see page 2 for this week’s weather update Tuesday, May 7, 2013
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 109th year, issue 113 News, page 2
Tech adds new street addresses
Arts & Entertainment, page 7
Opinions, page 5
BY CAMERON AUSTIN | news reporter
When Eli Grossman looks in the mirror, he sees a completely different person staring back than he did two years ago. If you passed the 22 year-old on the street, you wouldn’t think twice about him. But appearances can be deceiving.
R
news reporter
who’swho Transgender The umbrella term for the transgender and transsexual community. Specifically defined as anyone whose gender expression is considered non-traditional for the sex they were assigned at birth, such as transsexuals, cross dressers, drag artists and other gender variant individuals. Transsexual A person who identifies psychologically as one gender/sex other than the one to which they were assigned at birth. To match their outer body to their inner sense of gender/sex, a transsexual person may change or have changed their body through hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgeries.
see ELI / page six
ABBEY WILLIAMS features staff writer
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Sherwood Wilson V.P. for Administration
see STREET / page two
ewind two years back, however, and you would have seen Tami — a sociology student who graduated from Virginia Tech in 2011. Grossman is transgender — he was born a female, but associates more with the male gender. He has been transitioning for the past 18 months. Tami first came out as a lesbian when she was 16, but something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t until she was in college and performed in the LGBTA’s annual drag show on campus that she decided to make the change. “It all kinda clicked. I feel way more comfortable like this,” he said. Suddenly, the option Grossman never considered became crystal clear — he identified more as a man than a woman. But he didn’t know where to start, and spent a summer obsessively researching transitioning and the processes involved in making the drastic change. “Transitioning” is the process of changing sexes from male to female or female to male, and usually involves taking hormones and potentially undergoing surgery to change the physicalities of sex organs. Grossman has been transitioning for the past 18 months by taking testosterone. Later this month, Grossman will complete his transition with a bilateral mastectomy: the removal of both his breasts. — Transitioning from one gender to another begins with gender therapy before hormones are even prescribed. Gender therapy is a type of counseling that helps break down the process of transitioning so patients know what to expect and can discuss anxieties or questions before beginning hormone therapy.
New dining hall DJ spins toward a career receives the gold
This is not something that people should be afraid of. This will make our campus safer.”
New addresses must be determined for all buildings, something difficult for buildings at intersections and so-called “landlocked” buildings that do not face directly towards a road. Once addresses were determined for all buildings, the information had to be compiled and sent to the Town of Blacksburg and the Virginia Geographic Information Network, where it will be made available for new maps and GPS navigation systems. In addition, many campus documents, including printed maps, stationary and business cards, use a standardized address style, so determining how best to implement the change required careful consideration. Those items printed with old university addresses should continue to be used during the transition, and replaced with documents featuring the new addresses as they become available. Carrie Norman, a spokesperson for the project, said that mail sent with current addresses will still be deliverable by Tech’s mail personnel. “As long as they have a mail code, and most every entity on campus uses the mail code, then they’ll still continue to get mail at their address,” Norman said.
Study Break, page 8
Becoming the man she always was
ANDREW KULAK Hokies returning to Tech in the fall may fi nd navigating campus a bit different, as a program to assign street addresses to all campus buildings is expected to be completed over the summer. “Th is program will assign actual street addresses to every building and every major site on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg,” Sherwood Wilson, vice president for administration, said in a recorded interview with University Relations. “It’s a huge cultural shift .” New street addresses will replace the current system of building addresses, in order to improve public safety and to ease navigation. The new addresses will be made available for Internet and GPS navigation systems, and therefore will help to standardize how people, from emergency fi rstresponders to delivery workers, fi nd their way around Tech. While all residence halls transitioned from building to street addresses in 2011, the implementation of the street address initiative campus-wide was delayed in order to better determine the full scope of the project. While it sounds simple, the process is actually rather complicated.
Sports, page 3
BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS
A line of students streches out into the front lobby of Turner Place.
Turner Place was awarded the Gold Award this year for its excellence in quality and service. MELISSA DRAUDT news staff writer
Turner Place has recently emerged as the new star player of Dining Services. The National Association of College and University Food Service (NACUFS) has awarded Dining Services an honorable mention for the Dinner on the Titanic themed event last spring and has also awarded its highest ranking Gold Award for Turner Place in the large school category for Retail Sales-Multiple Concepts/ Marketplace Design. Turner Place claimed victory over dining facilities at University of Wisconsin and Ball State University, which won silver and bronze in the same category, respectively.
Since the $35 million facility opened last August, the award acknowledges that the eight restaurants in Turner Place have produced quality food and provided good service to students. John Barrett, assistant director of Turner Place and Virginia Tech alumnus class of ‘92, worked in the catering department as a student and remembers what the food was like during his undergraduate year, saying it was not at all like it is now. “I think that every employee... buys into the program that we want to provide everybody a quality dining experience, where safety is paramount,” said Barrett. “You give good food, good service and people will eat it up.” see GOLD / page two
People often wonder how DJs get their crazy names, but for James Morrison, also known as DJ TMMPO, it was as easy as combining part of his last name with what he loves — music. “At the age of twelve, I started my own DJ company, Mo Music Productions,” Morrison, a junior finance major, said. “As I went through the years, it started taking off and I started doing weddings, high school dances and corporate events.” “I brought it all to college, and it was kind of hard to get into that scene, because there were some very big, well known names that I respect and kind of idolize around here,” Morrison said. Morrison was recently able to prove himself among some of those infamous Blacksburg talents, competing for the first time in the Red Bull Thre3style Event where he won a $1,000 dollar cash prize and the title of “Best Party Rocking DJ.” “I saw the guys that Red Bull was using in that competition, and I was completely psyched about getting to play with them,” Morrison said. “It was more about the show we were putting on then saying ‘I need to win this.’” Another big moment in Morrison’s DJ career came last November when his fans voted him to play at one of the largest venues in Washington, D.C., Fur nightclub. It was around this time that a friend coined the term “TeamTMMPO” to describe all the support behind Morrison’s suc-
BEN WEIDLICH/ SPPS
James Morrison balances his finance classes and DJ events. cess. “I am the DJ, but I can’t do it without everybody,” Morrison said. “It’s something I’ve always done by myself, but I could never do it without my dad helping me or my roommate going or one of my buddies helping me set up.”
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When you put your hands up and people do it too, it is the most incredible feeling.” James Morrison DJ TMMPO
Jake Sherry, a fift h year architecture student, is one of the key players in TeamTMMPO, helping Morrison with everything from album artwork to providing an extra set of
ears. “I met (James) through the drum line when he was a freshman,” Sherry said. “Since he started with weddings and stuff like that, he’s always been very professional.” Although Morrison is on the rise as a DJ talent, he hasn’t forgotten how everything began, and attributes much of his success to supportive parents. “Even to this day my mom still freaks out about every little gig,” Morrison said. “And until the age of 16, my dad had to drive me everywhere. He’s still at every wedding helping me set up and that type of support means the world.” DJing isn’t the only way Morrison expresses the love of music he’s had since childhood. He also serves as the captain of the Tech snare line. He said fi nding time for everything takes work. see DJ/ page nine
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news
may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
[correction]
In "The First Lady of Virginia Tech" (May 3, 2013), the Collegiate Times did not intend to use "first lady" as an official title. It was meant to figuratively express that Cheryl Beamer is the wife of one of the most well-known and influential figures at Virginia Tech from a student's perspective.
from page one
Street: New addresses increase public safety This new system will also bring all Tech buildings up to new United States codes that require all buildings to have street addresses. While not technically required for already existing buildings, Wilson said the campus-wide change will simply make sense. Street
newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
Gold: Award is 3rd win for Tech
editor’s note
from page one
editors: mallory noe-payne, priscilla alvareza, dean seal
addresses will be added to existing signs that identify buildings, in order to facilitate navigation. “Th is is not something that people should be afraid of,” Wilson said. “Th is will make our campus safer and much more accessible.” Follow us on Twitter @KulakCT
Give the gift of memories!
Turner Place is not the first dining facility at Virginia Tech to win this award. In 1999, after renovations, West End Market received the Gold Award from NACUFS, as did as D2 in 2004. Criteria for granting the Gold Award involve judging of facility design, merchandising, nutrition and wellness, menu and meal and marketing. Executive senior chef, Mark Moritz, oversaw all recipe and menu development for the restaurants original to Turner Place, including Atomic Pizzaria, 1872 Fire Grill, Oragami, Soup Garden and Dolci e Caffè. “Here, we care about what we serve our students,” said Moritz. “The habits you’re picking up when you’re eating now are more important than when you were a teenager because these are the ones that are going to stick with you the longest. If you’re accustomed to eating crap, then for the next 15 to 18 years that’s what you’re going to do.” Both Barrett and Moritz expressed the immensity that was the effort of creating Turner Place. “The amount of time that myself, as well as my crews,
weather watch JAMES MORROW news weather correspondent
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“The habits you’re picking up when you’re eating now are more important than when you were a teenager because these are the ones that are going to stick with you the longest.”
Moderate rainfall continues to fall in Blacksburg, and will endure through the evening. Heavy rain amounts will lead to localized flooding and possible mudslides. A slow moving storm system continues to usher moisture into the area, producing periods of heavy rain and localized river flooding. Much of southwest Virginia has already received more than an inch of rain from this storm system, with totals expected to reach greater than two inches for much of the New River Valley. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Blacksburg on Monday. Overf lowing of streams, creeks and rivers may result as the event continues throughout the day, and a flood warning
Mark Moritz executive senior chef put into developing recipes and [maintaining] the consistency... that was a herculean effort, but it’s what we do and we don’t expect an award for it,” Moritz said. “[The award] tells us that we’re doing something right,” said Barrett. “It comes from the fact that people put a lot of hard work into it and it shows us that our efforts are not unnoticed.” The acceptance of the Gold Award will allow Tech Dining Services to compete for the overall Grand Award at the national conference to be held this July in Minneapolis.
could be issued by the National Weather Service. Steady rain and the occasional clap of thunder will continue overnight tonight into tomorrow afternoon. Clearing should begin Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon as temperatures rebound thanks to a few peeks of sunshine. Clouds will begin to move in on Friday, bringing a chance of rain and thunderstorms back to the area for the weekend. Be sure to stay tuned as rain amounts begin to increase. Flooding is very dangerous and claims hundreds of lives each year, most of which occur inside motor vehicles. When confronted with a flooded roadway or bridge, be sure to follow the motto: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
Follow us on Twitter @melissadraudt
crimeblotter date
time
offense
location
arrestees
status
5/03/2013
4:00 p.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Burglary/Breaking and Entering
SPH Building
n/a
Active
5/03/2013
11:23 a.m.
Abduction/Simple Assault/Trespassing
Brodie Hall
Brian King Cofie, 23
Cleared by Arrest
5/03/2013
12:00 a.m.- 6:08 p.m.
Harassment
New Res Hall East
n/a
Inactive
5/03/2013
10:56 p.m.
Appear Intoxicated in Public
Outside Burruss Hall Edward Won Ill Choi, Cleared by Arrest 21
5/04/2013
2:33 a.m.
Appear Intoxicated in Public/Underage Possession of Alcohol
Newman Hall
n/a
Inactice; Referred to Student Conduct
5/04/2013
2:45 a.m.
Underage Possession of Alcohol
New Res Hall East
Christopher J Dorick, 20
Cleared by Arrest
5/04/2013
3:07 a.m.
Appear Intoxicated in Public/Underage Possession of Alcohol
Oak Lane
n/a
Inactive; Referred to Student Conduct
5/05/2013
1:53 a.m.
Larceny of a Bicycle and Lock/Underage Possession of Alcohol
Outside Torgersen Hall
Steven Taylor Rhiel, 19
Cleared by Arrest
5/05/2013
2:09 a.m.
Appear Intoxicated in Public
Turner Street
James Bryan Gibbs, 27
Cleared by Arrest
5/05/2013
3:07 a.m.
Possession of Marijuana/Drug Paraphernalia/DUI
Southgate Drive
Christopher Michael Lenihan, 19
Cleared by Arrest
5/05/2013
3:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.
Grand Larceny
South Rec Fields
n/a
Unfounded/Property Recovered
5/05/2013
10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Vandalism/Destruction of Property
SPH Building B
n/a
Active
5/05/2013
9:00 p.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Burglary/Breaking and Entering
Cochrane Hall
n/a
Active
5/06/2013
3:00 p.m.- 2:35 a.m.
Harassment
Pritchard Hall
n/a
Inactive
5/06/2013
10:35 p.m.
Underage Possession of Alcohol x6
Lee Hall
n/a
Inactive; Reported by Student Conduct
5/06/2013
12:00 AM
Underage Possession of Alcohol/Disorderly Conduct x3
Eggleston Hall
n/a
Inactive; Reported by Student Conduct
MAD DOG IS GOING, GOING, AND WILL SOON BE GONE!
FINAL DAY MAY 15TH. EVERYTHING MUST GO! REDUCTIONS DAILY! FIND US ON FACEBOOK!
109 N. MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN BLACKSBURG 540.961.4038
MONDAY-SATURDAY 11-6 / SUNDAY 12-5
sports
editors: matt jones, zach mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
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Football team tries to best last year’s recruiting class ALEX KOMA sports reporter
While the spring was about the football team’s coaches working with the players they have, the summer will challenge them to look to who they could have. Recruiting in college football is a 24/7 business these days, and although the spring brought a fresh round of a commitments for the 2014 class, the race for the country’s top recruits will intensify in the coming months. Last year’s recruiting class was among the best the Hokies have ever brought to Blacksburg, ranking in the top 25 of most scouting services’ evaluations, so expectations will be high for the coaches to match 2013’s haul. However, the team is already off to a good start. Tech has snagged eight commitments for the 2014 cycle so far, and some of them have the potential to be impact players. C.J. Reavis, a four-star safety out of Chester, Va., headlines the list of commits so far. The 6’2”, 200-pound defensive back chose Tech over teams like Tennessee, Nebraska and Oklahoma, and made his decision shortly after attending the team’s Spring Game. Although he played safety in high school and figures to play rover for the Hokies once he gets to campus, he has the size to shift to whip linebacker if need be. Regardless of where he plays, he’s a solid player close to the line of scrimmage in run support and an aggressive ball hawk in coverage. He may struggle with faster receivers, but he can absolutely cover slot receivers or provide deep help.
Reavis isn’t the only highly rated secondary player the team will be bringing on. Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray was able to convince another four-star safety, Javon Harrison of Lakeland, Fla., to join the squad.
Tech has snagged eight commitments for the 2014 cycle so far, and some of them have the potential to be impact players.”
Rivals ranks Harrison as the 19th safety in the country, but he also played wide receiver in high school and could see time there in college. He’s drawn some interest from big schools like Florida since he committed to Tech, but he insists he still plans to become a Hokie. On the offensive side of the ball, the team also scored a commitment from three-star quarterback/athlete Travon McMillian. He chose the Hokies over both California and Georgia Tech, and despite the uncertainty from many scouting services over what he’ll position he’ll play, he insists that Tech’s coaches plan to try him out at quarterback. At 6’0” and 190 pounds, he certainly fits the profi le of former Hokie quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor and the Vick brothers, but the school offered him a scholarship before Scot Loeffler and the rest of the new offensive staff joined the team. Although no one knows
TREVOR WHITE / SPPS
The coaching staff has already signed eight players for the 2014 recruiting class, and they hope to add several more before the cycle ends. exactly how Loeffler plans to run the new offense, based on his many quotes during the spring about avoiding running his quarterbacks, it’s a safe assumption that the offensive coordinator is looking for pocket passers instead of scramblers.
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It’s a safe assumption that the offensive coordinator is looking for pocket passers instead of scramblers.”
This means that McMillian may have to shift positions to receiver or even safety, but
considering that’s exactly the transition former four-star recruit Joel Caleb is going through right now, it’s hardly without precedent. But McMillian’s commitment may have some hidden benefit for the Hokies as well. Da’Shawn Hand, the number one prospect in the nation, is McMillian’s friend and former teammate, and although Hand had previously listed Tech among his top five choices, McMillian’s decision could influence the star player. The Hokies are undoubtedly still underdogs in the race to land the top player, considering that powerhouses like Alabama, Florida, Michigan,
and South Carolina have also made him offers, but Tech could certainly be the hometown favorite in the contest. Between McMillian’s attendance and the school’s close proximity to Hand’s hometown of Woodbridge, Va., the Hokies are still very much in this race. Even if Tech can’t land the cream of the crop, the rest of the 2014 class is still pretty solid so far. The team will try to add some depth to the defense with the addition of threestar recruits Kalen McLain and Vincent Mihota, a defensive back and defensive end respectively. Bryan Stinespring was even able to convince cornerback Terrell
Edmunds to follow his older brother Trey, the potential starter at running back, to Tech. Coaches didn’t neglect the offense, however, as they also added three-star tight end Xavier Burke and threestar running back Marshawn Williams, the 40th ranked runner in the nation. Overall, the staff has kept up their recruiting momentum from 2013. This class might not matter much for the team’s impending battle with Alabama, but it might make 2014’s clash with Ohio State that much easier. Follow us on Twitter @AlexKomaVT
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sports
may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
editors: matt jones, zach mariner sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
Baseball takes two for first series win in Chestnut Hill JACOB EMERT sports reporter
The Virginia Tech baseball team played its final regular season ACC road series this weekend at Boston College, taking two of three games from the Eagles. It was the starting pitching that garnered the attention for the Hokies (30-19, 13-14 ACC), as Joe Mantiply, Devin Burke and Brad Markey combined for 21 innings, nine hits and one earned run. Mantiply, who was moved to the Friday spot to allow Markey to aid the ailing bullpen if need be, started off the pitching clinic for Tech, going seven strong in Friday night’s opener. However, he received no run support, as the game remained scoreless when he was yanked for Jake Joyce after seven. The game would remain that way well past the regularly scheduled nine innings, as the Hokies would be the fi rst to break the scoring drought in the top of the 12th inning. Mark Zagunis, who was recently named to the academic all-district team, started off the inning being hit by a pitch by BC reliever Nick Poore. Andrew Rash collected his third hit of the day, continuing what has been an incredible offensive season for the fi ft h-year senior. The very next batter, Brendon Hayden, laid down a bunt, attempting to advance both runners into scoring position, but an errant throw from first baseman John Hennessy, who was trying to nail Zagunis at third, flew into left field and allowed Zagunis to
score. Despite having runners on second and third and nobody out, the Hokies failed to send another Hokie across the plate in the 12th. Luckily for them, one run was all they needed. Markey, who came on to pitch in the 11th, worked a 1-2-3 12th to secure game one for the Hokies. He improved to 4-4 on the year with the 1-0 win. Chad Pinder injured his hip flexor diving for a ball in the bottom of the seventh, according to head coach Pete Hughes, and would not return to action for the remainder of the weekend. On Saturday, the Hokies decided not to wait so long before scoring, as they scored runs in the second, third, fourth and fift h innings to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Ryan Burns provided the majority of the offense for Tech, notching two hits and three RBI from the DH spot, but it was Burke’s pitching that allowed the Hokies to succeed. In seven innings of work, he allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out six to continue what has been a remarkable stretch for the redshirt junior. In his past three starts, Burke has recorded three wins, one of which came against No. 5 Virginia, while allowing just 15 hits and six earned runs over 23.1 innings of work. All three of those wins earned the series victory for Tech. Sean Kennedy, who came in to relieve Burke in the eighth, allowed five runs in the ninth, but Joyce came in to earn his third save of the year and make sure the Hokies did not squander what had been eight innings of practically flawless baseball.
check the Collegiate Times every Wednesday for the drink of the week
KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS
Ryan Burns led the offense with three RBI on Saturday to help propel the Hokies to victory against BC. Though the starting pitching was just as good on Sunday for the Hokies, the result was not. After needing just 25 pitches to earn Friday night’s win, the ball was once again in the hands of Markey. In the bottom of the fourth, Matt Pare singled to score Hennessy, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead. The Hokies quickly responded in the top of the fift h, scoring one run on a Brendon Hayden ground
out and another on a Chad Morgan single. It was all zeroes from there until the bottom of the eighth, when the Eagles got to Hokies reliever Clark Labitan for four runs. Hayden recorded another RBI in the top of the ninth, but a trio of BC pitchers in the final frame ensured the Eagles would not be swept. Despite the 5-3 defeat in Sunday’s finale, the Hokies
earned their first ever series win in Chestnut Hill. The Hokies — currently sitting in seventh place in the ACC — will return home for three non-conference games against High Point and Marist before they conclude their regular season with a three game home series against Wake Forest starting May 16. Follow us on Twitter @JacobEmert
Silhouette Literary & Art Magazine Submissions for Fall 2012 are now open. Submit online at silhouette.collegemedia.com
opinions
editors: josh higgins, shawn ghuman opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
what you’re saying
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
On In response to McDonald’s creates unhealthy incentives
Collegiate Times Editorial Staff
Henry: A classic example of “food prude”. This sounds too much like “stop me before I kill again” logic. People want that kind of food when they go to McDonalds. That’s why they go there. Is McD’s food worse for you than donuts? Or beer? Anonymous: “Granted, there are many personal factors that increase the likelihood of obesity (apathy, socioeconomic status or even genetics), but we as a society shouldn’t be supporting avenues to eat unhealthy Instead an increase in public awareness and public promotion of healthy lifestyles and an overall reduction in the price of nutritious food should be favored against 24/7 McDonalds, 64 oz. drink sizes, and quadruple stacked hamburgers stuffed with bacon.” Healthy lifestyles, like “a Friday night full of shenanigans”? Maybe you should consider counting up the calories and sugars in all those alcoholic drinks you’re consuming.
MCT CAMPUS
Teaching, research are often conflicting priorities R yan Pfeif le’s April 23rd article decrying the poor training and evaluation of new professors at Virginia Tech has generated considerable discussion between my colleagues and myself. The issues Pfeifle raised are not news to Tech professors or to professors anywhere, for that matter. At the same time, I wish to point out some of the deeper complexities surrounding this issue of “bad teaching,” which many readers of the CT may not know. First, in Tech’s defense, this university is in fact exceptional when it comes to providing resources for faculty who wish to improve their teaching. The Faculty Development Institute offers year-round short courses for any faculty member or graduate teaching assistant who wishes to enroll. Additionally, for “new professors” in particular (i.e., for graduate students), the Graduate School offers a 9-credit certificate program called “Preparing the Future Professoriate,” which includes courses in pedagogy and other higher education related topics. The Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research (CIDER) is also available to teachers who wish to get help in designing or executing a course. (Professor Boyer, for example, has taken extensive advantage of CIDER’s resources.) With all of these resources available to teachers at Tech, why is it that the quality of some teaching here is so abysmal, as Pfeifle claims? Well, the problem is not isolated to Tech. It is a systemic problem that can be found nationwide. Nor is it limited to new teachers. I have had plenty of “bad teachers” who
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have been torturing students for upwards of 20 years. And while better training and evaluation might make a difference in some cases, in the large majority of cases it would hardly put a dent in the problem. Better training and evaluation would not help much because the real problem underlying “bad teaching” is the professorial incentive system.
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When it comes to getting hired, promoted and tenured, though, large state universities like Tech prioritize a professor’s research record over everything else.”
Let me explain: There are only 24 hours in a day. And yet a professor at a university like Tech (that is, any large state university) is expected not just to teach well, but to research extraordinarily well and to do departmental/university service on top of that. When it comes to getting hired, promoted and tenured, though, large state universities like Tech prioritize a professor’s research record over everything else. If you have only 24 hours in a day, and you need a job (which we all do), guess what you are going to spend most of your time on? That is not to say professors do not value teaching. Most of them defi nitely do. But there is only so much time one can devote to improving one’s teaching skills when one is expected to publish like the dickens just to hold down one’s job. Is that unfair to students? I definitely think it is. But stu-
dents need to recognize that their tuition is not the only money rolling into professors’ paychecks. Research dollars fund an enormous proportion of what goes on here at Tech, so arguably, your professor’s research is just as (or more) important to keeping this institution running as your tuition money is. Thus, if you want your professor to focus more on teaching, you are going to have to pony up and pay that extra money Tech will lose from all his/ her research grants by paying more tuition. Since most students are concerned about keeping higher education affordable, this state of affairs leaves them in a real quagmire. Good education is expensive, so expensive that most students cannot actually afford it. State universities like Tech do their best to offset the cost of higher education by raking in the dough in other ways — like through research. But that means that research actually has to get done. And that means your professor actually has to do it. And that means your professor has less time to focus on teaching. See the problem? To me, the real shame about the issues Pfeifle laments is not that some teaching here at Tech is sub-par. It is that the students applying to college are totally clueless about the politics of higher education. They look at the rankings and they look at the cost of tuition, and they make a very simple choice: highest ranking, lowest tuition. They do not know that the system is actually a lot more complicated than that. For example, if you choose an “R1” (a “Research 1” university, which produces a ton of research, like Tech), you are paying to sit in the classrooms of brilliant research-
ers (that is what the rankings are based on, you should know), maybe even to work alongside them in your later years. If you want to sit in the classrooms of brilliant teachers, you should go to a small liberal arts college — but their ranking probably will not be nearly as high, and of course, you will have to pay more. Again, do not get me wrong: There are some brilliant teachers at Tech. But doing both research and teaching exceptionally well is incredibly difficult. Lots of us never manage that, and those who do usually require years to achieve it. Training, evaluation — they are not the issues. Time and money are the issues. Our time. Your money.
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I think a solution can be reached, but it is going to take years and it is going to take dialogue between students, teachers and university administrators.”
I agree with Pfeifle that students need to speak out on this issue. In fact, I think that if change is going to happen, it is going to have to come from students. By not speaking out, they are passively accepting their second-tier status to research at state universities. And I do not think that is OK. At the same time, students need to understand how very complicated this issue is. If you want to be number one on every professor’s priority list, that is going to cost you more — maybe more than you can afford.
I think a solution can be reached, but it is going to take years and it is going to take dialogue between students, teachers and university administrators. I really hope that Pfeifle’s article gets that conversation started — productively, because a lot of students complaining loudly that they are “not getting their money’s worth” is not going to open the ears of faculty or administrators. How can students launch productive discussion with the powers-thatbe? First, familiarize yourself with the complexity of the problem, particularly with the economic constraints on the American higher education system, but also with the professorial incentive system. Second, do not just talk — also listen. You would not believe how hard your professor works. The demands on an R1 professor are insane, so when students complain without compassion for the other party to the discussion, we just shut it out. You have never been in our shoes, so until you have been, you will have to hear us out. (We need to hear you out, too, for sure!) Finally, ditch the “consumer mentality” toward higher education. That is not what education is about (though university administrators all too frequently pander to that mentality). Behindthe-scenes faculty discussions get downright virulent when someone brings that nonsense up, so do not even go there if you really do want to solve this problem. Remember that we are not Wal-Mart. We are educators. At least, we try our best to be. JENNIFER SIGLER - graduate t.a., communication
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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 Ghuman Sports Editors: Matt Jones, Zach Mariner Special Sections Editor: Chelsea Giles Copy Chief: Nora McGann Copy Editors: Allison Hedrick, Kristin Gunther, Sam Huff, Mackenzie Fallon, Alexis Livingston, Kayleigh McKenzie Photo Editor: Kevin Dickel Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: James Dean Seal Circulation Manager: Keith Bardsley Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Brad Klodowski Lab Manager: Trevor White College Media Solutions Assistant Ad Director: Carla Craft Account Executives: Robert Alberti, Taylor Moran Inside Sales Manager: Amanda Gawne Assistant Account Executives: Catie Stockdale Jordan Williams, Elizabeth Dam, Emily Daugherty Creative Director: Diana Bayless Assistant Creative Director: Nik Aliye Creative Staff: Mariah Jones, Samantha Keck, Kitty Schaffernoth, Seden Craig 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.
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may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
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Eli: Double masectomy will complete the transition from page one
info on the go
Being transgender has been labeled as a mental disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) since 1980. The manual has included “gender identity disorder” in every version of its publication until this year — with 2013 being the first year that the DSM won’t list it as a disorder, but instead replace it with a more neutral label of “gender dysphoria.” “Having it in the DSM is a good thing because people who are trans can say, ‘Look, you have to help me transition because this book says so,’” says Catherine Cotrupi, LGBTA coordinator at Tech. With it listed in the book, transgender individuals can seek out help for their condition.
Female-to-male top surgery generally costs around $8,000 and recovery time is 6 weeks. L-shaped scars will be left around the pectoral muscles.
“
Usually people know from a very young age that they’re transgender. It’s just a matter of when they want to begin the transition.” Andy Matzner Gender Therapist
“It’s also a bad thing it’s in the DSM because doctors and COURTESY OF ELI GROSSMAN psychiatrists can say ‘Look, Old photos of Tami serve as a constant reminder of how far Eli has come since his transition has begun. it’s in this book, which means there is something wrong a very young age that they’re happens if someone figures one for the rest of his life. with you that we can fi x,’” transgender. It’s just a matter me out?” Matzner said. Though the process of transhe said. of when they want to begin Grossman typically passes sitioning began in 2011, it Grossman went to see the the transition,” Matzner said. as a man thanks to a binder took a while for Grossman’s only gender therapist in “I hate to make people jump that restricts his chest and friends, family and co-workSouthwest Virginia, Andy through those hoops if they facial hair from hormone ers to catch up to him. For Matzner, who operates out of don’t have to.” replacement therapy he’s been weeks after starting testosRoanoke. Matzner, a licensed Matzner said that no one receiving for the last year and terone, people would slip up clinical social worker and life he ever treated has expressed a half. However, when speak- and say “she” or “her” when coach, sees people who come regret over the transition. ing on the phone with clients, referring to him. from hours away for approval However the thing most com- it’s not uncommon for the “People would fl ip flop to begin hormones. Though monly addressed is the anxi- voice at the end of the line to pronouns for months after. it is recommended they go ety of passing as the opposite mistake him for a woman. Sometimes, they’d ask ‘So are through three months of gen- gender. The testosterone is adminis- you a guy or a girl?’ and I’d der therapy, Matzner believes “Once you start living as tered in the form of an injec- just reply, ‘It’s complicated.’” that such an extensive thera- the opposite gender, it can be tion once every two weeks, He said the emotional py treatment isn’t necessary. scary. What happens if I have and Grossman will have to adjustment was one of the “Usually people know from to use the bathroom? What continue with the testoster- most surprising effects of the
hormone. “It’s strange because I used to feel these things… and now I don’t have the same responses to things I used to,” he said. After a sad movie, when the old Grossman would have cried, but the newly acquired testosterone has taken over any traces of those emotions that the old Grossman would have experienced. — Since adjusting to the hormones, Grossman has decided to take the next step and undergo what is commonly referred to as “top surgery.” After months of researching a doctor and saving up for the $8,000 procedure, Grossman will travel 12 hours to Davie, Fla., on May 22 to have a bilateral mastectomy. The surgeon Grossman is trusting with his surgery is a leader in the field of female-to-male top surgeries. “It’s probably going to hurt a lot, but I couldn’t be more excited,” Grossman said. His friend Felicia Dean will be making the trip with him. Dean has only known Grossman since he started transitioning, but their friendship blossomed after working long shifts together at a mental health stabilization clinic in Blacksburg. “I don’t see Eli as transgender. I don’t see him what society sees him. I see him as a young man that is pretty much going through puberty,” Dean said.
Guess she didn’t read the paper.
Without the support of his friends and the LGBT community, Grossman notes that the process would have been more difficult. “My friends have been so fantastic and so supportive. They’ve learned with me through the whole process,” Grossman said. Going under the knife to remove both of Grossman’s breasts is the final step for him in leaving behind the image of Tami, and transitioning to Eli, the person that he has mentally already become. For many female-to-male transgenders, bottom surgery is not an option. The methods are still not perfected and can be very expensive. Contrarily, male-to-female bottom surgery is so advanced that a gynecologist couldn’t tell the difference between a transfemale and a biologically born female, said Matzner. — Though the road to transitioning has been challenging, Grossman is starting to finally feel comfortable in his body. “I felt so hopeless for months, and I’m grateful it was for only months because for some people its years upon years to get through it,” Grossman said. “It absolutely does get better, I am so happy now that its hard for me to imagine how I felt two years ago.” Grossman’s advice for others hoping to transition is to seek support groups and surround themselves with supportive friends during the inbetween stages. In thirteen days, Grossman will take one more step in catching his body up with his mind and the man that he has become — and he couldn’t be more excited. “I am so happy now, and it’s only getting better from here,” he said. Follow us on Twitter @CAustinCT
editors: emma goddard, nick smirniotopoulos featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
arts & entertainment
may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
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Trilogy darkens as hero doubts abilities without suit Movie Rating
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fter the exhilarating ride that was the first “Iron Man” in 2008, it was hard to imagine that a sequel could possibly live up to the expectations of its predecessor. This was certainly the case with “Iron Man 2,” which ended up being a lukewarm follow-up. “Iron Man 3” is facing challenges on several fronts: the third movie in a trilogy is traditionally weak (think “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “Spider Man”). Audiences were also disappointed with “Iron Man 2,” and the massive critical and commercial success of “The Avengers” only heightened expectations of the new release. It is a task only an actor as charismatic as Robert Downey, Jr. could take on. And he succeeds — for the most part, anyway. In “Iron Man 3,” Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is having panic attacks after the events of The Avengers. He has thrown himself into
work, building numerous Iron Man suits, to the detriment of his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). When a terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) executes a string of terrorist bombings, Stark publicly challenges him. The Mandarin responds with an attack on Stark’s home that is astounding in its destruction. Stark traces a clue that leads to rural Tennessee, but his suit runs out of power en route, and he is stranded while the world thinks he is dead. Without the suit, Stark must rely on his own intellect and ingenuity to find The Mandarin. Along the way, he will find out if the man makes the suit, or if the suit makes the man. After two films that were mostly fun with a light bit of character development, it is not surprising to see the “Iron Man” trilogy go a bit darker, following that staple of action hero movies where the hero is temporarily defeated and questions his abilities. It is an interesting departure from Stark’s ultra-confident
cool in the first two films and “The Avengers.” Unfortunately, it just does not come together quite as well as the previous movies. However, Downey is still the most charismatic and engrossing actor in blockbuster films except for Johnny Depp perhaps. In the supporting roles, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes is a competent foil for Downey, and Guy Pearce, playing scientist Aldrich Killian, is as great as ever. Ben Kingsley is Ben Kingsley, so that is obviously good. And for only his second feature film, director Shane Black captures the action much better than many other more established big-budget movie directors. The problem for this film lies mostly within the script. It is a good premise, with some interesting plot points and a really fun twist on The Mandarin’s character. But when you are expecting a script on par with the first “Iron Man” — which was penned by the immensely talented duo Mark
Fergus and Hawk Ostby, of the little-screen but critically acclaimed “Children of Men” — this one simply falls short in the execution. On its own, the script penned by Black and Drew Pearce would have been more than adequate, certainly a step up from the inane action movies in theatres in the summer. When it is compared to “Iron Man” or “The Avengers,” though, it is just not looking good. Black shows his inexperience in allowing the middle of the film to drag both visually and in terms of plot development. Pitfalls aside, this is still an “Iron Man” movie — it is fun, action-packed and cool. Downey is a gifted actor with impeccable comedic timing — he could truly read the phone book and make it interesting. Because of this, “Iron Man 3” is still an entertaining movie certainly worth the price of admission. KATIE WHITE - regular movie columnist - junior - history
Player struggles to stay sane and survive in ‘Don’t Starve’ Game Rating
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is hard not to think of “Minecraft” when considering “Don’t Starve” — after all, creation, exploration and survival are the mainstays of Klei Entertainment’s latest game. Starting as Wilson, the “Gentleman Scientist,” I wandered around aimlessly during my first few play-throughs. You will die a lot, so starting new characters and worlds is something with which you
will probably want to be well acquainted. At its core, “Don’t Starve” is literally about not starving. Starting out with nothing, you scavenge for twigs and flint to build your first tools to cut down trees, harvest berries, pick flowers and collect valuable resources to create structures and develop new technologies. This is not a forgiving game — monsters and creatures roam an environment that changes every time you start a new game. Dealing with a random monster dog while having
to forage for food and flowers can be incredibly difficult. Unfortunately, this constant struggle to survive is where the game begins to fall apart. Having to deal with a hunger meter and sanity meter that drop surprisingly fast is not as much fun as you would initially think. Finding food in the default world can be time-consuming and endlessly tedious. As a rogue-like style game with permadeath being a significant part of the experience, “Don’t Starve” becomes an incredible grind. Having to constantly forage for food,
plant crops, hunt animals and collect essential resources stops being fun after a few hours. Don’t get me wrong, ”Don’t Starve” can be a whole lot of fun. Exploring is a new experience every time you generate a world. With a wide variety of environments that range from forests with pig villages to swamps with attacking tentacles, new experiences are everywhere. Finding the materials necessary to craft a new ice staff or figuring out a way to collect silk without fighting a horde of spiders is where “Don’t Starve” really shines.
Being able to do pretty much anything you want in the world is a clear highlight. Setting fire to a densely packed forest filled with evergreens is as shocking and exciting as it sounds. As the fire spreads, trees begin to turn into burnt husks that can be chopped down for charcoal. Interactions like this help to make the environment seem realistic. If anything, the incredible complexity of the world is almost off putting. There is no tutorial and no real instruction as to what you should be doing, and this makes accessing the
“Don’t Starve” wiki absolutely essential. Despite the huge learning curve, this depth is more than welcoming. At its simplest, “Don’t Starve” is a survival-focused “Minecraft.” At its best, it is a game that places you in a realistically modeled (if a bit simplified) world that reacts and adapts to everything that you do. Surviving can be fun, but it can also be incredibly boring. BEN KIM - regular game columnist - sophomore - communication
I to stay involved!
Christine Terminello Homecoming Queen
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may 7, 2013
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Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Enjoy career and financial ease to July. Stash nuts for later, and dance into bustling activities with community, friends and family. Honor teachers, and teach what you love. Partnerships grow with attention. Inspire them with your dreams.
Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day
“It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness both in the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.” - Dalai Lama
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XKDC by Randell Monroe
By Doug Peterson and Brad Wilber
5/7/13
Week ending May 10, 2013
ACROSS 1 Removes, as a backpack from one’s shoulder 9 Described in letters 14 Flock tender 17 Style eschewing heavy sauces 18 Was Grinch-like, in a way 19 Trattoria offering 20 Pros with schedules 22 Assemblage 26 Pillow stuff 27 Fab
Hot New Songs Fitzpleasure • alt-J #thatPOWER • will.i.am feat. Justin Bieber Sure Be Cool if You Did • Blake Shelton Gone, Gone, Gone • Phillip Phillips All Gold Everything • Trinidad James
32 1840s-’50s antislavery party 34 Symbol of Middle America 35 Brain cramp, so to speak 37 Like Schoenberg’s “Moses und Aron” 38 Enjoying the mall, say 39 Wyoming’s __ Range 40 Pride of the pumped-up
41 Wagnerian title? 42 Indiana senator who retired in 2011 43 Do something about 48 Island classic 55 1926 novel set in Pamplona 57 1970s Patrick Duffy title character who can breathe underwater 58 Move sneakily 59 Revealing
DOWN 1 Some museum pieces 2 Its atomic number is 10 3 Turn about 4 Glowing, as coals 5 Eisner’s Disney successor 6 Livingstone explored it 7 Crown in the Henry VIII era, e.g. 8 Only nonrhyming ghost in Ms. PacMan 9 Dos into doce 10 __ Robles, California 11 Drop a line, maybe 12 Advanced 13 Big name in 34Down 15 “Bug off!” 16 Aparicio of Cooperstown 21 Musical based on an O’Hara novel 22 Key of the last Brandenburg concerto 23 Declaim 24 Stop on a line 25 Not open-ended, as a question 26 Flexible weapon 27 Appeals 28 Brio 29 Nice sibling 30 More luxuriant 31 Film that often includes drawings 33 Dramatist O’Casey 34 Some email receivers
36 Opposite of 47Down 40 Clipper airlines 42 Pro follower 43 Casino conveniences 44 Indian tea 45 Look after 46 QB Jim Kelly was its 1984 MVP 47 Immaculate 49 Use the hammock
50 Like some traditions 51 Trace 52 1930s-’40s mystery film scene stealer 53 Part of le visage 54 To be, to Tiberius 56 GPS determination
Friday’s Puzzle Solved
(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
5/3/13
WORDSEARCH: Pixar Characters Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.
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WORD BANK 1 Buzz Lightyear 2 Sherrif Woody 3 Flik 4 Mike Wasowski 5 Sully 6 Boo 7 Nemo 8 Marlin 9 Dori 10 Mr. Incredible 11 Elastigirl 12 LIghtning McQueen 13 Doc Hudson 14 Carl Fredricksen 15 Russel 16 WALL-E 17 Eve 18 Merida
Taurus (April 20-May 20) You have extra resources for a household project, if you need them. Follow a hunch. Heed advice from family. Convince your partner by addressing their concerns. Listen for the best plan. Gemini (May 21-June 20) You and an expert can solve a tough problem. Follow a friend’s recommendation. Love and truth get you past any tough spots with grace. People are saying nice things about you. Cancer (June 21-July 22) An important person comes through for you again. Accept more responsibility with a challenge, gracefully. Stick with what you know works, for a while. Continue to shop wisely. It pays off. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Welcome a visitor from far away. Consider a new possibility, and make a wise move on to the next adventure. Follow a great suggestion. Public funds may be available. Green light: go.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A dream igure shows you how to make a change. Meanwhile, accept a gift for your home. Bring out valuables you’ve kept hidden. Money for a household investment becomes available. Test a new product.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep track of your winnings. Get it in writing. Arrange inancing or play with investments. You may have more than you realize. Continue a renovation project. Good news comes from far away.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Try out a new idea and get creative. Friends offer good advice. Tell the truth, and ask probing questions. Learn new skills from a master. Dazzle them with your brilliance.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Collaboration is a good idea. This could even be enjoyable. Turn down a risk. Persuade with the evidence, and let friends know what you’ve discovered. This new information causes a modi ication.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Ask for what you want, and accept a generous offer. Keep track of your promises. Work can be fun, too, you know. Don’t forget to invoice. Work faster and make more money. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Accept an honor and a great suggestion from a child. Your imagination is greatly admired. Control your personal spending. You have the innate power to do this. Friends believe you can do anything.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Consider another pro itable idea. Accept a new assignment on your conditions. Con irm plans in writing. Believe you can succeed. The checks get written. You’re winning admiration, and it ills your heart. Aries (March 21-April 19) Kick back, play and think big. Ask probing questions, and don’t worry about results. Love gives you the advantage. Convince through logic. Broaden your perspective. Use all your charms. Send a positive message.
The Study Study Break: Break: May May 9th 9th The
editors: emma goddard, nick smirniotopoulos featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865
arts & entertainment
may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES
9
DJ: Affecting New priorities inspire Buble’s most recent album crowd is key to any show GLENN GAMBOA mcclatchy newspapers
from page one
“Putting the schoolwork in there is the hard part,” Morrison said. “The most time consuming is the producing aspect, and that’s something I started this year. It’s a whole different realm.” Morrison recently began releasing a monthly mix series, “Feel the TMMPO,” the fift h volume of which just came out via Facebook and Soundcloud. Although DJing began as a hobby, Morrison wants to incorporate it into his career path. “I worked with the four biggest radio stations last summer,” Morrison said. “It showed me that I can take what I’m so passionate about into the real world… I plan to push this as far as I possibly can.” Taking things to the next level involves getting the TMMPO name better situated in the Blacksburg music scene. “O’s Lounge is a big place for me to get more of a consistent gig flow this year,” Morrison said, adding that volunteering for Greek philanthropies and other charities, like the recent Run for Ryan, has also been a successful way of expanding his fan base.
“
It showed me that I can take what I’m so passionate about into the real world. I plan to push this as far as I possibly can.” James Morrison DJ TMMPO
When choosing what to play, Morrison believes it’s best to go with the flow. “I never go into anything I’m doing with preplanning,” Morrison said. “I just set up points where I think big moments in a song are, so I can find them quickly. You read the crowd, and you find out that way.” And regardless of the venue, the TMMPO style is to always have a good time. “I can enjoy myself just as much up here with a booth around me as in the middle of the dance floor,” Morrison said. “My biggest passion is club DJing, but being a part of someone’s special day, like a wedding — there’s nothing like that. It’s completely different. You’re not rocking a dance floor, but you’re making sure everything is smooth.” While the DJ’s future holds everything from promises of spinning for the 2013 graduation bash to aspirations of one day making it to Ultra Music Festival, Morrison’s main priority will always be the energy of the crowd. “For me it has nothing to do with the money or the title,” Morrison said. “It has so much more to do with the energy that comes back at you. When you put your hands up and people do it too, it is the most incredible feeling. It can’t be replicated.” Follow us on Twitter @collegiatetimes
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Michael Buble didn’t want his new album, “To Be Loved” (Reprise), to sound perfect. He laughs when asked about his passionate version of Smokey Robinson’s “Who’s Lovin’ You,” where some notes work well in context, but aren’t exactly right. “Yeah,” he says. “We’re a little pitchy, but I think it makes it sound like the songs of when I was growing up. ... I sing Elvis Presley’s ‘Have I Told You Lately That I Love You’ and, OK, there’s parts where I’m a little pitchy. I’m a human being, and that’s what you’re going to get. I was trying to be honest in every way.” It was all part of a new approach for Buble, who, after a decade of success with a mix of crooning pop standards and writing sweet love songs, wanted something different. Following the massive success of his “Christmas” album the second-biggest album of 2011 behind Adele’s “21” Buble felt now was the time to stretch. He has seemingly chosen right, considering “To Be Loved” shot straight to No. 1 last week. “I felt like I had hopefully earned the right to make the record I wanted to make,” Buble says. “For me, it felt like I was taking a risk, to be honest with you, but I was having a baby and I wasn’t scared.” Buble and his wife, Argentine actress Luisana Lopilato, are expecting their first child, a son, in August.
And that landmark has the 37-year-old re-evaluating his priorities both artistic and personal. “I had a hard time sometimes listening to my older records,” Buble says, explaining why he wanted to record much of “To Be Loved” with a live band playing together in the studio, rather than today’s norm of recording each instrument and vocal separately so that they can be manipulated through computer programs like ProTools. “I’m proud of them, and I never want to put down what they’ve done and how great they’ve been. But what moves me is sometimes the imperfection of music.” Buble says he wanted to recapture the sound and the feel of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. He enlisted producer Bob Rock, best known for his work with Metallica, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue, to help. “Me and Bob Rock just went out and tried to make an authentic, live-sounding, awesome record,” Buble says. “I wanted to write some more songs and do some soul stuff and put my voice in a place it’s never been. I wanted to make a soul record. I wanted to make a record that felt like you were sitting at the Copa, and I think we achieved it.” Buble says he thinks he also achieved making a record that will surprise some people. “I think it’s a more polarizing record than I’ve ever had before,” he says. “It’s not as clean.” Even the pop songs Buble has written are a bit more
complex. While his current hit “It’s a Beautiful Day” sounds upbeat and sweet, the lyrics tell a different story: The cause for celebration is a breakup. (“Oh, baby, any day that you’re gone away, it’s a beautiful day,” he sings.) Buble says he wondered whether it was too much, so he ran the song past his mother. “She was laughing her ass off,” he says. “She said, ‘Well, it’s not exactly what you’re known for.” Even more polarizing, though, is the song “I Got It Easy,” where he counts his blessings and declares, “I feel guilty a little I’ve been given so much people are dying in the dark, while I’m lying in
the sun.” “It’s basically a song that says I appreciate everything I have,” says Buble, who added that the song was inspired in the wake of the shootings in Newtown, Conn. “Some people hear it and think it’s crass. The record company, my own manager they did not want it on the record at all. ... I think it’s a beautiful song. I don’t think every song has to be a radio hit.” Of course, that doesn’t mean that Buble doesn’t want “To Be Loved” to be a success. He’s planning a massive tour starting with 10 nights at the O2 Arena in London in July, though he’ll
take August off for the birth of his son. He’ll schedule more time off during the world tour that will start in the fall, with his wife and child in tow three weeks on, two weeks off. “My priorities have changed,” he says. “My kid and my family come first, but I’m still hungry. ... I don’t want to turn a 180 and turn into something else. I want to show growth without alienating 40 million people. But if I didn’t do it this way, I couldn’t go on tour. I couldn’t do it unless I felt like I was growing. I had to do it for myself. I’m in it for the long haul. I want to win this marathon.”
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may 7, 2013 COLLEGIATETIMES