Thursday, October 31, 2013
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
COLLEGIATE TIMES
110th year, issue 41 News, page 2
Lifestyles Lifestyles,, page 4
Opinions Opinions,, page 5
Sports Sports,, page 7
Study Break Break,, page 6
Skipper celebrates 50 years of service BY EMILY HUGHES | news staff writer
T
he blast from the Corps of Cadets' cannon, Skipper, can be heard reverberating around Lane Stadium when the Hokies score during home football games. For half a century, Skipper has remained a staple of Corps of Cadets tradition. To celebrate this milestone, a free 50th anniversary event will be held on Oct. 31 in Burruss Hall at 3:30 p.m. The event will include a presentation in the Burruss Hall auditorium followed by a demonstration on the Drillfield. The Corps of Cadets' marching band, the Highty-Tighties, will also perform. “The Skipper holds a special place in the history of the Corps and the university, and we are delighted that it will be celebrated in such a special way,” Major General Randal Fullhart said. Skipper was born in 1963 through the efforts of three cadets: George Fox, Alton “Butch” Harper and Homer “Sonny” Hickam—the last of whom is
ICAT innovates at the nexus CHELSEA GILES lifestyles editor
Hold out your phone. Now ask yourself, “what does it take to make this?” Consider all of the layers of design, engineering, math, technology and more it required to create such an interactive and functional gadget, one that has transformed the way people communicate. Benjamin Knapp, the director of the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT), said this is how he explains why ICAT is essential to how we approach research and innovation in the future. ICAT was founded two years ago and was housed in STUDIONE in Collegiate Square. Now, the institute has DANNY DUANGPHACHANH / SPPS
ICAT designed spooky virtual Halloween displays for Tech or Treat.
noted for his biography 'Rocket Boys' that inspired the film October Sky. In those days, Tech was more commonly called the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI). The cadets were inspired to challenge the cannon “Little John” from Virginia Military Institute, enlisting the help of mechanical engineering students to build a wooden barrel mold that preceded the eventual brass one. “(Harper) found out that the Virginia state government had given VMI some old cannon and that we could probably get one, too,” Hickam wrote in an article entitled “The Birth of Skipper,” published in the summer 2000 edition of the Virginia Tech Magazine. “Our VPI administration wasn’t interested, however, so Butch decided that—by God—we’d make our own.” see SKIPPER / page three
Developers confident in future of ‘robo jellyfish’
BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS
A robotic jellyfish prototype was given a test run at War Memorial Hall last April, and performed well. see ICAT / page two
KYLE BARGER
Town wins ‘green’ award AASTHA BATRA news staff writer
In the race towards sustainability and a healthier environment, Blacksburg recently won “Gold” in the Green Government Challenge hosted by the Virginia Municipal League, earning 160 “green points” out of the maximum 200 and securing the certification of “Green Government.”
NEWS
The award was presented at the annual VML conference in Arlington, Va. on Oct. 15. The VML Green Government Challenge was a competition held among local governments in Virginia in an effort to promote a healthier environment, safer living, and the preservation of natural resources and landscapes. It required the implementation of environmental policies and actions
see GREEN page two
LIFESTYLES
A team of mechanical engineers at Virginia Tech has been in the process of designing an autonomous robotic jellyfish for the past five and a half years. While the funding for the assignment is drawing to a close, by no means does that signal the end of the road for the developers. The United States Navy gave Tech, along with other universities such as UCLA and California Institute of Technology, a grant to design an underwater robot in the
see page 8
form of a jellyfish. Tech has received three extensions on the initial 3-year grant and is looking for financial aid to further support the project. “I don’t think it’s that big of a concern to be honest,” said Colin Stewart, a graduate student in mechanical engineering whose role on the project is to compute the swimming motion of the jellyfish. “I think that we have a few sources that are pretty solid.” A couple of the sources include the Navy once again, as well as the National Science Foundation. Even though finances are now in question, it hasn’t stopped the team
SPORTS Check out where author and Twitter sensation Mandy Hale, “The Single Woman,” is hosting events this weekend.
Time for crime: check out the Crime Blotter. see page 2 See our photo essay about Skipper, Tech’s iconic game cannon, turning 50 today. see page 3
that would protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions. The “green points” were awarded when up to 30 policies and actions in different categories were adopted and implemented. “We got points for establishing an electronics recycling program with Virginia Tech so that the people in the
news staff writer
see ROBO / page two
ONLINE Hokies secondary looks to get healthy, offensive line shows slight improvement.
see page 7
from continuing its research. “I’m still working on the robots, and as far as I know, there’s no end date as to when we are going to stop doing that,” said Alex Villanueva, a postdoctoral student in mechanical engineering, who works with the robot design aspect of the project. The Navy’s hope is to receive a product that uses little energy, handles abuse from the environment and has the ability to remain in the ocean for weeks or months at a time without receiving attention from other researchers.
Volleyball heads down south for a pair of ACC matches.
Voting next Tuesday? We want to know. Take our survey!