Thursday, October 17, 2013 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

GET TO KNOW DADI NICOLAS see page 7

Thursday, October 17, 2013

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

COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 34

News, page 2

Lifestyles, page 4

Bugfest brings together insect friends, phobes

COURTESY OF MIKE WEAVER

MAURA MAZUROWSKI news staff writer

The Inn at Virginia Tech will be full of creepy-crawlies this weekend. Luckily, they won’t be calling the exterminators. Oct. 19 marks the third annual Hokie Bugfest, featuring attractions such as bird eating tarantulas, silkworm farms and cockroach races from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hosted by the Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, Bugfest is a student-run event with the goal of attracting young scholars to careers in the study of bugs.

“This event gives adults and children an opportunity to learn about arthropods and the science behind them,” said Mike Weaver, director of Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs and founder of Bugfest. Originated in 2011, Bugfest was held not only to promote the excitement of entomology, but to honor professor William Bradford Alwood, Virginia Tech’s fi rst entomologist who went on to establish the discipline at the university. see BUG / page two

Opinions, page 5

Sports, page 7

Study Break, page 6

Libertarian candidate challenges convention BY ALEX KOMA | sports editor

t’s easy to categorize the two major party candidates in Virginia’s race for governor. Democrat Terry McAuliffe has a reputation as an experienced businessman, while Republican and state Attorney General Ken Cucinelli is known as an experienced lawyer. But Libertarian Robert Sarvis is an entirely different story. The 36-year-old Fairfax County native has worked as a soft ware engineer, teacher, lawyer and mobile app designer — all before attempting a run for state senate two years ago. While it’s safe to call the other two candidates career politicians, Sarvis has clearly positioned himself as an outsider that can provide an alternative for undecided voters. “There’s a lot of conventional wisdom in politics and some of it’s probably correct, and some of it is worth questioning,” Sarvis said. “One of those is the conventional wisdom that you can’t speak to voters like they’re intelligent adults. I’ve always thought it was strange that no one was really trying to do that and this is an opportunity to see what happens when you do.” When Sarvis fi rst ran for office against Democrat Dick Saslaw in 2011, he ran as a Republican. But his experiences with politics and business quickly pushed him toward libertarianism, and he found that this election was the ideal path to express these

COURTESY OF JOHN VAUGHT LEBEAUME

views. “When we saw the way that the candidates were shaping up, that it was going to be Cucinelli and McAuliffe, it just became clear that there was nobody who was going to be talking about actual freedom and the rule of

law,” Sarvis said. “It just became really clear that there was value, regardless of the outcome, in having someone who could articulate a lot of these issues that really matter.” see SARVIS / page two

Roaster adds inventive take on coffee Color Me Rad takes another run through town SARA LEPLEY

lifestyles staff writer

One day in the grassy mountains of Bali, a sip of coffee changed a man’s life. Before working as the specialty coffee roaster at Deet’s Place, Michael Goetz had worked in the Middle East as a chef. He already liked coffee before his travels, but he usually kept to the standard tin can coffee. However, while traveling, he decided to try the coffee at his hotel, and it was like nothing he had ever had before. Immediately, Goetz asked a hotel worker if he could have some coffee to take home. The worker handed him a fistful of green coffee beans. “I didn’t know anything about it, and I said, ‘What are you supposed to do with this?’ and he says ‘Well, you’re a cook, you’ll figure it out,’” Goetz said. With no intention of going back to commodity-grade coffee, Goetz conducted internet research to find out how to roast the green coffee beans given to him in Indonesia. Once he developed a roasting process, he began to order green coffee beans online. Flash forward to 2010, when Goetz began working

NEWS You know we’ve always got you covered on crime. see page 2 Read more about how Robert Sarvis’ economic message applies to college students. see page 2

EMILY HUGHES news staff writer

BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS

Michael Goetz stands in Deets Place, where he has experimented with coffee for many years. at Virginia Tech as a chef in West End. While there, he overheard that Deet’s Place, the dining hall coffee shop on campus, needed a coffee roaster. Goetz wasted no time turning his favorite hobby into his new career. “Mike has been a wonderful asset in this field,” said Leann Cook, the operations manager at Deet’s Place. “His

passion really shines through with the product.” Coffee roasting requires intense focus, and Goetz must monitor the product every 15 seconds as it roasts, looking for cracks and other tiny details. His passion for quality coffee motivates him to pay attention. “Good coffee, it has real body, it has body and a lot of depth and character and dif-

LIFESTYLES

he she

ferent notes that you can pick out,” Goetz said. Most coffee fanatics are familiar with how the nuances of coffee tasting overlap with wine tasting. For example, wines feature hints of oak, pear and other flavors much like coffee naturally sports hints of chocolate, caramel or fruit. see BEAN / page two

OPINIONS

SAID

Happy with a Friday off school for fall break? Check out what our columnists think.

see COLOR / page two

ONLINE Would the Bible enrich public school curriculum? See what one columnist thinks.

FRIDAY

@nextyeardc

Clouds of colored cornstarch will permeate the air on Oct. 20 as legions of runners participate in the second Color Me Rad 5K to overtake Blacksburg. Inspired by the Hindu Holi festival of colors, this 3.1-mile race has a twist— participants will be showered with blasts of color throughout the race. “A lot of people think that running is boring,” said Gretchen Willard, director of public relations for Color Me Rad. “We find when we add in the color and music and get people out together, they have a great time.” Color Me Rad is collaborating with Special Olympics Virginia to put on the race, which will begin at 10 a.m., releasing heats of runners every 10 minutes over the subsequent hour. “It’s been a very good partnership for us,” said Roy

Zeidman, senior vice president of marketing and development for Special Olympics Virginia. According to Zeidman, a small percentage of the race fee goes toward Special Olympics Virginia. Runners can register online at colormerad. com individually or with a group. The $45 registration fee includes a Color Me Rad shirt, a color bomb and other items. “The whole purpose of Color Me Rad is that we want it to bring fitness—fun into fitness,” Willard said, describing the race as “a chance to let loose” and “get outside of the things that you do on a day-today basis.” While the Special Olympics predominantly derives their funds from volunteers within the program, money raised during Color Me Rad goes towards training their athletes and entering them into competitions.

Harvard professor comes to campus to speak on ethical values in writing history. Check out when and where. www.collegiatetimes.com

CollegiateTimes @collegiatetimes

see page 4

see page 5

newseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 17, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

NEWS

Color: Run proceeds to Sarvis: Tech gubernatorial benefit Special Olympics debate remains exclusive from page one

FILE 2012

The Color Me Rad 5K debuted in Blacksburg last year with more than 5,000 colorful participants. us with what is basically a their basketball regionfrom page one no-risk-to-us way to come al tournament at Cassell According to reports from in and work with the com- Coliseum. The same month, last year, Zeidman said, “88 munity,” Zeidman said. The there will be an annual percent of the funds raised funds, he said, “will help Polar Plunge benefit held in for Special Olympics go us grow our program even Radford, though the event directly to program servic- more.” is open to Virginia Tech es, which is putting on the Zeidman estimated there students. competitions, preparing for are about one thousand “Tech students are actively those competitions, helping Special Olympics athletes in engaged with us,” Zeidman get athletes engaged in our Blacksburg, Christiansburg said, “and we appreciate the program.” and the surrounding areas. learning and understandThe remaining 12 per- Approximately 650-700 of ing that you all take away cent was split between these athletes are active- from interacting with our fundraising and gen- ly engaged in programs athletes.” eral administration— throughout the year. Special nine and three percent, Olympics Virginia will be respectively. returning to the area in @CollegiateTimes “Color Me Rad provides February, when they hold

Bean: Deet’s employee uses travel inspiration for coffee from page one

Part of the flavor has to do with where the beans were grown, but Goetz can accentuate different flavors through the roasting process. While Deet’s Place serves more than a thousand people each day, some students do not visit the coffee shop as often as they would like because of its location. “It tastes good, and it’s a better flavor for the price, it’s just far,” said Madison Irving, a junior financial planning major. For Matt Grimes, the assistant director of LivingLearning Programs, on the other hand, the locality of Deet’s Place is part of its attraction, he said. Grimes regularly hosts office hours in the coffee shop’s spacious booths. While Deet’s Place is geographically close to where he works, the shop’s pro-organic, pro-local outlook is also close to his heart. “I have a practice of supporting local businesses, and... I consider this the local coffee shop,” Grimes said. “I’d rather drink coffee here than go to Panera as a chain, and honestly I’d rather drink it here than at ABP or Dunkin Donuts.”

Corrections The Collegiate Times regrets these issues and any confusion they may have caused.

Goetz also asserts that while Dining Services is anything but a small operation, Deet’s Place houses the personality of a small, local company, which gives him room to experiment and treat his customers and coworkers to different flavors and baked goods. “He is always surprising us with specialties,” Cook said. “(When he roasted) the Mexican coffee bean, he ended up fi xing us little breads to go along with it, and that’s just something he does. He is a very kind man.” Goetz not only works behind the scenes of each cup, but shares the process with students through Coffee College 101, an informative series held yearly by Deet’s Places. With the help of his coworkers, he teaches students about the rigorous process that coffee seeds undergo. For example, at the last Coffee College, Goetz explained how growers in Indonesia keep the young coffee plants shaded from the radiating sun and water them frequently. They hand pick the coffee “cherries,” which is the term for the coffee fruit harvested. The baskets full of cherries, which they carry on their heads, weigh an average

of 32 pounds. Next, the cherries are processed by hand and delivered by boat to other countries. They are carefully isolated, because beans absorb other flavors like a sponge. Goetz said he loves to travel and witness the process firsthand. “In America, we are kind of sequestered from things like where our food comes from. In other places, it is right there in front of you,” Goetz said. “When I drink some kind of coffee, I always think about the exotic location where it came from and the people that work on it.” Goetz said he hopes to eventually partner with families in regions all around the world to ensure that Deet’s Place enjoys only top-notch quality coffee. Until then, his biggest goal is to attract all java lovers and make Deet’s Place a sanctuary for those who share his passion for coffee. “If I could go back to Bali today, I would go back and find the kid that sold me the coffee and tell him to take me to the farm and see if I could start something up with them,” Goetz said.

A headline that ran in the Oct. 15 Collegiate Times was referring to University Bookstore and Volume Two Bookstore, not Tech Bookstore, located at 118 S. Main St. Tech Bookstore is not affiliated with University Bookstore, Volume Two

Bookstore or Virginia Tech and does not return profits to Tech. An article that ran in the Oct. 15 Collegiate Times misstated Hugh Kelly’s employment history. Kelly did work for AT&T but did not work for NASA.

@trisaratops_23

Sarvis’ background also shaped his views on social issues — particularly marriage equality. His wife, Astrid Sarvis, is black, while Sarvis himself is half white and half Chinese, which makes for a union that would’ve been illegal as recently as 50 years ago in Virginia. “I’ve always been in favor of (same sex marriage), but obviously it’s more personal because I have an interracial marriage,” Sarvis said. “I travel around the state and I meet a fair number of people who aren’t aware that interracial marriages were illegal 50 years ago and it’s just another example of (George) Santayana’s saying that ‘those who are ignorant of history are condemned to repeat it.’” These liberal views on social issues are just one of the reasons Sarvis is experiencing a surge of support from younger voters. “It’s hard for young people to fathom that we wouldn’t treat those couples equally,” Sarvis said. “Young people are just way in advance of everyone else in terms of where they stand.” Harrison Bergeron, president of the Libertarians at Virginia Tech, agrees that Sarvis’ message resonates especially well on Tech’s campus. “Tech students are very lucky that we go to a diverse campus, where everyone is diverse and respectful, and I kind of feel like that’s his whole message,” Bergeron said. “Tech students in particular are very accepting of a Hokie, whether it’s a black, gay, straight, white, whatever in between Hokie — we all come from the same family.” The candidate also believes his conservative economic message specifically appeals to college students. “They see the high cost of tuition, the institutions capturing all the subsidies, com-

ing off of high debt in a jobless economy,” Sarvis said. “Even when college graduates are able to get a job we take an enormous amount of their paycheck to give to retirees, healthcare and social security, so there are a lot of ways that the system is rigged against young people.” Thanks to building support from both young people and voters disillusioned with the two major candidates, Sarvis has steadily climbed in the polls. A recent Politico poll pegged the libertarian as receiving 12 percent of the vote.

“

It became clear that the decision would be made on the basis of measures that have the patina of objectivity, but in fact are designed to exclude.” Robert Sarvis Libertarian candidate

“With every higher poll, you get more media attention, so the fact that we’re not just polling at those levels but that the trend is upwards, that’s a real eye opener for a lot of political analysts,” Sarvis said. Some of this positive gain is likely due to growing frustration with the two major parties as the government shutdown drags on. “It’s more evidence of the dysfunction of our politics and the two major parties,” Sarvis said. “It’s just both sides saying, ‘my way or the highway’, basically boxing themselves into a corner where you have to shut down the government or you look politically weak.” However, his results weren’t quite strong enough to warrant Sarvis’ inclusion in the Oct. 24 gubernatorial debate to be held at Virginia Tech.

Debate host WDBJ set the threshold for inclusion as reaching double-digit points in independent statewide polls, yet those measures only put Sarvis at nine percent, a result the candidate vehemently disagreed with. “As the goalposts kept changing over the past couple weeks, it became clear that the decision would be made on the basis of measures that have the patina of objectivity, but in fact are designed to exclude,” he said in a statement. “A decision made two weeks in advance of the debate — an eternity this close to Election Day — based on an average of polls released over a three-week window effectively anchors us to the lower numbers of older polls.” But Tech students will still get a chance to rub elbows with Sarvis before Election Day. “I’ve only been to Blacksburg once during the campaign, which is unfortunate, but we’re definitely going to try and hit it at least twice more before we’re done,” Sarvis said. “It’d be nice to spend a couple days there drumming up interest and have a rally right before or during the debate.” Bergeron and others are trying to garner media attention for Sarvis’ visit as well. “I’m in discussion with a couple of national media heads, such as (investigative journalist) Ben Swann, that will be coming down and covering it,” Bergeron said. “You’re probably going to have local and national media, considering it’s the last debate before the election, so the crowd is going to be huge.” But with 20 days left before the election, there’s no reason to think this vision is impossible just yet. “We hope that the momentum can keep going,” Sarvis said. “Anything can happen.”

@AlexKomaVT

Bug: Event honors Tech entomologist, professor from page one

Although Bugfest began as an offshoot to honor Alwood, Weaver explains that is has grown into so much more. “It’s now an activity for discovery and to recruit students in a long-term sense,” Weaver said. “We’ve had students enroll at Virginia Tech to study entomology just because they were so intrigued after attending Bugfest.” All of the bugs seen at Saturday’s event are provided by Virginia Tech’s Department of Entomology, the same insects that fellow students work with daily. “All of the bugs come out for Bugfest,” Weaver said. Over 80 different species of bugs will be showcased by the department. “And that’s

just those that are alive,” explained Weaver, stating that an additional 50 species of preserved insects will also be brought out for the event. With a crowd of about 3,600 spectators last year, Weaver expects even more to attend Saturday’s event. “We get people from Richmond and NOVA that drive all the way down here just to attend,” Weaver said, explaining how Bugfest’s popularity has increased in the past year alone. The biggest change that can be found in the event this year is a much larger Bug Zoo, exhibiting over 100 tarantulas, exotic cockroaches, giant millipedes and more arthropods from all over the world. The newest exhibit being showcased, however, is the luminescent room, featuring “a dark cave with

multiple luminous insects,” Weaver explained. In addition to inspiring prospective entomologists, Weaver hopes to further educate the public about the usefulness of insects. “These organisms often do more good than harm,” Weaver stated. “Entomology helps unlock the secrets of both the insect world and the environment at large.” Bugfest has attracted multiple spectators, some of which have attended with a strong fear of bugs and left the event unafraid. “We’re hoping to educate, change people’s attitudes towards insects, to entertain a bit and have fun,” Weaver said, “all while learning about bugs.”

@MauraMazurowski

crimeblotter date

time

offense

location

status

Sept. 6

1:45 p.m.

Follow up to Larceny of a Wallet

War Memorial Gym

Inactive

Sept. 8

4:00 - 4:45 p.m.

Follow up to Larceny of a Wallet

War Memorial Gym

Inactive

Aug. 20 - Sept. 25

2:36 p.m.

Follow up to Harassment

Lee Hall

Cleared by Arrest

Oct. 6

2:30 a.m.

Underage possession of Alcohol / Possession of Marijuana

Pritchard Hall

Inactive: Reported to Student Conduct

Oct. 8 - Oct. 10

2:51 p.m. - 2:44 p.m.

Annoying Phone Calls

Owens Hall

Inactive

Oct 12. - Oct. 14

1:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Vandalism / Destruction of Property

Outside Peddrew Yates

Inactive

Oct. 16

2:30 a.m.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Washington Street

Cleared by Arrest

Oct. 16

2:48 a.m.

Appear Intoxicated in Public

Alumni Mall

Cleared by Arrest

Oct. 16

3:03 a.m.

Appear Intoxicated in Public x 2

West Campus Drive

Cleared by Arrest

LIFESTYLES

lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 17, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

TECH CRUNCH App created for college students only Tech, FitNet make cyber ﬁtness app KEVIN TRAN lifestyles staff writer

Erodr, a new social media app for students to expand their networks, is quickly gaining popularity around college campuses across the country and is now finding its way to Virginia Tech. The app, which is available for both Android and Apple smartphones, opened its services to Tech earlier this year and is now scoring more downloads for its features. “Erodr is an open forum where you can post to other students on campus,” said Ansley Sherwin, junior theatre arts major and campus representative for erodr. “Humor, selfies, pets and stuff about guys and girls are popular topics.” Sherwin, who is known throughout the erodr community as the “erodr girl,” said the Tech network is becoming quite active. “There are currently over 1,450 users in the VT network and about 800 unique users check in daily,” Sherwin said. “We see new users sign up every day.” According to Sherwin, erodr can be described as a mix of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all rolled into one app where users can see posts on daily social dilemmas, classes and other events going on around campus. Erodr was developed in 2012 by then University of Missouri senior Drew Halliday. Halliday said he first came up with the idea because there was a lack of apps that allowed students to connect with their immediate surroundings. “There is no social tool that allows students to broadcast to each other without first having learned each other’s name,” Halliday said. “Erodr

enables students to have an open forum discussion with classmates.” He said that he felt most social networking services were too user and egocentric, meaning that students only communicated and shared information to their friends and people they already knew and had formed a connection with. “On apps like Twitter or Facebook, most people just follow their friends and interact among their own social circle,” Halliday said. “People are more disconnected and closed off than ever. They see what they want to see.” The app features a streamer, which is similar to a virtual bulletin board where users can post content or view popular posts. From there, users can comment and “like” these posts. The comments and “likes” are private, however, and can only be viewed by the original poster. Posts with a lot of “likes” stay around longer, while those with a lot of “dislikes” erode more quickly. So, all posts eventually disappear. Nothing is saved or archived through the app. Taylor Nelsen, a junior psychology major, said erodr is a great way to meet and interact with other classmates. “I check erodr about five or six times a day. It’s really easy to use, and I prefer it over some of the more popular social media apps,” Nelsen said. “I would just post about a class, and users in that same class would respond and reach out to me.” The app allows users to form “connections” with one another, much like friend requesting on Facebook, which then permits private one-to-one messaging.

KEVIN LOHR news staff writer

SCREENSHOT VIA ERODR

Erodr has user-friendly features similar to other social media. Users are able to customize and adjust various settings to fit their personal preferences, like fi ltering their streamer to show either popularity, recent posts or “connections” only. Users can also choose to post either anonymously or publicly and can control who gets to see their posts. Erodr aims to protect users’ privacy, thus users are visible only if they choose to be and have the ability to block unwanted contact from other users. “There is no database or user directory where users can look up other users,” Halliday said. “Th is greatly protects the user.” This feature reflects what Halliday said is a strict erodr policy to protect against cyberbullying. In addition, content is constantly being monitored by a support team, and users may be banned if they abuse the service. An individual can only register once using their student email address in order to limit the number of spam or fake accounts.

Depending on the results of work being done between Virginia Tech researchers and the creators of the app FitNet, virtual fitness training may soon become a growing trend. Tech and FitNet are calling the project FitGENI, and are looking to discover whether participants in a remote fitness class see better results when their experience is viewed in high resolution. “We hypothesize that you will have a better experience and see better results exercising with the highest definition,” said Mark Gardner, network research manager

in information technology at Virginia Tech and principal investigator for the FitGENI project. Tech’s contribution to the project stems mainly from their GENI (Global Environment for Network Innovations, pronounced like ‘genie’) link, which is essentially a virtual laboratory for exploring future Internets at scale and doing networking research. FitGENI intends to test a subject group by having them take remote fitness classes, with different members viewing the instructor at a different resolution and then tracking their fitness progress and satisfaction level.

Tech’s GENI laboratory will be assisting in transferring the live feed. Gardner said that most of that heavy network lifting will be done at Tech. Running these tests on the GENI network will also help determine possible capacity and bandwidth information for FitNet’s app. For FitNet, this means following the trend toward more remote activities. In this case, the fitness instructor will be able to see a participant’s progress instantaneously and fully interact with them. This will also give the participant the flexibility to exercise from home or even during a work break, depending on their schedule.

ALL COSTUMES $25 October 17 only! Come and get your fantastic deal! Gables Shopping Center 1340 South Main Stereet Blacksburg, VA

www.halloweenworld.com (540) 961-0273

lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 17, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

he she

LIFESTYLES

SAID FRIDAY

@nextyeard

He said: Use fall break to explore Blacksburg

all break is such a tease. It’s like if Kate Upton was your girlfriend, but you were never allowed to see her in person. Excuse me if I don’t get excited about what is just a glorified three-day weekend. The problem is, Blacksburg is located so far away from everything else that it’s nearly impossible to do anything in just three days without feeling rushed. Three days is just enough time to get home, do some laundry, say hi to some friends you haven’t seen in a couple months and then drive back. All the while, you’re stressing over the piles of schoolwork that are waiting for you back in the ‘burg. It would be one thing if professors weren’t allowed to assign work over the break. But that’s an unreasonable

request to make that would never be fulfi lled anyway. Most students seem to figure this out after their freshmen year. As fairly educated people, they learn from past experiences and try not to repeat mistakes. But not everyone learns so quickly. As a senior, I still have friends who are going home for the weekend or trying to round up people to take a trip to the beach. Taking such a short vacation is only going to leave you more stressed than when you left. It’s a no-win proposition. Just treat this like a normal weekend and perhaps take advantage of the football team having a bye week to explore a part of Blacksburg or the New River Valley you haven’t gotten to yet. Check off something on that Hokie bucket list you made as a

freshman. Trust me, not having to waste multiple hours of your weekend just to get to and from your destination will make you so much happier. There are many wonderful places to explore and new experiences to enjoy within a few minutes of campus. So don’t fall for the false promise that is “fall break.” Take some time for yourself, learn more about your immediate surroundings and make sure you don’t make your future-self miserable by leaving him or her a mountain of work to do next week. JAMES O’HARA - web editor - senior - computer science major

She said: Fall break, just another Friday off

all break is, technically, one golden Friday in October when students are free from classes and many other universityrelated responsibilities. This holiday, while possibly serving as a light-at-the-endof-the-tunnel after a hellish two weeks of midterms, does absolutely nothing for me. It’s less that I hate breaks from class and more that the distinction virtually doesn’t benefit me at all. As a senior English major, Friday classes are extremely hard to come by. Not only that, but being almost complete with my Virginia Tech circuit, I’ve learned to avoid them like the plague. I believe the last time I attended a Friday class was my first semester freshman year, when I had the misfortune of taking a required 700-person astronomy class. I also took the second part of the class spring semester, but showed up to approximately

zero Friday sessions. I would not recommend this, but you live, you learn. Apparently celebrating “fall break” every week of spring semester is not rewarded with good grades. This year, much like all the others before it, fall break is just a fancy name for a regular Friday for me. I thank the powers that be for the glorious experience of having a day off that I already had off. My sister, who is currently a freshman at Longwood University, had a fall break of her own, lasting an inconceivable two days — but the timing was key. Longwood, apparently, had Monday and Tuesday of this week, affording them the ever-elusive five-day weekend. Alas, the same fortune was not afforded to Hokies, to which the academic calendar said, in the words of some popular internet adage, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

We’ve got a future to invent, guys. All this being said, I’m extremely excited for everyone besides myself to make the most of a day off of school. Go crazy. Take a trip to the Cascades and have a look at the “closed due to government shutdown” sign! Buy a six-pack of pumpkin beer and drink it during the middle of the day because you can! Rake the leaves in your tiny patch of apartment-allotted lawn and jump in them! Pick spiders out of your clothing afterward! Most of all, enjoy your Friday off, and keep looking forward to Thanksgiving Break. DANIELLE BUYNAK - managing editor - senior - English major

it's summer. it's beautiful. it's blacksburg.

go camping.

Buy and sell your camping equipment in the Collegiate Times Classifieds today!

www.collegiatetimes.com

OPINIONS

opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 17, 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 Features Editor: Chelsea Giles Features Reporters: Madeline Gordon, Jessica Groves Opinions Editors: David Levitt, Shareth 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

Book-to-movie adaptations should better preserve original storylines “T

he Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” featuring some of the most beloved characters from Middle Earth, released its new trailer last week. As a Tolkien head, sitting through the two-minute trailer fi lled with excessive CGI and unnecessary plot twists was excruciating. It immediately became obvious that Peter Jackson and other screenwriters had taken full liberty in tampering with the classic children’s novel - a novel that gave birth to the Lord of the Rings and had one of the most profound impacts on the modern fantasy genre. However, “The Hobbit” is not the only novel to fall prey to excessive manipulation to suit the needs of the film industry. Examples of similar exploits can be found in the adaptation of numerous other popular science fiction and fantasy

novels including the muchanticipated “Ender’s Game” movie as well as HBO’s “Game of Thrones” series. In fact, it may be inaccurate to claim that there is such a thing as an accurate adaptation of a novel. Instead, a book serves as mere inspiration to recreate something through a different medium for a different audience. One of the most rewarding experiences of reading a book is the special bond created between the writer and the reader’s imagination. This bond often provides the reader with a unique perspective on characters, plotlines and key events. Th is bond is sacred enough to allow the reader to develop an extraordinary personal connection with the characters, and soon enough the novel becomes an individualized enterprise. However, when the very same novel is ‘adapted’ for the big

screen or for a major network channel it almost immediately loses the personalized sacred bond that the reader had so deft ly crafted. That is, however, not to say that the ‘adaptation’ of a novel is necessarily degradation of art, as some critics claim. In fact, on the contrary, it sometimes serves as a mechanism to enhance and even promote certain art forms to a young, diverse audience that might have been deprived of it otherwise. There is also a significant dichotomy between books and screenplays and it should come as no surprise that most novelists do not associate themselves with screenwriting. Th is contrast demonstrates how most books are not written in formats that could simply be adopted without significant alterations. Since writers not affi liated with the original text do most of these alterations, discrepan-

cies between the two mediums are bound to occur. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the “Harry Potter” series where one can even find inconsistencies within different movies. The phrase “Good books do not make good movies” beautifully encapsulates the troublesome nature of film adaptation to suit popular demand and to achieve commercial success. In order to quell this common theme of story disintegration, screenwriters and directors must make a conscious effort to stay true to the authors’ original visions. After all, they must have done something right if the book is popular enough to be converted into a movie in the first place. NABEEL CHOHAN - regular columnist - senior - accounting

Students would learn more if Bible were incorporated in curriculum P

ublic schools tend to avoid potentially offensive or touchy subjects, with religion perhaps being the most prominent. At times, an obsession with political correctness has deemed teaching the Bible in public schools inappropriate. All too often, upon hearing the words “Bible” and “public school” in the same sentence, the first thought that comes to mind is violating the principles of the First Amendment, breaching Jefferson’s “wall separating church and state.” Public school students would receive a well-rounded, broader understanding of Western thought, culture and history by learning the Bible, not for religious indoctrination, but as a seminal work with an influence that is extremely pervasive on today’s society. Most works of literature, drama and even film that have stood the test of time take their fair share of influence from Biblical stories. Without the Bible’s influence, most literature we know today would read differently. Shakespeare incorporated

over 1,100 Biblical references in his work. In terms of a book that sparked political and social change, the Bible is unrivaled; few people know it was the book that both promoted and condemned slavery. Throughout history, numerous authors, playwrights, philosophers and great Western minds found a wealth of influence in the Bible, including the founding fathers, whose orations and writings pay homage to it. Although it is true that the founding fathers did not intend for the U.S. to be a theocratic state deriving its Constitution from divine inspiration, it undoubtedly served a large role in its composition. The Bible’s impact and influence date back to the dawn of the printing press, which sparked a massive increase in literacy. From then on, literacy wasn’t limited to the clergy, but took a more democratized form. People could read and interpret the Bible on their own, thus eliminating the need for someone to do it for them.

Reading the Bible taught them to think for themselves. But wouldn’t studying the Bible in schools just like any other book exclude other groups, and possibly offend them, you ask? Well, no — because historically, the Bible was, and still remains the most widely read book in existence. Studying it within the confi nes of a literary, historical and cultural context shouldn’t offend anyone any more than studying any other work of literature or historical work. Unfortunately, that isn’t the way everyone sees it. Numerous legal battles over teaching the Bible in public schools have sparked debates from those with a religious agenda, and those without one. In 1963, the Supreme Court case Abington School District v. Schempp ruled that reading the Bible over an intercom in the mornings was unconstitutional. To no surprise, it should be, because it was not used in a literary or historical context, but as a dogmatic one with the intent to proselytize. It seems difficult, however, for

some teachers to steer clear of their religious predilections in their own methods of teaching, allowing their personal beliefs to fi nd their way into their instruction. One teacher in Missouri came under fire after assigning readings written by a conservative Baptist minister, in an attempt to debunk evolution. If, for instance, public schools required students to read the Bible for a class, teachers would need to leave their personal beliefs and bias aside in order to promote critical thought and classroom discussion. The Bible is one of the greatest works of literature and history ever written, and is simultaneously the elephant in the room when it comes to answering some of the biggest questions about the Western thought, culture and history. Undoubtedly, students would have much to gain in its study. ANDREW WIMBISH - regular columnist - senior - English

College Media Solutions Ad Director: Michelle Sutherland Assistant Ad Director: Cameron Taylor Account Executives: Eric Dioglin, Touhi Zaman, Danielle Pedra, Gary Johnston Inside Sales Manager: Catie Stockdale Assistant Account Executives: Emily Reinas, Rach Biltz, Josh Dolinger, Jess Angelos, Sephanie Morris Creative Director: Diana Bayless Assistant Director: Samantha Keck Creative Staff: Mariah Jones, Ashlyn Davidson, Luke Lesinski, Emily Bollman 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 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.

October 17, 2013

JUST THNK THIS IS WHERE YOUR AD COULD BE GETTING EVERYONE’S ATTENTION AND MAKING YOU LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Today’s Birthday (10/17/13). It’s a highly educational year. Study, research, take classes, and participate in conferences. Experience cultural differences irst hand. Nurture your inancial garden, and with regular care savings grow. Next spring and summer pro its bloom. Cultivate networks through social fun. Change arises in your inner circle. Adapt gracefully, and embrace new partnerships. Follow your heart.

solid right? get a hold of us as collegemedia.com

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” - Abraham Lincoln

Textbooks for Sale

For Sale

Don’t Fear Research Papers! They’re easy & fast when you use these unique techniques. Do your OWN great work! Learn how at www.rewpublishing.com

BOOKS: dangerous dreams, stolen memories, collapsing societies, lost identities, lost souls, engineered life, our world transformed: Remembering the Future, science fiction stories by Alan Kovski. On Amazon.com.

Send us your quote and see it here! creative.services@collegemedia.com

xkcd by Randall Munroe

62 Sample 63 Sample

By Billie Truitt

music downloads

10/17/13

ACROSS 1 Baseball's Hammerin' Hank 6 Bad color for ink? 9 Sunlight unit 13 Vegetation 14 Ward of "Sisters" 15 Notion 16 Airport security canine 19 React to a whack 20 "You're not the only one!" 21 Ending for mass or pass 22 Talking bird 23 Thanksgiving serving

for the week of October 15th through 18th

Gremlins- Danny Brown Alligator- Action Bronson Orion’s Belt- Riff Raff Barbie Girl Dirty- Lil B Tamale- Tyler, The Creator

listen up

31 Agenda details 32 Cool-cucumber link 33 Lake Mich. city 34 Semana septet 35 "Divine Comedy" poet 37 Phlebotomist's target 38 With 48-Across, shout at the station 39 Byrnes of "Grease" 40 Quake site 41 Frothy citrus dessert

46 Pothole's place 47 Jimmy's successor 48 See 38-Across 51 Type of brandy whose name means "water of life" 56 Women's swimsuit size factor 58 Capri, for one 59 Puppy bites 60 Mascara problem 61 Ring decisions, briefly

DOWN 1 Langley and Travis: Abbr. 2 Botanical skin treatment ingredient 3 "Julius Caesar" setting 4 Globes 5 Bad guys 6 Flag throwers 7 Many a "Lord of the Rings" character 8 Dogpatch gal 9 Lion, for one 10 Icelandic poetic work 11 Really long time 12 Star followers 14 Begat 17 It's darker than royal blue 18 Dijon denials 22 Is compelled to 23 __ wave 24 Of practical value 25 Domain 26 Canadian rd. distances 27 "Amazing" paranormal debunker 28 Freeze over 29 Spicy bean dish 30 Kunta __: Burton's "Roots" role 35 Morally degenerate

36 Condition treated with Ritalin, briefly 37 Car for a large family 40 Most doting 42 Takes the podium 43 Standard 44 Munich matrons 45 Typical barbershop complement

48 Slightly 49 Perform on sidewalks, in London 50 Scandinavian capital 51 Glimpse 52 Austen heroine 53 Victory signs 54 __ the finish 55 To be, in Brittany 57 Balloon contents

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

2/21/12

WORDSEARCH: Doctor Who Companions Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

W E

W S

W J

W M

W Z

W E

W A

WORD BANK 1 Donna Noble 2 Susan 3 Rose Tyler 4 Alistair 5 Sarah Jane 6 Martha Jones 7 Leela 8 River Song 9 Tegan 10 Rory 11 Jack Harkness 12 Amy Pond 13 Clara Oswald 14 Mickey 15 Peri

Aries (March 21-April 19) Being cautious doesn’t mean to stop trying new things. There’s no need to avoid the unknown now. Keep your eyes open. You’re especially awesome today and tomorrow, so make the most of it. Maintain a secret surprise.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Research thrives today and tomorrow. Wait for a better time to shop. A possible inancial surprise could arise. New opportunities present themselves. Accept new team members. Select harmonious surroundings. A little paint goes a long way. Stay patient.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Time out for recreation! You’ve been doing a good job, so celebrate. Make life easier. Schedule time to relax. Be respectful of possibly unstable conditions. There’s more money coming in. Keep a backup plan. A surprise could arise.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’re entering a planning phase. Follow through on details today and tomorrow. Encourage creative thinking. Let the crew pay their own way. Don’t spend what you don’t have. Enjoy a moment of bliss. Notice the sunset.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) There’s a choice to make. Be prepared. A penny saved is one earned. Play to win! Ask for help. Accept stern coaching. Opposites attract even more so now. Get something you’ve longed for. Do yourself proud.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Play with long-range plans. Don’t try out a new idea now. More practice is required. Do what it takes to inish a job on time. Postpone travel. Household issues demand attention now. Pursue an unusual interest.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Being polite’s a practical virtue. Use information, not emotions, to persuade others. New challenges equal new risks. Move quickly. Spend time with friends. Love and kindness soothe like comforting balm. Spread it around. Cancer (June 21-July 22) You’re entering a two-day, pro itable responsibility phase. Don’t let loved ones dip into the piggy bank. Delegate to a perfectionist. Venture outside your safe zone. Adapt, as necessary. Build clear structures for a new level of understanding.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) A brilliant insight propels your studies. You’re on a roll with a fascinating thread. Relax and enjoy it. Your partner or mate may want to be more directive for the next few days. Clean up messes. Be receptive. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) It’s a high productivity day. Keep costs low. It’s not a good time to discuss inances. A surprise pops up, from a loved one or child, including a happy ending. If at irst it comes out wrong, try again.

This ad space could be ALL yours YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT www.collegemedia.com

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Turn your attention to practical matters. Investigate a fascinating possibility. Figure out what you need to learn, today and tomorrow. Steer clear of arguments. Don’t waste your money. Your time’s valuable. Spend it expressing your love. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) The pace slows for a few days. Be sensitive in a potential con lict. Negotiate terms. Follow through on what you said earlier. Take notes on ideas, and draw what you’ve seen in your mind. Estimate how much money you’ll need.

SPORTS

sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 17, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

Nicolas tells his story after breakout game JACOB EMERT

his mind. “A couple big homies from my city that came here prosDadi Nicolas earned nation- pered and went to the next al attention this week after a level. They said they treated three-sack, seven-tackle per- them right here,” Nicolas formance against Pittsburgh. said. “I see what Virginia Nicolas, available to the Tech had to offer and I love media this week for the first the campus environment. It time in over a year, enjoyed was the right fit.” reeking havoc on Pitt quarDespite playing just one terback Tom Savage. year of high school football, “I had fun. It was one of the Nicolas, who primarily was best games, funnest games a basketball player, came to I’ve played since I’ve been Tech with the intentions of here,” Nicolas said. “It was a playing right away. big blessing. I’m just thankful “When I got here, when I for getting the opportunity came up, I had in my mind from coach (Bud) Foster put- that I wanted to play right ting me in the right position away. As a football player, to make these types of plays.” that should be your attitude. Nicolas was born in Haiti but What kind of football player moved to Delray Beach, Fla. would you be, or what athlete, during an adoption process period,” Nicolas said. “You’ve when he was three months got to be competitive. I didn’t old. During the adoption his care who was here, I didn’t name was changed to Wedley care who was ahead of me. I Estime, but legally changed it just wanted to win. back to his birth name, Dadi “That’s not how it worked Nicolas, after he turned 18. out, and that’s fi ne. The people that’s in front of me, they’ve taken me under their wings. Great people. I love I had fun. It was one ‘em.” Being so new to football, of the best games, Nicolas redshirted his freshfunnest games I’ve man year in an attempt to played since I’ve been gain better understanding for the schemes and concepts of here.” Foster’s defense. Dadi Nicolas, “This is a big D1 college KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS defensive end football program,” Nicolas. Redshirt sophomore Dadi Nicolas (90) approaches Marshall’s Rakeem Cato (12) from behind in Tech’s 29-21 victory last month. “It’s complex, it’s hard.” After moving to the U.S., He took a step backward produce incredible, consis- When he puts his hands on Gayle and Nicolas make up really has come such a far way the redshirt-sophomore though, when he was sus- tent results. you, he’s just a heavy-handed a large part of a defensive unit from when he started. When defensive end never left pended after being arrested “When I first met him, he guy.” that leads the nation with 17 he started you couldn’t get Florida’s borders until col- for stealing a bike in June told me he was 210. That Defensive end James Gayle sacks, but because of Nicolas’ him lined up, you couldn’t do leges were recruiting him to 2012. He was reinstated in joker was 190, 193, I guaran- isn’t surprised by the big game limited understanding of the anything because he’s only play. Florida International, August of that year. Nicolas tee you,” defensive line coach Nicolas had and expects more game he hasn’t been able to been playing for so long,” Florida Atlantic, Kansas chose not to comment on the Charley Wiles said. “And of them. The senior defensive see the field as frequently said middle linebacker Jack and Western Michigan all arrest or how it might have when he got here, I think he leader saw Nicolas’ potential as he, or his coaches would Tyler. “He didn’t understand expressed interest in Nicolas, set him back on the field, say- was 200. And now he’s 230. from the beginning. like. For now he will be used the positions and stuff like but initially he committed to ing “I’m past that.” So he’s put on 30 pounds of “Dadi had a tremendous almost exclusively as a pass that. play at Minnesota. Listed at 6 feet 3 inches and good weight. game,” Gayle said. “I warned rusher, like on Saturday when “And now he’s kind of found Once Virginia Tech came 224 pounds, he has the com“If we can get him to 250, the media about him early. Foster lined him up as an his niche. You can see that onto the scene, Nicolas, who bination of raw power and that would be fantastic. He’s I was like, ‘He’s going to outside linebacker with the he’s a heck of player and he’s knew others from South top-end speed that, if cou- 225, 230 right now and he be one of the better play- sole responsibility of rushing only going to get better once Florida that went to Tech — pled with an complete under- plays 250 now. If he gets ers in the ACC. He showed the passer. the whole mental side catches like Jayron Hosley — changed standing for the game, could 250, he’s going to play 270. them.’” “Credit to him because he up to his physical ability.” sports editor

“

sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com

October 17, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

SPORTS

Volleyball returns home to beat BC, ‘Cuse ALI BOWKER sports staff writer

After spending four of the previous five weekends on the road, the Virginia Tech volleyball team returned home this past weekend and picked up a pair of wins over Boston College and Syracuse. “This weekend went really well,” said senior middle blocker Victoria Hamsher. “It was nice to get two wins under our belt especially since we were home again.” The team opened up their weekend on Friday against Boston College. Hamsher led the Hokies hitting .550 on the night and racking up 14 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Kennedy Bryan tallied 14 kills. “We were very efficient with our attacking, and we didn’t give away too many free points,” head coach Chris Riley said. Boston College hung around against Tech, as the first two games saw a total of 18 ties and over 11 lead changes. However, Tech turned things around and took control of the third game early on. The Hokies jumped out to a 14-4 run and eventually won the game 25-14. “We made a lot less errors in the third game against BC,” Hamsher said. “In the first two we committed a lot of errors. Before the third game

we talked about not committing as many errors and that’s exactly what we did.” In the game against Syracuse the Hokies’ attacking game was just as strong. In that game it was Bryan who led the Hokies with 16 kills and hitting .361 on the night. “I thought Bryan did fantastic this weekend filling in for Lindsey Owens, and we will look for her to be able to contribute at any point,” Riley said. The Hokies notched the first two games of the set with scores of 25-19 and 25-15. However, the Orange mixed things up in the third game and it took some time for the Hokies to adjust. “They moved a rotation around and we couldn’t adjust well defensively. We should have, we just weren’t great defensively that set. We picked it up later on but they had already built a big enough lead,” Riley said. Tech cleaned up its act in ZACK WAJSGRAS / SPPS the fourth game and rolled to the 25-21 win notching the So far this season, the women’s volleyball team has played well together, winning 16 of their 20 matches, including two this weekend. game and the set. “We were disappointed The team will have to “We’ve been trying to work be really fun in the fact that can play the way we’ve been in our attitude in the third be on top of its game this on a lot of serve receive and it will be two really good practicing to play.” game—we didn’t have a bad weekend, as they will staying in system,” Bryan games,” Caine said. “NC The team will open weekattitude—but we weren’t on face ACC powerhouses said. “We are focusing on State is also the reason we end play with NC State our game like the first and North Carolina and North passing first because we have didn’t go to the NCAA tour- Friday night at 7, and will second game,” junior right Carolina State. Consistency a really good offense so we nament last year so we have a conclude with UNC Saturday side Kathryn Caine said. “In in serve receive will be key can get the ball to them and little bit of beef with them. So night at 6 in their PINK! the fourth game we refocused for the Hokies’ success this get good outcomes.” I think this weekend will be a Breast Cancer Awareness and took care of business.” weekend. “I think this weekend will weekend that will prove if we game.