THE FACE OF TECH SPORTS IS CHANGING see page 2
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com
COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 52
News, page 2
Opinions, page 3
Sports, page 5
Study Break, page 4
Demolition begins on old Upper Quad buildings MELISSA DRAUDT news reporter
Three golden sledgehammers, wielded by dozens of Cadets and university officials, smashed into Rasche Hall Tuesday afternoon, symbolizing the start of the building’s demolition.
Members of the Corps of Cadets as well as officials from housing and residence life, the commandant staff of the Corps and university facilities gathered at the flag pole on the Upper Quad to salute the first residence hall to be razed for the redesign of the Upper Quad.
Eleanor Finger, director of housing and residence life, opened the ceremonial demolition with remarks on the building’s history and future building projects. “It’s a great opportunity as we close this building that has been historic and a great home for our Corps of Cadets,”
Finger said. “We now get to turn it over and give a new home for our Corps.” Finger and other administrators that contributed to the project took turns smashing into the brick until its siding turned into rubble. Then the floor was opened to Cadets to take a swing at the building
that had previously served as their home. Robert Skinker, a junior mechanical engineering major, lived in Rasche Hall for two years as a member of the Corps of Cadets. “We’re excited to see the change,” Skinker said. “It started a whole new set of traditions
and dynamics.” The state-of-the-art residence halls that will be constructed on the site of Rasche Hall, and later on the site of Brodie Hall, will accommodate the growing membership in the Corps over the past few years. see CADETS / page two
Professor A bond dies at 51 sealed in ink BY ALEX KOMA | sports editor
JOSH HIGGINS news reporter
If
you want to know who Luther Maddy is, just examine his tattoos. On the surface, Maddy is a physically imposing defensive tackle for Virginia Tech’s football team, but a closer look at the symbols he’s chosen to adorn his body with reveals who he really is. “I’ve got the Haitian flag, because I’m Haitian,” Maddy said. “It says Zoe (slang for a person of Haitian descent), and I’ve got it on my forearm since I’ve got Haitian in
A Virginia Tech political science professor died Sunday, after teaching for 15 years at Tech. Craig Leonard Brians, 51, an associate professor, died at home surrounded by his BRIANS family. “I think everyone in our department and everyone in foreign languages and literatures, where Jessica (his wife), worked is in shock,” said Tim Luke, chair of the political science department. “He was a relatively young person.” Josh Smith, a senior communication major who took Brians’ political communication class, said his class was always one he wanted to go to. “He wasn’t afraid to keep learning lighthearted, not only teasing students’ silly current-event stories, but even himself sometimes,” Smith said. “Class would not only consist of lectures on relevant material, but almost every class, there was a story about his family and how it related to the class.” Brians is survived by his wife, Jessica Folkart, who teaches in foreign languages and literatures at Tech, and four children. Roya Pardis, a class of 2015 architecture major, said Brians’ personality helped ease her transition into college. “His class was my first college class that I experienced, and by way of his personality and charisma, I was instantly relieved,” Pardis said.
me. Both my parents are Haitian.” When he got the tattoo on July 17, he tweeted “Never forget when you came from. #NewInk” with a picture to show off his new artwork. “(My tattoos are) just things to represent my city, my background,” Maddy said. “I’ve got a Florida Marlin, and the 561 — the area code for Florida — since I’m from South Florida.” see INK / page five
PHOTOS BY BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS
Chris Mangus (left) and D.J. Coles are among the many Virgina Tech football players that use tattoos as a form of personal expression.
see BRIANS / page two
Men’s hoops overcomes 17-point defecit, beats WVU JAMES MITCHELL sports staff writer
BRAD KLODOWSKI / SPPS
Freshman guard Ben Emegolu (15) drives to the hoop against WVU.
NEWS
On a snowy and frigid afternoon inside Cassell Coliseum, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team looked to rebound after a disappointing 64-63 loss to South Carolina Upstate. Temperature aside, the Hokies heated up and overcame a 17-point fi rst half deficit to edge out the West Virginia Mountaineers 87-82, avenging last year’s loss to the border rival.
LIFESTYLES
“When I took this job I wanted to start this series up with West Virginia and the last two games, it’s been dandy,” said head coach James Johnson. “The guys showed a lot of heart, showed a lot of fight and found a way to win this one tonight.” Tech was once again without junior forward C.J. Barksdale and junior guard Marquis Rankin. Without missing a beat though, the new faces of the team emerged as shining stars. Freshman guard Ben
OPINIONS See this week’s fashion column on clothing sizing
Did you read this year’s common book? Author Conor Grennan visited Burruss yesterday and talked to students about the value of finding a cause you believe in see page 2 online
Emelogu came off the bench for Tech and ended up leading the scorers with 22 points, forced to pick up the slack after both senior forwards Jarrell Eddie and Cadarian Raines got off to slow starts and were ineffective on the offensive side for much of the game. Raines and Eddie combined for a total of 13 first half minutes. Raines was in foul trouble early and forced to the bench, while Eddie was troubled by WVU’s defense and failed to convert a shot attempt in the first half.
see HOOPS / page two
ONLINE Check out why one columnist thinks customer convenience is now the priority of successful companies.
see page 3
“We just went with what the defense gave us and what we were able to do on our offense,” Johnson said. “From game to game, certain teams present different matchups, they present different defensive schemes.” The Hokies struggled on both sides of the ball in the first half while WVU’s offense was able to grab defensive rebounds and score quickly in transition.
For updates throughout the day. www.collegiatetimes.com
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newseditor@collegiatetimes.com
November 13, 2013
collegiatetimes.com
NEWS
Common book author Conor Grennan visits Tech EMILY HUGHES news staff writer
Conor Grennan, the author of this year’s common book “Little Princes,” spoke Monday night at Burruss Hall where he relived his travel experiences and explained why he wanted to write the book in the first place. “Little Princes” describes Grennan’s experiences in civil war-ravaged Nepal, where he volunteered in an orphanage called the Little Princes Children’s Home, only to realize that the children he was helping to care for had been trafficked. Grennan trekked to remote Nepalese villages in efforts to locate and reunite the families of these trafficked children. That is the ongoing mission of Grennan’s nonprofit organization, Next Generation Nepal (NGN). According to Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Rachel Holloway, the common book was chosen to be “timely, thought-provoking, interesting and fun to read” and to embody the university’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). “Little Princes” was selected over a year ago from
Brians: Community pays respects from page one
“He embodied the true spirit of Virginia Tech with his passion for teaching and giving back to his students.” During his time at Tech, Brians taught undergraduate courses in American politics, elections, political communication, public opinion and political science research, as well as the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences’ First Year Experience course. In addition to his teaching, Brians also conducted research, which has been published in multiple political science journals, including the American Political Science Review. Moreover, he has served as a political analyst for media organizations, such as the Boston Globe and Fox News. Brians’ research gained him national recognition, and according to Luke, Brians was a well-respected scholar of political science at political science conferences around the country. “We’ve heard already within 36 hours from folks across the country that are saddened and shocked that he passed away,” Luke said. Smith said the news of Brians death set a solemn tone for many political science and communication students’ days on Monday. “Outside of the political science department, I am not sure how well he is known by students,” Smith said. “But I do know that any student that ever had him would agree he is the John Boyer of the department. The charisma and genius the man portrayed rubbed off on his students. The man was a gentleman and a scholar, and he had no problem spreading his wealth of knowledge of campaigns and political communication behavior to the lucky students who had him.” A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thurs., Nov. 14, at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Blacksburg, according to a university release. Visitation will be held Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at McCoy Funeral Home in Blacksburg. In addition, the political science department will hold a memorial to celebrate his career as a political science at a to-be-determined date, according to an email on the departmental listserv.
@JoshuaLHiggins
an initial pool of 135 recommended books that was narrowed down to 10 semifinalists. After an introduction by freshman Sam Scannelli, Grennan took the stage. With the cover of his book enlarged behind him, Grennan admitted to laughter from the audience that, if given his book as a freshman, “I don’t even want to read that book — and I wrote this book.” Grennan explained he didn’t usually enjoy this sort of narrative because of the heroic way in which it portrayed the author. He candidly spoke of his original motivation for volunteering at a Nepalese orphanage. “It had nothing to do with kids,” Grennan said. “It had everything to do with picking up women.” With photographs behind him, Grennan shared his experiences in Nepal as described in “Little Princes,” adding anecdotes to supplement his story. Grennan explained that contemporary child traffickers often profit from the sympathies of American tourists. Grennan begged his friends
and family for enough money to buy a plane ticket to Nepal and live there for enough time to track down the seven missing children. While searching in Nepal, Grennan visited numerous illegal orphanages, each housing children in destitute poverty. “I left way, way, way more kids behind than I rescued, and you can’t be okay with that,” Grennan said. The culture difference was such that many Nepali people had never encountered roads, motorcycles, light bulbs or even their own faces, as there was no glass to see their reflections in. Grennan recounted that the children of “Little Princes” had been enthralled when he took their photos and were able to see their faces for the first time. When he found the parents of one child, Anish, Grennan realized, “this might work.” “This was the genesis of Next Generation Nepal,” Grennan said. He realized, however, that because of the villages’ remoteness, “There (was) no shortcut here,” and that the process of reunification was “labor-intensive.” NGN has managed to locate families with little or no infor-
mation regarding their identities or whereabouts. They spent 2.5 years searching for one child’s parents, with eventual success. “Our team never gave up,” Grennan said. He provided an update on NGN, saying that 18 children had been rescued on Sunday, the previous day, the youngest of whom was two years old. Grennan said he wrote the book so people know about Nepal and because he believes we’ve got “volunteering all wrong in our country.” His philosophy on volunteering differs from the popular “dogood” mantra. “I’ll tell you who doesn’t care (about your reasons for volunteering) — the people that you’re helping,” Grennan said. “Don’t let anybody tell you what your motivation should be.” During the question-andanswer portion that followed his speech, Grennan advised students going abroad to forget what they thought they knew about a foreign country. He recommended trying to live the way a culture lives. Grennan encouraged students not to let language barriers deter them
COURTESY OF NICK SMIRNIOTOPOULOS
Conor Grennan speaks to students from the stage in Burruss Hall. from going abroad. When asked how he would respond if his children, in the future, were involved in a similar endeavor as his own, Connor said, “I think I might be a bit nervous about it as any parent would. But I want
them to see the world and find their own way to make a difference — whatever that looks like.”
@CollegiateTimes
Jim Weaver to step down as athletic director JACOB EMERT sports editor
Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver announced Tuesday that he plans to step down Dec. 31 due to his declining health. Weaver, 68, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2004 and has undergone multiple back surgeries. Originally, he planned to retire at the end of his current contract, Dec. 31, 2015, but after being informed that he would need two hip replacements he decided to step down at the end of this year. “I have had the pleasure of serving a great university and working with outstanding staff and coaches. I am very proud of our many accomplishments. We compete and win,” Weaver said. “We have some of the nation’s best fans and, most importantly, our students graduate with a first
class education. However, leadership of this important university role requires active engagement. I am not able to do that at this time. The department is in good shape, but I am not. So, (Virginia Tech president) Dr. Steger and I agree that now is the right time to seek my replacement.” During the past two weeks, his health prevented him from traveling to both Boston College and Miami with the football team, something he felt pertinent to performing his position at a high level. Since being appointed to the position in 1997, Weaver has been instrumental in numerous advancements of Virginia Tech athletics. During his time, Weaver has improved the South and West end zones of Lane Stadium, signed the school’s first deal with Nike, built a state-of-the-art basketball practice facility and
upgraded the soccer and baseball facilities. “I think Jim has been able to elevate the program in really all dimensions. One is that we have a financially very stable enterprise today,” said Virginia Tech president, Charles Steger. “Secondly, our graduation rates are extremely good. He’s also strengthened the Olympic sports significantly. And we’ve been able to build new facilities, which are almost certainly unrivaled in the ACC. “We’ve been able to set a value framework for all of our sports in terms of student performance in terms of behavior and other things.” Perhaps the grandest of all Weaver’s achievements was orchestrating the move from the Atlantic 10 to the Big East in 1999 and then to the ACC in 2003. “Our facilities — there’s not many places that you can sit
here and all of the facilities are right there together, and all of them are good,” said football coach Frank Beamer to members of the media on Tuesday. “When we get the indoor facility right over here, that’s going to give us everything we absolutely need. That’s in motion now. And everybody. You look at baseball, softball — everybody’s benefited by Jim being here, all sports.” Beamer said he has no interest in the athletic director position, but would lend his assistance in the hiring process. Weaver received the John L. Toner award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 2009 and was nominated for the Discover Orange BowlFWAA Courage Award last month. A Harrisonburg, Pa. native, Weaver played center and
linebacker at Penn State for former Nitanny Lions head coach Joe Paterno and served as athletic director at Western Michigan and University of Nevada Las Vegas before arriving at Tech. Sharon McCloskey, senior associate athletic director, will take over on an interim basis starting Jan. 1, 2014, and Ray Smoot, former chief executive officer of the Virginia Tech Foundation, will lead the search for Weaver’s replacement. Smoot also chaired the search in 1997. President Steger hopes to have the committee solidified by the end of the week and said the search with be “nationwide and will be open to internal as well as external candidates. I don’t have a preference one way or another.”
@jacobemert
Hoops: Hokies prevail Cadets: Hammers swing from page one
The Mountaineers jumped out to their largest lead of the game, 17, with 8:21 left in the largely due to second chance opportunities. But in response, the Hokies went on a 19-6 run that carried into the second half and was sparked by an Emelogu 3-point buzzer beater to end the first period of play with a score of 41-36. “It was a big momentum builder,” Emelogu said. “We were down by eight before the shot and came in down by five, and we knew we had them. We were breaking them slowly, and we came back and got more shots and we broke t hem.” Emelogu wasn’t the only freshman to impress on the court today. Guard Devin Wilson started off slow, shooting 1-4 from the field, but turned the switch in the second half, finishing with 16 points, four assists and five rebounds. Wilson was also a perfect 8-8 from the freethrow line. “Beginning of the first half I was kind of lackadaisical it seemed like,” Wilson said. “(Coach Johnson) was telling me I really needed to step up, and that’s what I tried to do.” Meanwhile, Adam Smith continued the freshman trend, finishing with 19 points, shooting 7-12 from the field. With all the success the team had, they’re still focused on improving. “We got to continue to get better,” Johnson said. “We got some young guys that can do some things. We got to hang in there. It’s going to be up and down for them, but at least we got multiple guys if one guy is down. They all had double figures, so that was very
encouraging.” West Virginia kept the game close throughout the second half and both teams were hacking away at each other, committing close to 50 total fouls in the game. But the Hokies edged out the victory by nearly doubling their field goal percentage from 35.3 percent to 60.0 percent in the second half and making free throws late in the game. “I thought they played okay in the first game,” Johnson said. “But tonight I thought they were tremendous. They did the things that I’ve seen them do in practice and they took it over to game time. And today it was a hostile, tough physical team. They did a great job, all of them.” With the Eric Green era over in Blacksburg, the Hokies have been searching for an answer. It seems that they’ve found it in three talented freshmen that have already made an impact in the two games of the 2013 season. “Everybody is going to have their chance to make an impact on the game,” Emelogu said. “We’re not ordinary freshman. We went out there and played hard.” But there’s no looking back. After the tough loss to USC Upstate and a hard fought win against WVU, the Hokies are ready to move on. The team’s next focus is on Western Carolina, who comes to Cassell at the end of the week. “I think that brought a lot of confidence back to our team,” Wilson said. “We’re just going to take this win in and then get ready for Friday.”
@J_Mitchell_62
CHEN JIANG / SPPS
Cadet Wesley Royston swings the golden hammer at Rasche Hall yesterday. from page one
“(The new buildings) are very strong indicators of the commitment of this university to the Corps, its heritage and what it has meant for the university,” said Major General Randy Fullhart, commandant for the Corps of Cadets. The Corps, at 1071 members this year, has seen its largest class since 1968. The project will condense the four residence halls on the Upper Quad currently housing cadets into two larger halls. “I think the biggest change is that we will have for the first time the real gathering spaces, the study lounges and those kinds of facilities that we’ve just not had in the past,” Fullhart said. Colonel Dave Spracher, Director of Development for the Corps, who lived in Brodie Hall, calls the project a “huge step.” “It’s the first time in the memory in most of our alumni that the university has done any type of capitol project for the cadets… to meet their needs,” Spracher said.
Fullhart offers the vision that the new residence halls overlooking Alumni Mall will join the other symbolic structures in the representation of the Virginia Tech campus. “(They) really will be landmark buildings on Alumni Mall, the historic entrance to the campus, along with the new Fine Arts Center, the (Torgerson) bridge, as well as the pylons,” he said. The murals on the walls of the current buildings were done by cadets over the decades. According to Spracher, who was a cadet before the murals became a tradition in the Corps, the new buildings will be designed to provide space for new murals by future cadets. “There’s always a bit of nostalgia… but at the same time our alumni are really excited about what this (project) means for the Corps,” Fullhart said. “It’s a recognition of what the Corps has been and continues to be for Virginia Tech.”
@MelissaDraudt
OPINIONS
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November 13, 2013
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MCT CAMPUS
Rap icon embraces symbol of black oppression W
hat more can be said about Kanye West, one of the most controversial, iconic and influential personalities of our generation? From titling his latest album “Yeezus” to renting out an entire baseball stadium for a marriage proposal to naming his daughter North, Kanye has never been one to shy away from the limelight. Once again, Kanye is making headlines. This time however, his reasoning is so progressive that I can’t help but regain and elevate my level of respect for him. Recently, West has been photographed wearing the Confederate flag — a longstanding symbol of the Civil War, and to some, of slavery, fear and oppression. Many fellow members of the black community were quick to
lambast this move as ridiculous, calling him an “Uncle Tom,” and generally resenting that such a notable figure in the black community would don such a tainted image.
“
West fully believes in himself as prophetic, and thinks he has a message that can and will change society.”
Contrary to these sentiments, I feel that this move is genius, forward-thinking and probably the greatest thing West has done for the progression of black society.
In an interview with Amp Radio regarding his clothing line and the fact that he was selling a full line of clothes with the Confederate flag on it, West said, “You know, the Confederate flag represented slavery in a way — that’s my abstract take on what I know about it. So I took the Confederate flag and made it my flag. It’s my flag now. Now what are you going to do?” As arrogant and selfabsorbed as West may seem at times, he knows exactly what he is doing here. Sure he is going to gain a lot of publicity and stir up controversy, but that is important for what he wants to achieve. He is using his notoriety and influence to take away the flag’s power. This power arises from people who say
that the “South will rise again” under the guise that the “War of northern aggression” was a state’s rights issue. He realizes that the last thing people who still believe in the Confederacy would want is a powerful black man wearing and embracing the symbol instead of being afraid of it. West fully believes himself as prophetic, and thinks he has a message that can and will change society. His title choices for the tracks “I Am a God,” “New Slaves” and “Black Skinhead” are evidence of this idea. Interviews with GQ where he has said that he is “the number one rockstar on the planet,” or that he wants “to be the anchor of the first trillion dollar company,” show that, while narcissistic,
Technological changes force companies to adapt or perish A headline caught my attention while browsing various streams of the Internet — Blockbuster will be closing down 300 of its stores nationwide by January, essentially ending the company’s relevance in the home entertainment market. While the company will still have 50 stores open, Blockbuster is no longer the video rental company we grew up with. The once-great home entertainment giant has fallen from the top due to their inability to incorporate technological changes within the entertainment industry and our society in general. Th ink back to before instant streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu and to before it was incredibly easy to stream a movie online. If you wanted to watch a movie at home, you would need to go to a Blockbuster or a similar movie rental company, where you would hunt through shelves of new releases and old movies. It seems a bit archaic now, actually having to physically go somewhere and do something. Given the option to kick back at home and start up Netflix or drive out to the nearest Blockbuster, the choice is pretty clear. Technology is quickly changing all around us, and companies and corporations need only look at Blockbuster’s
downfall to recognize this trend. What initially started as a matter of convenience — watching a movie at home instead of in theaters — eventually gained momentum and transformed into the huge streaming services being provided today. Blockbuster’s model reigned supreme until it became inconvenient.
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Supply and demand are the foundations of business, and businesses need to realize that adaptation to the current technological climate is crucial.”
Supply and demand are the foundations of business, and businesses need to realize that adaptation to the current technological climate is crucial to maintaining relevance in our society. As the technologies we use evolve, our sources of entertainment evolve as well. The advantages of Netflix are clear — you don’t have to physically do anything, you’re not paying for each movie you rent,
and you are not subjected to late fees. It’s safe to say that a majority of college students have at some point in time used Netflix, but I cannot say the same for Blockbuster. Maybe if the company had tried to move toward a similar service, they would have had more success. Let us not forget that a few years ago, Netfl ix was known for mailing in movies and charging late fees, and while they do still offer the service, the majority of Netflix users choose the instant streaming feature instead. This step toward instant streaming has made the home rental video service obsolete. As a society, we have become used to services being instantly available through the Internet. When a company cannot adapt to this new paradigm, they lose their viability. It’s hard to feel nostalgic for the fall of Blockbuster; it’s essentially just been replaced with a more accessible and userfriendly version.
TIANRAN SONG - regular columnist - sophomore - political science
West understands his influence on popular culture and wants to use that influence society. I applaud Kanye for what he is doing and sincerely hope that he achieves whatever he hopes to accomplish. His belief that we are in the midst of another civil rights movement is guiding his actions in a constructive way. To take away the power of a symbol that has been surrounded by so much controversy would be monumental and hopefully bolster the war against modern day racism.
MARCUS WILLIAMS - regular columnist - senior - economics
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November 13, 2013
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Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day
“I used to think the wost thing in life was to end up alone, it’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel alone.”
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64 Like Little League World Series qualifying games 65 Dealer's demand 66 One who decks the halls, say 67 Tachometer part
music downloads
By Julian Lim
11/13/13
ACROSS 1 Condiment often mixed with soy sauce 7 Cowboys-andIndians toys 14 Help, metaphorically 15 Scrape together 16 Bobby __: '40s'50s adolescent girls 17 Teen dieter's target, perhaps 18 "Stop right there!" 19 Classic pop 21 Start of a personal trainer's motto 22 ASCAP competitor
for the week of November 12th to 15th
The Spark ft. Spree Wilson- Afrojack Hold On, We’re Going Home (Kastle Remix)- Drake Hannah Montana (Twerk Remix)- Migos Live for the Night- Krewella Royals- Timeflies
listen up
24 Phrase from one who sees 27 __-wop music 28 Song of thanksgiving 30 Workaholic's personality pattern 31 Talk on the street? 32 Zoom 33 Santa's laughs 36 And the following, in a bibliog. 37 James Bond's outfit 38 Given to gloom 40 Spot for a snooze
41 Asian soup noodle 43 Trump's "The __ the Deal" 44 Vex supremely 46 Guggenheim Museum Bilbao architect 47 OPEC measure 50 Campfire treat 51 Dogfish Head product 52 Sought-after group 54 Courtroom cry 56 "That's the spot!" 59 Watchman 62 Much-anticipated time
DOWN 1 Household chore 2 Healthy smoothie ingredient 3 2000 Ben Kingsley crime drama 4 __-appropriate 5 "Who shot J.R.?" e.g. 6 __ dixit: unfounded claim 7 Hosp. area for heart patients 8 Alsatian dadaist 9 People, for one 10 Male people 11 Needing nourishment 12 Marsh of mysteries 13 Squabble 15 Piquant sushi choice 20 Google success 23 Hair very apparent? 25 Zenith 26 Field for a fold 28 Infinitesimal division of a min. 29 Middle harmony part 33 Easily angered, or what the answers to 3-, 5-, 9- and 15-Down appear to be?
34 Stink 35 "Ghost Hunters" network 37 Dog in Kansas 39 Sports analyst Hershiser 42 River project 45 Mystery writer Josephine 47 Iraqi seaport 48 Go through the page
49 Techspeak, e.g. 53 Cup-a-Soup direction 55 Abba of Israel 57 Lug 58 Publicist's job 60 L.A.-to-Helena dir. 61 Kernel holder 63 Merged comm. giant
Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved
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11/12/13
WORDSEARCH: Vacation Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.
T
R
O
P
S
S
A
P
E
T
S
H
O
P
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1 Travel 2 Beach 3 Family time 4 Explore 5 Shop 6 Friends 7 Luggage 8 Airplane 9 Relax 10 Passport 11 Culture 12 Discover 13 Museums 14 Pictures 15 Memories 16 Unwind
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Aries (March 21-April 19) You’re on top of the world in a variety of ways. There are some interferences in romance. Invent something new in your relationship. Your self-con idence helps, but don’t get arrogant. Try listening for what’s wanted. Taurus (April 20-May 20) For the next seven months with Neptune direct, work and career low forward. Decisions seem easier. Take care, but don’t get stopped by old fears. Consider what you want. Slow down and contemplate. Gemini (May 21-June 20) This week spins some good party days. Avoid excesses that could cloud your thinking, as tempers run a bit short now. Relaxing is a priority. Plan a vacation, even just by scheduling time to do nothing. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Consider new opportunities; however, don’t take a job you don’t understand. Listen to your heart before saying yes. Until about the middle of next year, it’s easier to save money. Take advantage.
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Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Travel is appealing, although it could be challenging. Expand your boundaries. Team actions move toward goals you set some time in the past. Be polite. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Focus on what you love, and the money will come. Tailor your passion to the market. Track your inances to increase the bottom line. Reaching an agreement could seem like a balancing act. Divining fact from fantasy gets easier. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Everything works better together with a reliable partner now. Supporting each other, you both get farther. Your romantic fantasies seem more achievable. But there’s still room for misunderstanding. Listen more than speaking. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Do like the bees, and get busy collecting nectar. There’s plenty of work to be done around the hive. Use safe cleaning supplies. It’s not necessarily the best time for romance. Make long-term plans. Creature comforts are nice.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) There’s room for con lict and disagreement but also for love and pampering. Find the balance you strive for. Things are falling into place. For the next few months, it’s easier to understand abstract thoughts. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Home is where the heart is. The next two days are good for domestic projects. And your income seems to rise naturally, now that Neptune’s direct. Trust your own good judgment. Keep in action, and pace yourself. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) An unexpected bonus arises. It’s easier to achieve your goals. You’re getting smarter by the minute, but don’t get cocky. There’s a lesson here. Postpone romance until you get it. Write your musings. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Focus on making honest money. Your dreams are more achievable, now and for the next seven months. Complete one project, and then dream up new ones. Remain obsessed with details.
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sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com
November 13, 2013
collegiatetimes.com
5
Ink: Athletes pay homage to heritage in tattoos from page one
The Delray Beach, Fla. native’s tattoo choices are typical among members of the football team. A number of the squad’s athletes have chosen to endure the painful process of getting a tattoo to represent a part of their identity. Despite the meaning the tattoos may contain, however, they’re often associated with negative stereotypes when it comes to athletes. Players like Allen Iverson have long been labeled the “bad boy” just because of their sheer amount of body art. “In some ways our culture does celebrate the bad boy — not to say that tattoos are bad — but I think that, historically, they connect with this sort of bad boy or outlaw image,” said Anthony Kwame Harrison, an associate professor of sociology. But Harrison, whose specialties include black aesthetic and racial identification, doesn’t think the tattoos have anything to do being “bad boys.” Instead, tattoos are a way for the players to express themselves amid their regimented lifestyle as members of the football team. Players are constantly being told what uniforms to wear and what they’re allowed to say, but tattoos are something no one can regulate. “Having a tattoo might be a way of kind of resisting that kind of enforced conformity while still being a team player, but having something that’s a part of yourself that no one can take away,” Harrison said. “(Referees) are telling people to ‘Tuck in your shirts’ and ‘You have to wear a collar and tie’, and (the tattoos are) people saying that ‘This is a part of me,
and if it’s a part of me you can’t take it away.’” While standing out is important, tattoos are deeply personal as well. Each athlete has made the conscious choice to make these images or words a permanent part of their bodies. Consequently, the players choose to focus on things that will never change, like their heritage or family connections. Defensive end James Gayle is one player that takes the externalization of his identity to a whole new level. Tattoos cover both of his arms and chest, with a dark blue rendering of Native American woman covering the upper half of his right arm that jumps off his skin. “I have my grandma’s name on my forearm because she was a very influential person to me growing up — one of the strongest women I know,” Gayle said. “I have four sisters, that’s why I have ‘My Sisters’ Keeper.’ Then, there’s a Native American woman because I’m Native American — my mom is.” For players like Gayle and Maddy with distinct ethnic backgrounds, tattoos are one way they define their heritage, but this applies equally to players proud of their hometowns. “(I have) a Yankees sign, since I’m originally from New York and I like the Yankees,” said safety Kyshoen Jarrett. “It’s something I got for myself. (My tattoos are) not like over the top, ‘Oh my gosh this is the best tattoo I have,’ but they do have some type of meaning.” Religion is another area players emphasize with their tattoos. Many athletes are deeply religious, a majority being Christian, and decorate themselves with elabo-
rate renderings of crucifi xes and other religious images to express their spirituality. “Most of (my tattoos) have meaning — it’s just something that’s based off of either religion or something that’s encouraging in my life,” said receiver D.J. Coles, motioning to the mass of tattoos that peek out from under his Hokies tank top. These twin themes of encouragement and faith often seem to go hand in hand for the players. “This says ‘Success,’ which is always a dream in my eyes,” said safety Detrick Bonner, pointing to his bicep. “And obviously, before that, there’s ‘Trust God.’ That’s all there is.” While expressing their religious beliefs is important to many of these players, Harrison notes that religion takes on special importance when coping with the inherent randomness surrounding sports. “There is a classic anthropological theory that states that when you are confronted with circumstances that aren’t totally in your control, belief systems, whether it’s religion or whether it’s me wearing my lucky Giants jacket, become important,” Harrison said. “It connects to those things that are outside of your control that are connected to luck. With good teams, it’s not all luck, but things can happen at any time and a whole season could end.” Connected to this theme of religion is a similar trend to commemorate loved ones that have passed away. Players frequently adorn themselves with the names of family members as a form of permanent memorial. “This is my mother,” Maddy said, motioning to the script
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of “Muraline” that stretches across his chest. “She died, so I’ve got her name with ‘Rest in peace’ and ‘In God I trust.’” The Hokies often specifically choose to remember their grandparents through their tattoos. Bonner is just one of several players to use a tattoo to keep these memories a permanent part of their body. “My grandfather, he passed away, and I just want to have something to symbolize that I always will miss him and care about him,” Bonner said. But while the meaning of the tattoos themselves may be important, the experience of getting them has also become a bonding experience for players. “Some people hang out and play games and stuff, but we hang out and get tattoos,” Coles said. The receiver and Maddy are just two members of the squad that have chosen to tattooed on together. “Me and Lu, we’re close and we hang out and everything,” Coles said. “We just went in one time and he had already made an appointment, and I was going in, so we just booked it together, right behind each other.” Maddy even tweeted about the pair going in together, posting a picture of Coles getting worked on. Over time, a tradition also developed for where players go to get their body art. “Ancient Art, downtown, over by 7-11, they’ve got good guys over there,” Maddy said. Indeed, the Ancient Art Tattoo Studio on Roanoke Street has become a frequent destination for athletes. “Basically, if they have a tattoo, then I probably worked on them,” said Ancient Art tattoo artist Tivis Phillips. “I’ve worked on a lot of the
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D.J. Coles puts his tattoos on display during pre-practice stretches. athletes.” Phillips has also noticed the way getting tattoos has become a group activity for the team. “Most of them make appointments together, there’ll be two or three of them,” Phillips said. “Even if you see those guys on campus, they’re always rolling in a pack. It’s a tight family over there, which I love.” But despite the frequency with which they get tattoos, body art can be tricky for football players. “It’s all about where they get hit, basically,” Phillips said. “A tattoo needs to heal, it needs to be babied a little bit, so we always work on them in the offseason.” For the football players, that means spring and summer are their primary tattoo sea-
sons. “We (get tattoos) when we get some free time, not during the season because you’ve got to cover it up or it gets scratched or messed up,” Maddy said. Aside from their different schedule, Phillips hasn’t noticed much of a difference in the athletes’ motivations for getting tattoos from his regular customers. Instead, Phillips has a firsthand look at how the players use tattoos to both bond with each other and communicate their beliefs. “It’s about the same as everyone else,” Phillips said. “It’s not just ‘Oh, I’m an athlete, I’m gonna get tatted up.’”
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November 13, 2013
collegiatetimes.com