getting ready for Halloween? see page 5 Wednesday, October 30, 2013 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 40
News, page 2
Political Science program ranked top-20 most valuable JOSH HIGGINS news reporter
The Virginia Tech department of political science was recently ranked as one of the top-20 most valuable undergraduate degree programs in the nation. Affordable Colleges Online ranked Tech’s political science department 13th for high returns on investment. The site calculated that Tech students graduating with a degree in political science averaged a 30-year return on investment of $763,700. The Department Head, Tim Luke, said this was a trend that the department has seen in recent years. “Both students and parents are interested in seeing what the advantage of studying at this school and that school in A-discipline versus B-discipline,” Luke said. “The results were not terribly surprising because we’ve seen comparable studies in the past couple of years.” According to Luke, the university has also received rankings regarding educational value of degree from PayScale. com, which ranked Tech 24th overall in salary potential, citing starting salaries of $51,700 and mid-career salaries of $94,200. More specifically, political science graduates in general, according to
“
The results were not terribly surprising because we’ve seen comparable studies in the past couple of years” Tim Luke Department Head
PayScale, saw a 91.7 percent salary increase from starting to mid-career. In addition, Affordable Colleges Online ranked the university fift h overall in the country in affordable colleges with high returns, falling behind Georgia Tech, the State University of New York at New Paltz, the University of Virginia and Texas A&M. Fellow Virginia school William and Mary ranked just behind Tech at sixth. Larry Hincker, associate vice president of university relations, expressed praise of the political science department’s new ranking. “We get a lot of these rankings, and it’s gratifying that we see programs that normally wouldn’t get a ranking because normally they are ranking schools,” Hincker said. see RANKED / page two
Lifestyles, page 5
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 6
Classifieds, page 4
Hokies play dress up for ALS Awareness BY JACOB EMERT | sports editor
It’s an uncommon sight, watching a baseball game in which Michael Jackson pitches to a gorilla, who flies out to Mario in right field. But Monday night that was the scene at English Field. The Virginia Tech baseball team ditched their uniforms and donned costumes for the second annual ALS Awareness Halloween Game. The event was created last year by former Hokies head coach Pete Hughes, who saw the devastating effects of ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) firsthand while coaching at Boston College. “We worked hard the whole fall. This is a nice little thing to end on, a little treat for us,” said senior pitcher Brad Markey. “We’re goofing off, but it’s for a good cause: ALS awareness. People need to know what that is and how bad it is. This game is just to lighten everyone’s experience and it’s for the fans that come out and have fun.” Markey made his Hokies debut last season after transferring from Georgia Tech, going 5-4 with a 4.90 ERA. His ERA took a heavy hit after a dreadful March, in which he allowed 28 earned runs over four starts. Aside from the rough stretch in the middle of the season, Markey, who was disguised Monday as Zoro, cape and all, pitched well in 2012 and will be a large factor on a staff that lost its other two weekend starters. Devin Burke and Joe Mantiply, who now pitch in the Colorado Rockies and Detroit Tigers farm systems respectively, combined for a 17-4 record last year for the Hokies. “It’s always tough to replace the pitching, because proven winners on the mound are invaluable,” said fi rst year head coach Pat Mason, who traded in his Hokies uni-
PHOTOS BY KEVIN DICKEL / SPPS
form for a Captain America getup. “There are so many ways to score runs in baseball. In the past couple years we’ve really been built on that 3-run homer, but we can still figure out ways to manufacture, score runs, do all that. But a winner on the mound is a winner on the mound. You lose guys like Joe and Devin, those guys are tough to replace.” Sean Keselica, who pitched 31.2 innings last year before being shut down with arm troubles, has had a strong fall and looks to join Markey in a key role on the hill for the Hokies. While plenty of positions are still welcoming competition for starting spots, including shortstop, third base and the outfield, Mason will count on veterans to provide production and leadership.
Interview process begins for president Corps of Cadets celebrates Halloween THE SEARCH HAS BEGUN TREVOR PENKWITZ news staff writer
vt Presidential Search CAMERON AUSTIN news editor
The Presidential Search Committee met on Tuesday afternoon to update the public on the search process. The meeting, which lasted approximately five minutes, was to inform the public that within the next 15 days, the committee will begin interviewing presidential candidates. Alan Grant, dean of the
NEWS
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, announced that the interviews will take place at “an undisclosed time and an undisclosed location.” This comes over four weeks after the last Presidential Search Committee meeting, which focused on gauging what the public wanted in a university president.
@CameronOAustin
The Corps of Cadets has many timehonored traditions. One such tradition will take place this afternoon on the Upper Quad. Stick or Treat occurs every year on Halloween, and will take place this year on Wednesday in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Skipper. Traditionally for Stick or Treat, cadets hold a formation on the Upper Quad in Halloween costumes. Freshmen in each company coordinate to come up with matching costume ideas that are judged by the Deputy Commandants. Previous years have featured European knights, lumberjacks, Waldos and video game characters, among others. After the formation, cadets return to their dorms and the trick or treat-
LIFESTYLES
Planning your Halloween weekend? Check out local events going on in town. see page 2 see page 5
ing commences. Upperclassmen get one free pass at each freshman’s room on their hallway. After that, they must complete challenges in order to get more candy, which can range from eating unusual foods to performing humorous tasks. “Last year, we let the upperclassmen choose between eating a jalapeno or a packet of wet cat food to get extra candy,” said Anthony Carella, a sophomore in the Corps. Another sophomore, Catherine Burgin, had several cadets walk like ducks and quack down the hallway to get an extra handful. According to Peter Nettekoven, this semester’s Regimental Commander, “Stick or Treat is a great tradition that allows cadets to celebrate Halloween while promoting unity and pride in the regiment.” The origin of Stick or Treat in the
Corps remains a mystery, as no documents discussing it directly are in the archives or special collections. It is believed that Stick or Treat has been around since at least the early twentieth century, when sophomores would take part in Sophomore Nights, where each class tried to pull off pranks that were better than the year before. Sophomore Nights occurred the in the days leading up to Halloween, which is why it is commonly believed Stick or Treat has been around since then. Cadets will start arriving on the Upper Quad at 4:45 p.m., and the formation will start at 5 p.m. All are welcome to attend the formation, but may only enter the dorms with a cadet escort.
SPORTS Wondering how to complete your Halloween look? Check out some makeup tips from our fashion columnist.
CFTA hosts Halloween themed technology event see page 2
see CAPES / page six
ONLINE Fall practice ends with the second annual ALS Awareness Game.
see page 6
@TPenkwitz
Tech’s club ice hockey team returns home after a successful road trip.
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