindig 31 Web browser 32 Emmy-winning newsman Roger

33 River of Hades 34 Take to the road, as a rock band 35 Philbin co-host 36 “I’m gonna make him an __ he can’t refuse” 40 Popular Dixie drink 42 Main movie 43 Wood-shaping tool 44 Rock in a seam 45 Transfix 47 What a treater picks up

50 Gung-ho 52 Suave Butler 53 Red Cross supply 54 Borden’s spokescow 55 “SOS!” 56 Like some vaccines 57 Play charades 58 NYC gallery 62 Bathtub booze 63 “Benevolent” fellow

Thursday’ s Puzzle Solved

9/6/12

WORDSEARCH: Hokie Football Recruits Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid. J

Q W

K W O

M Q

A W

M O

M N W

O W

D W

M H

JOSHUA STANFORD WOODY BROWN JARONTAY JONES MARK IRICK NIGEL WILLIAMS JOEL CALEB DEON CLARKE DAKOTA JACKSON DAVION TOOKES KEN EKANEM DAHMAN MCKINNON JACK WILLENBROCK TREY EDMONDS BRENDEN MOTLEY HOKIES RECRUITS FOOTBALL

W D

WORD BANK

GET INSIDE THE GAME WITH PITTSBURG - SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

editors: emma goodard, nick smirniotopoulos featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

people & clubs

september 7, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

he she

SAID

He said: Avoid passing gas in class

MARIAH JONES/COLLEGIATE TIMES

She said: Keep things the way they are To the kid in my Literature class whom I “met” at a party last Saturday: When we made awkward eye contact across the room — only to be unfortunately paired up as beer pong partners — I thought we could leave this whole uncomfortable business untouched ... but no. “You’re in one of my classes, aren’t you?” Oh God, you went there. “Yeah, I think I’ve seen you around.” The truth is, kid, we both know I haven’t just “seen you around.” You and I both know that we’ve been making that same awkward eye contact twice a week since freshman year. In that time, I’ve learned way more about you then I have ever cared to. I know you’re a hard-core Reddittor and you look at the same girl’s Facebook page every single day in class. I also know you were reading the Sparknotes for our Jane Eyre discussion last week — which, by the way, I find criminal.

I know you text your mom every morning at the same time, you have a particular fondness for the ABP asiago cheese breakfast sandwich, and you shop almost exclusively on eBay. I know that when you were a freshman, you wore the same white tennis shoes everywhere, but now you’ve matured and replaced them with the awful habit of leaving your shirt unbuttoned one button farther then acceptable. I’m guessing that’s because you’re particularly fond of your three manly chest hairs. I know you got a dog last semester when you started coming in covered in hair and looking at pictures of a big golden lab almost as much as you looked at that girl. I know you write terrible poetry, think 9:30 classes start at 9:39 and fall asleep whenever someone reads Shakespeare. And I KNOW you probably know just as many weird things about me — and that is totally fine. We had the perfect system worked out. You provided me

with more in-class entertainment over the years than I could have ever hoped for. But then you had to ruin it. Now the illusion is shattered. Now all I’m allowed to know is the stuff you’ve actually told me, like your name and that you want to be a high school teacher. Those are such boring things compared to the stuff I’d invented for you. All of my cool stories are useless now because you broke the primary rule. The first rule of weird classmates is you don’t talk about weird classmates. We’re supposed to go on judging the small details of each other’s lives without actually acknowledging each other’s existence. That first time you speak, the first time you admit to knowing me — that’s when it’s all over. It was nice knowing you while it lasted. VICTORIA ZIGADLO - news editor - senior - English major

I’ve always been a fan of people watching. Not in a stalker kind of way, but rather in a humorous, waiting-for-others-tofail kind of way. My experiences have consisted of being in the dining halls watching someone sit at a table surrounded by others— but somehow enthralled while listening to Korn — and hanging in the Peddrew-Yates archway my freshman year during snowy winter nights and cheering when people ate it down the death trap stairs by D2. I’ve always enjoyed the sport of sitting back and seeing how others operate. I’ve found however that the most satisfying place to people watch is in class. We’ve all been there before. There’s the shady looking guy sitting by the door, tense, waiting patiently for the professor to break in their talking, and he starts to get up. Then he sits back down when the steely eyes of a sixty-year-old business scholar scans his side of the room. He tenses again, then, as quietly as possible, grabs his bag and whisks out the door and off to Owens to beat the lunch rush or home for a rewarding midmorning nap. Sadly, I know I’ve been the watchee rather than the watcher before. The most embarrass-

Lifestyle & Community have a big announcement, selling things, need help?

ing moment of my life happened in front of 11 classmates and my elderly humanities professor. I’m not proud of what happened, and it remains a story of constant amusement among my roommates and close friends. It was a late afternoon class — the kind no one really wants to be in — on a Wednesday, when the subject matter is significantly less than stimulating. It’s not unusual for your eyes to begin to feel heavy and start to slip down. Unfortunately, on this day I was feeling a bit… well, gassy. I knew falling asleep would be a bad move. But once your eyes are already on the way south and there’s no caffeine around, there’s no stopping it. I fought it off for as long as I could, but eventually I lost the battle and fell soundly asleep at my desk in the middle of the room. It could’ve been one minute or it could have been forty — I’ll never know. I remember very clearly however, the exact moment I woke up. A sound like that of ripping paper awakened me from my slumber. My eyes shot open, but I managed to keep my head very still, leaning on my hand, not moving my body at all. Though I acted quickly and kept up the front of being sleepy and

uninterested, I felt my face become warm and red. The professor paused briefly from her lecture on Japanese religious beliefs, and my eyes met my roommate Jackson who, fortunately or not, sat next to me in this class. He gave me a quizzical look and mouthed the words, “Did you just fart?” I nonchalantly shook my head no and lazily pointed to my shoe. Satisfied, he returned to taking his notes. My eyes weren’t heavy the rest of class, my heart pounding beneath my shirt. As class ended I shot out the door, happy to be away from the eyes of my judging peers, and swore to myself that never again would I fall asleep in class. Though that promise has been broken since, I have continued to be an avid people-watcher — and watchee. I encourage you, whether you’re an average peoplewatcher or not, to take a stab at it and see what you can see. I promise you’ll laugh, chuckle and at the very least, be much more wary of falling asleep in class. JAMES HARRIS - featured columnist - senior - history major

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DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP THE COLLEGIATE TIMES TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Hold the position you’ve taken, but use your imagination and creativity to improve it and make it more fun and exciting. Your partner is enthralled. Be a perfectionist (or delegate to one).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You’re entering a two-day partnership phase. Behind the scenes work pays off. Fix something at home that’s broken. Don’t ask for favors now. Someone makes another brilliant discovery.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Defend your position; they’ll understand. It’s a good time for a get-together. Organize a group hike and get the exercise you need. Don’t take a inancial risk. Provide information.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- What are you waiting for? Now is the time to step out of your comfort zone and go for what you truly believe in. Set long-range goals over the next two days.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- See what you can do for others, but don’t overextend to the point that you forget to take care of yourself. Talk philosophy around the dinner table. Relax.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- An insider tip leads to a great bargain. It’s not a good time to gamble or travel. Something unusual is going on behind the scenes. Review your plans one more time, and then soar.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Be gracious to a jerk. Your theory is challenged. Hold on to what you’ve acquired, or it could slip away. A light touch works better. Query a person of many talents.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- More group effort is needed, or at least more creative thinking. Call for a brainstorming session. Provide value. Don’t expand too rapidly, especially without considering the costs.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Work challenges abound, and overcoming them leads to advancement and extra income. Consult experts. Take care of your health, too. Eat nutritional foods, take a walk and rest.

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Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- When you’re hot, you’re hot. Enjoy your time in the spotlight, but don’t burn any bridges. Avoid gossip about your job. Advance to the next level. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- You may be temporarily overwhelmed. There’s nothing wrong with being mellow for a couple of days. More pro its are headed your way, if you’re willing to wait. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Obligations could interfere with fun. Get the important things done quickly so that you can play with friends. Or have your friends help with chores while you have a good time together.

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september 7, 2012