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CAREER GUIDE inside An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com
Friday, February 15, 2013
COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 73 News, page 2
People & Clubs, page 4
Opinions, page 5
Sports, page 8
Study Break, page 6
Markey makes instant impact
Tebow bill dies in senate
JACOB EMERT sports staff writer
The Hokies, like dozens of teams around the country, have set their sights on the mecca of collegiate baseball: the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. With seven position players returning, including Tyler Horan, a finalist in the 2012 College Home Run Derby, and Chad Pinder, who led the team with 22 doubles, the Hokies believe they will have enough offense to reach their destination — if they can stay healthy. The bigger question, however, is whether the pitchers can do their part to compliment the stacked lineup. If the answer is yes, a major reason will be the right arm of junior Brad Markey. Markey, however, is looking forward to the challenge. At C. Milton Wright High School, where he lettered all four years, he led the Mustangs to a Maryland state championship his senior year. Despite being named first team All-State, Baltimore Sun Player of the Year, and a Louisville Slugger first team All-American, Markey remains humble. “I was just playing games with a bunch of friends and had a great time doing it,” said the 5’11” Bel Air, Md. native. “I just happened to have a successful year, and it was fun getting all those things.” After high school, the highly-recruited Markey decided to play ball at Georgia Tech for head coach Danny Hall. However, by the end of his freshman year, Brad decided that Atlanta and Georgia Tech were not right for him. In his sole season as a Yellow Jacket, he appeared in six games, totaling 5.1 innings. He struck out four in that span and did not allow a run in his first four appearances. Due to NCAA restrictions, when a player decides to transfer, he or she must sit out of NCAA play for one academic year. In order to continue to play baseball during that year, Markey decided to play at Santa Fe College, a junior college in Gainesville, Fla. “I got contacted by the coach (at Santa Fe), and I thought it would be a good fit. That’s when I decided to go there,” Markey said. Virginia Tech head coach Pete Hughes saw an opportunity in the available Markey and signed him for the following year right away. “Before his successful year, we signed him, luckily,” Hughes said. “But that’s just
from our staff being thorough and working hard.” Successful is stating it lightly. Markey went 10-4 in his 14 starts for the Saints, posting an astonishing 1.33 ERA. He struck out 70 in 95 innings and was selected to first team FCSAA AllState, first team All-Mid-Florida Conference, and named MidFlorida Conference Pitcher of the Year. After his standout year at Santa Fe, Markey was drafted in the 35th round of the 2012 MLB draft by the New York Mets, but decided he had more work left to do in college. “It was an honor getting drafted,” Markey said. “I definitely enjoyed it, but I always wanted to come back to college and see what I could do my junior year.” When Stephen Markey, Brad’s father, was asked about having his son drafted, his smile said more than his words. “It was cool — exciting. It made me proud,” Stephen Markey said. Hughes, who hopes that Brad can have another great season, understands why he may have struggled at Georgia Tech. “It’s really hard to be productive in this league as a freshman, especially on the mound — it is a flip of the coin,” Hughes said. “That’s what happened with Brad. Sometimes you have to go into a different atmosphere and have success and get some confidence back and that’s what he did at Santa Fe.” When Markey first arrived at Tech, some, including those on the Tech coaching staff, wondered what kind of character he had. Those questions were quickly answered. “My first impression see MARKEY / page eight
LESLIE MCCREA news reporter
BRAD KLODOWSKI/ SPPS
Medalist leads special olympics in NRV CAMERON AUSTIN & MATTHEW JOHNSON news staff
It was a cold, blustery day the first time Ben Norris and his identical twin brother Josh went skiing. His father, Stan Norris, was convinced that the boys would hate it, and never want to come back. Ten years later, his father has been proven wrong. Ben Norris, an employee at Turner Place with an intellectual disability, recently took home the gold medal in the Special Olympics in the Super G event, a type of Alpine skiing. He had a winning time of 49 seconds. The Super G is a course that focuses on speed, compared to events like the slalom, which focus on technicalities. Norris competed in three different events in PyeongChang, South Korea, which hosted the events for the first time. Ben admits to having a little bit of nerves going into the competition, but after winning the gold medal, he started to relax and have fun.
BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS
Tech Dining Services employee Ben Norris proudly displays his gold medal from Alpine skiing. The Special Olympics is the second largest sporting event in the world, with almost 2,400 competitors from 113 countires. Team
USA has 151 members competing. “The opening ceremony was my favorite part,” Norris said.
His brother Josh, is also involved in the Special Olympics, and has plans to compete in the 2015 Summer Special Olympics
in Los Angeles in long distance running. “My biggest fan, other then my mom and dad, is my brother Josh,” Norris said. “We are very pleased with Ben and what he’s done,” his mother, B.J. Norris said. “We love that this has brought attention to the Special Olympics in the area.” The Norris’ have always been an active family. Skiing, track, bowling and basketball are just a few of the sports Ben and Josh participate in. The boys have been involved with the Special Olympics since they were seven years old. The family used to live in Alexandria, Va. and was responsible for helping start the organization in the region. Before, the Special Olympics didn’t exist in the area. “We got some of the other families together and started a recreational basketball program,” said Stan Norris, Ben and Josh’s father. Once they started the recreational program, the Special Olympics contacted see SKIING / page two
The “Tebow Bill,” aimed at allowing home-schooled students to play public school sports, failed to pass the Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee yesterday in an 8-7 vote. This is the second consecutive year that the bill has not cleared Virginia Senate. After this legislation cleared the Virginia House of Delegates on Feb. 1, supporters hoped it would continue past the Senate and eventually take effect, allowing school districts to make their own decision on whether homeschoolers could play or not. More officially known as House Bill 1442, this bill was nicknamed after NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who was homeschooled, but was still allowed to play high school football. When Tebow’s success spawned from being a homeschooled student in Florida, other states such as Kentucky, Alabama and Virginia began to rally for those same student rights. Representing approximately 6,000 homeschooled students in the state, The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers argues that homeschooling families pay the same taxes as public school students’ families, so they should be entitled to the same public entities. The Virginia High School League disagrees. Students who attend public school must adhere to certain eligibility and responsibility requirements in order to claim a name on the roster; the VHSL questions whether homeschoolers can meet those same requirements for an equal shot at a spot on a team. Public school students subjected to standardized tests demonstrate their academic standing, while homeschool students are able to do that as well. However, there are a few regulations named by the VHSL that homeschool students may be unable to meet. Each student-athlete must be enrolled in at least five classes that count towards graduation, and also must attend school for at least half the day in order to participate in athletic activity that same day. The main issue is that many parents who choose to homeschool their kids take a different approach not only to curriculum, but also to the pace at which their children learn, which has an effect on the VHSL attendance policies. Flexibility in the rules is what sponsor, Del. Rob Bell (R-Albemarle), along with The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers, is looking for.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @lesliemccrea
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february 15, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
editors: priscilla alvarez, mallory noe-payne, dean seal newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
Skiing: Norris family always active from page one
them and wanted to start a chapter in the area. The family moved to Blacksburg when the boys were still young, and since then, they have been working to build a strong Special Olympics community in the New River Valley. Now with 500 participants, the Norris family knows that there are more kids in the valley that would benefit from getting involved with the organization. “We tend to get a lot of kids that are entering adulthood that come and join the organization,” Stan Norris said. “But we would like to start building programs that are targeted to younger kids, even kids who are just learning to use motor control.” Stan Norris has been coaching the boys in skiing for the past 10 years, also taking
On LAPD brutality exposes reoccuring the time to become a certi- law enforcement attitude fied adaptive skiing instructor. An adaptive instructor is one that is specially trained to work with disabled participants, including paraplegics and wounded soldiers. “Ben is great about following and taking direction,” Stan Norris said. With his mom, dad and twin brother for support, Ben had an overall exciting trip to South Korea, and, although he didn’t like the food, a highlight of the experience for him was getting to meet the famous basketball player Yao Ming. After being back for only two weeks, Ben and his family already have plans to hit the slopes and go skiing next weekend. Follow the writer on Twitter: @CAustinCT
more info Interested in cheering on the Special Olympics of the New River Valley? Sunday Feb. 17, starting at 9 a.m. in Cassell Coliseum, the Special Olympics regional basketball teams will be competing for a chance to go to the state play offs. Check out www.volunteer2cheer.com to sign up For more information contact: COURTESY OF TECH
Norris competed in the Super G, Giant Slolom and Slolom (above). Left to right, Stan, Ben, Josh and B.J. Norris (below).
swoffice@specialolympicsva.org or call 540-951-2918
what you’re saying Anonynous: You can't possibly be this ignorant
in your thinking!! First of all it has been reported it was pitch black dark when officers noticed a truck resembling Dorner's turning off the vehicle lights and turning down the same block where one of the LAPD families lives and was targeted. You state "They were given no reason to feel threatened" Really? Dorner the cold blooded killer had just killed two innocent people a couple days prior. He just ambushed and KILLED a Riverside Officer and injured his partner. He almost KILLED and injured an LAPD Officer by shooting him with a bullet that grazed his head. If you don't think any of these incidents were a threat to these Officers you're clueless.
On Student debt lack a proper solution
electedface: Student debt is stunting the growth of the economy. Student loans have increased by 500% over past decade. As the next generation graduates from college, they are plagued by insurmountable debt that places demands on their income, limiting their ability to spend their earnings in ways that stimulate the economy. Alan Collinge: Don’t be a simp. Don’t be a
whimp. The solution to this problem starts with the immediate return of full, free, and fair bankruptcy protections to the debt.
On Hokie Bird has big online presence
Lee: The HokiBird is ok as a “mascot”, however, Tech would be well served to adopt an new/ different team name. Many elite students and athletes are turned off by the not-so-respectable hokie name.
Lyric Theatre goes digital, leaves film behind MIKE DEMSKO news staff writer
Blacksburg’s Lyric Theatre is in the midst of making a giant technological leap forward. For decades now, The Lyric has used 35mm film reels to entertain Blacksburg residents and Tech students, but now it, like other theatres nation-wide, has to either adapt to digital projection or risk closure. The transition to digital projection has increasingly become more important as fewer and fewer new releases are being printed on 35mm film at all. General manager of The Lyric, Flavio Carvalho, has been overseeing the revamping, and gave a peek into the collective conscious of small town theaters. “This year, everyone has to go digital or they’re going to suffer,” Carvalho said. “Financially speaking, there are two ways to do it: you can buy it outright, or you can have some financing through the distributors as well, but the problem with doing it that way is they want to control your content, and we’re not going to do that.” According to USA Today, about 78 percent of movie theatres had made the transition as of 2012, still leaving a fairly large part of the market scrambling to catch up. Costs for a new digital projector often amount
Caravalho continued to express relief from leaving 35mm prints behind. “It’s not unusual for us to get (the film) already scratched. And there were a couple of movies last year that we wanted, but we couldn’t get them. They didn’t have them in 35mm print,” Caravalho said. Not everyone is necessarily ecstatic about the switch. Barbara Brown, a projectionist at The Lyric, has become accustomed to the 35mm charm over the three-year span of her employment. “It will make my job easier in a sense because I won’t have to go upstairs to thread the film, but it stinks because that’s the part of the job I like,” Brown said. Luckily for Brown, The Lyric sees its old machine as an opportunity to continue to show the films it has already acquired. “We’re not going to take out that projector; we’ll keep maintaining it and keep it functional,” Brown said. KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS The projector switch is schedAaron Grigsby, a part-time projectionist for The Lyric and Tech alumnus, feeds film from the platter tree into the theater’s 35 mm projector. Grigsby also builds all the film. uled to happen before the end of to about $60,000 per machine, able. supporting memberships that benefits the projector will pro- the month and digital films will and for theatres that can’t afford “The order is in, we still have give people reduced entry fees. vide for viewers. be showing by early March. the equipment, it leaves them a little bit to pay at the back end They have been allocating funds “The quality will be pristine with one choice: closing. of it, but (the projector) is ours,” for the purchase of a new proj- and there’s a chance that we Luckily for the Blacksburg Carvalho said. ect for over a year. can get more movies, soonFollow the writer on Twitter: community, the Lyric’s financThe Lyric is a nonprofit orgaHaving overcome the finan- er, because right now, print @MikeDemsko_CT ing of the transition, while nization that runs largely on cial concerns, The Lyric can availability is on the decline,” strenuous, has been manage- volunteer efforts, donations and now look forward to the many Caravalho explained.
Now Playing! Zero Dark Thirty For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to ind and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) for the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man.
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Beginning February 15th, at 7 PM!
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Mon: 10:00am, 7:00pm Weds. & Thurs, 7:00pm
Visit www.bugleonline.com to browse our archives and learn how to order.
editors: emma goddard, nick smirniotopoulos featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
people & clubs
february 15, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
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Actors bring forth emotion with their roles SARA LEPLEY features staff writer
Walking into T201, someone may think they have entered a workout studio rather than a rehearsal space for “The Shape of Things.” Actors Alex Garretson, a junior theatre arts and wildlife science double major, and Nate Jackson, a senior theatre arts and HNFE double major, hop, twirl, sashay and jump in circles on the hardwood floor as they spit lines from a script to one another. For now, they ignore the brown Spike Tape that outlines how the stage will eventually be set up. All they care about is getting their lines right. As they slide and spin, they snap in and out of character. “Moving your body stimulates your brain,” said Deborah Gur, a junior theatre arts major and assistant stage manager, from behind her laptop screen. On Feb. 19, the cast will perform the lines they now rehearse. They have been working hard on “The Shape of Things,” directed by Susanna Rinehart and written by Neil LaBute, since November. The cast could only fit in a handful of rehearsals before it packed up for winter break, but it took what time it had to become acquainted with its characters and the show. With Rinehart, they analyzed the subtext of the script the way a student may analyze an allegory. Unlocking these subtexts enables them to represent their characters’ complexities as intended by the writer. Their own personal experiences and emotions, however, play a big role in their portrayal of each character. “The writer kind of gives
you the framework and all the specifics of your character, and then you fill in the rest,” Garretson said. Getting a handle on the emotions of the characters helps with the next step in preparation: memorizing lines. During the initial stages of blocking, Garretson uses emotional context to help him conjure his next line. “I remember like an emotional impulse, and then the words come back, as opposed to if I’m just remembering dialogue and straight words,” Garretson said. However, the best method for memorization is repetition. The actors will spend hours repeating lines to anyone who will listen — whether to a close group of friends or to a mirror. This has added an interesting dynamic to Kelsey Secules’ relationship with her roommates. Secules, a junior theatre arts major, can usually tell if her roommates are home by whether or not their keys are on the apartment’s key rack. “There’s been a few times when my roommates forgot to put their keys up, and I think no one is home so I start doing an insane monologue in the middle of the kitchen,” Secules said. “But it’s fine. They understand.” While the actors must repeat their lines incessantly in order to say them correctly on stage, they must also keep their reactions fresh. They must speak and act as if they are hearing each statement and witnessing each event in the play for the very first time. In order to make each scene feel realistic, Rinehart instructs the actors to minimize the “dramatic pause.” This refers to the moment after something has happened when the actors on stage feel
RYAN SUTHERLAND / SPPS
Alex Garretson and Lani Fu rehearse a scene for “The Shape of Things,” acting out the roles of college students similar to themselves. the urge to stop and think about what their character would do, rather than reacting immediately. “Actors tend to like to take pauses — I know I do,” Garretson said. “In real life, there are not that many pauses in dialogue. Susanna is really trying to get us to push through the pauses and make choices based on impulse rather than thinking about them too much.” The actors consider themselves lucky, because in this particular play, they act out the roles of college students like themselves. This makes it easier to relate to their characters' emotions and to anticipate their reactions.
“For this show it’s pretty easy (to get into character), because we’re playing kids very close to our own age, so it’s not like we’re having to stretch our minds too far,” Secules said. Still, the entire cast goes to great lengths in order to make the characters appear authentic. For example, the stage manager, Amy Luce, asks that they avoid getting haircuts around the time of rehearsal. This way, when final production rolls around, the hair and makeup team will have more hair to work with when designing each character’s image. The actors match every possible aspect of their outfit to their character, down to the
underwear. However, they don much more than their characters' wardrobe. Even after they leave the set at the end of rehearsal, the actors carry their characters' perspective on life with them. In one such instance, Garretson said he discovered that he understood some music on his iPod in an entirely different way after playing his character Adam. “One day after rehearsing a particularly emotional scene, I was walking home and listening to my iPod and ‘Hurt,’ by Nine Inch Nails, covered by Johnny Cash, came on,” Garretson said. “I had never listened to it after being Adam in rehearsal, and something really clicked. I just felt like
the song applied to what was going on in the show.” The next day, he showed the song to the sound director. Whether she will use the song in the play is yet to be determined, but Garretson doesn’t really feel concerned about that. For him, seeing a new perspective on the song fed into his ultimate goal of connecting himself with his character, which promises an excellent show for the audience. “I think it translates — what’s most real on stage is real reactions, real emotions and real feelings,” Garretson said. “I mean, you can only communicate what you yourself have experienced.”
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news
february 15, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
Stretching in all the right ways Tech’s largest partner yoga class provided pairs with a more interesting twist on Valentine’s Day celebrations. photos by Catie Carreras
editors: priscilla alvarez, mallory noe-payne, dean seal newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
upcoming events Today Leading Social Change - Poster and essay contest art exhibit: 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. in Perspectives Gallery, Squires. This is the 8th annual K-12 Martin Luther King Jr. poster and essay contest sponsored by the Virginia Tech Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Perspective Gallery with Student Centers and Activities collaborates by hosting an exhibit and reception of the winning poster entries.
Sin Nombre - film showing: 1:30 p.m. in ICAT Studio, 460 Turner Street. The South Atlantic Humanities Project(SAHP) 2013 will kick off with screening of the film Sin Nombre, a 2009 MexicanAmerican production adventure thriller written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Men’s Tennis vs. St. Bonaventure:1:00 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16
Japanese Film Festival: 3:00 p.m. at the Lyric Theater. Playing film “I Wish.” Free to the public, film in English subtitles. Sunday, Feb. 17
Men’s Tennis vs. Michigan State: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. in Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. University Symphonic Wing Ensemble and Symphony Band: 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
in Squires Old Dominion Ballroom. The University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Symphony Band perform an afternoon concert. Student Ensemble Tickets are available at the venue door beginning one hour prior to the performance. $5 general; $3 senior/student.
crimeblotter date
time
offense
location
status
1/23 2/8/2013
5pm - 10am
Larceny of a bicycle and lock
Outside PeddrewYates
Active
2/4/2013
12:15am
Underage possession of alcohol x5
Pritchard Hall
Inactive: Reported by Student Conduct
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opinions
editors: shawn ghuman, josh higgins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
february 15, 2013 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 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 Senior News Editor: Mallory NoePayne Associate News Editors: Priscilla Alvarez, Dean Seal News Blog Editor: Cameron Austin News Reporters: Leslie McCrea, Justin Graves, Andrew Kulak, Donal Murphy News Staff Writers: Alex Gomez, Sean Hayden, Max Luong, Cody Owens, Features Editors: Emma Goddard, Nick Smirniotopoulos Features Staff Writers: Ben Kim, Katie White, Kara Van Scoyc, Allie Sivak, Jacob Wilbanks Senior Opinions Editor: Josh Higgins Associate Opinions Editor: Shawn Guhman Sports Editors: Matt Jones, Zach Mariner Special Sections Editor: Chelsea Giles Copy Chief: Nora McGann Copy Editors: Allison Hedrick, Kristin Gunther, Mackenzie Fallon, Alexis Livingston, Kayleigh McKenzie Photo Editor: Kevin Dickel MCT CAMPUS
American culture needs to reform Students should weigh
A
merica is driven by a culture of violence, drugs and sex. By the time children reach the end of elementary school, most of them will have seen thousands of examples of these three mature topics. This exposure can lead to problems later on down the road for children as they grow up and progress into adolescence and then adulthood. America plants the seed of violence, drugs, and especially sex early in the minds of its children. This must stop now. According to The Washington Post, three high school students were arrested during the first week of February on charges of production and distribution of child pornography. The three male students, the Post reports, were accused of getting teenage girls drunk and making sex tapes, sometimes after the girls had passed out. This crime occurred at West Springfield High School in Northern Virginia, which is less than five minutes away from my house, making it even more shocking for me to imagine. This type of behavior is
beyond immature and should not be happening. However, the severity of this issue is often overshadowed by much larger problems around the country like the economy or national defense. If America does not raise its children right, the future of our country is a dismal one. When an idea is placed in a child’s mind, it begins to grow and evolve. Their first experiences of sex, whether from a movie, television show or other public form of entertainment, should be contained, but it is hard in our modern society to find entertainment that doesn’t incorporate a form of violence, drug use or sex. This creates a shallow thought process for our children. They only want quick and instant excitement, or else they will become bored and move on to another activity. As a society, our children will be growing up in a completely digital age. In our present time, 12 year olds receive cell phones, iPads, laptops and other items that just a few years ago were saved for older and more mature people.
I remember that my 26-year-old sister did not receive her first cell phone until she was given her first car at age 17. As a 19 year old, I can relate to the changing culture because my generation is one of the first ones that has grown up having a computer. Just as using all the different features of a laptop comes natural to me, making child pornography could come just as natural to younger generations because they need to find a way to entertain themselves and attempt to fit into our sex-driven culture. If we all took up more of an interest in other topics that do not involve violence, drugs and sex, perhaps our future generations will be less shallow and more interested in thought-provoking ideas. This change needs to happen now or else our society will crumble in the hands of a young teenager with a digital camera and a sex drive. ADAM ROTHE -regular columnist -marketing -freshman
cost of unpaid internships
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e’ve been told time and time again that internships are the key to a future in the workforce. They provide professional experience, field study and valuable connections. But when positions offer no stipend or pay, “internship” seems to become a fancy word for volunteer. Unpaid internships can, in some situations, take advantage of eager college students looking for a resume topper. If you’re running copies, making coffee or cleaning the office, your company has probably brought you on to do the undesirable tasks often known as grunt work. If this is you, leave. An internship is as much for your benefit as it is theirs. Even if you have this position under your “Work Experience” category, telling a potential employer that you mastered the art of the doublesided copying will not impress him or her. Many companies offer school credit as a substitute for payment, but with the cost of school credit hours being several thousand dollars, you end up paying to intern somewhere. If you add the cost of gas and
other expenses, you might have to get a job to pay for the cost of your job. So is it worth it? Is the experience of an unpaid internship worth spending a large chunk of change, possibly relocating and doing less than desirable tasks? It’s only worth your time and money if you actually want to go into the field you are working in at your internship, especially if you’re interested in that particular company. Internships do hold a lot of weight on your resume — it’s a highlighted, bolded and exclamatory aspect under the “Work Experience” section of the resume that makes you stand out above all else. But if the possibility is out of your reach, it’s not the end of the world. There are other opportunities to put a little sparkle on your resume that could be just as advantageous. Furnish yourself with great opportunities and experiences rather than those that might just look polished. KELSEY EDELMANN -regular columnist -English -junior
Obama’s address demonstrates practical policymaking
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resident Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, the first of his second term, won’t be long remembered. It didn’t offer much in the way of new ideas. It was short on memorable lines — except, perhaps, his demand for congressional action on gun control because Gabby Giffords and the families of Newtown “deserve a vote.” But those are all good things. They tell us that after four years in the White House and a hardwon reelection, Obama has recalibrated his ambitions to match the moment. A president who once promised to transform American politics and stop the oceans’ rise has downsized his goals, not because he wanted to but because circumstance has made it necessary. A soaring speech full of ambitious new goals wouldn’t make sense in the Washington of 2013. Obama still faces a hostile Republican majority in the House and a forbidding deficit that limits the amount of money he can spend. He’s already proposed two big new agenda items for his second term: immigration reform
and gun control. (They’re actually old ideas, but it’s been so long since they were debated in Congress, they seem new again.) If the president makes real headway on them, and keeps the economy from stalling, his next two years at least will look like a success. The main theme of the speech was jobs. (He’s for them.) But his economic proposals were relatively modest, and mostly recycled. Even the cover design for his economic plan was recycled from last year’s State of the Union handout. It may have sounded as if Obama was calling for a massive array of new federal initiatives, but on closer inspection, they are mostly micro-initiatives. He promised limited executive actions to reduce greenhouse gases, not the far-reaching legislation he once sought to stem climate change. He asked Congress to pass a law making it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages, but the idea faces long odds in the House. He called for a new infrastructure funding plan, but it was a downsized version
of one he proposed in 2011. Other ideas came with an even longer pedigree. The proposal to increase the minimum wage to $9? Downsized from the $9.50 proposal of the 2008 campaign. Universal preschool, without a mention of how it would be funded? Again, the 2008 campaign. As one of the president’s aides told me: They were good ideas before; they’re good ideas now. Especially the ones about jobs. “A growing economy that creates good middle-class jobs — that must be the North Star that guides our efforts,” he said. Fair enough. But both parties see the same North Star; the problem is they insist on taking different paths to pursue it. Obama didn’t solve that problem Tuesday. He exhorted Republicans (for the umpteenth time) to adopt his solution to the impending crisis over automatic spending cuts: closing tax loopholes that benefit “the well-off and well-connected.” In return, he offered to support modest reforms in Medicare, an offer he has also made before. And, significantly, he contended that a modest amount of
deficit reduction is all we need. afoul of a president’s conviction In 2011 and 2012, the president that reelection gave him a manspent weeks trying to strike an date to do big things. ambitious multitrillion-dollar George W. Bush used the first “grand bargain” over taxes and State of the Union address of spending with House Speaker his second term to call for the John A. Boehner, R-Ohio. But partial privatization of Social on Tuesday, Obama whittled Security; the collapse of that that down: another $1.5 trillion effort was an early sign that his and we’re done. His downsized presidency was in trouble. Bill goals may be easier to reach, Clinton opened his second term for Congress and himself. But with ambitious goals for educadeficit hawks are furious. tion and entitlement reforms There was important foreign that went nowhere. He spent policy in the speech too, a sign much of his remaining tenure that like most second-term battling impeachment instead. presidents facing a difficult Obama has set more realistic Congress, Obama is discover- targets. If he meets the most ing the rewards of acting as significant of them _ immidiplomat in chief. gration reform, even modHe promised to bring home est steps on gun control, an half of the 66,000 U.S. troops end to the U.S. combat role in in Afghanistan by next year, Afghanistan, a free-trade agreeand the other half a year later. ment with Europe and, oh yes, He called for a free-trade agree- implementation of Obamacare ment with Europe, a goal that _ and manages to keep the sounds boring but could turn economy growing, even if slowout to be the most historic pro- ly, that’s not a bad list. Plenty of posal in the speech. And he said two-term presidents have done he would work to negotiate new worse. nuclear arms reductions with Russia, a measure that, not incidentally, could save real money. DOYLE MCMANUS Second terms are often disas- -mcclatchy newspapers trous, and they sometimes fall
Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Ryan Francis Circulation Manager: Travis Neale Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Brad Klodowski Lab Manager: Trevor White College Media Solutions Assistant Ad Director: Carla Craft Account Executives: Elizabeth Dam, Emily Daugherty, Taylor Moran Inside Sales Manager: Amanda Gawne Assistant Account Executives: Andrew Newton, Jordan Williams Creative Director: Danielle Bushrow Assistant Creative Services Director: Alyssa Morrison Creative Staff: Mary Dassira, Chloe Young, Cameron Vaile, Diana Bayless Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2012. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.
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february 15, 2013
There’s still time to snap your senior photos!
Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Social life and partnerships sparkle until the summer. Play conservatively after April (for five months), and rely on your seasoned team. Achievements count more than toys. Work shifts into higher gear in the summer, and the career track you launch will take you far.
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9 3 5 2
8 6 4 9 8 7 2 4 5 2 8 3 4 9 5 3 7 9 1 5
69 Biblical heirs, with “the” 70 Barber’s chair attachment 71 Corporate __
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By Pam Klawitter
Week ending February 15, 2013
Top Tracks My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark • Fall Out Boy
1
When I Was Your Man • Bruno Mars
2
I Knew You Were Trouble • Taylor Swift
3
Highway Don’t Care (feat. Taylor Swift) • Tim McGraw
4
Ho Hey • The Lumineers
5
ACROSS 1 Onetime VHS rival 5 Like honed knives 10 Relaxed 14 The Earth turns on it 15 Swiss calculus pioneer 16 Hebrides hillside 17 Rules, in brief 18 Grassy Southwestern tract 19 “Mike and Mike in the Morning” radio station 20 On-the-go morning snack
2/15/13 23 Flight that may be round 24 Craft stabilizer 25 “No __!”: Mexican’s “Enough!” 28 Story spanning decades 31 St. Teresa’s home 33 Matador’s cloak 37 Cash for a sandwich 40 Tenth of a sawbuck 42 Tailgaters’ beverage carriers 43 Waiter’s handout
45 Dorothy’s dog 46 Run the show 47 Vidal’s Breckinridge 49 Actress Sandra 50 Moan and groan 53 Browning work 57 Familiarly, nutritious trio found twice in this puzzle 61 Dubai big shot 64 Medium’s card 65 Part of a float 66 Take it easy 67 Bacteria in rare meat 68 Footnote word
DOWN 1 Farm fence feature 2 Put into action, as effort 3 LSU mascot 4 Very, musically 5 __-centered: egotistical 6 Luau entertainment 7 Sarah Palin, notably 8 Yvonne’s income 9 Legislative investigation 10 “Good buddy” 11 Horace’s “__ Poetica” 12 Comfy spot for some cats 13 Guys 21 GI mess crews 22 Memorable Texas landmark 25 “Giant” actor Sal 26 Ready for whatever 27 Final authority 29 Old apple spray 30 Frances __: Judy Garland’s birth name 32 Battery unit 33 Encrypted 34 Japanese cartoon style 35 Pound divisions
36 Adolescent woe 38 Manhattan campus, for short 39 Rush __ 41 Bloodsucker 44 Invisible-clothes wearer in an Andersen tale 48 “The Simpsons” storekeeper 51 José’s humanities
52 Show one’s feelings, say 54 Kalahari refuge 55 Wear away 56 Jason jilted her 57 Taxing trip 58 Go it alone 59 You may stick it in your ear 60 Dan’l’s cousin? 61 Street shader 62 Ginnie __ 63 Special ending?
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people & clubs
SAID
february 15, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
7
Internships & Jobs
He said: Steer clear of unpaid labor As a liberal arts student living in my happy little bubble of uncomplicated wonderment, I have always found internships to be a somewhat befuddling phenomenon. When I was an undergrad, I’d laze around my dorm room during spring semester reading Catullus or Cicero and sipping the fi nest red wines that could be found on sale in a cardboard box at the Target in stately Mishawaka, Ind. My colleagues, on the other hand, would be frenetically making phone calls, printing resumes and asking people in the hall to drill them with hypothetical interview questions at all hours of the day and night. “Wait, wait, wait, let me change my clothes first,” one might say at 3 a.m. on the eve of some mass-interview event or another. They’d be clutching a sheaf of transcripts and reference lists in one hand and a halfconsumed energy drink in the other. “I need to get used to discussing my aspirations for the future in the socks I’m going to be wearing to the internship fair.” The quixotic quest for these supposedly profitable, unpaid positions has never quite made sense to me. The idea that working for free each summer in order to get a job after graduation seems strange, especially considering that I — perhaps naively — thought that the whole reason we were supposed to spend four years in college in the first place was to get a job. I do have to confess that parts of interning strike me as pretty sexy, perhaps
in part due to depictions in media. You get to wear a tie all day, as I understand it, and I assume the organizations issue you some sort of fancy, official-looking security ID badge to clip on your lapel. I’ve always wanted a badge. I think it was some famous philosopher who once said, “You know you’ve made it when you have a card with your picture on it clipped to your chest.” They don’t give us ID badges in the graduate school. Or at The Collegiate Times. But those long and arduous weeks — or months — of stress preparing for career fairs and on-campus interviews — all to be better able to throw your peers under the bus as you ferociously compete against one another for the opportunity to earn… $0 an hour — seems bizarre. I understand the notion of being paid in experience, but couldn’t one hypothetically get experience while, you know, concurrently being paid? Like, in money? As much as I would enjoy having solid references and my foot in the door somewhere, I’m not sure that I could convince my landlord to accept my rent payments in “experience” — even if it were with a Fortune 500 company. Granted, that is an assumption. I do admit that I haven’t inquired about their policies relating to alternate currencies. I think ultimately the wild popularity of internships among college students comes down to really good, subversive marketing. Corporations want labor and they want it for nothing. But
pesky things like laws and bad public relations keep them from forcefully extorting free 40-hour workweeks from their usual staff. But convince a population of skilled workers who have three months with nothing to do that working for free is a great deal — “You’ll definitely land a job with all this experience working without compensation; just ignore your generation’s 1-in-4 unemployment rate” — and suddenly you have smart and capable students stabbing one another in the back for the opportunity to change toner cartridges and fetch dry-cleaning. Well, as you might imagine, I never got an internship. As a classicist, I just don’t have the skills to compete in such a fast-paced 21st century business environment. I can never even get the damn printer in Shanks Hall to work. Now I spend my days reading and writing and talking about reading and writing, though the compensation is perhaps not what one might call lucrative. And my constantly interning cohorts? Well, at least a few of them live in high-rise condos and have fairly wellpaying jobs that I have heard involve frantically filling out Excel spreadsheets no one looks at, hunched in fabriclined cubicles and chugging tepid, hours-old coffee. I don’t have any regrets. ANDREW KULAK - news reporter - graduate student - English major
She said: Don’t stress over jobs Entering middle school was a very stressful time for me. I had braces, homemade bangs and a nasty habit of rereading Harry Potter books at recess. I was not prepared for the world of pre-teens. So in the summer before sixth grade, I decided to arm myself with knowledge. I bought self-help books and Seventeen magazines and Judy Blume novels, and poured over the sections on “How to Dress for Your First Day” and “Smart Girls Secrets to Making Friends.” They told me all kinds of useless things about being comfortable and confident in myself, which I decidedly ignored in favor of memorizing the conversation lines listed under “How to Talk to Boys.” By the time my first day of school rolled around, I had made myself sick with worry. Also, to make matters worse, I quickly discovered that all of the advice I had obsessed over was more or less useless in application. Still, I stuck blindly to what I had been told by those wiser than me.
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Hell, I didn’t wear white pants for three years because I was convinced the second I stepped out in public in them I’d magically get my first period. Bastards didn’t tell me to relax, because it wouldn’t happen until the end of eighth grade. Instead, they kept me thinking that blue eye shadow was a mature and timeless look, and that I should keep chocolate and a pantyliner with me at all times in case of emergency. As a graduating senior going into the real world, I feel just about the same level of anxiety. Only now I’ve traded Seventeen for CareerBuilder and job application boards. I’d like to think I’m more prepared than most going into the grand old world of adulthood. I sit back and judge some of my peers who have never worked a real job in their entire lives and think meanly to myself, “Well, at least you’re better off than THAT kid.” I can even recognize when people are trying to feed off my fear by giving me crap. I’ve stopped reading inter-
view dos-and-don’ts, stressing about Ann Taylor pantsuits and my professional headshot on my brand new baby LinkedIn. But in reality, I’m still terrified to wear white pants. Since I’ve already made everyone wildly uncomfortable with this metaphor, I’m just going to keep going and say that stressing about finding a job is pretty much the same as stressing about getting your first period. It’s silly because it is inevitable. Yeah, the first couple times it is stressful and painful and gross and embarrassing. But then you put on you big girl panties, get over it and move on with your life. It becomes part of your regular routine. Sure, it’s not like you look forward to it — but you deal with it quickly, quietly and with minimal stress. VICTORIA ZIGADLO - featured columnist - senior - English major
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Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Provide leadership, and press for an advantage. Be imaginative as you focus on home improvement. It’s a good time for learning domestic crafts. Clean one room at a time.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) You don’t need to worry; everything is coming together now. Besides, you’re extra hot for the next couple of days. Secret bene its could be yours, if you play your cards right.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Give your career an extra boost of energy. When in doubt, ind out how others have solved similar problems, and then add your own personal touch. Don’t be afraid to ask for exactly what you want.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Things are unstable inancially. You can learn what you need. The more you achieve, the better you feel. Catch up on reading and study.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) The pressure is about to increase. Hiding out is a ine strategy. Ultimately you will resolve it. Let the metamorphosis happen naturally. Be sensitive.
Aries (March 21-April 19) This is the opportunity; take the necessary steps to afford it. Pull yourself up and empower others to succeed in the process. Grow your economy and everyone bene its.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) Plan ahead for a better understanding of what’s coming. Back up your data before Mercury goes retrograde on February 24. Find comfort in your community. Whistle while you work.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) News affects your decisions for the days ahead. Fix something before it breaks. Have con idence in your newly developed talents. Your wanderlust is getting worse; follow your heart. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Think fast; your friends want to go, too. You can work it out. Throw yourself into a project. Draw upon hidden resources to pay bills during this next phase.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Share a bit of success. Family matters vie with work for your attention. Keep your agreements. Partnership negotiations occur today and tomorrow. Choose the timing carefully. Angry words are expensive. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Get rid of what you don’t want to make space for what you do. The workload is intense. Rest later. Good news comes from far away. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The odds are in your favor, and legal or administrative details resolve now. Accept a generous offer. Fringe bene its and stock options count. Take more time for play.
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sports
february 15, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
editors: matt jones, zach mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
Omaha or bust for Hokies in 2013 MATT JONES sports editor
Ask any coach, player or employee associated with Virginia Tech baseball what their goal for the 2013 season is and the answer is short and sweet. Omaha. Coming off a 35-21 season in 2012, Pete Hughes and the Hokies are concentrated on reaching college baseball’s pinnacle: the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. “I won’t talk about anything less,” Hughes said. “I don’t think it’s fair to Hokie nation or President Steger or Jim Weaver, who hired me. We all have the same goal, and we’re going to fight like crazy to get there.” The Hokies have never reached the World Series. However, that fact is far from anyone’s mind when discussing the upcoming season. “That’s been the goal from day one,” said outfielder Tyler Horan. “Coach Hughes has hammered it in that that’s where we want to get. That’s why we plowed a field of snow so we could get outside. That shows how much we want to get there.” Recently picked to finish fourth in the ACC Coastal division by Perfect Game, the Hokies will have to fight through a fierce conference schedule. Both North Carolina State and North Carolina are poised to make the World Series, while Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Miami and Virginia are right on the doorstep. If the Hokies play to their potential, an NCAA regional appearance may be in the cards.
FILE 2012 SPPS
Outfielder Tyler Horan led the Hokies in home runs (15) and RBIs (41) in 2012 as a redshirt sophomore. “Really it’s just all about the team and getting to the ACC tournament and making a regional, then taking it game by game from there,” said Chad Pinder. “That’s the ultimate goal for us.” ACC rival UVa. has enjoyed a lot of success on the diamond recently, reaching Omaha in 2009 and 2011. The Hokies are just 2-7 against the Cavaliers over the last three years. The rigor of a 56-game schedule is brutal enough, never mind the week-in and week-out punishment of the ACC. “(The ACC) gets you battle tested come national tournament time,” Hughes said. “There’s no venue we’re going to walk into in a regional that we’re not prepared for by playing in the ACC week in and
week out. To be in that league every weekend is what we really relish.” Over the last several years, college baseball has transformed itself into a more pitcherfriendly game. The new metal bats, introduced in 2011, must adhere to the NCAA’s new BallBat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard. The bats aren’t perfect, but the result is a product that closely resembles professional wood bats. With six of their top seven hitters returning from a season ago, Hughes expects the Hokies to take another step toward returning to the NCAA tournament. The senior leadership should propel the Hokies through the ups and downs of the long season. “Every team that I’ve ever
coached that has that senior core, which you don’t see a lot in college baseball these days because of the draft and guys leaving early. I’ve had successful teams,” Hughes said. “I love our leadership, and I love our abilities.” For the Hokies to improve in 2013, they will need to avoid the letdowns that plagued them last season. Tech won just three ACC series (Boston College, Maryland and Wake Forest) and was swept by Duke, Florida State and North Carolina. Chad Pinder, who hit .325 with 22 doubles last season, noted that the Hokies can’t get swept in ACC series. “Avoid getting swept, even on those weekends where people may not have us winning one or two,” Pinder said. “I don’t
think we’ll have a problem. We have a solid staff and our lineup is very good. I don’t think we’ll have any issues with that.” In 2010, the Hokies finished 40-22 and made appearances in the ACC tournament and a regional. Just two Hokies remain from that team — seniors Andrew Rash and Joe Mantiply. “(My goal is) definitely getting back to the tournament,” Mantiply said. “I was a freshman in 2010 and making the ACC tournament — contending really. I think we’re going to have one of the best teams in the ACC this year, and just get back to the NCAA tournament.” Rash, who opted to return for his redshirt-senior season, is the oldest player on the team. He thinks this team might be better than the 2010 team. “I’ve told a lot of people out here that back in 2010, when we were in the regional, I think we were up to 12th in the country,” Rash said. “I think we’re more talented now than we were then. I think we can do a lot of special things this year and hopefully take that next step as a regional team — super regional — and hopefully get to Omaha.” Tech’s journey to Omaha starts Friday in Wilmington, N.C. against Kent State. The Hokies have their doubters, but there won’t be a single person inside the program surprised with any success this season. “Every year that is our goal that we set for the team,” Pinder said. “Omaha. We do take it game by game, but that is our goal as a team. Get to that little place in Nebraska.”
Markey: Transfer has large goals from page one
during the practice was, ‘I don’t know if this kid takes baseball seriously,’” said Tech’s pitching coach Pat Mason. “And then I immediately found out, he just loves being out on the field. He can throw all day and loves being around the game. He’s knowledgeable, and in any situation we’ve been able to create in the preseason that we would consider pressure situations, it just didn’t affect him.” Mason also noted how well Markey fit in with the team. “Some guys fit right in socially — some guys may not,” Mason said. “The best way to fit in with your team is to succeed — it really is. Brad has shown that early, so guys are drawn to him.” The Hokies are not the only ones who think Markey made the right decision coming to Blacksburg. His father, who called the rollercoaster ride up and down the east coast exhausting, is happy with his son’s most recent decision. “The coaches (at Tech) seem much more willing to talk to anyone who wants to talk to them,” Stephen Markey said. “I feel much more comfortable.” The entire Hokies program is hoping that Markey can play a great second-fiddle to returning senior Joe Mantiply. “From what I’ve seen in the fall and this spring, I think he’s going to come in and have a big impact right out of the gates,” Mantiply said. “I think he’s definitely going to be able to keep us in games, and give us a chance to win every time he steps on the mound.” Mantiply started 13 games last season and posted a 3.53 ERA. The Virginian, who was drafted in the 28th round by the Philadelphia Phillies, also passed up the opportunity to play professionally in 2013. In a college baseball season, in which conference games are normally played in weekend series, the ace of the staff normally pitches Fridays, with the No. 2 on Saturdays. Markey is going to start the season as the Hokie’s Saturday starter, and the coaching staff believes he should be successful in that role. “He is a strike-throwing machine,” Hughes said. “We aren’t going to get beat by walks with Brad. To me, that’s where it starts, and I’ve been very impressed with him.” His fellow players, including battery-mate and returning catcher Mark Zagunis, have also noticed his abilities. “He’s got a nice fastball — his ball moves a lot,” Zagunis said. “I’d say his best pitch is his curveball. I think he is definitely going to help us.” Take away TD Ameritrade Park from the city of Omaha, Neb., and it becomes just another typical, bluecollar city in America’s heartland. However, as the home of the College Worlds Series, the Hokies’ players and coaches alike have made it their desired destination for 2013. While they believe their bats will provide their share of pop, a large question mark looms over the pitchers mound at English Field. Markey is ready to shoulder his portion of the weight. “Our ultimate goal is Omaha,” Markey said. “And ever y thing in between would just be awesome.”