Thursday, February 28, 2013 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Tech says no to Thursday night find out why on page 3 Thursday, February 28, 2013 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 80 News, page 2

Tech will not have 4/16 vigil

Weekend, page 4

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 3

Study Break, page 6

Turner Place deals with crowds BY ANDREW KULAK | news reporter

DONAL MURPHY news reporter

For the fi rst year, Tech will not have a candlelight vigil during the Day of Remembrance. The decision was made by the April 16 Student Planning Committee after speaking to students, and the change is aimed at shifting the emotion of the day from mourning to strengthening community. "There's not a simple answer to what they came up with," said Mark Owczarski, the assistant vice president of University Relations. "The Student Planning Committee has been working on the Day of Remembrance 2013 for several months now, and one of the things they did was they went back to students, their constituencies…and said, 'What are you looking for?'" Owczarski said. The two key themes the committee found that students wanted to remember were the lives and stories of the students and faculty that were lost on April 16, 2007 and the desire to use the day to bring the community together. With that in mind, the committee decided to focus on the 3.2 to 32 Run for Remembrance and the community picnic. The run — which will be held Saturday, April 13 this year — is a 3.2 mile long path through and around campus for which anyone can register and do at any pace. "There may be 7,000 to 10,000 runners," Owczarski said. "It does take the time to reflect and remember by the 32 white balloons at the beginning, starting the run in silence." The community picnic will be held on the Drillfield on April 16 and will be free to anyone who wishes to come, serving as a place where students can celebrate the lives of those lost and come together to celebrate the strength of the community, according to Owczarski.

BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS

TURNER PLACE AVERAGE TIME SPENT WAITING FOR FOOD

percentages shown of 141 people who responded to Turner Place survey

26.2% 15-20 min.

A Collegiate Times survey reveals that Turner Place’s popularity also means crowds and lines

31.9% 0-10 min.

24.8% 11-15 min.

12.8%

4.3%

20-30min.

30+ min.

for more survey results, turn to page 8 DANIELLE BUYNAK / COLLEGIATE TIMES

see VIGIL / page two

BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS

Six months after the much anticipated opening of Virginia Tech's latest dining facility, Turner Place at Lavery Hall remains immensely popular. But while the throngs of diners testify to that popularity, the large crowds have also raised concerns. Turner Place opened at the beginning of last semester. It was the first dining hall to be built from the ground up on Virginia Tech’s campus in 42 years. This semester, Turner has grown even busier, serving, on average, almost 2,000 more daily customers than in the fall. “The lines are really long because everyone comes here,” said freshman English major Erica Palladino, who visits Turner for its salads. “Basically, during the transition times between classes, you don’t want to come at all.” A “Titanic” Problem? A few weeks ago, frustrated Turner Place customers took to the Internet to air their grievances against long waits and scarce seating at Dining Services' newest facility. A post on Tech’s community page on the popular social media site Reddit referred to Turner as the “Titanic of dining halls.” The original post negatively assessed the market-style dining at Turner as compared to the cafeteria set-up at Shultz, the venue popular among the Corps of Cadets that Turner replaced. “Sometimes we need to take a break from inventing the future to realize sometimes, you have to stick to what was good,” read the original post by user y0ur_

Liver. “Serving masses of people quickly outweighs nice interiors and facades.” Reddit users remain anonymous beyond user-selected screen names. The post garnered 70 responses and became one of the most popular comment threads on Tech’s Reddit page. While some defended the Turner Place concept, many agreed that lines and seating were a problem. The Collegiate Times conducted a poll to follow up on the online complaints. Answers from nearly 160 respondents revealed that, while a large majority of those surveyed felt that the dining options in Turner fit in well at Tech, lines and overcrowding indeed posed a problem for many. The most commonly reported wait time was between 15 to 30 minutes, with some claiming that they had waited an hour at several shops, especially Q’doba, which the survey showed to be one of the more popular options in Turner. “Having to wait in line for 20 minutes or more for a burrito is ridiculous,” said one survey respondent. “I recommend hiring more staff, or doing something to fix the issues with crowding.” “Every day we strive to be better” No one takes these customer concerns more seriously than Dining Services Director Ted Faulkner. Faulkner and his department continue to solicit student feedback in order to provide a facility that best meets the needs of the Tech community. “We tried to create a location that see DINING / page eight

VT Confessions is Student directs modern ‘Oedipus Rex’ more info next Facebook craze MAITLAND MANN features staff writer

MELISSA DRAUDT news stafff writer

#508: "This is tough for me to say, but I'm gonna try to get it off my chest. Okay, here it goes. I've never seen an episode of Breaking Bad. There, I said it." From silly and lighthearted to serious and even depressing, the VT Confessions Facebook page has posted hundreds of anonymous confessions since its creation on Feb. 4 by a Virginia Tech student. The almost-overnight suc-

cess of the page is evident in its number of followers, 6,188, after only 23 days in existence. According to the owner and creator of the page, a sophomore undecided business major, who prefers to remain anonymous, the first day the page only got 27 likes. “I was pretty hyped about that,” he said. “The second day it got double that and it literally just doubled and doubled and before I knew it, it was tripling and see CONFESS / page two

Most aspiring actors and directors believe they can only pursue their careers in New York or Los Angeles. Julia Katz, a senior theatre arts major, disagrees. “I think that one of the benefits of taking creative ownership of your own work and working in a grassroots context of an ensemble is that you don’t have to work through any system,” Katz said. “I don’t think that I have to go to New York or LA in order to create theatre. If I get a dedicated group of artists that I respond to and we can collaborate together, there is beautiful theatre work everywhere.” Katz is directing her origi-

nal new show, “Bl i nded ,” which is premiering at Virginia Tech. “I coordinated it and put it together so I KATZ think that’s how my role as a director fits into my role as a writer,” Katz explained. “I think as a writer you’re a lot more defensive, a lot less of a leader; it’s more of a quiet activity. Then as a director, it’s the opposite; you’re just the boisterous decision making voice and I think that’s where it came into conflict most.” “Blinded,” adds a 21st century twist to the classic, “Oedipus Rex.” In this new play the main character, Ed, is an executive of

an electronics company, which is used as a tool to address issues of globalization and how our international economy relates from consumer to producer. Katz generated this idea last spring when she took a class called human rights in the global market place. The course issued many different human rights issues regarding coffee, chocolate, electronics and other items we interact with on a daily scale. “We buy these things and don’t really think about them,” Katz said. “That course challenged me as a consumer to think about where my stuff came from aside from just a general scale. One day I was actually just sitting in class and started writing down notes furi-

What: “Blinded” When: Feb. 28, March 1, March 2 at 7 p.m. Where: Theater 101 Tickets: Free, available at http://blinded.eventbrite.com/

ously about this play and how I could turn this into an idea and that’s (how it started).” According to Katz, it has been a collaborative effort. “I think that everyone in our ensemble is taking multiple roles,” Katz said. “We’re all seeing ourselves as creators of this see THEATER / page four

news

february 28, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES

editors: mallory noe-payne, priscilla alvarez, dean seal newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

Confess: Students share secrets online VT Confessions Quotes from the Facebook page

6,246

TALKING ABOUT THIS

6,193 LIKES

VT Confession #541 VT Confession #510 “I seriously think that the DX manager pulls the Pritchard fire alarm just to make money.”

“I left my my socks at home so I just sole a pair from my roommate. Donʼt worry, I will give them back eventually.”

VT Confession #541 VT Confession #510 “Somestimes I skip my engineering class and go to HNFE lectures so I can talk to hot girls.”

“It is surprisingly painful to see people turn down when you are passing out flyers on campus. Like, beyond the awardness of doing it, hearing three people deny you in a row feels like a firing squad to the heart ;_; I just wanted to share my flyer with you.”

ANDREA LEDESMA / COLLEGIATE TIMES from page one

quadrupling, now we're sitting at 6,000 likes, so that's pretty awesome." Five Virginia Tech students are helping to sort through the hundreds of confessions sent in to the Facebook page daily. Because there is no filtering system, the administrators comb through every single one. "It's very, very time-consuming," said the creator. "I find myself reading the same stuff over and over." Due to the large number of confessions and repetitive content, many are never posted. "We try to keep our content fresh as much as we can," the creator said. Carly Blake, a freshman political science major, has sent in two confessions and so far neither has appeared on the Facebook page.

"I wanted to see my confession on there just so I could 'like' it," Blake said. The Facebook page doesn't just allow people to confess, it also allows people to comment, both negatively and positively. The creator sees this as a good thing. "I think … people sometimes skip the confession itself and just go see the debate that's going on the comments because sometimes it gets pretty hectic," said the creator. "We've posted some controversial stuff… mainly to see how the student body reacts and the times that we've posted those, there's a huge argument going on in the comments." Although the administrators of the page choose to post some controversial confessions, they are not in any way endorsing them.

"We're just posting it because we want people's feedback, because that's what makes the confession," the creator said. Most see the comments posted by other students as constructive criticism. "There's a lot of internet trolls at Virginia Tech, me included, but a lot of them I can see being helpful," Blake said. "I think a majority of us are nice people so the comments are usually pretty nice, but there's some confessions that just ask to be ridiculed — so I do that." In general, the feedback the Facebook page has been getting is positive. "I've gotten a lot of people saying 'Oh yea, I can relate to that' or 'VT Confessions has made me feel better about my life,' so I guess people just like that connection," the creator said. In fact, confession #280 said, "VT confessions has made me feel a ... ton better about myself knowing a lot of people are in the same boat as me, can't believe a page of regular people problems I've experienced myself could make me feel so good about life. Thank you!!" Some question the credibility of the confessions, but the creator estimates 80 percent of the confessions posted to be truthful. "Most of them I believe are real," said the creator. "People go into detail … in these confessions so if someone's going to sit there and make up that confession then they’ve got a lot of free time on their hands." The page’s relevance to students might be the most appealing factor. "People spend hours and

hours a day on Facebook," said the creator. "People want to know what's going on around campus or what their peers are doing."

“

I’ve gotten a lot of people saying ‘Oh yeah, I can relate to that’ or ‘VT Confessions has made me feel better about my life,’ so I guess people just like that connection.” Founder VT Confessions

Blake thinks the popularity of the page comes from the fact that people love drama, but that they don't want their name associated with it. The ultimate goal of the VT Confessions Facebook page is to spread the idea to other colleges. "I have friends at other schools that basically made similar pages based off my page for ODU and UVa, I'm just helping them with their pages right now," the creator said. As of right now, most colleges in Virginia have confessions pages of their own, but the administrators of VT Confessions plan to take their idea further. "The goal is to launch a website with the same general concept that will be accessible for every college," the creator said. They are currently in the process of developing the Follow the writer on Twitter: @melissarapt0r

SPPS FILE 2012

Students gathered at last year’s ﬁnal candlelight vigil for April 16.

Vigil: Events to focus on Tech community from page one

One part of remembrance that proved important to students was the namereading ceremony of the victims that previously occurred during the candlelight vigil. This tradition is being folded into the candle lighting and extinguishing that happens at midnight at the start and end of April 16. "(The Student Planning Committee) felt that in those three events, they captured what people were asking for,” Owczarski said. However, not all students are in agreement with this decision, such as Allison Rizzetta, a senior environmental resource management major. "I don't like that," Rizzetta said. "I would assume they want to eventually phase it out, just like they don't have April 16th as a day off anymore, but no, I think it should remain." Rizzetta still hopes that there will be a potential candlelight vigil, run by a different student organization. However, this change was not completely unexpected, and even with the first Day of Remembrance, evolution in the process was anticipated. “Back in 2008, when Virginia Tech was approaching the first day of remembrance on April 16th, 2008, obviously the question was 'What should that date look like in '08, '09, and the years beyond?'” That is why the committee was initially formed, Owczarski said. While this faculty and family-based organization maintained control over the

event for 2008 and 2009, control was shifted over to the Student Planning Committee afterward, as it would best understand the wants and needs of current students. "I grew up an hour away from here, so Tech has always been part of my family," said Emily Wilkinson, a Tech Alumnae and former member of the Student Planning Committee. "Going from having the vigil every single year to it not being there anymore will be different." Wilkinson is still on the fence about whether the change will be positive or negative, having previously put so much planning into the candlelight vigil. "I think that it's not necessarily a bad thing," she said. "It's a sign that the community is moving forward. I think that there's many ways to remember each individual in your own way. The jury's still out in my mind — it'll be different this year," Wilkinson said. Wilkinson wants to be able to celebrate the lives lost rather than mourn them, and sees this as a way to move forward with lives, but still wants to make sure that April 16 is remembered for what it was. The Day of Remembrance has evolved over time, and this is just another change for the better according to Owczarski. "The day of remembrance really isn't a day anymore," he said. "It's becoming more than that, which I think is something that adds to the memory and reflection." Follow the writer on Twitter: @HokieRealist

take a shot at change

check the Collegiate Times every Wednesday for the drink of the week

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

sports

february 28, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES

Athletic Director Weaver requests no Thursday night game NICK CAFFERKY & MALLORY NOE-PAYNE news staff

Virginia Tech won't host a Thursday night football game next season for the first time since 2001, and Athletic Director Jim Weaver is taking responsibility. According to Weaver, Tech Athletics didn't request to have a Thursday night game in Lane Stadium to give traveling fans another weekend game and a break from an evening weekday game. Last season, Tech had two weekday games — a Thursday night game against Florida State, and the season opener against Georgia Tech on Labor Day. Tech also played on Labor Day in 2010 against Boise State. "When you have Thursday night games, or Labor Day games, it just so happens that people have to go back to work (the next day), and many times they can't and have to take a vacation day," Weaver said. “For people who have done that for a lot of years in succession, I thought it would be good for them.” “(It was) the right thing to do, to say thank you to our fans,” Weaver said. Although there was speculation that the request had something to do with the Hokies disappointing 2012 season, Weaver denied there was any relationship. “It had nothing to do with last season's performance, it had everything to do with us (having evening games) 10 to 12 years in a row,” Weaver said. “It was a timely decision to thank our people.” Despite this, the announcement has received a lot of

KEVIN DICKEL/ SPPS

Members of Tech’s football staff take the ﬁeld before last season’s Thursday night game against Florida State. Athletic director Jim Weaver requested no Thursday night game in 2013. backlash, especially from students who consistently look forward to the evening games. Andrew Whitley, a sophomore History and Political Science major, is from southwest Virginia and has attended Tech football games since he was young with his family. Coming up for Thursday night games is a big part of that memory for him and his grandfather. "(My grandfather) was upset, he likes to come up because there's not as many kids," Whitley said. "The environment is completely different."

Dylan Robinson, another sophomore student, was also upset about the change but admitted that it might be a hassle for certain alumni who have to travel to and from. "I can understand," Robinson said. "But it's just one day out of the entire year." Weaver understood students are disappointed by the announcement but insisted this decision was for the Tech fans who have to road trip to games. "It had nothing to do with taking a Thursday night game away from students,"

Weaver said. From a football standpoint, the lack of a Thursday night home game could impact recruiting, as the atmosphere of Lane Stadium has convinced many prospects to come to Blacksburg. Weaver, though, isn't worried that making the sacrifice will have an impact. "We'll get nationally televised games because the ACC has a new contract with ESPN," Weaver said. "We are playing Thursday night in Atlanta (against Georgia Tech) and we'll get exposure from that. Where we won't get exposure is in

regard to Lane Stadium, but we will get a national televised game and probably more than one." That Thursday night game at Georgia Tech also poses a scheduling issue, as the Hokies will have short week heading into the matchup. However, that decision was out of Weaver's hands — the scheduled dates are determined by the ACC — and while that is a challenge that the Hokies havent often dealt with the past few seasons, the Yellow Jackets will be working on five days of rest as well. "Both teams have a short

week for preparation," Weaver said. "The ACC tries to match up similar preparation environment. In other words, if one team is going to have a short week, they don't want the other team to have a long week." The new schedule is only a short-term switch, however, as students can plan on having a home Thursday night game for the 2014 season. “This is just a one-time situation,” Weaver said. Follow these writers on Twitter: @MalloryNoePayne & @nickcaff CT

Baseball holds off Radford, 14-10 MATT JONES sports editor

The Virginia Tech baseball team used a nine-run second inning to defeat Radford 14-10 to improve to 8-1 on the season. The game, which was pushed back a day due to Tuesday’s weather, was played in frigid and windy conditions at English Field. The elements did not hold back the Hokies’ bats, which registered a season-high 14 runs on the day After the Highlanders scored twice in the top of the second on a Kyle Fairbanks RBI single and a subsequent stolen base, the Hokies rallied back in the bottom of the frame. Tech sent 14 batters to the plate in the nine-run outburst. The Hokies have avoided letdowns after falling behind this season. Th rough nine games, Tech has trailed for just two innings. That resiliency showed itself once again on Wednesday. “It’s just this lineup,” said Andrew Rash. “One through nine is spectacular. I haven’t played on many lineups with this kind of firepower, and I think it’s going to be like this all year.” The second inning began with a Rash solo home run, his first of the season. The Hokies went station-to-station the rest of the inning, scoring on RBI from Matt Dauby (3), Rash (2), Sean Keselica (1), Chad Pinder (1), and Alex Perez (1). “You come to the ballpark and see the wind blowing out, as a hitter you love it,” Rash said. “I think, offensively, we did some really good things today and had some young guys step up.” Keselica, Tech’s starting pitcher, went four innings, allowing three runs on four hits. The sophomore made his second appearance of the season — his first start — after pitching a total of 3.1

innings all of last season. “Very good outing from Sean Keselica, which we need,” Hughes said. “I liked his stuff today, threw a lot of strikes. I think he’s a long guy out of the pen versus lefthanded lineups and maybe a mid-week starter, but I was real happy with his outing.” The Glen Gardner, N.J. native was excited for his first start as a Hokie, while looking to expand his role as a reliever. “It was my first time starting here at Tech, and I just had a simple mindset to pound the zone early and let the defense work,” Keselica said. “I think it’s crucial for me to be the long relief guy and just come in and do my job hopefully.” Six Hokies had multi-hit games in the 16 hit effort. Rash, who entered the game batting .321, went 4-for-5 at the plate to raise his average to .394. Hughes went with a slightly different lineup Wednesday. Outfielder Gary Schneider moved into the leadoff spot while Alex Perez hit eighth. With the big lead, Hughes was able to get some of his regulars some rest. Pinder, now hitting .375 on the season, left before the fourth inning with hamstring tightness. His status will be monitored. “I’m going to err on the side of caution,” Hughes said. “A bad hamstring kept Ronnie Shaban out 48 games last year as our closer. That’s always in the back of my mind with hamstrings now.” Hughes also noted the starting pitcher Joe Mantiply, who missed his last start with stiffness in his forearm, is on schedule to start the Sunday game of the Georgia Tech series next weekend. The Hokies’ big second inning marked the third time this season they have had an inning of four-plus runs. The run support was important for the Hokies, who gave

several relief pitchers some much-needed work. Four freshman pitchers — Luis Collazo (Miami, Fla.), Matt Tulley (Lowell, Mass.), Tim Kelly (Hampton, Va.), and Sean Kennedy (Fredericksburg, Va.) — saw action on the mound for the Hokies. Tech will need several arms to step up once ACC play starts next weekend. “Luis Callazo was excellent,” Hughes said. “He was a strike-throwing machine today. He earned some innings today in my book.” Radford made some noise in the eighth inning, sending 14 batters to the plate in the six-run frame. The No. 25 Hokies head to the Irish Baseball Classic in Cary, N.C. this weekend for a four-game tournament that includes Rhode Island, Ohio, No. 22 Notre Dame and Tennessee. The Hokies will start Eddie Campbell and Tanner McIntyre on Friday against Rhode Island and Ohio, Brad Markey on Saturday against Notre Dame, and Devin Burke on Sunday against Tennessee. “I think the first weekend was big for us, but this weekend is even bigger,” Rash said. “If we go 4-0 this weekend, that’s going to be big for us. I know we have the arms to do it this weekend and offensively, I don’t see anybody shutting us down.” After nine games, the Hokies' only loss has come at the hands of Temple. With a challenge in front of them this weekend, Rash thinks the Hokies are still getting better. “I think we should be undefeated right now, but it’s baseball and that happens,” Rash said. “I’m happy where we’re at, but at the same time, we can get a lot better. This team hasn’t reached its full potential yet.”

REAL WORLD Paid Marketing Intern Wanted Blacksburg Transit $12.00 per Hour Job Description at www.blacksburg.gov A Town of Blacksburg application is required for this position by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 1st, 2013. Applications are available at the Human Resources Oﬃce located in the Municipal Building at 300 South Main Street, Blacksburg, VA 24060 or May be downloaded at www.blacksburg.gov. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodation in the application process may call 540-961-1188 (voice) or VA Relay Center at 711(TDD). An EEO Employer M/F/D/V

february 28, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES

weekend

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

Folk pioneer Suzanne Vega visits Lyric on music tour JESSICA GROVES features reporter

Suzanne Vega's rise to fame happened in the early 1990s when she was at the top of the Billboard charts, while many students were still in diapers. That doesn’t mean Blacksburg’s patrons aren’t familiar with her work, though. Mark Arciaga, production manager at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, said he was especially excited to bring Vega to the stage. “I’m always really excited about all of our shows,” Arciaga said, “but I know this one is personally close to me.” Reviving Old Works Arciaga got in contact with Vega’s booking agent around the same time that Vega released “Close Up Vol. 4 – Songs of the Family.” He said that getting Vega to include Blacksburg as part of her tour was surprisingly easy. “Squeezing a date in here was so much easier than I thought it would be,” Arciaga said. “Sometimes it’s a challenge trying to get the attention of booking agents if your venue isn’t the ideal size they want.” Vega’s latest album release reworks some of her older songs, and Arciaga said he thinks many artists work to make their music better even after it has been recorded. “I think a lot of songwriters feel their songs aren’t really done,” Arciaga said. “I guess she saw her art in progress and decided to record her songs again.” Vega told Billboard Magazine that reworking those songs has given her new ownership of those old songs. "The average person on the street doesn't really understand that artists don't own the actual (original) masters," Vega said in an interview with Billboard’s Gary Graff.

COURTESY OF ALIZA RABINOFF

Folk musician Suzanne Vega poses on a rooftop with her guitar. She will be performing on March 1 at 8 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre. Folk Inspiration Kevin Ryland, a sophomore has tickets is super excited for description (of Vega),” Arciaga Vega has been making electrical engineering major this concert,” Arciaga said, said. “She’s probably one of music since studying English at Virginia Tech, has volun- “but I would have thought that the most important living folk at Barnard College, allowing teered at the Lyric for both this audience would have been female voices.” other prominent female folk film and live events. Ryland much larger, given the fact Vega is also partly responsingers to follow in her foot- said that live events bring that we’ve had sell out shows sible for another important steps. Tracy Chapman, Ani the Blacksburg community involving her peers.” part of the music industry – DiFranco and the Indigo Girls together in a unique way. Starting a Movement the MP3. German engineer are some of the more famous “I can’t stress enough the Vega is famous as a pioneer Karlheinz Brandenburg used female folk artists who have diversity of the attendants,” of the neo-folk movement on Vega's song “Tom’s Diner” to been inspired by Vega. Ryland said. “You know, peo- the 1980s. She first got her start test the first MP3 compression Most of those artists have ple of all ages and groups come playing clubs in Greenwich system. appeared on stages in to live events; it really does Village, N.Y., and wrote her Vega uses her voice for more Blacksburg in recent years. attract the whole community.” fi rst song, “Brother Mine,” than just singing, too. In 2006 According to Arciaga, the Arciaga said that the Lyric’s at age 14. Vega moved on to she wrote a piece for the New Indigo Girls and the Cowboy base of members is looking become a Grammy Award- York Times about Bob Dylan, Junkies — both female bands forward to the live event as winning artist and now tours titled “The Ballad of Henry — held recent shows in the well. worldwide to perform. Timrod.” The song implies Lyric. “I think everyone who already “Seasoned is definitely a good that Dylan’s alleged “theft”

of Timrod’s ideas to her own experience with copyright infringement. “It’s modern to use history as a kind of closet in which we can rummage around, pull influences from different eras, and make them into collages or pastiches,” Vega said in her New York Times piece. “People are doing this with music all the time.” Vega did it with her own music, and it contributed to her success. In the 1990s music producers Nick Batt and Neal Slateford, a.k.a. DNA, used her song “Tom’s Diner” in an unauthorized remix. “With her blessing, the song really blew up,” Arciaga said. “‘Tom’s Diner’ became this dance pop song in the hands of (DNA).” Enjoy the Show A lt houg h you nger Blacksburg residents may not have had the chance to appreciate Vega’s music when she first grew popular, Ryland said that crowds in the Lyric are always enthusiastic. “It’s a great experience that brings the whole community of students, professors and people together,” Ryland said. “It’s always crowded. There’s always excitement.” And with the release of Vega’s latest volume of reworked tracks, Arciaga said he thinks that now might be the best time to see her performance. “If you look at (Vega’s) tour stops and venues, they are mostly well-established venues and large cities,” Arciaga said. “The Lyric isn’t typically a revolving door for high-caliber artists like this.”

more info See the show at 8 p.m. on March 1 at the Lyric Theatre.

Theater: Professors provide inspiration

RYAN SUTHERLAND / SPPS

Students rehearse for “Oedipus Rex,” opening today and will run until March 2 in the Haymarket Theatre. from page one

piece as opposed to just an actor or a designer or a director, so we have several of our designers acting in the piece. We’re all seeing ourselves taking ownership of this work.” While Katz feels this type of joint ownership may not occur in a traditional piece, they have much more flexibility with a newly created piece. “With this (piece) you’re acting in it and you contributed to the making of it,” Katz said. “You’re a part of it in a stronger way, and I think that’s really useful for an actor or director. We all have a really strong tie to this.” Katz has been performing since she was young and started doing theatre more seriously in high school. She began creating her own work in college. Katz considers herself primarily a director, after getting her first opportunity as a choreographer in high school. That gave her the chance to see what directing is like, which she prefers to acting. “I think too much while I act to really enjoy it,” Katz said. “I’m trying to process everything, and being a director I enjoy getting my voice out there

and leading a group. You can just be honest. I enjoy that creative leadership.” Katz was inspired by two of Tech’s professors, Bob Leonard and Ann Kilkelly. Leonard offers Katz a lot of experience, as he has done ensemble theatre for years, and Kilkelly has acted as a mentor for her. “(Leonard) challenges me with questions on this work as I’m creating it, everyday” Katz said. “Kilkelly has taken a lot of time with me helping me figure out what kind of director I want to be, and what message I want to be giving people with (my) work.” Katz is directing a show this summer called “The Pavilion” by Craig Wright that will play at the DC Arts Center and at the EMP Collective in Baltimore. Katz will look to add more shows in Blacksburg and Roanoke, though. Future Goals Katz hopes to keep producing and directing on a small scale in ensemble theater until going to graduate school. “Eventually my goal would be to someday have my own ensemble and to be spearheading that, but that’s a long way

away,” Katz said. Franklin Harrison is a Blacksburg resident on the writing team for “Blinded” and will also play Tiresias, an investigative journalist in the new play. Katz asked Franklin in November about joining the writing team. “I absolutely jumped at the opportunity to help with it and it’s been a great process,” Franklin said. “I think that (what sparked my interest) is the idea of using theatre (by) bringing awareness to people about issues that can be used not just like a tool of narcissism, but to bring awareness about real things that are going on with real people in the world who don’t have a voice for themselves necessarily.” Franklin’s favorite thing about the play is that people can leave feeling empowered to make a difference. “Viewers can become aware and active in how we choose to use our resources and whether we use them in a way that is exploitive or whether we use them in a way that’s beneficial to ourselves and to the world that we live in,” Franklin said.

opinions

editors: josh higgins, shawn ghuman opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

february 28, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES

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

MCT CAMPUS

what you’re saying On “The dirty road to sustainability” VT is not Green:I don’t know how VT is recognized as environmentally friendly. It is actually one of the worst environment places in Blacksburg. There is so much waste not to mention the coal plant. For example, yesterday I brought my own reusable cup for coffee to Turner Place. The person working said they could not fill up my cup directly; they had to take a paper cup, fill it up, and then dump it into my cup before throwing away that paper cup. What a waste! It is not a sanitation issue as every place in Blacksburg will let you use your own cup. It is probably because VT is too cheap to give you an extra ounce or two of coffee. Also look at all the Styrofoam and plastic that gets wasted from the dining halls.

Our Views [staff editorial] AD Weaver’s decision good for donors, bad for students The ACC released its 2013 football schedule on Monday, revealing no Thursday night home football game for Virginia Tech for the first time since 2001. Weaver has said that the change was for older fans who have to road trip to games and often have to miss work days to see the Hokies. And that’s understandable, as those are the people donating to the program every year; if you want to keep getting the money, you have to make the money happy. It’s business. However, for the student body, Weaver has angered — to put it politely — any Tech fan who understands the magic of Thursday nights in Lane. The national exposure alone from being the only college football game on television one day a year should be more than enough to keep it around. Not only that, but fans of other teams across the country and national sports media are all well aware of the awe that is Lane Stadium on a Thursday night. And that doesn’t compare to how excited Hokie fans get when the lights come on over Worsham Field. Tech is 10-3 in Lane on Thursday nights since Michael Vick and Corey Moore led the Hokies to a 31-11 win over Clemson in 1999. Again — we understand why Weaver did what he did, but as students, we aren't happy about it.

Sequester would hit Virginia hard I

t comes as no surprise to anybody that Congress is struggling to do its job these days. “Kicking the can down the road” has become an all-too common saying inside the beltway. Th at is exactly where Congress stands right now with the looming sequester cuts: massive spending “cuts” in defense and nondiscretionary spending. I use quotes because, in reality, the sequester is a reduction in the rate of spending and not an actual spending cut. Leaders on both sides of the aisle have expressed concern over these drastic cuts, ranging from House Speaker John Boehner all the way up to President Obama. The fact that Washington could not come up with a plan to stave off these cuts is, in my opinion, inexcusable. You see, these automatic cuts were part of a budget plan that Congress passed in 2011. That’s right, Congress had more than a year to prepare for these cuts. To put this into better perspective, we knew about

these automatic cuts that would be going into effect at the end of 2012, nearly five months before Danny Coale was robbed of his game-winning catch in the Sugar Bowl. Americans too often forget that our representatives in Congress work for us. Members of Congress knew this was coming down the pipe, and yet we still spent most of last December wondering if Congress would come up with a plan at all. They managed to postpone the cuts for only two months, and yet some people on Capitol Hill thought this was cause for a pat on the back. It is becoming more and more inevitable now that these cuts will go into place on March 1. So why is this such a problem? Why am I, a fi scal conservative and proud Republican, actually in disagreement with these spending cuts? The fi rst reason is that these cuts will be extremely costly to Virginia. Many Virginians don’t realize that some estimates suggest the sequester cuts could result in Virginia losing over 200,000 jobs.

Virginia weathered the recession fairly well compared to other states. I largely credit this with the fiscally conservative leadership of Governor McDonnell. (Side note: If McDonnell could get a Republican House and a Democratic State Senate to pass a budget, there is no reason why Obama cannot do the same

“

‘Kicking the can down the road’ has become an all-too common saying inside the beltway. That is exactly where Congress stands right now with the looming sequester cuts.”

in Washington.) Nearly half of the sequestrations cuts will come in the form of defense cuts. Virginia is home to the Pentagon, the CIA, the world’s largest Naval base, the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Langley Air

Force Base and more. While Virginia faired better than the country as a whole over the past few years, our good fortune could be changing soon. Even more frustrating is the fact that, while the House has put forth budget plans to fi x this mess, the Senate has not. Where are Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine on this issue? Why are they not speaking up and trying to protect Virginia jobs? The other reason I am worried about these cuts is the simple fact that Congress could not avoid them. Congress had 16 months to avoid these cuts and come up with a real plan to cut spending responsibly, and it failed to do so. The fault lies on both sides of the aisle. Because Congress cannot seem to get its act together and do the job it was sent to Washington to do, the American people, and Virginians, are going to suffer. MATTHEW HURT -regular columnist -communication -senior

White collar crimes deserve punishment

f you are looking for a lucrative banking career, you might just have to check your moral values at the door. The recent HSBC settlement of $1.9 billion over money laundering charges is just one instance in a series of white collar crimes that are being perpetrated in the financial sector. HSBC has acknowledged that it “failed to maintain an effective program against money laundering,” but this statement does not convey the magnitude of its crimes. Over the past decade, two major drug cartels, Sinaloa and Norte de Valle, have laundered hundreds of millions of dollars. The settlement agreement is a shameful bargain on the part of the Department of Justice. It lauded the fine as a record-high penalty, but according to many analysts, it is only represents the profits of a five-to-eight

Why are we not throwing these executives in jail? They proﬁted from the exploitation and devastation wrought by criminal organizations.” week period. For a bank that has admitted to laundering money for murderers and drug traffickers over a number of years, HSBC is getting off far too lightly. Keep in mind, this settlement came after two previous warnings from U.S. regulators. According to Reuters, HSBC was given “directives” to improve oversight and monitoring of suspicious transactions once in 2003 and later in 2010.

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

The outrage over this case seems to have passed as quickly as the settlement was reached. Maybe there have been too many banking scandals, or maybe people have come to expect nothing more than outright criminal activity from financial institutions. Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone believes that the U.S Justice Department is just as guilty as HSBC — it took money to look the other way just as the bank did. Though Taibbi may have exaggerated, the implications of his argument still hold true. Is it just for the government to jail drug users when it lets the bankers who aid drug traffickers off with a fine? Why are we not throwing these executives in jail? They profited from the exploitation and devastation wrought by criminal organizations, and yet they are still free to do their business as usual. Not only

were they warned previously of their lax internal controls, but they lied to regulators about even having compliance officials working in their offices. These two strikes are often more than any drug user is going to get before being locked up. I don't know what worries me more, that our venerable financial institutions are aiding some of the most violent criminals in the world, or that our government seems to think that these crimes do not merit more serious prosecution than a paltry fine. The precedent this case is setting is quite disturbing; some people are too big to prosecute fully and others are subject to the full force of the law, no matter the scale of their crime. SHARATH REREDDY -regular columnist -economics -sophomore

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

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 Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Dean Seal 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: Diana Bayless Assistant Creative Services Director: Nik Aliye Creative Staff: Mariah Jones, Samantha Keck

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.

february 28, 2013

PLACE YOUR BETS, BOYS

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Overall, this year is about fun, love and creativity. Domestic life bustles until summer, when romance carries you away. You’ll both teach and study this year. Travel to an ancestral home. Keeping financial and time management practices in well-oiled harmony provides ease and peace.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. - T.S. Eliot Send us your quote and see it here! creative.services@collegemedia.com

XKDC by Randell Monroe

2 4 6 1

3 4 6 1 7

2 6 4 1

5 6 2

5 9 5 8

5 65 Price-limiting words 66 Playing marble 67 Countercurrent 68 Noticed 69 Nuts for sodas

2 8 7 4

DOWN 1 Wranglers and Patriots 2 Theater supporter 3 Backstreet Boys contemporary 4 Con 5 Long-distance flier’s complaint 6 Jumped 7 Sleep disorder 8 Omar’s “Mod Squad” role 9 Harsh, as criticism 10 2007 “Dancing With the Stars” contestant Gibbons 11 Horse and buggy __ 12 Christmas buy 13 Afternoon cup 19 Longtime Pennsylvania congressman John 21 Spirit __ Louis 25 “Honest!” 26 Zagreb native 27 Natural dye

By Jack McInturff

Week ending March 1st, 2013

ACROSS 1 Co. that makes Motrin and Tylenol 6 In __ land 10 Flew the coop 14 Happen next 15 “Doctor Zhivago,” e.g. 16 __ Lackawanna Railway 17 Home of the City of 1,000 Minarets 18 Ben Stiller’s mom 20 Best Supporting Actress winner for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” 22 Beehive St. capital

Top Tracks Harlem Shake • Baaur

Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz) • Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

When I Was Your Man • Bruno Mars

Stay (feat. Mickey Ekko) • Rihanna

One Way or Another • One Direction

23 Aqua Velva alternative 24 Military division 28 Classic sports cars 29 Casino area 30 The Columbia R. forms much of its northern border 31 Edit menu command 34 General’s level 38 Night sounds 40 Kilmer of “The Saint” 41 __ flu 42 Quaint storage pieces 45 Animal rights org. 46 Arles “A”

2/28/13 47 “__ Day Will Come”: 1963 #1 hit 48 Set down 50 Household attention getter 52 Ancient Dead Sea land 54 Org. offering motel discounts 57 Major oil conferences (they’re found, in a way, in 20-, 34and 42-Across) 60 Where many tests are given 63 Indian princesses 64 Lie low

28 Bit of dust 29 Skin 31 “Sure” 32 Nary a soul 33 Beardless Dwarf 35 Partner of out 36 Ballerina’s step 37 Glimpse 39 News exclusives 43 Funny-sounding bone 44 Plumlike fruit

49 Pacific Surfliner operator 51 Walk casually 52 Overact 53 Mischievous kid 54 Year’s record 55 Tums target 56 Beasts of burden 58 Make do 59 Rival of Cassio 60 Ally of Fidel 61 It may be flipped 62 Insert

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

2/27/13

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

W R

Brian Jake S F M H Rhett P X V M Jamie Z I L M Tyler N A P L Phil X Q J V Max Alex A V V M Yuta L F M B Sean E F F X Ryan X B G E Kevin Y R R L Tim E L P T Dan Vince U G P C Aldo M A G N Eric

W I

find the

S P

P J

H WORD BANK N

Do you want

real-world ex perience whil e you are still in school?

College Media Solutions is looking to hi re for all positions! JOIN OUR TEAM!

APPLY NOW AT collegemedia.com/join

NCAA BRACKET inside the CT on March 19th

weekend

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

february 28, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES

I MAY BE WRONG, BUT I DOUBT IT

VT Crushes brings us one step closer to being stalkers Last week, the student population of Virginia Tech was bombarded by one of the largest new sources of procrastination to hit Facebook in recent memory: “VT crushes.” Just about everyone and their mother has stalked the page since it was created on Feb. 20, but just in case you have not heard of the latest fad that is sure to be forgotten by the time we leave for spring break, it is essentially a Facebook version of Craigslist’s “missed connections.” People anonymously post comments about others they secretly admire, which range from “I think she is so beautiful,” to “If my name was ever released, I would have a restraining order with my name on it.” It has spread so quickly that there is a Cold Warlike showdown brewing between “VT Crushes” (2,193 likes) and “Virginia Tech Crushes” (3,326 likes). I am actually awaiting the day that “Overheard VT” endorses one, while “VT Confessions” endorses the other, and the rivalry between the two divides the campus in a bloody civil war. Together, though, they are a perfect mix of adorable, flattering and just down right stalker-ish comments. The former is cute — an homage to elementary school when you would have your best friends give your crush a note to see if they liked you back. But there is a fine line between being a secret admirer and a stalker, and in my experience, it usually has a lot to do with how attractive the

admirer is. A “hey, you’re cute,” might make my day, but a seven-stanza sonnet on how amazing I am might make me think twice about going on that jog without a rape whistle — even if you do look like Jennifer Lawrence. Actually, that is a lie; Jennifer Lawrence can write me a sonnet any time she pleases. The pages have really turned us all into stalkers, though. Since almost every post has the person of interest tagged, it is almost impossible not to view their profile to see if they are “worthy” of the praise. It is a whole new level of Facebook stalking, and while I have justified doing it as “research” for this column, I do not think I have felt creepier in my life. I know I am not the only one doing it, but still. Maybe there should be a “Crushes Anonymous” group, where we can all get together to describe how the page has ruined our lives. These pages make me wonder who is running them; whoever they are, they have more gossip on people than The Plastics did in “Mean Girls.” I have always had this theory that whenever you google something, it goes to a computer at Google headquarters where some guy forever judges you because of that one time you searched “revenge porn” for a cyberspace law assignment. That is exactly what is going on here, except there is the added chance of the person being someone you know.

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

Some guy out there is posting all of these and there is no way he does not know who some of these people are. Right at this very minute, I bet he is sitting in his room, saying “LOL he likes her? She’s way out of his league.” (And before you ask, yes, he is actually saying the “LOL” part.) If I were ever going to post on it, with my luck it would probably turn out that it is secretly a friend of mine, who would give me crap about it until the day I die. Besides, we all know that I am married to Amanda Bynes, so it is not like I have any reason to post on it anyway. I do have one final problem with the pages, though: why have I not been mentioned? I am smart, funny, incredibly handsome and will forever be known as the guy that gets carried up the stairs to get into TOTS. What is not to love? OK, so I might talk about myself, but as a wise, and possibly fictitious, man once said, “I like the sound of my own voice, and I will not apologize for that.” NICK CAFFERKY -senior -managing editor -@NickCaffCT

Free for VT students! Place an ad or announcement at collegiatetimes.com, visit our business office at 618 N. Main St. 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday, or call 540.961.9860. Students can come into 618 N. Main St. to place a free ad.

Rates as low as 32 cents per word, contingent on the number of days to run. Prepaid. 15 word minimum. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Deadline: 3pm 3 business days prior to publication.

Childcare

Help Wanted

SUMMER CHILD CARE NEEDED NOVA Family (Fairfax Station) seeking summer babysitter for 4 year old & baby. Mon/Tue 9am-3pm, Wed 9am-1pm. Email gretchenwendorf@ yahoo.com.

HOOPTIE RIDE The Hoopite Ride is currrently hiring drivers with good driving records. Drivers must be at least 23 years old. Earn $ while having fun! Call Ken @ 540-998-5093 hooptieride@ verizon.net

Travel GETTING COLD TIME to Plan your Spring Break 2010 Get Away! Learn how to travel to beautiful locations like Jamaica, Acapulco and the Bahamas on a party cruise. Find out what other Virginia Tech Hokies are headed to your destination. -Adrian Email: Awhite@Studentcity. com for more information

Submit to Couple of the Week! Send us your names, a picture, a his and her quote, along with how and when you met. creative.services@collegemedia.com

Lawn/ Landscape Landscape/ Maintanence positions available for motivated self starters. Valid VA driver’s license required. Please call for interview. WEMOW, Inc., Blacksburg, VA. 540.951.8925

Keep the law

101

on your side.

Lesson: Drinking in Public What is considered at-risk drinking?

ANSWER: The National Institute of Health defines at risk drinking as 3+ drinks for a woman and 4+ drinks for a man. That seems low, why is that risking?

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) There may be con licting orders, which forces you to be creative. Being prepared is only part of the equation. You also have to learn to improvise. It’s all in the listening. Aries (March 21-April 19) You’re more responsible for getting your economy growing than you think. Close friends help you surpass obstacles. There’s pro itable work coming in. Accept their encouragement. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Find the perfect balance between work and play, or combine them. It’s possible. But don’t overlook possible breakdowns. Take care not to provoke jealousies. New opportunities open up.

Gemini (May 21-June 20 Disagreements motivate action and create a domino effect that helps solve the puzzle. Your input is key. Go ahead and be decisive. Don’t waste time arguing. Notice what you’re committed to. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Your heart is torn between business and pleasure. You know which one to choose if you consider carefully. Home calls you tonight; postpone travel or risky propositions. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Things may seem upside down today, but your mental powers are strong. Don’t gamble with your reserves, however. Make sure to take care of your health. Discipline is required.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) For the coming month, rely on a supportive partner. You’re very lucky in love now. Add organization to avoid missing an important date. Stop doing something that’s unpro itable.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Love is all you need. Detours may happen on the way to your destination, so you may want to give yourself plenty of time. Get in touch with your creative and open mind. Friends lend a hand.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Look deeper and gain insight into your own higher values. Begin planning home improvements. Do what worked before with a touch of your own originality. Drink plenty of water.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You take on a vast project. Being well organized is crucial, especially because not all turns out as it appears. Give it full effort, complete the level, and get a bonus.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Be cautious with money. Try not to spend it all, and you could even pro it. Give your partnerships some care. It’s best if you don’t force things to it. Gentle pressure works best.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Don’t buy treats now; add them to your wish list. Your experience is worth more than your possessions. Throw your hat over the fence and commit to something you’ve always wanted.

ANSWER:

As your blood alcohol rises above .06, the risk of negative social and health outcomes increases rapidly. Staying below .06 optimizes positive and reduces negative outcomes.

news

february 28, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES

editors: priscilla alvarez, mallory noe-payne, dean seal newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

Dining: Turner serves more than 11,000 students daily from page one

we called 'destination dining,'” Faulkner said. Faulkner sees in the lines and crowds a tribute to the successes of Turner, but also understands that long waits frustrate potential customers. “We’ve heard concerns about the lines and we are addressing the inconsistencies," Faulkner said. Faulkner cited extending hours for breakfast at some shops and providing more grab-and-go options from sitdown locations as some of the on-the-fly adjustments Dining Services has made to get more customers quickly in and out of Turner Place. More Than 11,000 Served Survey responses and Reddit comments suggested that staffing may be an issue in Turner, but Faulkner disagrees. Faulkner believes that Turner’s continuing popularity among students remains the greatest factor contributing to long wait times. “We have gotten better, but there’s more and more people coming to visit there,” Faulkner said. “I don’t know that just putting staff members on is the solution. There’s only so many registers you can run and so many grills you can operate.” According to Faulkner, the building was designed to accommodate between 8,000 and 10,000 transactions a day. Since opening last semester, daily transactions have increased from 9,500 to more than 11,000. Faulkner found comparison to the previous dining facility at Schultz misleading, as Schultz served about 10-times fewer customers each day with a cafeteria-style arrangement that offered less variety. Certain design constraints also restrict Turner’s transaction capacity. The initial plan for the facility had called for a larger building, but budget concerns limited the dining hall to its present size. More than 400 seats had to be eliminated from the original floor plan, to keep the smaller site in line with fire codes and other regulations.

WANTED YOU to advertise in our classified section. Its easier than you think. Just go to collegiatetimes.com and you can write, buy and post your own classified ad in the Collegiate Times today!

Faulkner also discussed the difficulties inherent in a dining center split between two levels, a layout decision necessitated by the lack of a more appropriate site for the dining hall on the academic side of campus. Despite these limitations, Dining Services was pleased with how the scaled-down Turner Place came together. “We have a lot of capacity, but interest has been tremendous,” Faulkner said. “We’re pleased with that interest, but the expectation to be able to serve all out of one location is unreasonable.” Faulkner described the set-up of Turner Place's Q’doba as quadruple the size of a typical Q'doba location. The Turner Q’doba, as well as Bruegger’s Bagels, count among the busiest of their respective franchises in the country. “What the students should realize is that we didn’t even have Turner Place as one of our offerings less than a year ago,” Faulkner said. “They’re doing over 11,000 transactions a day, transactions that used to occur at other places on campus and now they’re all confined to this one location.” Faulkner hopes that warmer weather will help ease congestion, as outdoor seating opens up and students become more willing to walk to other dining halls on campus. In the mean time, Faulkner advises planning trips to Turner in advance to avoid crowds. Turner is especially crowded for lunch during transition periods between classes. Planning to dine later in the evening or in the morning before classes can help to limit long waits, as does visiting in the afternoon while classes are in session. “I don’t think it’s a reasonable expectation that Dining Services can serve everyone out of one facility,” Faulkner said. “We just can’t handle everyone going there at the same time, on the hour, every hour.” Follow the writer on Twitter: @KulakCT

the collegiate times’

TURNER PLACE survey of 159 survey responders,

44% 49% can usually find seating at Turner Place

usually cannot

6% other WHAT YOU’RE SAYING:

“ “ “ “

The general layout and design of the dining hall seem to be more focused on aesthetics rather than functionality, especially around the areas where lines form. Wish it was open on weekends and during breaks. Grad students and faculty like to eat there too! The main reason I do not go to Turner Place is that they do not have hardly any reusable dishes. Although Virginia Tech is obviously placing an emphasis on composting and recycling, the most sustainable solution is always to reuse dishes. I avoid Turner Place during lunchtime simply because it is too busy.

DOWN ) THE RUN RITY (BY POPULA 1. Q’doba 2. Bruegger’s Bagels 3. 1872 Fire Grill 4. Atomic Pizzaria 5. Dolci e Caffe 6. Jamba Juice 7. Soup Garden 8. Origami

25% 36% 15% 24%

eat at Turner Place once a day

eat at Turner Place once a week

eat at Turner Place once a month

other

DANIELLE BUYNAK / COLLEGIATE TIMES