Tuesday, October 1, 2013 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

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

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 24

News, page 2

Lifestyles, page 7

Opinions, page 5

Muskets to Manuscripts BY DANIELLE BUYNAK | managing editor

Tucked away in the bottom floor of Newman Library, Special Collections houses fragments of history.

Sports, page 4

Study Break, page 4

TUESDAY MORNING TAKEAWAYS

Thomas propels offense to fast start

ess than 200 feet away from the University Bookstore on campus sits a first edition of James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” an 1861 Civil War musket and Michael Collins’ copy of the flight plan for Apollo 11. The pieces are only fractions of what makes up Special Collections — a distinct arm of the Virginia Tech library, founded in 1970, that houses a unique set of archives. Special Collections boasts up to 1,900 different manuscript collection sets and over 18,000 cubic feet of paper documents. Marc Brodsky, the public services and reference archivist for Special Collections, estimates the number of books in the collection to hit at right about 47,000, with more in storage. Paper documents and books are the main resources within the collections: a serialized first edition of Charles Dickens, an 18th century bill of sale for a slave and a lifesized book of bird drawings by John James Audubon (and accompanying furniture) are among its greatest hits. In addition to books, Special Collections is also home to a variety of non-document based artifacts, ranging from Civil War-era armament to photos of historic Blacksburg to oral histories to a car hood decorated

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

D.J. Coles (18) caught Tech’s ﬁrst score of the game Thursday. JACOB EMERT sports editor

3 KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS

1. The reading Room offers a quiet environment for studying artifacts. 2. Special Collections contains 47,000+ books, some dating back to the 15th century. 3. Prohibition-era advertisement still stands after careful preservation. 4. Archivists occasionally receive 4 artifacts with unusual contents, pictured here, a lock of human hair.

see SPECIAL / page two

Downtown businesses offer October discounts ERICA CORDER news staff writer

Th roughout the month of October, Hokie Passport holders will enjoy downtown Blacksburg at 10-20 percent off. For the fift h year, “30 Days of Blacksburg” will bring discounts from 26 local merchants to Virginia Tech students. The tradition was initiated by a partnership between Virginia Tech’s Student Government Association (SGA) and Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. Chantal Ghoussoub recalls her first time finding out about the event. “I remember I heard about 30 Days when I was a sophomore. I’m one of those people that’s always on the lookout for freebies and discounts — I’m that Groupon gal. I got my friends to go downtown with me and we used up a ton of the discounts. We really liked it. I’m planning on going again this year. I’m really a big fan of it,” Ghoussoub said.

NEWS

Now, Ghoussoub organizes the event as SGA director of community initiatives, a subgroup that strives to make sure the SGA “isn’t only there to service students.” “One of the big initiatives of the Student Government Association is to service our local community, and so they were finding, around five or six years ago, that they weren’t doing all that they could to service our community, even though they had events such as Relay (for Life) and Big Event that were started in SGA,” Ghoussoub said. “They wanted to give back to the community in a larger way, and we wanted to do it through monetary means, so (30 Days of Blacksburg) was invented.” SGA also recognized that vendors are not able to advertise on campus per campus policy. To compensate, the group came up with the idea of a month-long advertisement campaign. see DAYS / page two

MELISSA DRAUDT news reporter

Tech community members gathered Sunday to spend quality time with officers at the second annual Virginia Tech Police Department Community Day. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., more than 100 people attended the event on the Drillfield for demonstrations, activities and free food. Throughout the day there were opportunities for members of the community to observe K9 demonstrations, soak officers in a dunk tank, simulate driving while texting or under the influence and participate in a doughnut eating contest. VTPD Community Day changed things up this year by having the event fall on Parent’s Weekend, as well as during an open house for prospective students. Junior finance and accounting major, Kylie Gilbert, attended the event with her mother, who was in town for parent’s weekend.

CATIE CARRERAS / SPPS

The Hokie Bird goes for a ride during the Virginia Tech Police Department’s Community Day festivities. “My mom wanted to go to it and we did all the activities,” Gilbert said. “She absolutely loved it, she thought it was very cool to see all the different pieces of emergency response out there and their demonstra-

tions.” According to Gilbert, the event is an important part of community development on campus. It shows “the Virginia Tech community the things that the emergency

SPORTS Where are all the female superheroes? Check out why one columnist thinks they should have a place in Hollywood.

Check out where you’ll find deals downtown this week for 30 Days of Blacksburg. see page 2

see TMT/ page four

Tech police host Community Day

OPINIONS

Need to see the arrests from this past weekend? see page 8

Virginia Tech’s 17-10 win over the previously-undefeated Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Thursday night reinforced what many already knew about the Hokies. The defense is among the nation’s best, the offense has potential and the special teams is continuing to be a liability. Marathon, not a sprint Tech’s offense has been notoriously slow to get going recently. Dating back to last year’s Russell Athletic Bowl against

Rutgers, the Hokies have totaled three yards on their opening four drives. Saturday, however, was a change of pace. After recovering a fumble on the Yellow Jackets’ opening possession, the Hokies found themselves in perfect position to strike first. On Tech’s second play, quarterback Logan Thomas found receiver D.J. Coles on a short crossing pattern. Coles, with room to run, scampered across the goal line for a touchdown. “It’s always nice to jump on (Georgia Tech) early,” Thomas said.

response teams do… and breaks down the barrier between what people think of as ‘scary cops’ and the average community member,” Gilbert said. see VTPD / page two

ONLINE The men’s soccer team battled No. 16 Clemson to a scoreless draw on Friday night for another big ACC surprise.

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

CollegiateTimes @collegiatetimes

see page 5

see page 4

newseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 1, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

Days: Annual event benefits local businesses from page one

“They’re not allowed to come on campus and distribute any f liers,” Ghoussoub said. “So the whole reason that they approached us is that they wanted another avenue for advertisement, and of course they want increased business, so we thought that the best way to do this would be to do a whole month of basically just advertisement and student discounts.” Starting Oct. 1, students can find discounts in stores scattered throughout downtown Blacksburg. Some of the stores listed on the event calendar include Cabo Fish Taco, The Cellar Restaurant, Vintage Touch and newcomer New Image Barbers/ Stylist. “Th is will be our fi rst year,” Lamont Johnson, a New Image manager, said of the 30 Days of Blacksburg event. “We’re working on branding the name of New Image a little more and we want to get our name out a lot more with the students at Tech. I think (30 Days of Blacksburg) is a really good opportunity for merchants

to express their gratitude toward the students that are here.” Freshman music and biochemistry double major Zachary Kemp appreciated the event for providing newcomers to Tech a reason to explore what downtown Blacksburg has to offer. “It’s good that they’re offering this experience, especially for people who are new to campus to get coordinated with downtown businesses, so that they know where everything is and what’s available — with options that aren’t necessarily on campus,” Kemp said. A full list of businesses and their discount schedules can be found via social media. “We have a Facebook link that’s up and it has the calendar of events,” Ghoussoub said. “It lists every day which vendors are participating as well as what kind of discounts they’re giving, because sometimes it can be 10 or 20 percent, and then sometimes it’s just a freebie.”

@EricaCorder

30 days of Blacksburg

with the names of all 32 victims of the April 16 shootings. But these books and materials don’t just sit in a display case. In most cases, visitors don’t even have to wear gloves to manipulate collection items. “We want people to have the experience,” Brodsky said. “I think there’s a certain power to that experience, and the gloves don’t help.” The Special Collections experience includes time spent in the designated reading room, where visitors can sit and engage with materials, which cannot be checked out. And whatever experience someone may be looking for in Special Collections, be it academic or personal, the archival staff is there to help. “The people are really helpful,” said Megan Poppe, a senior political science major. “I asked for this one book, and they gave me a whole folder of things to look at. It’s such a helpful resource when there’s actually a person answering questions and helping you out in any way they can.” That help doesn’t just extend to students though. Community members, alumni and visitors hoping to utilize Special Collections and the variety of resources they provide are also welcome. “But we’d like to broaden the appeal. We’d like to let people

know we’re here,” Brodsky said. “We’d like everyone to feel like they can come in and explore this place.” And while it may seem natural for those interested in English and history to pay Special Collections a visit, the archive hosts a range of unexpected collections. Past the rare books and American Civil War history collections are some of the more specialized collections, such as American aerospace exploration, culinary history and an archive of women in architecture.

JAMES MORROW

Tuesday, Oct. 1

weather reporter

John’s Camera Corner/Gentry Studio New Image Barber Green’s She-Sha Cafe & Hookah Lounge Cellar Restaurant Mad Dog

Wednesday, Oct. 2 John’s Camera Corner/Gentry Studio Cabo Fish Taco Next Door Bake Shop New Image Barber Polished by Claire V. Sharkey’s Cellar Restaurant Devotea at the Artful Place

Thursday, Oct. 3 John’s Camera Corner/Gentry Studio Champ’s Sports Bar & Cafe New Image Barber Green’s Cafe de Bangkok Sharkey’s Gillie’s Inc Devotea at the Artful Place

Friday, Oct. 4 John’s Camera Corner/Gentry Studio Green’s Vintage Touch Happy Wok Devotea at the Artful Place

“

I particularly like the experience of showing a book that’s 530-year-old book to a 20-year-old.” Marc Brodsky VT Library Archivist

The varied subject matter of Special Collections also makes it an important resource for professors and their classes across campus. “We have architecture students (come in), we have photography students, African American studies, humanities classes. There’s a pretty wide range,” Brodsky said. “But we’d like to open this up to as many people as we can.” Michel le MoseleyChristian, an assistant professor in the School of Visual

Arts, has been bringing her Art History Methods classes to Special Collections for four years. “(Special Collections) has such a good range of objects, so it can fill a lot of the needs that that class has.” For her class specifically, archivists pull a range of objects for students to use for discussion about research methods and the challenges in dealing with original sources. “They get a little bit of a hands-on sense of how you might go about dealing with the different kinds of stuff they have,” MoseleyChristian said. And that hands-on experience is exactly what MoseleyChristian believes students value most. “One of the students in my class was talking to me about how it felt to hold a book in her hands that was 200-years-old. She was really amazed by that,” she said. Brodsky, as an archivist, also enjoys time spent with ageold tomes, especially when sharing them with younger generations. “I particularly like the experience of showing a book that’s 530-yearsold to a 20-year-old, because if you make them right, books are a really good way of communicating,” he said. While those “old books” may be old in a historic and physical sense, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily old to the on-campus

collection. “If people have the idea that we’re just a museum, or that what’s here has always been here and that’s all we’re ever going to get — that’s not us at all,” Brodsky said. “Special Collections is dynamic in the sense that we are always acquiring new materials.” Special Collections is “actively collecting,” meaning that they are cataloguing and receiving new materials all the time. Funding for such materials comes from a budget as part of the library and from endowments, though artifacts and manuscripts are also collected through donation. And with the designation of an archive that is “actively collecting,” comes the responsibility of keeping up with a quickly changing way to access information. “Th is Special Collections, like every other in the world, is busy digitizing all our materials. There’s a lot to be said for making digitized versions available to people,” Brodsky said. “We’re all doing it because it makes so much sense. More people can see it — can share it.” To keep up, Special Collections maintains a few different blogs and is now working on Twitter to publish a feed of the 1863 diary of a Union soldier (@ ChasHBushee1863).

weather watch

*Discounts at these locations range from 10-20 percent.

Special: Archive helps engage, teach students from page one

NEWS

And while these new platforms help with accessibility to materials, so does a walk across campus to Special Collections next to Oasis Cafe at the bottom of Newman Library. “As great as (looking at digitized and supplementary materials) is, it doesn’t take the place of looking at the actual thing. They’re sort of complimentary experiences,” Brodsky said. “I don’t think books are going to disappear.” Moseley-Christian agrees. “(Touching an object) makes it real. I think that’s the kind of thing that hits students and the light bulb goes on,” she said. “It’s not just some misty thing that’s abstract in time. It makes it real — it makes it actual. The usefulness of material culture really comes through.” Special Collections is open from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. weekdays and does not require appointments before coming in. They are also hosting an open house with extended hours tonight, from 5 - 7 p.m. “The idea is to say, ‘Come see what your library has. Come see what Special Collections has,’” Brodsky said. “We are here to put these materials in the hands of people who want to use them.”

As we start the first day of October, signs of fall have already become commonplace here in Blacksburg. Foggy mornings, warm sunshine with a chilling breeze, changing leaves and dry weather has settled in nicely over the past week. And conditions don’t look to change much anytime soon. October is prime time for great weather and beautiful scenery throughout Southwest Virginia. Warm conditions still hold on through much of the day, while low temperatures begin to steadily decrease as we approach the start of November. Mid-October also marks a peak in fall foliage around campus. With an abnormally wet summer and mild early fall, I expect the peak to come a bit later than normal, but leaves have already begun to change. Luckily, this week will not be much different from the last. Dry conditions still dominate the region as partly cloudy skies control much of the day. Fog will continue to be an issue in some spots each morning. Fog will quickly burn off as the sun begins to rise, leading way to warm afternoons with temperatures in the mid-70s. High temperatures are set to approach 80 degrees by the end of the week. Lows overnight will settle in the low-50s. Chances of precipitation remain low for the majority of the work week. The next weather system looks to push through on Saturday, providing a few flashbacks to our last home game. Th is weather looks to begin post-game time, but is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

@wxBONE

@CollegiateTimes

VTPD: Cops entertain crowd from page one

People were also invited to drive their cars directly onto the Drillfield to get their car VINetched by state police, which reduces the chance of theft . Officer Nicole Quesenberry of VTPD coordinated the event as a chance for students to meet and interact with officers. “It almost felt like a block party,” Gilbert said. “You just

hung out for a while — it was really fun and the people were really nice.” Gilbert thinks first-year students would benefit the most from this event. “The emergency response teams are so integral in our community,” Gilbert said. “They would benefit a lot (by being) introduced to the people that help keep us safe. It’s cool to see different sides of it and

get a better understanding of it. “In general, people feel kind of intimidated by police officers, but if people are afraid of them that’s not good,” Gilbert said. “The VTPD officers that I know are a few of my favorite people on this campus and they really love their jobs.”

@melissadraudt

LIFESTYLES

lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

watch:

October 1, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

Don Jon

Gordon-Levitt surprises with refreshing comedy In his directorial debut, Joseph Gordon-Levitt refreshes audiences with his unconventional romantic comedy “Don Jon,” which he also wrote and starred in as the lead. Gordon-Levitt plays Jon Martello, Jr., a young, handsome man whose friends have nicknamed him “Don Jon” because of his impressive success with attracting beautiful women every weekend. However, Jon finds himself much more satisfied by his obsession with Internet pornography than he does by any relationship he’s had. Then he meets Barbara Suga r ma n (Sca rlet t Johansson), a woman equally dissatisfied by relationships as he, but for a slightly different reason — she refuses to settle for anything less than an absolute Prince Charming. When Barbara rejects Jon’s initial offer for a one-night stand, he decides to pursue her and try to have a more conventional relationship. Almost immediately, Barbara demands his submission to her every whim, from the idea that Jon shouldn’t clean his apartment because it isn’t manly, to her demand that Jon stop watching porn altogether. She also convinces him to go to a community college, in an effort to get a job better than the one he currently has, which she believes isn’t good enough. But when Barbara looks at Jon’s internet history and sees he’s still been obsessively watching porn, she dumps him.

“

In his feature ﬁlm debut, Gordon-Levitt proves that he’s more than a pretty face and that he has deﬁnitely learned a thing or two from the directors he’s worked with.”

What follows is an emotional rollercoaster for Jon — he still desires Barbara but is unwilling to change his habits, until he meets an older woman (Julianne Moore) in his classes, who opens his eyes

to how false and one-sided the pornography he loves truly is. Gordon-Levitt is well known as an actor, with roles in several blockbusters, including “(500) Days of Summer,” “Inception” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” In his directorial debut, he proves that he’s more than a pretty face and that he has definitely learned a thing or two from the directors he’s worked with. Most efforts of actor-turneddirectors are iff y at best (think James Franco’s repeated attempts). Gordon-Levitt, however, jumps in with no fear and an impressive amount of confidence. He perfectly balances acting and directing so that neither suffers for the other. The script is full of witty and snappy dialogue, and an attitude that will appeal to a young adult audience. But what makes the fi lm great is its casting. GordonLevitt is sleazy but somehow sympathetic, Johansson is delightfully dislikable and Moore is mysterious but invit-

Guess she didn’t read the paper.

ing. For a film where one of the stars is obsessed with typical Hollywood romances, “Don Jon” is generally free of the more typical rom-com cliches. The ending, in particular, is refreshingly unexpected. The movie’s commentary on how porn and Hollywood films are equally disingenuous isn’t particularly original, but the film doesn’t suffer for it. Rather, its frank look at relationships and creative plot only serve to prove just how true the comparison is. It’s increasingly rare for any movie, let alone a rom-com, to have such interesting and dynamic characters. “Don Jon” feels authentic and real, despite it’s only-in-amovie storyline. And that, really, is the best thing a rom-com can be.

KATIE WHITE - lifestyles staff writer - junior - history

sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 1, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

SPORTS

Men’s soccer duels No. 16 Clemson to scoreless draw JIM MCNAMARA sports staff writer

CHEN JIANG / SPPS

Robert Alberti (6) helped the Hokies hold on for another tie against another ranked team.

The Virginia Tech men’s soccer team played to a hard-fought double overtime 0-0 draw against the 16th ranked Clemson Tigers Friday night. Th is was the Hokies’ (3-2-3, 1-0-3 ACC) third game against a ranked opponent this season, and the team has yet to lose to a ranked foe. “It was a dog fight,” said head coach Mike Brizendine. “We are going to want to look at it and review it and find out how we can get better.” Clemson (7-1-1, 2-1-1 ACC) amassed 22 shots throughout the game compared to 11 for Virginia Tech. Goalie Kyle Renfro was the key player for the Hokies in Friday’s 0-0 draw. The team captain had a career night, making ten total saves. That tally put Renfro in first place in the ACC in saves this season. “The main thing was being connected,” Renfro said. “Because

I was connected and dialed in, it was easy to make those saves throughout the game.” The closest the Hokies came to scoring was in the 78th minute off of a corner kick. Senior Austin Stewart played the ball into the box, where forward Kai Marshall had a clean opportunity for a header, but it missed wide. “We have to be a little bit sharper in the midfield and work on our finishing,” Brizendine said. As the second half continued, play became more physical. “We want to play physical, not foul, but to be tough and get into the tackles,” said junior midfielder Andre Thomas. But the physicality began to cross the line. Most notably, in the 84th minute, Clemson’s Alexandre Happi received a straight red card for taking down Thomas from behind. The Hokies also played aggressively, as they received three yellow cards in the game. “(It was a) hard fought performance,” Renfro said. “It was

tough and they were a quality side.” While there were more shots in the second half for both squads, neither team was able to put one in the back of the net. In overtime, both teams were clearly fatigued. Despite this weariness however, Clemson fought through and put a lot of pressure on the Hokies’ defense in the extra periods. Renfro was forced to make several athletic saves to keep the Tigers off the board and truly preserved the Hokies’ win. The team continues play against No. 24 Wake Forest next Friday night in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the Hokies are looking forward to the week off after three weeks of playing two games per week. “Our next stretch of games is very, very difficult,” Brizendine said. “We’re thin and we have a week off now and I’m glad, because we need it.”

@CTSportsTalk

TMT: Thomas fights injury, leads offense from page one

He noted that offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler had a “gut feeling” during the pregame meal that that particular play would result in a touchdown. “If you can do that you have a really, really good shot at beating them because of how well they run the football,” Thomas said. The quick score marked the first time in 11 months that the Hokies have scored a touchdown on their first offensive possession. “It was huge. I mean, it just gave us momentum early,” said wide receiver Willie Byrn. “It kind of shut the crowd up. They came out pretty loud so it was definitely big. We turned the next drive into points too, so we were really feeling it.” After Thomas powered his way into the endzone early in the second quarter, giving the Hokies a 14-0 lead, the offense came to a standstill. “We dominated those first two series and then, as soon as they stopped us, we kind of caught our breath and got brought back to earth a little bit,” Byrn said. “I think we have to take the punches a little bit and know if one series goes awry, we’ll make plans for the next one.” The Hokies recorded just seven first downs after the 7:16 mark in the second quarter, one of which came from a Georgia Tech penalty. Tech also didn’t convert on any of their seven thirddown opportunities after the second touchdown. After finding the endzone twice in the opening 19 minutes of play, they failed to do

so for the remainder of the game. They had to settle for two field goal attempts, and a miss on one of those left the game very much up in the air. While the start was undoubtedly better for Virginia Tech than any in recent memory, the offense’s failure to keep that momentum going throughout — scoring just three points in the final 40-plus minutes of play — turned what looked to be an early blowout into a nail-biter.

up his best numbers of the season. “I thought he was excellent,” head coach Frank Beamer said. “I think he’s a quality,

Excelling through pain It may be an old refrain at Tech but, as Logan Thomas goes, this offense goes. The statement held true on Saturday as Thomas completed 76 percent of his passes, including his first nine, for 221 yards and a touchdown.

quality quarterback. And he’s tough. He’s mentally tough. And physically tough. The way he runs the football, and the way bangs around people. I’m proud of that guy.” What Thomas lacked most during the game was adequate support from his offensive line and running backs to help compliment the team’s passing attack. Accordingly, he was forced to take over the rushing game as well. He carried the ball 16 times for 58 yards, including a 26-yard burst and a touchdown. “We kind of talked about it. We knew that we had an advantage in the passing game,” Thomas said. “We knew we had numbers when I ran the football as well. I had a good mentality coming in.” After the game, Thomas said the abdominal injury caused him the “worst pain he had ever been in.” “I knew I had to be tough,” he said. “Like I said, I didn’t really practice all week.

“

I knew we were going to start throwing it early and often and getting whatever we can.” Logan Thomas Quarterback

“Me and Left y (offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler) talked about it, and I knew we were going to start throwing it early and often and getting whatever we can,” Thomas said. “I was just seeing the field well, just took what they gave me.” Despite playing through an abdominal strain, an injury he sustained before the Marshall game, Thomas put

“

I think (Thomas) is a quality, quality quarterback. He’s mentally tough.” Frank Beamer Head coach

TREVOR WHITE / SPPS

Logan Thomas (3) may have been dealing with an abdominal injury, but he still led the Hokies to a win. I didn’t throw a pass until (Thursday). I knew I was just going to have to grind this one out.”

What ground game? Logan Thomas was responsible for 279 of the Hokies’ 276 total yards of offense. It may seem ridiculous, but some lost yards in the ground game produced the bizarre statistic. In fact, aside from Thomas, the rushing attack accumulated only one yard on nine carries. “That was pretty special,” Beamer said, regarding the team’s ability to win a football game while so clearly

missing a dimension of the offense. “I thought our throwing and catching was really good. It keeps coming along. We are going to be who we are, and what we’re best suited to do. I think the offensive staff said ‘OK, what are we capable of doing? What (are) our strengths right now and let’s play to those.’” The offensive line struggled to get much of a push in the trenches and the Hokies’ backs struggled all day to find running room. Besides Thomas’ long dash, the team’s biggest pick-up on the ground was a pair of two-yard runs — one on

an end around to Demtiri Knowles and the other by Trey Edmunds. Edmunds, who has already eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice this season, fi nished with one yard on six carries. The lone bright spot was guard Andrew Miller, who was named ACC Lineman of the Week with 11 knockdown blocks. The Hokies escaped Atlanta with a victory due to a superb defensive effort coupled with an impressive performance a la 2011 Logan Thomas.

@JacobEmert

OPINIONS

opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 1, 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, Madeline 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

Female superheroes remain underrepresented

ook, in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … another male superhero. The Internet seemingly went up in flames recently, when it was announced that Ben Affleck was going to play Batman in the newest movie version of the beloved hero, which, for those of you keeping count, will make him the star of the ninth major film adaptation of Batman since 1989. And for those of you not keeping count, Wonder Woman still remains at 1 feature-length film, which was an animated direct-to-video movie in 2009. Now, I’m no math major, but something seems off here. Where are all the female superheroes? One might think that with two more “The Avengers” movies in the works, Captain America, Superman and Thor each getting sequels, Iron Man already having 3 movies under his belt and an entire new Spiderman series (and

with each of those movies raking in millions upon millions of dollars), Hollywood studios could squeeze in one film with a female lead. Apparently not. It’s certainly not for lack of female characters to pick from. Numerous characters in the X-Men series are women, and expanding plotlines for X-Men characters is certainly not a problem seeing as Hugh Jackman has appeared in six separate movies as the character Wolverine, both as a supporting character and as the main character. Natasha, or Black Widow, from “Iron Man 2” and The Avengers would be an awesome choice, as she is not only a complicated and powerful character, but “The Avengers” is incredibly popular at the moment and the character is already in the public eye. “But she doesn’t even have any super powers!” you say. Well, neither does Batman, and what a flop that turned out to be, right?

I’m not saying that superhero movies with a male lead are bad. For the most part the movies are enjoyable, the characters are multidimensional and the plots are entertaining.

“

It is important for everyone to see people they can relate to in the media.”

But representation is important. It is important for everyone to see people they can relate to in the media. It is important to have female characters, characters of color and characters of different sexualities because we are not a world of solely white, heterosexual males. In fact, this could be an incredible opportunity for a studio to bring female superheroes into the mod-

ern age, or even to create a new superhero entirely. Not only has there been a significant decline in the number of original movie scripts being produced, as most of them seem to be adaptations or some kind of sequel, but comic books themselves have been getting recent backlash against the “outfits” they put the female heroes into, which would probably fit better under the name “glittery bathing suits” instead. It’s not like this a new point to bring up. In fact, a Wonder Woman television series was pitched and filmed a pilot in 2011, but was not picked up due to incredible criticism about poor costume choice and writing. All in all, I think the answer is that it’s up to the fans. Fans have a lot of power. In fact, one might argue that since Hollywood studios cater to what viewers want to see, they have all the power.

The backlash from Ben Affleck being cast as Batman was so loud he had to address it on television. Fans were so heartbroken over the death of (spoiler alert) Agent Coulson in “The Avengers” that the character was brought back to life and is now on a brand new TV show. Fans have power. And with this great power, as we all know, comes great responsibility. A responsibility to see that all kinds of people, regardless of gender, race, sexuality or handicap are represented in the media. So, I ask the fans to turn their voice to another cause and begin asking, “Where is Wonder Woman?”

AMY RIEGER - regular columnist - sophomore - communication - @fuzzyorangesock

Kanye proves Twitter's School spirit needs restoration entertainment value V

witter is one of the more polar inventions of the social media world. Some think that it’s an unnecessary extension of your private life; after all, who really wants to see what you had for lunch, how your favorite sports team is doing, or what the weather is like outside? Then again, others might say that it’s a unique way to communicate and express ideas, with the entire world as a digital audience. Perhaps we can settle somewhere in the middle; however you may feel about the big blue bird, you can always recognize the entertainment value that Twitter presents. I’m talking about placing celebrities, athletes, politicians and other high profile individuals on a shared plane with everyone who has a Twitter account. This gives them an opportunity to interact with the general public, and also gives us a window into their lives. I couldn’t help but be reminded of this by an incident last week involving Kanye West and comedian and TV personality Jimmy Kimmel. Kanye had given a candid exclusive interview to BBC Radio 1, talking about his views on fashion, culture and the perception of himself. For someone whose shenanigans outside of the studio include labeling

the president as a racist, interrupting Taylor Swift and naming his newborn child North, Kanye’s interview did not disappoint. Kanye proclaimed his status as the biggest rock star in the world and his desire to make three-dimensional music, among other things. That was expected. Jimmy Kimmel promptly caught hold of the interview and did a spoof on his late-night show with child actors. The spoof was not appreciated by Kanye, and thanks to Twitter, we know exactly how he felt. The numerous tweets were laden with progressively profane insults at Jimmy Kimmel, which you can find for yourself. It might take some digging however, as Kanye deleted the tweets. While some can see this Twitter rant as an example of how social media is unnecessary and excessive, I have to disagree. Without the immediate vehicle of expression that is Twitter, I wouldn’t have had a front row seat to a music superstar’s mental implosion, however unimportant and inane it is to my life. And for that reason, I’ve got to thank Twitter. TINNY SONG - regular columnist - junior - political science

irginia Tech is a desirable school for endless reasons, but what solidified my choice of enrolling here was the unrivaled school spirit that emits from Blacksburg. However, the lackluster nature of spectators at recent football games makes me wonder if I have accidently strayed up I-81 to Charlottesville. We are not some tiny school trying to prove ourselves in a Division III arena. We are Virginia Tech and home to Lane Stadium: one of the loudest and most difficult stadiums to compete in. Or at least we used to be. Over the past few seasons, the Tech student body has been acting like stubborn children, disappointed that our team has not been performing at the level of play we have come to expect. I too yearn for the days when a BCS National Championship was within our grasp, but it is our duty as Hokies to keep the intensity of the fans alive even when the quality of play does not always reflect it. Although the program may not be at the same

level of competition it was when Michael Vick graced the field, the team continues to drastically improve. Bud Foster’s defense is spectacular. They have not allowed a point in the fourth quarter this year, and the defense held Alabama to the second lowest offensive total since Nick Saban took over as head coach.

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When the players look up at the student sections, they should be greeted with enthusiasm and fervor, not empty bleachers and paper airplanes.”

It is thrilling to witness the emergence of new standout players such as Brandon Facyson and Kendall Fuller. Against Georgia Tech, Facyson had an outstanding diving interception that landed at No. 7 on “SportCenter’s” top 10 plays. Watching these

players is enough cause for excitement on its own. As any current or former athlete can understand, the intensity that the spectators exhibit can drastically impact your performance. It is difficult to stay motivated if a large portion of fans are leaving before halftime or do not show up at all due to some rain. When the players look up at the student sections, they should be greeted with enthusiasm and fervor, not empty bleachers and paper airplanes. My faith in the Hokie community is not completely gone. I still see orange and maroon everywhere I turn, the quantity has just diminished. We have three straight home games in ACC Costal play coming up. It is up to the 66,233 fans to shake Lane and bring the intimidation factor back to the stadium while Beamer and his players deliver us victories on Worsham Field. ALEX HILL - regular columnist - sophomore - political science/English

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October 1, 2013

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Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Building a pro itable career, thriving partnerships and improvement at home all take priority this year. Satisfy the urge to explore and learn. Get involved with a passionate cause. Weed out time sucks and prioritize projects for balance. Cultivate friendships and magic moments with loved ones. Simple joys delight.

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downloads

By Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

ACROSS 1 Honda Insight, e.g. 7 Like some mus. keys 10 Bale filler 13 2000s New Hampshire senator John 14 Be up against 16 Roth of “Inglourious Basterds” 17 Where pros play 19 Vital statistic 20 Actress Kudrow

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

10/1/13

21 Word with the 57- 41 Word with the 57Across in 10Across in 25Down Down 42 In great shape 23 Woolen caps 26 “This American 43 Spot on a horse Life” host Glass 44 Signed up 28 Like some 47 Hear here silverware 48 Wish 29 Prefix with meter 50 Cleveland pro, for 30 Lists of priors short 32 Man of the cloth 51 Dreyer’s brand, 34 Mean mutt east of the 35 She, at sea Rockies 38 En route to the 52 Olympics mechanic participant 39 Permit 54 Far from fatty 40 Twangy guitarist 56 Actress Charlotte Eddy

57 Night sky feature, and hint to a fourletter sequence hidden in 17Across and 10and 25-Down 62 Short, for short 63 Dry run 64 Peter of “My Favorite Year” 65 100% 66 Dallas opening? 67 Stout DOWN 1 Dallas closing? 2 Trophy, often 3 “Dear Yoko” dedicatee 4 Home perm features 5 One opposed 6 Word with the 57Across in 17Across 7 Scratch 8 Ill-fated brother 9 Gin flavoring 10 Like most valentines 11 Aquarium gunk 12 Right-of-way sign 15 Put on ice 18 Org. promoted by Betty White 22 Relishes, as gossip 23 Talking point 24 Hersey’s bell town 25 Ammo for a simple cannon 27 Buddhist monk, e.g. 30 Steinbeck’s “Cannery __” 31 Marching syllable 33 It shines on the Seine

36 Cabinet design feature 37 __ of the realm: noblemen 39 Lucy of “Ally McBeal” 40 Pa 42 Stewed 43 Work on film 45 Aquafresh rival 46 Locker room supply 48 Alfalfa’s sweetie

49 Net sales? 51 Belgian avantgarde painter James 53 Facility 55 Mercury or Saturn, e.g. 58 GPS offering 59 One of the small fry 60 Bent piece 61 Juan Carlos, to his subjects

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

9/27/13

WORDSEARCH: Looney Tunes Characters Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W T

W P

W U

W G

W N

W E

W L

D WORD BANK Q 1 Sylvester 2 Elmer Fudd K 3 Bugs Bunny E 4 Porky I 5 Yosemite Sam 6 Wile E. Coyote P 7 Daffy E 8 Witch Hazel H 9 Tweety 10 Foghorn L 11 Roadrunner X 12 Speedy Gonzales H 13 Tasmanian Y Devil S 14 Marvin 15 Pepe Le Pew A

W R

Aries (March 21-April 19) For the next two days, ful ill promises you’ve made. Chores need attention. New information threatens complacency. Communicate with teammates. Caring for others is your motivation. Minimize risks. Catch your dreams in writing.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Money’s rolling in over the next few days. Costs are higher than expected, too. Avoid reckless spending. Make sure others know their assignments. Feel the magnetism. Your greatest asset is your own determination.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’ll soon have time to pause and relax. Invest in success. Take a new angle. Keep a dream alive with simple actions. Avoid a controversy. It’s a good time to ask for money ... be creative with your budget.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Give loved ones more attention. They want your time, not money. An invitation says to dress up. Let another person take over, and defer to authority. Accept encouragement. Share your dreams ... the audience is receptive.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Allow yourself to dream, but don’t buy treats, yet. Accept the support that’s offered. Stay close to home as much as you can the next few days. Passions get aroused. Make a delicious promise. Cancer (June 21-July 22) It’s easier to ind family time. You’re extra brilliant today. A solution to an old problem is becoming obvious. Costs are high. Arguments about money inhibit love. Keep a secret. Recount your blessings.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Get yourself moving! Make sure you have the facts. Get serious about your strategy, but don’t get stuck. You’re very persuasive. You’ll think of something. It’s easier to inish projects. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Work quickly but carefully. Obligations get in your way. Being polite is a virtue. Talk over plans with family. Try not to provoke jealousy. Don’t waste your money. Friends offer comfort and advice.

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Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Begin a new project. Take time out for love. Include a female in your plans. You’ll have to report on your activities. Assume responsibility. Exceptional patience could be required. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Let yourself be drawn outside your safety zone. The possibility for hurt feelings is high now. Don’t get stuck. Write down long-range goals today. Goodness comes your way. Act quickly to gain your objective. Balance is essential. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) It’s time to get started. There’s a temporary clash between love and money. Review your current budget. Note all the considerations. Passion grows now that the stress is reduced. Travel boosts your self-esteem. Follow your fascination. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Have faith. Negotiate your way through minor adjustments. Temporary confusion could befuddle. Get family to help. Let another take the lead. Invest in your future without gambling. Respect your partner.

LIFESTYLES

October 1, 2013

lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

Homecoming court welcomes new faces BY NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS | multimedia editor

NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS / THE COLLEGIATE TIMES

This year’s Homecoming Court is made up of 15 individuals, including ﬁve candidates whose organizations have never been represented in Tech’s homecoming history.

New faces on this year’s Homecoming Court are breaking with tradition. While Homecoming Court is typically dominated by the same organizations, this year’s group of 15 includes five first-time representatives. The court still includes the typical organizations like Tri Delta, the G.E.R.M.A.N. Club, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Kappa Delta and others. But this year represents a significant change for the court. Meet the candidates representing these first-time organizations.

Carly Ann Glenn Residential College at West Ambler Johnston Glenn, a self-titled “army brat,” is in her third year as a Resident Advisor at Tech and now serves in the Residential College at West AJ. According to Glenn, the purpose of a residential college is to be a “college within a college,” thus creating a deeper, more intimate community. However, she wanted to bridge the two communities together. “(West AJ) has all these traditions and I thought it was important to participate in a university tradition,” she said. “I thought, ‘What better tradition to be a part of than Homecoming?’” Glenn was then selected to represent the college, being the face for her own idea. “I just feel blessed to be a part of it,” she said. “Everyone on this court has such a unique sphere of influence on this campus.”

Jenae Green Black Student Alliance

Diego Utrera Hokie Ambassadors

Kabemba Kapanga Alpha Phi Omega

Green got involved in BSA through a shadow program and quickly worked her way up to the executive board, where she currently serves as the assistant director for marketing. “I got to volunteer at their shows and see the behindthe-scenes of how they work,” Green said. BSA is known for its “edutainment” programs — bringing speakers, shows and other events to Tech that help highlight Black culture — and Green is heavily involved in that process. “Our goal is to make BSA (visible) to the entire community,” she said. “We just want to bring events that you all are interested in and my job is to market that so we can have the best turnout.” Now, she has the opportunity to continue to market herself as a member of the court. “Whenever you’re on Homecoming Court, your job is to be an ambassador for the university,” she said. “Ever since I came in freshman year, this is something that I knew I wanted to do.”

Utrera has been an ambassador for the university for three years, giving campus tours and advocating for Tech to prospective students and their parents. Now, he has the opportunity to be an ambassador for not just the university, but for his organization as a whole and himself. “The opportunity presented itself, so I just went for it,” he said. “I’m really just trying to make the most out of my experience here — I never try to do things halfway.” For Utrera, getting the most out of his experience means interacting with others. The same reason that gets him excited about engaging with prospective students is what’s fueling him for his opportunity on Homecoming Court. “The thing I’m most excited about is getting in touch and interacting with everyone in our student community — not just my major or the organizations I’m involved in,” he said.

Kapanga didn’t even want to cross the Drillfield for her first Homecoming at Tech. Now, she’s representing APO, a service fraternity with more than 120 members. Her lack of interest in Homecoming and other Tech traditions changed when she became a member of APO. “The thing I’m most proud of for APO is how much service and selflessness there is,” she said. “In the past two years, everyone has done over 18,000 (hours) of community service.” APO has tried to get members on Homecoming Court previously with no avail, so Kapanga is excited to be the organization’s first representative. “Being on Homecoming Court is mind-blowing. When I was a freshman, I wasn’t even sure what it was,” Kapanga said. “I’m just really excited to be able to have a new set of students be able to be represented.”

CHECK ONLINE Hear the ﬁve candidates explain their views on homecoming at COLLEGIATETIMES.COM

Zack Fry Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance Fry came out when he was in eighth grade, and while he received support from family and friends, something was missing. “I had a lot of support but there was no actual organization to be a part of,” he said. “So when I came to Tech, I made a point to seek it out.” Fry found that community through the LGBTA, and has been involved since his freshman year. He came up with the idea to run for Homecoming Court as somewhat of a joke, but when he received support from the club’s executive board, he decided to go for it. However, Fry feels that the candidacy is less about himself, or even the LGBTA community, but about the entire Hokie community. “I want not only current Hokies to understand, but also future Hokies, that it doesn’t matter who you are, who you love or how you identify, but as long as you have the Hokie spirit you will be welcome in this community,” he said.

newseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 1, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

NEWS

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

Sept. 9

7:30 AM

Follow up to Simple Assault

Davidson Hall Construction Site

Inactive

Sept. 25 - 26

9:05 PM - 9:00 AM

Larceny of a Bicycle and Lock

Special Purpose Housing

Active

Sept. 27

11:58 PM

Underage Possession of Alcohol and Public Intoxication x 3

Outside Miles Hall

Inactive: Referred to Student Conduct

Sept. 28

2:01 AM

Driving Under the Influence

Library Plaza

Cleared by Arrest

Sept. 27

7:12 AM - 6:00 PM

Larceny of a Bicycle and Lock

Outside Derring Hall

Active

Sept. 29

7:00 PM

Larceny of a laptop computer

Bookstore Parking Lot

Active

Sept. 14

7:50 AM

Underage Possession of Alcohol x 3

Miles Hall

Inactive: Reported by Student Conduct

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