Aug. 25, 2015

collegiatetimes.com

111th YEAR, ISSUE 116

August 25, 2015

COLLEGIATETIMES An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

(L to R) Cara Woloohojian, a junior dairy sciences major, Elizabeth Galbreath, a junior agricultural sciences major, Fabian Suarez, a junior mechanical engineer, and Nolan Hollingshead, a junior mechanical engineer, observe “Stinky Phil,” Aug. 24, 2015.

What’s the stink?

Rare corpse flower set to blossom and emit putrid odor in the Virginia Tech Garden Complex.

RICHARD CHUMNEY news editor

Hundreds have been lining up to catch a glimpse and a whiff of Virginia Tech’s yet-to-bloom corpse f lower, named “Stinky Phil,” which is currently on display in the Jacob A. Lutz Garden Complex.

“Hundreds have visited, hundreds have visited today alone,” Greenhouse Manager Jeff Burr said.

“I think a lot of people are going to be coming in during the next few days.

They really want to see what the stink is all about.”

The visitors have been drawn in due to the unique nature of the Phil’s smell, which according to the Horticulture department resembles the stench of rotting flesh.

“The odor smells something like a combination of limburger cheese and sulfur, or if you took a rotten egg and put it in a dirty tennis shoe and buried it under a chicken coop,” Burr said.

According to Burr, the smell will not escape the flower until after it has begun to bloom, an event

which has been hard to predict.

“It’s so hard to tell when it will bloom,” Burr said. “Last week when they asked me I thought maybe Monday, a nd now I’m thinking maybe Wednesday. It’s holding its cards close to the face, so you can’t tell if that’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day.”

Phil, whose scientific name is “Amorphophallus titanium,” is one of fewer than 20 in the nation, according to Horticulture Education and Outreach coordinator Stephanie Lynn Huckestein.

“It’s such an unusual plant because there’s only fewer than 20 of them in the U.S., and it only blooms approximately every 10 years,” Huckestein said.

“It’s just something that draws people.”

According to Huckestein, the corpse flower’s odor is noticeable from outside the greenhouse when it is fully opened and smells, “like some road kill that has been sitting on the side of the road out in the sun.” see FLOWER / page 6

SEAN KELLY

Former Hokie last seen July 27, reported missing Following Blacksburg Police Department listing Sean Kelly as missing, his sister turned to social media to aid in the search.

RICHARD CHUMNEY news editor

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Jeff Burr, the greenhouse manager, poses next to “Stinky Phil” in the Jacob A. Lutz Garden Complex, Aug. 24, 2015. “This plant generates a lot of interest,” Burr said, “(due to) the fact that it’s open for two days and sometimes takes 10 years to store enough energy to bloom.”

Defensive line a strong point for Hokies RICKY LABLUE & FAIZAN HASNANY editor in chief & sports editor

The defensive line was one of Virginia Tech’s strongest units last season.

Defensive ends Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem combined for 18.5 sacks, and the defensive tackles stepped up after the seasonending injury to Luther Maddy. The pass rush certainly wasn’t an issue thanks to these guys.

With another year under Gaines their belt and the return of Maddy, the group is poised Projected starters: to be great again. Here is a Defensive tackle preview of the defensive #92 Luther Maddy, #96 line from football beat Corey Marshall writers Ricky LaBlue and Other notables: #99 Faizan Hasnany.

Vinny Mihota, #95 Nigel Williams, # 91 Steve Projected starters: Sobczak, #97 Tim Settle Defensive end #90 Dadi Nicolas, #4 Biggest Strength Ken Ekanem LaBlue: Edge rushers Other notables: #43 Virginia Tech might have Seth Dooley, #41 Houshun the best pair of bookend

pass rushers in the country.

Nicolas is being considered to be a first-round draft pick in next year’s NFL Draft, and both Ekanem and Nicolas are on the Lombardi Award watch list, an award given to the nation’s best defensive lineman or linebacker.

Ekanem is a guy who is overlooked as well. He actually had half of a sack see D-LINE/ page 5

Jennifer Kelly has taken to Facebook and Twitter in an attempt to help find her missing brother and former Virginia Tech student Sean Kelly.

According to Jennifer, her brother Sean was last seen in Blacksburg by his roommate and landlord on July 27, the day he was evicted. Sean left behind all of his belongings, including his car and one of his “most treasured” items, his father’s shadow box.

“What’s peculiar is that Sean was planning to join the Navy,” Jennifer said.

“He was working with a recruiter and told everyone he was shipping out soon.”

Sean withdrew from his classes in December of 2014 during his senior year. In May he informed Jennifer of his plans to ship out with the Navy.

In e a r ly Au g u s t Jennifer was notified of Sean’s missing status by the Blacksburg Police Department, which ran well-being checks that

turned up nothing of significance other than the fact that all four tires of his car were flat. Jennifer also hired a private investigator who failed to discover anything of note.

Sean Kelly, a New Jersey native, entered Virginia Tech’s engineering department as a freshman but then later switched to the psychology department.

Dur ing his time in Blacksburg, he worked at the Blacksburg Taphouse as well as the farmers market.

L o ok i ng to t a ke advantage of any option that could help point to Sean, Jennifer has turned to spreading the message of his disappearance through social media. On Facebook her missing person post has been shared over 1,600 times.

“I’ve reached out to all his friends from high school and the area,” Jennifer said. “It’s hard because it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.”

@RichChumney

Vàs Planter brings the outdoors into your home PAYTON KNOBELOCH lifestyles editor

COURTESY OF MORGAN MATT

Vàs went through several iterations before the project went live on Kickstarter.

A recent class project has former and current Virginia Tech students setting their sights on the business world.

The Vàs Planter is a new home product in development - and currently undergoing a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign by Mitchell Harris, a recent Tech graduate, and Morgan Matt, a rising senior, with support from student Brian Pughe. All three majored or are majoring in industrial design.

Vàs lends itself to small spaces like home kitchens, apartments and dorm rooms. It is designed to be hung on a wall like a picture frame; since it is modular, it can be pieced together, taken apart and rearranged.

The simple assembly is one of the Vàs team’s selling points.

Each planter comes with inserts that are filled with soil and seeds and then inserted into the felt planter itself.

Taking root The inception of Vàs

DOWNTOWN BAR GETS A FACELIFT

RUNNING BACKS OUTLOOK

Big renovations come to Sycamore Deli.

The CT previews Tech’s backfield for this season.

page 3

came during the team’s work on a final project for a felting class taught by Helene Renard. Groups were required to design a modular product, meaning it can be pieced together.

The team’s love for the outdoors led to the development of the planter.

“The one that we presented got a lot of good feedback, but there were certainly a lot of problems with it,” Matt said.

The class project saw the team working together for about three or four weeks.

“It was sort of our big final

/CollegiateTimes page 8

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project for that class,” Harris said.

Matt says Industrial Design Program Chair Ed Dorsa encouraged her to pursue Vàs, saying that he’d hold her spot in the program regardless of how much time she needed to take off schooling.

Matt also cites the local farmers market as a substantial influence. She loves the concept of farmto-table food, but she thinks Vàs can close that gap even further. see PLANTER / page 3

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editor@collegiatetimes.com

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opinion collegiatetimes.com/opinion

column

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A reflection on how to achieve collegiate success A Ph.D. engineering sudent reflects on his 10-year academic career and the ways to maintain a healthy academic and social balance.

T

MARCUS YAM / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Sanders sparking revolution within the political system Bernie Sanders may lose the 2016 election. However, his head-on attack on the political establishment is gaining traction.

T

he political environment of this new cent u r y, which is still very much in its infancy, is almost unimaginably different from the one architected by the transcendent brilliance of Ben Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Given the amount of time and change that has occurred in the past 240 years, that much is to be expected.

I, like the nearly 50 percent of American voters whom I talked about in my last piece, identify as a political i nd ep end ent. I a m fairly conservative on economic issues and tend to lean more liberal on social issues, but that by no means makes me a libertarian.

I believe in lower tax rates for businesses, but I want to close the loopholes that they so often use to exploit and hurt consumers. I believe climate change is a problem and want stricter gun reform but do not believe that labor unions should have as much inf luence in business op er at ions a s t hey currently do.

“

If it weren’t for the restrictive nature of our two-party system, I have little doubt that Sanders would be able to run as an independent or third party candidate.”

It is easy to see that I fall into a weird and often dismissed category of political ideology that frequently leads voters to outright apathy and anger towards both sides in our restrictive two-party state.

Analyzing the speeches and policy ideas of all the major candidates running for president today, both parties yield a disappointing yet unsurprising conclusion: the party they run for is almost the sole dictator of their political rhetoric.

Donald Trump may lay out his vision for the country in a more brazen and potentially offensive way; however, there really isn’t that much variance between his vision for the country and that of Gov. John Kasich or Gov. Jeb Bush.

The GOP primar y field is the equivalent of going into a Chipotle and learning that you must order a chicken burrito, and your only choice of ingredients is limited to whether you want mild,

medium or hot salsa.

Meanwhile on the Democrat side it seems as though you don’t even get the luxury of picking that much. Your choice is vote for Hillary Clinton in the primary or waste your vote on Jim Webb, Martin O’Malley or Lincoln Chafee, someone most of America has never heard of.

There is one other candidate I’ve yet to mention: Bernie Sanders.

I want to make clear that this piece is not an endorsement. As a political science student, I can assure you that November 2016 is a long ways out and too early for credible endorsements to be made. A plethora of developments can occur between now and then to sway my vote one way or another.

Furthermore, while I do concur with Sanders on many issues including the need for prison reform and automatic voter registration, I find him too liberal on most economic issues to warrant my endorsement.

Sanders is running as a democratic candidate, but I believe he is doing so as a default. Bernie represented his home state of Vermont as an independent candidate and is the longest serving independent in congressional history, serving as a representative in the House from 1991 to 2007 and a senator since then.

If it weren’t for the restrictive nature of our two-party system, I have little doubt that Sanders would be able to run as an independent or third party candidate.

In spite of obvious o b s t a c l e s, Sanders has made a name for himself as a progressive champion in American political circles, and he is anything but the establishment rhetoric we see pitifully put out by either party.

From day one of his campaign back in May, Sanders stated that he did not want to have a SuperPac, the unlimited spending jugger nauts that fuel the campaign machines of Hillar y Clinton, Jeb Bush and every other campaign since the Citizens United decision in 2010.

T h is is a shockingly bold move, as it undoubtedly will set back the Sanders campaign financially. In the name of principle, one that he alone in the 2016 field is standing up against, Bernie is walking away from the hundreds of millions of dollars that all the other candidates are siphoning towards their campaigns.

Campaign finance isn’t the only issue outside of the establishment party’s circle he is bringing to the table. On Sanders’ own website, he lays out a policy agenda dedicated to constricting the recent rise in police violence against m i n o r it i e s, including federal funding for body cameras and demilitarizing municipal police forces.

T he messy-ha i red, thick-accented, buttondown-dawning senator from Vermont has taken his share of heat from the media. He has been called out for openly identifying as a democratic socialist; he has been ridiculed as a left wing extremist and an i r r el eva n t fringe candidate. But it appears as though none of this will ever faze him.

In fact, Sanders seems to have a mavericklike attitude towards his campaign, neither unafraid of brushing against the establishment of his party nor intimidated to challenge the status quo of policymakers in this day in age.

Sanders is neither the first nor the last populistminded candidate to make a push for political prominence. But given the climate of our country today, perhaps he is the most impor tant, and people are responding in droves.

I n r e c ent we ek s Sanders has drawn thousands of fans and admirers across t he count r y.

10, 0 0 0 in Madison, W i s c o n si n, a n o t h e r 15,000 in Seattle, 28,000 in Portland, Oregon, and 27,500 people crammed into a 16,000-seat venue to hear him speak in Los Angeles.

The people have made their voices clear. It’s time to change the narrowly defined archetype we hold of what a politician running for president should say and do, what they should stand for and how they plan to better our country.

While I may not fully support Sanders on a policy basis, I have the utmost respect and admiration for the different flavor he is bringing to American politics. It is my sincere hope that this anti-establishment movement grows on both sides of political thought in this country until we can truly vote for all candidates based on the unique voice and prospective they seek to bring to our country and not merely the letter that follows their name on a ballot.

NICHOLAS WORK • opinions editor • sophomore/political science

hey say that you become an expert at something when you have performed that task for 10,000+ hours. I have been a college student since 2005, and if we do a quick calculation - 180 school days in a year and roughly 10 hours a day as a college student - you can see that my assumption of being an expert student is wellsounding. From that wealth of experience, I would like to highlight a few important rules I learned along the way.

Rule No. 2: Pick your friends wisely. More often than not, these friends will determine how much free time you have and how it will be spent. Since every other classmate is in class with you, you differentiate yourself with what you do away from class.

We have heard this said in many different ways, and that’s because it is a true statement.

In this life of efficiency, globalization and technology sophistication, we will find ourselves with more free time than our predecessors. This is in fact a challenge because it will eventually lead to a wider knowledge and experience gap amongst students.

“

In this life of efficiency globalization and technology sophistication, we will find ourselves with more free time.”

Since school work can be done at varying speeds and efficiency, students who can squeeze more out of an hour by maximizing on their relationships and technology stand to reap the most benefit from their school years. Your friends can influence which clubs you join, which intramural sports you play, which party you attend and which projects you undertake.

So having friends who use their time wisely will have a great impact on your time management as a student.

Rule No. 3: Maintain those connections and friendships. In the years to come, when job searching, what will help you stand out as an applicant will be the connections you maintained while in school and once out of school. Some might say, “My brain will take me far;” others might say, “Meritocracy is the

American way.” What I say is show me someone who did it all on their own, and I will show you someone who could have done more.

Everyone will soon have access to Monster.com, LinkedIn, etc. But it sure is easier on a hiring manager if he sees that the applicant in front of him worked with him on a group project, turned class assignments in on time and checked up with him to see how his kids were doing with soccer.

I wouldn’t want to be the other applicant with just a smart brain applying to the same job.

Rule No. 4: Go to office hours. Do it, even if you think you understand the material. When you go for office hours, take a friend with you. Your friend might have questions to ask the professor that you didn’t think to ask. You will be surprised by how much you can learn by watching someone else thinking through a question. The mind does some amazing things when it is met with moments of disorder and eventually reorder.

Rule No. 5: When in doubt, yell out. I got pretty good at this while in my undergrad years, and I am glad I did. Asking questions in class is one of the quickest fixes to paying attention in class. At times when I am losing focus in class or relenting to sleep, I ask a question that might come across as silly. But one thing is for sure: once that question is asked, I remain alert as I automatically envision the teacher’s eyes bearing down on me.

Rule No. 6: In your classes, there will be that one classmate who just seems to always have everything in order. In your mind, that classmate is a perfectionist. He or she somehow ends ends up with the internship all others were vying for, takes all the important courses for the coming semester and seems to have his or her research in order.

Even as you read this portion of the article, you can envision that classmate and the thoughts that cross your mind might be, “How is it that one person is so lucky?” Most likely what they have is this rare trait called innate awareness of the environment.

That classmate is dialed into what is important to them and works hard behind closed doors to achieve those things. By befriending this classmate you are likely to learn either their habits or partner in pursuits that you both

could reap huge benefits from. How lucky would you be if that “classmate of order” ended up being your business partner?

Lastly, rule No. 1: There are no rules. This piece was intentionally left out of order to reflect those moments in your schooling experience when things seem out of order. For a long time, I tried playing the school game according to preset rules that I thought all civilized humans should follow.

For example, I let the class decide how I should act in class. In my mind, it was just

... You are stronger than you feel, you are smarter than you know, and let that potential you feel inside you drive you.”

plain courtesy to keep the feelings of my classmates in the forefront of decisions I made during class. I also tried to rely predominantly on my own understanding and sheer will power to get work done. I used to and still pride myself in being very hardworking.

Hard work makes for good bread but bad bed.

That is, even though you might reap the fruits of your labor, you will most likely lose precious resting time in the process.

While in school, do something you feel you might fail at. I got the most from situations where I felt I was unprepared for. I also failed in some of the things I attempted, which is fine.

In fact, it is okay to fail, sometimes. School is the one place where you can actually brag about a failure here later on in life. That difficult class with the teacher with the bad lisp who hands out a project every week of class? That’s the class you should look into signing up for.

Remember, you are stronger than you feel, you are smarter than you know, and let that potential you feel inside you drive you.

Let it wake you up, let it push you through your classes, let it speak for you at your next job interview, and let it blossom in front of your eyes.

TOMILAYO KOMOLAFE • regular columnist • Ph.D. student/engineering

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The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The first copy of the Collegiate Times is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to provide educational experience in business and production of mass media for Virginia Tech students. © Collegiate Times, 2015. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

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August 25, 2015 PAGE 3

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Sycamore Deli goes back to its roots with new design Sycamore Deli returned to its classic look in preparation for the new semester.

PAYTON KNOBELOCH lifestyles editor

Frequenters of downtown restaurant and concert venue Sycamore Deli should notice that something’s different about the underground establishment.

Sycamore has been undergoing renovations this summer in preparation for the fall semester. Changes include new furniture a r ra ngements, ga mes, signage and a brand new paint job. However, this all comes with a much deeper change for Sycamore.

“We want to be more of a restaurant/bar type of deal than a venue, with the venue taking a back seat,” said Mike Weber, owner of Sycamore Deli. “We kind of lost what we were made to do.”

The first thing guests will notice as they descend into Sycamore is the stairwell itself. The tan walls are gone, replaced by a bold teal color. The Hokie feet leading people down the stairs are still intact.

Once in the restaurant, guests can see the changes in full. The whole place has received a fresh coat of paint; whereas some walls remain the light tan color, others have been coated in the teal color as well as a bright blue.

In the past, most people looking for the bathrooms walked right past them, instead heading for the off-limits employee area.

Bar manager Emily Foster painted the bathroom doors with massive “men’s” and “women’s” bathroom symbols, making them hard to mistake for a closet.

Sycamore has received a drastic change in design as well. The booths on the upper level have been removed to transition it into more of a recreational space. The pool table is now front and center, and brand new dart boards have been installed a little farther down. This area also

CATIE CARRERAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Sycamore Deli’s renovations put an emphasis on the bar as a recreational space, as seen with the pool table now placed front and center. features a chalk board wall for guests to scribble down what’s on their minds.

In addition to more high top tables and new lighting, the restaurant also has two new televisions set up. The staff hopes this will attract people to visit to watch their favorite sporting events at Sycamore.

Manager Michelle Berry said the renovations began as soon as students left for the summer but didn’t pick up until June.

Despite the intention behind the changes, the staff still recognizes Sycamore’s value as a concert venue.

“The feel that you get from a show here is different (from other local bars) because you do have that stage on an upper level,” Berry said.

“And we do have really tall ceilings for a basement.”

However, Weber is changing up the booking schedule to bring Sycamore back to its roots as a restaurant first, venue second.

“Sycamore Deli started out as a deli, a catering place,” Weber said. “We went into the music venue (business), which we did too much of.

Then everybody thought we were a venue. So we need to go back to our roots of a deli with a bar atmosphere.”

Weber addressed how when Sycamore had three shows a weekend, there would obviously be a first, second and third place in terms of business and attendance. With the new model of one show a week, Sycamore can focus on bringing bigger acts and increasing its success on that one night, rather than spreading it out.

“We’re not just going to have anybody play down here,” Weber said. “We’re going to have bands we know are coming.”

Berry said bands Talk and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will be returning to Sycamore after playing other gigs across the country.

She is also reaching out to Twiddle and People’s

Blues of Richmond, though nothing is set in place at this time.

Putting its restaurant element first, Sycamore will be more flexible with its menu offerings. The kitchen will be open to provide the full menu until 11 p.m., after which a late night menu will be available until 2 a.m.

Sycamore will also offer new drink specials.

Berry assures guests that they will like the changes at Sycamore, particularly because many of the changes were chosen by the guests themselves.

“Everyone’s opinion was accounted for (with the renovations),” Berry said. “The reason that we have that color is because pretty much everyone (who came in) said that was their favorite color.”

Though the renovations are still underway, Sycamore is open to the public.

@MaybeNotPayton

CATIE CARRERAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

The staff hopes the bold new labeling on the bathroom doors makes them easier to spot for customers.

PLANTER: Local designers create home planter from page 1

Matt and Harris have since spent their summer further developing, testing and tweaking Vàs’ design, ensuring it was fit for sale before they put it out on Kickstarter.

How did they decide on their materials and manufacturing process? Trial and error.

“We finished (the final version) right before Steppin’ Out,” Matt said.

“Downtown Blacksburg was super generous and saw our project, and when we presented it to them, they were willing to give us a booth.

“The current project was completed maybe the night before,” Matt laughed. “It was a good night.”

Though Pughe left Blacksburg this summer to pursue an internship, Matt and Harris decided to explore the idea of turning Vàs into a business.

“Brian was a pretty vital part in the very beginning of the design, so we’ve been keeping him in the loop,” Matt said. “We just don’t want to leave him out because … he went through all the sketches with us and brainstorming with us in the original class prompt.”

At the time of writing this article, Pughe was unavailable for comment.

Harris said he and Matt divide the work pretty evenly, but they’re quick to play to their strengths.

Harris focuses on the

COURTESY OF WHITESCARVER PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC

Harris (left), a recent graduate in industrial design, and Matt, a rising senior in industrial design, present their product to the crowd at Steppin’ Out. graphic and web design whereas Matt acts as a negotiator and marketer.

Piecing Vàs together Vàs is ma in ly constructed using industrial felt. Harris and Matt were adamant that industrial felt is a very different beast than craft felt: it is durable, versatile and sustainable.

The Vàs team purchases its fabrics from Mood Fabrics in New York City.

Reality television fans will recognize it as the fabric store from “Project Runway.”

Once the material is back in Virginia, the team takes it to Cardinal Rubber and Seal, Inc. in Roanoke for assembly. Matt said that they could have outsourced the manufacturing to somewhere like China, but staying local was a massive

priority for the team.

“We just wanted to represent ourselves well as a company, what we stand for,” Matt said. “Since we were already so inspired by our local farmers market, why not keep our manufacturing local? It’s costing us a lot more – a hell of a lot more – but we like to stick to what we believe in.”

Using the machinery at Cardinal Rubber and Seal, Inc. (which involves laser cutting and water jets), a sampling of the Vàs modules can take about an hour to develop.

“Compared to cutting it by hand, when we made our first prototypes, it’s about 10 times faster, at least,” Harris said.

Due to the high grade of materials, the local source of materials and the process to ma nufact ure, one

module costs around $29 to produce.

Getting on Kickstarter Matt is the only team member to have used Kickstarter in the past, but the experience isn’t making Vàs’ time on the crowdfunding website any less nerve-racking.

Fortunately, the first two days of the Vàs campaign saw it reach about a quarter of its $12,000 goal.

“The trick now is keeping that momentum,” Harris said. “All our friends and family have pledged, so now it’s getting this thing out there to people who don’t know us personally.”

Matt discussed how after launch, Kickstarter campaigns tend to plateau, especially with people who see the 30-day time limit and elect to procrastinate.

In this 30-day window, supporters of the project can pledge however much money they want, with different pledge amounts offering different rewards.

If Vàs reaches its goal, at the end of the period, backers’ pledges will be charged and progress will continue.

While the $12,000 goal seems steep at first, Matt promises that after the costs of materials, marketing and shipping were factored in, the total came out to around $11,500.

“We’re giving ourselves a little, tiny bit of breathing room, which we’ll probably end up needing anyway,” Matt said.

As with any crowdfunding campaign, the possibility of not meeting a funding goal is a very real one. However, Matt and Harris see the potential and interest in their product, and they promise to keep pursuing Vàs if this particular campaign fails.

Reap what you sow T hough plent y of the Vàs team’s time is currently spent on getting the Kickstarter campaign to succeed, the young designers have eyes for the future.

If the product takes off, the team envisions turning Vàs into a limited liability company (LLC). They also see their planters in city apartments, dorm rooms and even inner city schools.

“We’re going to try and sell it to a larger company,” Matt said. “We

don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but definitely places like IKEA, Lowe’s, Anthropologie – just things that are either outdoors-y or more of a modern, decorative vibe.”

“

It’s costing us a lot more — a hell of a lot more — but we like to stick to what we believe in.”

Morgan Matt co-creator of the Vàs Planter

Both Harris and Matt have witnessed first-hand how difficult internships and jobs are to come by for students, and they’re hopeful that Vàs will lead them down an alternative, successful path, as well as giving them and others newfound motivation.

“Mitch and I … push to get (jobs and internships), and we’ve had some experiences so far, but it can be discouraging,” Matt said.

“If you don’t get a job, make your own – especially with our generation. Who knows? Mitch and I could succeed and have our own little company from this.

The potential is there.”

The Vàs Kickstarter runs until midnight on Friday, Sept. 18.

@MaybeNotPayton

PAGE 4 August 25, 2015

study break Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Surprise is in the air on your birthday! Though you may not actually have a surprise party thrown for you, you can expect the unexpected as your birthday year begins with a bang.

This could be as simple as a new realization about your life, or it could actually be a present or offering that you receive.

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D-LINE: Maddy’s return bolsters strong defensive front from page 1

more than Nicolas. The two combined for 33 tackles for loss, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that number go up this season.

Hasnany: Star power Virginia Tech finished first in the ACC and fourth in the country in sacks last year with 48. With no key losses in the offseason, the Hokies returning starters up front are all on watch lists for national awards. Defensive ends Dadi Nicolas and Ken Ekanem, who combined for 18.5 sacks last season, will come back with even more experience and are preseason candidates for the Lombardi Award.

Luther Maddy will rejoin Corey Marshall at defensive tackle after missing nine games last season with a torn meniscus in his right knee. Both inside linemen are being watched early for the Nagurski and Outland trophies. The front four for the Hokies looks to make double teaming nearly impossible and should be a matchup nightmare for most opposing offensive lines.

Biggest Weakness LaBlue: Injury history Much like Virginia Tech’s running backs, the defensive front has plenty of past injuries. Luther Maddy tore his meniscus and dealt with knee issues until he underwent season-ending surgery. Ekanem had offseason shoulder surgery and missed all of spring practice. Nicolas has a cast on his hand currently, and it is unclear as to when he will be able to play without it. Corey Marshall missed a game last season with an ankle injury and left Saturday’s scrimmage early

FILE 2014

Luther Maddy (92) lines up against William and Mary. Maddy will return from a torn meniscus in his right knee that held him out nine games last season. with an undisclosed injury.

The only pressing issues right now are Nicolas and Marshall. Marshall’s injury didn’t look serious, and Nicolas still flashed in Saturday’s scrimmage with the cast. That being said, there are some reasons for concern with this group.

Hasnany: No major weaknesses Behind the fo u r returning starters, the Hokies’ defensive line has an exceedingly deep unit.

Defensive tackles Woody Baron and Nigel Williams, who started 10 games last season in place of Maddy while earning an honorable mention All-ACC nod, highlight the second unit.

Backup defensive ends Seth Dooley and Vinny Mihota were also impressive throughout the spring.

Additionally the Hokies brought in another top

defensive tackle prospect in Tim Settle, who is already turning heads with his combination of size and athleticism.

X-Factor LaBlue: Luther Maddy Maddy is one of those defensive tackles who can do it all. He can rush the passer and disrupt the pocket. He can also close gaps and shut down opposing running games.

His presence was sorely missed last season when he went down with injury.

Having him back should make the defensive front even better. If Maddy doesn’t return to his old self, then things will be different.

Hasnany: Luther Maddy In Maddy’s last full season, 2013-2014, the Florida native had 55 tackles including 6.5

sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, earning him third team All-ACC honors. As impressive as the Hokies defensive line was last season, if Maddy can stay healthy he can potentially push the front four to another level. In addition to getting into the backfield himself, the 6-foot-2, 286-pounder should help clear up plenty of oneon-one opportunities for Ekanem and Nicolas.

Summary LaBlue: The defensive front has more talent than just about any other program in college football.

Not only is there top-end talent, they have depth as well. Vinny Mihota, Seth Dooley and Steve Sobczak have looked good this offseason and should do well in a supportive role.

The combination of top-end talent and depth makes this

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Defensive end Dadi Nicolas (90) celebrates after a big sack in the fourth quarter. an elite unit and one that should tip the scales in favor of the Hokies.

Grade: AHasnany: The Hokies’ defensive line is undoubtedly one of the strongest and deepest positions on the team. Led by four experienced starters

and very capable backups, there are hefty expectations for this year’s defensive line, which has the potential to be one of the best defensive lines in recent Virginia Tech football history.

Grade: A @CTSports

PAGE 6 August 25, 2015

editor@collegiatetimes.com

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FLOWER: ‘Stinky Phil’ set to blossom after 10-year wait from page 1

The last time this individual plant bloomed was 10 years ago, and according to Huckestein, the flower brought in a similar-sized crowd.

“It was a big publicity thing then, too,” Huckestein said. “People were lined around the corner. It was a pretty big deal, and it should be because there’s not many of them throughout the United States.”

“

(It smells like) a combination of limburger cheese and sulphur or if you took a rotten egg and put it in a dirty tennis shoe.”

Jeff Burr Greenhouse Manager ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

For 25 years Virginia Tech has been home to the corpse flower, and over those years the flower has bloomed six times. The length of time between the blooming periods varies often, and according to Burr, the past 10 years has been longer than the expected average.

The flower has grown

Jeff Burr, the greenhouse manager, talks about “Stinky Phil” with Fabian Suarez, a junior mechanical engineer, and Morgan Nixon, a junior double major in human development and psychology, August 24, 2015. The plant is expected to bloom and release an unpleasant odor sometime on Wednesday. to be about 6 feet tall, which according to Burr is probably the highest it will grow. As the blooming period approaches, the plant will heat itself up to about 100 degrees which atomizes the sulfur

compounds. The resulting smell is thought to be attractive to insects that would help pollinate the plant.

Today, Burr is working hard to get the news of the corpse flower out.

His twitter account @ VTGreenhouse monitors the plant’s activity and is ready to break the news of the inevitable bloom.

For Burr, the blooming has created a unique opportunity for the horticulture

department and the greenhouse itself.

“The thing that we really love is to have people come in and check out the greenhouse,” Burr said.

“There are so many people throughout campus that

Sigma Phi Epsilon regains chapter charter LEWIS MILLHOLLAND news editor

This fall Sigma Phi Epsilon rejoins the ranks of Virginia Tech’s fraternities. Following reports of misconduct in 2013, SigEp lost its charter, its $5 million fraternity house and its unsupervised independence.

After two years the fraternity is back, armed with a new vision and a new executive board.

“The type of experience we’re looking to provide is a four-year continuous development experience that has no pledging and no hazing,” said Patrick Gallagher, new chapter development director for Sigma Phi Epsilon. He stated the fraternity will “focus on positive, personal development to help students prepare for their life, during college and after college.”

Gallagher explained that the fraternity will focus its efforts on assisting members to become their best selves.

“We’re looking for people who are interested in finding the best version of themselves through academic achievement, involvement on campus and in the community. We’re looking for somebody who’s looking to positively develop themselves and become a positive contributor to the campus and the community,” Gallagher said.

Traditionally, pledging has been an integral component of fraternity life, describing the process new members undergo when joining a fraternity.

The Virginia Tech Sigma Phi

Epsilon chapter’s move to abandon pledging is rare, to say the least.

“Members are members from day one,” Gallagher said. New brothers can begin contributing to the fraternity immediately.

Another intimate link can be drawn between pledging and hazing. While Greek life organizations across the nation have been cracking down on hazing, the problem is far from

“

Perhaps some of the values held by Innovate and Transfer House seeped into the new SigEp through osmosis.”

gone. Eliminating the pledging process could alleviate some of the practices involved in hazing new members.

In a Sigma Phi Epsilon “Chapter Histor y and Summary of Support” report dated May 2013, the Virginia Tech chapter was placed under an Alumni Advisory Council in December 2008 due to “a series of risk management incidents and other concerning chapter behavior.” This led to a membership review and considerable assistance and scrutiny by alumni and national SigEp headquarters.

To put it bluntly, they were on thin ice.

Which is why the University took action when in 2013 a new

member — a solid A student throughout high school — dropped three classes, went to a doctor for problems regarding eating and sleeping and was required to buy food and gas for other members, among other issues.

“The chapter failed to meet the expectations put forward by the University and SigEp,” Gallagher said. He stated that the SigEp brothers in 2013 did not live up to national standards. “It was unfortunate that those members weren’t really looking for the kind of experience that SigEp offers.”

The national Sigma Phi Epsilon organization has been working with the Virginia Tech administration to bring the fraternity back in a new light.

“There’s been a passionate group of Virginia Tech alumni who have been working extremely closely with student affairs in Virginia Tech,” Gallagher said. “Especially with Byron Hughes, the director for fraternity and sorority life.”

Gallagher added, “One of our primary goals is to be a valued partner of higher education.”

Hughes was not available to comment on this story.

In 2013 Sigma Phi Epsilon partnered with Virginia Tech to complete a $5 million house for the fraternity. The fraternity moved in, partied and then within months lost their charter and the new house.

The frat house, adjacent to the Virginia Tech Golf Course, was jointly funded by Virginia Tech and the fraternity — each

CATIE CARRERAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Sigma Phi Epsilon Oak Lane house completed for $5 million has housed two living and learning communities since the fraternity lost its charter in 2013.

paid $3 million and $2 million, respectively.

“Housing is just one part of the experience that we offer,” Gallagher said. “For us, the big focus is on offering a development experience that challenges the stereotypes of fraternities and helps positively impact our members.”

Provided SigEp adheres to university and national expectations, they expect to move back into the house in the fall of 2017. Last year the Innovate living and learning community occupied the house, and this academic year the house will be home to the Transfer House living and learning community.

Perhaps some of the values held by Innovate and Transfer House seeped into the new SigEp mission through osmosis.

“We’re looking to model the living and learning communities that are on campus,” Gallagher said. A big part of that mission is to maximize the college experience for new members.

According to Gallagher, Sigma Phi Epsilon headquarters identified that students spend about 90 percent of their time outside of the classroom.

The new Virginia Tech chapter will make it a priority to create an environment where students can complement their classroom experience.

“We’re look ing to be engaged on campus right away,” Gallagher said.

“The final note is that we’re really just trying to create a different experience that creates positive impact,” Gallagher said. “So the way that we want to do that is by offering $3,000 in scholarships for men who live out the values of sound mind and sound body and the spirit of Ut Prosim.”

The Ba la nced Man Scholarship application can be found online at sigep.com/ virginiatech and takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. The scholarship is available to any male student at Virginia Tech who best exhibits “academic excellence, demonstrate leadership skills and commit to their health and well-being.”

The Virginia Tech chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon was first established in 1970.

“The final note is that we’re really just trying to create a different experience that creates positive impact,” Gallagher said. @WithTheFancyGuy

never make it across the Drillfield. It’s just great for people to be interested in places they have never been.” @RichChumney

New to-go containers promote sustainability CLARE RIGNEY news reporter

Students living on campus received a green, plastic gift upon arrival this semester — a reusable to-go container. The new effort is intended to promote sustainable dining practices at Virginia Tech, and Diving Services has teamed up with SGA and several sponsors to give students a more environmentally vigilant container of choice.

“There was a drive to get people to think about what they were using when they were eating in (dining halls),” said Associate Director for Dining Services Bill Hess.

For three and a half years, Hess has been responsible for overseeing Dietrick, West End and Southgate food production facilities.

Since January of this year, the dining halls have replaced the old Styrofoam containers with compostable ones made out of sugar cane, which were added as a replacement for the old foam boxes. Dining services even went as far as meetings with Coca-Cola last summer in order to acquire compostable cups and lids.

This semester the Dining Services office, with assistance from other groups, launched a program to bring greater attention to its reusable plastic containers, an initiative Hess believes can greatly reduce the amount of waste generated currently in Virginia Tech dining halls.

“The impetus behind a lot of it was just to get rid of people eating in with compostable containers,” said recent graduate and Sustainability Coordinator for Dining Services Rial Carver. “From the start, people were saying ‘get rid of foam, get rid of foam.’”

Carver said that her three main responsibilities include, “local food sourcing …waste minimization … and sustainability in what you’re using.”

When she was an undergrad, Carver admitted that she did not like the overuse of foam containers in dining halls and wished to find an alternative.

“When we switched to compostables last January, all of a sudden we as management were paying more attention to how many containers were being used and thinking this was way more than we should be using,” Carver said.

Hess stated that studies done by groups around campus concluded that 50 percent of the 1.4 million to-go containers that were given out last year stayed inside the dining halls.

“Some people say ‘oh, well if I don’t find a table at least I’m set’ or think they get more food, which is not true … but really it’s just habits,” Carver said. “If students start doing it, they continue to do it.”

Dining Services and the Office of Energy and Sustainability had difficulties with financing their plastic reusable to-go containers, an idea that was already being see GREEN / page 7

editor@collegiatetimes.com

Roanoke Pinball Museum offers student discount EMILY MCCAUL news staff writer

Roanoke’s newest addition to its historically cherished downtown, The Roanoke Pinball Museum, is preparing for the fall by offering a sweet deal to all of the college students in the area.

Chris Rader, who hails from Radford, Virginia, is manager of the budding pinball museum. Rader recently contacted the Collegiate Times with news of the museum’s plans to run a “College Student Special” during the month of September.

Students who attend a university and who are able to present a valid college photo ID are eligible for the College Student Special at the museum. Rader commented on the special, highlighting the simplicity of the process as well as the requirements.

“Starting on the first of September and running through the end of the month, all students have to do is present their college ID to us; it’s an in-house process,” Rader said. “Then instead of the normal individual rate of $75 for a one-year pass, we’re going to offer them a $25 discount, so it’ll be just $50 for the whole year.”

Once students set up their yearly pass at the downtown location, they will be eligible for a multitude of the museum’s added perks (provided to members alone).

“With our membership, you’re allowed to show up on our membership night, Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m,” Rader said.

Membership night is an exclusive night at the museum where only members are allowed to check in.

There they can enjoy the competitive company of other avid, fellow members all set in the fresh, retrocharged atmosphere of downtown Roanoke, a mere 30- to 45-minute drive from Blacksburg.

“You also get a 10 percent discount on all merchandise and concessions,” Rader said. “And students that are of legal age, during membership night, will be able to purchase beer as well.”

Rader went on to share the museum’s hopes and goals for the College Student Sale, establishing positive relationships with not only

August 25, 2015 PAGE 7

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the local colleges, but also colleges like Virginia Tech in the surrounding areas.

“Really we just want to expand our brand to college students. In particular, we’re looking at a lot of the immediate colleges in our area: Virginia Western, Roanoke College, Hollins College, “ Rader said. “However, we also really want to get people from Virginia Tech and Radford University to come up from the New River Valley. We want them to come see what we’ve got in downtown Roanoke.”

Recounting some of his past, positive experiences with members of the museum, Rader spoke of seeing not only the members’ enthusiasm but also their pinball-playing skills improve.

“We’ve had a lot of consistency with family members who keep coming back. They start by coming in a lot, and then they bring their kids, and then their kids start turning into these really, really good pinball players,” Rader said.

To close, Rader offered some final thoughts highlighting both the financial and social perks of being a member of the Roanoke Pinball Museum and why the College Membership Sale offers so much appeal.

“I think people are really getting their money out of it; it seems to be a really successful way to do it,” he said.

Signing up for a yearly membership pass as opposed to paying the daily drop-in rate of a mere $10 for all day access saves the average pinball player hundreds of dollars over the time span of one year.

With the College Student Special dropping the price an additional 33 percent for college students during the month of September, it’s hard not to hop in the car for a few day trips to Roanoke: adventure, allure and aweinspiring memories included.

Rader closed with a fruitful reminder to all of the pinball players in the area.

“You know, if you really enjoy pinball, rather than pay our daily rate of $10, the yearly pass is the best way to go.” @CollegiateTimes

GREEN: Students on campus receive reusable to-go boxes from page 6

utilized by many universities nationally.

“We were very late to the game in converting,” Hess said. Schools like the University of Maryland converted to compostable materials nine years ago. The reason why Virginia Tech was behind, according to Hess, was because “finding a suitable alternative at an affordable price” was a difficult task.

Dining Services tried to implement the program two years ago with about 150 to 175 people buying into the program at its peak.

Carver said that they made changes the next year, including buying an OZZI, which is a machine used to collect empty reusable containers.

“In the first year, you bought into the program and had access to the three containers, so it was $12 and lasted for the whole year,” Carver said. “The next year we switched that, and it’s $3 to buy in once, and you can buy in as many times as you want.”

In March of 2015 the Green RFP and Coca-Cola agreed to fund two more OZZI machines, one at Owens and one at Turner.

“Our biggest feedback when it was just at West End … was that it was only at West End,” Hess said.

According to Hess, collectively West End and Owens each give out about 4,000 9-by-9 containers a day, about 2,000 of which never leave the dining centers.

“My biggest takeaway the first week is, observationally, walking through West End, walking through Owens, there was a visible drop in the number of people using the compostable containers to eat in the dining centers,” Hess said.

In December an agreement with SGA secured $12,000 of funding for the renewable containers to be given to incoming freshmen.

After talks with Housing Services, it seemed easier to give everyone living in university housing, including those on Oak Lane, in the Graduate Life Center or in

Foxridge Apartments, a container.

About 9,600 containers were given out in this way.

Although the to-go containers were given out in every on-campus dorm room, people living on campus are not the only ones who can take advantage of the renewable containers.

The operation is fairly simple: those who were given containers can go to one of the OZZI machines, near Bistro Firenze in West End, on the Eggleston entrance of Owens and the front lobby of Turner.

The OZZI machines scan the barcodes on the bottom of the reusable containers and then dump them into the bottom of the machine to be washed and reused. Students then receive a small bronze token. Those who do not have a token can ask for the renewable to-go container when ordering food and pay an initial charge of three dollars.

Once someone has a token they can order an unlimited number of meals in to-go containers; they just have to show that token to the cashier. After eating the food out of the container, Dining Services asks that you wash it and then promptly turn it back into an OZZI machine. Dining Services takes care of the cleaning and prepares the container for the next customer.

The token is easy to lose, so Carver and Hess hope to one day work out a system to pay for the containers with a Hokie passport.

However, if that token is not lost, they agreed that theoretically, a student could use the plastic to-go containers all four years that he or she is enrolled.

After the first week Hess anticipated about a five percent return rate on the reusable containers, but about 9.9 percent of those 9,600 containers has been returned in order to be used.

The container is made of a No. 5 plastic that is dishwasher and microwave safe.

A few years ago the SGA conducted a survey with one of the questions asking if students

would be willing to pay extra for a compostable container or an alternative to foam, and then they asked what range they would be comfortable with paying.

“It was up to 20 cents that the majority was willing to pay,” Carver said.

This year, in order to promote the reusable containers and using plates when eating in, Dining Services is adding a 20-centscash and 10-cents-flex-dollars charge whenever someone takes a compostable container.

According to Carver, students are happy with the durability of the plastic renewable containers. Even after monitoring social media like Twitter and Yik Yak, Hess said that many students are coming to the defense of Dining Services on this new promotion.

“I think that the fact that we’re getting positive feedback says a lot about our students,” Hess said.

Dining Services will check up on the progress of their to-go containers after the students and faculty have had time to get used to the process.

“Beyond two weeks, everyone has set up their patterns,” Hess said.

Hess would like to see a 15 percent bring-back rate of the containers by the end of the semester but would be ecstatic to see a statistic like 20 or 25 percent.

In order to deem the project successful, Hess said that he would need to see a significant decrease in the number of compostable to-go containers given out to patrons of the dining halls.

“Even a drop from 1.4 to 1 million is a huge drop in the trash that’s leaving campus,” Hess said.

Carver described her hope for the future of these reusable containers.

“I feel like when students see their peers using it, it sort of shows that this is something that Hokies do, and it imparts this idea of a culture of sustainability on campus, which is really the end goal.” @CollegiateTimes

PAGE 8 August 25, 2015

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Running backs shine in final open scrimmage Virginia Tech football hosted its final open scrimmage in Lane Stadium on Saturday.

RICKY LABLUE editor in chief

T he Vi rgin ia Tech football team hosted an open scrimmage Saturday as t hey conti nue to prepare for their seasonopener against Ohio State on Sep. 7.

No stats were kept, nor were players made av a i l a b l e, but the scr i m mage def i n itely gave fans and media some insight into the team.

On the injury front, starting defensive tackle Corey Marshall left the scrimmage early due to an undisclosed injury.

The injury did look minor and Marshall did not receive any major medical at tent ion du r i ng t he scrimmage. Cornerback Mook Reynolds also left for a brief period in the scrimmage but returned later on.

info on the go Kendall Fuller, Wade Hansen and Marshawn Williams all sat out Saturday’s scrimmage.

Cor nerback Kendall Fu l ler, t ack le Wade Hansen and running back M a r s h aw n W i l l i a m s we r e a m o n g t h o s e players sitting out of the scrimmage. Fuller had his knee wrapped, Hansen was wearing a walking boot and Williams is still recover ing from his ACL tear from last season.

With Hansen out of t he l i neup, Jonat ha n McLaughlin moved from left tackle to right tackle and Yosuah Nijman got the first-team reps at left tackle.

The defensive front was very disruptive for the entire scrimmage.

All of the quarterbacks had to scramble several times to avoid being sacked. Linebacker Deon Clarke made a nice play off the edge for a sack, as did defensive end Ken Ekanem.

The injury issues on the offensive line were

certainly a factor, but the line as a collective needs to play better. Yes, the Hokies’ defensive line is very talented, but Michael Brewer and the other quarterbacks need time to get the ball out.

Brewer made some crisp throws from the pocket against the Hokies’ first team defense, but did throw one interception to defensive back Adonis Alexander after being flushed out of the pocket.

Ba ck u p q u a r t e r b a ck Brenden Motley threw for one touchdown and ran for another but also threw an interception.

Fullback Sam Rogers, who missed all of spring p r a ct ic e a f t e r f r a c turing his elbow against Vi rgi n ia, ra n for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass from Motley. Rogers is Tech’s best pass blocker in the backfield and is also a playmaker. Having him healthy helps the offense in more ways than one.

The r unning backs also looked very good.

Travon McMillian busted a 75 yard touchdown run and Trey Edmunds also scored. Shai McKenzie, who primarily ran with the third-team offense, broke some tackles and looks noticeably bigger.

The battle for the third receiver position is still somewhat murky, but Kevin Asante didn’t help himself. Asante was able to create some space between him and his defender multiple times but a few drops and couldn’t track down a couple de ep t h rows.

Asante is known for his ability to block on the perimeter, but he needs to make plays if he’s going to take over in the slot.

C. J. Car roll looked good and was able to find the open area in the defense a couple times. He isn’t really a deep threat, but could cont r ibute on short-yardage situations. Deon Newsome also made a couple nice plays, and not just on the jet sweep.

@RickyLaBlue

FILE 2014

Running back J.C. Coleman (4) had a big night with over 100 rushing yards in the Hokies’ win over U. Va. last season. Coleman will lead the Hokies’ deep running back corps.

Coleman, Edmunds lead deep backfield After suffering a plethora of injuries last season, Virginia Tech’s running backs should bounce back behind solid depth at the position.

RICKY LABLUE & FAIZAN HASNANY editor in chief & sports editor

Virginia Tech saw three running backs go down due to injury last year.

Marshawn Williams and Shai McKenzie both tore ACL’s, and Trey Edmunds broke his collarbone. By the end of the season, the Hokies were down to J.C. Coleman, Joel Caleb and Jerome Wright at running back.

This season seems to be different however.

McKenzie and Edmunds are expected back, and Williams is working his way back from his injury.

With all of these options in the backfield, what can fans expect from this group this season?

touchdowns. McKenzie was arguably Tech’s most reliable back last year until his season-ending injury. Add the recovering Williams and an explosive McMillian, and running backs coach Shane Beamer has plenty of options to work with.

P rojected st arter: Fullback #45 Sam Rogers

Hasnany: Depth The Hokies have four tailbacks on the roster who have rushed for 100-yards in a game. Leading the group will be Coleman, who compiled 448 rushing yards over the last four games. Edmunds hopes to return from a sophomore year riddled by injury. Edmunds had an impressive freshman year, being the only Tech running back to crack 600 yards in a season since David Wilson broke the school’s singleseason rushing record in 2011, with 1709 yards.

Redshirt-freshman Travon McMillian has impressed in the spring and will look to utilize his speed to make big plays. The sophomore duo of McKenzie and Williams had impressive freshman years as well before their injuries.

Biggest Strength LaBlue: Depth Although no Hokies have taken on the workhorse role, there is plenty of talent in the backfield. Coleman took the reins last season after the top three options went down and didn’t disappoint. The Military Bowl MVP has the inside track to the starting job thanks to his consistency at the end of last season.

Edmunds will likely see a lot of carries as well. Edmunds was a breakout star his freshman season, finishing with 10

Biggest Weakness LaBlue: Injury history No group in college football has the injury history that this group has.

Edmunds has broken a tibia and a collarbone. McKenzie has torn two ACL’s and Williams tore one last season. Starting fullback Sam Rogers fractured his elbow against Virginia and missed all of spring practice.

Sure, the Hokies have plenty of options in the backfield, but most of these options have dealt with big injuries in the past. Tech

Projected starters: Running back #4 J.C. Coleman, #14 Trey Edmunds Other notables: #28 Shai McKenzie, #34 Travon McMillian, #42 Marshawn Williams

will have to hope that they can keep these guys healthy, because the track record is not in their favor.

Hasnany: Inconsistency The Hokies have failed to eclipse four yards per carry in the past three years, recording 3.8 yards per carry last season. The inability to consistently pick up yards, particularly in early down situations, has led the Hokies to rely heavily on passing the ball, making them onedimensional at times. Other factors have obviously played into this including a previously shaky offensive line and the revolving door of running backs last year due to injuries. However, if Tech is to have a balanced offensive attack, the ability of the Hokies backfield to pick up consistent yards will be key.

X Factor LaBlue: Trey Edmunds Edmunds showed in his freshman season just what kind of talent he is. He has a good combination of speed and power that elite college football running backs have. If he stays healthy, Edmunds should show that he has the capability to carry the load and put up big numbers. Edmunds is Tech’s best “power back”, and he needs to step up.

Hasnany: Sam Rogers Through all the uncertainty in the backfield, one thing has remained steady for the Hokies; the versatility and leadership of junior fullback Sam Rogers.

Rogers doesn’t carry the ball out of the backfield often (just 32 carries last season), but caught 20 passes last season and has proved to be Tech’s most

reliable pass blocker in the backfield. With just three other seniors on the Hokies offense, look for Rogers to take on a vital role out of the backfield.

“

The duo of Coleman and Edmunds should provide a solid one-two punch for the Hokies to start the season.”

Summary LaBlue: I’d be willing to bet that the Hokies won’t have the injury issues they had last season. Losing three guys to season-ending injuries is a fluke, and Tech should expect to have most of their guys healthy. There is too much talent in the backfield for the Hokies to be a mediocre team when it comes to running the football. Virginia Tech should be able to lean on this group to take some pressure off of quarterback Michael Brewer and the offense.

Grade: B+ Hasna ny: Vi rgi n ia Tech’s backfield should experience a resurgence this season behind an exceedingly deep and capable group of tailbacks, and an improved offensive line.

The duo of Coleman and Edmunds should provide a solid one-two punch for the Hokies to start the season.

Grade: B

@FaizanCT @RickyLaBlue

Women’s golf ‘hungry to compete’ in first season Behind the leadership of Head Coach Carol Robertson, the women’s golf team makes its debut with a challenging schedule.

SIERRA HUCKFELDT sports editor

The women’s golf team will compete for the first time in Virginia Tech history this fall.

In May of 2013, athletic di rector Jim Weaver announced the addition of the women’s golf team to Virginia Tech as a member of the ACC. Carol Robertson was selected as the head coach of the team, assisted by Russell Abbott.

Robertson completed her undergraduate degree in public administration with a focus in criminal justice at James Madison University. She dominated on the course, earning first team All-CAA three times and becoming the conference championship

medalist in 2003.

After completing her bachelor’s degree, Robertson went on to complete her master’s degree in sport management from West Virginia University in 2007.

“Coaches have always played an important role in my life, and it inspired me to want to do the same,” Robertson said. “I loved my college experience and what being a studentathlete provided me as a player.”

While continuously fur ther ing her education, Rober tson continued to play golf and excel at it. In 2010 she competed in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, placing second.

Robertson then went on to coach at Old Dominion University, lifting the program up in a short amount of time. After two years, the Monarchs had earned five tournament titles under Robertson’s lead.

T h e Hok ie s w i l l compete in nine regular season tournaments this year around the country, beginning with the Lady Pa l a d i n I nv it a t io n a l in Greenville, South Carolina, Sept. 20-22.

“O u r sche du le is extremely tough. In golf you don’t play head to head. There will typically be at least 12 teams at each site. The tournaments we are playing in this year attract the top teams in the country,” Robertson said.

“We are very fortunate to

get the invites, and we are excited to play with the best. To be the best, you have to play with the best, and this schedule accomplished that philosophy.”

The roster for this season includes two at h letes, Amanda H o l l a n d s wo r t h and Allison Woodward. Both were red-shirted for their first academic year in order to give the program time to get organized and give Robertson a chance to work with the players.

Coming from Floyd, Virginia, Hollandsworth was a four-year letter winner at her high school in golf and also a three-year letter winner in basketball.

She won the 2012 and 2013 Virginia State Golf Association Junior Girls Championship and was

a finalist in the 2013 VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship.

“

To be the best you have to play with the best, and this schedule accomplished that philosophy.”

Carol Robertson Head Coach

Woodward, a native of Unicoi, Tennessee, was also a four-year letter winner at her high school and was the winner of the 2013 AJGA Chataeu Elan tournament. She

is also a member of the Tennessee Junior Cup Team, a much esteemed organization.

Along with these two athletes, four other women have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the golf team. These women include Elizabeth Bose, Nicolette Donovan, Anne Taylor Hough and Whitney Stevenson, who planned to enroll in the fall of 2015.

“We are young but hungr y to compete,” Robertson said. “They all know the responsibility they have as the first to set a great culture for years to come. I know they will fight hard and be great representatives of VT.” @CollegiateTimes