Friday, September 20, 2013 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Friday, September 20, 2013

The Collegiate Times’ comprehensive guide to Virginia Tech Football

www.collegiatetimes.com

THE ONE CONSTANT:

TECH’S DEFENSE KEEPS THE TEAM AFLOAT JACOB EMERT sports editor

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

James Gayle celebrates after his game-sealing sack late in the fourth quarter against East Carolina last Saturday. He had two sacks total.

YOUNG RECEIVERS ADJUST WELL TO THEIR NEW ROLES

BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS

JAMES O’HARA contributing sports reporter

For the second year in a row, the only consistency in the Virginia Tech Hokies passing game is quarterback Logan Thomas. After working with all new starting receivers in 2012, Thomas again has to break in a new group this season. Of the five receivers who have received the bulk of the Hokies playing time, only two — D.J. Coles and Demitri Knowles — caught more than one pass before this season. With Coles still struggling with a knee injury that kept him out for all of 2012, the Hokies have had to rely on inexperience. Tech has two redshirt freshmen — Joshua Stanford and Charley Meyer — among their main receiving corps, though Meyer is currently sidelined with a hamstring

injury. With Meyer’s injury, redshirt junior Willie Byrn, who earned his scholarship this fall, has stepped up to take on a larger role in the offense. With such an inexperienced group, the Hokies have had trouble early on establishing a good rapport between Thomas and his receivers. But Thomas can defi nitely see improvement from weekto-week. “I’m gaining confidence when they gain confidence,” Thomas said. “It kind of gives me peace that if I have put it out there, then they’re going to do their best to make a play.” However, there is still a long way to go to establish a legitimate passing threat — and receivers aren’t pretending otherwise.

see WRs / page 2

see DEFENSE / page 3

JOURNELL PREPARED TO REBOUND ZACH MARINER sports staff writer

It’s not uncommon for a college football player who has an off day to refuse media interviews after the game. But that wasn’t the case for Virginia Tech senior kicker Cody Journell, who missed two field goals and an extra point during last Saturday’s 15-10 win over East Carolina. “Honestly, it’s probably the worst game I’ve ever played my whole career,” Journell said afterward. “I apologized to the team for it, they were all behind me, but I told them I would get on it this week and make sure it never happened again.”

Demitri Knowles (80) set career highs in both yards and receptions.

fter both the special teams and offense failed to seal the deal last Saturday against East Carolina, the task fell on the broad shoulders of the defense. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The defense rose to the occasion. Two plays, two sacks, a safety and a win: the lunch pail way. “Great back end pressure making (ECU quarterback Shane Carden) hold it, snugging up receivers,” defensive line coach Charley Wiles said, referring to what allowed defensive end James Gayle to make the game’s decisive play. “We’ve have some older guys that can get pressure. James finally had a game that we’ve been pushing him to have, and that’s the biggest thing is making the quarterback hold the ball.” The Hokies’ defense is the second best in the nation, allowing just over 190 yards per game. Their seven interceptions — three of which came at the hands of true freshman cornerback Brandon Facyson — are tied for the second most in the country. “Everybody knows about (the rankings). Everybody’s heard, but honestly those are our expectations here,” said senior linebacker and captain Jack Tyler. “We expect to be the top defense in the country.” In the past five games, the Hokies defense hasn’t per-

mitted an opposing offense to gain more than 217 total yards of offense. Opponents averaged 197 yards per game against Tech in that time. Perhaps more obvious than in any year prior, the defense is the greatest determining factor between a win and a loss, a trend that doesn’t seem likely to stop until Thomas, the rest of the offense and new coordinator Scot Loeffler coagulate. Since the beginning of the 2012 season — after offensive stars Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale and David Wilson left Blacksburg — offensive production has been relatively non-existent. Many attribute the lack of offensive success to quarterback Logan Thomas, but the blame more appropriately falls to the lack of playmakers surrounding him. The non existent offense led to a 7-6 season in 2012 — the worst in 20 years of Tech football history. But it was a year that could’ve easily been worse had defensive coordinator Bud Foster’s squad not saved the day. So far in 2013, the story has been more of the same. Against No. 1 Alabama in late August, the Hokies surrendered 35 points. Only 14 of the 35 came against Tech’s defense. “I think it just comes with Coach Foster,” said senior defensive end J.R. Collins. “He spends a lot of time watching film and coming up with a good game plan

“

Honestly, it’s probably the worst game I’ve ever played, my whole career.” Cody Journell Kicker

Coming into the game, the Giles, Va. native had hit 36 of his 44 career field goal attempts and 84 of his 87 extra point attempts, dating back to 2011. He had also never missed back-to-back attempts in his career until Saturday. “I felt like I did everything I usually do, but it’s just one of those days I guess,” Journell said. “It’s defi nitely something mechanical. I just have to go back and look at it.” Journell’s problems started after Logan Thomas hit D.J. Coles for a three-yard touchdown midway through

the third quarter to give the Hokies a 13-10 lead. Journell’s extra point attempt sailed wide left. One possession later, after a Brandon Facyson interception in ECU territory, Journell’s 38-yard field goal attempt missed wide right. Then, after Tech’s defense forced a three-and-out, Thomas marched the team 43 yards before Journell missed yet again, this time from 40 yards out. “I guess that’s what sets good kickers and bad kickers apart,” Journell said. “I wanted to go back out there and redeem myself and get my rhythm. It just wasn’t happening today.” Journell missed what would’ve been a third field goal on the ensuing possession, but had it negated by a running into the kicker penalty. “He hurt his lower back here early in the week, but I don’t think that was it,” said head coach Frank Beamer. “I think, maybe, the protection we need to clean up. They were getting in there a little too far and he got sidetracked there. That’s not like him. He’s way too good.” Way too good isn’t far from accurate — not only has he made 78.3 percent of his career field goal tries, he’s also been mighty important for the Hokies in the past two seasons. He hit game-winning field goals against Georgia Tech, Virginia and Rutgers in 2012, as well as a game-tying kick against Boston College that sent that contest into overtime. Despite his struggles Saturday, Journell’s teammates are behind him going forward.

BEN WEIDLICH/ SPPS

Cody Journell (89) struggled mightily on Saturday against ECU. “I have no problem with Cody,” Thomas said. “Last year Cody won what, two, three games for us — three games that I know of. “I talked to him, we’re good friends. He was like ‘It was just a miserable day.’ And I was like ‘Yeah, I’ll have a couple of those every now and then.’ I said ‘You’ll hear it, but just block it out and move onto the next one.” Journell appreciated, but wasn’t surprised by, his teammates’ reaction. “They’re not going to hold it

against you,” he said. “We’re all teammates. We’re all brothers. They’d come up to me on the sideline in between and tell me it’s going to be okay. They had my back. “After the game I just looked at them and said, ‘Hey guys, it’s not going to happen again. I know you guys pulled through this game, but you’re going to need me in another one so I’ll make sure I’ll be there for you.’”

@ZachMariner

september 20, 2013

BABY STEPS:

WRs: YOUNG CORPS PROVIDES OPTIONS

LOGAN THOMAS’ RETURN TO FORM

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

Willie Byrn (82) has become a regular target for Logan Thomas. from page one

BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS

Logan Thomas (3) had his best game of the season last week at ECU, throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday.

The maligned quarterback is finally starting to look like his old self after a good game against the Pirates ALEX KOMA sports editor

Even the best quarterbacks agree that succeeding at the position requires an almost unhealthy amount of confidence. But ever since his breakout season in 2011, Logan Thomas has been one unconfident quarterback. That all started to change against East Carolina. In his first two games this season, Thomas completed just 22 of 57 passes for 259 yards and a lone touchdown. On Saturday, he managed to eclipse nearly all of those numbers, completing 25 passes for 258 yards and two scores. Those aren’t exactly mind-blowing stats, but they’re a positive sign for a quarterback that has desperately

needed something to get excited about recently. “Everything was clicking,” Thomas said. “I felt comfortable all day long. I was able to just throw it around the yard.” This comfort level is something that’s been sorely lacking from Thomas’ game for the better part of the last year. But now, he’s finally started to feel in tune with new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. “We were kind of on the same page, I kind of knew what he was going to call,” Thomas said. “At one point in time, I got on the headset, and I knew exactly what his thoughts were for the next coming up possession. That’s how it’s supposed to be, how you’re supposed to understand each other.” Th is confidence was especially on display early in the third quarter when

he told Loeffler one key phrase. “I just came to the sideline after our first drive in the third quarter and I said ‘Throw it,’” Thomas said. “That’s all I said to coach and he said the same thing back and I guess from then on we threw the ball the majority of the time and we felt that we had the advantage in the passing game.” Part of this newfound familiarity stems from Thomas’ growing experience with Loeffler’s system of progressions, the proscribed order in which Thomas has to look for each receiver before delivering the ball. “We would have progressions (in the old offense), but they weren’t talked about in the same way as we talk about them now,” Thomas said. “They really run the offense, how we throw the football, so I feel a lot more confident and a lot more comfortable in this new way.”

see THOMAS / page 3

“I still feel like we’ve got a lot more trust to build, but I feel like it’s starting to click,” Knowles said. That inconsistency is evident in the stat line. In the season opener against Alabama, the Hokies had four players catch a pass. The next week against Western Carolina, 10 players caught a pass. “It’s a new offense and this is game three,” Coles said. “We’re going to have a couple kinks in the beginning but we’re just working them out.” With his injury moving him into a reduced role, Coles, a senior, has taken it upon himself to be a mentor to his younger teammates. “I tell them ‘Just keep working. If you drop a ball, there’s going to be another play and opportunity to make another catch.’ We have to work on our craft each and every day,” Coles said. One receiver who has been singled out for having that “just keep working” mentality is Byrn. He earned himself the nickname “The Paperboy” from offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler because of his consistent, hard work approach in

practice and games. And he always delivers. “Last week, he did a great job of just doing what he was supposed to do,” said Thomas. “For the underneath stuff, he does a great job of knowing where he needs to be and that’s the type of person we’ve got to have in that situation.” For head coach Frank Beamer, it is that consistency that the receivers need to establish going forward. “My deal is if you can do it one time you can do it every time, so I don’t think anything is keeping us from doing it every time. I just think concentrate and let’s go play,” Beamer said. Despite the struggles in the stat line, Thomas can feel things coming together for the passing game. “We’re putting things together. We’re getting better every week and I can’t complain other than that,” Thomas said. With only one more game before ACC play starts, the receivers will be looking to demonstrate the improvement they’ve made since week one.

@nextyeardc

september 20, 2013

LINE STILL FORMING COHESION BRITTANY KEUP sports staff writer

In last week’s game versus the East Carolina Pirates, the Hokies offensive line continued to be inconsistent and struggled with the run game. Tech’s two touchdown drives went 11 plays for 70 yards in the first quarter, and 10 plays for 75 yards in the third, with multiple mistakes occurring in between that kept the Hokies from staying consistent. One notable switch for the Hokies was the fact that freshman Laurence Gibson lost his starting job to redshirt junior Brent Benedict, and the new line combination was surely part of the unit’s initial struggles. Benedict initially worked at guard for the Hokies, but when the coaching staff tried him out at tackle, they liked what they saw. “He surprised me,” said offensive line coach Jeff Grimes. “He did a little bit better at tackle even than he had played at guard. I think he might be a little bit more natural of a tackle than a guard … He uses his hands better and he’s got really good strength but just seems to utilize his skills a little bit better when he’s playing a little bit more in space.”

Many thought Benedict would start on the line initially, but when Andrew Miller moved to guard and David Wang moved to center, he quickly found himself without a job. But that didn’t stop him from working hard.

“

(Benedict) was a guy who didn’t quit working when he didn’t win a starting job initially.” Jeff Grimes Offensive Line Coach

“He was a guy who didn’t quit working when he didn’t win a starting job initially,” Grimes said. Benedict was forced to take reps at tackle when the presumptive starter at right tackle, Mark Shuman, suffered a major knee injury. The injury forced the former guard to try a position he hadn’t played since high school. Benedict saw some playing time quickly in the game against Western Carolina. His continual improvements prompted Grimes to insert him into the starting lineup, and though he’s shown some flashes, he still has plenty of room for

THOMAS: PASSER’S COMFORT GROWS from page one However, he hasn’t worked all the kinks out just yet. “I think I had two missed progressions,” Thomas said. “It wasn’t anything catastrophic, I’ve just got to keep getting better and keep refining it because the two that I missed could’ve been 10 plus yard plays.” Thomas also left a little to be desired with his vision. One of his throws late in the fourth quarter was nearly intercepted for a touchdown by ECU’s Montese Overton when he tried to hit running back Chris Mangus. “I didn’t even see him,” Thomas said. “Apparently he rushed the tackle and then he faded out so I didn’t see him through the tackle, but he made a good play. Thankfully he didn’t make the best play possible.” But the one interception that Thomas did throw wasn’t entirely his fault. The quarterback tried another deep pass to receiver Demitri Knowles that ended up being picked off. “I should’ve jumped up for it but I kind of fell a little bit and I should have jumped,” Knowles said. “So I’ll take that one.” With the exception of that failure, the receivers played remarkably well against the Pirates. “Demitri made a couple tough catches, Josh (Stanford) made a couple tough catches and (Willie Byrn), he’s as dependable as the day is long,” said head coach Frank Beamer. Knowles and Byrn had par-

540-552-7002

ticularly good games, as they caught eight balls for 99 yards and seven for 63 yards respectively. “I’m gaining confidence when they gain confidence,” Thomas said. “The more I see them with smiles on their faces when they’re out there on the practice field or game field, I know they’re having fun.” Despite the interception, Knowles had the best statistical game of his young career, and he’s finally starting get in sync with Thomas. “I still feel like we’ve got a lot more trust to build, but I feel like it’s starting to click,” Knowles said. Byrn has also developed into a dependable short-yardage target for Thomas. “For the underneath stuff, he does a great job of knowing where he needs to be and that’s the type of person we’ve got to have in that situation,” Thomas said. “You can always count on him to be where he’s supposed to be and then make the play.” Yet with a matchup looming against a Thundering Herd defense that’s allowed the fift h fewest yards in the country, both Thomas and his receivers will have to be especially sharp on Saturday. “I’ve got to be able to go through all my stuff and at the same time those receivers have got to be able to do their thing and paint the picture for me,” Thomas said. “We’ve just got to go out there and do what we do.”

@AlexKomaVT

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improvement. “I’m making some adjustments and getting used to it,” Benedict said. “And that comes with time and reps in practice and in games.” But the line’s struggles aren’t solely on Benedict’s shoulders, however. This is still a new unit that is struggling to work together well. “In the game I played, there were a lot of holes,” running back J.C. Coleman said. “They even got a lot of push against Alabama as well. I know it was kind of tough in the ECU game, but I know they’re going to bounce back this week and have a better game.” It also didn’t help that the Pirates were determined to stop the run by putting eight defenders in the box on many plays. “They had a lot of people up around the line of scrimmage and they weren’t going to let us run,” Beamer said. “They have good people over there, but we have to be good BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS enough to do what we did David Wang (76) and the rest of the offensive line are still working on establishing consistency up front. and go throw the ball down the field when they’re playing of 42 yards through the entire offense, they still have a lot I told you last week, maybe you that tight.” game. of things to improve upon it’ll get more attractive as the The Hokies racked up a “None of us are pleased before playing Marshall at year goes along. We’re not meager 53 rushing yards with where we are run- home this Saturday. pretty yet,” Beamer said. against ECU, and the longest ning the football based “It’s a tough place to play run of the game came from on that game,” Grimes against a good football team Trey Edmunds for 13 yards. said. and hang in there and not @CTSportsTalk Edmunds rushed for a total Despite attempts by the always play pretty. But, like

HEAD TO HEAD Collegiate Times sports editors face off with their weekly game predictions. Find out why they made their picks.

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

JACOB EMERT

W SPORTS EDITOR

When Hokies’ fans watch Marshall this weekend they’ll notice similarities to last weeks opponent, East Carolina. The Thundering Herd and ECU both run highpaced offenses, but the main difference between the two is simply this: Marshall is a better football team. Offensively, defensively and on special teams, Marshall is a more fundamentally sound team. The Herd average five yards a play on the ground — a part of the game ECU struggled to get going throughout — while limiting their opponents to less than two yards an attempt. Granted, Marshall hasn’t faced a competitor with the same level of talent as

the Hokies, but with Tech fresh off a week in which they struggled to move the ball on the ground, this may be a major concern. Marshall, led by quarterback Rakeem Cato, who has thrown seven touchdowns and just two interceptions on the year, average 46 points a game while giving up just 16. If they find success in turning the Hokies into a one-dimensional passing team, something their defensive line coach J.C. Price, a former Hokies star, will attempt to do, major responsibility will fall on the still somewhat unproven passing game. The Hokies will win Saturday, 17-10, after Logan Thomas and the passing game continues to improve and the defense puts together another lights out performance, but for the second straight week it won’t be easy.

@ @JacobEmert

W Last week’s game against ECU was an ugly, hard fought win for the Hokies, and while many people think this weekend’s matchup with Marshall will be a blowout, Tech could be in for more of the same. The Pirates boasted a complicated spread offense that confused Bud Foster’s defense at times and a stout run defense that stymied Tech’s rushing attack. The Thundering Herd has many of the same qualities. Marshall is currently fift h in the country in total defense, and has only allowed 201 rushing yards all year — that’s 52 fewer yards than the

ALEX KOMA SPORTS EDITOR Hokies have yielded so far. The team is also No. 20 in the nation in offensive yards per game, and is currently averaging 46 points per game. But, much like East Carolina, these impressive statistics come with a big caveat. The Thundering Herd has done all this against teams like Miami (Ohio), Gardener-Webb and Ohio. They even lost their most recent game to the Bobcats 34-31. In short, Foster’s defense should make quick work of the Herd, especially since the game will take place in Blacksburg. Logan Thomas and the rest of the offense might struggle once again, but this should still be a relatively easy win for the Hokies.

@ @AlexKomaVT

september 20, 2013

SECONDARY STAYS STRONG

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Jonathan McLaughlin @jglock1993 Going to enjoy this win and get better tomorrow. TREVOR WHITE / SPP Brandon Facyson (31) comes down with his second interception of the game. The true freshman has three picks on the year.

BROOKS AKER sports staff writer

The secondary for Virginia Tech has been terrific through the first three games this year. If not for stellar defensive line play, they might be considered the best defensive unit on the team. What’s so impressive about the secondary is that it has performed so well against topranked Alabama, who passed for 334 yards last week against sixth-ranked Texas A&M, and a couple of open spread offenses. And, lest we forget, two true freshmen are playing significant snaps for defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. Cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson have each been thrown into the fire and have responded remarkably well. After a shaky start on the first drive last week against East Carolina, the Hokies defense regrouped, allowing only 129 yards for the rest of the game. The game had a similar feel to the 2009 Orange Bowl against Cincinnati, when the Bearcats scored on their first drive in 90 seconds and couldn’t move the ball the rest of the game. “After the first drive I was very pleased,” Gray said about

the secondary’s play against ECU. Facyson added that the Hokies adjusted to the tempo well and were able to slow ECU down after the initial flurry. One reason for the marked improvement after the fi rst drive was the changes from the coaching staff. “Coach (Gray) called me on the phone and was like, ‘If you see this, do this,’” freshman corner Brandon Facyson said. “And I saw that the next drive and I ran inside of it and picked it. The second time, Bonner made a heck of play on the out cut and the ball just sat in the air. I just had to make a play.” After spending the spring semester in Blacksburg, the extra reps in practice and in the weight room are paying dividends for Facyson. Th rough his first three collegiate games, Facyson has recorded three interceptions and very nearly had a fourth when he tried jumping a Pirates’ receivers curl route. “Coach always tells us, you got to play aggressive. Play smart, though,” Facyson said. “I felt like I had a chance. I actually tipped the ball. My hand grazed the ball. He got it off, but next time I’m coming for it.” With the pressure the defen-

sive line was generating, the Hokies were able to take advantage. All quarterbacks struggle to complete passes when they face duress, including accurate players like East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden, who threw his first three interceptions of the season against the Hokies. Facyson’s ability to find the ball has garnered praise from his coach and from teammates. “Some guys have a magnet for the ball and he may be that guy,” Gray said. “Right now it seems to be finding him and he’s making the plays and obviously it helps us out.” According to defensive end James Gayle, Facyson brings to mind a great former Hokies cornerback that now plays in the NFL. “He’s reminding me of Jayron Hosley because Hosley would walk away with a couple of picks every game. Hopefully he’ll continue to grow and help the team.” If the Hokies can get the same kind of production from Facyson and the rest of the secondary that they have seen lately, it’ll provide a great asset this weekend against Marshall.

DEFENSE: FOSTER’S UNIT MASKS SHORTCOMINGS

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

James Gayle (99) harassed ECU quarterback Shane Carden all afternoon in Tech’s game Saturday. @BrooksAker

from page one and he just forces us to execute in practice.” “I feel the offense is coming along,” defensive end James Gayle said. “Everybody’s not yet used to the scheme and there’s a lot of young guys but they’ll step up and we’ll have both offense and defense. I don’t think we really bailed them out. They could’ve put more points on the board (against ECU), but I feel like they did a good job of just driving the field.” Collins and Gayle bookend a defensive line that sacked Carden seven times last weekend, a product of both tremendous pressure up front and lockdown coverage in the secondary. The rare, irreplaceable combination forced Carden to hold the ball in the pocket longer than any quarterback would like, let alone one facing a daunting Hokies defensive line.

“That’s always the case,” Gayle said. “Good coverage makes for good rushing. Good rushing makes for good coverage.” Gayle, who recorded two sacks against ECU, and his fellow linemen won’t stop after yet another great defensive performance, though. “(Coach Wiles) told me something (this week). ‘You can’t just do it one week and think you’re great,’” Gayle said. “He’s good at making sure we don’t have big heads. We’re all mature — we all know we have a lot of room to grow and the season just started.” This week the Hokies take on Marshall — their final regular season competitor from outside the ACC — and it will be the Hokies’ toughest test yet. Unlike the Crimson Tide, who were heavily favored over the Hokies, Tech will be favored heading into Sunday’s contest. Expectation, however, also

provides an opportunity for disappointment. The Thundering Herd’s fift h ranked defense, allowing just 252.7 yards per game, will focus fi rst on stopping Tech’s running game. Allowing an average of 67 yards on the ground, if the Herd defense can stop the run they will exploit the weakest facet of Tech’s game. On the other side of the ball, the Herd is equally as proficient. They run over 91 plays per game, second most in the nation. “I’m counting on it to be fast-tempo,” Foster said. “They’re gonna be faster than ECU. They’ll run a couple plays back to back. We did some no-huddles (this week). I think having played ECU helps us.”

@JacobEmert

Friday, September 20, 2013 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 19 News, page 2

Lifestyles, page 7

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 3

Study Break, page 6

Small restaurant, big family “

BY JESSICA GROVES | lifestyles staff writer

A local Greek restaurant has found success in Blacksburg over the years with the help of family values and fresh ingredients.

t’s been five years since Greeks’ Restaurant and Grill moved to North Main Street in Blacksburg, and Tom “The Greek” Havelos still hasn’t spent a dime on advertising. Havelos, along with his family, prefers to let the food do the talking. In the beginning, Havelos wanted nothing to do with the family business. He was studying to be a civil engineer when the housing market collapsed. All of a sudden, Havelos found himself in his father’s restaurant in North Carolina. Now, in the midst of a recession, he is thankful that he learned the family trade. “I appreciate the fact that my father gave me the opportunity to learn this business,” Havelos said. “I have to thank my dad for seeing into the future that I would need this to fall back on…I look at the same thing with my kids.” His children have already taken steps in that direction. Constantinos Havelos currently co-owns the restaurant and cooks with his father Tom; he considers the rest of the staff to be like family. “We’ll get on each other’s nerves from time to time, but at the end of the day it’s not a big deal,” Constantinos Havelos said. “We can tell each other

what we’re thinking, and we don’t have to keep secrets from each other.” In some way or at some location, the Greeks’ Restaurant has been in Blacksburg since 1948. Originally the Blue Ribbon Restaurant, Tom’s uncle Jim Havelos partnered with Nick Kappas in 1960 and officially changed it to the Greeks’ Restaurant. In 2009, the Havelos family moved the restaurant from Progress Street to its current home on North Main Street. At fi rst, Constantinos Havelos thought the location was too far from the downtown scene, but the small space has turned out to be a success. “You see a lot of big restaurants being turned over time and time again, but, knock on wood, we’ve made it so far,” Constantinos Havelos said. A reason for this success may be the restaurant’s source of ingredients. The Haveloses regularly travel to the food markets in Baltimore, Md. to keep their supplies fresh. “We’re on the road for eight hours just to pick stuff up, because we can’t get it down here,” Constantinos Havelos said.

You see a lot of big restaurants being turned over time and time again, but, knock on wood, we’ve made it so far.”

Constantinos Havelos RYAN SUTHERLAND / SPPS

see GREEK/ page seven

RYAN SUTHERLAND / SPPS

History flies over Lane Tailgating: An American pastime KATIE WHITE

lifestyles staff writer

Virginia Tech has a strong tradition of tailgating before football games, with many of the more fervent, die-hard fans arriving some four or five hours before the kick-off. These Hokie fans are contributing to the reported $12 billion that the estimated 50 million tailgaters in America collectively spend every year on their spirited spread, according to Nationwide Insurance’s website.

Since around 35 percent of people who tailgate don’t even go into the stadium, this unique American pastime has fans hooked before, during and after the game. The history of tailgating reaches back over a century, rooted in Civil War patriotism, which evolved into team comradery. The basics of tailgating – groups congregating with food and drink to cheer together for their ‘team’ – actually started at

info on the go An estimated 50 million people tailgate every year but around 35% of those tailgaters don’t even go in the stadium.

see FANS/ page seven

Underdogs take to the road KEVIN LOHR news staff writer COURTESY OF MAJ. GEN. RANDAL FULLHART

Last year’s Corps Homecoming showcased a B-25 Mitchell bomber and a P-51D ﬁghter plane.

The game against Marshall will feature a ﬂyover by two WW2 planes. TREVOR PENKWITZ news staff writer

Look to the skies for a few pieces of history this weekend. For the fourth consecutive year, the TriState Warbird Museum, located in Bativa, Ohio, will conduct a flyover for Tech’s Military Appreciation game Saturday, Sept. 21. David O’Maley, founder of the Warbird Museum, said, “The tradition of the Warbird Museum conducting flyovers at Virginia Tech started when Stan Cohen (a 1949 Tech alumnus) joined the advisory board and requested to start a flyover tradition at Virginia Tech, featuring World War II era planes — keeping with the museum’s mission to educate the next generation on American History.” Cohen will be covering the cost of fuel for both planes himself. As in previous years, the flyovers will occur at the conclusion of the National Anthem and during the military appre-

NEWS What’s new in crime? Check out the crime blotter. see page 2 Weather corresponent James Morrow has your forecast for this weekend’s weather. see page 2

ciation performance at half time. Featured aircraft will include a historic World War II-era Grumman TBM-3 Avenger, as well as two North American AT-6 Texan Advanced Trainers. According to Cohen, “The TBM-3 was chosen as one of the planes to perform the flyover due to its historical significance to Virginia Tech, as well as the Corps of Cadets.” Historical records indicate that Captain Ben Tate, class of 1942 Corps alumnus, flew this model plane from the USS Belleau Wood in World War II. With the assistance of two other aircraft, the Japanese Aircraft Carrier Hiyo was sunk at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Captain Tate was awarded the Navy Cross for this, the second highest award for valor. The AT-6 is a single-engine advanced trainer--the first aircraft flown by World War II cadets that had retractable landing gear and a controllable pitch propeller. see FLY / page two

LIFESTYLES

A group of mechanical engineering students are taking their learning from the classroom to the racetrack this year for their senior design lab by building an off-road car that is both ready to race and fulfi lls certain engineering requirements. Jake Malinowski, a senior

mechanical engineering major and captain of the VT Rally team, heads an ambitious group of students who hope to build the newly founded crew into a legacy project for years to come, in what has so far been a bit of an underdog story. But VT Rally has faced its share of obstacles while attempting to get the project off the ground. There are

already several similar established student automotive engineering groups, such as Formula SAE and Baja (which also designs an off-road vehicle) on Tech’s campus that provide direct competition for build space, faculty advising and other key resources. Malinowski said that VT Rally’s first big hurdle was see TEAM / page two

COURTESY OF JAKE MALINOWSKI

The VT Rally team is one of a few teams developing an off-road vehicle powered by alternative fuel.

OPINIONS

ONLINE Koofers serves as a useful resource for students.

TECH SEX

Employers should consider intern benefits.

So, does size really matter? See what the research measured up.

Check out our website for continuous daily updates:

www.collegiatetimes.com CollegiateTimes @collegiatetimes

see page 7

see page 5

newseditor@collegiatetimes.com

September 20, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

Fly: WW2 aircraft honor Corps alumni from page one

“The AT-6 is being flown as a tribute to 2nd Lieutenant Robert Femoyer, a Class of 1944 graduate who earned the Medal of Honor for refusing morphine after being shot by enemy aircraft fire on a bombing mission in

Germany,” Cohen said. Femoyer refused morphine in order to navigate his crew safely back to England. Before transitioning to navigating B-17’s, 2nd Lieutenant Femoyer trained in an AT-6. Once the aircrafts arrive from Bativa around 11:30 a.m., both will be on dis-

play at the Virginia Tech/ Montgomery Regional Airport on 1601 Research Center Dr. The flight crews will be answering questions until 4:30 p.m. The crew and aircraft will be available again Saturday from 9 a.m. until one hour prior to kickoff, as well as after the game’s

flyovers. In addition to the flyovers for the game, a third flyover will take place for the Corps of Cadets Formal Retreat ceremony, honoring the returning alumni, at 4:45 p.m. The retreat this year will be held on the Drillfield in front of the April 16 Memorial. The

Color Guard will lower the flag, the corps cannon will be fired and the regimental band will play the National Anthem. All are welcome to observe the ceremony.

@CTnewsroom

Team: VT Rally Learning to cohabitate aims to race soon STEPHEN CEASAR mcclatchy newspapers

from page one

convincing a faculty member to get on board with the project. They decided to turn to John Ferris, an associate professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering who is also in charge of the automotive research facility at Virginia Tech. According to Malinowski, Ferris was somewhat skeptical of VT Rally’s project at first, but now gives his full support. “It was tough to convince someone that this is a good idea, to let a bunch of ‘gearhead’ kids build a car for their senior design project,” Malinowski said. The next step was securing building space for the offroad vehicle. Ware Lab, a large advanced engineering building right across from McBryde, has a multitude of garages. The VT Rally team ended up securing the last open garage available for students to use, because the other aforementioned Tech automotive engineering teams already owned most of the garage space. The VT Rally team was also tasked with cleaning up the garage, which was a bit rundown and filled with a bunch of old parts.

“

We’re going to try to be ambitious and see fuel levels, as well as possibly including real time video...” Jake Malinowski Captain of VT Rally

In the meantime, VT Rally consistently worked on gathering sponsors and convincing them that the project was worth funding. They contacted many automotive companies and had success with firms like Volkswagen and Federal Mogul, to name a few. Even the local South Main Auto Service was willing to assist the team by offering to change the oil and perform other types of maintenance on the car, all for free.

The team’s personal goals include bringing their project to the UTV Rally Raid, a four hour off-road endurance race that varies locations from Alabama to Tennessee. The team will go up against companybacked squads like Yamaha and Polaris, and is currently the only collegiate team entering into the event. “However, the most popular type of team are the ‘weekend warriors,’ who buy a Polaris, modify it and then take it to the race,” Malinowski said. The off-road vehicle will also fulfill several required engineering goals such as running on alternative fuel, having a large (20-inch) suspension travel and a completely custom chasse. The team also wants to include telemetry that will send real-time updates from the car to the pit crew, such as speed and location. “We’re going to try to be ambitious and see fuel levels, as well as possibly including real-time video with Go-Pro,” Malinowski said. These design plans will be accomplished by sub-teams that will work on specific aspects of the design such as the engine, chasse or suspension. The team is still in the design phase, requiring 10 hours of work for each member. The sub-teams meet on Mondays and each present to one another what they have been working on. On Fridays, VT Rally meets in Ware Lab to make sure each respective sub-group’s designs are coinciding nicely with one another. The financial cutoff date is November 1, when VT Rally will either move forward with the building phase if the required funds are met, or the project will be scrapped. Malinowski says that as of now, VT Rally is on track to make their deadline. The team is hoping to have the car built by the end of January and will race in February, March and April.

@kmlohr91

Soon after she settled into her new dorm room at Cal State Northridge, Brittany Brockman figured she should give her new roommate fair warning: She’s a bit of a neat freak. Her roommate, Leslie Rosales, 18, didn’t make much of the admission. But she didn’t know yet just how serious Brockman was. Brockman, 18, folds all of her clothes impeccably and organizes them by color. She doesn’t like a dirty shower. And when the trash needs to be taken out, it needs to be taken out now. Inside a freshly decorated (mostly pink) room, her quirks began to show. And in thousands of other dorm rooms around the country last week and in coming weeks, a similar scene plays out. The collision of quirks and emotions can cause strife and spark fast friendships — or make fast enemies. And as the first-week jitters blur into a stream of all-nighters, school stress compounds annoying habits and roommates must continue to coexist. “I’m a very clean and organized person; I like things where they belong,” Brockman said. “I guess I just have to learn to have more patience for messy stuff.” Colleges around the country have been giving incoming students more freedom to find their own roommates. At California State Universit yNorthridge, students can opt for the time-honored rite of rooming with a complete stranger or seek out like-minded freshmen by taking a survey offered by the university’s campus housing department. The survey covers sleeping, drinking and cleaning habits, among others. Abby Souza, 18, of Davis, Calif., was given the names of other incoming freshmen whose survey answers aligned closely with hers.

She quickly found a blog page belonging to her future roommate. “I went through all her photos, read her posts — you know, to see what she’s like,” Abby said. They soon connected

“

I like things where they belong... I guess I just have to learn to have more patience for messy stuff.” Brittany Brockman Freshman at CSN

on social media, traded phone numbers and texted and chatted with each other weeks before moving to campus. “We talked about our lives, boys, friends, TV shows,” she said. “We already knew each other before we got here.” Students who have a light Internet footprint can be left out of pre-college bonding, said Carolina Salguero, 18, of Los Angeles, who bonded online with two of her three roommates before arriving at school. The third roommate had missed out. “I couldn’t find her anywhere — and she showed up and we didn’t know her,” she said. “We had to start over.” Jay Chaskes, a retired professor of sociology and social psychology at Rowan University in New Jersey, said the urgency to forge bonds is common. His work focusing on the experience of fi rst-year college students found that in their fi rst year, students typically hoped to “make friends, become more independent and get good grades — in that order,” he said. When asked what they were most anxious about, students typically replied with the same answers and in the same order, Chaskes said. “They’re most focused on the social aspects of their college experience,”

he said. “They’re a stranger in a strange land. It’s about a sense of belonging — a sense of fit. It’s a very human thing.” Emily Bjerke, 17, from Lafayette, near San Francisco, is a freshman at Loyola Marymount University. She wanted a roommate she could explore Los Angeles with, who’d be up for attending concerts and was interested in joining a sorority, as she was. She joined roomsurf. com, one of several online dating-type websites for fi nding roommates. For $19.99, users fill out a questionnaire and are given a list of other users at their future school, ranked by compatibility. Emily quickly contacted one of her matches, and they hit it off. They now room together and so far get along well, she said. “Whatever path I chose, it was going to be a gamble,” she said. “But if I had more say in my roommate and it doesn’t work out, then it’s my fault and I have to deal with it myself.” But a successful roommate pairing is less about shared interests and more about two people who can navigate the intricacies of living with another person, Chaskes said. “It’s more, ‘She touched my stuff, he borrowed my shirt without asking, he’s always leaving hair in the sink,’” Chaskes said. “It’s the activities of daily living that they need to negotiate.” The inability to do that can lead to roommate horror stories. And there are no shortage of those. Amy Garcia, 19, a sophomore at Cal State Northridge, said her relationship with her roommate deteriorated as quickly as the cleanliness of the room. “It smelled like feet all the time,” she said. “She would only shower, like, once a week.” Garcia politely asked for a room transfer, and she got along better with her second roommate. “She showered and stuff,” she said. “So that was good.”

NEWS weather watch

JAMES MORROW weather reporter

Tropical moisture will combine with a cold front during the day on Saturday to drive showers and storms into Southwest Virginia. Current timing of the system will bring rain to campus just prior to kickoff and continue through the afternoon and evening. Friday will continue the dreary weather streak as clouds continue to dominate our skies. A few showers may be possible throughout the day. Temperatures will top out around 75 during the afternoon and will only drop to 60 overnight. A relatively dry start to September will come to a close this weekend as a front moves through during the day on Saturday. Showers and a few storms will move in ahead of the front during the mid-morning hours. The peak of the rain will likely hit around kickoff as temperatures are held to the lower 70s. Rainfall amounts around one inch are expected before the front pushes through Saturday night. So be sure to pack your raingear before heading out to the game. The front should move out by Sunday. Clouds will hang around for much of the day, but cooler and drier weather will slowly overtake the humidity. Highs will be in the low-70s. Next week is currently looking dry, but clouds will hang around for much of the beginning of the week.

@wxBONE

TURN OFFS: STUDYING ALL NIGHT

and i haven’t learned a thing.

LONG LINES AT WEST END GUY NEXT TO YOU IN CLASS WHO HASN’T SHOWERED SLY?? OU

SERI

ROOMATE YOU CAN’T STAND

yep.

NOT GETTING A FOOTBALL TICKET

IS THIS A JOKE?!!

GET AWAY FROMTHAT.

GET TURNED ON.

CHANNEL 33 ON CAMPUS WWW.VTTV.VT.EDU

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

Aug. 28

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Follow-up to Larceny of Bicycle

Johnson Student Center

Inactive

Sept. 18

3:30 PM

Underage Possession of Alcohol

Pritchard Hall

Inactive: Referred to Student Conduct

Sept. 17

6:45 PM - 7:30 PM

Larceny of backpack

outside of Slusher Hall

Active

Sept. 8

2:00 AM

Underage of Possession of Alcohol

Cochrane Hall

Inactive: Reported by Student Conduct

Attention Major Bus Detour Blacksburg Transit Riders: Whipple Drive and Givens Lane Areas Due to road construction BT will temporarily suspend service to Whipple Drive. This is expected to last 4 – 6 weeks. During this time, stops on Givens Lane will remain open and a temporary stop will be placed near the intersection of North Main Street and Whipple Drive. This detour is anticipated to begin the week of September 23rd bu but iss subjec subject too cchange. a ge

For more information or updates please check our website www.btransit.org or call 540-961-1185.

SPORTS

sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com

September 20, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

Women’s soccer heads north to Boston College RACHEL FRANKS sports staff writer

The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team travels up to Chestnut Hill, Mass. this Sunday to take on Boston College, and they’re expecting a challenge. Senior goalkeeper Dayle Colpitts is eager to face the Eagles and expects a close game. “Every time we play BC it’s a really competitive game,” Colpitts said. “Traditionally they are very good and we are always excited to play them.” The Hokies are coming into the game off a win against Maryland that brought their record to 7-1-1. This game in Chestnut Hill is the second of four straight road games for Tech. Head coach Chugger Adair said that the team has to battle through the travel and take what ever wins they can get. “It is important for us to get off to a good start,” he said. “It is our first real road trip in the conference. Taking any points on the road is going to be good, three points, one point, whatever we can do. We are going to fight and scratch and have a mentality that we are going to be road warriors.” Tech is 2-7-2 overall against the Eagles and have lost in their last two meetings. In the last two games, the Hokies lost due to last-minute goals by BC. Adair says that the team has learned a lot from those losses. “BC is a good team, very good tradition and feisty those teams stick around and stay in games no matter what the score is,” Adair said. “So, we have to play a solid 90 minutes and not take any minutes off.” The Hokies are looking very strong this year, while Boston College has a handful of losses already. Tech’s defense has been excellent so far, despite losing some seniors last year. The new starters in the back field, Danielle King, Jodie Zelenky and Taylor Antolino, have meshed well with returning starter Jordan Coburn. They’ve helped the team

RYAN SUTHERLAND / SPPS

Goalie Dayle Colpitts (0) and midﬁelder Katie Yensen (3) watch as the ball is headed away. The goalie and her defense have helped anchor an impressive women’s team. already record three shutouts this season and have only allowed seven goals in nine games. The defense is led by goalie Colpitts, who broke the school’s shutout record after beating Syracuse 3-0. Colpitts gives the credit to the strong defenders she has played with at Tech. “A lot of credit goes to the players around me for the last four years,” Colpitts said. “I have been able to play with some of the best defenders that I ever have. I think it is just a testimony to how the program has grown in recent

years and we have been able to get a lot of shut out because of that.“ The Hokie’s offense has also been impressive so far. While injured forward Shannon Mayrose, who was excellent for the Hokies last season, is still out, she is predicted to be back in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, other players have been stepping up offensively. Seven different players have scored for the team. Senior Jazmine Reeves leads the team with six goals, while sophomore Ashley Meier and freshman Murielle Tiernan are right behind her with five

goals each. Opposite the Hokies, BC is coming into Sunday’s game after a tough game against No. 1 Virginia. The Eagles have a relatively young team after losing their all-time leading scorer, Kristie Mewis, last season. However, they are 27-9-5 at home since 2010 and should not be overlooked. BC’s players to watch this game will be sophomore McKenzie Meehan, who leads the Eagles with six goals this season, and junior Stephanie McCaffrey, who is third in the ACC in assists per game.

Injured players continue to recuperate JULIA CANON sports staff writer

Even though the Virginia Tech football team has started off the season strong, they’ve done so without some of their expected leaders at full speed. In the offseason, standout cornerback and defensive leader Antone Exum tore his ACL but was initially hopeful for a speedy recovery. Exum has recently begun practicing with the defense in a limited role. “We’re just trying to get him along, get him in playing shape,” defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. “It’s good to see him out there, but he just needs to get his timing back and play with a bend in his knees and see how his knee holds up in those situations.” Although Exum set a goal to be ready to play for the game against Marshall, he will not be medically cleared until at least after the Hokies’ game against Georgia Tech. While the loss of Exum has been a big blow to the Hokies’ defense, others have stepped up in his absence. In the secondary, freshman Brandon Facyson has surprised Virginia Tech fans with his maturity on the field. Facyson has already recorded three interceptions this season. On the offensive side of the ball, returning running back J.C. Coleman and freshman wide receiver Charley Meyer have been plagued by lingering injuries. After spraining both of his ankles during the preseason, the speedy Coleman missed the game against Alabama but returned the next week

against Western Carolina. While leading an eventual scoring drive in the second half, Coleman reinjured his left ankle and did not return for the rest of the game. Due to the injury, Coleman did not make the trip to Greenville last weekend to play East Carolina.

“

Today’s probably the best I’ve felt since going into the Western Carolina game.” J.C. Coleman Running back

“It’s doing real well so far, right now I’m just taking it day by day, seeing what I can do,” Coleman said. “Today’s probably the best I’ve felt since going into the Western Carolina game, the same way I felt going into that game. I don’t want to do too much on it or tweak it or anything, so I’m just taking it day by day.” Coleman was ultimately ruled out of the Marshall game to give his ankles another week to heal. With freshmen Trey Edmunds and Chris Mangus holding down the running back position, the Hokies should be fine without him. Barring another injury, he should be prepared for a return against ACC foe Georgia Tech. Even though he is just a redshirt freshman, walk-on wide receiver Meyer was expected to be a large contributor this

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

Wide receiver Charley Meyer is one of several Hokies still recovering. season. Meyer strained his hamstring prior to the season and has not fully recovered yet. He was in on seven plays against Western Carolina but did not see the field against East Carolina due to his injury. With an improving, yet still inexperienced receiving corps, Meyer should see significant playing time as soon as he gets healthy. Due to lingering injuries on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball, young

players have seen more playing time than expected. Once Exum, Coleman and Meyer are back to full health their expertise should elevate the team’s play. Although they will probably not be back for the game against Marshall, going into the ACC schedule these playmakers will add more depth to an already talented team.

@CTSportsTalk

But the Eagles may be weak defensively. Jessica Mickleson, BC’s starting goalkeeper, only has a save percentage of .600, which is low compared to most Division 1 goalkeepers. Regardless of who wins, this game will surely impact ACC standings later in the season when the tournament rolls around. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. on Newton Campus Soccer Field.

upcoming games -Sept. 26 at NC State -Sept. 29 at Duke -Oct. 3 vs. Clemson -Oct. 13 vs. Notre Dame -Oct. 17 vs. Wake Forest -Oct. 20 at Pittsburgh -Oct. 24 vs. FSU -Oct. 27 vs. Miami

@RachelReports

-Oct. 31 at Virginia

lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

September 20, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

he she

SAID

LIFESTYLES

Despite recent sustainability awards given to Virginia Tech, there are areas for improvement.

He said: Reach for the gold

She said: Think of the future

For starters, I’m skeptical about sustainability to begin with. I was always told to turn off the lights when I left the room and unplug electronics, and, sure, that saves on the electricity bill, but I’m not convinced it really helps preserve the environment or move us at all toward sustainability. Just over a week ago, we all received an email from Kenneth Belcher, senior associate director for housing services. The first line read, “The university is part of an agreement to reduce electrical load when the overall system is in an overload or strained status.” And what that consisted of was turning the lights and AC off in our academic building from 2-8 p.m. Thank goodness I wasn’t in class last Wednesday afternoon. Now, this situation was a little bit different, because it was a reduction emergency event with the goal of avoiding potential electrical blackouts. But it represents how I think many of people feel about sustainability efforts as a whole— an inconvenience for an immeasurable amount of impact. I recycle when presented with the opportunity. I know I’m not the only one who stands at the Turner

irginia Tech has been recognized as one of the top 16 sustainable schools in the country. It has received many awards, including a silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (A ASHE), Tree Campus USA and an A rating in transp or t at ion , a mon g others. But what do these awards really mean aside from an arsenal of silver plaques for our campus? Often when we receive awards, we stop moving forward, because we feel we’ve earned a break. We feel that we’ve reached the goal. As far as sustainability is concerned, we’ve come a long way as a campus and a community, especially considering we didn’t even have the Office of Energy & Sustainability seven years ago, but we’ve still got work to do. For example, if you look deeper into our silver rating from the AASHE, some red flags appear. The AASHE evaluates schools based on three categories: research, operations and planning/ ad m i n i st r at ion /enga ge-

ment. While we did well in research (75 percent) and planning (73 percent), we received a mere 29 percent in operations. I think it’s clear where we

“

Surely, it’s more than just turning the light off when we leave the room and not taking 15-minute showers. It’s a lifestyle.”

can improve. Operations includes areas like buildings, dining, water and waste management and energy. While Dining Services often gets scrutinized for things like food waste and Styrofoam containers, Tech’s biggest areas in need of improvement actually appear to be in energy usage, buildings and climate. Tech has acknowledged these deficiencies and created a long-term response plan called the Climate Action Commitment, which contains 14 resolutions to improve the school ’s sustainability standards. The question is, are we as students going to hold

our university to a higher standard? How are we going to not just talk about being sustainable, but actually live by our words? Surely, it’s more than just turning the light off when we leave the room and not taking 15 minute showers. It’s a lifestyle. It’s being informed on where we stand and the specific areas in which we can grow. It’s caring about the degradation of the planet and the impact we have on it. That doesn’t mean you have to become a hippie, stop eating meat, move out to Oregon and renounce everything about the “modern world.” But what it does mean is to stop and think when you make decisions instead of simply doing whatever’s easiest. We’re not just making decisions for ourselves, but for our families, our neighbors and those who will come after us. So let’s hold ourselves to a higher standard: not a silver standard, but a gold standard. NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS -multimedia editor -senior -communication and psychology

Place recycling bins for a solid thirty seconds— which feels like much longer—looking at the pictures and trying to figure out which bin my chopsticks go into, where that plastic container goes and then where my napkin belongs. My point is I very rarely feel like something is so monumentally significant that I should hold a strong opinion on it. I try to be easygoing, as I’m sure many of you do, but now, I’ve got some things to say about sustainability in a booming college town such as ours. The university’s 20122013 mission statement reads: “the university creates, conveys, and applies knowledge to expand personal growth and opportunity, advance social and community development, foster economic competitiveness and improve the quality of life.” Sustainability education and assessment is a critical component of higher education and I’m afraid it’s not being treated this way unless you specifically choose a major pertaining to the topic. Last semester, I took Resources Geology with Dr. Lucas Fedele, and I learned more about sustainability and renewable energy than I have heard from anywhere else. How great would it be if

the university that claims to “Invent the Future” made it a priority to assess students about how they can responsibly consume earth’s resources?

“

It is a responsibility that belongs to all, and college students especially should seek to further their own and others’ awareness about it.”

And if we are limiting future generations by our mindless consumption of earth’s resources, why should anyone feel they are exempt from the responsibility of being a more responsible consumer? The responsibility to move toward greater sustainability doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of those who are interested. It is a responsibility that belongs to all, and college students especially should seek to further their own and others’ awareness about it.

MELANIE FORD -lifestyles staff writer -sophomore -communication

OPINIONS

opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

September 20, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

The Collegiate Times is an independent studentrun newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Priscilla Alvarez Managing Editor: Danielle Buynak Art Director: Kevin Dickel Design Editors: Brad Klodowski, Andrea Ledesma Public Editor: Andrew Kulak Web Editor: James O’Hara Multimedia Editor: Nick Smirniotopoulos News Editors: Cameron Austin, Dean Seal News Reporters: Melissa Draudt, Leslie McCrea News Staff Writers: Kelly Cline, Josh Higgins, Matt Minor Lifestyles Editors: Chelsea Giles, Madeliene Gordon Opinions Editors: David Levitt, Sharath Reddy Sports Editors: Jacob Emert, Alex Koma Sports Media Manager: Mike Platania Assistant Photo Editor: Ben Wiedlich Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: James Dean Seal Circulation Manager: Keith Bardsley

MCT CAMPUS

Homegrown website gives students academic edge A

pproximately one year ago, a friend told me about a website where study materials, past tests and professor ratings were all combined into one useful package. This website is the widely renowned Koofers.com. If you are a current or past Virginia Tech student, you probably used Koofers or at least heard of them at some point in your college career. They are very well-known for providing a variety of colleges with a test bank similar to what most fraternities have been using for years. The site was founded in part to provide non-greek students with an online equivalent of these test banks, and it has expanded from there. A Roanoke Times article stated that Koofers now has “more than 1,000 users at 200 schools, 2,500 users at 100 schools and more than 5,000 users at 40 schools.” I never really thought much about Koofers until I read about its humble start. Most students do not know that Koofers was created and is currently owned by former Virginia Tech students. Their home base of operations resides in two cubicles of a shared workplace in Blacksburg. The three masterminds behind the website are Michael Rihani, Glynn LoPresti and Patrick Gartlan. One important function to sign up for is the professor reviews, which warn students about what they are getting into with a certain professor or class. The reviews are created by students like you for students like you, so please heed your peers’ advice if you want to avoid potential hazards. Another major tool the website possesses are document uploads, which most students utilize to add past tests, class notes, practice tests and flashcards for present and future students to use in their studies.

The willingness to help other students on the website is what makes it so desirable to have an account. However, there is one problem that a select few see in this tool. Some professors from Tech and other schools feel that Koofers is a cheating website and nothing more. I will admit that sometimes Koofers is used with intent to distribute dishonest information, but at the same time, you always have to weigh the good against the bad. There are a few times when students decide to be sneaky and pop tomorrow’s test on the website, but that does not truly represent what the Koofers community is about. When the pros outweigh the cons, as it does in this case, there is no reason for professors to be too skeptical. I know that it is their job to show concern towards their material, and that is understandable. You always hear people say that “one person can ruin it for everyone,” but in this case, the critics need to remember that it is one person cheating on the website out of thousands of students willing to help out the rest of the student body. The Koofers community shows Virginia Tech students coming together for one main cause: to help each other study. It provides a network to help students succeed in classes that some have trouble with. I want to personally thank the owners of Koofers for all that they have given to the Virginia Tech community. This website truly shows how one idea can change an entire community. RYAN TURK -regular columnist -sophomore -business information technology

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send an e-mail to opinionseditor@ collegiatetimes.com with your letter or guest column attached.

Interns deserve compensation for their work To employers looking to hire an eager college student or recent graduate, unpaid internships seem to be a great, cost-effective option that isn’t necessarily binding on them to hire the intern once their work is done. However, the issue at hand seems to be that some internships do not offer any real benefits to these students, especially since many will face a job market saturated with college graduates vying for the same jobs. Often an internship relevant to one’s college major is a major factor that can lead to employment in their desired field. On the flip side, graduating without an internship can lead to a very difficult post-graduate job search. Big companies with bigger promises attract students with the possibilities of employment, and do not live up to their promises because of what little rights interns have in the workforce. The recent scandal involving the interns at Fox Searchlight Pictures who were essentially performing employee duties on set of the movie “Black Swan” shows that interns may get the short end of the stick often. While full-time employees have specific professional expectations, interns are often just thankful they landed a relevant internship.

Unpaid interns at NBC Universal complained that they were doing the same work as employees, but receiving little to no compensation for the same amount of work. There is no “union” for interns, where they are protected from their employers taking advantage of them, and that is the problem. The issue here lies in the definition of an employee versus an intern, and perhaps some legislation could clarify the differences between the two, thus clearing the air for potential interns so they are no longer taken advantage of. Companies should be held liable, where a binding contract is made between the intern and the employer, that either they offer them pay, credit for classes or a guaranteed job at the company after the internship. With exception to some majors, i.e. engineering or computer science, unpaid internships are often the norm. Many students see an unpaid internship as a better alternative to having no experience, especially in these times when landing a job without an internship is next to impossible. As long as interns receive some form of compensation, whether that be college credit or a guarantee of a job upon completing the internship, then I am fine with the idea — it’s only fair.

Do not, however, let my opinion sway you from taking an internship if you are offered one; plenty of statistics out there show us that internships, paid or unpaid, do in fact help college students boost employment prospects. According to internships.com, nearly seven out of 10 interns are hired by their employers. Along with the modest gains in employment prospects, internships serve as a bridge between college and the real world. What kind of employer doesn’t want a college graduate with real world, on-the-job experience? The benefits reaped from an internship also open other doors, such as finding out what you really want to do after college. Internships, unlike careers, allow for this exploration–and college is the time and place to explore who you are, and what you want to be. It is rather unfortunate some companies would take advantage of that. ANDREW WIMBISH -regular columnist -senior -english

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September 20, 2013

GET INSIDE THE GAME Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Pluto goes direct in Capricorn today, launching your year for romance, fun and creativity. Your people take priority. Expand your group leadership. Growth happens socially this year. The lunar eclipse in Aries reiterates taking inancial stock and building savings. Research affairs carefully, whether they are inancial or of the heart.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open. - John Barrymore

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By David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Pre-Columbian Indians 6 Went headfirst, maybe 10 Persian, for one 13 Wild weather 14 Heavy reading 16 Suffix with Seattle 17 Communications problem? 19 Sleep acronym 20 Summary of a shrinking mass? 22 Capital of Colorado? 24 T designation

Willie - Cat Power Dance, Dance, Dance - Lykke Li Indie Rokkers - MGMT Everybody Here Wants You - Jeff Buckley Superstar - Sonic Youth

9/20/13 25 Marlin’s son, in a 2003 film 26 Caused an insurrection 28 Court maneuver 32 Jungle noise 33 Characterize 36 Title for the longest bridge? 40 Two-part answer 41 Vet 42 Bangkok natives 43 Pennsylvania home of Lafayette College 45 Control 48 Well-chosen

49 Colorado native 50 Construction site order? 56 Signs of press conference uncertainty 57 Hardly the award for Chernobyl? 60 Type of screen, briefly 61 Put down 62 Prey catcher 63 “__-hoo!” 64 Marine: Abbr. 65 City south of Florence

DOWN 1 Co. for surfers 2 Degree in math? 3 Work together 4 Florence’s river 5 Is suspicious 6 Firewood measure 7 Activity centers 8 Apple’s G5, e.g. 9 Take out 10 Enchantress who lived on the island Aeaea 11 Starters 12 Presto, for one 15 35mm camera initials 18 Continue violently 21 Draws in 22 Medicine, one would hope 23 Modeling aid 27 Agamemnon’s avenger 28 Lowly workers 29 “This __ joke!” 30 Taper? 31 Its processing produces slag 33 Actress Conn 34 Critter in a domed shell 35 Cereal killer 37 “Forget it!” 38 “‘Twas white then as the newfa’en __”: Alexander Anderson 39 Thing to do in style 43 Foil alternative 44 Diamond turns 45 For real

46 Transmission repair franchise 47 Screw up 48 Stop on the Métro? 51 “Charlotte’s Web” monogram 52 Beach flier 53 Yu the Great’s dynasty

54 Famous last words 55 Berry used as a dietary supplement 58 Bass ending 59 Protein-building polymer

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

9/19/13

WORDSEARCH: NFL AFC Teams Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W N

W L

W S

W Y

W C

W E

WORD BANK 1 Bills 2 Dolphins 3 Jets 4 Patriots 5 Ravens 6 Bengals 7 Browns 8 Steelers 9 Texans 10 Colts 11 Jaguars 12 Titans 13 Broncos 14 Chiefs 15 Raiders 16 Chargers

Aries (March 21-April 19) Mysteries get resolved when the truth is revealed. It’s easier to advance, and new opportunities arise. A surprising group development inspires action. Toss to a teammate. Taurus (April 20-May 20) There’s more work than expected. Money you’ve had hidden inally starts to grow. No need to spend it. Accept a challenge. Love anew. Provide facts. Review instructions. Insights emerge from silence. Gemini (May 21-June 20) Disrupt the status quo. Every little bit counts. Get the documents in order. Instigate changes. A partner’s suggestion works, inally. Entertain an unusual request. Your mood improves. You should end up with plenty. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Spread the word. Don’t give up. Take responsibility. Travel looks good. Don’t take major risks. Communication dif iculties and emotional arguments could disrupt. Rely on your experience. Chat about past adventures and make plans.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Do what you have to do. It’s easier to win in games and love. Purchases include items no one else will ever see. Don’t buy toys. Honesty prevails. Follow your heart. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Wait on a big change, and hold your temper. Reassess the situation. Step into family leadership. A startling revelation teaches you about another’s passion. Create new cash sources. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Proceed with caution and keep researching. Listen; don’t argue. Studies get easier. You and a loved one inspire each other. Use what you’ve been saving. Modi ications are required. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Your inancial situation transform. The impossible only took a little longer. Provide information. Cash could be delayed, but it arrives. You’re full of good ideas. Act on the most pro itable ones. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Shake things up. You advance more quickly now. Make great discoveries. Get what

you’ve been promised. Don’t worry about an upcoming task. Despite chaos or a communications breakdown, it works out. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Repay a friend. Travel another day. Your curiosity leads you into a project deeper and deeper. Make a commitment. Positive thinking adds ease. New information threatens assumptions. Don’t lose your cool with a surprise. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Don’t discuss adventures with co-workers now. Circumstances keep you active and hopping. The inancial situation seems unstable. Increase your security. Stay home and handle homework. Provide motivation to the team. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Circumstances allow more latitude and lexibility, with a breakdown and/or breakthrough. It seems like a miracle. It’s getting easier to launch new projects. Take a hike in the foothills or mountains.

GET INSIDE THE GAME WITH MARSHALL - SEPTEMBER 21, 2013

LIFESTYLES Fans: Tailgates date to 1900s lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

September 20, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

TECH SEX

Does size really matter?

COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

The rivalry between Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia dates back as far as tailgating itself. from page one

the 1861 Battle of Bull Run in the American Civil War when civilians from both sides gathered with picnic baskets to watch the battle and root for their soldiers. A step in the evolution of tailgating was the invention of the chuckwagon, which was a U.S. Army wagon converted by Texas rancher Charles Goodnight into a wagon with a grill on the back. The chuckwagon served “chuck” ground beef to cowboys that needed dinner when they weren’t near the ranch. The chuckwagon proved to be a good mobile meeting place for food and socializing. There isn’t one official first instance of tailgating at a sporting event, the way most fans think of it today, however. Theories abound, but none are certain. Some say that it started at Ivy League schools where parking

was so limited that spectators had to arrive several hours early to get a spot, then, naturally, they would pass the time until the game with food and fun. Another theory is that tailgating arose from a popular custom in the early 1900s,

“

Fans had to bring their own food as there were no food vendors in sports stadiums at that time, and thus the practice of modern tailgating was born.”

wherein families attend church together, then socialize and eat before walking to a nearby baseball game. According to the American Tailgater Association, the practice developed from the first intercollegiate football

game, which was between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869. Spectators gathered to grill sausages at the “tail end” of a horse, giving rise to the name. A simpler, perhaps more likely theory, is that tailgating started in the 1900s when most people were travelling to a sporting event by train. Fans had to bring their own food as there were no food vendors in sports stadiums at that time, and thus the practice of modern tailgating was born. These days, a walk through tailgating lots before a game will show T.V. monitors, monster R.V.s, cornhole games, elaborate catering spreads and more. No matter what events led to the trend, tailgating is certainly going strong and is still evolving as one of America’s favorite past times.

@KatieVTCT

Greek: Grill attracts diverse crowds from page one

Because they prepare the ingredients for each meal in house, their meals are as diverse as their clientele. “If you get something from a restaurant and they microwave it and serve it, it doesn’t taste the same,” Constantinos Havelos said. “Meat tastes much better fresh off the grill…that’s just the way [my father] taught me to do it.”

“

Every time I have a good day here or I do a special and it’s a real sell out, I feel like I have triumphed.” Tom Havelos Greeks’ Owner

In an age of factory farms and frozen, prepackaged food, Tom Havelos believes that his method of cooking is what sets their restaurant apart from others.

“If you’re in the restaurant business, you might as well do it working, not standing around telling somebody, ‘Hey, pick up those frozen meatballs and put them in the microwave,’” Tom Havelos said. “There’s a lot of people all over that deal in fast food and frozen stuff, and we don’t need one more.” A typical week for Constantinos Havelos and the rest of the Greeks’ family consists of 80 hours of work. By 10 o’clock in the morning, the kitchen is loud with the sounds of sizzling pans and Greek music. Customers might not experience the full-time effort that the Haveloses and their employees put in, but Constantine Havelos said he believes that his work is appreciated. “We put a lot of ourselves into this, and I think people know that,” Constantinos Havelos said. Tom Havelos said that the restaurant has a way of waking up the senses. His son Peter currently studies at Virginia Commonwealth University’s dental school, and Constantinos Havelos is interested in study-

ing law at George Mason University. Tom Havelos said that the restaurant will be there for them in the future, regardless of their success. “They have a lot to be thankful for,” Tom Havelos said. “They might not recognize it now, but later on they can fall back on that… and it’s a good thing to fall back on. Cooking is always good.” In a town that loses a majority of its residents during the summer months, the Greeks’ Restaurant and Grill might seem like an underdog. Even without the country’s recession, being a small, family-owned business is a challenge for many restaurant owners. “The fact that we can exist in a society that’s really taking a beating in the recession is a triumph for me,” Tom Havelos said. “Every time I have a good day here or I do a special and it’s a real sellout, I feel like I have triumphed.”

@jessicahgroves

bigger really always better? Men of all sorts and uh-uhm… sizes (pun intended) have been asking this question for decades. Does penis size make an impact on sexual performance? Long story short, the answer is no. Surprise, ladies! There are more key components to satisfying sex than that extra half-inch. Let’s investigate. AskMen.com states, “A comprehensive worldwide study of more than 40-independent penis size research projects, undertaken since 1942, has come up with a general penis size guideline. With over 11,000 participants, the survey puts the average erect size of the adult penis between 5.5 inches and 6.2 inches in length and 4.7 inches and 5.1 inches in girth.” With that being said, that does not mean that a penis smaller or larger than these standards cannot be satisfying to sexual partners. Most women would be extremely surprised to hear that length plays essentially no role in satisfaction beyond a certain degree. On average, the vagina is only 3 inches long (give or take an inch, depending on arousal). In turn, that means that any penis beyond 3 inches in length is only nice for aesthetics, not for actual pleasure. Point blank. The research shows that size doesn’t matter. While some women might claim that the foot long is a must-have, they are mistaken. Other aspects such as communication, safety, confidence and comfort are also incredibly important to a happy sex life. My question to the boys out there who constantly worry about penis size is this — do you really want a girl who only wants to be with you for your penis, anyways? Take into consideration everything that plays into a healthy relationship. If this is that

big of a deal to her, drop her like she’s hot. And tell her I told you to do so. From my experience, knowledge is power. The penis isn’t the only thing that you should be using during sex; use your brain. Clitoral stimulation is responsible for the majority of female orgasms (not size, boys). Secondly, the Grafenberg, or “G-spot,” is commonly denoted as a female erogenous and is located 2 inches in the anterior (front) vaginal wall. Most women require time and various techniques besides vaginal stimulation in order to achieve orgasm. Like we’ve stated before, size is not a requirement for great sex. No matter what body part we discuss, proportionality is key. Remember that you cannot compare the height of men. Likewise, you should not compare their anatomy, either. Consequently, never assume that the little guy isn’t hung, or that the big dude is going to blow your mind. Remember that it is not size, but an array of other qualities, that matter. Do not get hung-up (once again, pun intended), on the unimportant things. Case cracked, babes. Size doesn’t matter.

meet the writer TECH SEX is a brand new, weekly column about sex on Virginia Tech’s campus, written by Abby Broughton. Broughton, a junior marketing major, will eventually be pursuing a Ph.D. in sex therapy, in the hopes to make a career out of sex therapy. If you have any questions or comments, email her at ambrough@vt.edu

September 20, 2013

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