Friday, September 14, 2012 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Friday, September 14, 2012 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 13 News, page 2

People & Clubs, page 6

SGA, GSA call for reevaluation of CSA MICHELLE SUTHERLAND editor-in-chief

At y e s t e r d a y ’s Commission on Student Affairs meeting, heads of the SGA and GSA challenged the student affairs governing system, citing inefficiency and lack of effective student voice as the primary concern. The commission agreed and

“

I agree in many ways that the CSA has not taken enough advantage of the shared governance system, has not perhaps spoken out as a commission as they could and should.” Ed Spencer Former VP of Student Affairs

formed a subcommittee to look into the situation further. The CSA is an intermediate step between student groups such as the SGA and the University Council, which is composed of students, faculty and staff and creates policy. Virginia Tech is the only university among its peer institutions to have an intermediate commission. Because of the intermediate step and the way the meetings line up, it takes a minimum of 12 weeks to pass any resolutions without discussion or academic breaks.

“That’s about half the time of my presidency to get one thing done,” said Dustin Dorph, president of the SGA and a senior civil engineering major. Last year, the only resolution the CSA passed was to downsize its membership. Dorph told the commission that bringing Greek Life to campus and having co-ed dorms in the 1990s was the result of a more efficient, stronger student voice, and he wants student governance to go back to that level of productivity. However, Ed Spencer, retired vice president of student affairs, does believe this necessarily makes the CSA dysfunctional. “I think Virginia Tech has made so much progress in some of these areas that I think we now are in a different era. But do I think there’s nothing to be addressed? Of course not,” he said. Spencer was not at the meeting, but has been involved with the CSA for decades. Members of the CSA generally agreed with Dorph, though. “(The CSA) is ineffective, it takes a while,” said Tyler Campbell, the class of 2013 representative and a returning member of the CSA. “I would like to continue this discussion.” Spencer also believes the CSA could have done more last year. “I agree in many ways that the CSA has not taken enough advantage of the shared governance system, has not perhaps spo-

Opinions, page 5

Study Break, page 8

on Thursdays, we wear

BRAD KLODOWSKI/ SPPS

Virginia Tech students celebrate their victory last fall in the Victoria’s Secret PINK Nation Collegiate Showdown with a grand-prize party on the Drillﬁeld BY SEAN WILLIAM HAYDEN | news staff writer

tudents lined up at the 5:30 p.m. opening of the PINK Takes Tech party quickly abandoned all order. What started as a massive line that stretched for hundreds yards dissolved into a massive dog-pile at the gates. Swarms of police officers attempted to tame the eager Hokie crowd. The event began with a few dozen students prizewinners let in as VIP’s to experience the games,

photo booth, concessions and pop-up truck. Those were in the right place at the right time were lucky enough to take pictures with the two Victoria’s Secret models, Elsa Hosk and Jessica Hart. Matt Montgomery, a sophomore marketing major, was even luckier. “Luckily I found one of the PINK dogs which got me into the VIP group. I came primarily because see CONCERT / page seven

see CSA / page 10

Blacksburg organization brings food to hungry mouths KATIE WHITE features staff writer

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, more than 31 million children across the United States receive free or reduced price lunches each day. There are numerous organizations across the nation that work either directly or indirectly to end the dangers of childhood hunger; in Blacksburg there's Micah’s Backpack Program. The Montgomery County Public School System served 9,771 students from 2011 to 2012, according to the Virginia Department of Education’s School Nutrition Program. Of those 9,771 total students, 3,023 were eligible for free lunches and 708 for reduced lunches. That means 3,731 students, or 38.18 percent of the total, were eligible for free or reduced lunches. Public schools, non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions all operate with the USDA’s National School Lunch Program. During the 2011 fiscal year alone, more than $11.1 billion dollars were spent to provide these lunches and after-school snacks over the country. But providing a nutritious and balanced meal during the school day is only alleviating part of the childhood hunger problem. There are still the weekends and those summer months children spend out of school — and consequently — without free or reduced lunches. The USDA runs a Summer KEVIN DICKEL/ SPPS Food Service Program, but in see BACKPACK/ page 10 Maxwell Connor Douglas-Hansen, a volunteer for Micah’s Backpack, inventories bags of food products. Volunteers pack bags with canned goods and other food products every Thursday at St. Michael’s Church.

news

september 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Team’s creativity to take flight

CJ YUNGER / SPPS

Rob Grimm, Jordan Powers, Brian Lusher and Nick Pera stand in front of their ﬂugtag craft outside of the Pi Kappa Alpha house, happily awaiting their shot at Red Bull’s Flugtag competition in Philadelphia.

Virginia Tech ‘Duct! and Cover!’ team hopes to make impression on fans with homemade glider SARA LEPLEY features staff writer

Only at Red Bull’s Flugtag competition could a giant roll of Duct Tape being pushed off a pier be cheered on by thousands of adoring fans. On September 15, “Duct! and Cover!,” a team of five Virginia Tech students, will be one of 40 teams participating in the Flugtag competition in Philadelphia. The team includes seniors Brian Lusher, Nick Pera, Robert Grimms and alumnus Matt Cook. Flugtag is a competition put on by Red Bull in which teams of five, launch homemade gliders off a 30-foot pier in hopes that it will fly. Most creations immediately crash into the water below, but the focus is more on creativity than on aviation. Lusher, the designer behind Duct and Cover, first attended a competition when he was 15

years old. Inspired by the huge crowd and unique individual crafts, Lusher knew one day he would compete. “Every team went with a different approach,” Lusher said. “It wasn’t like an engineering competition where everything has to be specific. It’s kind of left up to your creativity, as well as trying to make something that actually flies.” The design for the glider is inspired by the quintessential tool for a college student: duct tape. What looks like an enormous roll of duct tape is actually composed of cardboard and wood. The surface however, is covered in metallic, silver cloth and paint. But the duct tape does not end there. The team will be uniformed in duct tape-clad tank tops, shorts and even shoes. The costume should gain the team a few of the highly prized creativity points.

Additionally, Top Gun’s “Danger Zone” will play as the glider launches — a fitting accompaniment. “(After hearing ‘Danger Zone’) everyone is going to think ‘This is going to be awesome; this is actually going to fly,’ but really, it’s just going to plummet into the water,” Grimm said. “So there is a bit of irony.” Behind the fun creative component however, the team must exert a tremendous amount of money, time and energy. While entry is free, the boys will have had to accumulate over $800 for the creation of the glider and its ramp. Fortunately, fellow Hokies have chipped in. Fighting Gravity, a blacklight dance team, which appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” donated $500, enabling Duct and Cover to afford the necessary materials. All members of Fighting Gravity are both former and current Tech students, with a

few members on the Duct and Cover team. “It was defi nitely a huge help,” Lusher said. “I don’t think we could have done it otherwise.” The project has also required a large time commitment. From time spent building and designing the glider, to a recent trip to Lynchburg where the team picked up 12 1/2-foot poles, the boys have made great sacrifices. But seeing the glider launch will make it all worthwhile. “It’s been stressful, but at the same time really rewarding,” Grimm said. “Just starting off with a bunch of 2 X 4’s and a couple of screws, and now it’s starting to come together.” Three of the team members are aerospace engineering majors, which gives them an edge. So far they have incorporated their knowledge of the effect of shape on lift, as well as their knowledge of wing ribs and air foils. Due to time restrictions, they have not been able to make as many calculations as they would have liked, but are still excited to test what they have learned in the classroom. “That’s the whole purpose of education: to become an educated person and to apply your new knowledge to real world problems,” said Eric G. Paterson, head of the aerospace and ocean engineering department. Paterson fully supports students in employing their studies into competitions. “Virginia Tech students win competitions all the time,” Paterson said. “They’re doing great things.” For the team, the competition not only presents an opportunity to showcase its skills, but also a time to bond. “(We’re) just a bunch of guys hanging out, trying to be creative,” Pera said. “I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”

what you’re saying Walking the line: Replacing a legend isn’t easy

Pat: Just as an FYI, “Jersey Shore” still has one final season that will air this fall, so we’re not done with the guidos and guidettes just yet. Also, as you hinted at, one of the biggest reasons for the reality TV boom is the simple fact that it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to produce, which in this economy, is key. Aside from that, I can’t wait to keep reading this column! Good luck with this, Nick! Solid first entry. You’re not a History major, are you, Nick?: “I don’t know why, but people born

in Virginia unanimously hate the Garden State and treat it like America’s armpit regardless of if we’ve ever been there.” Might it be because the place is full of damnyankees? Just a thought.

HistoryBuff: No, it’s because beating up on West Virginia was too easy and just became sad. At least people from Jersey can fight back, with vocabulary and teeth.

Pink takes over Drillfield

Anonymous: The way this devalues women

and promotes hyper-sexuality as identity depresses me. Aren’t we beyond getting excited over people walking around in their underwear yet?

Anonymous: Gonna guess you weren’t complaining at the midnight showing of Magic Mike you probably went to. Notre Dame joins ACC in non-football sports

Irrelevant: Notre Dame football has been irrelevant for 10+ years. This does not help the ACC move up the ladder, in terms of football conferences. However, I cannot wait to have them visit Lane Stadium and beat the tar out of them. knute: ** oh , don’t stir up the ghost of Knute Rockne or else there could be trouble in hokieshmokie land.At least VT will be playing a real football game instead of scrimmaging a team ? like A-Peay.

Romney attacks Obama foreign policy at Va. WILLIAM DOUGLAS & LESLEY CLARK mcclatchy newspapers

FAIRFAX, Va. — Mitt Romney dialed back his sharp criticism of President Barack Obama’s handling of the crisis in the Middle East on Thursday, even as he widened his attack on Obama’s stewardship of foreign policy. Appearing at a campaign event in a key swing state, Romney sought to turn the focus back on the economy, broadening his criticism of Obama’s record to suggest a country adrift, saying that “as we watch the world today it seems we’re at the mercy of events instead of shaping events.” His remarks were in contrast to his rapid-fire attack on the administration’s handling of violent incidents at U.S. diplomatic posts in Egypt and Libya this week, which drew criticism even from members of his own party. Romney didn’t refer directly to Obama on Thursday as he mentioned the deaths of four Americans in Libya and pledged a “strong America.” “The Middle East needs

American leadership, and I intend to be a president that provides the leadership that America expects and will keep us admired throughout the world,” he said. He tried for a moment of silence for the four slain Americans, but he abandoned it after the enthusiastic audience kept cheering. Few Republicans had embraced Romney’s criticism of the White House’s response to a violent protest at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and what was believed at first to be a protest at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya — it turned out to be an attack — and fact checkers found fault with his assertions. He had seized on a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo hours before the demonstration to lambaste Obama, who already had distanced the administration from the embassy statement. The Romney campaign issued a press release suggesting that the administration sided with the attackers before it was known that the U.S. ambassador to Libya was among the dead. Critics on both sides of

the aisle said the comment was ill advised, calling it an attempt to score political points at a moment that required national unity. But if many Republicans weren’t with Romney on Wednesday, they were on Thursday, when they seemed to share in the GOP nominee’s broader critique of the president’s foreign policy. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., reiterated his complaint about the administration’s “feckless foreign policy.” Polls, however, have given Obama a considerable edge over Romney when it comes to national security, an advantage Democrats have sought to exploit by touting the end of the war in Iraq and the death of Osama bin Laden. Campaigning in Golden, Colo., Obama said he had delivered on promises to end the war in Iraq and wind down the war in Afghanistan. But the turmoil in the Middle East and footage of violent protests at U.S. embassies complicates his message, and Obama vowed to bring justice to those who contributed to the deaths of

the four Americans. “We see on our televisions that there are still threats in the world, and we’ve got to remain vigilant,” Obama said. “That’s why we have to be relentless in pursuing those who attacked us this week.” Political strategists suggest few voters cite foreign affairs as a motivating issue, and Romney sought to tie his remarks to the economy, where polls suggest Obama is weakest. His campaign released a new ad Thursday criticizing Obama’s record on manufacturing, asserting that hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost during his administration. The Obama campaign accused the Republicans of playing with the facts. It said the ad refers to job losses that occurred in the first months after Obama took office, and that manufacturers have added half a million jobs since January 2010. At his Virginia event, Romney’s warm-up speakers directed their remarks to jobs, small business and women, while Romney laced into Obama’s economic record.

Purchasing music no longer means ownership

Anonymous: You buy music online, why!? I

could see buying a lp to get that smooth retro sound but why in the world would ever buy .mp3 files. The joke is really on you for buying music to begin with. I own my digital music and I didn’t pay anything for it.

FYI, that makes you a thief: Good for you. You possess digital music you didn’t pay for. Pat yourself on the back all you want, you’re still a thief. Anonymous: I never claimed it didn’t, but I

own my music. I can transfer those files to as many of my devices as I want to.

CORRECTION In “Town Council Meets for Sept. 11,” (CT – Sept. 12) Blacksburg mayor Ron Rordam’s name was misspelled. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

crimeblotter date

time

offense

7/4-5/2012 2:30pm - 5:30am Follow-up to vandalism to fence

location

status

I-Lot (Construction Inactive Site)

7/3-4/2012

6:30pm - 5:30am

Follow-up to vandalism/Entering property with intent to damage

Smithfield Road Inactive (Construction Site)

9/5-11/2012

12pm - 2pm

Burglary/Larceny of prescription medication

Agnew Hall

Active

9/12/2012

10:56am

Harassing phone calls

Southgate Center

Active

9/12/2012

11am - 12:20pm

Larceny of computer

Newman Library

Active

9/7/2012

5pm - 8pm

Larceny of book bag and contents

Drillfield

Active

9/12/2012

6:30pm - 8pm

Burglary/Larceny of computer

Harper Hall

Active

8/25/2012

9:20pm

Underage possession of alcohol x4

Ambler Johnston Hall

Inactive: Reported by Student Conduct

8/29/2012

9am

Forgery/Fraud

Eggleston Hall

Inactive: Reported by Student Conduct

arrestees

september 14, 2012

news

september 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Tech DNA researchers receive $1M grant CODY OWENS news staff writer

Virginia Tech researchers are working on how to design made-to-order DNA molecules — and have received nearly $1 million to do so. The university recently received a three-year, $999,531 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research into the field of custom DNA synthesis and fabrication. The funds are from the NSF’s CREATIV, or Creative Research Awards for Transformative Interdisciplinary Ventures, grant mechanism. CREATIV grants are awarded to encourage cross-disciplinary projects within the sciences to increase discoveries that might be missed through traditional approaches. To that end, the Tech laboratory which received the grant is using methods from industrial engineering and biology to optimize the current process of DNA fabrication. The research team is composed of Jean Peccoud, an associate professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI), Jaime Camelio and Kimberly Ellis, both of whom are associate

professors of industrial and systems engineering within the College of Engineering. The interdisciplinary project combines the scientists’ fields of molecular biology, genetics, manufacturing systems, and production. DNA fabrication is the process of designing and building synthetic biological systems for custom purposes. Research being done in the area includes looking at how microorganisms can be designed and used for industrial purposes on a mass scale. DNA fabrication has the potential for medical, biology and industrial applications. However, according to Tiffany Trent, communications coordinator for VBI, the research looks more at optimizing current laboratory processes rather than making a product. “The point here is more in…streamlining a process because there are so many problems with the process as it stands now that makes it extremely costly,” said Trent. “What his lab is trying to do is make it much more lowcost, much easier to do and make an infrastructure that is usable across the board.” The researchers are opti-

mistic about the gains of the project. In a VBI press release, Camelio said that the research will allow students to gain experience in disciplines other than that which they are studying. “Th is project will provide unique cross-training opportunities in biology and engineering for undergraduate students, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows,” said Camelio. “It will give industrial engineering students an opportunity to explore a new frontier. Life science students will gain exposure to management techniques that will help them streamline the operation of their labs in academia or industry after they graduate.” Trent said that while some people question the gains of basic research, such work is necessary in order to make further discoveries possible. “Everyone wants applicable results, but without that basic foundational research, we can’t get to the applied science,” Trent said. “This is one of those cases of a really foundational project that could start all kinds of amazing things.” Follow this writer on Twitter @CodyOwens_CT

Corps to visit D-Day memorial CAMERON AUSTIN news staff writer

Over 420 freshmen cadets will make the sixth-annual trip to the National D-Day Memorial tomorrow. The trip is meant to be an eye-opening experience for the first-years as they begin their journey as a Corps of Cadet member at Virginia Tech. Major Carrie Cox, one of the staff leaders, says the trip brings the cadets together after having a tough couple of weeks so far. “It offers them a break from the most intense part of the year so far," Cox said. "It’s a positive learning experience for them to do something as a class, and bond together as a group." The group will meet in Dietrick on Saturday morning for breakfast, then take the bus to Bedford, which is about 70 miles away. Alumni Raymond and Peggy Reed, class of 1957, sponsor the trip each year.

They cover the cost of transportation and meals, while the Memorial allows the cadets free entrance. The trip was started in 2001, when Cadet Anthony Madeira, class of 2005, learned the memorial was facing financial troubles. Madeira began to raise money for the memorial and contributed $6,000 the first year, and then another $10,000 the second year. The Corps of Cadets has collected over $190,000 for the memorial and is the largest, non-corporate sponsor of the D-Day memorial. Cadet Alex Hughes, a senior political science major, is one of the student leaders who takes the freshmen every year. “The freshmen just got here and sometimes they don’t know why they’re here. There can be a lot of second thoughts,” Hughes said. “It’s a reminder for the freshmen that people sacrificed themselves that day for our free-

dom.” Twenty-three Tech alumni fought in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as well as the attacks that followed. Monteith Hall is named after 1st Lt. Jimmie Monteith who lost his life during the invasion and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. “We’re all excited to take them to experience the Memorial. It really puts things in perspective and it’s a powerful experience,” Hughes said. “In one trip they’re learning history, service, and the connection to the community,” Cox said. “It’s also an opportunity for them to have fun. It’s supposed to be a fun trip for the cadets.” The Corps of Cadets will be collecting money at the football game against Bowling Green, Saturday September 22. The game will also be the annual Military Appreciation game and Corps homecoming.

health. ealtth. eemployment. mpl crime. music. sports. art. dorms. education. duc cation. housing. government. world politics. sales. travel. raveel. trafﬁc. tr construction. business. relationships. entertainment. ntertainmen virginia tech. ut prosim. construction. We share your concerns Check us out in the paper or online at collegiatetimes.com Now Playing!

‘Hackers’ seek workspace JONATHAN ROBERTS news staff writer

In a university town that seems dominated by engineers and computer scientists, it seems strange the community has never had a place to work on personal projects and learn from others. That’s precisely what a group with ties to Virginia Tech is trying to get started as a non-profit corporation in the area. A hackerspace named ‘Hacksburg’. During an information meeting on Monday, Hacksburg board member Jenn Marie defined the term. “A community of like minded people who want to share their knowledge,” Marie said. A fairly recent trend, hackerspaces are a place for people to come work on do-it-yourself, technologyoriented projects and share their knowledge. These projects often have a strong basis in computer science, robotics and information technology, although members of this particular hackerspace seek to broaden that scope. “We want a space you can use as a workbench, or to use bigger equipment that you wouldn’t normally be

able to,” said board member Eric Wimberley. The vision is to give Hack sburg members access to equipment like 3D printers and CNC machines, which they wouldn’t normally be able to use in a dorm room or apartment. At Monday's general interest meeting, prospective members expressed interest in learning skills

The next step, a large one, is to find a space that fits the needs of the organization. They’ve been looking for spaces large enough to house their members and still close enough to be convenient for Tech students. In order to keep membership dues down to an expected $50/mont h, assuming enough students are interested, it leaves itself with a strict budget of $1,000-2,000 per month for the space. (Hacksburg is) a Hacksburg has a unique community of like set of requirements for its minded people who space, which has complicated the search. want to share their Marie said it hopes to find knowledge.” an insulated warehouse allowing the group to work Jenn Marie at any time of the day and Hacksburg board member year-round. Hacksburg will continue to hold weekly meetings as varied as soldering, and teach workshops on welding, woodworking Tech's campus. and even home brewing As times goes on, it hopes beer. to keep gaining new memIn order for this to hap- bers through these weekpen, Hacksburg needs to ly tutorials and interest find a space to call its own. meetings, and tranThe group has incor- sition to a permaporated itself as a non- nent location as soon as prof it orga ni z at ion, possible. appointed a board of directors and gained a Follow this writer on modest following from Twitter @JonRobertsMedia the Tech and Blacksburg communities.

“

Blacksburg Transit had

9 3500001 0

Ruby Sparks From the makers of little miss sunshine rated r starting Saturday, September 15th

BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS

CREATIV grant money will be used to fund Tech’s DNA research at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute.

riders last year.

Call our Movie Line | (540) 951-0604 135 College Avenue | Blacksburg | WWW.THELYRIC.COM

And we’d like to celebrate with you. Meet us in front of Burruss Hall on Wednesday, September 19th at 10:15 a.m. for free breakfast and prizes, including a $100.00 giveaway. Fri & Sat: 7:00pm & 9:15pm Sun: 3:00pm, 7:00pm & 9:15pm

Mon: 10:00am, 7:00pm & 9:15pm Tues & Thurs: 7:00pm & 9:15pm

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opinions

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

september 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Our Views [staff editorial]

Commission on Student Affairs needs to eliminate red tape Thursday’s Commission on Student Affairs meeting was the first step in what is a long-needed change in how student ideas are presented to the university. As the situation sits now, it takes 12 weeks to make the smallest, insignificant change because of the mess of steps it takes to go through the SGA and CSA. In the process, the CSA acts as a time-consuming middle-man and usurps almost all of the powers many believe belong to the SGA.

The process needs to be streamlined so students can once again help shape the university. The commission still feels the system can be effective, but last year the group was so focused on restructuring that it failed to serve its most basic mission: to resolve student issues. We are not necessarily advocating dissolving the CSA — although many schools function just fine without one — but changes must be made to expedite its core functions without the bureaucratic mess. CT Staff

Citizens need to engage in elections I

t honestly blows my mind when I hear college students will not be voting in the upcoming presidential election. The most common validation for their apathy is: “It’s not going to count for anything.” But that’s just not true. I understand that with the uncompromising political culture now dominating our society, it can make a citizen feel hesitant when discussing the election. However, people fail to realize each vote cast is the key behind maintaining the spirit and form of popular government. To think your vote is meaningless is creating more harm than it does any good. We live in a world which romanticizes “red versus blue,” which has led to a loss of room for independent thought. With only two main actors in this civil oligopoly, the ease of entry for third parties and different voices in the political market is nearly impossible and creates what I call the tyranny of the two majorities. Often enough, if you are not voting for one of those parties, then you probably do not think your voice will matter much, and that creates cynicism. In his TED Talk called “The Antidote to Apathy,” David Meslin said, “Apathy, as we think we know it, doesn’t actually exist. But we live in a world that actively discourages engagement.” Our founding fathers expected a well-educated electorate, yet we live in a country that makes political discourse a hassle. Moreover, I do not believe anyone who says they are not voting does not actually care, but rather they are the product of a system that does not want you to care. We are surrounded by obstacles making apathy the rational choice. But it is not the right one. My goal is to show being apathetic does not make you above this dysfunctional banter of bureaucratic he said/she said, but rather only

furthers this cycle of stagnant political thought. Being less interested means politicians themselves can be less interested. Politicians can get away with false promotion and exaggerated assertions as long as citizens, like energetic college students, are not politically aware and participating. According to the American Presidency Project, in the 2000 election, there was a 51 percent turnout of eligible voters, which means around 100 million American voices were not reflected in the voting. That highly contested, controversial election was between George W. Bush and Al Gore. It is shocking to imagine how different America would be right now if Al Gore had not lost Florida’s 25 electoral votes. Voting for a president is voting for a set of principles that will determine our country’s actions for years to come. You are helping decide the vision of what you think America should look like. FDR enacted welfare. Look at us now. Bush went to war with Iraq. Look at us now. Do not think that by not voting, the repercussions will not affect you. Do not let politics become a spectator sport. Do not let yourself be swept into their intentional exclusion of young, vibrant political thought. Th is is what American freedom is all about: the ability to stand up and express what you think. Do not think no one vote is likely to affect the outcome, because in the end, at least you had a say. If you are Libertarian, vote Gary Johnson. If you are Green, vote Jill Stein. If you are an independent, fi nd the closest platform that fits your vision for America. Each person residing in America has a vested interest in the future of this nation and the politics that will govern our future. SHAWN GHUMAN -featured columnist -communication -senior

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff

America should act in Syria

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 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 Special Sections Editors: Cody Elliot, Gina Patterson Copy Chief: Nora McGann Copy Editors: Allison Hedrick, Kristin Gunter

Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Ryan Francis Circulation Manager: Travis Neale

MCT CAMPUS

few weeks ago, Syrian President Bashar alAssad stated his “heroic” armed forces could eliminate the opposition he claims is ridden with “terrorists” — just give him some more time. During that same interview — given to a progovernment news channel in the country —Assad’s “heroes” continued their bloody crackdown on their own countrymen. In fact, activists claim 18,000 Syrians — many of whom are women and children — have been killed by the murderous regime wirh many of those deaths beeing door-to-door executions and aerial bombings in countless Syrian cities. As the mass killings continue, the West, and specifically the United States, continues to idly stand by and simply condemn Assad’s murderous campaign. Unfortunately, President Obama’s pretty rhetoric against the regime is no longer sufficient. We continue to shamelessly watch the blood of countless Syrians spill, and Obama would have us believe America has no role in ousting Syria’s brutal regime. That does not stand. Instead, there is a moral and practical case for American intervention in Damascus. First, Human Rights Watch has reported progovernment forces are now targeting civilians in their efforts to subdue the opposition.

“

The United States has a moral obligation to — at the very least — reduce the blood spilled.”

The Syrian leader justifies the murder of Syrian children in particular, as necessary in preventing a socalled “terrorist” takeover of his country. Couple that with evidence of chilling torture prisons and indiscriminate shelling around the country, and you have a recipe for a humanitarian disaster. Here, the United States has a moral obligation to — at the very least — reduce the blood spilled. Obama claims he is a proponent of a more interconnected international community. If that is the case, this ought to include a responsibility to protect

innocent civilians from being slaughtered on the streets by their own government. Al-Assad has not simply lost any sense of moral decency, but he has also relinquished any political legitimacy he might have ever garnered to lead Syria. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., had it right when he blasted the current administration by asking “how many more Syrians” needed to die before the United States took action.

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It is not our job to ‘save’ Syria, but as citizens, we have a duty to show solidarity with those seeking the basic rights we tend to take for granted at home.”

Next, for a while, it appeared that American military intervention would be a fool’s errand. Countless political officials and diplomats claimed that intervention would be disastrous, insufficient and have no real impact on the ongoing nearly two-year conflict. That is no longer accurate. It is true that intervention might exacerbate sectarian tensions within Damascus, but that alone is nothing more than an excuse for inaction. It is Assad himself who has already pitted his Alawite sect against the majority Sunni sect in Syria. Sectarian tensions will arise no matter what. However, a swifter international response to the conflict can mitigate these tensions. Consequently, there are several possibilities, should military intervention be seriously considered. First, a military no-f ly zone should be enforced — just as the one implemented in Libya. Russia and China will never agree to a no-fly zone because it is simply not in their political nature to do so, but when has the U.S. ever taken advice from Beijing or Moscow’s Vladimir Putin? Instead, we should seek the support of partners such as France, the U.K., and most importantly, Turkey. Second, the U.S. should establish “buffer zones”

around Syria’s borders to serve as safe-havens for rebels and civilians. That would allow both vulnerable Syrians to escape execution and the rebels to regroup in their battle against their dictator. Lastly, it is a contentious proposition, but the United States should support, and indeed pressure, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to fulfill their promises to arm the rebels. Assad’s military retains a powerful and strategic military advantage, and without the proper equipment, the rebels cannot compete. Granted, we ought to be very careful about who receives those weapons, but denying them altogether is unreasonable. Many will argue that we do not know who the opposition really is. However, when has that prevented us from supporting groups, such as Libya’s rebels or France from supporting a little rebellion against a mighty empire? Rebellions and revolutions are always messy, and political dissidents encompass a broad range of individuals — sometimes even those who do not have good intentions. Regardless, a proactive American response in the conf lict will provide us with more legitimacy and voice in who precisely succeeds Assad when he falls. The tragedy of Syria might be that the entire world watched in silence as tens of thousands more Syrians unnecessarily lost their lives. Here, the United States — as the world’s sole superpower — has a duty to break that silence. Indeed, we have a responsibility here at home to pressure both local and nationa l leaders to break their shameful silence. It is not our job to “save” Syria, but as citizens, we have a duty to show solidarity with those seeking the basic rights we tend to take for granted here at home. Ultimately, Obama should not shy away from a responsible assertion of American power and influence. If he does, history will look back at the lack of American leadership with baff lement, dismay, and most importantly, regret. AUSAN AL-ERYANI -featured columnist -political science -senior

Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Brad Klodowski College Media Solutions Assistant Ad Director: Carla Craft Account Executives: Elizabeth Dam, Emily Daugherty, Taylor Moran Inside Sales Manager: Amanda Gawne Assistant Account Executives: Andrew Newton, Jordan Williams Creative Director: Danielle Bushrow Assistant Creative Services Director: Alyssa Morrison Creative Staff: Mary Dassira, Chloe Young, Cameron Vaile, Diana Bayless Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes. com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes. com Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints. collegemedia.com. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2012. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

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people & clubs

september 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

he she

She said: PINK party disappoints avid follower

SAID EMMA GODDARD/ COLLEGIATE TIMES

He said: be involved, focus less on frivolous lifestyle Last year, Virginia Tech students’ Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts were overrun with notifications about the Victoria’s Secret PINK Nation Collegiate Showdown. We were locked in battle through several rounds with other notable universities, but were able to come together and win a free concert by Victoria’s Secret. Throughout the process, I was shocked and slightly disappointed by the amount of people who got behind this contest. Not because it wasn’t enough people, or because people weren’t passionate about getting support — quite the opposite really. I was upset because of the vast amount of people who were passionate and were trying to rally others to the cause — a cause which

editors: emma goddard, nick smirniotopoulos

frankly doesn’t matter. We live in a society that’s “all about me.” The American Dream has been twisted and cliched into the self-serving, instant gratification monster that it is today. When we live like this, we miss out on the opportunity to help others and truly make a difference. What we needed wasn’t Gym Class Heroes singing on the Drillfield. What we needed was a change of heart toward service and self-sacrifice. When you work towards having a spirit of compassion, you get to see the world as it really is: a broken place filled with beautiful, lost people, who need help. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that thus far I’ve sounded pretty high and righteous, pointing the finger at others and not seeing flaws in myself. I know it’s tough

to serve, to put yourself in a humbling position, sacrificing time, money and resources. Thankfully, Tech is filled with loving service organizations that strive to facilitate students in helping those less fortunate. A few groups in particular come to mind right away. Over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of being friends with Bryan Wynkoop, one of the most serving and passionate people I’ve ever met. He is a big part of putting on Relay for Life every year at Tech, and does a great job of making it fun and effective. Each year through Relay, Tech students raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to find the cure for cancer. Students Helping Honduras is another great organization at our school. They work to raise money, send help to build

orphanages in impoverished regions of Honduras, and serve as a light to kids down there who have frequently been unloved and forgotten. So today, after having signed up for the Hanes Collegiate Showdown, and as you’re downloading Nickelback in order to get the sound of Gym Class Heroes from yesterday out of your ears, consider checking out a service organization and getting involved. Who knows, maybe it’ll be even more fulfilling than the free Victoria’s Secret concert you just experienced. Guess there’s only one way to find out. JAMES HARRIS - featured columnist - senior - history

Let me tell you something about Victoria’s Secret — we go way back. When I was a kid, my mother once told me Victoria’s Secret sold the devil’s panties. And I don’t know if you’re aware, but there’s nothing quite like banning a small, quiet Catholic girl from a store to make her heart burn for every piece of underwear a company’s ever made. That’s some heavy stuff guys. Now when I get upset, I don’t crave chocolate or go for a run to clear my head. I go underwear shopping. When I ace a test, get hired for a new job, or have a big presentation coming up, I go to Victoria’s Secret. That’s the fieriest kind of brand loyalty you can get. No one could’ve gotten between my moderately priced undergarments and me. Until Virginia Tech’s PINK party. Don’t get me wrong, I voted in that online challenge. And not just in the final rounds, mind you. I was registered on that silly PINK website and casting my ballot for the freaking nomination rounds. I purposely skipped class the day of the fi nals so I could submit hundreds of votes in the last hour. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I was a woman possessed with the promise of a party and a truck full of free underwear. In my head, this was going to be Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory — just with infinitely more yoga pants. I couldn’t dream of a better world than that. What did I get instead? A really big, junky stage clogging up the Drillfield for the better part of the week, a mediocre show I wouldn’t

dream of sitting through, a gaggle of boys lining up to take pictures with B-list models, a messed up bus schedule, a huge heap of hate from people at other schools who thinks everyone at Tech is a mouth-breathing cheater and not a damn free panty in sight. What gives? I could’ve gone to the mall and listened to my iPod in one of their stores and had a better experience. Should I have known better than to expect anything other than false hope from a company that manufactures bras to double your cup size? Sure. But I had such big dreams. Dreams that involved one of those swirling box-o-money machines filled with sparkly pink underwear that I could gather to my heart’s content. I suppose if we’re being reasonable, I’d have to admit to you that I didn’t even bother to attend the PINK event. I’m sure some of you had fun. All possibility of fun disappeared for me the moment I learned ‘freebies’ were being handed out to only the select few, and were not even guaranteed to be underwear. And I suppose if we’re being even more reasonable, I couldn’t have expected a legitimate business to give out thousands of free products to every girl at Tech. However, we’re not being reasonable. I earned that panty party, dammit, and Victoria’s Secret didn’t live up to my fantasies. VICTORIA ZIGADLO - news editor - senior - english

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

features

september 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Concert: Bands perform free to mixed student reviews from page one

this is a once and a lifetime opportunity. I am sure I will never get to experience an event of this magnitude anytime soon,” Montgomery said. Almost all of the student volunteers working the different booths at the event are a part of the Virginia Tech Union, the organization that sponsored Victoria’s Secret for PINK Takes Tech. Cat Royka, a sophomore communication major and VTU member talked about her experience at the event. “I work with VTU and I have gotten the chance to volunteer with all the concerts. Being at PINK takes Tech has been really, really exciting, and it has been a very unique experience being behind the scenes of everything,” Royka said. The student crowd's enthusiasm and excitement resembled that of Lane Stadium on game day. “It’s awesome that there are so many people here. I wasn’t a VIP member, but my friends and I all got in no problem. It is an experience that I will definitely remember for the rest of my years at Tech,” said Stephanie Lyon, a freshman mathematics major. A frequent debate this past week has been the value and relevance of the performing artists who were chosen by Victoria’s Secret. Some students were satisfied and excited, but others were not. Luis Amador, a junior history major and music enthusiast, said he was less than enthused with the artist selection. “I think the event is a great opportunity for students to congregate around the only thing that makes sense to me in this world: music. However, based on my taste in music, I feel that they could have picked better musicians,” Amador said. While the event seemed to take over the attention of almost the entire student body, some students still had to attend late night classes, such as Michael Milteer, a sophomore health and human nutrition major. “I think it’s awesome how the stage is set up on the Drillfield. I am sure you can hear the music for miles. Unfortunately, I will have to listen to the concert music from my organic chemistry class, which was not cancelled,” Milteer said. Dustin Dorph, senior civil and environmental engineering student and SGA President, said the event built community connections. "I think it really shows how connected our community is," Dorph said. "We're the reason the event is here. We voted for it, spread the word about it, and it happened." Follow this writer on Twitter @shayden

Top: Chiddy Bang performs a freestyle rap about topics submitted by members of the audience. Photo by Brad Klodowski / SPPS Bottom left: Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes pumps up the crowd during the concert. Photo by Brad Klodowski / SPPS Bottom right: A member of the audience crowd-surfs during DJ Irie’s performance. Photo by Trevor White / SPPS

Q & A: Hart and Hosk model fulﬁlling career paths EMMA GODDARD features editor

Thousands of arms flew up into the air, and the hands of eager Virginia Tech students waved in unison at two people standing on the Drillfield: Elsa Hosk and Jessica Hart. The blond bombshells of the Victoria’s Secret PINK clothing line stood there somewhat unfazed by the amount of attention they were receiving. But with smiles on their faces, they were clearly just as enthusiastic as their audience to be in Blacksburg. Both women started their careers in the modeling industry at a young age. Hosk, who was born in Sweden, has worked for the likes of Dior and Dolce & Gabbana, while the Australian native, Hart, has been featured in prestigious magazines like Sports Illustrated. However, their journey with stardom eventually brought them together where they now work for Victoria’s Secret. The Collegiate Times had the opportunity to speak with these friendly ladies about their thoughts on the PINK Nation Collegiate Showdown, and their world before walking the catwalk. CT: So, are you guys excited to be here? Elsa Hosk: I am really excited! Jessica Hart: So excited — this is so cool. I mean this must be really exciting for everyone. Hosk: These lines — it’s amazing! Hart: It’s like joined up behind us I think. And no wonder they won the votes; look at how many people there are. And they must be really happy to have us. We’re so excited to be here. CT: Have you guys attended other PINK parties before? Hart: Elsa has, but this is my first PINK party; this is a really good first party. Hosk: I’ve done a bunch and we’re really excited to have

Jess on the team. (The PINK party) is always a lot of fun. You know everyone get’s excited, and today is a sunny day and we can be happier. It’s perfect. CT: What was your ﬁrst reaction when you heard that Tech won? Hosk: It’s always exciting to see who wins because it’s always the college who wants it the most. Hart: And then that always makes it more fun for us to come. Hosk: Yeah, because we know there will be a great response. It’s just so cool that so many people voted — and congratulations! Hart: It’s such a beautiful campus too, by the way. It’s so sunny. I was so surprised when I walked in, because I’ve never seen it before. It’s amazing and it’s really beautiful — very cool. CT: How did you guys get into modeling in general, and then eventually with Victoria’s Secret PINK? Hosk: Well I think that … I started working for PINK a couple years ago, and I think it was always a goal that I had and my agent (had). I wanted to do Victoria’s Secret and we worked hard to get there. And I saw them and went to casting, I tried out, and I’ve been with them ever since. Hart: I started modeling when I was 14. But this is the type of job that you really work toward. And after 10 years it’s great to be here and working for them. They’re such a great company. Hosk: I started at 14 as well — yeah, early. CT: How is this environment diﬀerent from the one you work in right now? Hosk: Well I was saying to Jess when we got off the airplane that it’s just so nice to be here. The air is fresh, we saw the mountains around and it’s just gorgeous. This is why I do my job: so I get out of the city. Hart: But we also just arrived mid day and have only been here for four hours. So we

KEVIN DICKEL/ SPPS

Elsa Hosk and Jessica Hart take a day out of their hectic schedules to hangout with Tech’s students. haven’t had a good chance to see the good parts of town, which is a shame because we have to get out really early tomorrow morning. CT: Obviously your schedule is really busy. Where are you guys oﬀ to next? Hart: New York. Fashion Week is still on. CT: What is the day in the life of a model like? Hosk: All days are different, but I don’t know … I don’t think it looks like your typi-

cal worker. But if I’m in New York it looks pretty normal. I go and have breakfast, I go to work, I go workout, and I might have dinner with some friends or just stay in. Hart: The only difference is that we change clothes many times during the day. We have to put on like 25 different outfits, and I don’t think anybody else in the world has to do that. I’m getting good at changing really quickly. CT: But that must be fun

being able to wear so many diﬀerent things. Hart: It’s awesome working for PINK because everything is so comfortable, like the yoga pants and the college pants. CT: So what were you guys like when you were in school? Hosk: I studied really hard and I think I was kind of a nerd. I also played basketball. CT: How did you make that transition? Hosk: I always played bas-

ketball as a kid really. I started when I was six and I got really good at it because I played so long. I was doing school and modeling at the same time. When I was professional in basketball I was training every day. I kind of had to choose one, and when you’re a professional it’s not really fun anymore because it’s more like a job. So I thought I wanted to do modeling and see the world, and just have a change. Hart: I felt that way about school. I did not like school and I did not want to go. When modeling came up I was like, “Perfect.” And to see the world — no one can tell you as much about the world while sitting in a classroom, than when you go out and experience it and do it yourself. CT: Would you guys ever think about going to school again part-time? Hosk: I really feel like studying a lot. Hart: I do courses and things that interest me. Hosk: I work with charities and I have stuff that I’m really interested in. I work with a charity called Fair Girls, which works against human trafficking. So that’s really important — stuff like that. You can use that little name that you have for a good cause. CT: Finally, I know that a lot of girls are here because they really look up to you guys. Do you have any words of advice or tips for them on how to be more conﬁdent? Hart: Love yourself, no matter who you are. Everybody’s different. You have to love yourself for who you are and love your differences. Hosk: Yeah, and don’t compare yourself to anyone. For me, I think that’s a good lesson learned.

september 14, 2012

Regular Edition

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Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Your family and friends stand for and with you. Your creativity and influence at work continues to grow this year. An exciting prospect develops before year’s end. Autumn could provoke an educational inquiry. Plan first and get into action.

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6 3 9

5 2

7 8 6 9

4 5 3 8

3 1

7 1 5

63 Arrival time for the fashionably late? 64 Diminishes

Week ending September 14, 2012 By Barry C. Silk

ACROSS 1 Name thought to mean “father of many” 8 Like Rubens 15 Song title words after “The future’s not ours to see” 16 Novel genre 17 20th-century Riyadh-born ruler 18 Axes to grind 19 1966 Candlestick Park highlight 21 Pier gp. 22 Correct 23 “I give up!”

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

(1) 1

One More Night • Maroon 5

(2) 2

Some Nights • fun.

(3) 3

Whistle • Flo Rida

(4) 4

Home • Phillip Phillips

(5) 5

9/14/12 24 Inclement weather sounds 26 Early L.A. Times publisher Harrison Gray __ 28 Acronymous gun 29 Old Turkish leader 31 “The Curse of Capistrano” hero 33 Small missions? 34 Baseball glove part 36 Theoretical extreme 37 Health facility 40 Not at all active 42 Mainline?

44 Ride 47 Stiff 49 Close call 50 They’re involved in joints 52 Old pol. divisions 54 Emmy-winning NFL analyst Collinsworth 55 Subject of an annual contest held in Brooklyn 58 Suppress 59 Ambushed 61 “1984” superstate 62 Son of Aaron

DOWN 1 EPA stat 2 Aptly named soda brand 3 Circulation measure 4 Charge 5 Wave makeup 6 “Any fool can make __”: Thoreau 7 Squeaked by 8 Small part 9 Wikipedia’s globe, e.g. 10 Correct 11 Nick of “Heartbreakers” 12 Move from the edge 13 “The Odds Against Me” autobiographer John 14 1956 Moses player 20 __ bath 21 __ facto 25 Shortened, in a way 27 Certain Eur. miss 30 Old Nair alternative 32 Density symbols, in physics 35 Military bigwig 37 Daydream 38 Sartre, for one

39 They may be brown or pale 40 Not stacked 41 Rear 43 Pops since 1905 44 Final stage, as of a career

45 Memorial tablet 46 How batters must bat 48 Gardening gadget 51 Hot stuff 53 Old 56 CBS maritime drama 57 Hair treatments 60 J et al.

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

9/13/12

WORDSEARCH: CHIPOTLE, QDOBA, & MOE’S Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W Y

W U

W E

W F

W Z

W S

W I

W A

W E

WORD BANK BURRITO RICE QUESO NACHOS TACOS BOWLS CHIPS SALSA STEAK CHICKEN FAJITA GUAC COMBO WELCOME TO

DEALS DRINK FOIL

GET INSIDE THE GAME WITH BOWLING GREEN - SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

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

news

september 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Colleges oppose use of subjective surveys in rankings NORA DIAMOND mcclatchy newspapers

ATLANTA — When U.S. News & World Report releases its annual college rankings Wednesday, students and parents will study the lists in an attempt to find the perfect school for them. Few realize the largest single component of the rankings comes from subjective surveys that ask presidents, other administrators and in some cases high school guidance counselors to rate colleges. Some colleges have long opposed the rankings, calling the surveys the most offensive part because it places too much emphasis on subjective information that can be manipulated. But U.S. News says the surveys are a logical part of the process because it asks those in higher

education to analyze their peers. Since 2007, nearly 65 college presidents, many from liberal arts schools, have signed a letter refusing to fill out the survey and have refused to use the rankings to promote their school. That’s a small portion of the nearly 1,600 colleges ranked, but supporters say other schools stopped completing the surveys even though they haven’t signed the letter. William Bloodworth, the former president of Augusta State University, and Ruth Knox, president of Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga., signed the letter. “It is a dubious instrument and just plain silly,” said William Durden, president of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, who was one of the first to sign the letter. “Lots of colleges rate themselves supreme and put everyone else in the bottom. It’s a ridiculous process.”

The majority of college leaders and those at top-tier schools still complete the surveys. Brian Kelly, U.S. News editor and chief content officer, said it is a strong tool that addresses “intangibles” that can’t be measured by statistics. “Who better to evaluate colleges than other college administrators? They are experts,” he said. Robert Morse, the magazine’s director of data research, acknowledged the criticism in an April 5 blog post about the questionnaire. “U.S. News knows that peer assessments are subjective, but a school’s reputation for academic quality is important to prospective students, since they know it could help them get their first job after graduation and make a good impression if they are planning to apply to graduate

school,” he wrote. The group’s rankings are under additional scrutiny this year after Emory University disclosed last month that it intentionally submitted inflated data to rating publications for more than a decade. Kelly said the false information would not have affected the No. 20 score Emory received last year. U.S. News has published the rankings for nearly 30 years and averages 15 million page views on its website when its new rankings comes out. Many students and families rely on these rankings when deciding where to apply and enroll. For colleges, a strong rank attracts academic prestige and higher achieving students. Joni Towles, a private college counselor who advises metro Atlanta families, said parents wrongly assume the rankings

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are just based on hard data. She explains that information can be found elsewhere with little effort. “Considering how aware people are of the rankings, they know very little about how it’s calculated,” she said. “Parents are surprised when I tell them about the surveys. But, even after that, I still have to convince them to look beyond the ranking.” The magazine calculates rankings using test scores, faculty salaries, per-pupil spending, alumni giving and other data that is publicly available. Survey results count between 22.5 percent to 25 percent of a school’s score. A Clemson University administrator caused an uproar in 2009 when she said the South Carolina school gave below average marks to competitors to

make the college look better. She doubted the college was the only one doing this. Kelly said they weight the results to eliminate excessively high or low scores and prevent people from gaming the system. Bloodworth said the first time he filled out the survey at Augusta State he gave the college high marks. But it’s about 15 years since he filled out the surveys. He questions their accuracy, noting college leaders are too busy running their own campuses to spend time studying other schools. “Also, I didn’t like the idea of contributing my time to help a magazine make money over rankings that don’t tell people what they need to know,” said Bloodworth, who ended his 18-year presidency June 30.

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couple

OF THE

week

Wishing his girl a happy birthday and a happy anniversary... You know who you are! dating since:

February 12, 2012

their first date: Our first date was at Cookout of all places because 1) It's pretty darn good and 2) It's pretty cheap obviously. Not to say I'm cheap, but let's be honest we all cannot pull off the Homeplace for our first date, slack must be given. This is the point I guess I talk about some crazy thing that happened in Cookout when we were there that would make me remember the date forever, yada yada yada. You know what, she is the reason why I will remember that first date, all the way to the pink and purple flannel shirt she was wearing. I knew while nervously eating my chicken strip tray trying not to reveal to her my true love for Cookout just yet, that all I wanted was date number two. I am glad to say that we are happy as ever and more so, and that I intend to be bringing her back to Cookout well into the future. I am writing this because I have gone away to graduate school and left her at Tech. I want her to know that I will always be right there beside her no matter what.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- There’s way too much work, especially for the next two days. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, but is it as fun? Take time to acknowledge both successes and failures, and learn from them all. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Do what you can to help the others stay relaxed and calm. If it’s any help to know, you’re especially cute tnow, and romance goes well. Avoid the limsy. Accept a sweet, solid deal. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -Complete the work irst, and play later. Stick close to home for a couple of days. Kindly ask for help with a household project. Make an important connection.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Entering a few days of learning. You’re especially good with words right now. There’s more money coming your way -- if you’ll work for it. Communication provides a key. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- The next phase is good for making deals, even in the face of some resistance. Competition provides the motivation. But do it for love, not money. Passion engulfs you. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You’re on top of the world, looking down on opportunity. Don’t let your head swell, and watch out for con licting orders and hidden agendas. Fix up the place.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Finish up projects you’ve been avoiding today and tomorrow. Don’t get sidetracked. Find assistance from a great coach, as needed, and move up one level. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -Your friends are grateful for your contributions and are ready to add their grain of sand. Exert yourself. Receive accolades for good service. A touch of glitter might be just the thing. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Take a few days to irm up career details. Be clear on what your objectives are. It’s time to leave misconceptions behind. Recon irm what you heard to avoid misunderstandings.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Start planning a vacation, or just go for it more spontaneously. It doesn’t have to cost an arm or a leg. Let your heart lead you. Be grateful for what you have. Enjoy. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Your theory gets challenged. Don’t resist it, but learn from the experience. Others may know better after all. Stay out of your own way. Changes call for budget revisions. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Consult a good strategist or friend. Use your experience to soothe ragged nerves. You solve another impossible problem. Accept a nice bonus.

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september 14, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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Anti-obesity ads have boomerang effects Backpack: Group gives MELISSA HEALY mcclatchy newspapers

LOS ANGELES—As American health authorities prosecute an all-out war against obesity, a small cadre of researchers is warning that the nation’s 78 million obese adults and 12.5 million obese children are already suffering collateral damage. The message that they will become victims of self-inflicted disease, poor role models for their families and a drag on the economy unless they lose weight has left many obese Americans feeling depressed, defeated and ashamed, these experts warn. Ironically, some of the campaigns aimed at obese Americans could sink efforts to help them improve their health by eating better and exercising more, the experts wrote Tuesday in the International Journal of Obesity. Anti-obesity campaigns viewed as stigmatizing “instill less motivation to improve health,” while the messages that appeared most effective at encouraging behavior change didn’t mention obesity at all, according to the research team from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. The study comes as state

and federal public health officials grapple with an obesity crisis that threatens to swamp efforts to contain health care costs and prolong Americans’ lifespans. In a bid to reverse surging rates of obesity in the United States and the industrialized world, public health officials have spawned a slew of campaigns that take a variety of approaches. Many encourage behavior change with helpful tips such as “eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day,” as a program backed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises. But other campaigns have been less upbeat. In Georgia, a controversial series of video and billboard advertisements remind parents that “fat kids become fat adults,” and that “being fat takes the fun out of being a kid.” An Australian anti-obesity campaign pointedly warns viewers, “the more you gain, the more you have to lose.” Such messages are broadcast amid widespread stigma against the obese: heavy workers earn less, are more likely to be passed over for jobs and promotions, and are more likely than their thinner peers to be viewed as lazy and undisciplined, researchers have found.

A poll released last month by Harris Interactive/ HealthDay found that 61 percent of Americans do not consider negative remarks about a person’s weight to be offensive. Even among physicians, obese patients elicit feelings of prejudice and blame. A 2003 survey, published in the journal Obesity Research, found that half considered their obese patients awkward, ugly, unattractive and unlikely to follow their advice. In addition, one-third of doctors also viewed obese patients as weak-willed, sloppy and lazy. Against this backdrop, it’s little wonder that some public health campaigns would employ guilt and shame to motivate people to lose weight, said Rebecca Puhl, the Rudd Center’s research director and leader of the new study. “There tends to be a sense that maybe a little bit of stigma isn’t such a bad thing, that maybe it’ll give overweight or obese viewers a little motivation,” she said. But such views do not account for shame’s boomerang effect. “When children or adults are made to feel stigmatized, shamed or teased about their weight, they’re likely to engage in binge eating and

unhealthy weight-control practices, and to avoid physical activity,” Puhl said. “We find that people actually cope with stigma by eating more food.” To Nina Savelle-Rocklin, a San Fernando Valley psychotherapist who specializes in treating those with eating disorders, the link between shame and overeating is clear. “Shame is about feeling bad about who you are,” SavelleRocklin said. That message “is unbearable and intolerable” to most, and those who quell negative emotions by eating “are going to turn to food. ... It’s just a recipe for disaster.” University of California, Los Angeles psychologist Matthew D. Lieberman, who studies the neuroscience of persuasion, said the latest study is in line with research showing that public health campaigns can only be successful if they “fit with our sense of ourselves.” When he’s in the lab watching the persuasive process unfold on brain scans, the messages that spur people to action are the ones that activate a region of the brain involved in thinking and reflecting about one’s self. Negative thoughts aren’t likely to recruit the neural systems that convert a message into action, Lieberman said.

CSA: Members form sub-committee from page one

he said. Spencer hopes with the membership restructuring, that the CSA has not taken enough advantage of the shared governance system, has not perhaps spoken out as a commission as they could and should,” he said. Spencer hopes with the membership restructuring, the CSA will be more productive. Dorph said he is interested in the overall picture of student governance, not just expanding his organization. “This is not about the SGA and the GSA being on the same level as everyone else, this is about empowering the student voice,” he said. However, in an earlier interview, Dorph did express concerns about multiple representation, although he did not specifically bring the grievance up at the meeting. For example, a university chartered student organization, like the LGBTA or the Black Organization Council, has both a seat on the CSA and a seat in the SGA’s House of Representatives. “Some of these groups have three seats (if they are also represented in University Council) and much more clout than other groups,” said Tyler Arthur, a junior finance major and treasurer of the SGA. But, Spencer dismissed this argument, saying it is the commission’s collective

vote that matters, not the House of Representatives of an i nd iv idua l organization. “McComas emphasized community and coming together and consensus. He wanted students sitting on faculty commissions and vice versa,” Spencer said. “He wanted brainstorming to be done at the commission level without discussion h itting the University Council.” Dorph argues these groups all have representation in the SGA. If there was no CSA and the SGA reported directly to the University Council, the groups would get initiatives to policy makers in about two weeks instead of 12, so it would ultimately benefit them. He told the CSA that the SGA and CSA are both fundamentally the same, and most schools do not have the intermediate entity. Patty Perillo, vice president of student affairs, said some of other schools she worked at did not have the intermediate commission, and student governments repor ted d i re c t ly to policy makers. Shaimaa Abdahllah, president of the GSA, and Dorph do not have a plan outlined for replacing the current system. Dorph said he looks forward to working with the subcommittee and moving forward.

These are the members of the Commision on Student Affairs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Vice President for Student Affairs Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education Two A/P faculty from Division of Student Affairs One representative from Faculty Senate One representative from Staff Senate President, Graduate Student Assembly Vice President of Membership, GSA Doctoral candidate elected by GSA Masters candidate elected by GSA President, SGA Cadet Colonel of Corps of Cadets President, senior class President, junior class President, Black Organizations Council President, Council of International Students Representative of Greek Councils (chosen by director of Greek and Sorority Life) President, Resident Hall Federation President, Asian American Student Union President, LGBTA Graduate representative to the Board of Visitors Undergraduate representative to the BOV President, Latino Association of Student Organizations President, Jewish Student Union

back to children in need from page one

he read an article about weekend backpack feeding programs and “promptly forgot about it” until he was trying to find a way to help in-need students in Blacksburg, and remembered the article. So he got a small group of people together in September 2008 and they decided to commit to providing five backpacks to Price’s Fork Elementary for the rest of the year. Soon after, Wertz went to talk to the principal of Kipps Elementary and offered to provide five backpacks there as well if five students in need could be identified — he was instantly told that far identifying five I began to understand beyond students, there were at that there was a least 50 who could use the greater need in assistance. “I began to understand Blacksburg for a that there was a greater backpack feeding need in Blacksburg for a backpack feeding minisministry.” try than I had ever imagJohn Wertz ined,” Wertz said. Pastor at St. Michael Five years later, Micah’s Lutheran Church Backpack has graduated from giving five backpacks to one school to providing backpacks for and lasting consequences. 200 children in all seven According a study of Blacksburg’s public from Feeding America, schools as well as two pri“Hungry children do vate preschools. more poorly in school There’s naturally a high and have lower academ- cost to fund six meals for ic achievement because 200 children every week. they are not well prepared Hodge said it takes numerfor school and cannot ous individuals and more concentrate.” than 110 civic, academic, When faced with dire- interfaith, corporate and sounding statistics, one’s collegiate groups, as well first reaction might be to as grant partners to supinsist that it happens in port Micah’s Backpack other places, but never through both volunteer here where they live per- time and direct financial sonally. support. To bring it closer to These volunteers get home, the percentages in together every Thursday Blacksburg ranged from a to pack all 200 bags, which low of 14 percent for free are then delivered on and 3 percent for reduced Friday afternoons to the eligibility at Harding schools for the children Avenue Elementary. This to pick up before they go varied from Price’s Fork home. Elementary with a high of When a student gets 32 percent for free and 11 a backpack, they take percent reduced eligibil- with them three meals ity. and a snack for each People who live in the day. area may keep this in mind A sample day might when they see children on include oatmeal with a V8 the street in downtown juice for breakfast, macBlacksburg, in the Kroger and-cheese with appleon Main Street, and as you sauce and water for lunch, ride the bus down Price’s ravioli with canned vegFork. Any of them could etables and milk for dinbe living with hunger. ner, and a snack of animal M ic a h ’s Back pack crackers. Program is workMeals are planned to ing to make those sta- provide the children with tistics a thing of the the nutrition they need, past. as well as the variety that In the Old Testament of every child wants. the Bible, there is a prophEven now, Micah’s et named Micah. Backpack continues to Jennie Hodge, the direc- grow — Hodge said that tor of Micah’s Backpack, it “expects to grow by 10 says that Micah 6:8 pro- percent and provide gifts vides what she calls the of weekend food to 220 group’s guiding principle: children and youth this act justly, love mercy, walk year.” humbly. While this may seem like It was with this sentiment a tall order with the goal that a small group met five of eliminating childhood years ago at the behest hunger in Blacksburg, of John Wertz, the pastor it’s one that Micah’s at St. Michael Lutheran Backpack is taking on Church in Blacksburg. fearlessly. Wertz says that in 2008, compared to the 20.6 million in the regular NSLP that year. Similarly, the philant hropic organization Feeding America reported only 14 percent of client households with children under the age of 18 participated in a summer meals program, in contrast to the 62 percent who were recipients of the NSLP. That’s a significant gap, especially when one takes into account the overwhelming scientific evidence confirming what seems to be obvious: childhood hunger has severe

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