Thursday, October 10, 2013 Print Edition

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Student Voices What you’re saying about the Class of 2015 ring design

“I think there is too much stuff going on in the ring. I probably wouldn’t pay all of that money for it. I’m not in the Corps, if I was in the Corps I would probably buy it, but just having the one side doesn’t really do anything for us.”

"I’m a big fan of the pylons. I think they’re an integral part of campus and having that on there is really important.”

Kristopher Neild, junior ocean engineering major

“We’re really enjoying all the thought that went into the ring and all of the personal touches, like the 32 Hokie feet that surrounded the stone at the top of the ring and even humorous touches like the crane holding the 15 emblem. That was pretty funny."

Alex Lengyel, junior international studies major

Katelyn Catalfamo, junior biology and psychology double major

Thursday, October 10th, 2013 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES BEST of BLACKSBURG COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 30 News, page 2 Lifestyles, page 5

check collegiatetimes.com/bestof to vote

READERS’ CHOICE

Opinions, page 3

Sports, page 6

Study Break, page 4

Town Council rejects plan for nearby student housing CAMERON AUSTIN news reporter

With a 7-0 vote, the Blacksburg Town Council unanimously turned down what would have been the largest student housing facility in Blacksburg on Tuesday evening. The proposed University City Center housing complex is a five-story, 495-bedroom facility located at 900 Prices Fork Road, the current location of

the Holiday Inn and Latitudes lounge. The design would be mixed use with potential for commercial real estate on the first level, and would include a five-story parking garage that would include 672 parking spaces for residents and future customers. The spot, located within a quarter-mile of campus, would be one of the closest options available for students to bike and walk to campus, which was a point of celebration and

contention among members of the community at the meeting who were concerned about pedestrian traffic. John Neel of Gay and Neel Inc., an engineering, landscape architecture and surveying firm, presented the designs for the proposed building, saying, “This is the right place for student housing.” The design of the building included a “synthetic” Hokie stone facade, neutral earth tones and no exterior

facing balconies. The 5-story building will include interior, courtyard facing balconies that will overlook a built-in pool. Several economically friendly amenities were proposed, such as recycling stations and charging stations for electric vehicles within the parking garages, with the building itself being built with sustainable products. Part of the plan would involve completely tearing down and

A Taste of “Huckleberry Pie”

rebuilding the hotel, which would leave the staff unemployed for anywhere from 16-18 months. Ken Rogers, the general manager of the Holiday Inn, spoke up in favor of the development despite impending unemployment. “I’m putting a personal hardship on myself, my family and my staff,” Ken said. “But I strongly believe that this needs to happen.” “It’s turned into all this bickering and fighting, and (the

developers) are really trying to do a good thing underneath,” Rogers said. Public comment on the issue was somewhat split — out of the 34 that spoke, 21 were against the development. Of those opposing the development, many cited the “mammoth” structure being an intrusion that could potentially “rob Blacksburg of its small town character.” see TOWN / page two

Blacksburg couple dies in motorcycle accident MATT MINOR news staff writer

NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS / THE COLLEGIATE TIMES

BY SENAYT ALEMU | lifestyles staff writer A fondness for pie, music roots and a common desire to perfect their craft were the common links for the members of the local band known as Huckleberry Pie. There are many aspects that sustain the band’s popularity in the area, one of which is their desire to keep their scene right here in town. Huckleberry Pie, realistically, knows they will stay local. Each member has a day job, most of them are professors other priori-

ties in life. They are not in it for the money, just for the joy of music. The members can attest they have improved on playing their respective instruments throughout the years through the band. “It’s a totally different talent then playing on your own. You got to know when to come in, when to stay out, and when to accent,” said Randy Dymond, a founding member of the group and a professor in the civil and environmental engi-

neering department at Virginia Tech. John Rossi, another founding member and a professor in the department of mathematics at Tech, said the dichotomy of the relationship between his roles as a professor and band member creates a balance in his life. “I find that being in the band is the fun part of my life and being a professor is the serious part of my life. see BAND / page five

At just four years old, Amarynn Weeks suffered a tragedy last week that very few others will ever have to bear. While her parents, Blacksburg locals Trey and Stephanie Weeks, were on vacation in Myrtle Beach last Friday, Trey lost control of his motorcycle and veered off the road into oncoming traffic. He and Stephanie sideswiped an SUV with the three-wheeled motorcycle, killing him instantly. Stephanie later passed away in the hospital. Although speed and alcohol weren’t factors in the crash, Myrtle Beach police stated that one of the contributing factors in the deaths of Trey and Stephanie was their lack of helmets, which are not required by law in Myrtle Beach. Twenty states, including Virginia, require fully encompassing motorcycle helmet laws. The Virginia General Assembly has seen a number of resolutions attempting to overturn the law, with the most recent coming in January of this year. The bill, which would have made helmets optional for riders 21 and older (called a partial helmet law), had the brakes put on it in the House of Delegates by a vote of 4-2. According to a report by the American College of Surgeons, as helmet usage drops when states move to a partial helmet law, fatality and brain trauma incidences rise significantly. An interesting statistic from the NHTSA shows that 19,230 motor-

THE WEEKS FAMILY

cycle operators and passengers were saved by helmet usage from 1984 to 2006, and an estimated 12,320 more could have been saved if they had worn helmets. Although these statistics may be hard to argue against, the ethical question of whether riders should be able to choose is still a hot-button issue that data can’t address. Keith McCrea, a former member of the Governor’s Motorcycle Advisory Council for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and avid rider for over 40 years, says that motorcyclists simply want the freedom to choose. “Most riders who favor no law for helmet use by adults do so not ignoring the safety benefit, but rather put the argument forward that ‘Use is their choice,” McCrea said. see BIKE / page two

Tech alumna campaigns to bring together town, college KATRINA SPINNERWILSON lifestyles staff writer When she was only a sophomore in high school, April DeMotts attended a leadership seminar at Virginia Tech where she immediately decided she wanted to go to college. Recently, she has returned APRIL DEMOTTS

NEWS

to Blacksburg for more than an alumni tailgate. Through the residential property program her senior year at Tech, DeMotts attended a conference in Dallas for the Institute of Real Estate Management with three other classmates, which she describes as her first foray into the professional experi-

LIFESTYLES

ence. Following graduation, DeMotts moved back to Dallas to work for AMLI Residential but only stayed a few months after she realized something wasn’t right. “I came from a small town, I went to college in a small town and then I moved to a huge city — and I was lost

SPORTS Wondering who’s playing in Blacksburg tonight? Check out which bands are performing at 622 North.

See the on-campus arrests record from Tuesday. see page 2 Check out our Q & A with professor Michael Ellerbrock and his advisory role. see page 2

in Dallas,” DeMotts said. “I wanted to come back to Blacksburg. This is close to my family and this was an area I had fallen in love with.” When she made her way back to her college hometown two years ago, she unpacked in the midst of the local town council elections. “I ran my mouth to enough

people that when it came time to run this time, to get on to the ballot, numerous people encouraged me. (They said,) ‘Now is the time, you should run, you should run,’” DeMotts said. DeMotts claims the biggest reason she decided to run for see ALUM / page two

ONLINE The Virginia Tech Hokies will play a football game in a NASCAR arena in 2016. Find out why.

Check out the video online for a bigger taste of the Huckleberry Pie band.

CollegiateTimes @collegiatetimes

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