Wednesday, October 2, 2013 Print Edition

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Wednesday, October 2, 2013

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

COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 25 News, page 2

Lifestyle, page 4

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 3

Rappers rock Burruss

Study Break page 6

Professor wins top honor from Popular Science KYLE BARGER news staff writer

David Schmale, associate professor in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, was named one of Popular Science magazine’s 2013 Brilliant Ten for the current October issue. The prestigious award credited to the top innovative minds in science and engineering was given for his research using drones to study atmospheric microorganisms. Schmale, who is originally from California, teaches Mysterious Mushroom, Malicious Molds in the department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science. The Collegiate Times got a chance to sit down with Dr. Schmale to talk with him about his award and what it means for his academic career.

Rap artists Wale and J. Cole perform in front of a packed Burruss Auditorium Tuesday night. The performance was hosted by the Black Student Alliance as part of the Homecoming Week celebration. Both artists released critically acclaimed albums over the summer. Photos by Trevor White and Ben Weidlich / SPPS

Students speak their minds Libertarians at Virginia Tech, a student chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, organized a freedom wall on the Drillfield last Friday. Pieces of wood were nailed together and covered with chalkboard paint to provide a surface on which students could write. The wall acted as a physical representation of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Students were able to write anything on the wall and were given copies of the Constitution for doing so. “The wall was meant to highlight the Constitution’s relevance in hopes that students will refer to the Constitution when voting for the upcoming governor,” said Treasurer David Batchelor. “Many different constitutional issues were brought to light on the wall, including gay rights and gun laws, that are relevant to voting in this election”. The organization will be hosting a Constitutional discussion forum this Thursday, October 3 at 7:00 in Whittemore 277.

NEWS

What was your dream job as a kid? I always thought I was going to be a medical doctor. In fact, I started my track at UC Davis on a pre-med

track, and then I started taking these pretty hardcore PChem/OChem courses that were pretty cutthroat, and I started feeling like this wasn’t right for me. What was your inspiration behind researching this particular type of science? I got a job working in a plant pathology laboratory as an undergrad as a sophomore — just watering plants, making media, and I got really excited about it. I got my first exposure to fungi and their impact on plant diseases, and the rest is history. I decided that that was going to be my future. Forget pre-med, I was going to be a plant doctor not a medical doctor. Generally, explain your work and research, in particular the work that won you the magazine spot. My research is really split into two different veins. One vein involves mycotoxicology and the other is aerobiology, which involves the flow of life in the atmosphere. see HONOR / page two

Womanspace brings speaker to challenge sexual violence MICHELLE STARK lifestyles staff writer

PHOTOS BY BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS Above: A student writes a message on the freedom wall, which was hosted on the Drillfield Friday. Below: The wall was constructed on the Drillfield, and allowed students to express their Constitutional freedoms of speech.

LIFESTYLES

On Oct. 2, Womanspace, a club dedicated to women’s rights and gender equality, is teaming up with young feminist activist Laci Green to tackle rape culture. Green will speak about issues including rape culture, victim blaming and ending sexual violence at the Graduate Life Center auditorium at 7 p.m. Green is best known for creating a sex positive education project called Sex+. According to Green’s website, lacigreen. tv, Sex+ is comprised of a biweekly video series featured on YouTube, a weekly live show, daily blogging, university lectures and a peer education network. The event, hosted by Womanspace, is free and open to the public. M a l av i k a Sahai, Womanspace’s vice president, said Green was chosen because she led the women’s studies education segment on Youtube and has a semi-internet celebrity status. “She’s around our age, and she’s very charismatic,” Sahai said. “We really thought she would be a good voice to bring into the university setting to give a talk, because she is so young and so influential that we figured not only would other people who are interested in women’s issues have heard of her, but possibly other people who have just watched YouTube.” In addition to her YouTube channel, Green hosts a web

October means Breast Cancer Awareness month. Check out ways to show your support locally. see page 2 see page 4

series for Discovery Channel’s “Discovery News” that focuses on the science and cultural aspects of the human body. Green also produced a sex education program for Planned Parenthood called “A Naked Notion.” She is also a certified crisis counselor for the Family Violence Center where she gives advice to people who have been abused sexually or domestically. According to Green’s website, she graduated with highest honors from UC Berkeley in Legal Studies and Education in 2011. Alyssa Seidor f, Womanspace’s president, said that because Green is a recent college graduate, she would be able to relate to and understand the social pressures college students face. Though Green has not announced her speaking points, Sahai and Seidorf said that it’s sure to be related to the controversial topics that Green is famous for speak-

SPORTS Get to know the 2013 Homecoming Court, the motivations behind their campaigns, and what sets them apart from the other candidates.

Wondering how the government shut down works? see page 7

LACI GREEN VIA FACEBOOK

Laci Green, a feminist activist, will speak on ending rape culture.

ONLINE Catch up on news coming out of the men’s basketball media day, The baseball team shaved their heads this weekend. Read about why.

see page 3

ing about, like consent, “slut shaming,” the bystander effect and sexism as it relates directly to college students. These discussions may seem taboo to tackle on campus, but according to Seidorf and Sahai, these issues need to be talked about among students. “I don’t care about talking about it in public,” Sahai said. “Rape culture is public. It’s everywhere.” Sahai emphasized that there are ways to stand up and make a difference without compromising one’s safety, and it starts with understanding the subtopics that Green will discuss. Seidorf noted that the event isn’t limited to women and that men are encouraged to come to the event and learn about rape culture and sexism, which is relevant to all college students. “If you really understand it and find your place in it, there’s a place for everybody,” Seidorf said.

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

CollegiateTimes @collegiatetimes


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