Wednesday, October 24, 2012 Print Edition

Wednesday, October 24, 2012 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 33 News, page 2

Food & Drink, page 4

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 3

Study Break, page 7

Hokies resume overseas recruiting Town seeks feedback on future goals JUSTIN GRAVES news reporter

captain. “I think it brings a little extra something, especially bringing in European players who have been playing all their life. I mean soccer is the number one sport over in Europe.”

There are several explanations to why these players are leaving their countries to come play in the United States.

Many of the players are drawn in by the idea of gaining a college education from an American university, which was the case of Maryland’s star freshman, Tsubasa Endoh, who also had an opportunity to play professionally in Japan.

However, another big factor for these international players to consider is the athletic facilities that are made available to them. Coming from Somersby, Australia, Prater can certainly attest to the difference.

As Blacksburg revises its long-range plan, it solicited input from residents in a unique forum yesterday: Twitter.

Although 2046 is still 34 years away, the Town of Blacksburg has been hard at work revising a planning roadmap called “Blacksburg 2046,” the comprehensive plan for the 50-year future vision of Blacksburg.

The town reviews the plan every five years to make sure that it’s consistent with the changing vision that residents have of their town, and this year the plan is up for revision.

Most towns have a similar document that serves as a guide for their future, planning growth with foresight and intentionality.

“Versions of comprehensive plans began in the ‘70s or ‘80s. (Since then,) 96 major updates occurred and established ‘Blacksburg 2046’,” said Karen Drake, the comprehensive planner for the Town of Blacksburg.

Blacksburg’s plan runs the gamut of urban-planning topics: sustainability and the environment, jobs and housing, parks and recreation, utilities, transportation and land use.

In order to get feedback, the town has turned to reaching out over new mediums.

Yesterday, the residents gave feedback by tweeting with the hashtag #bburg from 2 to 5 p.m.

“We are trying different formats to reach out to more people to get their comments and inputs on the comprehensive plan,” Drake said. “We have a wide range of people in town, different ages (and) different technology comfort levels, and we want to appeal and reach out to all of that.”

Communications specialist for the town, Lisa Sedlack, emphasizes the locational flexibility.

“Even if you’re at work and maybe even if you’re in class ... you can still deliver your opinion about the town,” Sedlack said.

A group of town employees, including Drake and Sedlack, helped to run the Twitter feed yesterday. The group tweeted responses to questions from the Blacksburg Motor Company building on South Main Street.

“We basically said to the public, ‘Hey, come chat with us about the plan, what are your questions, ideas or clarification needs?’,” Sedlack said.

The event was a first in this format for Blacksburg.

see SOCCER / page three

see BBURG / page eight

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

Hokies captain Jed Prater, a native of Australia, is one of Tech’s international players. Men’s soccer will begin recruiting internationally again this offseason.

Self-imposed restrictions on international recruiting are being lifted this offseason, which will help the program DAVD COOPER sports staff writer

The Virginia Tech men’s soccer program has been unable to recruit international players since the 2008-2009 season. This selfimposed restriction is the result of several recruiting violations, which occurred under former head coach Oliver Weiss.

The 11 violations dealt mostly with the payment of fees for international players, such as Tech’s undergraduate application fee. Although these violations occurred several years ago, the men’s soccer program has suffered greatly due to the resulting punishment. The Hokies have a combined record of 19-44-7 since the ban.

Luckily for the Hokies, the restric-

tion period is finally coming to an end.

This coming spring, head coach Mike Brizendine and the rest of the men’s soccer coaching staff will once again be able to recruit international players.

“You can’t imagine the excitement level within our staff for this to happen,” Brizendine said. “It’s been a grind. It’s not like next year we’re going one baby step, we’re expecting to be taking two steps forward.”

Brizendine has very good reason to be excited.

Over the past few decades, international players have begun to pour into all levels of American soccer and have had a substantial effect on the game. The MLS is beginning to lure international stars like David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)

and Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls).

The immersion of these players in the MLS has slowly begun to influence other international players to play for American universities as well as for private high schools.

“Overall, within men’s college soccer, it is having a profound impact,” Brizendine said. “Let me take it a step further. It is having a profound impact on our MLS as well.”

The real impact can be seen in the fact there are now 24 international players playing in the ACC, with Maryland having the most with six.

Maryland is currently ranked No. 1 in the country and has played all six of their international players this season. It is a major reason why they are having such an outstanding season.

“It seems to be that a lot of the good teams do have a lot of international players,” said Jed Prater, Tech’s team

Students turn to double majors to meet academic needs ABBY HARRIS news staff writer

Double majors are on the rise at colleges and universities all over the country, including Virginia Tech.

Tech has seen an 84 percent increase in the amount of double majors over the past 10 years.

According to research conducted at Vanderbilt University by sociology associate professors Richard Pitt and Steven Tepper, the national rate of double majors is about nine percent.

However, Pitt suggests that the national percentage may be much higher because many schools may still not have a way to record students’ second majors in their computer systems.

This semester, double majors at Tech make up approximately 6.4 percent of the 31,087 enrolled students on- and offcampus. While it may seem like a small percentage, the number is almost double what it was ten years ago.

Why Students Double Major Pitt found that students are motivated primarily to do double majors by instrumental reasons. They pick majors based on how well they complement one another, how much their requirements overlap and how

the two majors combined will better prepare them to be competitive in their careers.

Eric Lord, a senior psychology and philosophy double major, chose his majors because he hopes they will help him gain a people perspective that he can use in an advertisement design career.

“I’ve always just had a thing for people, so psychology was a given from the get-go,” Lord said. “Then, I had to take a philosophy course to fulfill my psych requirement, and I just ended up loving it.”

Taking on more than one major can also be an opportunity to fill a student’s schedule only with classes that they are specifically interested in.

“The workload is more, but it’s more stuff I like so I’m not stuck with classes I don’t appreciate and don’t want to put the effort into,” Lord said.

The choice of majors is also tied to identity building.

Students pick subjects that they have a personal relationship, stemming from experiences from high school or family.

At Tech, some students, such as Stephanie Walton, a senior psychology and human development major, choose two subjects in order to study different aspects of a particular career. see DOUBLE / page two

Student trends in double majors 517 2003-2012

44

119 38

509

641 120

2500

Fall 2012: 1,988 double majors

Fall 2011: 2,146 double majors

Agriculture & Life Sciences

2000

Architecture & Urban Studies Business (Pamplin) 1500

Engineering Liberal Arts & Human Sciences

1000

Fall 2003: 1,080 double majors

Science Natural Resources & Environ.

ALICIA TILLMAN/ COLLEGIATE TIMES

2

news

october 24, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

SGA hosts student political debate SEAN HAYDEN news staff writer

Not to be left out of debate season, Virginia Tech students tackled the big questions of this year’s election in their own debate last night.

SGA and VTU held the Campus Candidate Forum in Haymarket Theatre yesterday as part of SGA’s Voter Awareness Campaign. Representatives from Young Democrats, College Republicans and Libertarians at VT discussed some of the same issues that presidential candidates have been engaging in.

“The questions are supposed to be very timely and (are) be based off of the political debate that took place Monday night,” said Erica Wood, the SGA’s Director of Governmental Affairs.

The moderators, students from the Political Science Club, provided questions and each debater had a minute to address the questions.

“The debate is between students and is meant to help gain some political insight as well as raise more political awareness on campus,” Wood said.

Moderators asked several series of questions, including introductory questions, questions with rebuttal and

what you’re saying Tech student on bike hit by car

questions from Twitter.

The questions varied among topics such as government intervention, healthcare, foreign policy, immigration and education.

In past years, t he You ng Democrats and College Republicans were unable to agree on a debate format and make the event happen; KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS however, this year the joint On the same stage where Virginia’s senate candidates debated just last week, effort of SGA student political groups held their own debate to help undecided student voters. and VTU was able to make the event a exposure of political policies with our voter outreach success. to students, and hopefully it program, voter registration “All the individuals who will help students make an drive, presidential debate debated did an excellent educated decision when they screenings, and the campus job,” Wood said. “I am very vote in November,” George candidate forum,” Wood happy with how the debate said. said. went in its entirety.”

Over the summer, Wood SGA’s Voter Awareness Andrew Russell, a senior talked to several political Campaign has aimed to not mining and mineral engi- organizations and met with only register voters, but to neering major, thought the VTU to discuss the pos- make sure that they are edudebate was VERY informa- sibility of partnering with cated on political issues they tive. them to make the Campus will need to know before “I enjoyed hearing all three Candidate Forum possible. going to the polls. political groups break down “We chose to work with The event was spontheir basic views and poli- VTU because we knew they sored by VTU, Students cies,” Russell said. have great ideas are great for Education Reform, and Andrew George, a sopho- people to work with when Teach for America. more political science major, putting on events. I worked called the debate balanced. very hard with ... the VTU Follow this writer on “It was a great way to get director of special events, Twitter @shayden

Double: VT follows national trend from page one

“I want to be a speech language pathologist, but Tech didn’t have that major, and I’ve always wanted to come here,” Walton said. “Psych allows me to learn the biology behind it and all the brain structures, and human development gives me the opportunity to have experience with children and learn about their developmental processes.”

According to research, there’s also a sense of hierarchy to majors for many students.

“When a student is a double major and they’re talking to other people about their majors, talking to their parents, they tend to mention the high-status major,” Pitt said.

According to Pitt the students tend to view science majors as “higher-status.”

However, those students also tend to feel that their second, non-science, major may reflect more about who they are.

The Downfalls of a Double Major Equally important to why college students choose to double major is why they choose not to.

Kenna Day, a senior English major, also majored in art until she found that she was not getting the experience she wanted

from the major. Because she plans to become a professor in literature, Day felt that it was better for her to focus on that particular subject.

“I’m not double-majoring because employers are more interested in the actual classes that I’ve taken than in the title on the piece of paper that I get as a degree when I graduate,” Day said. “It’s more about the actual experience that you have while you’re in college than what you’ve convinced the college to write on a piece of paper for you.”

According to Pitt, one downside to double majors could be the combination of subjects chosen.

While students who major in one science major and one nonscience major graduate with more breadth of experience, students who double major in subjects that are similar can end up appearing one-dimensional.

“One of the things that is challenging is that it is not a benefit for students in terms of being able to actually combine the majors,” Pitt said.

Majors such as American studies at other schools, which combines history and English, and neuroscience, which combines psychology and biology, are already

double majors within themselves. Trying to replicate the connections made in these types of single majors by majoring in two subjects can often come up short.

“Because it’s an interdisciplinary major, the faculty ... put a lot of thought into integrating ... in a way that sort of comes out as a coherent set of skills,” Pitt said. “Students oft en say that they go in wanting that, but they don’t actually come out with that because there’s very few opportunities in school to actually put the two things together.”

Students who choose to double major in hopes of getting a larger salary may be disappointed to learn that Pitt and Tepper’s research concludes that double majors report lower annual incomes than their single major peers on average.

However, double-major combinations of high-earning majors, such as engineering and natural sciences, could increase earnings by about 3 percent. But, the study also showed that engineering students are least likely to double major.

Follow this writer on Twitter @abbyharrisct

Philip: I ride bicycles. I would never use a crosswalk unless the intersection was really nuts. And if I use a crosswalk (never had to in Blacksburg btw), I am really careful. Drivers expect things in crosswalks to move at pedestrian speeds. If this is the crosswalk at where Webb Street enters, it is a death trap for cyclists who use it.

Anonymous: It's for sure a dangerous

crosswalk for cyclists who aren't careful... I was riding my bike a few feet behind a cyclist when he was hit last fall. The difference between him and I was that I stopped and looked to make sure the drivers saw us and were slowing down, while he flew through without a pause- until the driver who didn't see him hit him, of course. I ride my bike through this crosswalk multiple times a day though, and see plenty of other cyclists who just fly through without even slowing down.

Bike Racer: I am an avid road cyclist. Logging 300+ miles per week and I Cat 1 racer. That being said, Blacksburg is one of the most unfriendly biker towns I've seen (In fact they had to take down their "bike friendly community" signs a few years ago). However, some of the undergrads think that when they are on their bike they own the road and can do what ever they want. I wish campus police would start giving out more tickets when bikers do not follow the rules (i.e. no hand signals, flying across crosswalks, etc.) These are the people that are dangerous to both drivers and themselves and give other riders a bad reputation.

Also, everyone should wear an helmet. If you don't you are a moron. I know you don't like how they look or feel but they WILL save your life (I have a couple of helmets from wrecks to prove it).

Tech announces final day to switch to Gmail DONAL MURPHY news staff writer

If you haven’t yet completed the force switch from WebMail to Google Apps for Education, you have until Nov. 12 to get it done.

Tech began transitioning from the previous WeBMail provider to Google’s mail system on July 15, and the deadline to switch is now set in stone, according to Kevin Davis, Tech’s help desk manager.

“At that point, we’ll begin moving over people that have not moved themselves, and it will probably take a couple of days to get people moved,” Davis said. “Emails are being sent to users who have not migrated over yet, and Nov. 12 is the date we expect to have everybody moveD by.”

Once the cutoff date has passed, students will no longer be able to access their WebMail accounts and it will no longer be possible for them to transition to Gmail on their own.

“If they haven’t switched, we’re going to start provisioning their accounts.

What they’ll notice is if they haven’t done anything, they’ll try to check their mail with their phone or with WebMail, and it’s going to fail,” Davis

said. “We’re going to move their accounts to Google, and the messages coming in will be delivered to Google.”

Currently there is a large banner on WebMail, directing Tech students on how to migrate.

So far, about 30,000 users have switched to Gmail, and about 9,000 haven’t yet. This number includes staff members, students no longer taking classes and alumni.

The process was set in motion two years ago when a Tech selection committee decided to replace the standing email system with a suite of Google Apps. The end goal was making email management and online cooperation smoother and easier for students.

On the new Gmail system, emails no longer expire after a certain period, and accounts have 25GB of storage and a 25MB message size limit. In addition, protection of student information and privacy will continue in accordance with federal law, according to Davis.

The change will not affect VT Exchange, which is the current mail server used by faculty and staff at Tech.

Follow this writer on Twitter @HokieRealist

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

arrestees

10/20/2012

7:35pm

Brandishing a firearm

O’Shaughnessy Hall

Cleared by Arrest

Zachary Gilleland, 18

10/17/2012

5am

Appear intoxicated in public

Center for European Studies

Inactive: Reported

by Student Conduct

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

sports

october 24, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

3

Bye week breakdown: Defense getting by, filling holes C

oming into the college football season, Virginia Tech’s defense was considered one of the best in country and was even being compared to elite teams like Alabama.

Eight weeks into the season, Tech has disappointed as a team.

But even with an underwhelming 4-4 record, the season is far from over. If Tech either wins out or wins three of the next four, it still has a legitimate shot to make it to the ACC Championship game.

While the entire team has played below expectations, the defense has been especially disappointing. At times, the unit has looked like the defense they were expected to be, but there have also been spells where it looked like one of the worst in Tech’s recent years.

As a team — and as a defense — Tech’s worst game this season came in the 48-34 loss to North Carolina.

It was one of the worst defensive performances in the program’s history against the run. They gave up 339 rushing yards to the Heels in total — the third highest in the Beamer era, — while UNC back Giovani Bernard set the record for an individual with 262.

They also gave up a record 48 points in ACC play.

The main issue for Tech’s defense has been the defensive line which was supposed to be a strength with six returning players from last year.

The North Carolina game was a perfect example. The defensive line was getting blown off the ball, leaving gaping holes for the North Carolina running backs. It also had just a single sack in the game.

Another area of the defense that has been a letdown is the secondary. Before the

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

Linebacker Jack Tyler makes a tackle last Saturday in the Hokies 38-17 loss at Clemson. The Hokies have had trouble stopping the run and the pass at times this season. season, there were several key position changes, which have not worked out nearly as well as the coaches had hoped.

Former safety, now cornerback Antone Exum has experienced major growing pains, but it has been the entire unit that has failed to live up to expectations.

In the 27-24 loss to Cincinnati, quarterback Munchie Legaux, who is considered a very average quarterback, had 392 passing yards, including

a game-winning, 39-yard touchdown pass over Kyle Fuller. Tech’s secondary was also f lagged for pass interference four times over the course of the day.

Although the defense has had some pretty low points this season, it has started to look like a better unit in recent games, especially on the line of scrimmage.

In the first six weeks of the season, Tech had a total of just eight sacks. In the last two games the defensive has collected 10 sacks with

Luther Maddy and James Gayle playing very well.

Maddy alone has had four sacks in the last two games.

Another section of defense that has been strong this year is the linebackers. Led by senior Bruce Taylor and junior Jack Tyler, it has been the bright spot on defense. Ignoring the North Carolina and Pittsburgh games, the defense is giving up just 124 yards per game.

Although the Clemson game resulted in a loss, Tech held Clemson’s explosive offense to under 300

yards. In the game, the defense was placed in many bad situations after turnovers which resulted in so many points.

The Duke game was another example of how good the defense could be. The defense surrendered just 13 points, all of which came in the first quarter, and held Duke to field goals in crucial situations. If the defense plays that well in the remainder of the games this season the Hokies have a very good chance to win every

game.

The remainder of Tech’s games this season will reveal how good this defense really is. If it can live up to expectations and continues to improve, the group could lead the Hokies to the ACC Championship.

But, if it continues to play far below its potential, this could be a very long season in Blacksburg.

JAMES MCNAMARA -sports staff writer -sophomore -civil engineering major

Soccer: Men’s team will begin recruiting internationally again from page one

“It’s very professional compared to playing semipro back home,” Prater said.

“You come here and you get great facilities and training every day.”

Possibly the most intriguing aspect of this boom of international players is the parity it is creating between teams. Almost all American universities that have a men’s soccer program are beginning to recruit these international players. which is beginning to close the talent gap between the traditional powerhouse programs and the mid-majors.

“The top 10 is the top 10, but after that, it is a lot harder to tell the difference between those teams because you get a couple

of internationals and pair them with a few hardworking kids who believe they can win, and they’ll get results,” Brizendine said.

There is no better example of this than in the Colonial Athletic Association, where six of the conference’s 11 teams are currently ranked in the top 70 in the men’s soccer RPI. In comparison, the ACC, which is considered one of the top conferences in men’s soccer, has seven teams ranked in the top 70.

In 2011, the CAA’s AllRookie team consisted of eight international players.

Those eight players are currently some of the best players in the conference this season and a major reason why the conference is doing

so well this season.

The reason the CAA is able to obtain so many international players is because the international players are unbiased towards universities trying to recruit them.

“You go over to an international player, they don’t know the difference between Virginia Tech, JMU, etc.,” Brizendine said. “They don’t know the difference so you can get that player.

But if you go up to northern Virginia, they know the difference between Maryland, UVa, and Tech.”

Men’s college soccer coaches are taking advantage of their anonymity in foreign countries to lure in some talented players from all over the world.

Tech is very much like

teams from the CAA in terms of program recognition, and therefore the result of this ban on international players being lifted is going to bring some major changes to the team’s performance.

Those inside the Tech men’s soccer program know exactly how important international players are to be successful.

“Our best player that has ever come through here was an international, Patrick Nyarko,” Brizendine said.

Nyarko, who is currently a forward for the Chicago Fire, was the key to Virginia Tech’s run to their first ever Final Four appearance back in 2007.

Brizendine was an assistant coach at the time

Nyarko played at Tech, but emphasizes how important one player like him can be to a team. “(Nyarko) would score and then we would defend really hard with the other guys,” Brizendine said. “If you look at last season (2011), we lost every game by one goal, besides Maryland. We didn’t have a special goal scorer. If Nyarko had played for us, we would have gone to the NCAA tournament that year because he would score.”

The pool of talented players overseas is vast. Teams like Tech can make up for its inability to recruit the top American prospects by finding those one or two players from other countries.

Current Tech forward David Clemens is excited for his team to finally get back to where it once was and knows how significant those international players will play to getting the team back.

“It will be really nice to have that advantage back by having those players that have a little more experience overseas,” Clemens said. “I am sure they will be quality players and it will definitely lift our squad.”

With the end of this ban, the Tech program will finally begin to step back out into the national spotlight.

“It really is going to open up a whole new world for us,” Brizendine said.

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food & drink

october 24, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Recipe: Char siu pork with roasted mushrooms

BY BRIAN CROMER | features staff writer Barbecue pork, or “Char Siu,” is a classic Chinese preparation of roasting meat, traditionally using pork belly or shoulder. However, using the loin is preferable as it is a meatier, more substantial cut. Take care not to overcook the loin or overly char the glaze because it can become too bitter or acrid.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Ingredients: 4-5 pounds pork tenderloin 1 pound button mushrooms 1/3 cup hoisin sauce 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup rice wine 3 cloves garlic Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mince the garlic and quarter the mushrooms. Remove the pork loin from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.

2. Mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice wine and garlic. This mixture will be used to glaze the pork at the end of the roasting time.

3. Toss the mushrooms in vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Roast them for 20 minutes; this can be done while the loin is in the oven.

4. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil to an ovenproof pan over high heat. Liberally season the pork loin with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, place the pork loin into the pan and sear it on both sides, about three minutes each. Put the pan into the oven and roast the loin for about 40 minutes.

5. Check the internal temperature of the loin with a meat thermometer. Once the temperature has reached 145 degrees, glaze the loin with the sauce. Return the pan to the oven for about 10 minutes so the glaze can char and the loin can finish cooking.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the loin to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

PAUL KURLAK/SPPS

T. Flynn’s Pub aims to send chills with mystery dinner JESS GROVES features staff writer

Patrons of T. Flynn’s Pub won’t be enjoying traditional Irish food and drink tomorrow night — they’ll be fighting for their lives. A murder mystery is coming to town, and it’s up to the residents of Blacksburg to identify the killer before it’s too late. The horror begins at 6 p.m.

For one night only, audience members will be witness to several unprecedented twists and turns. Only 70 tickets will be sold for $30 online and at the door, adding mystery and suspense to

the night’s events.

“Killer Cloggers” is a play within a play. The story revolves around a failed writer, whose work is falling apart and whose actors have begun to doubt him.

According to the restaurant’s website, “Actors are quitting at the last minute, other actors are getting tired of his antics and last-minute, substandard replacements are being signed on. Th ings are getting worse when, in the course of the murder mystery, actual murders begin to take place.”

T. Flynn’s regularly hosts

events and club nights, but “Killer Cloggers” promises something extra for its audience. Customers will have the opportunity to speak to the actors directly, asking questions and using clues to identify the culprit. The entire bottom floor of the pub will serve as the scene of the crime.

“We’ve been planning since the second week of August,” said Robert Higgins, general manager of T. Flynn’s.

“We actually brought in about nine performers from The New River Valley Stage Company.”

Between murders, diners will get to sample every part of the restaurant’s menu in a comprehensive four-course dinner. T. Flynn’s serves a mix of classic Irish pub fare and American cuisine. The menu includes vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives.

While October inspires many Halloween-themed events like this in the New River Valley area, it is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Killer Cloggers” is one of the only activities in town that gives residents a chance to participate in

both.

“Th ree dollars from every ticket is going to go to the ‘Pretty in Pink’ fundraiser,” Higgins said. “We’ll have our upstairs open to the public as usual and our regular specials will be going on. It’s something different that students and locals can come in and do on a weeknight.”

Like the pub, many of the downtown businesses in Blacksburg collaborate with “Pretty in Pink” to raise awareness and benefit the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation. VBCF is the only nonprofit organiza-

tion in Virginia focusing on breast cancer education and elimination, and has collaborated with local businesses for four years.

“We’re providing an interactive experience here in Blacksburg,” Higgins said, “We have a unique chance to showcase our food and service to the public.”

After the tickets sell out, T. Flynn’s will only allow regular guests into the restaurant. Perhaps they will know whether it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Drink of the week: Cinnamon Toast Cocktail

BY JACOB WILBANKS | features staff writer

JACOB WILBANKS/ COLLEGIATE TIMES

Cinnamon toast and alcohol are two good things that, when combined, can make something great: the cinnamon toast cocktail.

The hot cider mixes exceptionally well with spiced rum for this perfect fall drink. The cinnamon and sugar on the rim makes for a sweet looking glass, and if you go the extra step of including a cinnamon stick, it looks — and tastes — amazing. Also, it is an excuse to eat a lot of sugar and cinnamon you may have left over, which can never be a bad thing. Sit back in the cool weather and enjoy this delectable fall drink.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 1/4 ounces Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum 6 ounces hot apple cider Cinnamon stick (optional) Directions: 1. Rim a glass with sugar and cinnamon.

2. Mix spiced rum with hot apple cider in a glass.

3. Optionally, garnish with a cinnamon stick, which can also be used to stir.

opinions

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

october 24, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

5

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 Special Section Design Edtitor: Danielle Buynak 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 Editor: Cody Elliot Copy Chief: Nora McGann Copy Editors: Allison Hedrick, Kristin Gunther, Mackenzie Fallon, Alexis Livingston, Kayleigh McKenzie Photo Editor: Kevin Dickel Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Ryan Francis Circulation Manager: Travis Neale

MCT Campus

First amendment protects all speech A

film designed to offend the Muslim world has thrown everyone into fervor over the issue of freedom of speech and expression. The film, “Innocence of Muslims,” depicts the prophet Muhammed (whose very depiction is considered an offense) as a violent, ignorant thug who violates just about every moral tenant there is, leading to protests and the death of at least 50 people.

A French satirical paper published a cartoon depicting Muhammed nude, which caused even more of an uproar. Now there are talks in the United Nations of making blasphemy illegal, and other countries are talking about passing laws to outlaw it themselves. But what exactly counts as blasphemy anyway?

Blasphemy is a very loosely defined word, and countries have strict legal policies in place to deal with it.

In Greece, blasphemy has a penalty of a 3000 euro fine and up to two years of prison time.

For an even more extreme example, in Saudi Arabia, blasphemy is punishable by death, and after having an imaginary Twitter conversation with Muhammed on his birthday, a Saudi journalist is on trial for it. But how does the home of the “free” feel about blasphemy?

After the violent protests in Libya, the White House requested that Google remove “Innocence of Muslims” from YouTube to, I assume, mitigate the outrage in the Muslim world.

Google said no.

It’s unfortunate that the White House would request Google remove the video and effectively squelch a little bit of free speech, no matter how offensive. Our government is supposed to be the final safeguard of our freedoms — not a privately owned corporation.

However, after Google said no, that was that.

In other countries, Google was forced to block the video from being viewed due to anti-blasphemy laws.

On Sept. 26, the Arab League urged the U.N. to criminalize blasphemy by making the argument that religious insults pose serious threats to global peace and security. The head of

the Arab League who made the speech before the U.N. even went so far as to say that he was making these statements as a warning.

Requesting that something be restricted to prevent violence is not something that any free society should accept. Otherwise, violence and threats of violence would be confirmed as a legitimate way for people to get what they want.

The speech by the head of the Arab League came the day after President Barack Obama addressed the U.N. General Assembly with a powerful speech highlighting how important free speech is, stating, “The strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech.”

Considering the fact that the president has been a target for some of the most hateful speech in American politics for the past four years, I think he’s a pretty credible source to talk about why freedom of speech, particularly hateful speech, should be protected.

All human beings deserve freedom of expression, speech and belief. But we have to remember that it’s a two-way street. Being allowed to believe whatever we want and talk about it, means that someone who believes you’re wrong, has the right to tell you and everyone else.

If we suppress speech based on subjective things like offensiveness, then we open the door for any type of speech to be suppressed. Offensive speech is in the ear of the beholder, and if we allow everyone to become a judge of that, then nothing worth being said will ever be said again.

Salmaan Rushdie, who had a death warrant put on his head in 1989 for writing about Muhammed, had this to say about the creator of the “Innocence of Muslims”: “We have to protect his right to free speech. The First Amendment is one of the most valuable things we have. But that doesn’t mean we have to not say he’s a jerk.”

ETHAN GAEBEL -regular colomnist -senior -computer science major

Workplace benefits from unions T

he issue over collective bargaining, specifically in the public sector, has taken center stage in Wisconsin over the past year. Act 10, a piece of legislation originally designed to cut state spending, instead targeted unions and public workers’ collective bargaining rights. The bill would strip public workers, with the exception of firefighters and police officers, of all collective bargaining rights regarding healthcare, vacation, workplace safety conditions and other benefits, while only allowing wages to increase with the increase in inflation. The bill caused widespread protests; all 14 Democratic senators fled the state in order to delay voting on the bill, and 930,000 signatures were collected calling for a recall election for the governor.

Fortunately, a county judge ruled on Sept. 14 that the legislation was unconstitutional on the grounds that it infringed upon the workers’ right to free speech as well as association, and that it violated equal protection laws for workers. The irony behind this bill lies in the fact that Wisconsin was one of the more progressive states regarding collective bargaining rights and unionization.

The very passage of this sort of bill is quite unnerving.

Collective bargaining is an essential tool in today’s work force, and it should be a right for both private and public workers. It grants workers who are members of unions the right to negotiate with their employers over essential terms of employment including their wages, job safety policies, benefits, leave, hours and much more.

By granting the worker a voice, it grants them much more control over a major part of their life,

and in the words of the Supreme Court of Canada on this issue in 2007, “it is intrinsically valuable as an experience in self-government.” Unions positively impact not only workers, but also society as a whole by helping to equalize income distribution; something desperately needed in America today.

When interviewing several university professors and public school teachers, many of them could not give a simple explanation of their views on collective bargaining. The majority of them agreed that collective bargaining and unions can certainly be beneficial for both public and private sector workers. For teaching, educators acknowledge that their professions do not yield massive amounts of wealth, so they suggest this tool be used in order to improve working conditions and conditions in the classroom. In this way, they are using their right to collectively bargain to fight for the students and improve the quality of education.

Such was the case in Chicago recently, where 29,000 teachers went on strike to protest their working conditions.

Yes, it is true that teachers would appreciate higher wages, and they rightfully deserve such increases, but they also recognize that they must be realists when it comes to collective bargaining and unions. Teachers understand that, while they will push for what they believe they need in order to properly educate their students, they may not always get their way.

This realistic approach pushes many educators to be reasonably wary of unions, however, because they know that union power has the potential to be abused.

History has revealed what can happen when such power is used for personal, political or economic gain, the prime example being the unions in the auto industry in the latter half of the 1900s.

The union leaders and representatives strived to mimic the look of Wall Street bankers while pushing for unrealistic and irrational changes in salaries, benefits, and other terms of employment for auto industry workers. These changes proved to be detrimental to future workers and future developing businesses. Although, while unions did play a hand on the damage done to the auto industry, the businesses were not entirely innocent, and did, in fact, add to the damage.

But history does not always dictate how the future will necessarily play out.

Collective bargaining and unions, without a doubt, can provide great benefits to the American workforce, in both the public and private sectors.

But we, the American people, need to approach the topic of collective bargaining rationally, recognize that it is an essential right, be cautious of the potential risks in order to avoid any manipulation of our system and work together for the benefit of everyone in our society.

While the final ruling of Act 10 will come from a higher court in the appeals process, we can only hope the higher courts will strike down the Wisconsin law.

Perhaps then these attacks on unionized workers, not only in Wisconsin but in other states as well, will cease to exist.

RYAN PFEIFLE -regular colomnist -freshman -university studies major

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october 24, 2012

Regular Edition

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Copyright 2007 Puzzles by Pappocom Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

Week ending October 26, 2012

By Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

ACROSS 1 *Rock conqueror?

6 Ilk 10 *Soy milk brand 14 Diminish, as trust 15 Court target 16 Singer with the platinum 1992 album “The Celts” 17 *Dental checkup freebie 19 Hungarian spa city 20 “30 Rock” is loosely based on it, briefly 21 Georgia campus 22 Transparent personality?

Top Tracks 1

State of Grace • Taylor Swift

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I Knew You Were Trouble • Taylor Swift Gangam Style • PSY Die Young • Ke$ha

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Catch My Breath • Kelly Clarkson

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23 Webber’s partner 24 Stink ending 25 Are proper for 28 *Wile E. Coyote buy 32 Napoleon, before seeing Elba?

33 Its symbol is “$” 34 West Bank initials 35 *Gets creative 39 *Extent 41 “Alice” spinoff 42 Gives goose bumps, maybe 44 Pennsylvania port 45 *Flashy display 48 Umbrella brand

10/24/12 49 Idiot 50 Finalize, as a comic strip 52 Pub drinks 54 Sudden outpouring 55 Sch. with a Phoenix campus 58 Comic book buyer of old?

59 *Beginner’s piano piece 61 Analogous 62 Forceful takeover 63 John who played Gomez Addams 64 *Forged check 65 Maker of Kate Moss fragrances

66 It celebrates National Day on October 1 (and it’s where the answers to starred clues were invented) DOWN 1 Bo and Barney, e.g.

2 Mountain climber Ralston, subject of “127 Hours” 3 Hustler’s game 4 Atlanta summer hrs.

5 Warm up 6 Crowd 7 Words to one on deck 8 Nosegay 9 Bk. before Philippians 10 Envision a way 11 To a great extent 12 Caustic fluids 13 Go-__ 18 ASCAP rival 22 Union member?

23 Like pintos 24 Lhasa __ 25 Alberta national park 26 “Christ Stopped at __” 27 Amount requiring a credit card authorization 29 Japanese chip maker 30 Borden mascot 31 Derby prize

36 Some green acres 37 “Star Wars” treedweller 38 Sun. talk 40 Drudge 43 Abandon, with “on” 46 Oregon Ducks’ home 47 Irritable 48 Pin in a shirt 51 Gold units: Abbr.

52 Mt. Rushmore’s state 53 Joint Web project 54 “Buzz off!”

55 When Emile sings “Some Enchanted Evening” 56 Word with care or cream 57 Oliver North’s alma mater: Abbr.

59 V x LX 60 -like relative

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WORD BANK 1 GUITAR 2 BANJO 3 HARMONICA 4 FLUTE 5 TRUMPET 6 COWBELL 7 TRIANGLE 8 TUBA 9 BASS 10 CELLO 11 PIANO 12 VIOLIN 13 FIDDLE 14 UKULELE 15 DRUMS 16 VUVUZELA 17 RECORDER 18 MARACAS

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

food & drink

october 24, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

7

Making the most of your PUMPKIN

BY JACOB WILBANKS | features staff writer

Although the leaves constantly change and the spirit of Halloween brings new costumes from year to year, one thing will always remain the same through October: pumpkins.

Scouring numerous pumpkin patches to find the one best made for a ghoulish face is a tradition among many. However, with pumpkin carving often comes waste. Once the project is completed, people are typically unsure of what to do with the innards. With a few simple instructions, everyone can easily avoid this by learning how to repurpose their pumpkins.

Pumpkin Planter Ingredients: 1 pumpkin Directions: 1. You can use your carved out pumpkin or jack-o-lantern as a pot planter.

You can display it for a few days, then bury it all straight into ground. As the pumpkin decomposes it will create nutrient rich soil for your chosen plant.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups raw, whole pumpkin seeds 2 teaspoons butter, melted 1 pinch salt Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt.

3. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.

Pumpkin Body Butter Ingredients: 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup solids from a can of coconut milk 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions: 1. Mix ingredients in a bowl. Apply generously to clean skin, massaging gently to work well into the skin.

2. Keep body butter on for 10 minutes or so, then rinse with warm water and pat dry.

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Pumpkin Stew Ingredients: 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided 1-cup water 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 4 medium carrots, sliced 1 large green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules 1 can (1/4-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 pumpkin (10 to 12 pounds) Directions: 1. In a Dutch oven, brown meat in two tablespoons of oil. Add water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer for two hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes. Wash pumpkin and cut a 6- to 8-inch circle around top stem. Remove top and set aside. Discard seeds and loosen fibers from inside.

2. Place pumpkin in a shallow, sturdy baking pan. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace top.

Brush outside of pumpkin with remaining oil.

Bake at 325 degrees for two hours or just until the pumpkin is tender (do not over bake).

Serve stew from pumpkin, scooping out a little pumpkin with each serving.

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name // Cupid info// 7 years old breed Maine Coon interests // chasing his tail, indulging in cat nip, and napping all snuggled up in his Virginia Tech blanket.

VIRGINIA TECH’S WUVT MUSIC FEATURE DON’T FORGET TO GRAB YOUR COPY THIS FRIDAY!

Pet Advice of the Week:

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Things fall together, with expert help.

Stir things up, even if it’s just in your imagination. Consider opening new channels of communication.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You don’t need to worry; just get busy.

It’s easy to overlook an important detail, so take notes and double-check your calendar. Discover your own truth.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don’t waste words or money. And don’t dwell into the past either. Your intelligence is easily accessible now, so use it to your advantage. Accept a sweet deal.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You don’t have to go out of your way to dream, as fantasies abound. Improve your living conditions, but wait until later to close the deal. Toss the ball to a teammate.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Don’t stop learning as you go along.

Consider all possibilities before giving up. If you’re still stuck, listen to friends for advice and comfort. Make fun a priority.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Tackle detailed tasks and negotiations for the next few days. De ine objectives.

Stick to the budget without gambling. It may require digging into savings for a career investment.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You have extra con idence today and tomorrow, which helps you put together the best team possible. You all do the seemingly impossible. Make magic.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Take on new responsibilities today and tomorrow. There’s room for misunderstandings. Don’t despair if you’re not getting a response just yet.

Replies come in later.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) It’s never too late to learn a new trade or language, or how to play an instrument.

Let others help you. Choose something fun and immerse yourself. Get wet.

Aries (Mar. 21-April 19) There’s no time for gossip; it’s too much to handle. It’s not a good time to travel for the next few days. Postpone expansion. Acknowledge successes, even if tiny.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This week is good for travel, but there could be delays or errors. Dif iculties with family members get resolved later.

Make long-range plans. Invest in your future.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) A breakdown in communication could happen, but you can deal with that. The more intricate the work is, the more rewarding; especially for the next two days.

“The most common allergy symptoms in cats are the skin reactions, regardless of the cause. And they can they can crop up at any age. Just because she didn’t have allergies as a kitten, doesn’t mean your cat won’t have them now that she’s an adult. Four of the most common types of allergies that might affect your cat are inhalant, food, contact and flea allergies.”

-www.iams.com

Have a question you need answered about your pet? Or want your pet featured in next week’s paper? Email your questions to studybreak@collegemedia.com with the title ‘Pet of the Week.’

8

news

october 24, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

Bburg: Town uses Twitter to discuss comprehensive plan from page one

“We have not done anything like this in the past, so this is a new thing for us. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, to use this medium as a way to get input from the public,” Sedlack said. “This is a perfect way to get feedback on this.”

Liz Roop, a senior public and urban affairs major, was at the event helping the town with their responses to the tweets.

“I was very pleased with the event’s outcome and involvement level,” Roop said.

About 15 citizens were actively involved by tweeting to @BlacksburgGov or #bburg2046.

“In total, the Twitter Town Hall involved 100 plus tweets through numerous conversations on the comprehensive plan topics,” Roop said.

“Additionally, citizens were able to follow the #Bburg2046 hash tag to read the conversations.

Another hope for organizers was that this new forum would reach students so they understand the important role they play in the community. While there is not a specific chapter referring to students and the university in the plan, Drake says that it’s intentionally and unavoidably weaved in.

“There is not a student or university component to the plan because we look at the entire town, which does include the Virginia Tech campus itself,” Drake said. “For example, the jobs and housing section talks about some of the housing challenges we have, and how that affects students.”

In order to do this effectively, Drake says it’s important to reach out to students.

“I’ve reached out to all populations, graduate, undergraduate, international. We are really trying to reach out to the permanent residents in the town too,” Drake said. “With each of these age groups, everyone has a different concern or request or desire on how to balance all these needs and demands that the town has placed on it.”

According to Drake, sustainability is the biggest issue to students.

“It’s a new chapter to the (comprehensive) plan, and it’s a commitment of established town policies toward sustainability and the three facets that comprise it: environment, economics and social sustainability,” Drake said.

According to Roop, tweets exchanged among the Town and citizens have been recorded and will go into the comments summary. Th is summary will be given to the Planning Commission members on Monday.

These comments will have an impact on the final revision that will be merged into Blacksburg’s comprehensive plan.

Follow this writer on Twitter @hesonwheels

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Blacksburg Comprehensive Plan Events Wednesday, October 24

#

Discover

#Bburg2046

Results for #Bburg2046 Tweets

Top / All / People you follow

Town of Blacksburg @Blacksburg_Gov

OK folks! We are here to answer your questions about the Comp Plan until 5pm! Where do you see Blacksburg in 2046? #bburg2046

Open House 10 - 2 p.m.

Blacksburg Community Center

Phillip Murillas @HirePhil @Blacksburg_Gov The town will always rely on the university, but it is coming into its own and needs to take care of itself too. #Bburg2046

Wednesday, October 24 Open House 2 - 7 p.m.

Media Building Lawn Thursday, October 25 Open House 5 - 7 p.m.

Elle @nrv_elle

City-status, having absorbed Cburg, ppl STILL complaining about no parking.

MT @Blacksburg_Gov: Where do you see Bburg in 2046? #bburg2046

Town of Blacksburg @Blacksburg_Gov

@nrv_elle There is a parking garage being built on Turner St and the Town is in the process of restructuring the Progress St lot. #Bburg2046

Community Arts Information Office Wednesday, October 24

ethan wechtaluk @ewetchtal

i’m lulzing at the tweets to #bburg2046 because quite a few of them are ideas that have been tried and failed before they lived there.

Open House 10 - 2 p.m.

Blacksburg Community Center

More Information www.blacksburg.gov or contact Katie Drake, Comprehensive Planner, Town of Blacksburg at kdrake@blacksburg.gov

Phillip Murillas @HirePhil

@ewechtal Hey, just because they’ve been tried and didn’t work at one point doesn’t mean they’re not worth revisiting. #bburg2046

bedmison @bedmison

@Blacksburg_Gov I’d like to see Bburg lose its reputation as an awful place for development. There has to be a middle ground. #Bburg2046

Town of Blacksburg @Blacksburg_Gov

@bedmison In what way do you see the town as an awful place for development? Retail? Business? Homes? #BBurg2046

bedmison @bedmison

@Blacksburg_Gov I don’t see why larger retailers can’t coexist with local shops. Hard to maintain services without a retail base. #Bburg2046

bedmison @bedmison

@Blacksburg_Gov @katiepritchard [2/2] I’d rather not have to drive to Cburg for some things, and let them collect the tax rev #Bburg2046

Phillip Murillas @HirePhil

Long-term goal should be a vibrant town that works with the student population to improve region, state, country, world. #BBurg2046

Town of Blacksburg @Blacksburg_Gov

Any additional comments need to be emailed to blacksburg2046@blacksburg.gov by Mon, Oct 29 by 9 am. Thanks everyone! #BBurg2046

MICHAELA REARDON/ COLLEGIATE TIMES