Friday, September 21, 2012 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

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When Johanna draws a family, she draws us. One Blacksburg family’s journey navigating the complex world of international adoption BY JUSTIN GRAVES | news reporter

CJ YUNGER / SPPS

he Chittenden family home, not too far from Lane

the Chittenden boys move about the house — Adam, age 15; Noah,

Stadium, is almost the complete opposite of the football age 12; and Jake, age 9. Their mom, Chris, brews some authentic Dominican coffee.

stadium on game day.

After hearing their story of their missionary trip overseas, and

You walk in, and each wall is a different color — one light blue tur-

quoise, another a soft yellow. When you look through the window how they want so badly to adopt child, I can’t help but imagine you see a big yard, a far cry from the little concrete square the boys

another addition to the Chittenden family — a 6-year-old girl

had to play in while living in the Dominican Republic.

named Johanna.

As their father, Tim Chittenden, walks in through the back door

New ticketing policy fuels debate among fans ANDREW KULAK news staff writer

On Wednesday, the Virginia Tech Student Ticketing Office released an amended student ticket policy to all athletics ticket holders. The new section of the policy specifies that it is "violation of the Virginia Tech student ticket policy to manipulate, or duplicate a student ticket to fraudulently gain access to an area of the stadium." Assistant Director of Athletics for Ticketing Services Sandy Smith explained the new policy was in response to student complaints, and that students were already being ejected from athletic events for not sitting in their assigned section, and that the amended policy formalized the consequences for fraudulent tickets. "Ushers would have to go into a section and disturb people trying to watch a football game by checking whole rows of tickets," Smith said. In some cases, according to Smith, student ticket holders who complained could not even stand in their assign section due to the excess of people. "Honestly, it's a safety concern. The stands were only built to hold a certain number of people," Smith said. "It wouldn't be in good conscience for us to know of an issue and not do something about it." Students who use and pro-

see JOHANNA / page three

Alum recall memorable dorm mural

“

Honestly, it’s a safety concern. The stands were only built to hold a certain number of people. It wouldn’t be in good conscience for us to know of an issue and not do something about it” Sandy Smith Asst. Director of Athletics for Ticketing

vide tickets for duplication will both have their student ticket privileges revoked for the remainder of their time at Tech. Student reaction to the change in punishment for violating the policy was largely negative, although most did appreciate the reasoning behind the policy as a whole. "I guess it's understandable, the north end zone gets terrible during the games," said Mariellyn Hagy, a junior industrial systems engineering major. "But totally denying students from the rest of the games is a little harsh. I understand kicking them out for that one game." Michael Smith, a freshman engineering major, agrees. "It's an overreaction, I can see kicking you out for a game but not for the rest of the time you're here," Smith said. see TICKETS / page four

KEVIN DICKEL/ SPPS

Evon and Eisenschmidt, the Thomas Hall mural artists, collaborated to transform a beat-up wall in Thomas into a work of inpirational art DEAN SEAL news reporter

Mike Kender, a finance professor and Virginia Tech alumnus, can fondly recall his experiences as an undergraduate. Few of those memories, however, persisted over the past 29 like the Thomas Hall commons mural. The unnamed mural was designed and painted

in the winter of 1983 and remains intact today in the first floor common room. A creation of a group of Thomas’s more familial residents, it portrays a vast valley separating Thomas and Burruss Halls and is adorned with a unicorn-Pegasus f lying overhead. “I was the first floor RA, and we had this TV lounge with this ugly, dingy wall

that was all scraped up. We were looking for ideas on how to fill the space,” Kender said. “We had these two kids who were great artists. They said to us, if you guys buy us the paint, we’ll make the mural.” The artists were Ben Eisenschmidt and Eugene Evon, two of the many upperclassmen living in Thomas Hall at the time.

According to Evon, who now lives in Silicon Valley, the theme for the mural was to emphasize the pride of Thomas Hall. “My intent was to re-brand Thomas Hall, which was a very plain, ‘temporary to handle the post-WWII GI Bill student inf lux’ brick building, in a more glorious see THOMAS/ page two

people & clubs

september 21, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Corps celebrates homecoming weekend with alumni RACHEL CLINE features staff writer

More than 300 Corps of Cadets alumni and their family members are expected to return to Blacksburg this weekend for the corps’ annual homecoming, the largest group ever to participate in the event. Carol Brunelli, executive assistant for the corps’ alumni relations, handled registration for the various events surrounding homecoming weekend. “Re g i s t r at ion has increased over the years,” Brunelli said. “The average is around 300 (people), but we have over 330 coming to the homecoming dinner.” The homecoming dinner, which will take place Saturday at The Inn at Virginia Tech, is one of several events that will occur throughout the weekend. Other events include a cadet leadership dinner, a formal retreat, a scholarship donor breakfast and the Day with Cadets program. “One change we made this year was opening up the Day with Cadets to all of the alumni,” Brunelli said. “They’ll get to see the obsta-

cle course, tour the barracks and the corps museum, and basically stay busy from 9 in the morning until 5 at night.” The funding for these various events comes from the returning alumni who participate in them. According to Brunelli, an additional fee to cover the costs accompanies each event. Alumni can choose which events to attend when submitting their registration

“

You’ve got to get everybody working together. That’s one thing I’ve learned throughout the Corps of Cadets.” Jim Flynn Corps of Cadets alumnus

forms. One event that stands out for Jim Flynn, a Corps of Cadets graduate of the class of 1964, is the alumni regiment march into Lane Stadium, which will take place before Saturday’s Bowling Green game. “Marching onto the field with all the other cadets is quite an experience,” Flynn said. “You get to see folks that were in classes before

and (after) you. That’s my favorite part of homecoming.” Cole Freeman, a senior studying political science and a current member of the corps, feels marching with the alumni is different from a normal home game experience for the cadets. “One of the things they always tell us in the corps is that you’re putting on a uniform that’s been put on for more than 100 years,” Freeman said, “But being able to actually see it? I mean, these guys graduated 30 or 40 years ago. It really puts it all into perspective.” The events that take place during homecoming weekend provide current cadets with a chance to form relationships with the classes that came before them, and FILE 2011/ SPPS a large portion of the corps Ray Spunzo, class of 1960, salutes the colors during the National Anthem at a past homecoming weekend. takes full advantage of the opportunity. “About 50 percent of cadets August. early realization is just one er. That’s one thing I’ve do both the Friday dinner “It’s kind of a morale of the many lessons the learned through the Corps with the current corps regi- booster for them,” Freeman cadets will learn from their of Cadets. Whatever life mental staff and the infor- said. “The corps experience time in the corps as it pre- threw at me, I was able to mal homecoming dinner might not be the most fun pares them for life after col- handle. Thank goodness.” on Saturday,” Brunelli said. thing right now, but they see lege. As for the future of the “Everyone tends to partici- that these alumni are saying “[The corps] taught me Corps of Cadets homecompate." that the corps is what made that you can’t do it all your- ing, Freeman assures that While homecoming allows them successful throughout self,” Flynn said. “You could the tradition will not stop former students to return to their lives. It’s kind of a way play all the instruments, with his graduating class. their alma mater, Freeman of picking them back up but you can’t make music “I love Tech. Any believes it serves another after they’ve had a rough playing one instrument at excuse to come back role for the freshmen who couple of weeks.” a time. You’ve got to get here, I’m going to take just entered the corps life in According to Flynn, this everybody working togeth- it.”

Thomas: Artist explain creation of ‘inspirational’ painting from page one

light,” Evon said. “So I put an aggrandized version of Thomas Hall up high on a hill, in a dramatic pose of strength, like a classic mountaintop castle,” Evon said. “I also put it far away from Burruss Hall, the only other building we chose, which of course represents the Hokie Stone heart of Virginia Tech. We were

connected by a path, but we were the furthest dorm away in that direction. Life on the edge.” However, the design for the mural was missing something, which to the conception of what is arguably the most memorable subject in Evon’s layout. “A painting of two buildings, no matter how dramatic we staged them, is just a sce-

nic view. A real painting tells a story. It inspires,” Evon said. “I had already been toying around with the mash-up of a Unicorn and a Pegasus, which I dubbed a ‘Pegacorn,’ and thought it would be perfect to represent the aspirational fantasies we young dorm residents had.” The idea flew with the Residence Hall Federation, the authorities in charge of

monitoring the design, so the Evon began the first draft. “The RHF said it was a great idea, as long as there were no obscenities or topless women or whatever might be in bad taste,” Kender laughed. “They agreed to put up all the money for the supplies, and the guys got to work.” Not long into the endeavor, however, Evon got a co-op

job, and had to leave the mural unfinished. Eisenschmidt, already recognized for his work in painting fantasy art, was able to finish the rough draft Evon had left. “Quite frankly, he was heads and tails above my league with painting technique,” Evon recalled. “Ben was motivated to finish the project and did an amaz-

ing job. He totally ‘got’ my vision, and then some.” Now, nearly 30 years after its completion, the mural stands as a reminder for Kender and Evon of the unity the residents felt so long ago. “We were a fun dorm with a really good group of people. Great relationships between the residents and RAs,” Kender said. “It was something special.”

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time

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9/4/2012

1am - 6am

Follow up to larceny/Theft of prescription medication

Cochran Hall

Inactive

9/19/2012

12pm - 1:30pm

Larceny of a cell phone

Owens Hall

Inactive

9/9/2012

1am

Underage possession of alcohol

Pritchard Hall

Inactive: Reported by Student Conduct

9/9/2012

2am

Damage or Destruction

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news

september 21, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Johanna: Family continues to raise money for sister from page one

The family just moved to Blacksburg after two years working, living and serving in the Dominican Republic. “We had gone and helped with Hurricane Katrina and performed some mission work in Mississippi, but we wanted our kids to be of a good age where they would get [the meaning of service],” Chris said. Chris and Tim were parents committed to their children’s understanding the meaning of helping others. “In the Dominican Republic, if I were to teach, the kids could go to an English school for free while we were able to serve the community, and everything sort of fell into place,” Chittenden said. So the suburban family, motivated by service, moved from their home in Raleigh, N.C. to the Dominican Republic. Tim, a consultant for IBM, telecommuted while the family lived abroad, and Chris became a teacher at the Santiago Christian School. In that time, Chris, Tim and their three children fell in love with a little 6-year-old girl named Johanna. Johanna was a student at a newer school, New Girls Hope Academy, where girls without birth certificates could get started in their education and hopefully end up getting the credentials necessary to transfer into a public school and someday get honest work. She had never been to school - most of her peer’s only knew one, if any, of the letters in the alphabet. Near the first day of school, the Chittenden family discovered Johanna’s mother had planned on giving her child away due to some very rough personal challenges at home. “Johanna’s father had passed away, and her mother was HIV positive,” Chittenden said as her children looked on, clearly familiar with the story. Despite her challenges, Johanna’s mother was one of few mothers who would visit her daughter at the school, and was working hard to keep her family intact. At the same time, noting the urgency of her situation, the family began to make plans if the opportunity ever came up to adopt Johanna. “One week before we went to leave the Dominican Republic, we discovered that her mom had become very sick from the HIV,” Chittenden said. “Some of Johanna’s mom’s last words were, ‘When I close my eyes [for] the last time, I want to know that

someone’s caring for her,’” Chittenden said. “Soon after that, Johanna’s birth mother passed away.” This was a difficult time because Johanna’s family was very close. Her grandmother feared that the adoption would cause backlash from the community, and the family began to lose hope for adopting their little sister. The family moved back to the United States at the end of their two years of service, and Johanna transitioned into living with her grandmother. The family then discovered the opportunity to adopt their new little sister, and bring her home. After all, when Johanna was asked to draw a family in class, she drew the Chittenden family. This anecdote was indicative every other story they’ve showed me, images on their family in the Dominican Republic — two white parents, three white boys, and one Dominican girl. Even as the family spoke, it almost felt like Johanna was near and that she was already a part of their family. Jake, the youngest, hops up to show pictures. “This was her first time at the beach. This was her first time at the pool,” Jake said. The family is clearly close to her – they already think of her as their little sister. He so badly wants to have a little sister.

COURTESY OF THE CHITTENDENS (From left) Jake, Chris, Noah, Johanna, Adam and Tim Chittenden pose at a family in the Dominican Republic. The Chittendens are raising money to adopt Johanna.

creative in how to raise the money to bring Johanna to her new home. “It’s been really cool to watch our kids get creative and get involved, and our friends … who have jumped in in such creative ways to help all of us out,” Chittenden said. “Every day, we all take our spare change and put in a jar, and then we roll it to It’s not like we are try and add up enough to asking people to give bring Johanna home,” Jake explains. checks to us. We’ve With a hearty donation gotten some really from Affordable Fencing in remarkable gifts Christiansburg, the family began to build a stand from in other ways, like which they could do some frequent ﬂier miles. business. Their neighbors But people are just so helped them realize how they could use the locamoved by our story, tion of their quaint home to and I think that’s great their advantage. “They told us, you know for the kids to see.” that thousands of people are going to walk by here Tim Chittenden each game day. Why not try and get them to buy something?” Chittenden asked. “I’m excited, but I also hear The adoption process that they’re horrible! But at is more than finding the least I wont be the youngest funds to complete the anymore,” Jake said. process. Cohabitation in --the DR, to penning their As I’m listening, I sit down own autobiographies and at their dinner table deli- background checks, while cious, homemade chocolate also trying to hold real brownie and some vanilla jobs, has almost become ice cream — a brownie that, a part time job for the strangely enough, is the rea- family. son I ended up in their livIn the meantime, while ing room. completing the fundThe cost of the adop- raising, the family has tion, to move Johanna Skyped with Johanna every from this “barrio,” which Sunday. is Dominican for poor “It’s been remarkable to neighborhood to the United see the way that people have States, is around $25,000. reached out,” Tim said. The family has had to be “It’s not like we are ask-

“

ing people to give checks to us. We’ve gotten some really remarkable gifts in other ways, like frequent flier miles. But people are just so moved by our story, and I think that’s great for the kids to see.” --The power of helping others was the reason the Chittenden’s went to the DR in the first place, and now it seems to be forming a full circle. That move didn’t come without a price, though. The transition in school and life is an interesting one for the boys, who are very active. Adam swims, while Jake plays soccer. But the language barrier they experienced while away was probably the most transformative. “It was almost like we had no option but to learn the language. It’s not that we didn’t want to, but we definitely had to, just to get by,” Adam said. “If I wanted to know what the other kids were saying about me, I realized that I had to learn it quickly.” The social transition was eye opening for the entire family. “When you’re in an environment like this, you are suddenly the minority, when you’ve always been used to being in the majority. I think that was definitely an interesting experience for the boys,” Tim said. “Dad’s right,” Noah said. “It was really interesting when we would walk

around just to go to a gas station, and we would be stared at because people maybe thought we were wealthier than them just because of our skin color.” ---

also offer drinks, and hope to offer some hot beverages du ring the colder games. Due to travel and other personal circumstances, Gobble Goodies weren’t available at the AustinPeay game, but they will be front and center at Tech’s home game this weekend against Bowling Green State We don’t really know University. if this is going to work The stand is located at the out. Some days, we sit corner of Southgate and Edgewood, near the staaround and wonder dium. During week one, they were able to raise over – is this going to pan $200 to add to their almost out? Are we going $7,000. They have officially raised to be able to raise a third of the costs needed enough money? Do I to adopt Johanna, and plan need to get a full time to reach the $25,000 goal by the beginning of next sumjob?” mer. “We just can’t wait to Chris Chittenden have to her here,” Noah said. “It doesn’t even feel Now, back at Tech where like work. It just feels like Chris was a member of the we are trying to get our class of 1991, their stand little sister here, and we is called “Gobble Goodies: all realize that every bit Confections for a Cause,” counts.” “We don’t really know if where they sell food before Virginia Tech home games this is going to work out. Some days, we sit around this season. The food available to and wonder — is this going purchase will vary. At the to pan out? Are we going Georgia Tech game they to be able to raise enough sold “First-Game Truffles,” money? Do I need to get a football-shaped truff les, full time job?” Chris said. But she also realized the which Chris admits were very time-consuming to benefit in being able to be there for her family, and make. Another treat called “Yup, ensuring their development. it’s legal,” is absolutely Development that they hope addictive — puffed corn will include the addition of sprinkled with a brown a fourth child. “At the same time, we’re sugar coating. Their take on puppy chow, not so sure what is the best minted “Hokie Chow”, was decision. All you can do is very popular as well. They pray.”

“

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news

september 21, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Tickets: Athletics enforces seating for safety You should just have to move back to your seat," Lutz said. Some students were more openly opposed to the change. "It sucks," said Ron Pelkey, a senior physics and mathematics major. "If you win the lottery, you don't get to sit with your friends. They need to have a system so that you can." Alex Campaldini, a

senior communication and psychology major, also expressed frustration with the difficulty of purchasing tickets with friends. He suggested that he found moving to non-assigned seats necessary to be with people he knew. "That's part of the game and the atmosphere. Enjoying the game with the other Hokies you know is a

part of the Hokie Nation. I think (the policy) is ridiculous," Campaldini said. Despite adverse reaction to the policy announcement, the ticketing office has recieved relatively few complaints. "We've had three students email us to complain," Smith said.

Professors should permit laptop use in classroom

Anonymous: You are adults but the Professors ban laptops in the classrooms as a way of helping their students. The human brain has a very limited ability to focus and the laptop is a distraction to you. The laptop is a barrier to effective communication in the classroom. In the business world many companies are switching to having no electronic devices in meetings for this reason.

Friday in the ‘park’

Ian: Well... I for one am in some classes where I am not totally engaged, because the lecturer can be quite dry. However, that doesn't mean that I'm not trying to pay attention. I can prevent myself from surfing the web, but I can't prevent the person in front of me from playing the most interesting flash game imaginable. Professors are certainly well within their rights to ban them from classrooms. You can take notes on (gasp) paper. However, if they don't, and you are a flash game player, have some decency and sit in the back of the classroom.

Park(ing) Day will take place in the GLC Plaza today from 11.00am-5.00pm. Sod from Lavery Sod Farm and shrubs from the Virginia Tech Greenhouse have been donated to help turn the plaza into a green park.

Easy football schedule inhibits football team’s potential

Anonymous: How about we finally just leave the All Cupcake Conference and play meaningful football games in the SEC. 10 wins against the junk of the ACC and a few crappy out of conference teams doesn't mean squat. It blows my mind that people think that this is such a feat. Look at our record against good teams in big games and you see what kind of teams we produce. With a $50 million buy-out thanks to the ACC bending over for Notre Dame, it looks like it may be awhile before we get out.

SPPS File 2011

CORRECTION

Ben Lutz, a first-year Ph.D student in engineering education, thought that even kicking students out for the remainder of the game went too far in cases where students had legitimate tickets but attempted to move to a non-assigned seat near friends. "They don't even do that at (professional) football games and baseball games.

what you’re saying

In “Tech goes Google,” (CT-Sept. 20) Dave Duckett’s name was misspelled. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

ERIN CHAPMAN -public edior -senior -english

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opinions

september 21, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 Collegiate Times Editorial Staff 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 Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Brad Klodowski

MCT CAMPUS

Interfaith dialogue brings cooperation A

t the dawn of the 21st century, religion plays a key role in public life and has become a significant identity marker for the individual. As the society around us grows more pluralistic, so should the need for promoting harmony and cooperation among all faiths and religions. Interfaith dialogue can be seen as a cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both an individual and institutional level. In a post 9/11 world, where we are constantly confronting religious prejudices, discriminations, violence and conflicts, interfaith provides us with a means of understanding and rationalizing differences; it provides us with a mechanism to achieve harmony by winning over the hearts and minds of people from diverse backgrounds; and it provides us with a lens into a world not very different from our own yet one that is shut off to us. In a post 9/11 world, we are constantly confronting religious prejudices, discriminations, violence and conflicts. Interfaith provides us with a means of understanding and rationalizing differences, a mechanism to achieve harmony by winning over the hearts and minds of people from diverse backgrounds, and a lens into a world not very different from our own yet one that is shut off to us. Fluid immigration among nation states has ensured that we live in an increasingly diverse society with varying belief systems, distinct traditions and differing values. In the backdrop of political happenings and the seemingly growing power of the right wing, it almost becomes a civic duty to engage in an interfaith dialogue. On an individual level, this dialogue can be very simplistic, and society could collectively benefit a lot if a Muslim and a Christian neighbor made an attempt to know each other better. More often than not, interfaith dialogue leads one to see how wrong his or her prejudices have been and how incredibly similar the teaching of two seemingly different religions are. On an institutional level, the dialogue can achieve wonders if religious leaders and men of spirituality make an attempt to understand the others’ faith, and in turn educate their congregations and communities against stereotypes and

labels. Many world leaders, including President Barack Obama, have recognized the power of interfaith dialogue, and therefore have emphasized the need for this dialogue among communities and among nations as a way to achieve a more harmonious state of affairs. Currently, interfaith is getting plentiful attention in the more “liberal” states with dozens of interfaith groups working on promoting a peaceful environment. As residents of Blacksburg and students of Virginia Tech, it is

“

Living in a diverse atmosphere like Blacksburg, we are blessed with the opportunity to learn and experience different ideas, faiths and religions”

time we introduce this dialogue to southern and southwestern Virginia. The dialogue is of paramount importance in enabling a harmonious and friendly environment in Blacksburg and is vital to our university’s goal of celebrating our diversity. Living in a diverse atmosphere like Blacksburg, we are blessed with the opportunity to learn and experience different ideas, faiths and religions. Students should be encouraged to get involved in organizations like Virginia Tech Interfaith Initiative, a group that solely focuses on promoting interfaith dialogue on campus through various interfaith events. Similarly, other student organizations like the Muslim Student Association, Hillel, Christian Coalition and the Freethinkers, among others, should make an effort to reach out to other religious organizations and help promote the muchneeded interfaith dialogue on campus. Too often we see senseless acts of violence, stereotyping and labeling in this country based on our habitually misguided notions. Too often are we clueless on how to fight crimes of hatred and intolerance. It is time we reach out to people, to truly celebrate our diversity and value our differences. NABEEL CHOHAN -regular colomnist -accounting -senior

Quantitative easing does anything but ease M

onetary policy is definitely one of the most important functions of government. It affects all citizens, young and old, poor and wealthy. It’s what molds the socioeconomic framework of a country through national mandates designed to better the economic standing of its population. Last week, Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, exercised monetary policy by enacting the third attempt at a program called quantitative easing, also known as QE3. This plan was devised in order to give a much needed face lift to the American economy. Though, from what I have seen and heard of the policy, I feel a ny t hi ng but at ease. QE3 will involve the Fed creating and investing roughly $40 billion every month. The money will be used to purchase what are called mortgage-backed securities. These specific securities are created by banks who sell the rights to the principle and interest of mortgag-

“

There just doesn’t seem to be a right answer at this point. Every policy will have downsides as well as upsides. It’s an unfortunate yet expected consequence of the complexity of the economy’s innerworkings.”

es in its entirety to investors. In this particular case, the Fed is the investor. To put it simply, the Fed is inventing money to hand over to banks in exchange for money that will, hopefully, be paid back to the Fed over time by the homeowners with mortgages. Mor tgage-backed secu r ities are just a way to save the banks from waiting for money to be sent in by homeowners. It’s a crafty and sometimes confusing cycle. Conceptually, the Fed’s inf lux of investment would increase the prices of mortgage-backed securities. Through an inverse relationship, this would lower mortgage interest rates to be paid by homeowners. Lower mortgage rates will result in an increase in borrowing as

more people can afford the loan, effectively creating an artificial housing bubble — two words that make even the most optimistic of investors weary. Also, trusting banks to release the new funds to the public without saving some for their own benefit is cause for concern. But this is just about the only way the Fed can get money into citizens’ pockets while guaranteeing a return. The banks are just acting as the middle men. According to a CNN Money article, the primary goal for the Fed has been and is still to improve unemployment so it falls below the magic and elusive figure of 8 percent. Historically speaking, quantitative easing has done nothing to benefit the labor market. This was showcased by the past two installments of QE, both of which eventually reached their termination deadline with little success. The past two QE programs were also focused in the investment of mortgage-backed securities. The difference this time around is that the time-frame after which the policy would be ended is no longer defined. This signifies a troubling sense of uncertainty with Bernanke and the Fed. If it were clear this policy would work, there would be an estimated time in the future where QE would be no longer necessary. As expressed in an interview in the Wall Street Journal, some people believe Bernanke created an undefined time frame so a QE4, QE5, etc. won’t be necessary. Doesn’t come off as promising, does it? Now this is usually the portion of the article where I write what I think will fix the presented problem, but I find myself scratching my head while contemplating what the Fed should do to help the economy. There just doesn’t seem to be a right answer at this point. Every policy will have downsides as well as upsides. It’s an unfortunate yet expected consequence of the complexity of the economy’s inner-workings. I feel the best I can do at this point, is give advice on what to do for the foreseeable future now with QE3 in effect: Invest in the stock market, the housing sector especially, and buckle up. Chances are it’s going to be a bumpy ride. DAVID LEVITT -regular colomnist -ﬁnance -junior

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.

people & clubs

september 21, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Dinner to showcase area’s local ingredients EMMA GODDARD features editor

As students continue to push for sustainability on campus, Dining Services have also jumped on the bandwagon through the use of local foods. In 2009, Dining Services partnered with the department of horticulture, and were later provided with facilities out of Kentland Farms. With this, they have contributed to a more sustainable lifestyle by growing much of their own produce. “Using local foods plays a significant role in the progress toward a more sustainable future,” said Carolyn Bess, assistant director of Owen’s Food Court. “(It) has a smaller footprint. We’re not shipping products all over the place, we’re utilizing local suppliers and we are supporting local farmers,” Bess said. “We’re supporting the effort of maintaining and knowing something about the products we’re serving. We know where our products came from and how they were raised.” Last year, Owen’s hosted a themed dinner with a focus

on local foods, which according to Bess, was a major success among the students. This year, the dining hall is bringing back “Tribute to Local Ingredients” on Tuesday, Sept. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. Although this date runs beyond Sustainability Week, the event promotes the theme all the same. The meals will showcase the fruits and vegetables from Kentland Farms, as well as meat dishes from Tech’s Meat Science Center. The dining hall’s dinner will include a large variety of tapas, a new feature this year. A concept originating in Spain, tapas dishes are typically known as small snacks and appetizers, which can be shared between several people at a time. Bess said the event would consist of small plates of food where students can go about making as many or as few choices as they wish, as opposed to the seated and more structured multi-course meal in the past. Numerous stations will be present, and savory dishes will include menu items like thinly sliced potatoes with a layer

of egg poured over top, beef tenderloin, Moroccan style lamb meatballs, smoked trout mousse, a goat cheese crouton salad and a bruschetta bar. Dessert will consist of peach sorbet, raspberry coulis and apple empanadas with crème anglaise. Bess expects 80 to 100 people to go this year, and therefore recommends students buy a seat in advance to ensure they will be able to receive food. Accompanying this dinner, Dining Services is also welcoming a new sustainability coordinator and Tech alumna, Rial Tombes. Bess said the ability to use ingredients from the area has been a great opportunity, and with Tombes, Tech’s dining services will continue to do so in the future. “(Our growth with farming) was a gleam in somebody’s eye in ’08, and by ’09 it was an herb garden with flowers,” Bess said. “In 2010 we harvested 18,000 pounds of product for our first full year of service. We grew to 30,000 last year, and we aren’t even finished harvesting this year.”

COURTESY OF NANCY BAGATO

Last year, Dining Services held a local food dinner featuring dishes composed of ingredients from the area. Last year’s dinner was a plated multi-course meal (above), while this year’s event will provide a buffet.

Q & A: Students push for campus change EMMA GODDARD features editor

Although Sustainability Week 2012 is coming to a close, Denny Cochrane continues to push for energy efficiency and sustainability awareness. Cochrane is the sustainability program manager in the Office of Energy and Sustability, which oversees new construction, renovation and recycling. His job was created because students pushed for the advancement of sustainability on campus. He hopes to encourage others to step up to the plate and do their part in living more sustainably for a better future. He notes that at times, being used to attending a school with such friendly people, a beautiful campus and an overall feeling of cleanliness can make us lose sight of things. But with a little teamwork, he knows Virginia Tech students can make a major contribution to this effort. He talked to the Collegiate Times about his ongoing efforts. CT: Tell me about your job with Virginia Tech. Cochrane: The office was created in September of 2007 and it started off as an office of one, i.e. me. This came from my boss, the vice president for administrative services, Dr. Sherwood Wilson. He said, “Listen, in response to a lot of interest by students, faculty and staff, we need to create an office of sustainability, and sustainability matters.” As we moved forward, the office has been increased to a total of three full timers. My role is primarily to serve as our point person to coordinate sustainability programs on campus as well as with the local community; so things like Sustainability Week,

Gobblerfest, RecycleMania and providing support to the Environmental Coalition in planning for Earth Week in the spring. CT: How did you become involved with this type of work? Cochrane: Well I’ve always liked to tell people that the most important duty you have in whatever job you have, is to do what your boss asks you to do. It sounds simple and it is. The best thing about being a college graduate is that you learn to adapt and do a lot of things, be a problem solver, bridge builder and so on. When I started five years ago, I wasn’t really sure where this was going and what my duties would be. I was fortunate enough to have external things come my way that said these are the kinds of things that most colleges and universities are looking at when it comes to having their campus be much more sustainable. As I went through that first year, for me, one of the best things was to be a good listener — listening to what people felt we should be doing, looking at what other universities are doing, going to conferences on sustainability, and also responding to a lot of external surveys. The other thing was, in April of 2007, the students had really been interested in wanting to advance sustainability on campus. I would say they were the lightning rod. The university created a university governance committee called the Energy and Sustainability Committee. They were approved by the University Council as a part of the university governed system. I could never have projected at that time that we’d be as far along as we are, and I’m really excited about that. (Later) President Steger made the decision that we were

going to develop our own Climate Action Commitment unique to the university; something we could achieve, and an accompanying sustainability plan on how we were going to get there. April 22, 2009, President Steger presided over the University Council’s recommendation to approve Virginia Tech’s Climate Action Commitment, and they accepted it. CT: For those students who may not be as involved in the sustainability eﬀort, why do you feel they should care about this? Cochrane: I think, clearly not just here but throughout the country, there’s been a recent awareness that we have to be better stewards of our resources. If we’re ever going to be able to look at our grandchildren and children (we want to say) that we did our best to make certain that we used what we needed but no more, and made sure there were provisions for them in the future. I think people look at universities and higher education as being catalysts for change, and a place to serve as a model for change. I think it’s neat that (sustainability) not only embraces the environmental side of things, but it does so from the standpoint of economics, and the social piece and what not. It’s more than a “saving the environment” kind of thing. Saving energy is just the right thing to do. CT: Do you have any examples of things students may be doing here in Blacksburg that aﬀects the environment around us, without them knowing it? Cochrane: I would say that we’re at a point where we have

COCHRANE a lot of policies, procedures and what not in effect to reduce our energy consumption, make us more efficient, and do a lot of good things we’ve never done before. But, I think we’re at a point where we need to focus on changing our campus behavior and focus on getting everyone engaged. This involves everybody. A good example: You would not believe the amount of electricity we use. Why not treat the university campus like you would your own house? If you walk out the door, why not turn off the lights? Why not adjust your thermostat? Turn off your computer, turn off your lights, shut your windows, and be a good steward of the university resources, because in reality if we cut our energy consumption, we have a great chance of lowering your tuition. You’re going to be in charge sometime, somewhere of something, so why not be a role model for your buddies? If you’re in the dorm, say “Hey guys, we can do better than this. Let’s stand up and take charge, and make it a priority to live a more sustainable life.”

news

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

Building Sustainability .18

september 21, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Five Energy Saving Tips 1. Turn off the lights 2. Take short showers 3. Air dry clothes

4. Close windows and doors 5. Buy energy saving lightbulbs

.17 .16

Average Daily kWh per Square Foot

.15

Dietrick Dining Center Daily kWh Comsumption: 16,176 Daily Cost: $1,540 2.6% decrease

.14 .13 .12 .11 .10 .09

Squires Student Center

.08

Daily kWh Consumption: 14,808 Daily Cost: $1,410

.07

2.7% increase

Average VT Total Energy Consumption

.06

War Memorial Chapel

.05

Daily kWh Comsumption: 265 Daily Cost: $25

.04

22.6% decrease

.03 .02 .01

Ambler Johnston Hall Daily kWh Comsumption: 5,092 Daily Cost: $485 51.8% decrease

Slusher Hall Daily kWh Comsumption: 1,600 Daily Cost: $153 31.6% decrease

Michaela Reardon/Collegiate Times

september 21, 2012

Regular Edition GET INSIDE THE GAME

Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Examine your values and what’s most important to you. If they’re unclear, interview friends. Create an intention that inspires for the year. Your career and home life prosper steadily. A new phase of research, education and communication opens this fall.

LOVE YOUR PET TELL US ABOUT HIM!

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day

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Send us your quote and see it here! creative.services@collegemedia.com

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4 8

2 6 7

1 9 5 6 7

2 9

5 4

5 4 6 7 1

69 It’s chopped, in a way, in 18-, 26-, 49- and 60Across

8 6

2 3

2 6

By Bill Thompson and Anne Thompson Richter

ACROSS 1 Leader elected by monks 6 Jazz aficionado 9 “__ Astor”: Sargent portrait 13 Rule 15 Maker of Good Grips kitchen tools 16 __ of mystery 17 Former quarterback Peete 18 Portrayer of the Elf maiden Arwen in “The Lord of the Rings” 20 Hunk’s pride 21 The sun, in Cancún

Week ending September 21, 2012

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

(1) 1

One More Night • Maroon 5

(2) 2

Ronan • Taylor Swift

Some Nights • fun.

(3) 4

Gangam Style • PSY

23 Award for books on tape 24 Torchiere, e.g. 26 Exist like a mob informant, say 29 Mlle. counterpart 33 Nut in a cupule 34 Words in a market report 36 Equip with firepower 37 Somersaulting dive 39 Executive position 41 Tolkien creature 42 “Pink Shoe Laces” singer Stevens 46 Green shade 47 Tourney ranking

9/20/12

49 Enjoy leisurely 51 1988 Radio Hall of Fame inductee 53 Boss, in Swahili 56 Beatles title woman who “made a fool of everyone” 57 Bit of work 60 Solon 62 Santa Catalina’s only city 64 All: Pref. 65 Wrap up 66 Place for a picture 67 Narc’s goal 68 Old IBM PCs

DOWN 1 Indian tomb site 2 Nincompoop 3 Briefs not seen in court 4 Sommelier’s prefix 5 Like many a New England street 6 Kid finishing a book, maybe 7 They’re under shoulder joints, anatomically 8 “Mazel __!” 9 Bucks shots 10 Seasonal song starter 11 Eins und zwei 12 Easy to maneuver, at sea 14 Versatile synthetic 19 Cap with a pompom called a toorie 22 Remote hiding place? 24 Frond bearer 25 Stuck, after “in” 26 Old Nigerian capital 27 Words of compassion 28 Walt Disney, vis-à-vis Mickey Mouse 30 Indira’s successor 31 Treasure stash

32 Brew hue 35 Unfortunate soul 38 Chewy caramel candy 40 Sneaky maneuver 43 Buck the majority 44 Guts 45 Quaint outburst 48 “Aw, shucks!” 50 “Giant Brain” unveiled in 1946 52 It follows April in Paris

53 Shapeless form 54 U.S.’s largest S&L until its 2008 collapse 55 Botanical bristles 57 Mtn. statistic 58 Where all roads lead? 59 Growl 61 Annoy 63 “Wheel of Fortune” purchase

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

9/19/12

WORDSEARCH: Bertie Bot’s Every Flavor Beans Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid. A

O W

N W

G W

H W D

W D

E W

R W

E W G

M Q W

E W

M G

WORD BANK Bacon Bogey Cheese Rotten Egg Soap Vomit Earwax Dirt Grass Cinnamon Marshmallow Jelly Spinach Watermelon Black Pepper Sausage Blueberry Candyfloss

GET INSIDE THE GAME WITH CINCINNATI - SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

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

people & clubs

september 21, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

h shee

She said: Avoid excessive Styrofoam product waste

MARIAH JONES/ COLLEGIATE TIMES

He said: Devote more time to sustainable efforts When considering what to write about this week concerning the topic of sustainability, I felt woefully unprepared. The environment is a difficult thing to joke about, unless you are South Park talking about Al Gore. Comedy is always my go-to when writing about something I know little to nothing about. Sustainability is not something I consider daily or really think about. This is not an excuse for my lack of concern for the future of our planet, but it is, I believe, a common standpoint of young adults. Why think about tomorrow when everything seems fine today? In fact, the only time my mind turns to sustainability is when it affects me directly through gas prices, and I send up a quick prayer for my car to somehow start running off water.

As sustainability week is upon us, it gives us all an opportune time to reflect on our habits that are hurting the environment. This planet is a gift to us and we need to be good stewards of it. Google searching pictures of pollution, images of smokestacks spewing dark clouds and cartoons of the earth sneezing are prevalent. The image that comes to my mind about the future, however, is from the movie “The Book of Eli.” In a world that has been devastated by a nuclear war, the opening scene is a forest with ash steadily falling from the sky like snow with Denzel Washington wearing a gas mask. Though this is a bit of a stretch, from the amount of waste we produce and put in landfills, I’ve got to acknowledge that the earth is probably not doing too well. I know that in the coming

week I’m going to investigate the different programs this area has set in place to reduce pollution and promote sustainability. Not because I have a deep desire to, but rather because it is my responsibility as a member of the youngest generation to consider what the world is going to look like for my children and grandchildren if we continue on this pace of destruction. I’m not asking you to become a hippie, start wearing tie-dye and homemade shoes made out of burlap. Nor am I saying that we should all convert our Volkswagen vans to run off vegetable oil and drive around talking about mother earth and father sky. What I am saying is that we should consider our habits and possibly change them in order to make a small difference. When eating at West End,

don’t order your food to go then sit down; eat it and throw your container on the dish return. When you leave your apartment or dorm room in the morning for class, be conscientious and turn off the lights. Ride, walk or carpool to campus. Whatever it is you decide, just try and stick to it and form a sustainable habit. Sorry this article wasn’t funny or witty or what not. As I write it, I’m not feeling that humorous — more sad really. Google search images of pollution or landfills, and get a glimpse of what we’re doing to the earth. In the end, it’s really not that funny at all. JAMES HARRIS -featured columnist - senior -history major

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

I am just itching to meet the godforsaken human being who thought Styrofoam was a good idea. Google tells me he is the venerable and dearly departed Mister Otis Ray McIntire, but I'm not convinced. “Satan's minion” just feels like a far more accurate title — partially because it'll take the sulfurous and eternal fires of Hell to purge the world of all the disposable coffee cups and excessive stereo packaging we've produced. Even though he's probably already cackling with delight at the slow deterioration of the world from his six-foot-under vantage point, I would still tell him all about the misery his cancerous, non-degradable product has caused me over the years. I'd ask to be reimbursed for the countless, underpaid hours I spent in a Virginia Tech dining hall, slinging salads into brittle little boxes for my former sorority sisters and wrestlers trying to make weight. “Do you know how ridiculous I looked, Otis?” I’d demand. “Carrying stacks of those pasty white boxes that were taller than I was while a herd of catty girls watched? It was mortifying.” That would remind me of the crippling embarrassment of bringing a boy back to my dorm freshman year, only to open the door to the smell of rotting meat and the mountain of petroleum-produced containers my hermit roommate had stacked on every available surface of the room. “That kid never called me back, Otis,” I’d say. “And I can tell you right now it’s not because I was a bad kisser.” Then I'd try to explain how it's now easier to break into

Fort Knox than it is to open a set of Costco-wrapped dishes, and how the sound of fingernails scraping across Styrofoam still haunts me in my dreams. “I know you’ve never heard of Costco,” I’d tell him. “But it is actually physically impossible to resist buying things from there. That’s on you.” But the worst, the absolute worst thing of all, is the crushing guilt. It's the weight of the 1.86 billion pounds of Styrofoam used in the U.S. each year, and the weight of knowing that I would still rather drink a cup of terrible coffee or avoid West End during dinner time than stop using to-go containers. “Mister McIntire,” I’d say. “You are clearly the source of my laziness and apathy.” “You and your cheap packaging,” I’d go on, “are the reason that a sustainabilitydriven university has still not shirked an overwhelmingly harmful product in favor of an environmentally friendly option, or even attempted to implement a program that could successfully recycle its vast amounts of waste. You are the shame of recycling centers, the bane of biodegradable manufacturers, the scapegoat of environmentalists everywhere, and you should be ashamed." And then, for the first night in a long, long time, I’d rest easy knowing that I’d put in my fair share of effort towards saving the earth and strived to achieve a less harmful lifestyle. My job would be done. VICTORIA ZIGADLO -news editor - senior -english major

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......radio for everyone

MATT & HAYDEN dating since: October 16, 2011 he says: You're my best friend and I can't

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Your partner is optimistic about money ... perhaps you ought to listen. Don’t be complacent, and invest in your talents. Creative work pays well. Your perfectionism comes in handy at home. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Your dominance gets challenged. You have a chance to prove yourself. But don’t try too hard to impress. Just be your brilliant self. Friends offer good advice and compliments. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -A confrontation opens up an opportunity to create something new, which completely inspires. Accept acknowledgement for your wisdom. There’s money coming in.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -You’re hot, and so is your team. You get a new sense of your own position. Test your hypothesis and see if it its with your plans. An older person feels generous toward you.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Get creative, put your feelings into the design, give it all you’ve got and stand for its success. Keep expenses down. Somebody nice thinks you’re cute. Good news arrives.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -Romance is rising. Work together for the betterment of your world. Don’t let social pressures mess with your commitment to a healthy environment. Meet disagreement with apple pie.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Find out what’s good before it’s gone, and do what you can to preserve it. Love inds a way to compromise. There could be a volatile moment. You’ll advance naturally.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Try something new, and see what develops. You’re smart to keep it gentle. Love grows exponentially. Believe in yourself, and everybody will be happy.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Figure out how to make your money grow, and use intuition and magnetism. It may be worth the risk. Get expert help. A female provides a soothing touch.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -Awareness comes through private talks and through a challenge from a female. Save some of the good stuff for the future. Invest in ef iciency and minimize distractions.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- All isn’t as it appears. Rest up, as there’s more fun and games ahead. A female is part of the equation. Private time could get interrupted. Count to ten before responding.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Surround yourself with laughter and harmony to get the best medicine. Children are your inspiration. The creative process could be messy, but results pay off. You have what you need.

picture my life without you. We've only been together a year and I hope that is just the beginning.

she says:

I am so happy you are in my life and love every minute we are together. You are truly my best friend and I love you :)

how we met: We met in September of last

year through our friend Brandon. I told Brandon he could bring some friends over to my dorm and we could watch a movie. He ended up just bringing Matt. He was really quiet at first but then we became friends pretty quickly and began dating a little over a month later.

september 21, 2012