COLLEGIATETIMES
august 1, 2013
what’s inside: Lifestyles .......2 Sports ...........3 0pinions ........6 News .............8 Classifieds .....7 Sudoku ..........7
Season ticket sales Bus crash closes lackluster among Duckpond Drive upperclassmen BY MATT MINOR | news reporter
BRAD KLODOWSKI / FOR THE COLLEGIATE TIMES
Police and officials determine how to remove the crashed bus. BRAD KLODOWSKI design editor
FILE SEPT. 2012 / SPPS
The east stands are packed by students and fans for a game against Bowling Green.
Lack of demand for seats in Lane has made season tickets available to incoming freshman for the first time in seven years With the beginning of the Virginia Tech football season less than a month away, the book on this offseason is coming to a close. One of the more intriguing stories that has taken a backseat to the coaching changes, dismissals and recruiting, however, is that of the student season ticket situation. According to the Tech athletic department, season ticket purchases among upperclassmen dropped roughly 20 percent for this upcoming season from last year. This sharp decline is the steepest that Tech has seen in recent memory, and has even forced Tech’s ticketing services
to explore new opportunities in an attempt to make sure that Lane Stadium can continue filling at capacity. Previously, there had been a student lottery in place that required freshmen to put their names in for a raffle to win tickets. Sandy Smith Jr., assistant director of athletics for ticketing services, posited that the lack of ticket sales has been the main driving force for a new regimen. Season ticket purchases are now available for freshmen during orientation this year. Smith also noted that this isn’t the first time that freshmen have been allowed to purchase season tickets. Tech brief-
ly experimented with allowing freshmen to buy season tickets seven years ago. However, demand was too high from upperclassmen to continue allowing freshman to purchase tickets. “We (have been) looking at being able to offer (ticket sales) to freshmen since we have improved on the online ordering process over the past couple of years,” Smith said. “We always evaluate anything we implement and try to make the ticketing process as easy for the students as possible.” Smith was unable to comment on the reason for the decrease in season ticket sales. see FOOTBALL / page eight
Several children were taken to the hospital with non lifethreatening injuries after a Floyd County school bus struck a bridge barrier on Duckpond Drive near West Campus Drive. The bus driver swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle and the rear wheels of the bus struck the stone barrier of the bridge, according to Major Kevin Foust of the Virginia
Tech Police Department. The Floyd County school bus was transporting students on a school trip. Foust could not comment on the age of the students involved or the purpose of the trip. The impact damaged the rear axle of the bus, leaving it unable to move from the scene of the crash. Duckpond Drive was temporarily closed in the area while engineers were brought in to evaluate the structural integrity of the bridge.
Tech engineer aims for the stars JESS GROVES lifestyles staff writer
From the fi rst moment we looked up at the twinkling night sky, mankind has always dreamt of space exploration. Ryan Ligon, a junior aerospace engineering student at Virginia Tech, is no different, although he hasn’t been dreaming quite as long. Ligon’s story begins with a bang – albeit a small one. His father, a technical education teacher, taught his son how to
launch small rockets at Cub Scout outings. While launching foot-long rocket ships in elementary school is what piqued his interest, seeing “October Sky” for the first time truly ignited Ligon’s passion for spaceflight. “It spoke to the fact that no matter where you came from, you could really do what you wanted in life,” Ligon said. Like Homer Hickam, the protagonist of “October Sky,”
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2 August 1, 2013
NASA: Ligon spends summer interning in Langley
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from page one
Ligon always had his eyes set on the sky above. The young boy who once marveled at the moon and stars grew up to be a man who studied the complex science behind space travel. “It’s interesting to learn all of the background aspects, but at some points you can get bogged down and lose sight of the big picture when you pay attention to some of the finer details,” Ligon said. “A big thing that’s helped is working here at NASA, getting away from that academic mindset and just working on something that’s real.” Ligon is just one of over 200 students interning at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Game Changing Development Program Office. “Game Changing” is a fitting title for the interns at NASA, because they aren’t just pushing paperwork around.
“They’re teaching life facts that help the students in every aspect of being professional and employable,” said Lane Maloney, photographer for the Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars program Ligon is involved in. Students like Ligon who are involved in the LARSS program take time out of their work to attend lectures from astronauts, business etiquette luncheons and career enhancement seminars. When they aren’t researching space technology, Ligon and his peers are learning realworld practices. “It’s a very interactive program,” Maloney said. “They really work with the students overall while the students are doing work…I think that’s one of the coolest things about this program.” But before Ligon was learning how to conduct business and research space technology, he had to learn some more fundamental lessons. Ligon’s
PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN LIGON
Junior aerospace engineering major Ryan Ligon works at his desk as part of his internship with NASA. freshman year at Tech was an academic challenge. “I had to come out of my shell and learn how to study,” Ligon said, “Which is some-
thing I didn’t have to do in high school.” Ligon learned how to manage his time and grew to be a successful engineering student, but his final goal still lurked just out of reach – an internship at NASA. “Academics freshman year had bogged me down, and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be doing,” Ligon said. “Did I want to be doing engineering? Did I want to be doing aerospace engineering?”
“ LIFESTYLES
I would tell (younger me) to take more risks, to go out on a limb more. You never know what’s going to happen until you try.
Ryan Ligon junior, aerospace engineering One conversation with his professor later, Ligon found a place to belong. He worked with a team that built and launched a satellite on a NASA rocket. Ligon and his team created a digital mechanical design, but the launch was ultimately canceled. Regardless, he valued his time working with students who are passionate about aero-
space engineering “I used to not be the one to go and take initiative to see if I could do something like that,” Ligon said. “It was good to see (the risk) paid off.” From an earthly viewpoint, Ligon can see all of the work he’s logged in has been worth it. Although Ligon said he struggled to adjust in his freshman year of school, he also said that he was glad to have taken the path he did. Anything else might not have brought him to the desk he occupies this summer at NASA’s Langley offices. “I would tell (younger me) to take more risks, to go out on a limb more,” Ligon said. “You never know what’s going to happen until you try – it sounds cliché but it’s true.” After fi rst seeing dreams achieved in “October Sky” and then in his own life, Ligon has pushed himself to search for more. Seeing the Earth in perspective from space has helped Ligon in that regard. “To borrow from the famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, ‘Not only are we in the universe, but the universe is in us,’” Ligon said. “I don’t really know of anything else that brings such a deeper, more spiritual feeling to me than that very fact. That’s what drives and inspires me, and so many others, in our daily work at NASA.”
August 1, 2013
Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Zach Mariner Managing Editor Cameron Austin Design Editor Brad Klodowski News Editor Kelly Cline Features Editor Carla Craft Sports Editor Rachel Franks
Erick Green heads to Italy for a year to develop skills
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RACHEL FRANKS sports editor
Erick Green has signed a one-year contract to play for Montepaschi Siena, in Italy, for the 2013-14 season. The Utah Jazz drafted Green in the second round of the NBA draft in June on behalf of the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets, who have recently acquired guards Nate Robenison and Randy Foye, have decided to send Green to the Euroleague net season. They will retain their rights to Green for the 2014-15 season. Green played for the Nuggets in the NBA Las Vegas summer league this past month and averaged 21.7 minutes with 9.3 points and 1.8 assists in six games. Montepaschi Siena went through a rebuilding season last year, but still won the Italian League Championship for the seventh consecutive time. Last season there were three Americans on the team: Bobby Brown, Matt Janning and Dionte Christmas. All three of them went undrafted
out of college. In Italy, Green will be making a six-figure salary and get more playing time. Green told Ronaoke Times’ Mark Berman that he hopes to develop more in Italy. “They signed Nate Robinson, so instead of me sitting on the bench or playing in the D-League, I can go overseas for a year and … get better, come back next year and get a spot,” Green said. “It’s going to be benefit me a lot.” Malcom Delaney, a fellow Hokie and Green’s former teammate, who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany, is excited that Green will be in Europe with him. “just got the news i will be playing my lil bro @egreen11vt 1st rd euroleague... congrats on signing,” Delaney tweeted. Green is not letting kill his dream of playing in the NBA. “I’ve still got a chance to play in the (NBA). I’ve got to do this for one year, get better,” he told Berman. “The NBA’s a different game. There’s some things I need to work on to be able to play at that high level.
SPORTS
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 receives no funding from the university.
FILE MAR. 2013 / SPPS
Virginia Tech guard Erick Green (11) battles through traffic in an attempt to score in an ACC Tournament game against N.C. State.
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4 August 1, 2013
Tech sophomore midfielder competes for national squad RACHEL FRANKS
LIFESTYLES
collegiatetimes.com
sports editor
Virginia Tech midfielder Ashley Meier started playing soccer at the age of four, when her parents signed her up for a co-ed rec team. Now she is competing around the world for the United States' U20 national team. The sophomore midfielder from Middleburg Heights, Ohio has loved soccer since she first started playing. “I was just really young and I absolutely loved it,” Meier said. “I was fast enough, I was quick and I could score goals.” Soccer is in Meier’s blood, as her father coached her up until high school and her older sister plays for the University of Pittsburgh. Meier got the attention of the U.S. national soccer pool at an early age. She started out by going to different camps, where a couple of girls were called to move on to other camps. Meier was called back to camp after camp and continued to train hard — by the age of 14 she was called back to the national team and has been playing there ever since. In high school, Meier excelled as a four-year letterwinner and two-time All-American. Her senior year, she won Ohio’s Ms. Soccer and the State of Ohio Player of the Year. During middle and high school and Meier also played on the Cleveland Whitecaps club team for six years Through the national pool, Meier had the chance to meet some of the U.S.’s great female soccer payers. She got to meet Abby Wambach, who is her favorite player, Alex Morgan, Christie Rampone and Megan Rapinoe. Wambach is Meier’s favorite, but she says her playing style is more like Shannon Boxx, a midfielder for the U.S. national team. “I want to mimic her style of play, but I also want to have Abby’s dedication and mindset of being such a leader and role model to everyone,” Meier said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOKIESPORTS.COM
Ashley Meier (15) goes up for a header against UNC-Wilmington. Meier has been able to travel around the world and play in different tournaments due to her status on the national team. She had the chance to play in Japan, and enjoyed it but said there was some culture shock and that her feet hung off the bed. This March, Meier traveled to Spain with the U20 national team to play in a training camp to prepare for the 2014 World Cup in Canada. The U.S. team went 0-1-2, but Meier enjoyed herself and learned a lot. “Playing internationally is amazing and I hope everyone gets the chance to do it,” she said. “The biggest thing is when you play international teams — we played Germany, Norway and Sweden — is they have a completely different style of play then the United States. It was just great experience to see how they play. “We didn’t do as well as we hoped we lost to Germany by quite a bit, but it was a great experience to get the international style of play,” Meier said. “To see the world in general because it was so different from here, but when you come
home it’s a good feeling.” Th is trip was supposed to help the U.S. team prepare for the World Cup next year. Meier hopes she will have the chance to play in the cup. “That’s definitely a goal of mine, that’s been a goal ever since I was really young, to play in a World Cup, ” Meier said. “It’s in Canada, so it’s not to far away, but it’s next year so that’s not too far away either. They are trying to formulate a team and get the best players they can. So, if I ever get that chance to be called back in I want to make an impact and play in that for sure.” Blacksburg is around six hours away from Strongville, Ohio, which is the perfect distance for Meier. She said when she first started looking at schools, distance was one of the most important factors. Playing for the national team, Meier’s parents rarely got to see her games, so she wanted to make sure she was close enough to home for her parents to come to games. Meier got a lot of different scholarship offers, but once see MEIER / page eight
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It wasn’t until the death of Trayvon Martin that people started to hear the name Oscar Grant III. He was fatally shot by a police officer in Oakland, California in the early hours of January 1, 2009. The event was spread across the web via cellphone videos that witnesses uploaded. The event sparked outrage in the community and brought into question if race was the main factor in him being questioned in the first place. “Fruitvale Station” chronicles the life of Grant the day before he was shot to death by a police officer after a fight broke out on the local tram system, BART. It shows Grant, played by Michael B. Jordan, throughout the day preparing for his mom’s birthday dinner, dropping off his daughter at daycare and picking up his girlfriend from work. Doesn’t seem like a guy who deserves to be shot, right? The film starts out showing the real footage of Grant being shot. The screen turns black as soon as the fatal gunshot is heard. In order to help the audience keep up with the time and keeping the film more focused on Grant, they show what time it is whenever he takes out his phone and they also show whom he is talking to. This was a neat way to help the audience understand what was happening in Grant’s last day on Earth without jumping to all these other places. The film, for more dramatic effect I am assuming, has a lot of mute points
where music is either playing, a train is moving or Grant is just driving in his car. These scenes seemed to be ones to just take up more time, as the movie is only an hour and 25 minutes. I would rather the movie be shorter than just seeing these scenes that don’t add anything to the film. What I liked about the way the movie was filmed was that it was raw and didn’t try to fluff or make the whole event seem happy. It had its sweet moments but those were far and few between. This movie was depressing and I am glad the director made sure to show the audience exactly how it was for Grant. No sugar coating is very important when it comes to retelling these tragic tales. One part of the film, that has become a huge topic recently in the wake of Martin’s death, is how these mothers have to tell their children how to behave in order to not draw attention to themselves. The film showed Grant’s mother, played by Octavia Spencer, worried about her son getting in trouble again. She didn’t like him talking on the phone while he was driving and also suggested to him taking the train. This film is real and tells a story that everyone should hear. Race is still a huge issue in today’s society and something has to change so no more innocent people lose their lives because of the color of their skin.
August 1, 2013
life of shooting victim comes to light in new film
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5
watch: Fruitvale Station
6 August 1, 2013
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Anthony Weiner saga should come to an end Over the past two weeks, the American public has been graced by the face of the world’s worst mayoral candidate: Anthony Weiner. A Democratic candidate for the coveted mayor of New York City position, Weiner is best known for “sexting” and e-dating several women upon his exit from the House of Representatives. The number of women he “sexted” is said to be unidentifiable. Regarding the issue, Weiner said, “There are more than – there are a few. I don’t have a specific number for you... sometimes they didn’t go consistently. Whatever.” Well, he should care a lot about his poll numbers, which, according to the Huffington Post, have dropped his spotted campaign down to fourth place. This is not fourth in the entire race for mayor; he controls fourth place in the democratic primary. Evidently, more people care about this issue than he seems to. I don’t seem to see the relevance of this issue outside of New York City. It yielded plenty of laughs, as the Clintons and most political talk shows beg Weiner to throw in the towel. However, according to various sources, Weiner feels he can bounce back from this scandal, just as Herman Cain did in the 2012 Republican primary…oh, wait. My columns continue to preach about taking responsibility for one’s actions, and frankly, Weiner is not doing that at all. Actually, Weiner continues to deny
how destructive his actions were to his own livelihood and campaign. The woman at the center of the Anthony Weiner scandal, Sydney Leathers, described him as a “perpetually horny, middle-aged man” on television. The media definitely helped make this weird and convoluted story a national issue. However, it probably should not be one. Political scandals stick in the minds of everyone involved and everyone watching. For example, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell attempting to bounce back from all of the “gifts” he received throughout his campaign. Although McDonnell currently holds the office, his presidential aspirations are severely hindered. Weiner does not have the same luxury as a candidate. If this were any other person, they would be turned in and arrested or completely unknown to the public eye. However, due to the fact that Weiner is a well-known public figure, this automatically makes him a news story. If running for mayor does not work out, I am sure there are several independent films that are looking for a director with a dirty mind. RYAN TURK - regular columnist - junior - BIT major
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Anthony Weiner speaks at a press conference in June 2011.
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Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Block a foolish suggestion. Resist pouring money on a problem. Watch out for mistakes in math. Learn from loved ones, too. Your imagination kicks in. Some ideas are duds, but some could actually work. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You'll know how to proceed later. Slow and easy does it. Start by fi xing something at home. Keep your unusual ideas to yourself for now. Don't run out and spend, either. Relax. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You manage to navigate gracefully. Don't do it for the money, or pay for someone else. You're gaining skills. Plans could go awry. Your partner redecorates. Dispel nervous energy through exercise. Do it for love.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Be careful with your money. Don't spend it all in one place. It could get embarrassing. Clean house and erase a source of irritation. Come up with a new idea. Put in a correction. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) If it gets uncomfortable or confrontational, you must be pushing your boundaries. Ask a female friend. You're gaining skills. Don't touch savings or go shopping. Your imagination sparkles. Set old worries aside. Aries (March 21-April 19) You see the path more clearly. Nonetheless, it's not a good time to go racing off on an adventure. Plan to follow up on it later. Use all that stuff you've been saving.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Let your imagination run wild. Provide motivation to a slacker, and get him or her moving. Take advantage. Social activities drain reserves. You don't get as much as planned. Friends come to your rescue again. Gemini (May 21-June 20) You wonder how to get everything done. Don't get intimidated or arrogant. An older person makes an interesting proposition. Imagine an inspiring future. Proceed with caution and determination, one step at a time. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Postpone expansion for now. Let others run errands or provide support. Don't gamble now, even on a sure thing. There's a potential confl ict. Get together to share a relaxing meal with friends.
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Thursday, August 1, 2013
XKCD by Randall Munroe
Regular Edition Today’s Birthday (08/01/13). Bustling career action balances your next year, which centers on home and family. Return to basics. Expand social horizons for amazing shared experiences. Home renovation or relocation succeeds. Avoid new debt. Study and expand your skills. With facts in mind, choose from your heart.
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45 Revolved around 46 Gelid treat 49 Mean 51 Revels 53 Biomedical research org. 54 Leaves off the guest list 56 Rapper who said, “the ‘P.’ was getting between me and my fans”
67 Maidstone’s county 68 Some MIT grads 69 Beau 70 Mid-month time
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ACROSS 1 Certain blocker’s target 5 Chaste 11 Spotted, to Tweety 14 Fix 15 “Finished!” 16 Lacto-__ vegetarian 17 Spring blossom 18 *Publicist, often 20 QB’s scores 21 Actress Zadora 22 At the pawn shop 23 *Have nowhere to go but up 27 Minuscule bits
50 Carried 52 Foreshadowers 55 *Place for a row of potted plants 57 Everything, so they say 59 Small songbird 60 Place for drips, briefly 61 It suggests the vowel pattern in the five starred answers 64 Mil. plane requiring minimal runway space 65 Cooler 66 What Bonnie and Clyde came to
28 Represented, with “for” 29 Jewish wedding favorite 31 “Star Trek: DSN” character 32 Oakley with a gun 34 *1952 Cooper classic 37 Shore scavenger 39 “Git!” 40 *Shared 44 One of a Dumas trio 47 Sun, in Sonora 48 One of two elimination games
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DOWN 1 Metalworkers 2 “101 Dalmatians” mother 3 “Bruce Almighty” actress 4 Docs 5 Call on 6 Sci-fi psychic 7 Star Wars abbr. 8 Mounds of pounds 9 “... __ quote:” 10 Actress Téa 11 Glinda’s reassurance to Dorothy 12 Guacamole fruit 13 Attempts to sway 19 Comic Margaret 21 Conductor’s place 24 Drum heard around a fire 25 “I’m impressed!” 26 Some hosp. pics 30 Muslim official 33 Bark beetle victims 35 Search engine launched by Wired magazine in 1996 36 “Ain’t gonna happen” 38 MGM co-founder 40 Tritium, to hydrogen 41 Oscar night hopeful 42 Twain, at birth 43 Abbr. between a first and last name, maybe
58 Annoying insect 62 Two-time ETO commander 63 Blues-rocker Chris 64 Word with run or jump
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WORDSEARCH: N64 Games Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.
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WORD BANK 1 Tony Hawk 2 Hey You Pikachu 3 Mario Party 4 Banjo Kazooie 5 Zelda 6 Donkey Kong 7 Pokemon Stadium 8 Harvest Moon 9 Pokemon Snap 10 Super Smash Bros 11 Starfox 12 Rayman 13 Mario Kart 14 Kirby 15 Yoshi’s Story
8 August 1, 2013
Meier: Standout hopes to improve
collegiatetimes.com
from page four
she visited Tech, she knew Blacksburg would be her new home. “When I came here I literally left and was like ‘Dad I want to commit,’” Meier said. “I absolutely loved it. I feel like everyone is so nice around here. In Cleveland, you don’t see cross walks where every one will stop for you, they’ll just blow right by. I came here it was a completely different atmosphere, with such a beautiful campus, so I fell in love.” Coming in to her freshmen season Meier was already known as a national player, but did not want her reputation to define her. “I knew I had expectations, but I didn’t want to be someone who was seen as above everyone else,” she admitted. “I wanted to come in being modest and just prove my self
to them, not just being know as a name.” Meier certainly proved she was more then just a name during her freshman season. She started 18 games and was on VaSID All-State second team. She also became the second freshman ever to win All-ACC second team and All-ACC freshmen team honors for the Hokies. The women's soccer team had a good season last year, ending the season ranked No. 25 in the nation. They made it to the NCAA tournament for the fift h consecutive year, but lost in overtime to Georgetown in the first round. Meier took the loss to heart. “We were like, ‘Oh my gosh we took it this far and we lose in a last-minute goal,’” she said. “It comes to show we need to come together and be that blue-collar team who goes after every single scrap-
py ball. We need to put everything on the line, because we never want to feel that way again.” After the hard loss that ended last season, Meier has set high goals for the coming year. “I want to go past the sweet sixteen this year, I want to be in the top half of the ACC, I want to win all out of conference games and I want us to score some amazing goals, more amazing then they have ever been in the past,” Meier declared. She has no doubt that the team can accomplish all they set out to. “I think we can do it,” she said. “We have strong forwards, a strong team from the front line to the back line, and I think we will have no problem beating some highranked and ACC teams this year. We are ready to come out and have a great season.”
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Football: Ticket sales dwindle; freshmen benefit from page one
Tech has historically prided itself on solid attendance and a rabid student section, so the sudden decline this year came as a surprise to many. According to a poll conducted on the Class of 2014’s Facebook page, the most overwhelming answer to that would be the lack of a Thursday night game this year. “Thursday night games are a staple of modern Virginia Tech football,” said Johnathan Cace, a senior in engineering science and mechanics. “The ACC doesn’t get many night games and those games bring national exposure, a fact which is not lost on the players and fans but apparently is lost on (athletic director) Jim Weaver.” This is the first season since 2001 (while VT was still in the Big East) that Lane Stadium won’t host a Thursday night game. Weaver has mentioned in prior interviews that he had requested a Thursday night game off this season to ease the burden on some fans who previously weren’t able to attend, such as those with children in school. Another perceived reason for the declined student season ticket sales is the supposedly weak home schedule Tech has lined up for this season.
According to college football guru Phil Steele, the team’s strength of schedule ranking for the upcoming season stands at 59th out of 126 teams. Tech’s lackluster home schedule and possible lack of a night game this year is leaving some students less than impressed. “Good games are only as good as the opponents we play,” said Zack Flory, a senior communication major. “It just doesn’t make sense to spend top dollar to see us play creampuffs.” The decline in interest for season tickets hasn’t been limited to the student base, however. The Hokie Club, Tech’s athletic fundraising and exterior season ticket distribution department, saw its lowest number of members since 1999. The numbers for February of 2013 included 10,369 members compared to an average of 11,534 members from 20002011. There were 9,532 members in 1999. Although unable to offer exact up-to-date numbers, a spokesperson for the Hokie Club noted that membership numbers had crept up to 10,411 by the end of March 2013. She was unable to comment on the reason for the unprecedented drop in membership.