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COLLEGIATETIMES

109th year, issue 37 News, page 2

Features, page 6

Opinions, page 3

Food & Drink, page 5

Study Break, page 4

Admissions Sandy leaves Blacksburg mostly unscathed turn to use of social media ANDREW KULAK news staff writer

MAX LUONG news staff writer

More university admissions offices than ever before have added a new tool to their evaluation process: Facebook.

According to studies conducted by Kaplan Test Prep, over a quarter of colleges today monitor prospective students’ Facebook pages during the application process.

In 2008, only one in 10 admissions officers reported monitoring applicants’ social networking pages. Now, 26 percent of administrations use Facebook to look up university hopefuls; 27 percent use Google.

Kaplan representative Colin Gruenwald said the survey began nine years ago when thousands of students were curious about how their digital footprints affect the admissions process.

According to the survey, reports of negatively-impacting findings on networking profiles include essay plagiarism, vulgarity, alcohol consumption, and various “illegal activity”.

Admissions officers also reported miscellaneous discoveries that “made them wonder.”

“They’re trying to find out who students really are,” Gruenwald said. “Because social media is so engrained in today’s culture, many people reveal a side of themselves on a Facebook page that wasn’t shown on paper.”

The 2012 survey also suggests a huge impact on this past year’s application season; 35 percent of admissions officers reported finding information that negatively affected students’ acceptance chances.

Virginia Tech, however, is bucking the trend.

“With 20,000 applications rolling through every year and a small body to read them, we don’t have the resources,” said Jennifer Harris, the public relations representative for Tech’s admissions office.

While Tech claims social network monitoring is out of the question today, the administration currently has no set policy.

However, only 15 percent of schools have a definitive policy on monitoring applicants’ online pages, and 69 percent of those schools ban it; 75 percent of schools

BRAD KLODOWSKI/ SPPS

Tropical storm Sandy ravaged the Northeast Monday night, leaving over 30 dead and more than 8 million without power along the East Coast.

However, Blacksburg and Virginia Tech were left relatively unscathed after the storm.

Though strong wind tore through the area Monday night and continued during the day Tuesday, Appalachian Power reported very few outages in Montgomery County.

“We have about 500 customers without power,” said Appalachian Power spokesman Todd Burns. “That’s only around 1 percent of our 37,600 Montgomery County customers.”

Most power outages were in the Prices Fork area. Burns expected power to be restored quickly.

Initial estimates that power for those customers would be restored by Tuesday afternoon were revised after crews found a downed tree had damaged equipment more severely than anticipated.

Burns sti l l expected Montgomery County customers to have service restored before the end of the day.

By noon on Tuesday, the company reported 28,157 customers to be without power in areas serviced outside of Montgomery Country, including expanded regions in Virginia and Tennessee.

Most outages were blamed on strong wind gusts.

Flooding and damage from the storm has paralyzed other parts of the country, including New York City, where trading on the f loor of the New York Stock Exchange was suspended for a second straight day.

The global financial center hopes to reopen today, despite serious damage to infrastructure. Roads and subway tunnels remained flooded, severely

PAUL KURLAK/ SPPS

see MEDIA / page two

Enjoying dessert for dinner Katelyn Childs, a sophomore Spanish and human development major, enjoys some chocolate-filled desserts at Virginia Tech Dining Services’ “Chocolate Day” event at D2. Just one day before Halloween, the event’s tagline was “So much chocolate, it’s scary.” photo by Ben Weidlich

see SANDY / page two

SGA survey shows issues with dining PRISCILLA ALVAREZ news reporter

The SGA released the results of its on-campus survey, finding that dining hall congestion is a main issue for students.

After three days of surveying the student body, Student Outreach, a branch of the Student Government Association, gathered student opinions on campus issues.

The survey got results from 11 percent of the student body.

Extreme Makeover Campus Edition, hosted by the SGA, is not over yet, but the first round of results has already given direction to what changes the SGA should pursue on campus.

The survey included questions about Newman Library, student centers, transportation and dining, but dining was where students said they’d like to see change the most.

Roy Abernathy, co-director of Student Outreach, said that concern was one he expected to see.

Several students found line crowding and walking flow to be a big issue,

which reaffirmed that the problem was worth pursuing.

“We are working, in SGA, on dining halls and walking slow as being the biggest problem,” Abernathy said, “Lines are designed in a way that you can’t get to them.”

Turner Place is typically the most popular dining spot on campus. According to Abernathy, this leads to congestion and interfering lines. According to survey results, West End, which was just renovated, also has the same problem.

Survey results also indicated that students want more 24-hour study space.

In 2010, SGA worked with faculty to open Torgersen Bridge 24/7, which was eliminated when the Newman Library announced it would be open all night.

The survey showed that students still want that workspace, something the SGA is working on, according to Abernathy.

Another survey will be released soon that will provide the SGA with more detailed responses from students.

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news

october 31, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Storm postpones political roundtable CAMERON AUSTIN news reporter

Hurricane Sandy In addition to dampening students’ motivation to get up and go to class Tuesday morning, Hurricane Sandy also affected events on campus.

One of the major events cancelled was the Eleanor Clift roundtable discussion scheduled for Tuesday evening at the Graduate Life Center.

The event was planned to feature well-known journalist Eleanor Clift, who is a political commentator for Newsweek and the Daily Beast website.

She is also known for her work with women’s advocacy and equality programs. The topic of the roundtable was the electorate — who they are, and how they vote.

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

Generator causes house fire

Other members of the panel were to include Pulitzer Prize winner Clarence Page, political strategist Simon Rosenberg, demographics specialist Ruy Teixeira, elections analyst Sean Trende, and Virginia Tech professor Nikki Giovanni.

After spending much of the day Monday weighing the consequences, women and gender studies director Katy Powell and others made the decision to cancel the event because of impending weather.

Despite the timeliness of the discussion, Sue Ott Rowlands. dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Science, said in an email Tuesday they are working to reschedule the event for a later date.

BRAD KLODOWSKI/ SPPS

Follow this writer on Twitter @CAustinCT

BRAD KLODOWSKI SPPS Director of Photography

Sandy: East Coast starts recovery

A house in Montgomery County was damaged by fire yesterday morning.

Firefighters responded to the home on Old Fort Road at approximately 10:45 a.m. Crews worked for over an hour before the fire was extinguished.

According to the Blacksburg Fire Department, no one was home at the time, but a dog was inside the house. The dog did not survive.

The fire was caused by a generator. The house was in a part of Montgomery County that did not have power at the time.

The generator was operating a short distance away from the house, with a power cable running into the basement of the home. The fire began at the socket where the generator was connected.

The fire caused approximately $83,000 worth of damage to the home.

from page one

restricting access to the city.

New Jersey was also hit hard. Almost 90 percent of Jersey Central Power & Light customers were without power Tuesday morning.

“

We have about 500 customers without power. That’s only around 1 percent of our 37,600 Montgomery County customers.

Todd Burns Appalachain Power

The mid-Atlantic region was not as heavily affected, and has started to return to business as usual.

In Washington D.C., where federal offices were closed in anticipation of the storm, Metro trains had started run-

ning again by Tuesday afternoon. Limited service at Washington Reagan National Airport had also been restored.

In West Virginia, residents across 12 counties suffered blizzard conditions that dumped more than two feet of snow on parts of the state.

Some roofs collapsed, and more than 250,000 residents were left without power, including 149,000 Appalachian Power customers.

Winds, snow, and rain are expected to continue in the northeast today, as will flooding, especially in coastal regions.

In Blacksburg, a winter weather advisory remains in effect until 8 a.m. today.

1-3 inches of snow could accumulate through this afternoon.

Winds of 30 miles per hour could make it feel as cold as 20 degrees this morning.

Follow this writer on Twitter @KulakCT

Media: Tech opts out of admissions trend from page one

reported to not using social media to assess applicants at all.

However, the prevalence of social media is a continually changing process. As trends in usage shift in the coming years, whether those numbers change is up for debate.

“When I was applying to schools, I made sure to privatize all of my social networking accounts from the general public,” said freshman business major Michael Harnisch. “I made sure my profile picture was ‘neutral’ too.”

On the other hand, it appears that smaller private schools are more prone to double-check social backgrounds on the internet.

“We have looked at Facebook pages more than any other website when certain students’ applications raise red flags,” said Jason Ferguson, director of admis-

sions at Hampden-Sydney College.

According to Ferguson these “red flags” include borderline academics or disciplinary history.

“Since we are a smaller school, we look at applicants holistically. Facebook doesn’t replace personal interviews, but it does give us a broader view of who the student truly is,” Ferguson said.

However, social network profiles aren’t solely a mug shot.

While Ferguson said he’s seen the same negative things found in the Kaplan survey, he also sees examples on Facebook pages that make students shine.

Gruenwald said survey results supported that idea.

“Images that ref lect the achievements you put on paper can be a positive reinforcement,” Gruenwald said.

And for those apprehensive about the future of the tra-

ditional application process, online profiling hasn’t dominated over GPA. Either way, Gruenwald said students should be aware of the possibility they’re being monitored.

“We’re trying to bring awareness to students, to warn them against having all of their academic success overshadowed by typical carelessness on the Internet,” Gruenwald said.

“The concept of schools monitoring me has never really crossed my mind,” said junior engineering major Alex Miller. “But for the sake of jobs and grad school and anything else with an application, it’s definitely better to give yourself the benefit of the doubt.”

The University of Virginia, another public school receiving a number of competitive applications every year, trusts students’ online discretion.

“Most of the time, applicants are initially so thorough and interesting that we don’t see the need to check their pages,” said Jeannine Lalonde, senior assistant dean of admissions at UVa. “If they have referenced an especially interesting extracurricular or club and link us to a page, we may then check that out.”

Lalonde has joined many schools in creating a Twitter page for communicating with applicants looking for updates. She said she has used the page to directly congratulate accepted students who have tweeted her.

“We’re not looking for reasons to deny students admission, instead highlighting their positives,” she added.

Follow this writer on Twitter @MaxLuongCT

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

10/20/2012

9:45pm

Follow up to underage possession of alcohol

Pritchard Hall

Inactive: Reported

by Student Conduct

6/9-11/2012

12am - 12am

Motor vehicle theft

Drillfield Drive

Active

10/26/2012

10am

Harassing phone calls

Lane Hall

Active

10/29/2012

5:23pm

Vandalism/Destruction of property (vehicle)

Aggie Quad Lane

Inactive

10/5/2012

9:30am

Underage possession of alcohol

Pritchard Hall

Inactive: Reported

by Student Conduct

arrestees

opinions

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

october 31, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

BRAYDEN BURLEIGH/ COLLEGIATE TIMES

Trick-or-treating Empo needs reevaluating exceeds past youth T H

alloween is one of my favorite holidays.

My apartment is filled with pumpkins and orange lights, I have enough bags of peanut butter cups and candy corn to ride out the apocalypse, and I am busy deciding whether to dress up as Major League Baseball umpire Joe West or Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. It’s a real toss-up for me as to which is scarier.

As much as I do enjoy this holiday, however, it is certainly missing something from when I was growing up: trick-or-treating.

Sure, I enjoy Halloween as a grown-up. I like to put up my own decorations, to laugh at all the witty costumes, which probably would have gone straight over my head as a lad, and I do have a soft spot for pumpkin ales and Marzen-style lagers. Or any festive adult autumnal beverage. Or anything with alcohol in it. So I guess being over 21 does have some advantages. But I digress.

My point is, whatever happened to all the free candy?

Everyone arbitrarily stops trickor-treating at some point. An unwritten rule floating around out there makes it taboo for us big people to go door-to-door begging for sugary treats.

It’s never totally clear when this mysterious cut-off is, but it’s somewhere around the time when you stop being cute and start being a surly, angst-filled burden on society/your parents.

Now, I suppose I agree some should face a trick-or-treating ban, especially those teenagers who roam in costume-less packs and don’t even bother to say “trick-or-treat” as they hold out their repurposed grocery bags, menacingly brandishing eggs and rolls of toilet paper.

But I am not like them, and I bet that you, dear reader, are like me: a law-abiding lover of complimentary processed carbohydrates. I’m a good, productive, relatively angst-free member of society. I wear a costume, I’m friendly, I don’t have a police record, and I would even offer a neighborly “trick-or-treat,” sans threats of vandalism.

Feel free to run a background check or to have a look at my resume. No violent crimes or vandalism, and plenty of solid references. I just want a Kit-Kat bar and perhaps a bit of conversation.

Let me be the first to say it: age discrimination on Halloween must be stopped. I really believe this represents the height of unfairness.

If a six-year-old dressed as a zombie or a serial killer stands on your doorstep and requests free candy, then he or she receives it without a second thought. But if I stand on someone’s doorstep dressed as that very same serial killer, asking only for that same free candy, I get is arrested and thrown into the county jail for the night. Granted, that was last week, but I think my point remains valid.

And everybody knows how cash-strapped students are. Once I get my stipend, I barely have enough left in my bank account after paying for rent and bar tabs to buy actual food — let alone my own candy.

Kids have it easy. They don’t have to work, they don’t have to drive places, they are guaranteed tuition-free education through high school, and they get to play in ball-pits and go to laser tag parties. I can’t tell you the last time that I was invited to a laser tag party.

It’s we university students — especially graduate students — who really deserve free candy.

I’m not saying we should stop giving candy to school-aged children and reserve it entirely for college kids — actually, now that I write it, that policy does have a certain ring to it. So maybe that’s exactly what I’m saying.

But what I do think we all can agree on is that we should all be afforded the same right to acquire free candy from our neighbors on Halloween, regardless of age, so long as you are wearing a costume of appropriate complexity.

ANDREW KULAK -regular columnist -graduate student -English major

we’re YOUR newspaper. send a letter to the editor and express your views.

send an email to opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.

here is one location right off campus most students are forced to endure: the Math Emporium.

Most students at Virginia Tech have at least taken one class in the Math Emporium, and at least 99.9 percent of those students probably regretted it afterwards. However, some courses are only offered there and are required for certain majors. This makes improving the clunky, awkward system of the Math Emporium a priority in every sense.

Taking to Twitter seems to be the common way for people to vent and freshman Jacqueline’s tweet, “LEAVING THE EMPO IS THE BEST FEELING. HELLO REAL WORLD, I’VE MISSED YOU,” just about sums it up. The sad thing is tweets like this show up on my Twitter timeline every single day.

That is how unpopular the Math Emporium is, and there are many good reasons for it.

For one thing, the location of the Math Emporium is very inconvenient. It is currently located a few miles off campus at University Mall. Would it not make more sense to build the Math Emporium on campus, where access to it is much easier? The fact is that freshmen make up a majority of the students who take classes there, and less than half of the freshmen on campus own a car.

There is bus service to the Emporium every fifteen minutes from Newman Library on weekdays, but it is quite a hassle to have to hop on a bus two to three times a week with every-

thing else going on.

The environment of the Math Emporium is another big issue. The Empo, as many call it, is a huge room with over 500 Apple computers and student tutors who walk around to help out. The student tutors can be hit or miss — some are really helpful, while others are not.

To receive help from a tutor, you must put the red cup at your station on top of your screen. About half of the tutors I have encountered have made me feel like a moron; it makes me not want to utilize my red cup. Some critical students have even nicknamed this red cup, “The Stupid Cup.” On top of that, the tutors have been known, on more than one occasion, to mislead students on how to execute problems. Only a portion of tutors have a good idea of the math you are performing, and you have to hope the one you get knows your subject material. If not, they are about as helpful as the students sitting around you.

The Math Emporium is for people proficient in mathematics.

However, not all students can teach themselves calculus. I will be the first to admit that I am mathematically challenged; I have trouble with math in a standard classroom setting and there are many other students like me who have issues with grasping these types of concepts. I find it ridiculous for the university to think all of its students can teach themselves such a high-level math with little to no help.

The online textbook for

MATH 1525, the class I am currently taking, is probably the worst resource I have ever been forced to refer to.

It is almost as though the writers thought that if we looked at a picture and read a few sentences, then we will all automatically have an epiphany.

Sadly, this rarely happens, and you are forced to find alternative methods to actually learn the material.

The quizzes make the courses offered at the Math Emporium even more of a pain. For many of the courses offered, the quizzes contain only six questions, meaning that if you get more than one question wrong, you cannot even get a C. Just hope the quiz accurately reflects what you are learning — sometimes they do not.

However, proctored exams are what matter the most, and fortunately, they are the only thing that make sense in this convoluted system.

The Math Emporium was an intriguing innovation doomed to fail from its very beginning. With all of the equipment and employees that reside there, I am sure the university does not plan to tear it down anytime soon.

Nonetheless, changes must be made to the Empo to make it a convenience rather than a burden on the entire student population. If the university wishes for the Math Emporium to remain, it must make a change and make it fast.

RYAN TURK -regular columnist -freshman -business information technology

Family policies help businesses I

t's dismaying that pay equity for women is the family issue that emerged most loudly from the recent round of presidential debates. Pay equity by itself is a simplistic measure that obscures more complex and urgent public policy reforms.

Judging how fair our workplaces are by whether men and women are paid equally is like judging a teenager based on an SAT score. That single number doesn't tell you anything about the kid's study habits _ not to mention character or passions.

Similarly, the oft-repeated assertion that women earn 77 cents to a man's dollar says very little. The number is an average of full-time workers, rather than a comparison of men and women in the same jobs with the same experience.

A 2009 study by the economics consulting firm CONSAD Research Corp. showed that when the wage gap is analyzed by occupations, regional markets, job titles and more, women make about 94 percent of what men make.

Gender discrimination may exist in that last 6 cents _ and it's important to address that. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which fell two votes short of the filibuster-proof 60 in the U.S. Senate in June, would have required fuller disclosure of salaries. The bill had its flaws, but this disclosure would clear up inequity fast.

However, it's the bigger gap

that concerns me _ the dif- has at times been championed ference between women's 77 by House Democrats, would cents-to-a-dollar and the 94 guarantee seven paid sick days cents. These numbers show a year to care for ill family that women are often making members. choices based on shouldering Some say such policies would a greater caregiver burden, harm the United States' ability either for children or other to compete economically. But family. They're choosing part- the data tell a different story. time jobs, predictable hours Researchers from Princeton and less responsibility. They're University and the Brookings staying home with babies _ Institution recently compiled which significantly discounts a global database of national lifetime earnings _ or quitting labor policies and economic when the work-family tight- data for all United Nations rope snaps. members.

Yes, it's true that American The collaboration, called The men are taking on caregiver Future of Children, found that roles _ and thank goodness. family support policies and Having walked in each other's a highly competitive econoshoes, maybe men and women my are often compatible _ in can fashion a broader agen- Germany, Singapore, Sweden, da for needed public policy Canada and 10 more. changes.

What's more, employers who One need is for paid parental have adopted these kinds of leave. Economist Christopher family-friendly policies often Ruhm examined 16 European have higher market value, countries and found that paid lower turnover among employparental leave policies were ees, improved customer satisassociated with lower infant faction, decreased health care and child mortality. California costs, reduced absenteeism funds parental leave through a and a better esprit de corps. payroll deduction _ everyone Why aren't U.S. presidential contributes. Spreading out this candidates talking about polcost could pay California back icy supports for middle-class in kids with fewer health prob- families? lems and lower lifetime health Certainly, they're a factor care costs. Mothers could ben- in pay equity for women. But efit from career continuity _ they're harder to fit on a bumand steadier paychecks. per sticker than "77 cents to a Leave for children's health man's dollar." problems or for parents to participate in schooling is ANNE MICHAUD another needed buttress. The -McClatchy Newspapers Healthy Families Act, which

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october 31, 2012

Regular Edition GET INSIDE THE GAME

Today’s Birthday Horoscope: All Hallow’s Eve is auspicious for planting intention seeds. What do you really love, and what kind of contribution would you like to make this year? Money looks good, so save it and keep living simply and conserving resources. Stay grounded, even as your spirit flies.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham

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XKDC by Randall Monroe

5 8 8 2 3 6 3 4 2 1 7 3 4 7 1 3 6 5 4 8 2 1 5 4 9 6 8 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

By Ed Sessa

Week ending November 2, 2012

ACROSS 1 Its “fleece was white as snow” 5 __ Sutra 9 Go with the flow 14 Pastoral verse 15 Pink-slipped 16 Ladies’ man 17 Nicolas of “Adaptation” 18 Got one’s uniform dirty, maybe 19 Mississippi, e.g.

20 Understand how things are done 23 Many frozen dinners are high in it 24 Taker of vows 25 Def Jam genre

Top Tracks (3) 1

Gangnam Style • PSY Locked Out of Heaven • Bruno Mars

2 (4) 3 (2) 4

Die Young • Ke$ha I Knew You Were Trouble • Taylor Swift One More Night • Maroon 5

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10/31/12 28 Native American group 31 As plain as day, e.g.

33 Tax pro 36 Places to see links 38 Friend 40 Cancún uncle 41 36-Across opening 42 Simple floral garlands 47 Fair-hiring initials 48 Forensic facility 49 Spy wear 51 Sí or oui 52 Do-favor link 54 Broadsided

PICK UP THE COLLEGIATE TIMES TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

WORDSEARCH: Halloween Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

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58 Stage name of Ehrich Weiss, for whom the ends of 20-, 36- and 42-Across were props 61 Wife of Abraham 64 Long, long time 65 “__ Three Lives”: TV oldie 66 Michelangelo figure 67 Pear variety 68 Charity 69 Suisse peaks 70 Like an animated Pea? 71 Cold-cock

DOWN 1 The home team gets the last ones 2 Hersey’s “A Bell For __” 3 “Nearer, __, to Thee” 4 Messed up 5 Former Asian state known for goat wool 6 Wheel holder 7 Golda of Israel 8 Supplement 9 Poison in some whodunits 10 Kids’ book connectables 11 GP’s gp.

12 Gently stroke 13 Place for a ring 21 Racetrack surface 22 Door sign 25 Go through energetically, as drawers 26 1966 Michael Caine title role 27 Pasta topper 29 “Little Women” woman 30 Pioneering computer 32 Letters before nus 33 Tea leaves holder 34 Wood shaver 35 Fake name

37 Slinky’s shape 39 Fashion monogram 43 Steinway alternatives 44 Trucker with a handle 45 Never 46 “Elephant Boy” actor 50 Alaskan brown bear 53 Iraqis, usually

55 Nabisco brand named for its flavor 56 The Penguin, to Batman 57 Playground retort 58 Can’t stand 59 “Ouch!”

60 Fire truck item 61 Mineral spring 62 Feel sick 63 Workout unit

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

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

food & drink

Recipe: Pumpkin soup with roasted peanuts

BY BRIAN CROMER | features staff writer

october 31, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

5

Drink of the week: Dracula’s kiss cocktail

BY JACOB WILBANKS | features staff writer

PAUL KURLAK/ SPPS

Although cooking heart or tongue might be more appropriate — or gruesome — for Halloween, this pumpkin soup is a simple, delicious recipe which is perfect for the fall season. Rather than roasting the pumpkin, I prefer to add roasted peanuts as a garnish. This gives similar flavor, without spending twice the time cooking.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes

JACOB WILBANKS/ COLLEGIATE TIMES

As the Halloween festivities continue to unfold, treat yourself to a delicious themed drink inspired by Dracula.

Dracula’s Kiss is a delicious cocktail, which is incredibly simple to make. The two layers of the drink make it look exceptionally spooky, as the grenadine makes for a vibrant red base that pops out against the dark black cola. The cherry vodka mixes perfectly with the cola, producing a nice Cherry Coke taste. This party pleaser is sure to impress anyone and fits in perfectly with the season.

Ingredients: 1 large pumpkin (3-5 pounds) 1 medium onion 3 cups of beef broth 1 cup of heavy cream 2 cup of raw peanuts 1/4 cup of honey 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 1 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter You could also substitute pumpkin seeds, cashews or even croutons for the peanuts.

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Toss the raw peanuts with the honey, cayenne pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for twenty minutes. Keep a close eye on the peanuts — you do not want them to burn.

3. Peel the onion and dice it finely. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and dice the flesh into 1-inch cubes.

4. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large saucepot on medium heat.

5. Dice the onion and sauté until translucent, for about five minutes.

6. Add the pumpkin and sauté for another 10 minutes, then add the beef broth. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the cubes of pumpkin begin to fall apart.

7. Add the contents of the saucepot to a blender and puree until smooth.

8. Add the heavy cream, butter and season to taste with salt. Garnish with the roasted peanuts.

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Ingredients: 1 ounce black cherry vodka 1/2 ounce grenadine Cola Maraschino cherries, optional Directions: Coat the bottom of a highball glass with grenadine. Add ice and vodka. Fill glass with cola. Optionally, garnish it with a maraschino cherry.

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Pet Advice of the Week:

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Finances are more of an issue for the next two days. Make changes while saving money. Postpone family time slightly. Don’t believe everything ... imagination’s especially alluring.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Your loved ones encourage you to take on a new challenge. Silence is bliss now.

Plan a special romantic evening. Love inds a way, and friends help you to see farther.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Cover all the bases, and tap another source of revenue. It’s not all about fun and games now, but you can still enjoy yourself. Choose an empowering interpretation.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Associates deliver data now. The answer will surprise you. Be polite, and don’t say everything that’s on your mind, unless you welcome controversy.

Sometimes peace and quiet work best.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Fantasy doesn’t quite match reality, at least for now. Make the best of it, even with unwanted con lict. Plug a inancial leak, and it all works out.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Discover the truth, and erase all doubt.

Make household decisions for the next few days. Face your demons. Provide advice only when asked. Stick close to home.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You’re getting more sensitive and stronger.

Postpone travel and daydreaming, and jump into action instead. It will require willpower, and you have it. Cultivate inner peace.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Others wonder if you’re ready for more responsibility. Show them that you are.

Lead by example. Keep an open mind; you need what you’re learning to do the job well.

Aries (Mar. 21-April 19) You’ll learn quickly for the next few days. Complications and changes could arise, so revise plans. Study the angles.

Don’t share with friends yet, and avoid gossip at all costs.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) No more procrastination for the next few days ... put it off for the weekend.

It’s emotion versus reason now, and both count. Watch out for hidden dangers. Create love and peace.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Working your agenda with care is good but there’s only so much planning you can do. Get into action. Don’t be afraid to hit the trail (or the slopes). Just do it.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Stand up to critics. Refocus on work today and tomorrow. But it’s not always about the money. Postpone a shopping trip. Observe the impact of your words.

“Nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins and minerals play important roles in the skin and coat health of cats. Skin and hair is used to prevent things from leaving (such as water or heat) or entering (such as viruses and bacteria) the body. The hair coat is composed almost entirely of protein. If your cat's diet doesn't contain enough quality protein, her hair may fall out or become dry, weak and brittle.”

-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.’

6

features

october 31, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Dressing up with impromptu costumes If you have suddenly found yourself without a costume for Halloween, here are some last minute costume ideas that can be put together quickly as you head out tonight.

Cloud: If you have a light blue T-shirt lying around, you can attach cotton balls all over the shirt and go as a cloudy day. If you have a water gun, take it with you and become partly cloudy with a chance of rain.

Magic eight ball: Cut out a number eight from a piece of white paper. Wear all black and attach the eight to your shirt.

For more fun, answer any questions the way a magic eight ball would, with sayings like, “all signs point to yes,” or, “try again later.”

Olympic athlete: Take advantage of this past summer’s Olympic craze by dressing up like your favorite Olympian.

Cut a circle out of a piece of cardboard and use crayons to color it gold, silver or bronze.

String a piece of ribbon through the “medal” and put it around your neck and wear red, white and blue clothing.

You’ll get added points if you can find a small bouquet of flowers to carry.

Beanie Baby: If you can find a pair of animal ears, you’re already halfway finished with this costume.

Grab a piece of cardboard and cut out a large heart.

Write “Ty” on the heart in white letters and then color the rest of the heart red.

String a piece of ribbon or yarn through the heart and hang it around your neck.

Dirty laundry: Hold off on doing your laundry for one more day for this costume.

Dress normally and use safety pins to attach pieces of clothing all over yourself to become a pile of dirty laundry.

If you have an old laundry basket, you could also cut a hole in the bottom, wear it around your waist and put the clothes around you in the basket to avoid getting safety pin holes in your clothes.

Old Spice guy: This is the costume your costume could smell like. All you need to do is wrap a towel around your waist.

For your comfort — and everyone else’s — you will probably want to wear a swimsuit under the towel.

Take it one step further and carry a bottle of the body wash with you and re-enact the commercial throughout the night.

You might also want to tie a sweater around your neck to stay warm.

Call Me Maybe: Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song of the summer makes this next costume possible.

Dress how you normally would, but wear a nametag labeled “Maybe.” Walk around handing out your phone number all night, asking people to call you, to become “Call Me Maybe.”

Warning: You probably will not want to hand out a real phone number. iPod icon: If you have all black clothing in your closet, throw it on and wear headphones. Walk around dancing all night to be one of the dancers from the iPod commercials.

Group costumes: If you have a bunch of friends who have also procrastinated on a costume idea, go as a group.

Have each person grab a different color t-shirt to give you several options.

You could cut out a large “s” to become a pack of Skittles, or cut out a large “m” to be a bag of M&M’s.

Or, grab some colored construction paper to make yourself a pointed hat that matches your shirt and you can be a pack of crayons.

Virginia Tech fan: Living in Blacksburg, almost everyone has a closet full of Virginia Tech clothes.

Most people like to wear just one piece at a time, but if you throw all of it on at once, you can become a Tech super fan. If anything, this costume is sure to keep you warm.

RACHEL CLINE -featured columnist -junior -communication major

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

NRV locales haunt citizens

BY KATIE WHITE | news reporter With the commercialization of Halloween, there has been a shift from spooking stories and hauntings to dressing up and eating candy. In an attempt to bring some of the fright back to the night, I did a little research about some potential haunted areas in the New River Valley. Here’s a fright rating out of four for each location to help you gauge the true potential.

Location: The Lyric Theater, Blacksburg History: The Lyric was opened in 1909. Rumors probably stem from the story of a laborer who died during construction of the theater.

Hauntings: Reports seem to center mostly around the theater’s balcony. Employees and customers have reported feeling a cold breeze on the stairs to the balcony, as well as hearing loud footsteps and a man talking to himself. There has also been mention of hearing a woman shrieking.

Verdict: Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the stories are persistent and there have been several paranormal investigation groups that have spent time in the theater and “confirmed” paranormal activity. Footsteps and voices aren’t that bad, but a lady shrieking would have me running.

Rating: Location: Holiday Inn & Attitudes Bar, Blacksburg History: The land that the Holiday Inn sits on was once a plantation known as “Jacob’s Lantern.”

Hauntings: Management of the Attitudes Bar report hearing sounds of laughter and voices after the club is closed and empty. There’s also the story of the staff of the Holiday Inn calling Attitudes to ask them to turn the loud music down, but the club was quiet and had no music playing.

Verdict: The area around Holiday Inn can get loud at night, so it’s likely some of these reports result from amplified sound. And with no gruesome back-story about the plantation to provoke fear, I wouldn’t worry about this location.

Rating: Location: Smithfield Plantation grounds, Blacksburg History: During the French & Indian War in 1755, there was a raid by the Shawnee on a settlers’ camp known as Draper’s Meadow. Five settlers were killed and five more taken as captives. The area of Draper’s Meadow was later obtained by William Preston, who turned it into the Smithfield Plantation.

Hauntings: There are few hard cases of hauntings here, mainly just requisite strange sounds and shadowy figures.

Verdict: There isn’t much to go on, so this location would seem to be safe — but the location’s bloody history makes you wonder.

Rating: Location: Christiansburg Middle School, Christiansburg History: In the early 1900s, a woman named Virginia Wardlaw ran the Montgomery Female Academy with her sisters Mary Snead and Caroline Martin. Nicknamed “the black sisters” for their habit of wearing all black attire, the trio had a poor reputation in Christiansburg. After Snead’s son’s highly suspicious suicide and the death of Martin’s daughter Ocey, they were eventually tried for murder. The land where Montgomery Female Academy once stood is now the home of Christiansburg Middle School.

Hauntings: Staff and students of the middle school have reported lights turning on and off inexplicably. Creepier are the stories of people seeing the figures of three women standing in the hallway and hearing the anguished cries of a baby, allegedly the murdered infant of Ocey.

Verdict: Lights flickering aren’t so bad, but I wouldn’t like to meet these three women in a dark hallway. This is one place I’ll be staying far away from.

Rating: Location: St. Alban’s Sanatorium, Radford History: The St. Alban’s Lutheran Boys School was founded in 1892. Although nothing is confirmed, there are several stories of students who died at the school. In 1916 the building was converted into a hospital for the mentally ill. Although the treatment here was apparently superior in quality to that of many other sanatoriums, there are still a few documented deaths and suicides of patients.

Hauntings: St. Alban’s is probably the most widely-known haunted building in the area, and for good reason. There have been the typical reports of voices and shadows, but also the more sinister experiences such as full-body apparitions, strange shouts and moans and moving objects.

Verdict: The idea of an abandoned insane asylum is creepy enough; the numerous ghost sightings are merely an added bonus.

Rating: Location: Grandin Theater, Roanoke History: The Grandin opened in 1932, giving the theater 80 years to amass a strange history. The biggest source of haunting rumors comes from the story of a homeless family who moved into the projectionist’s booth while the theater was closed in the 1950s. Allegedly, two of the family’s children died in the theater.

Hauntings: The projectionist’s booth is now the main location of strange activity in the Grandin; employees have reported seeing the face of a man in the booth’s window. An employee also reported seeing a small child at the top of the stairwell by the booth, but when the man approached the child, it ran away and passed through a closed door. A baby has also been heard crying in the night.

Verdict: If the stories of the children’s deaths are true, this location is sadder than it is scary. Still, there’s nothing scarier than creepy kids.

Rating:

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