April 10, 2017 by The Collegiate Times

“GHOST IN THE SHELL” Anime turned into live-action film, “Ghost in the Shell” is officially out in theaters. page 5

PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN Virginia Tech hosts the annual Cutchins Distinguished Lecture in Burruss Hall. page 10

HOKIES VS. CLEMSON Check out how Virginia Tech baseball matched up against No. 4 Clemson. page 8

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April 10, 2017

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COURTESY OF THRIFTED MAG Clothing designed by Kaley Roshitsh for the annual Fashion Merchandising and Design Society show, April 13, 2017, in Squires Student Center.

Gillespie sighting

Gubernatorial candidate tours campus In an attempt to win over the Town of Blacksburg, Ed Gillespie, gubernatorial candidate, makes a pit stop at Virginia Tech’s Big Event to earn more votes. RICHARD CHUMNEY news reporter

Ed Gillespie is perhaps the most influential Republican to never win elected office. In 1994, Gillespie was instrumental in selling Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America,” in 2000 he was a key player in the tense fight to elect George W. Bush, and in 2011 he oversaw the GOP’s effort to gerrymander the nation. Today, almost three years after narrowly losing his bid to unseat Sen. Mark Warner, Ed Gillespie wants to be Virginia’s governor. Gillespie’s road to Richmond, and fight for electoral redemption, began in late 2015 after plans for a gubernatorial campaign

leaked to the press. His official entry into the race came over a year later in November. Polls show Gillespie with a commanding lead over the three-man field of Republican hopefuls. Eager to solidify statewide support before the June 13 primary, the campaign embarked Saturday on an RV tour across western Virginia. Gillespie began his day on the Drillfield overlooking hundreds of Virginia Tech students preparing for the university’s annual day of service, The Big Event. Joined by his wife Cathy, the former Republican Na t i o n a l C o m m it t e e chairman spent the morning discussing his economic proposals with a group

your views [letter to the editor]

Hokies at heart: How Tech embodies Ut Prosim Tech students engage in small displays of kindness and altruism every day.

any times people ask me what makes Virginia Tech special. The routine answers: the people, Hokie Spirit, Hokie Pride or being part of Hokie Nation. This is of course hard to define if you haven’t been associated with Virginia Tech, but easy to understand if you have. Recently I have noticed a tangible phenomenon that symbolizes Hokie Pride. I have begun to notice pedestrians who pause at traffic crossings to wave a car or two to go through, even when they clearly have the right-of-way. The people doing this usually see that they are, at that point, the single impediment between keeping traffic moving and creating a huge line by the end of class change. More times than not, this person is wearing an orange and maroon sweatshirt or T-shirt. What does it mean to be a Hokie? It means caring that this is the best place that it can be, and personally making a difference in that quest. RODD HALL • Virginia Tech Class of 1986

of Virginia Tech College and recent graduates find Republicans. success in the Virginia economy. The centerpiece of the “We’ve got to address plan calls for an across- the costs of higher-ed and the-board 10 percent cut the efficiencies of higherin individual state income ed and the kinds of degrees tax. Gillespie said the cut that we’re issuing,” Gillespie will help boost virtually said. “Tech does a great job, every sector of the Virginia you know, in meeting the economy, especially small needs of the marketplace businesses. and the workforce demands. “I think we’ve got to We need all schools to be make it easier to open a new like that in issuing degrees business here and expand that are valuable in the an existing one, more start marketplace.” ups and scale ups, and that Gi l lespie sa id h is will help us diversify our proposals will help reduce economy and will create “the constant stream” more long term sustainable of tuition hikes and fee job creation,” Gillespie said. increases. Gillespie promised that, Virginia Tech College along with his tax proposal, Republican Chairman Zach his commitment to higher education will help students see GOVERNOR / page 9

‘Washed Ashore’ makes landfall this Thursday

The Fashion Merchandising and Design Society (FMDS) presents “Washed Ashore” — its annual fashion show. ALAYNA JONES lifestyles reporter

This year, the Fashion Merchandising and Design Society (FMDS) fashion show will bring in aspects of the ocean and beach in its designs for this year’s theme — Washed Ashore. On April 13, designs created by about 25 volunteer students will be displayed at the annual fashion show in the Commonwealth Ballroom in Squires. Thirty-five student models were chosen in January to model in this year’s show. All students at Virginia Tech were welcome to participate in the fashion show regardless of their

major. This is the first year that junior fashion merchandising and design major, Ol ivia D i r scherl, is designing in the show. In past years, Dirscherl was a model and stager for the show. But this year, she will be both a designer and a model. Usually Dirscherl prefers to design street-style clothes, but this year, she decided to go in a more formal direction. After thinking about what she wanted to create, Dirscherl decided to design long formal dresses. She wanted the dresses to stand out instead of blending in with the rest of the designs. see FMDS / page 5

VT Rescue Squad holds mock airplane drill, coordinates with local responders On April 8, Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport held its annual mass casualty incident drill, testing emergency procedure in the event of a rapid landing. LAUREN FARRAR news reporter

The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad (VT Rescue) hosted a mass casualty incident drill at the Virginia Tech Mont gom e r y E xe cut ive Airport on Saturday morning. VT Rescue held the drill to test its members and local responders in the event of an emergency airplane landing. “Getting that hands-on p r a c t ic e i s ex t r em ely important for our members,” said Michael Geary, VT Rescue chief-elect. “We try and do a drill like this yearly.

We tabletop drills once a month with the officers, but this really gives all of the general membership that kind of understanding of what’s going to go into an incident like this and how much it actually takes to provide that level of care to however many patients it ends up being.” The drill began around 10 a.m. after a detailed safety briefing by VT Rescue Safety Officer Joseph Trigg. VT Rescue coordinated with the Blacksburg Volunteer Fire Department, the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, the Shawsville Volunteer Rescue

Squad, Ca r ilion Cli n ic Li fe- Gua rd Hel icopters, L ewisGa le Hospital Montgomery, the Virginia Tech Police Department and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, among other emergency responders. During the drill, actors provided by t he Nea r Sout hwest P repa redness Alliance served as patients from the mock airplane crash. Responders treated them as if they were real patients. “Overall, we saw that the response was overwhelming,” said VT Rescue Chief

Christopher Eyestone. “We saw a really positive response, we saw a quick response and we saw people responding safely and professionally, and I think that’s really the goal. The biggest thing in an incident like this is not to lose your cool because it’s not your emergency as much as it is the patient’s.” VT Rescue officers did not tell the members when the drill would begin. “We try to make it as realistic as possible,” Geary said. “If something like this were to see DRILL / page 9

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport participates in its annual casualty incident drill hosted by Virginia Tech Rescue, April 8, 2017. Emergency personnel treated fake victims with triage techniques to simulate an actual plane crash.

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PAGE 2 April 10, 2017

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Syrian strike sacrifices administration’s integrity The federal government has a moral duty to exhaust all alternatives prior to instigating foreign interventions.

Apr il 6, President Tr ump ordered an attack on a Syrian airfield in response to Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons against his own populace. Fifty-nine Tomahawk missiles were launched from ships in the Mediterranean, successfully hitting their targets. Afterward, Trump addressed the nation, calling on “civilized nations” to respond to the tragedy and mourning the victims of the original chemical weapon attacks. I will overlook, in this article, the disgusting hypocritical theater of the president denouncing the loss of Syrian lives while he bans refugees fleeing this exact violence. I will overlook his flip-flop on one of the few reasonable campaign promises he made — to avoid greater entanglement in the Middle East. Instead, I wish to make clear that this strike was foolish and illegal, and that it represents a failure of moral leadership. The most obvious result of this strike will be the escalation of tensions with Russia. Since 2015, the Russian army has been propping up Assad’s regime in Syria against the American-backed rebels, Kurdish incursions and nonaligned jihadist groups like ISIS. With this strike, we are challenging the Assad regime, and therefore Russian involvement in it. Already, they have responded predictably by moving ships into the Mediterranean and promising greater support for the Syrian air force. If Trump responds with yet more military aggression, we risk war with Russia. Those of us who would like to avoid nuclear war find this to be foolish. After the strike, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced that the Trump administration was considering a regime change in Syria. These statements were echoed in an interview with Ambassador Nikki Haley, nor is this policy of increased intervention a new one. Since Trump has taken office, our military involvement in the Middle East has rapidly increased. He has signed off on a drone strike nearly every day,not literally, just on average outpacing even Obama’s terrible record, and he has increased the number of boots on the ground in Syria. The stage has been set, complete with humanitarian rationale, for an invasion. The American public needs to unequivocally denounce this policy of intervention and regime change. We have seen it fail time and again, in Iraq, in Libya and in Afghanistan. This time will be no different.

Not only was this strike foolish, however, it was also illegal. America attacked a sovereign nation. That is a declaration of war, and neither the U.N. nor Congress approved such a measure. This is also a clear violation of the checks and balances of our Constitution. The president should not have the power to declare war whenever they please. Since former President George W. Bush got authorization to launch limited operations after 9/11, he, former President Obama and now Trump have simply tacked on their invasions to that initial authorization. The result has been an explosion of foreign entanglements. At the end of Obama’s time in office we were bombing seven countries — Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. Obama never got approval from Congress for any of these interventions, and now President Trump has picked up the same autocratic habit. Sadly, given the responses of both Republicans and Democrats, Trump might have actually gotten congressional approval. President Trump should have asked Congress for approval, and the answer should have been a resounding “no.” Perhaps the only thing as concerning as the strike itself has been the media’s positive response to it. Establishment media bobbleheads like Bret Stephens with the Wall Street Journal applauded the strike and called for regime change in Syria. Nicholas Kristoff in The New York Times praised Trump for “holding Assad accountable for using chemical weapons.” For Joe Scarborough at NBC, this strike represented “moral leadership.” These media pundits neglect civilian casualties. They neglect the threat of nuclear war with Russia. They neglect Syrian sovereignty and American and international law. This is unacceptable. The media’s job is to be critical of established power, not defend it on such clearly erroneous grounds. What we need now is real moral leadership — the courage to stand up for peace, even when so many are clamoring for war. Those of us in the Green Party take this nonviolent stance to be obvious, but everyone should see that regime change will not work. If you do, I’d encourage you to call your congressmen and demand a stop to this disastrous policy. RYAN WESDOCK • chairman, Greens at Virginia Tech • sophomore/history

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Romance legislation must be culturally conscious Romantic norms vary across countries, so governments must be wary of cultural nuances when matchmaking.

journalist Raoul De Roussy De Sales articulated in the 1938 May edition of The Atlantic, “America appears to be the only country in the world where love is a national problem.” However, is this truly the case? Such insights reignite popular sentiment that the embers of modern American romance have long-extinguished in comparison to the enduring flames of romance elsewhere. However, it is apparent that comparative, crosscultural studies may be the key to unlocking the cultural implications on relationship outcomes and success. To a certain extent, we only know the world through the way in which we have been conditioned to perceive it. Every individual views the universe through the aperture of his or her own experience. So long as these experiences have been labeled and defined in the context of one’s culture, we can logically surmise that our own cultural backgrounds and perspectives shape the way in which we perceive and express love. Yet, paradoxically, love transcends our differences. The most important piece of this puzzle is the realization that the way in which you respond to the expression of love will influence who exactly you attract into your life. For example, the dating culture in Spain places a heavy emphasis upon “the chase” of a romantic partner. Thus, if an individual who grows up immersed in Spanish culture were to abruptly enter the American dating scene, potential partners may be quick to label this individual as either desperate or too passionate in his or her pursuit of a romantic relationship. One may feel pulled to ask if it is in fact possible to align the circumstances of a relationship to match those of the couples in nations with notoriously happy couples. Actor Aziz Ansari and sociologist Eric Kleinberg, authors of “Modern Romance,” attribute culture and technology as the two main factors sharing both the historical approach and adaptations to romance in any given culture. Several studies have attempted to profile the dating landscapes in several nations, all of which provide stunning insights upon the way in which these two factors influence romantic culture worldwide. However, culture is not the only variable shaping the way in which we experience love. Profiles of romance in various relationships worldwide have proven that culture and technology act in unison to cultivate a more perfect union. Thus, it is clear that communication patterns greatly influence what is considered respectful in a certain culture and rude in another. For example, casual dating is forbidden in Qatar and all who engage in public displays of affection are subject to jail time. However, younger generations are harnessing technology to help skirt around these “repressive” rules. Twentysomethings are using social media apps such as WhatsApp and Snapchat to send messages and photos in order to organize secret co-ed parties in hotel rooms, according to “Modern Romance.” According to Ansari and Kleinberg, the state of Japanese romance has experienced a converse outcome and since spiraled into a “full-blown crisis.” In fact, according to a 2013 survey on the issue, a shocking “45 percent of women between the ages of 16 and 24 ‘were not interested in or despised sexual contact’” and more than a quarter of men expressed a similar sentiment. With a

plummeting marriage rate, the Japanese government has since stepped in to help resolve the issue out of veritable concern that the population will bring about its own demise. As a result, politicians have helped establish government-instigated dating services in an effort to rekindle the lost spark in Japanese romance. If romance in Qatar and Japan is locked in such a serious state of affairs, are there certain countries in which romantic outcomes are predictably stable and long-lasting? The scientific literature on the issue reveals promising results. For instance, the longest-lasting relationships are found in Italy, where the average marriage lasts 18 years. This finding contrasts starkly against the average American marriage, which lasts about a median of eight years according to the U.S. Census. While worldwide comparative measures of romance cannot draw conclusions as to what circumstances are necessary for a “perfect” partnership, we can each take these research findings into account when establishing our own relationships. However, while these findings predict the cultural environment that heterosexual couples face, they fail to describe the circumstances that homosexual couples face worldwide. According to a 2001 Pew Research Center poll, 57 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage. However, a 2016 poll produced drastically different outcomes. On the basis of polling conducted in 2016, 55 percent of Americans approve of same-sex marriage. Governments around the world are increasingly permitting legal recognition of same-sex marriages. In fact, “nearly two dozen countries currently have national laws allowing gays and lesbians to marry,” claims the Pew Research Center. Such countries include the United States and several European countries, with Mexico standing as the only nation presently granting legal recognition to same-sex marriage in some jurisdictions. It is clear that more comparative studies ought to be conducted in order to solidify the connection between government influence in romantic affairs and overall citizen relationship endurance and satisfaction across the globe. Perhaps with such insight, we can reflect on the historical involvement our government has on romance and the way in which certain traditions have endured long-term. From this space, we can prioritize which in our culture positively influence our relationships and which practices are inhibiting our full relationship potential. Responding from a place of love makes all of the difference. Some may argue that we may someday lose touch with these individual cultural expectations as our world becomes increasingly globalized. However, by creating a positive environment within the boundaries of our own nation today, we are modeling a standard which relationships worldwide could benefit from. As Gandhi once wisely stated, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him ... We need not wait to see what others do.” It is time for America to spearhead this change. ALEXA WILLIAMS • assistant opinions editor • freshman/political science

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Lecturer views conservation Battling cyberbullying as ‘creating water’ for others with computer science As part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, The Lyric Theatre hosted nature conservationist Brian Richter.

CAROLINE PROVOST news staff writer

The Global Change Center at Virginia Tech in conjunction with The Lyric Theatre welcomed Brian Richter, director of global freshwater strategies for the Nature Conservatory and president of Sustainable Waters, on Friday, April 7, to speak about water sustainability. Richter depicted a world akin to the present one, with just one small wrinkle — water being treated as a commodity. Instead of unlimited access, water was treated like a formal right or entitlement, closely resembling other everyday things, like food and oil, that have been commercialized, traded and sold accordingly. “In many water-scarce areas of the world, governments have created water application services. They keep track of inventory by telling each water user how much water they get to use,” Richter said. “Basically, they are controlling water use. In many of those places you have the opportunity to trade that legal right, either in part or in whole.” According to Richter, 90 percent of the water used in water-scarce areas is utilized for irrigation on farms. By giving it a price tag, he believes that this will also incentivize farmers to find ways to use less water. Additionally, they can produce crops that don’t require as much to sustain themselves so that they can sell their leftovers to potential bidders. “You have a farmer who realizes that he or she can produce the same crop by using some of these water saving strategies, and no longer needs the full portion of

their water entitlement, (and) can take that portion and either sell it permanently or rent it, lease it from year to year,” Richter said. “It’s helping a lot of farmers financially by giving them another revenue stream and it’s become a very powerful catalyst for water conservation.”

“

The idea here is that each gallon of water that we don’t use is a gallon of water for other users.”

Brian Richter president Sustainable Waters Richter attributed his vision to one single concept: water conservation as “creating water,” or carefully deciding what amount of water usage we can afford to lose in some areas so that it can be used elsewhere. “This isn’t about turning ocean water into fresh water. The idea here is that each gallon of water that we don’t consume is a gallon of water for other users, or for nature,” Richter said. “I like the idea of thinking about water conservation or improved efficiency as creating water, because it’s the water we don’t have to use and can be made elsewhere.” To Richter, the consequences of avoiding sustainability or greatly reducing it to short-term expensive solutions such as water diversion or desalination cannot be overstated. Water availability has been expected to decline 20 to 30 percent in the next few decades, and soon states dependent upon the Colorado River’s water supply will get cut off.

A majority of cities in the U.S. have exhausted their available water supply and must now rely on diverting water from other areas to compensate for the deficit, according to Richter. Rivers will be drained, freshwater fish and entire ecosystems will die and power plants that rely on hydroelectricity will begin to shut down in fear of a meltdown. Basically, traditional crops won’t have enough water to sustain them anymore. “These are things that get talked about behind closed doors, and nervously over a beer among water experts working out in the West, but they aren’t things the general public is very attune to just yet,” Richter said. “There is nobody who knows anything about water management or anything about water usage in the United States (who) expects this trend not to continue.” Richter is just one of the many speakers that have come to Blacksburg to take part in the Global Change Center at Virginia Tech’s “Distinguished Lecture Series,” hosted by The Lyric Theatre and funded by the Fralin School of Life Sciences and the Graduate School at Virginia Tech. Past speakers include Josh Tewksbury, director of Colorado Global Hub at Future Earth and research professor at University of Colorado Boulder; Naomi Oreskes, professor of history and science at Harvard University; and Michael Mann, distinguished professor of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University. @cAr0lin3_pr0v

IZZY ROSSI news editor

In many ways, the prevalence of cyberbullying is different from what most people have grown to believe. “There are surveys that other people have done where they found how adults experience cyberbullying more than people think and surprisingly, men also experience about the same amount of cyberbullying as women, although they have very different types of experiences with cyberbullying,” said Bert Huang, assistant professor at the Virginia Tech Department of Computer Science. “These are things that people have done surveys on outside of Virginia Tech.” Huang is using his knowledge of machine learning with a focus on data with a structure stemming from natural networks to combat cyberbullying using automatic cyberbullying detection. “My research is on using computer algorithms to try to identify cyberbullying automatically. As a computer scientist, I can help to address the problem by building tools for people to find cyberbullying in the big haystack of all of social media data in the world,” Huang said. Huang uses algorithms that are designed to identify cyberbullying using machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence that provides computers with the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed. “So, this is the idea that you give the machine or the computer program some examples of cyberbullying, or in our case, we give it some indicators of cyberbullying, so essentially search queries for cyberbullying,” Huang said. “Then, the computer program will look at what you gave as

input and the rest of the data, all the data it has available to it and try to build a model automatically to do a more refined search for cyberbullying. “We have our algorithms process it and we see how well it did, how realistic or how relevant are the results that it brings back. So it will come back with a list of interactions between users online and say, ‘Oh, these look like they’re harassing each other,’ or, ‘They’re bullying each other,’ and we evaluate whether those results were correct.” Huang’s algorithm works to identify more complex indicators of harassment than other detection tools by focusing on social structure and patterns rather than specific words. “I think the interesting part is that this is a small improvement on the naive thing, which is just searching for like swear words and curse words, racial slurs, those types of things,” Huang stated. “What this is doing is that it’s improving the accuracy a little bit by considering things like the social structure of who’s talking to whom, so not just the words that are being used, but also who’s using them, the pattern they’re using them, and it’s also learning new words that are not in sort of the standard censorship list.” Huang explains that specific types of language can make it harder for the algorithm to determine if bullying is occurring. “There’s often new slang that occurs that appears every few months or so. There’s always new language that people like to use to harass people, and so this kind of tool is designed to try to detect that new slang, assuming that it is used similarly to how the old slang was,” Huang said. “It’s the kind of a tool where you need a human on the other side to decide if it is really bullying

or is it just a mistake because of some coincidence because people are using these words but joking around with each other, so it’s not necessarily harassment.” Though this tool is not completely accurate yet, Huang is looking toward the future for practical uses for the algorithm. “Right now if we’re looking at the top 100 queries or pairs of users that are returning, it’s roughly finding about half of them do appear to be harassment. So, it’s about half of the ones that return are right and half are wrong,” explained Huang. “One eventual goal is to ideally partner with a social media company to provide a tool to their users to filter their online experience to avoid these experiences. This is an open question of what is the right thing to do when you have this tool.” Certain problems arise when dealing with issues as complex as cyberbullying. “For now, my main focus is on building this tool, but I’m also thinking about this big problem of, ‘What do we do with this detector?’ It’s not as simple as like a spam filter on email, that’s pretty simple if you want to filter stuff out, but if you filter away people threatening violence against you or something, it may not actually be the best thing to do. If you filter people threatening other people, the harassers may start escalating because they’re not getting a response. “This is an open research question that’s not completely clear yet what we should do with the tool, but it’s clear that we don’t have that tool yet and it’s something that we would want to have in our repertoire of technology.” @IzzyRossiCT

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Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Adventure and education flourish this year. Group efforts make a bigger difference. Reach a turning point in a relationship this month, leading to a financial boom phase. Resolve personal obstacles around September, before a romantic collaboration blossoms. Follow shared passions. Together, reach new heights.

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April 10, 2017 PAGE 5

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REVIEW: GHOST IN THE SHELL Originally an anime film that takes place in the future, “Ghost in the Shell” has been produced into a live-action film starring Scarlett Johansson. BRADY TICKLE movie columnist

Masa mune Sh i row’s manga, “Ghost in the Shell,” along with its 1995 anime film adaptation of the same name, is a highly respected piece of art in nerd culture. Admittedly, I fall under the category of uncultured American swine regarding this property; I have neither read the manga nor seen the critically acclaimed anime adaptation. Take that information as you may. I will say one of the qualities that I liked about the latest, live-action version of “Ghost in the Shell” was that it felt as if it were trying to make you think. Amid the explosions, gunfire and hand-to-hand combat there were a great deal of philosophical quandaries presented pertaining to the human condition. From what I understand, this is something that this version takes from the animated one, and utilizes it to great effect. “Ghost in the Shell” is set in a future world in

which humans are continually getting technological en h a nc em ent s. T h e s e enhancements can range from a cybernetic liver that allows you to drink yourself silly to a set of mechanical eyes that allow you to view the world from the lenses of a computer. Major, however, is the first of her kind: a headto-toe robot that contains the soul of a human being. Naturally (because of the existence of shady organizations and what not), she becomes weaponized and put on a special forces team that kicks criminal rear end. Un fo r t u n a t e ly, the human part of her begins forcing itself through her coding, producing glitches that give her flashes of her past life that she can no longer remember. As the story progresses, Major pursues the truth about not only herself, but whether or not someone like her can truly be human. At least, the stor y progresses that way for a while. The last 15 minutes of the film sort of devolve

into the standard action movie tropes of big guns and big explosions, which is sort of a disappointment. Of course, that’s not to suggest that the film didn’t need a shot of adrenaline — there is almost too much of that soul searching in the form of telling rather than showing throughout the majority of the 106-minute running time.

“

Most of the time, 3D detracts from a film, but in this case, it enhanced it; the futuristic setting, brilliantly realized.”

Characters are constantly talking about Major’s situation aloud, including Major herself, and it would have been a bit more profound to let the audience infer some of the Major’s realizations rather than beating us over the

COURTSEY OF THRIFTED MAG A piece designed by Kaley Roshitsh for the upcoming fashion show, April 13, 2017, in Squires.

FMDS: 100 hours of work for one day on the runway from page 1

“Since the theme this year was washed ashore, I designed two dresses for the show,” Dirscherl said. “One of the dresses was inspired by a storm on the ocean. My other was then inspired by the calm after the storm. I wanted them to be cohesive and go well together.” Dirscherl says one of the hardest parts for her was coming up with the idea for her design since it was her first time designing for the show. In addition, Dirscherl has not taken any pattern making classes yet, therefore making the dresses without any prior training or experience was difficult. “I had a vague image in my head of what I wanted to do, but it was hard to bring it to a

real dress and make it happen,” Dirscherl said. This year is Lydia Wagoner’s first year participating in the fashion show. Wagoner is a junior fashion merchandising and design major. Like Dirscherl, Wagoner typically likes to design streetstyle wear, but for the fashion show she wanted to design clothes according to the latest trends. The inspiration behind her piece was from ocean water. For one of her designs she took a sheer bodysuit and glued on rhinestones by hand, one at a time. She wanted her piece to resemble a mermaid. These designers work all semester long on their works of art for the show, some putting as many as 100 hours into designing their pieces. The goal is for this year’s

fashion show to be different than previous years. “The themes the past two years have been more dark and edgy and this year it is a lighter theme,” Dirscherl said. “It caters to more people because it is lighter and fun, but you could take it any direction.” Models will not only be wearing the clothes students design, but also clothing from local boutiques. The show will run from 8–9 p.m. with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online and at the Squires Ticket Booth for $5, or $7 at the door the night of the show. VIP tickets are available as well for $10 and will include a pre-show reception, food and early row seating included.

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head with them. The movie did have quite a few long, boring stretches. Regarding the special effects, “Ghost in the Shell” is absolutely breathtaking. I never like to see movies in 3D, but my friend accidentally picked a show time that required those ridiculous glasses, so I had to see it that way. Due to this, I found myself being pleasantly sur prised at just how amazing the 3D was. Most of the time, 3D detracts from a film, but in this case, it enhanced it; the futuristic setting, brilliantly realized with its giant hologram a dver t isement s and messages, was made all the more mesmerizing thanks to the extra dimension. Even the action scenes were enhanced, with glass, bullets and water flying at the audience in terrific fashion. There is no denying that this is a visually unique film. The performances are also a saving grace here. Scarlett Johansson, who continues her trend of being

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

a science fiction queen after roles in “The Avengers” and “Her,” is fantastic as Major. She comes off as both a mechanical being and something a bit more human, balancing the tough dichotomy of the role. Pilou Asbaek steals the movie as Batou, Major’s dryly hilarious partner who likes dogs more than he likes people. All the other supporting players are solid as well. Overa l l, “Ghost i n the Shell” is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, there are great performances, cool visuals and

thought-provoking themes. On the other hand, the film suffers from slow pacing and a severe dumbing down of its ideas during the final act. I can’t speak for how truthful it is to its source material, but if you walk into this movie without knowing much about the anime or the manga, you could probably enjoy it well enough. I give “Ghost in the Shell” three out of five stars. @BradyTickle

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lifestyles

Why Louis C.K.’s latest stand-up was disappointing collegiatetimes.com/lifestyles

With his overused jokes and awkward demeanor, comedy titan Louis C.K. tragically stumbles from his throne. LEWIS MILLHOLLAND managing editor

The biggest heartbreak may have been seeing this titan of comedy awkwardly stumble through the delivery of his jokes. If anything, the 31-year stand-up veteran should know how to tell a punchline. Standing on that stage in Washington, D.C., Louis slammed the proverbial stick into the horse’s carcass long after the poor creature had died. In typical Louis fashion, he started the bit by saying something outrageous: “Not getting an abortion that you need is like not taking a shit. That’s how bad that is.” This was around the 2-minute mark. And it was a funny line. It’s offensive, but with the insight of an obsessive who knows his past specials by heart and has devoured his genre-breaking television show, I know I can expect this joke to evolve and surprise me in a big

way. “It’s like not taking a shit. That’s what I think.” Alright, I’m ready to see where this goes.

contorted into this deranged lovechild of gloating and desperation. “Or it isn’t!” Louis’ face twists into itself even more. “Or it is, or it isn’t. It’s either taking a shit, or it’s killing a baby. It’s only one of those two things. It’s no other things.” The bit only lasts a minute. But watching my hero of comedy metaphorically run his fingers along a chalkboard for 60 seconds broke my heart — nearly as much as the “Louie” Season 2 finale where the love of Louie’s (Louis C.K.’s character in the show) life shouts down “Wave to me!” from the top of the airport escalator and Louie feels a long-needed fluttering in his wretched heart when he mishears her as saying, “Wait for me!,” before sinking into a deep depression. Another issue was the curiously large amount of counting

Louis C.K.’s latest stand-up special is living proof of why comedy clubs enforce a two-drink minimum. In “Louis C.K.: 2017,” Louis It hurt to see my titan fall forewent his usual jeans and old so far. Louis, wherever T-shirt in favor of a two-piece navy suit. By now, there’s plenty you are, whatever of salt mixed into the red pepper of you are doing, you’re his beard, and while I would have anticipated an older, more cynical better than this. You’ve Louis to age like a fine wine, he consistently proven that.” just seemed like he was trying too hard. Back in 2015, Louis came out with his “Live at the Comedy “I think abortion is exactly Store” special — a phenomenal like taking a shit. I think it is 100 piece of work. I vividly remember percent the exact same thing as the scene where he’s fondling an taking a shit.” imaginary rat’s anus in order to The lines might have been make it orgasm, though I can’t easier to digest if his face weren’t remember the setup or the followup, and I don’t need to. All I need is the image of this overweight, ginger man hunched over an imaginary rodent in his palm, staring out at the crowd with beady eyes and a horrifying open-mouthed grin. The man is a national treasure. That’s not facetiousness — Louis’ magic has always stemmed from his absurdly crude (and often dark) humor spiced with a cutting wit. The man is fiercely intelligent and expertly masks pointed philosophical arguments behind sophomoric, often masturbation-themed jokes. One of my favorites: “As humans, we waste the shit out of our words. It’s sad. We use words like ‘awesome’ and ‘wonderful’ like they’re candy. It was awesome? Really? It inspired awe? It was wonderful? Are you serious? It was full of wonder? You use the word ‘amazing’ to describe a goddamn sandwich at Wendy’s. What’s going to happen on your wedding day, or when your first child is born? How will you describe it? You already wasted ‘amazing’ on a fucking sandwich.” Which is why it broke my heart when “2017” was just such a MARK BOSTER / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE letdown. From the very beginning, too. Louis C.K. on stage at the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre, Sept. 23, 2012.

“

in the special. There was a lot of counting. In one bit, Louis ponders why we call it the year 2017, dancing around the punchline so much that an audience member finally yells: “Christ!” Louis then explains how to count. “One, two, three, come on everybody, four!” Louis says in his high-pitched “well-meaning dumb person” impersonation while crossing the stage. “Come on Africa! Five, six.” Later on he counts, “Jesus plus two, Jesus plus three,” which would have been a hilarious way of denoting anno Domini years, but you can only make so many number jokes. Louis C.K. apparently disagrees on that point. Later on, there’s an entire bit dedicated to how funny numbers can be — the joke is based around his daughter confusing “9/11 deniers” with nine people who deny the number 11 (to give credit where credit is due, the beginning of the joke made me audibly laugh). “We are the nine eleven deniers! We know that 11 is a bullshit number propagated on the people by the man!” Louis shouts. “Why do we have 11 when we have 13, and 14, and 15, 16, 17, muhfucking 18, and 19, but we do not have a one-teen? What happened to one-teen?” Maybe if he had gone to 20, I would have laughed. Even the jokes that did pack a punch were milked dry and then milked again. It hurt to see my titan fall so far. Louis, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you’re better than this. You’ve consistently proven that. I’ll be here, waiting for your next special or your next season, because even though this was a disappointment I still believe in you. In the meantime, I’m going to go watch John Mulaney.

@WithTheFancyGuy

Hokie Ambassadors serve as first impression of Tech Nicole Anders has been a Hokie Ambassador, serving as a smiling face for Virginia Tech since 2015 — the rest is history. MEGAN MAURY CHURCH lifestyles staff writer

For many Virginia Tech students, the first time we visited our future campus was for a tour. If this was the case, then one of the first faces we saw was that of a Hokie Ambassador. Hok ie A mbassadors are student tour guides

at Virginia Tech. New members are selected every spring from a competitive pool and are then trained thoroughly so that they can represent the university in the best way possible to prospective students. They go into the process with a love for their school and come out even more passionate and ready to share with prospective

students. Nicole Anders, a senior biology major, has been with Hokie Ambassadors for two years. She was driven to join by her love of Virginia Tech and a desire to pass on that passion to potential students. “I think that (Hokie Ambassadors) stand as the first impression of students on campus to people who are touring. Having a really

COURTESY OF NICOLE ANDERS Nicole Anders after she passed her Hokie Ambassador evaluation tour, Oct. 19, 2015.

good first impression — being presentable and being friendly and fun and interactive with the people — lets them see that friendly face and correlate it with other people on campus,” Anders said. Anders shared that each Ambassador is expected to give five or six tours a semester. She said that every tour is different and can be successful or not based on many factors, including weather and group participation. She most enjoys giving tours when the students and family members interact and ask lots of questions, but hopes that when they do not it is because she has done a good job of answering all of their questions ahead of time. “If I can get them to laugh, that’s always good,” she said. In order to bring her tour to life, Anders likes to tell personal stories. “I find that a lot of people don’t pay attention to statistics of factual information — they forget it by the end of the tour,” Anders said. “One of the things that I like to do is just tell stories. If we’re talking about dining halls, I’ll say my favorite food to get at one. I’ll explain every single spot we go to, trying to let them get into my shoes on a typical day.” Anders loves getting feedback after a tour. She has photos and emails saved from students who let her know after they were accepted or had committed to Tech, and her pride when talking about them is infectious. One moment that she remembers fondly is when

a student who was choosing between Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia was on her tour. Anders remembers joking with her about wearing a UVA sweatshirt and suggesting she visit the Virginia Tech Bookstore and get a better shirt to wear. “I got an email from her dad later that afternoon saying, ‘Out with UVA, in with Virginia Tech,’ and it is a picture of her in a Virginia Tech sweatshirt,” Anders shared. “I feel as though I do a good job on most tours when I’m just super confident. I wouldn’t keep being a Hokie Ambassador if I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job, and it’s just stuff like that that reaffirms that I’m doing a good job.”

“

I’ve been (here for) four years ... and every single day Virginia Tech surprises ... me more and more.”

Nicole Anders Hokie Ambassador

In addition to the regular ca mpus tou rs, Hok ie Ambassadors lead tours for special events throughout the year. These events include open houses, Hokie Preview for high school juniors and Hokie Focus for high school seniors. For Hokie Ambassadors, Hokie Focus is the sprint at the end of the race. For two days, all high school seniors accepted for the fall are invited to visit and tour Virginia Tech as they

make final decisions in committing to a college. “It’s the Super Bowl,” Anders said. This year on April 7 and 8, 7,000–8,000 accepted st udent s a nd fa m i ly members visited Tech. These are students who are trying to find a reason to choose one school over the multiple they were accepted into, and Hokie Ambassadors are there to aide in that decision. Anders believes that Hokie Ambassadors are distinct from many other types of tour guides because of the common passion, energy and school pride among them. “We are trained so well; it is a really competitive process to even become a Hokie Ambassador,” she explained. Anders believes that this improves the quality of the tours Hokie Ambassadors give. Nicole likes to leave every tour having imparted her love for Virginia Tech onto the potential students she interacted with. “Virginia Tech — I’ve been (here for) four years and I’m graduating in May, and every single day Virginia Tech surprises and impresses me more and more,” Anders said. “The environment is so fun. I think the students here are a completely different breed ... just energetic. You can talk to anyone. The entire experience, no matter who you are, is so unique. It doesn’t disappoint at all.”

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April 10, 2017 PAGE 7

When you simply lack the app-titude for technology

Our news editor has an unfortunate past with technology. Read on to learn more about her journey to overcome. ALY DE ANGELUS news editor

Anyone who knows my unfortunate pastime of breaking technology would certainly testify that I am more than incapable of teaching people how to use computerized equipment. If anything, I could be better applied in society as the exception that companies must take into consideration when test-driving their product. Shall we discuss how I broke two computers in three days, spilled my Big Gulp and wrecked a keyboard in the newsroom or my constant uphill battle with cooperative headphones? The list is infinite and yet my desire to become one with technology and marry into a loving family of Arduino and Raspberry Pi products is an unrealistic obsession. Therefore, for the love of journalism, I spent the bulk of my Friday night at Virginia Tech’s semi-annual “Built With” event laying low and successfully completing all the workshops so I could give hope to our readers that this world of innovation can be joined by everyone. Scratch that. In five hours, I walked away with a rad free T-shirt and the unwelcome pity of every single person in the room who could smell my novice skills in Photoshop and cringe at the cradling of my newly-bought Macbook. But it wasn’t their fault they were smart and I should have been taking notes in the womb. I’d maybe even chalk it up to the day I peaked under the key covers in my typing class, and so on a less educational note, here is a how-to guide on “inadvertently making a fool of yourself in a room full of geniuses.”

Step one: Ask what to do with your name tag

“Oh boy” is right. There was no greater moment in the night telling me that I should turn right around and walk back out the double doors than when I made the mistake of asking what I should do with my name tag, after I had just written

my name on it … Sure, I was tired, but I was also a moron, and this set the tone for the rest of the night. I should have known that I couldn’t disguise myself in the sea of engineers who were in attendance, but to heck with it. If anything, maybe the free Red Bull would “give me wings” like it promised.

Step two: Actually admit to your old email username

At around 7 p.m., the leaders of the event asked us to share the goldmine of all things embarrassing about ourselves as an icebreaker to get to know each other — our first ever email username. Lucky for me, I “won” the most embarrassing screen name at my table, “twinkletoes430.” Huge shoutout to my dad for coming up with my fourth grade email account and TUAN TRAN / COLLEGIATE TIMES helping me become the talk at our table, especially with my rosy red “Built With,” hosted by the Entrepreneur Club, is an event where people share and promote their ideas and develop a network to accomplish cheeks.

Step three: Buy a Mac two days before you attend an event that requires Windows

At this point, I thought I had made all of the impromptu mistakes that I could and was excited to sit patiently and absorb the knowledge in my first workshop, “Hackware.” Placing my stupidity aside, this would have actually been my favorite workshop of the night. For starters, I learned that hackware is not just what spies use to intercept knowledge online, it’s computer lingo for innovation, and we were given breadboards, USB cables and Arduinos of different sizes to piece together our own contraption. We started with “basic code” after downloading all of the software needed on our computer to instruct a light to flash rhythmically, as it was up to our discretion what frequency we wanted the light to travel in. Unfortunately, for Emily, my first friend I made at the event whose name tag of three interests said, “Parks and Recreation, Marketing and

them.

Comedy,” she had a Mac computer as well. We spent forever trying to configure the security settings and re-downloading the software, plugging things in and pulling them out and even cutting to the two lead guys for the tutorial, but they were dumbfounded. This sentence needs rewording It was then that I was told from a Windows user across the table that PCs are inherently better at code than Macs, at which point I was ready to shake my fists in the air. I was a content PC user until it broke, and I was told by everyone that I would finally face less trouble with an Apple product, especially in the communication department at Virginia Tech, but what were the odds that in such short time I would be faced with another computer handicap? After 45 minutes, I took to the “We Suck At Art” workshop. A club that openly endorses mediocrity sounded a bit more my speed.

Step four: Try “knot” to get too creative

Laying on the table were maroon- and orange-colored bundles of yarn, and we were instructed to follow along as we learned what it meant to finger crochet. Not so surprisingly, I was managing to stay in the loop, and I had even upgraded to two strands at once. As I got to the end of my chain for the first time, I was relieved to have finished my task, computer-free, but then my masterpiece unraveled as I gave a tug at the seam. Note to self, your work is not truly complete without crossing your t’s, dotting your i’s and knotting your freaking yarn.

Step five: Did I mention how much I love Macs?

With the last workshop of my night underway, I wanted to set a few goals for myself. Primarily, I wanted to finish the tutorial with tools that I could adequately manipulate in the comfort of my own home. We were walked through MIT App Inventor, a userfriendly software that can create an app for Android phones. Although I

didn’t own an Android, the website offered an app emulator that could virtually show you what it would look like on a potential user’s phone. As a group, we discussed the commands that it could do and details on the back end of our app. The example to help us build off of was incorporating text-to-speech and accelerator sensors to get your phone to talk to you or for motion to be applied in order to induce another message. Would you believe it if I told you that once again my new, tip-top shape, Macbook computer did everything but show me if my actual product works? Everyone around me was so nice and had recalled my previous frustration with the Arduinos, sending person after person to help me, but no one could figure my computer out. That sassy minx was playing hard to get, which I partly admired, but I’d be lying if I told you that returning her is a thought that hasn’t crossed my mind. The evening wasn’t a total bust. In fact, I plan to figure out how to make my own app, whether or not this particular software can help me, and I have been introduced to a world of tools that are less complex than I would have previously assumed. I also learned that it’s always best to be the stupidest person in the room because you are surrounded by resourceful people that are all capable of helping you. I watched students take the mic one by one and share their personal projects that they are working on such as transradial bionic arms, video-based radio systems and apps geared toward mentor and mentee interaction, to name a few. I walked home full of ambition that night, and I look forward to where these tools can lead me. And if nothing else, one of the leaders of the event, Suhani, has promised to go to Salsa Night with me, so there’s a silver lining in everything, right? @RealSlimAD

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sports collegiatetimes.com/sports

Swept by Pittsburgh, softball extends losing streak The Hokies were mercy-ruled in two of their three games this weekend after being swept by Elon last weekend. STEPHEN NEWMAN sports staff writer

After getting swept in a doubleheader by Elon, the Hokies went on the road for a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Panthers. However, Virginia Tech struggled mightily and was swept again.

Game one

The opener was set to be played on Friday, but a

rainout caused it to become the front end of a doubleheader on Saturday. Coach Scot Thomas looked to freshman Carrie Eberle to set the tone on the mound. However, the second pitch she threw in the bottom of the first was driven over the center field fence by Panther Olivia Gray. The Hokies responded in a big way in the following inning, however. Five

r unners touched home plate in the frame on just four hits, all of which were singles, using the small ball technique that Elon tortured them with on Wednesday. The Panthers responded in the bottom of the inning to tie the game back up at 5–5, knocking Eberle out of the game two outs into the frame. Pittsburgh did not let up after Eberle was taken out of the game, scoring six more runs in the game en route to an 11–5 victory. Despite the loss, Tech did muster 11 hits, including

two hit efforts from Olivia the following inning with Lattin, Breanna Davenport, an RBI single, driving in Emma Strouth and Lauren Lattin from third. Duff. The next two innings sea le d t he wi n for Game two Pittsbu rgh. T he tea m The Hokies looked to scored four runs in the third rebound with Taylor Barnes inning, including two home pitching. However, she was runs and three add-on runs not given any support from in the fourth. the offense early on. Virginia Tech was unable The first offensive action to score in the top of the of the game occurred when fifth, resulting in a 9–1 McKayla Taylor deposited a mercy rule defeat. full count pitch over the left Davenport was the lone field wall, scoring an addi- Hokie to have a particutional runner and giving the larly successful game at Panthers a 2–0 lead. the plate, going 2–2 with a Strouth cut the deficit walk. in half in the top half of

BILLY CLARKE AND TAYO OLADELE / COLLEGIATE TIMES (LEFT) Emily Anderson (88) pitches to Vanessa Gonzalez (7) on the Tech Softball Field, April 2, 2017. (RIGHT) Hokies’ Carrie Eberle (25) fouls a ball behind first base during a game against North Carolina, March 19, 2017.

Game three

The Hokies once again struggled to put anything together from the batter’s box, and the pitchers were unable to stop the Panthers’ offense. Following another homer by Taylor in the second inning, Pittsburgh extended its lead to 3–0 in the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch by Eberle, who entered the game in relief after starter Elizabeth Birle lasted just two innings. Eberle gave up an additional run in the fifth, before being replaced by Barnes with two outs. Entering the game with the bases loaded, Barnes gave up two hits without recording an out, allowing four Panthers to score, leading to an 8–0 defeat. There wasn’t much of anything positive to take from this game, as they recorded just one hit by Caroline Schoenewald and committed four errors. P it tsbu rgh pitcher Brittany Knight needed just 59 pitches to shut out the Hokie offense. In each of the three games, Vi rginia Tech committed four errors, which makes it much more difficult to stop a relentless offense. The team will aim to end its six game losing streak when it returns to Tech Softball Park on Tuesday to face the Longwood Lancers. @CTSportsTalk

Hokies drop weekend series against Clemson Baseball traveled to Clemson this weekend after a midweek loss to Marshall, only to be swept by the No. 4 Tigers. NATHAN LOPRETE baseball beat reporter

The up-and-down season for Virginia Tech baseball continued over the weekend. After a loss to Marshall on Tuesday, the Hokies traveled to Doug Kingsmore Stadium for a series against the No. 4 Clemson Tigers. Virginia Tech has lost 17 straight games at Clemson with its last win coming in 1984.

Game one

Connor Coward took his 5–0 record to the mound on Friday against Charlie Barnes of Clemson. The Hokies’ righty struck out a career high eight hitters, but suffered his first loss as Clemson broke the game open late and went on to win 12–1. Clemson opened the scoring in the second after a wild pitch plated a run. Virginia Tech tied it up in the third on a Joe Freiday Jr. home run. That was his eighth of the year and the only offense Tech could get off of Barnes. The Tigers junior went 7.2 innings and struck out 11 while only allowing four hits. Clemson took the lead for good in the bottom of the

third after Logan Davidson homered. The Tigers added a run in the fourth and fifth, but the Hokies were only down 4–1 when Coward left in the seventh. He finished with 6.1 innings and allowed four earned runs. Clemson took over after Tech went to the bullpen. After two runs in the seventh made it 6–1, the Tigers scored six times in the eighth. Virginia Tech (17–15, 6–7 ACC) could not get anything off of the Clemson bullpen and finished the game with just five hits.

board through the first three innings. The Tigers’ offense woke up in the fourth. A home run by Reed Rohlman and two more runs gave them a 3–2 lead. Scheetz finished with five innings and earned a no-decision. Fragale evened things up in the sixth with his ACC-leading 13th home run of the year. He finished 2–4 with two RBIs. Clemson recaptured the lead in the home half of the inning against Packy Naughton (2–5). A Drew Wharton RBI single proved to be the game winner as the Game two Hokies’ offense could not The second game of the muster anything else. series was more competitive, and Tech was able to keep it Game three close. With the game tied in Virginia Tech sent Nick the sixth, Clemson (27–5, Anderson to the mound on 12–2 ACC) took the lead and Sunday in hopes of avoiding held on for a 6–3 win. the sweep. However, the The Hokies’ offense got Tigers proved to be too much the jump on Clemson starter and finished the sweep with Alex Eubanks in the first an 8–3 win. inning. Sam Fragale reached Virginia Tech left fielder on a fielder’s choice that Mac Caples opened the allowed Jack Owens to score. scoring in the third with a The next hitter, JD Mundy, single that scored Stoffel. grounded into a fielder’s Fragale would also score choice, and Tom Stoffel after an error by Clemson and scored to make it 2–0. Tech had a 2–0 lead. Virginia Tech handed Clemson took the lead in the ball to Kit Scheetz, and the fourth once again. Four he kept Clemson off the runs on three hits made it 4–2, and Anderson (5–3) only finished with 3.1 innings. Aaron McGarity struggled in relief as well. The redshirt junior gave up three runs over 2.1 innings and Clemson led 7–2. Fragale added his teamleading 47th RBI in the seventh, and Caples finished 3–3 on the day, but it was not enough and their losing streak grew to four games. Virginia Tech (17–17, 6–9 ACC) will travel to Radford on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. game.

ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Relief pitcher Packy Naughton (8) pitches in the second half of the game against Boston College, April 2, 2017. 24.MonkeyLung_Virginia Tech_3col-4c_v1.indd 1

3/27/17 1:32 PM

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April 10, 2017 PAGE 9

news collegiatetimes.com/news

GOVERNOR: Longtime GOP operative turns to the economy from page 1

Etter said Gillespie’s appeal is rooted in his desire for substantial economic progress, not what Gillespie calls “whale hunting” — a showy but limited attempt to convince a major company to move its headquarters to the state. “He’s really keen on br inging business in, focusing on small business,” Etter said. “That is really key to get job growth back up.” Gillespie also spoke with Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin before leaving Blacksburg for a trip up I-81 to Harrisonburg. Along with Gillespie, State Sen. Frank Wagner and Chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Corey Stewart are competing for the Republican nomination. U.S. Representative and Virginia Tech graduate Rob Wittman and businessman Denver Riggleman ended their shortlived bids earlier this year. Gillespie’s lengthy career in national politics has opened him up to attack from both the left and the right. Last month, Stewart — who is running an antiestablishment campaign in the vain of Donald Trump — called Gillespie a “cuckservative” in a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” interview. The word is a derogatory term for a Republican who sympathizes with liberal values. The remark set off a flurry of condemnation, including Virginia GOP Chairman John Whitbeck who told the Washington Post that it is a “racist” term “used by white nationalists.”

RICHARD CHUMNEY / COLLEGIATE TIMES Ed and Cathy Gillespie speak with Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin, April 8, 2017.

Nevertheless, Gillespie has coupled a resounding polling lead with a fundraising advantage — in part thanks to his long history in politics. On March 29, he attended a Dallas campaign fundraiser alongside former President Bush. A lifetime in D.C. Winning the governorship would represent the pinnacle achievement in Gillespie’s lifelong career in Republican politics. After graduating from The Catholic University of America, the New Jersey native was swept up by the Reagan Revolution and officially became a Republican in 1984 .

For 10 years, he worked on Capitol Hill in the office of House Majority Leader Dick Armey. As a congressional aide, he was central to the creation and promotion of the “Contract With America,” often credited with helping usher in a 1994 Republican wave. Following a short stint as D.C. lobbyist in the late ‘90s, Gillespie joined the 2000 Bush presidential campaign as a senior communications advisor. After he helped secure the Bush presidency in a dramatic recount, Gillespie returned to the private sector as a co-founder of the bipartisan lobbying firm Quinn

DRILL: Mock crash proves

that teamwork is priceless from page 1

happen, we wouldn’t have all 40 members at the station. People would just be doing their daily chores on a Saturday and hanging out. They’d have to respond to the station just like they would in real life.”

“

They are taking their time out of their day, they’re living ‘Ut Prosim,’ and they’re good at what they do.”

Christopher Eyestone VT rescue chief

“When our members receive the call, they’re at home doing homework,” Eyestone said. “They’re

at the station hanging out. They’re not expecting a dispatch like the severity of one we received today, when we had the opportunity to test how quickly those folks go from a completely normal lifestyle to responding to a mass casualty incident.” VT Rescue trains daily for emergency situations. “We do patient care drills every evening,” Eyestone said. “Those focus on your traditional 911 calls. We respond, take care of patients and then transport them to the hospital. I nc id ent m a nagem ent and disaster training we complete on a monthly basis. We do a monthly mass casualty incident in a tabletop setting. That’s somet h i ng where we create a lot of artificialities and are able to run through a scenario like

this in a tabletop setting. Once annually, or twice annually if possible, we’re conducting a full-scale drill similar to (the mock airplane crash drill).” Eyestone attributes the drill’s success to teamwork with other agencies and VT Rescue’s strong EMS skills. “This training is an important piece to facilitating that performance and, I think, helping our community members to understand that you have members on campus that are here for you,” Eyestone said. “They’re taking time out of their day, they’re living ‘Ut Prosim,’ and they’re good at what they do. They’re among the best in the nation, and they’re proud to serve.” @laurenpfarrar

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES Members of several emergency response organizations practice a mock airplane crash at the Blacksburg Airport, April 7, 2017.

Gillespie and Associates. Between 2003 and 2004 he served as RNC chair, overseeing Bush’s reelection. Gillespie left the lobbying industry in 2007 to join the increasingly unpopular Bush administration. He entered the White House entrusted with the job of improving the president’s public image. The turnaround never came; according to Gallup Bush left office with an approval rating in the low 30s. Gillespie chaired Bob McDonnell’s successful run for governor in 2009 and was a senior adviser to the unsuccessful Mitt Romney presidential campaign in 2012.

A year later, Gillespie was determined to run for office himself, targeting Virginia Sen. Mark Warner’s seat. Warner, a former Virginia governor, was first elected to the Senate in a 2008 landslide, winning 65 percent of the vote. Six years later, Gillespie came just 17,723 votes from defeating the popular Democrat. Gillespie’s most controversial actions came between 2010 and 2014 when he chaired the Republican State Leadership Committee, the arm of the GOP tasked with supporting state Republican candidates. Under his leadership, the organization

enacted project REDMAP, a nationwide initiative focused on redrawing state districts to favor Republican candidates. Accord i ng to New York Magazine, the plan worked so well that in 2012 Republicans in the House of Representatives were able to maintain a 234–201 majority while winning 1.4 million fewer votes than Democrats. Critics argue the coordinated gerrymandering further polarized the electorate. D u r i ng a Ja nu a r y ca mpaign stop in Blacksburg, Democratic Gubernatorial hopeful Tom Perriello told the Collegiate Times that Gillespie has shown himself to be an insider with Washington lobbyists willing to manipulate democracy and not, as Gillespie claims, a champion for Virginia’s middle class. Gillespie countered that claim Saturday, arguing that he is the only candidate with policies to help state economic growth. “For a for mer congressman to say (that about) someone who has never held office, you know, that’s his prerogative but his policies would be bad for us,” Gillespie said. “(They would) kill jobs, they won’t enable people who are graduating from our colleges and universities to get more good paying jobs and opportunities, so you know, if he ends up being the nominee I look forward to the contrast between our ideas.”

@RichChumney

collegiatetimes.com

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editor@collegiatetimes.com

Cutchins distinguished lecturer says cadets provide hope Author, professor and historian Douglas Brinkley discussed several understated leaders in American history. ALY DE ANGELUS news editor

According to CNN, “a man who knows more about the presidency than just about any human being alive” walked across the stage in Burruss Auditorium on Thursday night to present the semi-annual Cutchins Distinguished Lecture. One hour later, the 250 cadets in attendance and the couple dozen students and locals stood in disbelief, pondering how a lecture that gave the gist of the 45 presidents could be delivered in such a seamless, notecard-free presentation. Following opening remarks from Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, the critically acclaimed author, professor and historian Douglas Brinkley f lagged down some of the most peculiar and understated leaders of American history, beginning with Charles Thompson. Thompson was the secretary of the Continental Congress when disgruntled colonists were making a country “out of scratch,” and essentially facilitated America’s first debate — John Adams and Thomas Jefferson contemplating plans to break away from their mother country to form the United States of America. Brinkley further adds that Thompson was more than an extra signature on the Declaration of Independence, referring to him as the “indispensable conduit of Washington’s Continental Army,” whom Washington wrote to for supplies in his darkest time. Thompson eventually sought out George Washington to be America’s first president, and even fought Ben Franklin to name the bald eagle as a symbol of the country. Shifting from the makeup of the country to the makeup

LOREN SKINKER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Douglas Brinkley, history professor at Rice University and presidential historian for CNN, addresses the Corps of Cadets in Burruss Auditorium during the Cutchins Distinguished Lecture, April 6, 2017.

of the first two-party system, Brinkley describes Jefferson and Adams going at it “like a couple of rams,” pointing out the brutality on the turf of politics in the 1800s as no different now in the 2016 presidential election. Embarrassed by the “mudslinging, name-calling, head bashing” evolution of debates, Thompson burns his well-kept diaries because he couldn’t bear to publish such internal gossip for fear that it would become a formality of the trade. “He writes Jefferson and Adams, ‘I decided we are going to have to make presidents deities. We are going to have to rally behind them because we are not going to survive this kind of party system and I don’t want to publish these because it’s going to show how Adams was willing to kowtow the British, how Jefferson was going to collapse on this point,’” Brinkley said. “’If we are really going to do this election thing, once somebody

is elected we have got to all get behind the president.’” Brinkley shuffled through American leaders at a feverish pace, next handing off praise to Jefferson for proving that “the memo wins the argument” after the founding father constantly showed up to meetings with a draft of his proposal in his hand. He then bounced to the Lewis and Clark expedition, zoomed past the history of Pike’s Peak in Colorado and settled his conversation for a few brief minutes on the Ursuline nuns and fear of their religious freedoms swiped after the “greatest real estate deal in American history” — the Louisiana Purchase. The nuns were surprised to receive a personal letter addressed from President Jefferson himself. “Jefferson wrote back, ‘Madam, you are wrong. You are everything what America is,’” Brinkley paraphrased. “‘You take care of orphans, you take care of the poor, you school people, you are great

citizens and we’ll protect you.’” Throughout the night parallels were often drawn between former presidential struggles and current controversy over the administration of President Trump, but ultimately for Brinkley, no president had it worse than Lincoln who handled the greatest strife of the United States. “I get asked all the time … ‘Have we ever had it worse than right now?’ And of course I said, the Civil War,” Brinkley said. “My gosh, the point of history is always to remind ourselves that our own times are not uniquely oppressive. There were 600,000-plus dead, brother killing brother, families torn apart, you can tour your whole state here right in your county and see sites and realize how much more tumultuous that was than our own time.” Handing out superlatives left and right for the nation’s “most popular,” “least influential” and “most unfortunate nickname for a politician,” Brinkley made sure to hit as many high and low points that time would allow before catching his late-night flight out of Virginia. The last 15 minutes of Brinkley’s lecture predominantly focused on the influence that Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan had since ‘32, and continue to cast this history on modernday politics. “FDR wins the presidency in ‘32, FDR wins the presidency in ‘36, he wins in ‘40, he wins in ‘44, we have to have a Constitutional amendment to stop future FDRs,” Brinkley said. “The United States lived in the age of Franklin Roosevelt, the beginning of saying the federal government was your friend, and your friend and your friend. The government is there to help

you. “And then since 1980 to today we really are living in the age of Reagan, meaning the country now is center-right and starts harboring suspicion of the federal government that they are wasting our taxes, that things are boondoggle, that you’re being ripped off, that there are conspiracy theories that the Warren Commission had covered up.” Just before answering a few questions from the audience, Brinkley’s final remarks were spent connecting past problems to the current day. To him, the problem lies in “not giving presidents honeymoons anymore.” “We don’t give them a chance, we beat up on them from day one. We are always a society in permanent campaign mode, exactly what Charles Thompson was worried about because if it gets so brutal in a democracy, how do you expect to say, ‘Oh, election is over. Okay, we lost. Now let’s govern again,’” Brinkley said. “And I have seen it in my lifetime get worse and worse and worse.” One of Brinkley’s antidotes proposed was learning how to model federal government after localism, calling out Mayor Ron Rordam in the audience as a peacekeeper of differences at the local level, whereas in Washington, D.C., “You start feeling the acrimony and it just gets to be almost unbearable.” “It reminded me when (President) Johnson had really bad days, his comment was, ‘At least I am not a mayor somewhere,’ because when you are there you’re there at Kroger, you’re there at the grocery store, you’re listening and talking to people so there is a lot of pressure on you,” Rordam said after the lecture, mentioning Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of

Lincoln as the foundation for his leading on the Blacksburg Town Council. Brinkley also thanked the military and named the profession as “the hope of democracy of the future,” saying that Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force among others are not broken and have held the test of time with dignity and respect. “Yeah, it seemed like he definitely thought that we have a lot to offer. He was saying kind of like the military is one of the only aspects that hasn’t necessarily changed, and I thought that was cool because I always think about that too,” said Amner Johnson, freshman cadet who attended the event. “In this uniform I am wearing, a lot of this stuff is things that have been done for the past hundred years or so. They have been wearing the same low quarters, the same pants, so that’s something I was relating to during the presentation.” During the Q&A session, Brinkley was asked how America should handle the controversy of artifacts that are racist or sexist that are not presently acceptable. “We have to be careful that we don’t fall into the slippery slope of presentism, of thinking our values of today have to be imposed on our past,” Brinkley said. “We are custodians of it, so we have to be careful on both sides. It never ends when you go down that slope so I am more positive; let’s name more things after Rosa Parks or John Lewis or Cesar Chavez and working at diversity.” Brinkley answered two more questions before trailing backstage. For more information on Douglas Brinkley, visit his profile page on CNN. @RealSlimAD

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