Thursday, September 26, 2013 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Thursday, September 26, 2013

The Collegiate Times’ comprehensive guide to Virginia Tech Football

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JACK

YOU DON’T KNOW It doesn’t take long to realize the kind of impression Jack Tyler leaves on people. Even four years after the linebacker graduated from Oakton High School, Tyler’s old defensive coordinator, Jason Rowley, had no hesitation about taking some time to praise his old player. After all this time, Rowley would still do “anything for Jack.” Tyler hasn’t taken the path most All-ACC linebackers follow. He capped his high school career averaging 10 tackles per game and was named state defensive player of the year — but that wasn’t enough to get a Division I scholarship offer. In the weight room, Tyler’s numbers didn’t hold him back (he posted a 315 pound bench press and 400 pound squat), but most programs cited his lack of size as a reason he wasn’t cut out for college football. Coming out of high school, Tyler stood at six feet tall and weighed 215 pounds, but the inside linebackers who get Division I offers are typically a few inches taller and a couple pounds heavier. Rowley disagreed with the scouts’ philosophy.

BY MIKE PLATANIA | sports media manager

“I was surprised he didn’t get an offer. In 2008, he was the best defensive player in our region,” Rowley said. “He was as good as anybody. I think his height definitely stood in his way.” Tyler himself admitted that leaving high school without a D-I scholarship offer was unexpected. “It was frustrating more because of the reasoning behind it,” Tyler said. “No one ever said I couldn’t play football well enough. It was always that I was too slow, too un-athletic, too small, too something. “I always joked that I was the

“

I always joked that I was the highestrecruited walk-on in the country.” Jack Tyler Linebacker

highest-recruited walk-on in the country, because everyone wanted me to walk on, but no one wanted to pull the trigger to go ahead and give me a scholarship.” Other than an apathetic offer from Buffalo after their targeted recruit didn’t sign with them,

Tyler had to pick between playing his way onto a squad or walking on somewhere. Jack, who grew up a Virginia Tech fan, opted to chase his childhood dream — bittersweet as it was. “I knew that I wanted to play for Coach Foster. I always saw myself going to Virginia Tech,” Tyler said. “But I think most of the time I was just kind of hoping I’d get a scholarship somewhere, and when it never happened I was just kind of like, ‘Well, I’ll go to the best of the best, and that’s Virginia Tech.’” The Hokies wanted Jack, but with a few strings attached. They wouldn’t offer him a scholarship off the bat, so he was a “preferred walk-on,” meaning that if he performed well enough through his first year and continued to improve, they’d give him a scholarship eventually. So by going to Tech, Tyler was betting on himself with quite a bit on the line. Ahead of him on the depth chart were guys like Cody Grimm and Bruce Taylor. Taylor was a coveted four-star recruit, while Grimm was also an

see TYLER / page 3 FILE APRIL 2013 / SPPS

OFFENSE MISSES ACC GOALS JACOB EMERT sports editor

Before the 2013 season, Virginia Tech knew their offense wasn’t going to be immediately productive. Few offensive weapons and a new offensive staff ensured that. That’s why head coach Frank Beamer set the goal of getting things clicking by ACC play. Now, with the Hokies set to kickoff against Georgia Tech at 7:30 p.m., that deadline has arrived. Does Beamer believe his team is in fact ready for ACC play? “Well, I’d say we are where we are.” The answer doesn’t exactly exude confidence, but neither does the on-field product. Even with the team’s blowout win over FCS Western Carolina, the Hokies average 341.8 yards a game (102nd in the nation) and 24.8 points a game (85). “I don’t think we’re where we’d thought we would be. I thought we’d be a little stronger, doing a little bit better,” quarterback Logan Thomas said. “Obviously I think the offense is not doing as well on paper because we’re not putting up points in the red zone. The red zone is what’s killing us. We know it. We’ve had the ability to put up more points and we haven’t done it.” The Hokies have managed to score on 10 of their 16 red zone visits this year, eight of which were touchdowns. Their 62.5 percent scoring percentage in the red zone is 114th in the nation. “Offensively we left some plays out there Saturday,” Beamer said. “But there are things you can learn from, and how quickly you can learn and get better is the deal.” Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, like Beamer, isn’t thrilled with where his team currently sits. “Some more than others,” Grimes said, referencing the

SPECIAL TEAMS GETS THEIR GROOVE BACK

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

D.J. Coles (18) is just one of the disappointing parts of the offense. physicality of his unit. “At the fans are actually excited times we look like that kind and ready to go.“ of group, but we’re not anyGeorgia Tech’s defense, rejuwhere near where I envision venated under new coordithis group being and where I nator Ted Roof, has stepped think we can be. We’re cer- up their play this year—they tainly not anywhere near rank 11th nationally at 275 what I envision a Virginia yards per game. Tech offensive line being, yet.” Th rough four games the During this time of offensive Hokies’ offense is not preturmoil, it would calm many forming at the level it would Hokies fans to learn that like. The defense has done their quarterback has some what it can to cover up that of his best success against fact though, putting on one the Yellow Jackets. In his two stupendous performance after starts against them, Thomas the next to get the team to 3-1. is 28 of 51 for 439 yards, five “We’re still learning,” touchdowns and zero inter- Beamer said. “How quickly ceptions. we become consistent and “I don’t think it’s anything efficient, that’ll tell us how that I’ve done or anything our year’s going.” that they’ve done. It’s just I’ve Now, with ACC play finally played well, nothing else,” here, the task for the Hokies Thomas said. He’s 2-0 against becomes improving as quickGeorgia Tech as a starter. ly as the level of competition “I’ve always enjoyed play- will. ing at Georgia Tech. It’s a fun place to play, their fans get into it and, always when your @ @JacobEmert playing away, it’s fun when

CHEN JIANG / SPPS

Kyshoen Jarrett had a big return called back, but the special teams still had a great afternoon Saturday.

The special teams unit recalled memories of the days of “Beamer Ball” in a big victory ALEX KOMA sports editor

“Beamer Ball” may be dead, but at least the Virginia Tech football team did an admirable job of honoring its memory against Marshall. It’s a common refrain among Hokie fans to proclaim that Frank Beamer’s signature style of special teams excellence has returned any time Tech blocks a punt. These proclamations may be premature, but the unit still stepped up in a big way against the Thundering Herd. Between Kyle Fuller’s blocked punt that led to a Derek DiNardo touchdown in

the first quarter and Derrick Hopkins’ blocked field goal in the first overtime, the special teams played a huge role in the tight 29-21 win. “To win games at this level you need great special teams play,” said linebacker Jack Tyler. “Special teams is the reason we won today’s game.” Fuller’s block was an especially big moment for the team. Not only was it Tech’s first blocked punt against an FBS opponent since the Boise State game in 2010, but it also helped the team jump out to an early lead, relieving some of the pressure on the offense. “We came in wanting to change the game and I feel

like we did that,” Fuller said. “There were some at ECU that I was close (to blocking), they just gave me a short edge and I really focused this week on blocking a punt since it’s not as easy as it looks.” DiNardo’s touchdown return was significant for both the team and the outside linebacker himself, who hadn’t seen the end zone since his days as a quarterback in high school. “Senior year of high school. That was probably the last time I touched the ball,” DiNardo said. Hopkins’ block was equally meaningful. The defensive tackle tipped a Marshall field goal attempt that could’ve ended the game in the first overtime.

see BLOCKS / page 2

september 26, 2013

PLAYER

TWEETS-OF-THE-WEEK Cody Journell @CodyJournell On the search for this pound cake

Dewayne Alford Jr. @iGoEliPorter Love my women with high heels and high standards

Derek DiNardo @DiNarfro People complain about someone taking the elevator up one floor...I would take the elevator up half a floor if it were possible #elevh8ers AJ Hughes @AJ_HughesVT #hokienation is about to freak when they see these brain buckets were about to wear this week #BeatGT #punterSWAG

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

Charley Meyer @CHUCKit2yaboy Does this chick think I’m stupid!? I’m not gunna end up on Catfish the MTV show!

Willie Byrn @byrnaftreading Twitter is just too confusing for my taste. #missthemyspacedays

BLOCKS: SPECIAL TEAMS SHIFTS GAME

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

CHEN JIANG / SPPS

Kyle Fuller (17) blocked a punt that Derek DiNardo returned for a touchdown against Marshall. from page one “The whole game we faced three field goals and each time we got pressure up the middle,” Hopkins said. “This time we were fortunate enough to actually get the block, so we just got pressure and we jumped and I tipped it.” The return game couldn’t notch a score, but Kyshoen Jarrett still showed some promising flashes. Jarrett broke off a long punt return early in the third quarter, but a surprising blocking in the back penalty ultimately negated the runback. “If that punt return had stood, we’d have (had) great field position,” said head coach Frank Beamer. “They said it was (number) 22, and we didn’t have a 22 in the ball game, so I couldn’t figure it out.” Safety T.J. Shaw actually wears the number, and considering he’s been relegated to the scout team for the majority of his Tech career, there was some understandable confusion on the sidelines about why the play didn’t stand. “It was kind of whack, but it’s all right,” Jarrett said about the call. “Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way, but if I’ve got the ability to make a play, special teams wise, it’s cool and we’ve got players like Kyle and a bunch of guys who can block some punts.” Even punter A.J. Hughes got in on the action. Early in the second quarter, Hughes

bobbled a snap, and could’ve just settled for a rushed punt in the face of heavy pressure. Instead, he tucked the ball and ran 12 yards for a first down, tallying Tech’s third longest rush of the day in the process. That sequence left no doubt that for all the unit’s talent, the team still got plenty lucky on some plays. “I feel like my entire time here those breaks have gone every other team’s way,” Tyler said. “It just felt like today they were finally coming our way.” But for all of the special teams success the Hokies experienced, there were still plenty of issues. Redshirt senior kicker Cody Journell was suspended from the game for violating team rules, forcing redshirt junior Ethan Keyserling into the spotlight. Keyserling’s inexperience and the poor weather conditions ensured that the kicker missed all three field goals he attempted. Journell will return to the team for the Georgia Tech game, but the controversy surrounding his absence still lingers. “All I’m saying is that I made a mistake last week and I’m sorry for it,” Journell said. “I apologized to the coaches and players and my family and everybody who supports me. But I’m going to come back and play this week.” On top of his mysterious suspension, Journell is also coming off the worst game

of his collegiate career after he missed two field goals and an extra point against East Carolina. “It’s kind of like a golf swing a little bit,” Journell said. “We use that analogy all the time, but once you mess up and try to fi x one little thing, then it just compounds after that and gets worse.” Yet for all the trepidation surrounding his return, the veteran is still remarkably consistent for his career. He’s hit 36 of the 46 kicks he’s attempted, with just four misses coming from inside of 40 yards. This consistency has earned the kicker confidence from the coaching staff despite his personal issues. “He’s made some mistakes, but he’s certainly a good kicker and a good kid and (comes from a) good family,” Beamer said. With the team’s first ACC matchup against the undefeated Yellow Jackets looming, Journell and the rest of the special teams will have to be excellent again to get a win in Atlanta. The unit might still be a long way from reaching the heights of the early part of the decade, but any step in that direction is a big one. “We need things like that,” Tyler said. “’Beamer Ball’, that whole thing, I’m happy that’s fi nally coming back and we’re starting to do that again.”

@ @AlexKomaVT

JACOB EMERT

ALEX KOMA SPORTS EDITOR

WW SPORTS EDITOR

The past two weeks I’ve predicted the Hokies will be able to rejuvenate their passing game. While at times there have been glimpses of the air attack breaking through, it hasn’t happened nearly regularly enough — hence the two nail-biters. I’m sticking to my guns. Logan Thomas has played some of his best games against Georgia Tech and the more he gets used to this offense and the receivers the better the product will be. The Yellow Jackets are better defensively this year than they’ve been in recent past, but I look for Thomas to have another big game. The key for the Hokies’ offense will be to sustain drives. Even if they don’t end in points, quick three-and-outs against a team that loves to control the time of possession is dangerous. On the other side of the ball, Bud Foster and the Tech defense have a good track record against Paul Johnson’s optionattack. They see this offense every year, and, although Johnson adds new wrinkles, they handle it pretty well. Virginia Tech will improve to 4-1. Hokies 24, Yellow Jackets 16.

The Hokies are no stranger to facing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on a Thursday night with the ACC Coastal division at stake. But this year, not only does Bud Foster’s defense have a short week to prepare for Paul Johnson’s complicated triple option offense, but the Yellow Jackets have also looked like a different team at times this year. Quarterback Vad Lee can do something predecessors Tevin Washington and Josh Nesbitt couldn’t-get the ball down the field. Foster’s squad has plenty of experience facing this offense, but with Kyle Fuller likely shifting over to whip linebacker once again to combat the Jackets’ unusual scheme, the onus will truly be on the young corners to step up once again. Yet for all the changes in Atlanta, the Hokies’ defense has remained consistently excellent. It may be a tough game, and the offense might not get much going, but it sure seems as if Foster’s bunch can carry the Hokies to a tight win on Thursday.

@ @JacobEmert

@ @AlexKomaVT

september 26, 2013

DEFENDING THE

RAMBLIN’ WRECK ROVER

FREE SAFETY

MIKE LINE BACKER

WHIP

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

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GT JAMES O’HARA contributing sports reporter

erhaps no school in the nation has a more defined offensive identity than the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Head coach Paul Johnson’s triple option offense has become a staple of the ACC. Despite the proliferation of passhappy spread offenses around the nation, Johnson’s Yellow Jackets have rolled along with the power running attack that looks like it belongs more in 1913 than 2013, giving opposing defenses fits in the process. Using the flexbone formation, calculated pre-snap motion and cut blocking the Yellow Jackets turn what appears to be a simple offense into a complex monster. The flexbone formation is made up of two receivers spread out wide on the line of scrimmage, a quarterback under center and three running backs — one outside each tackle and another behind center creating a triangle.

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From this, the Yellow Jackets have multiple options on each play of who to give the ball to. The quarterback can take it, hand it off to the fullback up the middle, or one of the outside backs can take a pitch or sweep and get out

“

You got to control their run game. I don’t think you can just stop their run game.” Bud Foster Defensive coordinator

in space. To cover all of these options a defense has to be disciplined and stick to their assignment. The defensive linemen, linebackers and secondary must all work together to control all possible options. The key word, according to defensive coordinator Bud Foster, is “control.” “You got to control their run game,” Foster said. “I don’t think

you can just stop their run game.” That’s easier said than done, and it’s made even more difficult by Johnson’s ability to read a defense’s assignments and make adjustments to open new holes. Once a defense thinks it has all possible options covered, the scheme changes and they’re caught in no man’s land as a running back scampers free. That isn’t to say that the Virginia Tech Hokies and Foster haven’t had success against the Yellow Jackets attack. In every one of the five games between the two teams since Johnson became head coach of Georgia Tech, the Hokies have held them to fewer points than they averaged per game that season. The Hokies have won four of those five meetings. “We have a lot of experience on this team that played against (Georgia) Tech last year, so I know the game plan should be pretty good for us,” said junior safety Kysheon Jarrett. “We’ve got the idea, we know how to play, we know how to play against them.”

Senior cornerback Kyle Fuller has been a key cog in the Hokies’ defense of the triple option, moving in to play outside linebacker in 2010 and 2011. He will do that again this year, after the season ending injury to Ronny Vandyke in the fall left the Hokies without an outside linebacker capable of handling the responsibilities. Despite previous success, the Hokies will still have their hands full with the Yellow Jackets. A tough task isn’t made any easier given the short week to prepare after playing back-to-back games against two air-attack offenses in East Carolina and Marshall. “It defi nitely makes it a little bit tougher, but we’re ready for it and we’re just going to start getting prepared and be ready to go,” Fuller said. The flexbone formation also has the receivers and backs positioned perfectly to stretch the field vertically in the passing game, following many of the same concepts of spread systems. In previous years the Yellow Jackets have not done this. The most passing touch-

downs a Yellow Jacket has had under Johnson in one year is 11. However, starting quarterback Vad Lee has shown an ability to throw the football as well, already passing for seven touchdowns while completing 56.4 percent of his passes. “To me, he’s a similar guy to who they had last year, I think,” Foster said. “You know, maybe a little bit more of an accurate thrower. That seems like that’s something they’re doing a little bit more is a play action pass and stuff with this guy.” Foster’s defense is up to the challenge, though. “We just have to execute and play well. Georgia Tech’s obviously going to run the ball a lot, that’s their M-O,” senior linebacker Jack Tyler said. “They’re going to be good and physical, we just have to play good defense against them.” “Short week or if we played them on Saturday, it doesn’t matter,” Jarrett said. “We’re going to go out there and play.”

@nextyeardc

TYLER: JACK REALIZES DREAMS from page one Oakton High School alumni who had gone from playing on the scout team to starting (Grimm went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Rowley coached both Tyler and Grimm, and said he saw a lot of similarities between the two. When Tyler was a wide-eyed true freshman, Grimm showed him the ropes of college football. Grimm said Tyler’s work ethic was on display from day one. “I remember Jack having a thirst to learn and (he) was eager to do whatever to help the team,” Grimm said. “He would help out with the scout teams, but prepare as if he was going to start.” Grimm was cemented as the starter upon Jack’s arrival, and since his heir-apparent was top-recruit Taylor, it only made sense that Tyler was discouraged. He started to think he’d never make the jump from the practice field to Worsham Field. “Honestly my expectations were real low. I remember thinking I’d be very happy if I ever start a game or even touch the field,” Jack said, laughing. Adding to Jack’s plight was a nagging back injury that had been bothering him

since middle school, but had been misdiagnosed for years. He was initially told that it was a result of having one leg slightly longer than the other, but it was actually more serious. “All through high school I was playing with a fractured vertebrae and had no idea,” Tyler said. “Then a few years later when we played in the Orange Bowl against Stanford, I did it to the other side of my back.” That injury set off some light bulbs with team doctors. “I thought, ‘This is the same pain, so hey, maybe my legs are back to normal,’” Tyler said. “When I went in to get it checked, they told me I had two fractured vertebrae: one since that night and one for eight years. It has felt great ever since.” After the 2010 season, everything started coming together. Tyler was healthy, had finally earned his scholarship and had a stroke of luck. During the 2010 ACC Championship Game against Florida State, Taylor went down early, opening the door for Jack. “I remember being on the sideline, and Bruce got dinged up, and Coach Foster looked me and just said, ‘You ready to go?’ And I just thought, ‘Are you joking? This is crazy.

I never even imagined this. I never thought I’d start playing (then),’” Tyler said. In an almost movie-like sequence, after years of struggles, Tyler got his big break and took full advantage of it. Tyler recorded one sack and seven tackles (three for a loss) in Taylor’s absence.

“

I realized I can not only play college football at this level, but I can play well and dominate.” Jack Tyler Linebacker

In Tech’s 44-33 win, he gained the confidence he lacked in his first two seasons. The dejecting scouts who didn’t want him years ago ate their words. “It showed me that I can do this — that I can play at this level. That, despite what everyone’s doubted me for, I can actually do it. That game just turned it all upside down for me,” Tyler said. “I realized I can not only play college football at this level, but I can play well and dominate. That game pretty much turned my whole career around.” Even today, Jack’s perfor-

mance in that game sticks out to Bud Foster. “He’s stepped up for us in some big games. We wouldn’t have won the 2010 ACC Championship without him,” Foster said. “He’s a fun guy to coach. It’s fun to watch him play, and he’s worked at it.” In the following 2011 season, he saw more and more playing time before fi nally taking over as the full-time starter at middle linebacker in 2012. Last season, he earned AllACC accolades before being selected as a team captain for the 2013 season. Jack says that it’s all been surreal, but he’s far from content. “Honestly it was a dream come true,” he said. “I never would have ever imagined being a team captain or being All-ACC. Now my expectations are to be the best linebacker in the country, to be an All-American. Those are just expectations that I set for myself that some may think are ridiculous, but I know I can go achieve them.” Ridiculous to some people, but certainly not Cody Grimm. His old mentor said that even though Jack didn’t get many reps as a freshman, he’d show flashes of brilliance in the future.

“I knew he had it in him to be All-ACC and more. He showed the coaches and his teammates that he knew what he was doing and had the athletic ability to do it,” Grimm said. “I knew if he kept working the way he was, he was going to be a good player.” Now in his senior season, Jack Tyler finds himself in a position Grimm was in just years ago: a team leader on defense. Like Grimm, his old high school coach isn’t surprised to see Jack where he is now. “I didn’t have any doubt he would put the work in,” Rowley said. “He did what he had to. He took his chance and it’s worked out. He’s done an amazing job.” Tyler always had people like Rowley, Grimm and his parents around, who k now him and knew that he could be an impact player. However, convincing those who grant the opportunities to think the same wasn’t as easy. Jack earned the right say “I-told-you-so,” but even while hushing his doubters, he remains modest. “It’s really humbling. My parents tell me to look back to five years ago and just think about how I was then compared to how I am now,” he said. “I’m so blessed for

what has happened. I’ve been very fortuitous with the way things have happened, but I try to take it all in stride, do the best I can and make people proud.” Tyler has been a tackling machine in the middle since starting for the Hokies. Last season he led the team with 119 stops, and currently leads the team with 33 in this season’s four games. “He’s as instinctive as anyone we’ve had here. He’s got great vision,” Foster said. “I don’t know what he runs in the forty, probably 4.75, 4.8 but he plays at 4.6 or 4.5. It’s been rewarding watching him develop.” So what’s next for Jack Tyler? After his senior year, he’s hoping to find a career at the highest level. Again, he may need to do some convincing, as he’s rated as the No. 22 inside linebacker entering the NFL draft, but history shows that Jack Tyler doesn’t care about odds. “To play in the NFL has been a goal of mine since I was very little,” Jack said. “Now that I see it as something that’s reachable, I’m going to do anything that I can to reach it, and I’m not going to stop until I do.”

@ @MikePlatania

september 26, 2013

RUNNING GAME STRIVES TO DEVELOP CONSISTENCY

OFFENSIVE LINE FACES TOUGH TEST IN ATLANTA

BROOKS AKER sports reporter

After one game, the Virginia Tech rushing game looked promising, posting a solid performance against topranked Alabama highlighted by a 77-yard touchdown run by redshirt freshman Trey Edmunds. However, two weeks later questions arose about whether the initial performance was a fluke after the Hokies mustered just 53 yards rushing against East Carolina. But Saturday’s 201-yard performance against Marshall comes at the right time as the Hokies begin conference play Thursday night. The Hokies’ running game has been up and down this year, but right now is the best it has been this season, which is where it needs to be headed into the ACC portion of the schedule. Coming into the 2013 season, the offensive line was a question mark, as was much of the offense. As the line progressed, so would the Hokies’ offense. Through four games, it has seen changes in the starting lineup and the rotation, but on the whole the unit has performed well, despite a tough game against East Carolina. Heading into the Marshall game, the offensive linemen knew they had to be tougher and more physical. “This week we had a great game plan and we came out and we attacked the line of scrimmage instead of letting the D-Line attack us,” senior right guard Andrew Miller said. “We were able to get some movement up front, which opened up some holes for Trey and those running backs so it was great to get back on board.” As for the running backs, they looked pretty good against the Thundering Herd defense. Edmunds averaged five yards per carry on 22 touches out of the backfield for 110 yards, including a nice run of 43 yards down the left sideline in the fourth quarter. Edmunds made a great read and cut back, following blocks by left tackle Jonathan

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

The offensive line will be tested by Georgia Tech this Thursday. JULIA CANON sports staff writer

CHEN JIANG / SPPS

Chris Mangus (28) emerged as an important part of Tech’s running game after a big day against Marshall. McLaughlin and wide receiver Willie Byrn and outran two Marshall defenders to get the edge. As good as he has looked, Edmunds was quick to remember why he had room to run. “The offensive line had to be doing their job, it was just trusting them and running behind them and we came out with a stellar performance,” Edmunds said. As Edmunds continues to improve, the numbers will only get better. He has shown the ability to break off big plays, but also grind out a fi rst down on tough runs between the tackles. The most encouraging sign for the running game is that, despite a good performance this weekend, there is still plenty of room for growth. As Chris Mangus and Joel Caleb find their place in the offense, the playmaking ability from the running back group is tremendous. “There’s a place for both of

them on the field,” running backs coach Shane Beamer said. “We’re doing a lot with the running backs. If you watch Mangus on Saturday he’s lined up as a receiver as much as he is a running back. We’re moving guys around. We’re doing a lot of different things.” Mangus is starting to develop a solid role in the offense as a change-of-pace running back that can spread the field and as a slot receiver. But the coaches want to make sure the players can manage everything being thrown at them. “You can do a lot with them but I’ve just got to be careful about not asking them to try to learn (too much),” Beamer said. “It’s essentially, at times, three different positions they need to know depending on what personnel package we’re in. The possibilities with them are very intriguing, it’s just how much can they handle.” Mangus has great speed and

the coaches have been trying to let him get the ball in space. For example, his 76-yard touchdown run came around the left end on a pitch where he had room to get to the edge. Add in a healthy J.C. Coleman to the mix and the Hokies find themselves with a talented stable of running backs. The only problem is that they are a relatively young group, with true sophomore Coleman the most experienced player of the bunch. As the group gets more reps in practice and more game experience, they will continue to grow. If each player knows his role well and executes, the potential is exciting. But for now, they just need to focus on improving and remaining consistent from week to week.

@ @BrooksAker

Heading into ACC play this week, the Virginia Tech offensive line will be tested by Georgia Tech’s defense. Ranked 12th nationally for points allowed, the Yellow Jackets are a serious threat. “Georgia Tech is a really good defense,” offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said. “They’re a typical ACC defense in that they have got a lot of size in the defensive line and also have guys that are active and can make plays. They are going to be a great challenge for us.” A big point of concern for the offensive line against Georgia Tech is that their defensive line switches from a four-man front to an odd front throughout the game. “We are prepared for any type of front, so it’s not that big of a deal,” said junior offensive lineman David Wang. Having faced both of these types of fronts so far this season, the offensive line should be ready for both looks. After putting up weak rushing numbers against East Carolina two weeks ago, the line showed an improved performance against Marshall. The Hokies rushed for 201 yards in the game. “The key thing is not to beat yourself up about a mistake,” said Grimes. “You have to think about what happened, and question why did you make that mistake. Then you need to find those answers before you improve.” While the Hokies have

shown improvement over the season thus far, they have been criticized for their lack of physicality. “At times we look like that kind of physical group we want to be,” Grimes said. “We are certainly not anywhere near what I imagine a Virginia Tech offensive line as being, yet.” One result of this was right tackle Brent Benedict taking over the starting job from Laurence Gibson two games into the season. “He had his ups and downs and he wasn’t the only one, but I like Brent and I think that he has a real competitive fire,” Grimes said. “He’s a real tough kid. He’s always going to show up every day, not say much, and go to work.” While Benedict has not been perfect, he is a proven hard-worker who brings intensity to the offensive line. With a short week for preparation heading into the Thursday night game against Georgia Tech, the whole process for the offensive line is sped up. The coaching staff began watching and dissecting game film right after the game against Marshall ended. Even though a short week means less time to prepare, it is an atmosphere that most players enjoy. “I am excited for this Thursday night game,” Wang said. “It reminds me of high school Friday night football, it’s just a great atmosphere.” Facing a stout Georgia Tech defense, the offensive line must continue to improve this Thursday.

THOMAS' INCONSISTENCY HAMPERS OFFENSE ZACH MARINER sports staff writer

Coming into the 2013 season, local and national media alike agreed that Virginia Tech’s football season hinged on the success of quarterback Logan Thomas. Through four weeks, that prediction has held strong. “We couldn’t have a better leader than Logan, he’s tough and we’re very happy to follow that guy,” said head coach Frank Beamer. Yet so far in 2013, Thomas has completed just 48.5 percent of his passes for 698 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions. While dropped passes have no doubt hindered his stat line over the season’s first month, Thomas’ inconsistencies as a passer have also played a large part in his numbers so far. There are some plays where Thomas looks like the future NFL star many believe he can still become, but there are others that make fans shake their head in disbelief. Tech’s offense has had 13 scoring drives this season - 11 ending in touchdowns and two ending in field goals. Thomas didn’t throw a pass on three of those possessions – one because backup Mark Leal was in late in the game against Western Carolina, and two because of long runs by Trey Edmunds and Chris Mangus.

During the remaining 10 scoring drives, Thomas is 34-of-45 passing (75.6 percent) for 371 yards and, obviously, all four of his touchdowns.

“

I guess the only thing that happens is getting the momentum going.” Logan Thomas Quarterback

Those numbers are astounding, especially if you consider the fact that his numbers on drives that don’t end in points for Tech are as follows: 31-of-89 passing (34.8 percent) for 327 yards and all six of his interceptions. “I guess the only thing that happens is getting the momentum going. I think, starting the drive off with obviously a first down, it starts getting things going,” Thomas said. Thomas was even lucky to throw for one of those scores, as his touchdown toss to receiver Willie Byrn to tie the Marshall game was very nearly intercepted. “Most of the tips haven’t gone our way this year in the pass game,” Byrn said. “We were lucky we got this one to go our way.”

The quarterback’s problems with consistency were on display earlier in the game. On second down at Marshall’s 12-yard line, Thomas had an open receiver in fullback Sam Rogers who could’ve walked in for an easy touchdown. Instead, Thomas was late delivering the ball and overthrew Rogers. “They brought edge pressure, so I ended up stepping up and throwing it quick,” Thomas said. “I tried to lead him and let him run underneath it, because I knew if I hit him it was a touchdown, but I put it about three inches too far in front of his hands.” But Thomas came right back on fourth down to hit Josh Stanford with a perfect pass for a first down on the one-yard line. “Stanford made a great catch in the middle of the field and he turned up the field and just pounded it home,” Thomas said. “He’s one of those guys, if we can get him confident and get him going, he can be a really, really special receiver.” The sequence perfectly demonstrated why so many see so much potential in Thomas, yet also why the Hokies offense has struggled this year. “If you look at this game, even on the long drives, there was too many mistakes. Last week was our biggest mistake game hands down,” said offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. “We made more mistakes, left more yardage on the field

KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

Logan Thomas has suffered through an inconsistent start to the year, hamstringing the offense. than any game we’ve played so ing – it’s just that in order for far. There was way too many the Hokies to be successful in mistakes in that game that left 2013, he’ll need to do it more -Logan Thomas is 28 for 51 major drives that stopped, and consistently. passing for 439 touchdowns “I think that’s how we’re built also the ability to score.” It goes without saying that as an offense,” Thomas said. against Georgia Tech Thomas’ athleticism, size and “We’re not a big, explosive-play arm strength make him an offense. We’re going to have to -Since 1998, Tech is 18-6 NFL scout’s dream. But his keep drives going, keep makon Thursdays, including 8-3 mechanics have been called ing drives happen. You know, on the road. into question, as has his accu- you got to start it all off with a racy and decision-making, ever first down.” since the middle of the 2012 -Tech has traveled to Bobby season. Dodd Stadium twice on Again, it’s not as though Thursdays, winning both times @ @ZachMariner Thomas is incapable of produc-

stats

Who’s cooking tonight? Meet Tech’s head chefs before tonight’s Chef’s Table showcase Thursday, September 26, 2013 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 22 News, page 2

Lifestyles, page 5

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 6

Study Break, page 4

Coalition petitions Tech to stop investing in fossil fuel LESLIE MCCREA news reporter

Pictures and videos of natural disasters all over the world land on our news feeds, TV’s and headlines weekly, and the issue of fossil fuels and their effects on climate change are often put to blame. Ten environmentalist Tech

students have asked how they can push social change in the fight against the wealthiest industry on the planet. The answer they’ve found is Divestment. “Divestment in general is the deliberate removal of investments from a corporation in which a person is morally opposed to,” said Nevin

Ounnpu-Adams, vice president of the Environmental Coalition at Tech. “In our case, we are trying to push the university to divest from fossil fuel companies.” Divestment is a growing phenomenon across the globe. With 308 college-level campaigns across 11 countries, the fight against fossil fuels is

increasing. For a university of Tech’s size, with an endowment marked at over $600 million as of June 30, the question remains— how much money do we really invest in fossil fuels? The Environmental Coalition met last year with John Dooley, CEO of the Virginia Tech Foundation which controls the

endowment outside of the university. “We found out that 10 percent of our fund is invested in fossil fuel companies,” said Michele Newby, Environmental Coalition reporter. “[The Virginia Tech Foundation] said that they were not interested in divesting at this time, so basically what

we want to do now is build support within the student body,” Ounnpu-Adams said. Dooley confirmed this statement. “The foundation engages a series of fund managers to prove the greatest return possible for our funds,” Dooley said. see FUEL / page two

VTPD uses GPS bait bikes to stop theft Weapons agreement could solidify Syrian power SAMANTHA DREW news staff writer

With a campus as large as Virginia Tech, and a student population that outnumbers the police force nearly 300 to one, the Virginia Tech Police Department simply can’t have eyes everywhere. To combat this predicament, VT police have started using a new method to deter bike theft— ordinary looking bikes equipped with GPS tracking abilities. These seemingly ordinary ‘bait bikes’ are mixed in with student bikes all over campus, just waiting for an unsuspecting thief to make the mistake of taking it. Lieutenant George Jackson manages criminal investigations for the VTPD and runs the bait bike program for the department. The program is not necessarily aimed solely at catching bike thieves, but see BIKE / page two

JAMES ROSEN mcclatchy newspapers

KEVIN DICKEL, BEN WEIDLICH, TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

Bike thefts have lessened since the Tech Police Department began planting trackable bikes around racks on campus.

Students take the reins in cultivating peace LAURA RATLIFF & DEAN SEAL news staff Tucked away in the shadow of a busy campus life, students can find a space for reflection in the International Peace Garden, cultivated by Tech professor Robert Youngs and his wife Esther 20 years ago. But the couple, now in their 80s, decided they were no longer physically able to maintain the garden in January 2012, and since, the Students for Non-Violence have decided to carry on the legacy of the hidden, serene oasis. “We have put in easily over 70 hours of volunteer work in the Peace Garden, working this (past) spring and summer,” said Rohan Cobb-Ozanne, president of Students for Non-Violence. “The bench (we donated) is a symbol of our commitment to maintaining the garden and cultivating compassion within the community.” Cobb-Ozanne hopes that the club can provide the garden with regular support and campus awareness, while also putting in money and resources to revitalize the garden. The organization hopes to create a pathway of engraved Hokie stones, symbolizing the commitment of student clubs and organizations to the peace garden. see PEACE / page six

NEWS

PHOTOS BY KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

The head of NATO said Wednesday that the U.S. threat of a military strike had forced Syria to agree to surrender its chemical weapons and the potential use of force must remain to help compel compliance with its agreement to disarm. But he added that a United Nations inspection program to find, secure and move or destroy Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile could help solidify President Bashar Assad’s grip on power because such a program would require his assistance and probably take many months to complete. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a former Danish prime minister, made the comments in an extensive interview with McClatchy while he was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. He said he’d spoken this week to President Barack Obama and credited him with forcing Assad’s hand by threatening military force. He broke, however, with the Obama administration’s recent claim that moderate rebels were gaining ground in Syria, saying Islamic militants were a growing problem among Syrian rebels trying to dislodge Assad. “To be very open and frank, it is a fact that the opposition counts extremists and terrorist groups, and I don’t shy away from using the phrase ‘terrorist groups,’” Rasmussen said. “Of course, it is weakening the opposition.” The rise of Syrian fighters from al-Qaidaaffiliated groups and other radical movements makes it more difficult for Western nations to provide arms and other assistance to the Syrian rebels, Rasmussen said. “Many nations are reluctant to provide particular weapons in a situation where we can’t be sure those weapons won’t fall into the wrong hands,” he said. Secretary of State John Kerry told Congress three weeks ago that extremists made up no more than one-quarter of the Syrian opposition, a share that many analysts consider too small. Turning to another hot spot, Rasmussen welcomed the recent moderate statements by new Iranian President Hasan Rouhani but said concrete steps must follow. “Nice words are welcome, but action is even more important,” Rasmussen said. “They need to stop their aspirations to acquire a nuclear weapon. What we’re witnessing now is that the tough sanctions on Iran are starting to bite, and the Iranian leadership realizes that if they are to promote a more positive economic development opportunity in Iran, they also need to engage more constructively with the international community.”

Top: The International Peace Garden was planted in 1993. Left: The garden includes a variety of vegetation. Right: The garden and benches sit atop “Hurricane Hill” overlooking the tennis courts on Washington Street.

MULTIMEDIA

SPORTS See the various ways Virginia Tech works toward sustainability on campus.

Wondering what’s going on around campus this week? see page 2

see it online

ONLINE See what receiver Willie Byrn and cornerback Antone Exum had to say at practice this week before the big Georgia Tech matchup on Thursday.

The Collegiate Times has it on video.

Read more about the International Peace Garden and the couple that made it. see page 6

see SYRIA / page two

see it online

Check online for constant updates throughout the day. www.collegiatetimes.com

CollegiateTimes @collegiatetimes

September 26, 2013

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NEWS

Fuel: Divestment depends Bike: Despite no arrests, on compelling argument baiting has reduced thefts from page one

tion. These trackers lead police to the exact location of the bike, with the expectation that the thief will have other stolen bikes for them to fi nd as well. “More than likely, a bike is stolen by a few people who are perpetrating the theft of all the bikes,” Jackson said. “We hope to recover several bikes from one person. But also deter the lazy student going from one side of campus to the other and wants a quick ride.” Nate Lasker, a freshman communication major, recently had his bike stolen on campus. “My bike was locked outside overnight and I went out to grab it in the morning to ride it to class, but it was gone, with no lock to be found,” Lasker said. After searching, the bike was found. However, if the police recover a stolen bike

from page one

“We do not provide the managers any specific guidance on the types of investments that they should or should not make. We have not changed that philosophy at this point.” The group of students in the Environmental Coalition involved in this campaign have started a petition, which currently has over 200 student signatures. The petition states, “We call on Virginia Tech to immediately freeze any new investment in fossil-fuel companies, and to divest within five years from direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil-fuel public equities and corporate bonds.” “We are trying right now to make people understand that it’s not a money issue, it’s a moral issue,” Newby said. Along with the petition, the group is in the process of creating a long-term goal list, which includes developing a plan for what profitable investments could be made in exchange for fossil fuels. “Fossil fuels are such a huge market and a huge source of money obviously, so it’s going to be tough to convince the school that this is a good

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELE NEWBY

thing to do,” Newby said. Dooley explained that the committee is constantly monitoring the environment and situation, and would be open to reconsideration if a compelling argument were to arise. “Particularly as a land grant university we have a responsibility to make sure that we represent the broad economic interest of all people across the commonwealth,” he said. Onupuu-Adams and Newby agree that the focus of their actions is environmental relief. A Rolling Stone article on divestment from February 2013 noted that “the fossil fuel industry… has five times as much carbon in

its reserves as even the most conservative governments on earth say is safe to burn – but on the current course, it will be burned, tanking the planet.” “Divestment is more than just an environmentalist movement. It has been called the social justice movement of our time,” said OnupuuAdams. “I think that if we are going to a school with the motto ‘Invent the Future,’ then we clearly should not be doing something that is putting the quality of our future in jeopardy.”

In an interview broadcast Wednesday on CNN, Rouhani said there had been preparations for Obama and him to have a brief handshake encounter Tuesday, when both of them addressed the General Assembly, but that there wasn’t “sufficient time to coordinate such a meeting.” Since taking office Aug. 3, Rouhani has suggested that he wants to improve relations with the United States, and he’s taken other steps to ease distrust, acknowledging the Holocaust, for example, during his interview with CNN. His predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had cast doubt on whether the Nazis’ extermination of 6 million Jews had occurred. “Any crime that happens in history against humanity, including the crime the Nazis created towards the Jews, is reprehensible and condemnable,” Rouhani told CNN. Despite saying the threat of force should continue

to be levied against Syria, Rasmussen, who’s headed NATO since 2009, acknowledged that any military intervention there would be more difficult than it had been in Libya in 2011, when a NATOled bombing campaign helped rebels overthrow Moammar Gadhafi. “Libya and Syria are two different countries and two very different cases,” he said. “In Libya, we operated on the basis of a U.N. mandate, and we got active support from countries in the region. None of these conditions are fulfilled when it comes to Syria.” Rasmussen said those conditions were compounded by Syria’s multi-ethnic makeup. “Syria is a more complicated society — ethnically, religiously and politically — so you can’t forge a political settlement through a military operation. Different ethnic groups are in conflict with each other, and you can’t force them through a military operation to sit around a table and find a solution.” Rasmussen pushed back

@CollegiateTimes

CT has need something to do? The you covered.

@lesliemccrea

Syria: Peace talks continue from page one

about preventing future crimes from being committed, he said. “Nobody has ever stolen a bait bike before, but we’ve had a reduction in the amount of theft this year because of the warnings we’ve advertised,” Lieutenant Jackson said. Bike thefts were at a high in 2011, with 48 bikes stolen and only 11 recovered. Th is year, so far, 17 bikes have been stolen, with three bikes recovered. “Bikes are stolen relatively frequently here. If you look around campus at the number of bikes here percentagewise, it’s not a lot. But, if you’re one of the 48 who had their bikes stolen, it matters,” Lieutenant Jackson said. The bait bikes are equipped with GPS trackers that emit a signal when a bicycle is moved from its original loca-

that is not registered through Parking Services, it cannot be returned to its owner and is instead put in storage. In addition, the VTPD cannot charge a thief with stealing if they cannot identify a victim. According to Jackson, a thief is also more likely to ignore a bike without a registration sticker, and being in possession of a stolen bike is sufficienct evidence that he/she has stolen it, unless proven otherwise. Though bait bikes have arguably helped to deter theft, the simplest way to prevent bike theft is to make sure it’s registered properly through Parking Services and to invest in a quality bike lock. It’s also recommended to memorize your bikes serial number in case it is stolen or impounded.

at criticism from former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other military experts of NATO’s performance during the Libya campaign, but he admitted that European nations must upgrade their defense capabilities. What Gates stressed, he said, “and I agree, is that lessons learned from Libya were that the Europeans lack some critical capabilities like joint intelligence surveillance reconnaissance assets — drones. The Europeans don’t have that many. We also learned that Europeans have many aircraft but not the ability to tank in air, so we need air-to-air refueling. And in general, Europeans lack heavy transport capacity. I agree that the Europeans should focus future defense investments in those areas to fill the gaps.” When asked whether there has been progress in those areas, Rasmussen responded: “We have seen improvements, but much more can be done.”

Pet Therapy Study Break with VT Helping PAWS (Newman Library, 6 - 7 p.m.) As the semester gets into full swing, take a study break with some furry creatures on the second floor of Newman Library from 6-7 p.m.

Football: Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.) Watch the Hokies take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta as they strive to keep their 3-1 record. The game will be televised on ESPN with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

Music: Matt Hutchinson (The Cellar, 7 - 9 p.m.) Join local musician Matt Hutchinson from 7-9 p.m. as he rocks out to classic music with inspiration from the Beatles, Radiohead, the Who, and the Kinks. No cover.

Music: The Dirty Hairies (The Cellar, 9 p.m. - midnight) The Dirty Hairies are a New River Valley honkytonk supergroup playing New Mountain Country Sounds including two-steps, swings and flatfoots for your drinking and dancing pleasure. Join them from 9-midnight upstairs.

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

Sept. 11 - Sept. 24

5:00 p.m. - 10:08 a.m.

Vandalism / Destruction of Property

Oak Lane

Active

Sept. 24

3:00 p.m.

Drug / Narcotic Violation

Center for Performing Arts

Cleared by Arrest

Sept. 25

5:04 a.m.

Trespassing

Newman Library

Active

OPINIONS

opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

September 26, 2013

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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 Editor: Chelsea Giles, Madeleine 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

Pope Francis' remarks foster progress L

ast Thursday, an interview conducted with Pope Francis was released in various Jesuit publications around the globe producing quite a stir within the Roman Catholic Church. In it, Pope Francis criticized the church for becoming excessively engrossed in matters of sexual morality, specifically in concern to samesex marriage. After reading the interview, I have one thing to say to Pope Francis: thank you. Thank you for putting the focus of the church on love instead of dogmatic teachings. Thank you for once again inducing hope in those with more liberal beliefs. Thank you for not ostracizing a group of people based on who they love like previous papacies have. I find that I am not alone in these feelings of gratitude. In the days following the publication of the interview, various social media networks were fi lled with statuses containing similar sentiments of appreciation.

The pope speaking of an institution that wants to see the inherent good in people of all lifestyles and that desires morality over doctrine is a church people are jubilant to be a part of. Pope Francis stated in his interview, “it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.” This is a sentiment I hope to see carried over to the U.S. government. Discussions between politicians over the validity of same-sex marriage have been going on for decades and it is time for it to come to an end. If the pope does not fi nd it necessary to concern himself with the private, sexual relations between consenting adults, then there is no need for anyone else to. I have never been able to comprehend why certain government officials, or regular citizens for that matter, believe they have the authority to deny homosexual couples the right to marry and enjoy other basic rights that are unquestionably given to

heterosexual couples. However, the pope’s recent remarks and his wild popularity among American Catholics have me optimistic that an even greater step towards equality can be achieved.

Discussions between politicians over the validity of same-sex marriage have been going on for decades and it is time for it to come to and end. Another reason for buoyancy is that these remarks have been released soon after the landmark Supreme Court decisions of Hollingsworth v. Perry and United States v. Windsor. Following these decisions in June, polls on major news outlets such as CBS and USA Today report over 50 percent of the American

population is in support of gay marriage, and the number continues to rise. According to the Senate’s demographic report for this current session, “Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination” in the 113th Congress. If Pope Francis continues to maintain the same level of influence he currently has, then having this many lawmakers of Catholic faith may turn out to be beneficial for samesex couples. After only six months in his papacy, Pope Francis has already begun to challenge the status quo set by his predecessors and the Curia, the Vatican governing hierarchy. The tide is already rapidly turning in America in concern to same-sex couples and the Pope’s statement will only fuel the changes to come. ALEX HILL -regular columnist -sophomore -political science/English

response to Nabeel's article, this is certainly a point that needs to be brought up on this campus but unfortunately not everything resides in the administration’s hands here at Virginia Tech. I myself am aware of Halal food's history on this campus as it was once abandoned due to a lack of demand from students. However, every year the question is brought back up, "Why can't we get it back?" The question typically dies out as quickly as it's brought up, but seeing the question arise once again in our Muslim community’s Facebook group, I posted the following in response. "Nabeel was certainly right to bring up this issue, but unfortunately, the point of blame should not be put entirely on Virginia Tech as it so seems to be in his article, but rather on ourselves. The fact of the matter is Virginia Tech wants to put Halal food on the menu, they know of our struggles and our desires, but Food and Dinning Services is hesitant because they are unsure of the demand,

which is why Halal food failed the first time around. The rule of thumb when it comes to investments is that the return must be greater than the costs. Virginia Tech needs to hear from our community that an investment would truly be beneficial and would pay off well. How else could they expect to know the profitability when not enough people are speaking up! Call it apathy, call it feelings of entitlement, call it ignorance but at the end of the day, if you want something in life you have step up and work for it. The reason I'm saying all of this is because last year I went to the head of Dining Services, Ted Faulkner, and said, "We want Halal food. What can we do to make it happen?" His response to me was to show him the interest and together we can make it happen. I brought it back to you all and the idea seemed to die in a thread right here in this group (feel free to search for it). Now I partially feel responsible for letting it die, but the fact of the matter is that this is a group effort that includes our Muslim community and Virginia Tech. It isn't a one-way street so if you all want to periodically return back to trivial blames and insubstantial demands, go

Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860

Your Views [letters to the editor] Student response for the inclusion of a new Halal meat dining option

College Media Solutions Ad Director: Michelle Sutherland Account Executives: Taylor Moran, Stephanie Morris, Danielle Pedra Inside Sales Manager: Amanda Gawne Assistant Account Executives: Catie Stockdale Jordan Williams, Emily Daugherty, Emily Reina, Becca Schwartz Creative Director: Diana Bayless Creative Staff: Mariah Jones, Samantha Keck, Kitty Schaffernoth, Seden Craig. Katherine Miller

right ahead, but be warned that nothing will result from it. If you actually want to make this happen then stand up and let’s actually work together to bring about change. Working with the administration is manageable and the channels necessary to make it happen are there. If this is something that you all actually want then let me know so that we can make this happen. Jazan Allah." The response thus far has been amazing and from what I can tell, this has been the most engaged our group has ever been in regards to this issue. There has been talk of mobilizations, grassroots groups, and crossorganizational coalitions all so this can be accomplished. It's actually inspiring to see a group so anxious to bring about positive change. If we succeed, the precedent will be huge for both sides. It will ensure Virginia Tech’s willingness to welcome and accommodate minority groups as well as aiding in our own ability to be fully active members of the greater-Virginia Tech community while still being able to be better practitioners of our religion. Nizar Taifour, management major

The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2013. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

September 26, 2013

Today’s Birthday Horoscope: What do you want, for yourself and others this year? Re-evaluate what you have, and measure the gap. Improve your home to support your vision. Love gives you new energy. Adventures call you to explore the world, through words or in person. Balance health and wellness mindfully.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day

“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

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

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7 9 3 2 3 8 9 8 6 7 1 4 9 2 5 8 5 1 6 9 7 4 6 7

7 6 5

67 “Did You __ See a Dream Walking?” 68 Int’l alliance 69 “Our Gang” dog 70 Ph.D. hurdle 71 Remove from power

downloads

By Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski

ACROSS 1 Hook or Cook: Abbr. 5 For the calorieconscious 9 Purse handle 14 Fairy tale baddie 15 Ugandan baddie 16 Remove pencil marks 17 Completely destroy 18 Rikki-Tikki-__: Kipling critter 19 __ Carlo: Grand Prix setting 20 *Reason consumers purchase certain brands

You Oughta Know- Alanis Morissette Smile - Lily Allen Don’t Think You Wanna- Sleater-Kinney Run the World (Girls) - Beyonce Cherry Bomb - Bratmobile

23 Ankle artwork, briefly 24 Fathers and grandfathers 25 Bks.-to-be 28 *Bumbling beginner 35 Historic WWII bomber 37 Threat punctuator 38 Timber wolf 39 Mil. detainee who may reveal only the starts of the answers to starred clues 41 Paper purchase

9/26/13 42 Poll findings 45 Island state of Australia 48 *Hookups for computer peripherals 50 Dadaist Jean 51 Wish undone 52 Opposite of ’neath 54 *Financial analysts 63 Inventor Howe 64 Winslet of “Titanic” 65 “The rest __ to you” 66 Insurance giant

DOWN 1 Ear on your plate 2 Isla surrounder 3 Stiffly neat 4 Religious belief 5 Infielder’s untimely move 6 1998 Apple debut 7 DVR pioneer 8 Tough nut to crack 9 Advanced study group 10 Relaxed pace 11 Hindu princess 12 Regarding 13 Rounded end of a hammer 21 Uncommon, aviswise 22 Much soughtafter clownfish of film 25 Gets all gooey 26 Nocturnal noise 27 Clearheaded 29 Brit : lie-down :: Yank : __ 30 Former Japanese capital 31 Trillion: Pref. 32 Kagan of the Supreme Court 33 TWA competitor 34 Plot a new route 36 Actress Anderson 40 Serious conflict 43 Assume as probable

44 Disparaging remark 46 Habitual pot smokers 47 Fraction of a min. 49 Ate like a bird 53 Thick-skinned beast 54 Kind of tide 55 Fonda’s beekeeper

56 Oven user’s accessory 57 Thorn in one’s side 58 Shankar with a sitar 59 Western natives 60 Biblical twin 61 Grooves in the road 62 Carpet cleaner’s concern

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

9/25/13

WORDSEARCH: National Parks Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W M

W H

W P

W C

W U

W J

W D

W WORD BANK D 1 Acadia 2 Grand A Canyon I 3 Zion Z 4 Arches 5 Redwoods V 6 Olympic H 7 Sequoia M 8 Badlands 9 Bryce G 10 Joshua Tree R 11 Glacier 12 Denali A 13 Grand Teton N 14 Yellowstone D 15 Yosemite 16 Crater Lake T 17 Great E Smoky Mountain T

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your colleagues have answers. Discover a pleasant surprise. There’s more work coming in, so pay back a debt. Plan a luxurious evening at home, where your heart is. Decorate, and use the good china. Taurus (April 20-May 20) You have more business than expected. You’re especially good at marketing. Friends help you make a connection. Get into the reading, and study new developments. Eat well, exercise and rest deeply. Gemini (May 21-June 20) Gather up the harvest. Make romantic plans. Money’s coming in; use it to create a beautiful moment. Take care. Avoid excess, and keep it simple. Plot your inancial course. Follow a friend’s recommendations. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Personal matters demand attention, and you’re stronger for it. Find a great deal on a luxurious item for your home. Create the perfect ambiance for a lovely moment. Share it with someone special.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) It’s easier to inish old projects and commitments. Review your priorities, and get a lucky break. Get serious about your strategy without getting arrogant or bossy. You are looking good, though.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Review your budget. Take control of the details, and handle a inancial matter. There’s a choice to make, and more money coming your way. Learning from friends and siblings can be fun.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Improve your process to increase your yield. Celebrate! The next two days are good for travel and fun. Friends are glad to go along for the ride. They contribute excellent ideas. Playtime advances work effortlessly.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) There’s another change to your assignment. Accept an offer of assistance or a windfall. Stash away the surplus. Let a strong leader take charge. Be receptive. You’re making an excellent impression by being nice. Study with a partner.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Anticipate changes. This could bring valuables your way. Expect more responsibility. A generous offer requires more thought. Practice great service, and get much stronger. Keep or change your promises. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) An opportunity presents itself enticingly. Trust a woman’s advice. News affects your decision. Set long-range goals. You’re very popular now. Conditions look good for travel and romance. Share a feast!

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Your workload is getting more intense, and the excellent work you’ve been doing re lects well on you. Re-af irm goals together with a partner. Share a dream you’d love to see realized. Think big. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You’re developing a new perspective. Say so. Others are pleased with your work. You are lucky in love. Your fame travels far and wide. Work on creative arts or crafts. Provide well for family.

LIFESTYLES

September 26, 2013

lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

Tech’s head chefs share their passion for food Most of the executive chefs in Virginia Tech’s Dining Services start their days long before sunrise. By the time 8 a.m. classes begin, most chefs have already been on

their feet in the kitchens for hours. Today, students will get to see the faces behind Tech’s nationally ranked food and see what the chefs do best at the Chef’s Premier

in Owens Dining Hall. Although each chef brings a different history and menu to the event, their passion for using locally grown food and satisfying

their customers unites them as one group. The ﬁve executive chefs participating in Chef’s Premier are as much a part of the showcase as the food itself.

BY JESSICA GROVES | lifestyles staff writer

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Randall Van Dyke, executive chef of Dietrick Dining Hall

Mark Moritz, executive chef of Turner Place at Lavery Hall

John Scherer, executive chef of Owens Dining Hall

Mark Bratton, executive chef of West End Market

Chang-Lei Yun, executive chef of Personal Touch Catering

Although Chef Randall Van Dyke grew up surrounded by family members who cooked, he first entered the restaurant world as a dishwasher. After eventually climbing toward a management position, Van Dyke realized that culinary school was his next destination. For a chef, though, culinary school is only the beginning. “You can only learn so much in culinary school,” he said. Van Dyke has served the Tech community for five years. In that time, he has continued to build upon the foundations of knowledge that real-world experience has given him. According to Van Dyke, a chef must also be an artist, a scientist and a psychologist to do his job well. But Van Dyke knows he can’t change someone’s day alone. Just as his kitchen and student staff workers contribute to D2’s day-to-day successes, they have also contributed to the planning and production of Van Dyke’s Chef’s Premier menu. “The excitement is getting to go out there and show the talents of my staff,” Van Dyke said. “I’m not doing this all on my own, this is a team effort.”

There’s no doubt Chef Mark Moritz skips lunch often. Moritz spends his mornings sampling every dish that will be served at Turner Place in Lavery Hall, which keeps him full until dinner. Moritz is responsible for filleting more than 60 pounds of fish, baking sourdough bread for all of the restaurants and preparing breakfast before 10:30 a.m. Nearly all of Turner Place’s food is cooked from scratch in the dining hall kitchen. This means cooks handle every ingredient that goes into the food rather than opening a frozen box and reheating its contents in the oven. “There’s no pride [in that],” Moritz said. “Anybody can open a box… when you see all of that process happen before your eyes, I mean, how can you not be happy?” Moritz said he has already accomplished his goals for Turner Place, but he has bigger goals for Tech’s entire campus. In the long run, he wants to unite all of Dining Services to the same philosophy on cooking that he holds. “I can honestly say that I have never, ever had a day when I did not look forward to coming to work,” Moritz said. “I dream about food. I kid you not.”

Chef John Scherer constantly tries to introduce new items to the menus in Owens Dining Hall, but specialty nights like the Chef’s Premier allow him to really experiment. Student feedback comes in regularly to the dining halls, but Thursday night’s showcase event provides a direct line between chef and customer. Scherer said the Chef’s Premier is happening early in the semester so that students of all ages can interact with the chefs and their staff. “It gives us a chance to showcase what we can do, and it gives students an idea of how much we have to offer to dining services,” Scherer said. Scherer has been with Dining Services since 2005, and his plans for the future include a wide variety of local ingredients. In particular, Scherer works with the Farms and Fields shop in Owens to understand how food gets from the farm to the plate. Between Tech’s farms and the many other local sources of food in Blacksburg, Scherer finds it easy for his kitchen to reach for its new ambitions. “We’re capable of just about anything,” Scherer said.

Unlike many of his fellow chefs, Mark Bratton began cooking outside of the United States. He began cooking in a German bakery in 1982 with a chef who did not speak English. Since then, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1988, catered in the District of Columbia and opened a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. Eventually, Bratton returned to Virginia. He has served Tech’s community as executive chef of West End Market for 14 years, and his passion for cooking has yet to wane. “It’s like getting bit by a bug,” Bratton said. “The passion just grows; the venom just gets inside me.” Bratton said he always enjoys the contagious spread of passion that fills the kitchen at Tech. “I’ve worked with a lot of people and sometimes (they have) no passion at all,” Bratton said. “It shows, you know, when a person has a passion for food or doesn’t.” Bratton agreed with Van Dyke and said that chefs are artists, and an event like Chef’s Premier gives them a chance to try new dishes and display their efforts to the public. “[The food is] our painter’s palette, and we put our colors out there on the canvas – the canvas is our customers,” Bratton said.

Personal Touch Catering’s Executive Chef Chang-Lei Yun grew up in a family that served home-cooked meals for dinner five nights a week. After graduating from Tech, Yun was successful in opening his own business and cooking for a career. One day, while living on the beach in Charleston, Yun decided to take a job at Tech in order to spend more time with his children, who were then six and eight years old. Now, he is able to devote equal passion to his job as he does his family. “We’re fostering what I call the brotherhood of the chefs,” Yun said. “This caliber of the culinary talent on the university campus is extremely rare.” Part of his excitement for events like Chef ’s Premier comes from the variety of local ingredients he includes in his dishes. “The ingredients come from so close and you get to see them firsthand, you get to respect them so much more,” Yun said. “Somebody actually planted [them], somebody that you know.” In particular, Yun is excited to gauge the student reaction to the dishes offered at Chef’s Premier. All five chefs who are participating in the event are invested in the local ingredients as well as student feedback.

How to stand out after a career fair If you were one of the hundreds of Virginia Tech students who survived the stress of a recent career fair, you may be wondering if there was something else you could have done to stand out. Career Services always recommends getting a recruiter’s business card after talking with them. This is not only a way for you to contact them in the future, but it’s also a ticket to be a memorable candidate. The end of the career fair is not the last chance to make strong connections with recruiters. It is always polite to send a thank you email. It shows you have real interest in the company. Don’t be overly eager and email them as soon as you walk away from talking to them. Give yourself some time to formulate a professional thank you and send it within 48 hours of the fair. Make sure you include all the important things you want to remind the recruiter about your meeting. Also, keep it short and sweet. Of course, you want to say thanks in your email but also touch on some points you discussed in person. Maybe you talked about a new project the company is working on or an aspect of their internship that you found interesting. Explain

in the body of the email how and why you would be a good fit for their company. Many students think that it is not necessary to email recruiters because they won’t remember them anyways. However, the reason for the thank you is so that they will remember you. It reinforces you and your experience to them. Overall, it’s just an incredibly nice gesture. They see and talk to so many students in one day, that your email does nothing but help both of you in the long run. Unfortunately, the process of finding that perfect internship or job doesn’t stop there. Another important step to take is to actually apply for the position. Most likely you will have to send in an application and then be accepted for an interview. The career fairs and followup are just the first stops on the train ride of finding a job or internship. But remember career-seeking Hokies to show companies what it means to be a member of the Tech community, which in part entails the courtesy of thanking them for their time and acknowledging their help. Do that, and it will be hard for them to not want to hire you.

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New Message To:

Subject: Dear Mr. Smith, recruiter for Future Engineering Company, I really enjoyed meeting you at the Engineering Expo at Virginia Tech last week. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me and telling me about the Future Engineering Company. After hearing more about the internship your company is offering this summer, I feel I am a good fit. I believe my work ethic will benefit your company greatly. Along with my worth ethic, my experience as a research assistant has prepared me for a position in the company, and I know I will be able to gain even more skills while working there. I plan to apply for the internship position and would appreciate any advice or comments you could share as I take that step.

365 Squires Student Center • 231-9870

Thank you again for taking the time to talk to me, and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Sincerely,

Virginia Tech’s Peace Corps Recruiter, Rachael Kennedy

Robert Hokie

Peace Corps Country: Uzbekistan, 2000-2001 Job: I was a Peace Corps Health Volunteer in the village of Musicha, a community of 200 people.

KEVIN DICKEL / THE COLLEGIATE TIMES

Send @hayden_CT

For more information and to download an application visit collegiatetimes.com/join.html

ing !

lifestyles staff writer

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HAYDEN ROBERTS

Why Peace Corps? The Peace Corps is a unique opportunity for each of us to give back to the larger world, while at the same time challenging ourselves and growing by living for an extended period overseas. It’s about service and trust, but also about expansion and fun!

Office Hours: Wed., 10 a.m. - noon; Thurs., 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m. - noon. Career Services Building, 2nd Floor; Other hours by appointment only.

Why Should HokiesApply? Reputation, camaraderie , support! For 52 years, the Peace Corps has given Contact Rachael at: more than 210,000 Americans the opportunity to 540-231-1950 or live and work in incredible overseas locations. peacecorps@vt.edu This history and reputation provides volunteers with a strong foundation from which to spring into unique projects. Volunteers also know they have a close cadre of other volunteers and supportive staff both in the country and in the U.S. Lastly, instead of paying for this opportunity, the Peace Corps provides financial, medical, vacation time, and other benefits. It’s a win, win, win all the way around!

sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com

September 26, 2013

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SPORTS

Volleyball tries to bounce back from Louisville loss WILL GROOMS sports staff writer

Entering last weekend’s Louisville Classic, the Virginia Tech volleyball team had experienced defeat just once in the young 2013 season, at the hands of 14th ranked Michigan State. After decisive victories in the first two matchups of the weekend against Rice and Bowling Green, winning in three sets both times, the Hokies took on Louisville—a team that the program hadn’t faced off within over 18 years. After taking a 2-1 lead in a long, hard-fought third set, ending with a 36-34 Hokie advantage, Tech dropped its final two sets, losing to Louisville 3-2. In a hostile environment, the girls on the team found themselves rattled and their performance suffered as the noisy crowd got the better of them. “The crowd was crazy,” said senior outside hitter Samantha Gostling. “I’ve never played in an environment like that and I think we all just lost focus.” In addition to the loss, the Hokies committed 27 errors, just two shy of their season high. These errors must be eliminated moving forward if the Hokies plan to be competitive down the stretch as conference play commences. However, the team believes the issue is within its control. “All of our errors were selfinduced,” said head coach Chris Riley. “It’s all stuff we can correct and get better

from.” Get better they must, as the road ahead doesn’t get any easier. From here, the Hokies will travel to Winston-Salem to take on an 11-1 Wake Forest team that historically has been a competitive matchup. However, players on the team plan to thrive off of early-season experience to achieve success. “As much as we wanted to win, it was good to lose,” said junior setter Jordan Fish. “It showed us what we really need to work on and I think that will help us going into ACC [play].” After completing Friday night’s matchup against Wake Forest, the Hokies will travel to Durham for a Saturday night game against Duke. The Blue Devils have put together a noteworthy 9-2 record heading into ACC play, including an impressive victory over 16th ranked Illinois last Saturday. The team, however, doesn’t feel any anxiety about the increased stakes. In fact, they embrace it. Furthermore, they are strong proponents of the idea that, they’re their own greatest help or their own worst enemy. “The familiarity with inconference opponents helps but our preparation doesn’t change,” said Riley. “Our preparation is 85% our side of the net and 15% their side of the net.” The players are all on board with the “us” mentality rather than focusing on the other team. They believe that when they play their game they can

upcoming games -Fri. Sept. 27 at Wake -Sat. Sept. 28 at Duke -Fri. Oct. 4 at Pittsburgh -Fri. Oct. 6 at Maryland compete with anyone. “In previous years we’ve focused on what the other team is doing,” said Fish. “We’re more focusing on us this year, rather than the competition.” The high-paced offense that Riley stresses often produces errors as a by-product, but the team continues to maintain its strive for perfection and consistency. “We need to eliminate serving errors and be able to serve and receive,” said Gostling. “We work every day in practice for consistency, to be the same team every time we step on the court.” The Hokies will aim to achieve consistency in their difficult matchups this weekend. They will take another road trip next weekend to face conference foes Pittsburgh and Maryland before returning home Oct. 11 to play Boston College.

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BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS

Jordan Fish (4) reaches to tap the ball over the net in a game against Lipscomb in the Hokie Classic.

Peace: Garden represents international harmony from page one

The garden is attached to the Cranwell Center, and was planted by the Youngses in 1993. For 19 years, the couple dedicated their hands and hearts to keeping the garden’s diverse vegetation lush and fertile. The Youngses moved to Blacksburg from Madison, Wisconsin 28 years ago with the intention of retiring, though Robert ended up teaching at Tech for 10 years. He is now a professor emeritus of forestry and forest products in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, and founded the garden while he was the chair of the Montgomery County Rotary Club. His intentions were to use the garden to honor the international community. “The idea was that we could provide a visual expression of international cooperation and understanding,” Robert Youngs said. “And we did that

by looking for plants that had their origins in many different parts of the world—we try to be careful to avoid invasive plants!” The Youngses were surprised to find that the plot on which the garden has grown was nicknamed “Hurricane Hill” because of the windy conditions of the hill, and was once a temporary housing settlement for married veterans as they poured into campus after World War II. Though the encampment was removed in the early 1950s, the land’s history is interestingly apt for the purpose that it has now. Esther Youngs explained that the garden has an abundance of diversity ranging from the Korean Dogwood, Bosnian Pine, Cedar of Lebanon and even some classic American plants. The plants are chosen based on their connections to regions that have seen the tides of war, but that are now at peace, or fighting for peace.

As they turn their garden to the Students for NonViolence, the Youngses have dedicated a garden bench of their own, in honor of their parents. Students For Non-Violence was created shortly after the April 16 tragedy and is affi liated with the Center for Peace studies and Violence Prevention. The group promotes peaceful practices, diversity, and community service and is looking for further student support to keep the garden healthy and peaceful. “This opportunity is a beginning step,” Cobb-Ozanne said. “You take one step to becoming involved and it opens up lots of opportunities, networks, and resources. [We can] really change the community one person at a time and better the future for everyone.”

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