Thursday, October 11, 2012 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

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An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

Thursday, October 11, 2012

108th year, issue 27 News, page 2

Weekend, page 10

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 8

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Study Break, page 7

CLAHS course is work in progress

Making the cut

ARIANA MOLLERS news staff writer

MARK UMANSKY / SPPS

A Tech student sleeps in the special graduate students’ lounge on the fourth ﬂoor of Newman Library. It is one of several reserved locations for graduate study.

As international applications, education costs start to rise, graduate applicants ﬁnd admission and enrollment difﬁcult JUSTIN GRAVES news reporter

In the 12 months from Fall 2010 to Fall 2011, the number of applications to graduate programs in the United States increased, while the overall number of new enrollments decreased. The study, completed by the Council of Graduate Schools, is a part of a decade-long study. The survey was sent to almost 800 schools, more than 600 of which responded. The survey is the sole collector of data on first-time and total graduate enrollment by field. The council, based in Washington D.C., serves to advance graduate education and promote competition amongst U.S. schools and those abroad. The vice president and dean of Virginia Tech Graduate Education, Karen DePauw, said that rising international competition for students is a good thing, and could be a factor in the fact that national enrollment numbers are decreasing even though application numbers have risen. “Overall, our applications increased and our internation-

al enrollment increased, too. In contrast to the larger numbers, our overall enrollment increased, as well,” DePauw said. “What happened with us is that our decrease in domestic students wasn’t overcome by in the increase in international students.” Tech’s graduate student body consists of 26 percent international students. “Of research universities, we tend to be on the lower side, but not by much, and part of that can be due to location,” DePauw said. “It’s a good ratio, a good mix in my opinion, in the light that we have over 100 different countries represented. It’s worth noting that international enrollment increased at the undergrad level, also.” This trend also likely reflects an increase in students graduating from a master’s program and going straight into another, such as a Ph.D or other higher, terminal degree. “When economic times are not good, people tend to go back to school. That’s proven,” DePauw said. “But, now what is happening, I think, is more undergrads are going into graduate school than into the work place right after graduation. Also, you have students

who are going from one higher degree to another, or going to work and not coming back to school.” Debra Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, says that this new trend may be related to financial stress, both on states and on individual students. “The school systems especially are in financial stress. Teachers are no longer being provided time off to get graduate degrees, and schools are no longer funding principals to go back and get principal certificates,” Stewart said. DePauw, also a member of the Council of Graduate Schools, agrees. “The financial stress can also extend to students who have families. Other factors go into these statistics as well, such as funding options like assistantships,” DePauw said. There is also a looming elimination of the federal loan subsidy for graduate students, and the financial impact is anticipated to put a strain on some students who do not receive large amounts of financial aid. Some higher education professionals believe these numbers may be the result of a loss of prestige of the Ph.D. “I think the Ph.D. still has a

features staff writer

Whether you are coming out or not, there are ways to talk about it. Today is National Coming Out Day, which happens to be part of Virginia Tech’s Multicultural Programs and Services’ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month. Multicultural Programs and Services houses the LGBT Alliance, an undergraduate group, and the Queer Grads and Allies group, and the LGBT Caucus, which is for faculty and staff. There are events scheduled throughout October to raise awareness about these organizations’ aspirations. Chris Hickey, the QG&A vice president and biological systems engineering student, said many people on campus are supportive of the LGBT community but do not actually show their support, which makes

the organization seem invisible. “I think a lot of people on this campus are willing to do that, but it’s not necessarily happening at the rate that it’s happening at other universities and in other cities,” Hickey said. The LGBT groups are sponsoring and partnering with their allies to invite new members and promote public forums to gauge public opinion.

Gauging public opinion The QG&A will have a booth set up outside of the Graduate Life Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The group’s slogan for this year’s table is “ask about being out.” Hickey said this event exists to allow people to approach the members and ask anything about coming out at Tech, network with other student groups and discuss opinions of related topics. “I prefer a public forum

AT A GLANCE

26%

aspect, because it creates this discourse between people and you learn their opinions,” Hickey said. “Then, what happens when you start talking about these words that define people is you start breaking down the walls of stereotypes. The more you discuss it, the less fearful you’re going to be of it. It’s like facing the fear.” The LGBT coordinator, Catherine Cotrupi, founded the QG&A when she was a graduate student at Tech. She said that after researching what other universities were accomplishing with their programs for these groups, she proposed something similar to be established on her own campus. Cotrupi said that the LGBT community needs more visibility and support in every aspect of university life. “People need to be aware of this community,” she see LGBT / page ten

OF GRAD STUDENTS AT TECH ARE

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

CURRENTLY

TECH DOES

NOT PROVIDE ON-CAMPUS

FAMILY

HOUSING

FAMILY ASSISTANCE

see GRADS / page seven

Coming Out Day starts talk CHELSEA GILES

GRAD SCHOOL

TO ITS

GRAD STUDENTS

1.88 MILLION

STUDENTS APPLIED FOR

ADMISSION MOST POPULAR GRADUATE PROGRAMS

ENGINEERING

BUSINESS BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES

SGA takes over with makeover PRISCILLA ALVEREZ news reporter

Homecoming week may be over by Monday, but the buzz asking for student participants around campus won’t be. In a span of three days, Student Outreach, a branch of the SGA, will be asking students to fill out surveys about changes they would like to see. They will be in front of Owens and at the Library Plaza from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. These quick surveys will give Student Outreach an insight on student concerns and “makeover” those issues with change. “It’s a very short survey, but what we can use in that 60-second of a survey is so much more important. Take that one minute of your day to give us that significant data,” said Roy Abernathy, codirector of Student Outreach and a sophomore majoring in applied economic management. The first round of surveys gives a general overview of student opinion on topics, such as dining and transpor-

tation. Following that round, another set of surveys are conducted, but instead, they are sent out to a limited student pool that is randomly selected. To encourage students to participate in the makeover, Student Outreach will be giving away free sunglasses and a shot at winning at iPad. Last year, about 2,300 undergraduates filled out the first part of the survey and the number is expected to grow this year, according to Abernathy. This makeover goes beyond the aesthetics and touches on issues concerning the student body. Three years ago, feedback from these surveys led to the 24/7 operation hours at Torgersen Bridge. Since then, the survey has been edited to ensure the best results. “Last year, it became a lot stronger. We have a good foundation to build upon, as in last year, the questions were made statistically reputable, so our questions have a lot greater worth,” Abernathy said. In addition, Student Outreach spoke to department see SURVEY/ page seven

Freshmen in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences may not be on the same page as the administration behind the development and importance of their required Into to Research course. The course is designed to introduce Liberal Arts and Human Sciences majors to methods of undergraduate research, specifically in respect to their majors. It is taught through three weekly meetings: a large Monday lecture, a department-focused Wednesday class, and a Friday small group that collectively works on a research project for a final grade. Last year, there was little focus on the department: it was not added until this year. Students wanted to see how research could be applied to their own individual major. On the other side of the spectrum, the administration firmly believes the program is effective for students. The three weekly classes are meant to connect, but a noticeable complaint is that the course is too repetitive between the three meetings. Some students do not support the program, such as theatre and psychology major Katie Conner. “For me, I think this is a rehash class and there’s no new information that I’m getting at this point,” Conner said. “For me, it’s basically a dummy’s guide to college research.” Director of Student Development in Undergraduate Academic Affairs Diana Ridgwell said that she understands why students like Connor feel frustrated with the course, but “they will have such a better understanding of what research is in their field,” as a result. “For me, the Wednesday class is the only one I’m getting anything out of — and that’s your department meeting,” Conner said. “For example, I know some people in communication or political science feel like they aren’t getting anything out of their Wednesday meetings because they are such huge groups. I feel like if you could separate groups out of these larger majors, it would be better.” “For another class I’m in, I have to write a 10-page essay for next week, so it’s kind of helping, but I already understand what we’re doing — it’s a little redundant,” said Emily Hurley, political science and economics major. Ridgwell said the more students hear a topic, they more likely they are to retain it. “I would say that research indicates for first-year students it is important to reiterate the concepts repeatedly,” Ridgwell said. According to Ridgwell, the course has been implemented since 2008 and was once available to students of any year, not just freshmen. After the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) came out, the college combined the First Year Experience program (FYE) with research to produce this required LAHS class, and it has been evolving ever since. “I can see where a lot of freshmen think that they don’t have to do another science research project because they’re an English major,” Hurley said. “But there actually is research to do. Because it is a research university, it’s teaching research.” The course also relies on student feedback for growth and development. Ridgwell explained that unlike see RESEARCH / page seven

news

october 11, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

A very hungry homecoming

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

what you’re saying Fans should always stand in support

Anonymous: The football program is uninspiring. Kelley English, a senior communication major, poses in celebration after winning the ﬁrst annual pizzaeating contest for homecoming candidates. English and the male winner, Colby Olliver, each won a whole pizza and t-shirt from Benny Marzano’s. Benny Marzano’s, who sponsored the contest, hopes to turn it into a tradition in subsequent years. photo by Brad Klodowski

It's been stagnant for years. The fan are a reflection of the team, not the other way around. Kinda hard to get pumped up to watch us struggle to beat an FCS team. The play calling is boring. The defense lacks big plays. You can forget about special teams and "beamer ball". That is long gone. So, instead of everyone criticizing the fans for not getting excited and showing more support, why not ask why they're not? Watch an Oregon game. That's exciting, inspiring football.

Kyle Lamers: Or you could just not care. I go

to the games because it's a fun social thing to do. I don't care if we win or lose. I shake my keys and jump and all of that so I guess by that definition I am a good fan. The attitude of the fans needs to change, though. Everyone else needs to stop sulking when we lose. We aren't that great of a team so we don't need to act like we just lost the championship after every loss. Kills the mood for the rest of a fun Saturday.

Life-long Hokie: If any of you truly feel that way

about our Hokie program, don't go. It will open up seats for true fans. Fans that sat through the losses to Temple and Miami-Ohio, fans that sat through the D-word years, fans that sat through 2-8-1.

Anonymous: Well have fun watching losers I'm going to spend my time doing other things.

Opening access to Tech research Pi Alpha Xi sells out of Tech Tulips DONAL MURPHY news staff writer

After next week, students performing research may find it easier to get it published at Virginia Tech. University Libraries and the Distinguished Innovator in Residence program are preparing to celebrate their first Open Access week, starting with keynote speaker Cameron Neylon. Neylon, the director of advocacy at the Public Library of Science, is going to be speaking to students and faculty from Monday until Wednesday about biology, physics and the importance of open access information. Brian Mathews, the associate dean for learning and outreach and the leader of the Distinguished Innovator in Residence program, saw that Neylon would be a good fit for the program and the libraries. “It helps us, on the innovation side ... to think about how we might contribute to foster improvements,” Mathews said. While separate from the University Libraries, Mathews recognizes the use and potential of open access resources in the scholarly field, and how it can help to make connections that might have previously been

slow or completely impossible. “Open Access is basically barrier free to scholarly literature, free of copyright restrictions, free of financial barriers,” said Julie Speer, the associate dean of research and informatics for University Libraries. Tech currently uses an institutional repository called VTechWorks as a open access resources where students and faculty can publish their scholarly works. This includes traditional articles and papers, as well as photographs and digitized historical works, all accessible for free online. Open Access Week is useful for students interested in the field of scholarly and scientific research, as it helps them prepare for the process of publishing work and learn about the barriers that they might face in that process, Speer said. “It’s important for students to understand these issues, ones that are actively engaged in research projects and the publishing process,” Speer said. Tyler Walters, dean of University Libraries, has long been aware of the advantages of open access scholarly resources, and has been dealing with the promotion of them for 10 years. “We’re really trying to find

ways to raise awareness and have a university-wide conversation about what it is, what the benefits are, and what some of the issues are,” Walters said. Compared to the traditional subscription approach, according to Walters, open access journals are easier to use, more effective, and faster at obtaining information, as subscription journals are limited behind a “pay wall.” Due to this, more journals are using the open access approach. “This new approach that makes information open and free right away deserves to be published,” Walters said. Tech’s open access week will allow students to speak to library faculty about the publication process, and will have a speaker set run with it. It aims to make sure that students learn about the value of freely accessible information. “That’s our goal, to try to bring in different people from different backgrounds, whether you’re talking about social web, or network designs, or anthropology. It’s a way for us to bring in thought leaders from around the country, and Cameron is from the UK, so a global set,” Mathews said.

Those hoping to get some of the locally famous Tech Tulips will have to wait until next year. Tech’s chapter of Pi Alpha Xi, a national horticulture honor society, has sold out of its annual tulip buds for Homecoming during pre-order sales. The tulips will be distributed Oct. 12 and 13 at the Hahn Horticulture Garden. The flowers come in two varieties: the Hokie Blend Tulip Mix, which is a combination of orange and purple tulip buds, and the Hokie Single Tulip, which is orange with purple streaks. They are sold annually by PAX to fund scholarships and service projects. The flowers came to fame when First Lady Michelle Obama mentioned them during her May commencement speech for the class of 2012. Though the tulips are sold out, the mums sold by the Tech Horticulture Club in the Hokie colors as part of their seasonal flower sale are still available.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @HokieRealist

DONAL MURPHY news staff writer

Title contenders outside of SEC: Don't overlook K-State

Mike: Why have an offensive coordinator if he doesn't call the plays?

Anonymous: So he can hamstring the playcaller with his playbook and overall game strategy and then deny that he is still a major reason behind offensive showings that don't live up to the talent level.

VT_Tony: There isn't much to say. Unless you've

lived under a rock for the past decade, you would know that Stinespring needs to be fired if you want a better offense, and Beamer needs to be fired if you want to win a National Championship. Plain and simple. Beamer simply doesn't have what it takes to go all the way, but he can put a team together that can be a force to be reckoned with as long as he has competent coaching around him. I respect the guy (Beamer that is) tremendously and what he's done for the program, but he's long since passed his prime and is no longer effective. Heck fire Jim Weaver and make Beamer the AD that would be fine. But we need a new head coach if we want to fill that NC trophy case.

J: Dude, they're 18 year old kids. Cut em a break. Tech fans just have constantly felt like they deserve a BCS championship game, and this season they're being shown that no, you don't. Tech is a good ACC football team, a horrible team in context of a national title. Logan Thomas is a tight end, not a quarterback. Last year he was original (nobody has a 6'6", 260 quarterback in the ACC.) This year they've figured out how to stop his run and that just leaves him with his lackluster throwing ability. They just aren't that good.

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

9/18/12

3:00-4:00 p.m.

Follow-uo to Burglary/Larceny of a sign Hutcheson

Inactive

10/09/12

9:42 p.m.

Underage possession of Alcohol and appear Burruss intoxicated in public

Student conduct

10/10/12

12:12 a.m.

Appear intoxicated in public

College Ave

arrestees

Naimul Karim, 22

status

Arrested

editors: mallory noe-payne, victoria zigadlo

october 11, 2012

newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

COLLEGIATETIMES

Voter Registration 6000

5,985

ith the upcoming election and the approaching deadline for voter registration, there is a major push to get elliglble voters registered. According to the Roanoke

Voter Registration: Deadline Oct. 15

Registrars ofﬁce, there has been a major decrease in the number of new, registered voters since the election in 2008. This year, there have been only 2,557 new voters compared to 5,985 new voters

5000

in 2008. Similarly, there have only been 1,366 newly-registered voters within the past in Roanoke County versus the 3,481 that registered in 2008.

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Absentee Application Deadline Oct. 30

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2012

To register to vote on campus: Wednesday Oct. 3 10:00AM-2:00PM–McBryde Monday Oct. 8 10:00AM-2:00PM–Drillﬁeld

Absentee Ballot: Deadline Election Day Nov. 6 @ 7 p.m. Register Online: http://www.studentvote.org/ Register by Mail: http://www.longdistancevoter.org Fill out the proper forms and mail them to your county registrar. Absentee Application: http://www.longdistancevoter.org Fill out the proper forms and mail them to your county registrar

Wednesday Oct. 10 10:00AM-2:00PM–Drillﬁeld MICHAELA REARDON/COLLEGIATE TIMES

features

octobert 11, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

I MAY BE WRONG, BUT I DOUBT IT

Right to vote empowers uniformed young voters

ow many times have you heard this line: “It is your duty as a citizen of America to get out and vote.” No doubt it has been a lecture you’ve heard from every crotchety old man, or button-wearing campaign promoter that has hassled you these past weeks when you were simply trying to go from point A to point B. Regardless, in 2008 that phrase evolved — or devolved as it were — into the famous MTV sponsored campaign invented by P. Diddy called “Vote or Die.” Think about that. In one fell swoop, something that was a right and responsibility has been essentially turned into a threat by a Mr. Diddy, who is almost certainly less qualified to weigh in on politics than a run-over chipmunk that has been festering on the side of the road. So, this year, I have decided to start my own campaign called “Stay in and Sleep.” I know, I know, my new slogan sounds like a conservative’s sleazy attempt to convince younger citizens — who normally lean to the left — to not vote so the GOP candidate can win. However, my intentions are actually set in a firm hope that our country might actually elect someone that is right for our population. Now, I’m not here to say the American people have botched every past election, I’m just saying that even when we have gotten it right, it was probably done on accident.

You see, the result of the distinguished Diddy’s campaign is a bunch of 18-yearolds voting based on “Who looks like he’d represent our country,” or the even better, “He is the candidate of the party my parents raised me to believe is right.” That kind of groupthink is what leads to a charismatic, but unqualified, candidate to be put in office. And while that was a blatant stab at President Barrack Obama that wasn’t subtle in the slightest bit, many voters on the right don’t exactly do their due diligence when selecting a candidate either. For instance, if a person uses the statement, “He looks like someone I’d like to drink a beer with,” as the reason he/she voted for a candidate, the ballot shouldn’t count. I’d love to have a beer with Charles Barkley, but I’d sooner vote for that grilled cheese sandwich that slightly resembles the Virgin Mary. For those reasons, my campaign will begin in full swing here in the remaining weeks. My workers will dress in pajamas and set up sofas on streets of cities all over the country and get people to pledge to sleep in come Election Day. Why? Because if I can convince people to not vote by simply telling them it’d be easier to sleep in, there is absolutely zero chance that they were going to research the candidates’ views on major issues to form an educated opinion on which would look out for their personal interests.

A little cynical, maybe, but as someone who had just turned 18 when the 2008 election occurred, I had a lot of friends who couldn’t have differentiated Obamacare from the children’s game Operation. My goal is to decrease voter turnout by roughly 83 percent, because according to a study that I have completely made up, only 17 percent of America is truly aware of what the candidates will do if elected. It is because of this that the Electoral College still exists. Yes, people now have the ability to make an educated decision unlike when the system was created by our founding fathers. But they don’t, and I doubt there will be a day when they all will. Would I prefer Mitt Romney? Maybe, although that preference is lessened just about every time he speaks these days. But if my campaign works, and that 17 percent decides Obama, or Virgil Goode or even Barney the Dinosaur and his “I love you; you love me” stance on foreign relations, would be best to run our country, I’d have a hard time saying that we elected the wrong person. Well, until the next election. NICK CAFFERKY -senior -managing editor -communication major

Now Playing! Robot & Frank A hilarious and somewhat heartbreaking story about inding friends and family in the most unexpected places rated PG-13

Playing October 13th - 18th

Sat: 7:00pm & 9:15pm Sun: 3:00pm, 7:00pm, & 9:15pm

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

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

opinions

october 11, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

The Collegiate Times is an independent studentrun 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 NoePayne, 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 Photo Editor: Kevin Dickel Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Ryan Francis Circulation Manager: Travis Neale MCT CAMPUS

Zynga suffers setback, Campuses should allow smoking needs new app ideas I

hat was the first thing you did when you received your first smartphone? Make a call? Send a text? Well, I went straight to the app store and downloaded as many applications as my phone’s memory could hold. These new functions were the primary reason I was excited to upgrade from my Stone-Aged flip phone to a futuristic, button-free device. Much like the way Windows revolutionized the computer, these apps have changed the way we use our phones and for what we use them. Zynga, the company that brought us “Words with Friends” and “FarmVille,” among other social games, has been one of the most successful app-developing companies in the world. But will they be able to continue to manage in this newly formed market? The evidence suggests no. But first, let us look at the world of apps in a different way than you most likely would when pressing “download.” Over just a few years, the app market has exploded. Appchamp.com estimates there are roughly 400,000 apps for Android and 700,000 apps for Apple products on the market, with those numbers growing daily. The mechanics behind this market are intriguing. The most interesting aspect is that anyone can produce an application. All that is truly needed is the knowledge of coding to develop the app in the first place. As far as what the app does and why and how it does it, that is all at the developer’s discretion. After going through a review process by Android and Apple, respectively, to make sure the app is not offensive or of a derogatory nature, the application is placed on the market and is available for download. The phrase “there’s an app for that” has taken on a sarcastic, yet truthful connotation. This is due to seemingly infinite amounts of apps designed for the most obscure tasks that usually inspire the question, “Why does this exist?” However, most are still incredibly helpful in day-to-day life. So what does this all mean for Zynga, specifically?

The app-based company has experienced public hardships over the past couple weeks as their quarterly numbers have not met expectations. Their underperformance warranted a statement from CEO Mark Pincus: “The third quarter of 2012 continued to be challenging and, while many of our games performed to plan, as a whole we did not execute to our satisfaction.” The company’s stock price fell a drastic 20 percent after Pincus made the announcement, totaling a recession in stock price of about 75 percent over the past year. Zynga is in serious trouble, not just because they are experiencing a disappointing quarter, but because there does not seem to be a high potential for improvement in the future. As I mentioned earlier, just about anyone can create and submit an app. There is virtually no barrier to enter this market, due to a relatively miniscule amount of necessary startup capital and virtually no regulation. This presents an unlimited amount of competition, making the market a highly volatile environment. All it takes is one revolutionary idea — as simple as “Words with Friends” — and you have a success story. Still, this is by no means a death sentence for Zynga. In order to revive its business, the company must create a game that is attractive, fun and unlocks the full potential of our smartphones. However, a continuous stream of these games would be essential to retain users’ attention. After all, how often do you still play “Words with Friends” or “FarmVille?” According to “Wall Street Journal,” the full results of Zynga’s performance this quarter will be released October 24, but we already know it will not be pretty. Company executives and staff must make a genuine effort to adapt and perform, as this ever-growing and ever-changing market threatens to swallow them whole. DAVID LEVITT -regular columnist -ﬁnance -junior

n my 20 or so years of life, I have never once smoked a cigarette. Scientific research has compiled mountains of evidence suggesting cigarette smoking is bad for one’s health. Although this is the case and I personally do not smoke cigarettes, I would never tell someone they could not smoke cigarettes, as long as they were of legal age. However, the government does not share my philosophy. On Sep. 12, the assistant secretary of health at the U.S. Department of Human Services, Howard Koh, announced the launch of a tobacco-free college campus initiative. This initiative aims to promote healthier living, while encouraging college campuses across America to become tobacco free. Koh said the reasoning for this initiative is because of the nearly 1 million U.S. citizens who start smoking cigarettes after age 18 each year. While this seems like a righteous and valiant effort against the evil that is tobacco, I find this initiative a little misguided by the U.S. government. The government seems to think people are going to stop smoking cigarettes just because they would not be allowed to on a college campus. Sure, smokers might get disgruntled by the fact they cannot smoke somewhere — which is not new for them — but they are still going to smoke cigarettes. A college student does not spend 100 percent of his or her time on campus. College students would still be able to freely smoke off campus. This initiative only accomplishes ridding physical campuses of

cigarette smokers. Many people would argue the initiative would be successful because college campuses would be tobacco free. This would be true, but at what cost? I find that people seem to forget smokers are people too and therefore have the same rights set forth by the Constitution that we all enjoy. But increasingly, the government has passed laws to take rights from smokers and to inconvenience them enough to stop smoking. While I can see there are benefits to prohibiting smoking in certain places — airplanes, restaurants, businesses, etc. — there are no benefits to prohibiting smoking in a wide open space. There are a good number of students who smoke cigarettes on campus at Virginia Tech, but never in my three years here has someone smoking a cigarette in wide open air affected me. It is not like they are all walking up to me and exhaling the smoke into my face. Instead, they are peacefully walking and not disturbing anyone. This initiative is just another attempt by the government to take away rights because of the perceived benefits to society. If the government truly — and I mean truly — believed it was in the best interest for everyone in society to not smoke cigarettes, they would be illegal. But because of the various monetary and political motives of the tobacco companies — which is not within the scope of this column — cigarettes becoming illegal is not going to happen. There is no reason to strike a balance between smokers and non-smokers

because, since smokers are the minority, their rights will be sacrificed for the “better good.” First, it was the ads on television and magazines. Then, it was on airplanes. Then, it was in restaurants. And now, the government is really going to try stopping people from smoking in open air. I understand and agree that secondhand smoke is harmful and should be mitigated. But if you are seriously scared of getting any form of lung disease because someone near you is peacefully smoking, then you need to learn about personal space and stop standing so close to them. College has always been a place where you learn about yourself. You are able to do that because of the freedom you have. Away from our parents, and basically any form of adult supervision, we are allowed to express ourselves in the ways we want. I firmly believe this is a crucial time in our social development. Although hard to believe, smoking cigarettes is one of those ways people express themselves, and it is a completely legal form of expression. Under no circumstance should honest, hardworking people be persecuted for something that is legal to do. Countless times I have heard America referred to as the “Land of the Free.” While this is true, I cannot help but be skeptical when I see the amount of handcuffs the U.S. government puts on its citizens, literally and metaphorically.

MARCUS WILLIAMS -regular columnist -economics -junior

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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 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-inchief 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 2319865 Editor-in-Chief 2319867 College Media Solutions Advertising 9619860 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.

october 11, 2012

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: You can really take ground in your career this year. Responsible financial management coupled with a clear plan of where you’re going can open unimaginable opportunities. New perspectives on wealth allow for greater prosperity. Travel and educational exploration expand mind and spirit.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.” - Georgia O'Keeffe

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

XKDC by Randall Monroe

2 5

3 3 6 9 4 8 2 7 2 6 1

4 2 3 9 7 8 5 7 3

Complete the grid so that each column, row and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9. For a greater challege see how fast you can complete the puzzle. Copyright 2007 Puzzles by Pappocom Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

Week ending October 12, 2012

By Julian Lim

Top Tracks Red • Taylor Swift

Skyfall • Adele

2 (2) 3

Gangam Style • PSY Live While We’re Young • One Direction

One More Night • Maroon 5

10/11/12

ACROSS 1 Its median score is 100 7 Weapon for Tyson 11 Christmas choice 14 Former drug giant 15 Sans employment 16 Enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, say 17 *Title role in the 2009 Tony winner for Best Musical 19 Drop off briefly 20 Shoe with a swoosh logo 21 Tex-Mex snack 22 M-16, e.g. 24 *Advantage of some military goggles

(4) 5

26 Bottlenecks 30 Not hard to grasp 31 Plaza Hotel imp 32 Write quickly 33 Sports car roof option 36 SkyMiles airline 37 Make, as a sandwich 38 Ethiopia’s Selassie 39 Like flannel and fleece 40 Creepy-crawly 41 Tiered Asian temple 42 Butterfly’s perch 44 Noble headpiece 45 *Freetown is its capital

WORDSEARCH: VT Homecoming 2012 Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W O

W P

W N

W P

W R

W N

W C

W A

W N

WORD BANK 1 PARADE 2 KING 3 QUEEN 4 CAMPAIGN 5 GAME BALL 6 RANGER CO. 7 COURT 8 LOWTECHS 9 SPIRIT RALLY 10 TAILGATE 11MAROON EFFECT 12 DANCE 13 KEVIN HART 14 FLAMING VT 15 DUKE 16 ALUMNI 17 TRADITION 18 FOOTBALL

48 Response to a dare 49 __ II razor 50 Actor Morales 54 Film buff’s channel 55 “That’s exactly how I feel” ... or what each starred clue’s first word can do? 58 Stat for Ryan Howard 59 Having the knack 60 Tough leather 61 Subj. that helps people assimilate 62 Niggling things 63 “Enough already!”

DOWN 1 Publisher’s ID 2 Royally named liner, briefly 3 Heart-to-heart 4 Gardner of mysteries 5 Shrewd 6 When strokes begin to count 7 Rip off 8 Couch potato’s fixation 9 Pavement warning 10 Game with tumbling blocks 11 *Unauthorized stories written by devotees 12 Author Calvino 13 Confine again, as swine 18 Trails 23 “Did we get the bid?” 24 Orion Mars mission gp. 25 Acid container 26 Some arena displays, briefly 27 Bar from a dairy case 28 *Pro shop freebie 29 Pre-speech obstacle 32 St. Patrick’s Day dance

34 Ye __ Shoppe 35 Bog fuel 37 Big name in online poker 38 March __: Carroll character 40 Sound at a shearing 41 Stormy weather gear 43 USC athlete 44 Cold weather wear

45 Give the creeps 46 Sonnet line fivesome 47 Maritime birds 50 Footsteps-in-anempty-hallway sound 51 Blunder 52 BMW rival 53 “Yeah, sure!” 56 Shizuoka sash 57 Phone no. addition

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

10/11/12

news

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

Research: Input is key to class from page one

other FYE programs at Tech, the CLAHS program listens to student commentary. Accordingly, the FYE has a faculty board made up of administration and peer facilitators. Students are required to complete weekly reflections. Each summer, the program is tweaked based off these class evaluations and reflections. “I love feedback, because to me, it’s just more information to help us change the course for next time,” Ridgwell said. “The way we handle it is I ask the peer facilitators to send us any reflection they feel is negative, then I ask the students to come in and share their ideas, because that’s how you develop a course that meets student needs.” Some form of FYE program is required by Tech for colleges to be accredited by the university. This year’s program is based off the University of Texas at Austin’s model. Their goal is now to make it fit Tech’s students. The college chose to have an academic approach to research rather than a program that acts as an orientation to the university to benefit students for the future. “Sometimes they don’t see the relevance upfront, sometimes it’s not realized until later in their career,” Ridgewell said. “But we put the seed in to get them excited as they move on to do other things.” Next year, Ridgwell believes this course will incorporate more technology through online activities, such as videos or interviews, in order to reach out to all the majors. But, none of it can happen without the essential voice of the students. “It’s been built by students and will continue to be built and tweaked by students,” Ridgwell said.

october 11, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Survey: Students suggest campus improvements from page one

heads to see what concerns they may have to formulate valuable questions. Some of these department heads made suggestions regarding the library, athletics and dining. “(We ask) what they’re interested in as well and what they know are feasible changes,” Abernathy said. This year, several questions will be about student centers since the univer-

sity has plans to build a new center. They will also include questions on dining and transportation since they have been popular trends in the past. After gathering the data, Student Outreach compiles the results to present to the Commission on Student Affairs, which recommends policy to the University Council, and the Board of Visitors. Eventually, data collected

from this year’s surveys will help the university determine what is important to keep or change in the future. As of now, Student Outreach cannot direct change because of their limited power, which is an obstacle SGA has been battling with. “That’s one of the biggest limitations we have, I would say in the past, is that it’s hard to produce results

Grads: Students struggle to enroll from page one

great deal of respect, there is just more competition against Tech in trying to recruit students to go after those higher degrees at your institution,” DePauw said. “The U.S. still has the largest enrollment in Ph. D degrees, but the overall percentage is decreasing. We used to have about 70 percent of all Ph. D candidates and now it’s dropping into 50 percentile,” DePauw said. “We do still have the majority.” In May, Virginia Tech’s graduate school graduated over 2,000 master’s students and over 400 doctoral students – numbers that are the highest they’ve ever been at the school. DePauw argues that, to stay competitive, Tech needs to look at more options for different kinds of students. This

includes options like providing family housing and newer, flexible programs. “For some students to come here, they often have to leave their young families. It may be a part of the culture, or because of finances, but this can be a deterrent for some students to come to Blacksburg,” DePauw said. Family housing is also something DePauw has worked toward to try and make Tech more attractive to the “nontraditional” college student. Nicole Johnson is a graduate student in the Higher Education Administration program at Tech and believes in family housing. “Resident housing for students with families should be on every research institution that has graduate students and older students,” Johnson said. “I went to the University

of Iowa for undergrad, and we had student apartments available for non-traditional undegrad students (over the age of 21), graduates, students with children/families with nineor 12-month leases,” Johnson said. “The apartments also keep the overall rent prices down in town.” Further, in order to help enrollment of new students, the Graduate School offers online programs at various other campuses, such as the northern Virginia center, as well as some online courses. “T. Marshall Hahn changed the culture to make it a little bit more of a focus graduate education, and helped with graduate education and research and we’ve been moving in that direction, very much so, ever since,” DePauw said.

......radio for everyone

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

from this,” Abernathy said. Despite limitations, Abernathy and co-director Kim Caputo intend to create change by dividing this year’s makeover into two portions. “This is our first portion of it by getting the student input, but in the spring, to again remind students that, those who participated, this is what you all said and here is how we are actively trying to change

it,” Caputo said. With time, Student Outreach expects to make effective change around campus. “We do have the power to change the school as long as students are willing to take the survey, give us that data, and that we can present significant data,” Abernathy said. Follow this writer on Twitter: @priscialva

take a shot at change

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101

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Lesson 1: Risky Drinking What is considered high-risk drinking?

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students indicates they define high-risk drinking as 5-or-more standard drinks for women and 8-or-more for men. How can I reduce my risk?

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You’re entering a pensive phase. It’s easy to get sidetracked (which can be useful sometimes). Focus on taking actions you’re especially quali ied for, even if it means postponing play.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Use today and tomorrow to plan the actions for the rest of the year. Do the necessary research, but don’t believe everything you read. Keep the money in the bank.

Aries (Mar. 21-April 19) Get down to the actual work for the next two days. Get your ideas into action without delay. You’re gaining respect. Pay attention to details. Love lows both ways.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Play, but remember your budget. If it seems too good to be true, it may be. Consider consequences. You have more friends than you realized. Follow the rules.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Take more time for play over the next couple of days and be rewarded. Or at least take everything with a grain of salt and a good sense of humor. Consider all possibilities. Question authority.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Work requires more attention (and is more rewarding) for the next few days. Learn so you’re stronger and wiser next time. Crossing a body of water looks interesting.

Make sure you’re linking up with an expert, especially around funding. There’s power in numbers. Provide yourself with what you need, but don’t get complacent. Travel light this time. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Let go of stale fantasies. Invest in the right tools to save money in the long run. There’s a change in plans; take care. Outdoor walks are especially romantic.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Stay true to your vision and commitments, even as you revise them. It’s a good time to ind a bargain. Allow your feet to take you where they want.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Study the situation for a while. Meet with an important client or family member, and listen as if you’re paying gold for every word. Practice something you love. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Tap another source of revenue, looking at all possible angles. The upcoming days are quite pro itable (and you’re very popular). Don’t fall for a sob story. Think about the future. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You have extra con idence starting today. Your actions speak louder than words, so make them count. Gather practical information and advance. Remember an important appointment.

ANSWER: The best ways to prevent harm are designating a non-drinking driver, eating food before and while drinking, staying hydrated, tracking number of drinks and moderating consumption by pacing and spacing drinks.

sports

october 11, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Undefeated teams in CFB seek elusive national title W

ith the losses last weekend of No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 Georgia, college football fans have begun to take notice of the dwindling number of undefeated teams. Each season every team dreams of an undefeated season, going to a big bowl game and maybe even a national championship. But as the season wears on, the ranks of the undefeated continues to shrink as teams are exposed, upset or just run into a tough opponent. This season there are 16 undefeated teams remaining and they can be sorted, like every season, into three categories: the favorites, the contenders and the midmajors. The teams who should be considered favorites this year are Alabama and Oregon. The favorites are the teams for whom a national championship isn’t a dream, but destiny. These teams play terrifically in all facets of the game, but are truly dominant on one side of the ball — Alabama’s defense, Oregon’s offense. These teams have a great pedigree and name recognition, as well as a high preseason ranking. And then they back that up by defeating some top-tier opponents — Alabama steamrolled Michigan and Oregon demolished Arizona and Washington. However, these teams are just an upset away from falling into the next group. The contenders group consists of South Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, Kansas State, Notre Dame and Ohio State. However, with Ohio State’s bowl ban, they are not truly contending.

The contenders are teams who still have great name recognition, but aren’t necessarily considered one of the top programs in the country year-in and yearout. These teams all are within reach of a national championship, but need a little help and a little luck to get there. The teams in this group are usually very good with one dynamic playmaker who sends them over the top — such as South Carolina’s DE Jadeveon Clowney, West Virginia’s QB Geno Smith or Kansas State’s QB Collin Klein. These teams can also be easily upset, or exposed as flawed, and find themselves tumbling out of contention. The final group, the mid-majors, is made up of Oregon State, Louisville, Mississippi State, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisiana Tech, Ohio and the University of Texas at San Antonio. For these teams who fly under the radar of the average college football fan, the national championship is not a realistic goal. Similar to the mid-majors in college basketball, they set their sights on a competitive year and an opportunity to shine in a big time bowl. The members of this group are the most likely to drop out of the ranks of the unbeaten, as they all have some f laws that could be easily exposed. These teams are also hoping to climb the ladder of teams, such as Boise State or TCU who used their undefeated seasons to become more nationally relevant and gain bids to a better conference. They also could be considered “bracket busters, ”underdogs who remove one of the teams

MCT CAMPUS

South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney celebrates earlier this season. Clowney has been a key contributor for the undefeated Gamecocks. above them from the ranks of the undefeated, dashing their national championship dreams. There are nine possible match-ups of undefeated teams left in this season, not including conference championships or bowl games. So, in addition to being on the lookout for potential upsets, some of these teams need to be worried about each other. As the quest for an unde-

feated season continues, these teams should know that an undefeated season has only occurred 15 times in the BCS era. So history says they should watch their back, as a loss can come from anywhere at anytime. Just ask LSU, Florida State or Georgia. JAMES O’HARA -junior -sports staff writer -computer science

national championship picture Favorites: Oregon, Alabama Contenders: South Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Ohio State Mid-Majors: Oregon State, Louisville, Mississippi State, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisiana Tech, Ohio, University of Texas at San Antonio

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

sports

october 11, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Triple crown goes widely unnoticed L ast week, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers won the Triple Crown, something that hadn’t been done in 45 years. For those unaware, the Triple Crown is earned when a baseball player leads the league in batting average, home runs and RBI. The Triple Crown has been awarded just 14 times in the modern era of baseball (since 1900). The feat was accomplished by twelve different players and every player is now a hall of famer. While I’m not ready to say Miguel Cabrera is a first ballot hall of famer, this is one of the rarest feats in sports and should have received much more attention than it did. The last time a player completed the Triple Crown was Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967. This is an accomplishment that all-time greats such as Reggie Jackson, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols never accomplished. The biggest attention that this story had was being the lead story on Sports Center for the day. Even the next day the story was barely mentioned on the show and was overshadowed by the big football games of the upcoming weekend and whether or not Tim Tebow would see the field. The single-season home run record has been broken twice since the last Triple Crown. When a player was even close to that record it was the biggest news in baseball and would be tracked every night on Sports Center. For Cabrera’s Triple Crown, I wasn’t even aware he was close to winning until a week or two before hand. One of the reasons many people feel this was a story that didn’t receive as much press was because of the other close

Baseball hosts annual “Shave for the Brave” Hokie team and coaches shaved their heads for children’s cancer research on Monday night ALISON BOWKER sports staff writer

MCT CAMPUS

Miguel Cabrera tips his cap to the crowd at Kauffman Stadium, shortly before wrapping up the Triple Crown. pennant races in baseball. the NBA and major league training in 2011. I feel the main reason that baseball for the second spot. No matter what Cabrera’s this story was overshadowed It’s a shame to see Cabrera’s off-field problems are or is because baseball is not as historic performance over- what other major stories big as it once was in the U.S. shadowed by previews for NFL are happening in the world When the last Triple Crown regular season games in just of sports, his historic season occurred, the Packers were a day. will always be considered starting their title defense of Cabrera’s image is anoth- one of the greatest offensive the second Super Bowl and er factor that could have performances in baseball. it was still three years before pushed this story out of the Bottom line, he deserves the NBA would implement the paper’s faster than it should more attention for his historic three-point line. have been. He has been in accomplishment. Baseball was clearly the trouble with the law twice major sport in America and in the last three years. The JIM MCNAMARA no other sport was even close. first was a domestic violence -sophomore Today, the NFL has claimed incident in 2009 and a -sports staff writer that spot and it’s close between DUI arrest before spring -civil engineering

The Virginia Tech baseball team shaved their heads for cancer and raised $34,000 at the team’s annual “Shave for the Brave” event Monday night. “Shave for the Brave” was implemented by head coach Pete Hughes along with his “19 Ways” initiative three years ago when he became coach. “19 Ways” encourages the team to give back and get involved with the Blacksburg community. The team surpassed its original goal of $10,000 in two days. “The program has grown beyond my wildest expectation,” Hughes said. “Shave” began when Hughes was contacted by “Friends of Jaclyn” about helping a boy diagnosed with cancer. Levi Brown was diagnosed when he was four with medulloblastoma — a highly malignant primary brain tumor. Today, Levi is cancerfree and has become an adopted member of the baseball team. Hughes said that he and his team visit Levi three times a year at his school and Levi gets to watch a few

games each year from the dugout with the players. Though Hughes knows his players are helping out a young boy, he believes that his players get just as much out of helping Levi, if not more. As of Monday night the team had raised $34,000 for children’s cancer research, surpassing the goal of $25,000. Outfielder Andrew Rash and infielder Chad Pinder took the initiative to lead the team to and beyond its goal. For Rash, “Shave” has a special meaning. Rash’s father died from cancer at the age of 45. “I want kids to be able to enjoy growing up, play sports, do whatever they love to do,” Rash said. To date, Rash has collected $4,520 and is the team’s secondhighest contributor, behind only Hughes, who has collected $7,144.90. For Pinder, Rash and the rest of the team, the “19 Ways” is more than just something Hughes started. “Anything we could do, it makes us feel good,” Pinder said, “that we came together as a team and raised this money.”

october 11, 2012 COLLEGIATE TIMES

weekend

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

1962 alumnus admires Tech’s growth LGBT: Group looks to measure student support

KATIE WHITE features staff writer

from page one

During the civil rights and the Cold War era, Hokies experienced a lot of change. This weekend, they will be able to admire the abundant change to their alma mater. Today until Saturday, the class of 1962 returns to campus for their 50th graduation anniversary. Samuel Lionberger Jr., the president of the class of 1962, has seen many changes as the university evolved from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute to Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. The biggest change, he says, has simply been Tech’s “immense growth.” “When I was there, there were approximately 5,000 students and only about 200 women living in Hillcrest.” Compared to Tech’s currently student population of about 30,000, that’s certainly a significant change.

said. “It’s about inclusion and moving forward.”

‘Partnerships goals’

Striking similarities The change Lionberger has seen began as a student many years ago. Under the presidency of Walter Stephenson Newman, the War Memorial and Chapel was completed in 1960 and construction of Cassel Coliseum, known then as the Student Activities and Physical Education Building, was started in 1961. The first African American students were admitted to Tech, and the first woman at the college, Patricia Ann Miller, received an ROTC commission in 1959. Yet despite numerous changes, there are many things about Tech in 1962 that would make current students feel at home. For instance, the football team had a 4-5 record for the 1961 season — but they won against Florida State in an upset for the homecoming game and, most importantly, beat the University of Virginia 20-0. But even something as familiar as a football game was drastically different: the Hokies played in the smalltime Southern Conference and Tech’s Miles Stadium only held 17,000 fans. Now the students who filled those 17,000 seats are coming back home to watch the Hokie football team take on a team with a better record, this time in front of a crowd of 65,632 fans going crazy for the Maroon Effect.

Well-rounded

college

COURTESY OF LIONBERGER

Samuel Lionberger Jr., the president of the class of 1962, returns to Tech for his 50th graduation anniversary. experience “I remember going to of 1962, who will be stayIn addition to being the Roanoke on Thanksgiving ing at the Holtzman Alumni class president, Lionberger in my senior year to watch Center and The Inn at was involved in numerous the football team play VMI,” Virginia Tech. other organizations and he said. “We got up at 4 The massive project leadership positions. He (a.m.) to catch the train, and required a 21-member comwas the general’s aide to the we got about halfway to mittee and several members Commandant of the Corps Christiansburg before the of the Alumni Relations of Cadets, a judge on the train stalled because the Office, such as associate Cadet Honor Court and a VMI cadets had greased the director Gregory Fansler member of several honor rails. We had to get out and and Carol Green of Reunions societies for the military, actually help push the train.” and Constituency Programs. academics and leadership. While Fansler serves as After graduating from Lionberger still holds Tech in 1962 with a degree the main contact for returnmany fond memories of in building construction, he ing alumni and is heavbeing a Hokie, especially his served a tour in the Army ily involved in the reunion involvement as class presi- Corps of Engineers before weekend itself, Green says dent and as a cadet. returning to Roanoke to she works more “behind “I remember particularly join his father’s construc- the scenes” on administrathe Ring Dance and all the tion company, Lionberger tive matters such as assisting fun we had putting the Ring Construction. alumni in booking hotels Dance together,” Lionberger It’s been 50 years since and managing the guest list. says. “It was held in what you Lionberger was a student at From a morning golf outnow call the War Memorial Tech, but he’s kept very close ing at the Pete Dye River gym. That was a special ties to his alma mater during Course, guided tours of the thing for me, with all the that time. campus and a reunion banpeople that worked togethHis service has included quet, the events are designed er so well to put the Ring terms on the Alumni Board, to bring alumni closer to Dance.” the advisory council for the each other and their alma Lionberger reminisced College of Architecture and mater. similarly about his experi- Urban Sciences and several Lionberger cites the great ence as a cadet. other committees, as well a joy alumni have in catchmember of the President’s ing up with each other as Circle in the Ut Prosim the part of the reunion he is most looking forward to. Society. “It’s been a joy to go to Lionberger’s commitment to advancing Tech has reunions and see each been honored several times, other,” he said. “When you from the 1999 Alumni go to a reunion, you just pick Distinguished Ser v ice up where you left off. It’s like Award to the William H. time isn’t a factor.” One of the weekend’s feaRuffner Medal, Virginia Tech’s highest honor, which ture events is the class of he received in May of this 1962’s induction into the Old Guard. year. The Old Guard is a group Reunited at last for Tech alumni who have Tech’s Alumni Association celebrated at least the 50th has put together a big sched- anniversary of their graduaule for the returning class tion from the university.

further

LGBT History Month events are listed on the Multicultural Programs and Services website, however there are some events that extend beyond campus. C ot r upi c o ord inated with Laureen Blakemore, director of Downtown Blacksburg, to create “Dining Out for Equality,” a week of special discounts offered by Downtown restaurants. This event will take place Oct. 22 — 26. “We thought it would be a great way to show support for the LGBT community and focus on Downtown restaurants,” Blakemore said. “The restaurant owners seem really pleased about it.” Another off-campus event related to LGBT education and awareness is the staged reading of the documentary play “8,” directed by Susanna Rinehart, at the Lyric Theatre tonight at 7:30. The reading is the eighth annual event sponsored by Gay in Appalachia, founded by Jean Elliott, the communications manager for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Starting the discussion Gay in Appalachia, Elliott said, likes to showcase the arts as a prompt for discussion to talk about resilience, elections and religious themes. “We want dialogue, and we want to know what people are saying in a respectful environment,” she said. “I think conversation is how we learn about each other and what our backgrounds are.” The discussion after the play will be lead by Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. E l l iot described Gastañaga as a very savvy, articulate and knowledgeable person who knows politics and legal aspects. He added that she should be able to field any type of question that comes up afterwards, offering a local opinion as a fellow Virginian. “They need the discussions going out to the grassroots at different places, and we are thrilled to be the ones to bring this to Southwest Virginia,” Gastañaga said. “We are leading the way here.” Elliott said that when Gay in Appalachia had its first events, they reached a population that was eager and excited to find a supporting group, because they thought they were

alone. Hickey also said that those who are under similar circumstances should seek out the campus groups for understanding. “I want to make sure people know that if they feel that this is the moment in their life when they’re debating coming out, no matter what label, it’s about being comfortable with yourself,” Hickey said. One of the most diff icult aspects of coming out on campus, he said, is that students have to distinguish professional from personal life, which while at school, is a difficult feat. This results, Hickey said, in the need for a better understanding of how the rest of the campus population perceives them. “We have open arms for everyone who wants to discuss these terms and what it means to be gay at Tech and in Blacksburg,” Cotrupi said. “It’s a way to educate themselves on some of the issues and experiences that happen in our community.”

A ‘queer’ debate One of the terms sparking debate within the LGBT groups is “queer.” Hickey said that the QG&A considered using “Question a Queer” as their slogan, but many feared the word suggests a negative connotation. “The reason we have this debate is because we don’t know how we’re perceived,” he said. “If we were to do ‘Question a Queer,’ what would the freshman psychology major walking down the Drillfield think about that?” Both Cotrupi and Hickey said that queer means different and unique, and if it is used as a positive adjective, it could become a part of their community identity. The desire to know what others think about such terms, however, is what drives the groups to reach out for discussion, because even they have trouble agreeing with each other, Hickey said. “Let’s find a way to work together,” he said. “Having an open discussion about queer; having a week where you get to enjoy discounts downtown; the play at the lyric; these tiny successes that we make, these milestones, allow us to unite ourselves.” Hickey described his dream society where there would be no need for groups or differentiations of labels. It would be a place where we all lived together and none of this would be an issue, he said. “But we’re not there yet, so these are the things that we need to address now,” Hickey said.