Your voice Students discuss legislation change see page 3 Wednesday, March 20, 2013 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 86 News, page 2
Students mourn March deaths
Food & Drink, page 4
slow speeds explained
Lauren Anderson close friend of Baugh Lauren Anderson, a close friend of Baugh’s, read a poem that she wrote in the form of letters to him after the loss, and describing what she would miss about him and his vibrancy. “I need lots of protecting,
I ULLAH
BAUGH
but you did a lot of that in this life, so I didn’t think you’d mind taking up the gauntlet in heaven DUGAS either,” said Anderson in her poem. “My life here on earth will never be the same without you.” Anderson was able to bring both laughter and tears from the crowd remembering his life. Chris Brown, a high school friend of Dugas who came to Tech with her, spoke in remembrance of her, remembering her positivity, liveliness and outgoing nature. “In every single picture, she’s with someone, hugging them, laughing with them, smiling with them, living life. Sarah possessed this amazing ability to make friends wherever she went,” Brown said. “She was a beam of sunshine and a breath of fresh air.” Brown went on to describe her laugh, her klutziness, and her sense of humor, asking people to remember the positive side of Dugas’ life. Af ter Ghanizada, Anderson and Brown spoke for their friends, candles were lit for the three wreaths by the three respective friends. Students then lit their candles during a moment of silence followed by music chosen by the friends of those mourned. The vigil was organized by the Hokie Bird, and the event was attended by members of the Division of Student Affairs to offer assistance to Follow the writer on Twitter: @HokieRealist
n late February, following an article I released on Feb. 18 about Access Media 3, also known as AM3, Melissa Mercado, marketing director of AM3 sent a press release to my inbox. The title read “Access Media 3 Announces Blacksburg Network Upgrades, Improves Internet Service to Area Residents.” A read through offered that AM3 “recognized a need for updated infrastructure and quickly moved to make necessary changes to improve service in the area” when it acquired properties from Shentel last year. Vito Caraguilo, senior vice president of technology and product development, noted in the release, “We have seen an increase in recent years of Internet usage due to the age of streaming video and owning multiple computing devices that require Internet connection.” He went on to say AM3 needed to upgrade to a more capable infrastructure to meet consumer demands, and so with months of work, it has “increased bandwidth delivery to individual properties and a more reliable internet product overall.” Even addressing the fact that Blacksburg has an abundance of student housing, the release noted that students no longer have to log-in to their accounts daily to access the Internet. It continued with the CEO citing AM3’s belief in consistency and quality, and that the improvements will be ongoing in Blacksburg. This prompted a second conversation with Mercado, one that lasted three times longer than our first. My intentions were to uncover more specific information about the release and the upgrades, so as to publicize the press release for student customers of AM3. What came from it instead was the illumination of misperceptions that students may have about AM3, and the service it provides. see AM3 / page two
ADDING IT UP
The 20 Mbs are based on the largest Internet package Access Media 3 offers for customers in Blacksburg and the 34.8 Mbs is service students use when streaming on the Internet.
20Mb 34.8 Mb
*Mb = MEGABIT
These numbers are representative of one account with Access Media 3 shared between four people in their home.
Mb USAGE PER PROGRAM AND HOUSEHOLD 25
20
15
10
5 Mbs
“
Study Break, page 6
BY DEAN SEAL | news editor
news reporter
I need lots of protecting, but you did a lot of that in this life, so I didn’t think you’d mind taking up the gauntlet in heaven either.”
Sports, page 8
Access Media 3
DONAL MURPHY Emotions ran high as students mourned and remembered those that they lost during the last two-week period at a candlelight vigil held Tuesday night outside of War Memorial Chapel. Several hundred people attended the vigil for the three Tech students who died this March. They gathered despite the wind and cold to remember Bryan Baugh, Sami Ullah and Sarah Dugas. Iman Ghanizada, a childhood friend of Ullah’s since middle school and fellow business information technology major, spoke in memory of him at the vigil. “He carried a positive vibe with him and everywhere you went, he made you happy. I guarantee that of everyone here, not a single person has something bad to say about him,” Ghanizada said. He went on to describe his experience with Ullah’s confidence, optimism and presence, recounting Ullah’s success at Business Horizon’s with no prior preparation.
Opinions, page 3
NETFLIX
XBOX LIVE
SKYPE
YOUTUBE
PROGRAM
Celebrating Snack spot opens at U-Mall agriculture JESSICA GROVES features reporter
The Collegiate Young Farmers celebrated National Ag Day in front of the Graduate Life Center March 19. photo by Mark Umansky
Christina McGarry, a junior at the University of Virginia, said Blacksburg’s dining halls and football games consistently outrank Charlottesville’s. Th is isn’t news to any Hokie who considers himself or herself superior to the average Wahoo. However, Blacksburg is taking a leaf out of Charlottesville’s cookbook again. The first time Blacksburg followed Charlottesville’s lead was when Qdoba, a Charlottesville favorite, was added to Turner Place at Lavery Hall’s menu. This time, it was adding Marco & Luca to the neighborhood dining experience. You wouldn’t know it from the title, but the eatery is known for its Chinese
food. For 10 years, locals in Charlottesville have praised the simple, fast service that Marco & Luca provides. On Yelp, Trip Advisor and Zagat’s, Marco & Luca has received hundreds of positive reviews. The most popular menu item is without question the dumplings, but Marco & Luca also serves soups, noodles and vegetarian dishes. McGarry said the lines at Charlottesville’s Marco & Luca are often long and winding. “During sorority rush, my girls and I had a break for dinner at Marco & Luca,” McGarry, who is majoring in history and politics, said. “The line was out the door.” The Marco & Luca restaurant in Blacksburg opened its doors early February. Local Virginia Tech alumnus Gary Cope has already sampled its dumplings.
“I work in the building right next to (Marco & Luca),” Cope said. “It kind of snuck up on me.” Cope has held on to his connection with Tech and its traditions. While working in Charlottesville, Cope traveled back to Blacksburg for nearly every home game. He said that local businesses like Souvlaki and Mike’s Grill are staples in his Blacksburg diet. “Students don’t have to go far to get a healthy, tasty meal,” Cope said. “It wasn’t that way when I was a student.” Although the dining hall experience at Tech continues to impress Cope, he said that Marco & Luca stands a better chance in Charlottesville’s pedestrianfriendly Corner. “(Charlottesville’s) downsee FOOD / page five