Nov. 3, 2015

THANK YOU, FRANK!

FILE 2012

The numbers that Virginia Tech Head Coach Frank Beamer has accumulated over the course of his career are impressive — 277 career wins, seven conference championships, 93 players drafted into the NFL, 22 straight bowl berths and 11 straight wins over in-state rival U.Va. His impact, however, cannot be fully measured through numbers or statistics.

Before Beamer started his tenure here at Virginia Tech, the football program was sanctioned by the NCAA after recruiting violations under Head Coach and Athletic Director Bill Dooley. In his first three seasons, Beamer

staff editorial missed out on 11 scholarships per season. Prior to Beamer’s tenure, Virginia Tech had played in six bowl games in the program’s history. Tech had never been part of a major football conference and was irrelevant on the national stage.

Everything changed when Beamer was hired. Three days before Christmas in 1986, new Athletic Director Dale Baughman introduced Beamer to the media. Talk about an awesome gift.

“I talk about it all the time, how I have been a fortunate guy,” Beamer said at his press conference on Monday.

“Dale ‘Dutch’ Baughman and I talked this morning. I didn’t know him, but we met in a hotel room in Nashville and we hit it off.”

Beamer has since built one of the best football programs in the nation practically from scratch. He helped move the program into the upper echelon by focusing on in-state recruiting and getting the Hokies into the Big East Conference in 1991. He led Virginia Tech to bowl game see EDITORIAL / page 5

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111th YEAR, ISSUE 134

November 3, 2015

COLLEGIATETIMES An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

Hokies respond to recent cancer screening policies ASHLEY WILLS news staff writer

With the start of November, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has come to a close.

This cause is important not just in October but yearround for many people and organizations. On Oct. 20, 2015, The American Cancer Society (ACS) came out with its updated breast cancer screening guidelines for women at average risk. The guidelines, which haven’t been updated since 2003, now recommend women begin screening later than ever before.

Dr. Sandy L. Fogel, associate professor of surgery at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and medical director of operating room services at Carilion Memorial Hospital, has been working with breast cancer cases for over for 31 years. He has watched the importance of mammography progress.

When he first started his career there was a question as to whether or not mammograms saved lives at all.

During his residency, however, studies came out suggesting mammograms in fact do save lives. As more studies came out, mammograms grew to be more widely accepted.

“This is just the normal evolution of our knowledge,” Fogel said. “In my opinion (the new guidelines) are undoubtedly correct. There is ample precedence for things like this and for things to change overtime.”

The updated guidelines feature several new changes.

One of the most significant changes is for screening to start at the age of 45 instead of 40. The ACS has found through research that there is

no valid benefit for averagerisk women to begin getting mammograms at the age of 40.

The ACS does, however, recommend that a woman has a conversation with her doctor at the age of 40 and decide from there what is the best course of action.

“If a person is at average risk, and this means that they don’t have any family history, they don’t have any genetic disposition, etc., at 40 a baseline mammogram is quite worthwhile,” Fogel said.

At the age of 45 it is recommended to begin a yearly mammogram routine until the age of 54.

In addition to the new data, the reason for these updates are the risks associated with mammography. One of the most prevalent risks is false positives.

“The quote-unquote risk is that there is a lot of times that people get false positives.

When there is a false positive and there is no more testing to corroborate or confirm that that positive is actually false, the treatment would start, treatment that is unnecessary and expensive that causes more harm than good,” said Robert Noriega, the media communications manager for Virginia and West Virginia at The American Cancer Society.

In an effort to reduce this, it is recommended that beginning at the age of 55 women switch to getting mammograms every other year as long as she is in good health and has a life expectancy of 10 years or longer.

The ACS found that breast cancer at age 55 is slower in growing, so every two years is sufficient for a mammogram.

“The risk of the false positives — that is why the

BEAMER HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE Frank Beamer reflects on his upcoming retirement. page 5

recommendations are due every other year for certain low-risk women, women where it is at a smaller risk that does not hurt as many women,” Fogel said. “If we do half the tests and we do it every other year instead of every year, we will be hurting fewer women. The issue is, will we be losing lives? The answer seems to be no.”

Awareness should start at all ages, but for the average woman a conversation with the doctor about mammography options should start at 40. Both the ACS and Fogel agree that women should talk to their doctors to determine what is the best plan for them.

“Women 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screenings with mammograms,” Noriega said. “What the new guidelines are doing is that it is actually putting more power into the woman to decide for herself after she talks to her doctor.”

Since ever y woman is different, every case is different. According to Fogel, that is why every woman should have this discussion with her doctor and why there cannot be a rigid recommendation of every year or every other year.

Due to no evidence of any actual benefits, both self breast exams and clinical breast exams are no longer recommended for any age.

According to the ACS, doing these put women at a higher risk of a false positive.

“It is very rare that breast cancer is found by a woman just on a routine screening of herself. It is even more rare that a physician finds a breast cancer that the woman see CANCER / page 3

BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Andrew Mitchell and Heather Fernandez won the 2015 Homecoming campaign with “Andrew Strong” and “Hunger is Not a Game,” respectively.

Homecoming winners talk goals beyond crown PAYTON KNOBELOCH lifestyles editor

In years past, if you were to ask a Virginia Tech student what homecoming week means to them, an unsurprising majority would say, “A reason to avoid the Drillfield.”

Clubs and organizations flooded the campus, bludgeoning students with some alliteration or a clever slogan, desperate for votes in a 25,000-person popularity contest.

That changed this year when the Virginia Tech Homecoming Board announced it would require candidates to develop a community service platform on which to run.

It wasn’t just a popularity contest anymore.

That isn’t saying popularity didn’t help – publicity stunts and catchy marketing don’t hurt – but it wasn’t the focal point.

Students thought less, “Who do I want do win?” and more, “How do I want to see Virginia Tech improve?

That’s the question that encouraged this year’s homecoming king and queen, Andrew Mitchell and Heather Fernandez, to run.

“They posed the question (at the interest meeting), ‘If you could make Virginia Tech better, how would you want to do that?’”

Fernandez said.

CADETS SHOW SKILLS AT FORT KNOX ROTC Army cadets join the Bold Leader Challenge. page 2

Mitchell, from Radford, Virginia, is a senior public and urban affairs major with minors in leadership studies and communication. Fernandez is a senior geography major with minors in meteorology and creative writing, and she hails from Fairfax County, Virginia.

Neither is a stranger to involvement.

Mitchell keeps busy with Sigma Chi (his sponsoring organization), the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, Army ROTC, Class Programs and the Student Alumni Association. Fernandez works with Gamma Phi Beta (her sponsoring organization), New Student and Family Programs, Big Event and Relay for Life, among others.

The community service platform was a natural transition for them. Through “Andrew Strong,” Mitchell wanted to help veterans transition back into civilian life, and with “Hunger is Not a Game,” Fernandez sought to fight food insecurity in the Blacksburg community.

“There were times when it was just so stressful and overwhelming, but having a cause to fall back on and know you were working for someone else and something

/CollegiateTimes @collegiatetimes

see CROWN / page 6

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PAGE 2 November 3, 2015

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your views [letter to the editor]

SGA campaign quick to spark controversy

T

he general idea of the Student Government Association (SGA)’s campaign, “My Culture is Not a Costume,” was to gain interest, spark dialogue and create an atmosphere of respect and understanding.

At the center of the debate is cultural appropriation. The SGA’s event page defines cultural appropriation as “the taking of a part of a culture that you don’t belong to (such as a Native American headdress or a Japanese kimono) and using it outside of its cultural context, without understanding its cultural significance, and oftentimes changing its original meaning.”

However, with issues like cultural appropriation, it is easy to get lost in picking a side rather than focusing on the issue itself. You must be a crazy, self-centered person if you agree with culturally specific costumes, but you are a racist if you do not believe cultural appropriation is true or see its impacts.

I do not think it is fair to generalize a culture to a specific costume. I also do not think that the SGA meant to tell anyone what to wear and what not to wear for Halloween. The point was to get people talking about the subject and being mindful of the costumes that they choose. We should have respect for people of different cultures.

On the other side, Halloween is meant to be a fun night. People are supposed to get dressed up. It is not society’s fault that big retail stores sell culturally inappropriate costumes. You easily can walk down an aisle at Wal-Mart or Target in the Halloween section and find culturally inappropriate costumes, such as Native American women, gypsy women, belly dancers, serape and sombrero costumes.

Culture is a person’s language, background, people or ancestors; it’s where they come from and what makes them who they are. By purchasing or wearing a costume that seems to represent a person’s culture,

it can further stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. No one likes being made fun of, and no one wants to see their cultural heritage misrepresented.

In the past year, the argument for and topic of political correctness has dominated social discussion. The constant challenge to the status quo makes people feel like their attitudes or beliefs are being attacked. This feeling causes a negative connotation to questioning social norms and change and often discourages openmindedness rather than promoting it.

Instead of starting the title of the event with “My Culture,” perhaps the SGA should have considered “Our Culture” as its start. “Our Culture” seems more inclusive and not as aggressive. There is not just one group being targeted with cultural appropriation; there are many.

Wasn’t everything just so much easier when everyone dressed up as cows, pumpkins, princesses or knights, and we did not even know what it meant to belittle a culture we knew nothing about?

Something more important to remember is that we are all Hokies here. We came here in order to make a difference. We started the Big Event to give back to our community, and we are consistently the top collegiate Relay. We get involved and we take charge. I applaud the SGA for taking initiative on a hot topic and cultivating discussion and responses.

If you have not read the Virginia Tech Principles of Community Statement recently, you should. The statement is a great guideline to follow when fellow Hokies share their opinions and speak out in support of ideas different from your own.

If you want to learn more about this event, come to Squires 341 on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. Voice your opinion. Be a part of something bigger than yourself.

CARLYN TILLAGE • senior/human development

column

Voting in local election has the potential to transform Virginia politics

“B

editor@collegiatetimes.com

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ad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.” – George Jean Nathan Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, is an important day for Blacksburg, the state of Virginia and the United States of America. Every year, we share this special day where this nation’s great citizens have their voices heard in the democratic process. One special day where we the people control not only our own destinies but those of our family and friends as well.

Sadly, though, too many Americans choose not to exercise this beautiful privilege that many men and women have died to protect.

In fact, the Pew Research Center concluded that the United States of America had a voter turnout rate of 53.6 percent during 2012, which placed us 31st overall out of 34 OECD countries (OECD stands for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, whose members are nations which exemplify high development and free elections).

In comparison, Belgium, which ranked first overall, had a voter turnout rate of 87.2 percent.

What makes this statistic even more worrisome is that this rate was associated with a presidential general election, where turnout historically has been much higher than exclusively local and state office elections, such as the one this year.

During the 2010 midterm elections, only 40.9 percent of eligible voters cast a vote. Four years later, during the 2014 midterm elections, even fewer eligible voters showed up to the polls, resulting in a 36.4 percent turnout rate, the lowest recorded in American history since the 1942 elections during WWII. However, this is not where the bad news stops. While these rates are abysmal, turnout is even worse in exclusively statewide and local elections.

With state senators holding their seats for four years and state delegates holding theirs for two, this election is a major turning point for the state of Virginia with every state legislature seat on the ballot. In the two prior elections similar in this regard, 2007 and 2011, Virginia voter turnout rates measured 30.2 percent and 28.6 percent respectively.

Going into this election, Republicans control both houses of the state legislature, holding a supermajority of 100 total seats in the House of Delegates and a much closer 21-19 edge in the Senate. Democrats, however, control the executive branch led by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring.

Quite simply, the election on Tuesday will be a defining moment for Virginian politics.

Assuming legislative control by either party has tremendous consequences. A GOP-controlled legislature means a more difficult road for Gov. McAuliffe to expand his agenda and vision for the state. A Democratic-controlled legislature, however, will help the governor push his reforms much faster and with more ease.

So how can you make a difference in this?

Step One: Educate yourself on the issues and the candidates that best represent your beliefs.

Step Two: Vote!

Every vote matters. Many Americans believe that their vote won’t change the outcome, but over the past years, we have seen many notions prove this to be false. Here, in our very own state, dismal voter turnout in 2014 almost cost Sen. Mark Warner (D) his incumbent Senate seat after being projected in some polls to win by over 10-12 percent. However, low turnout also hurt his challenger, Ed Gillespie (R).

Gillespie, although only losing by 0.8 percent of the vote, finished the election with fewer total votes than former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) who had lost to Warner in 2008 by 31.3 percent.

More locally, within the Blacksburg community, Incumbent Delegate Joseph Yost (R) has won his two previous races, in 2011 and 2013, by only 522 and 891 votes respectively.

When looking at how many eligible voters there are in Blacksburg and throughout Virginia Tech, this gap is simply a margin of error. On any given day, an election could swing between one candidate and any of the others depending on what constituency decides to show up.

Not only is voting a duty of every American citizen, but it is also one of our most sacred privileges. Across the world, millions of people are fighting and crying out, wishing for a political system where they have a say, where their opinions matter.

If you do not like the direction that our government is headed, vote for those who better represent your ideals, beliefs and values. If you truly do believe that our government is perfect and that there should be no changes made, vote for incumbents and new officials who will embody those same beliefs.

Together, we tally an Independent, a Democrat and a Republican. However, we can all agree on one simple fact: the only wrong way to vote is to not vote at all.

GAUTAM RAO, WES MORGAN, SADIE GRAY • managing editor • chairman, College Republicans at Virginia Tech • president, Virginia Tech Young Democrats

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Cadets compete in annual Army challenge at Fort Knox LIBBY HOWE Corps of Cadets beat reporter

Every year, Army ROTC cadets travel to Fort Knox, Kentucky, to compete in a series of events including shooting, grenade throwing, ruck marching, land navigation and other basic military tasks. The specific events vary year to year.

Up against 17 other teams, nine Army ROTC cadets from Virginia Tech represented Hokies proudly, completing both physically and mentally challenging exercises during the 2015 Bold Leader Challenge.

A two-day competition at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Bold Leader Challenge is an annual event between Army ROTC battalions to test abilities in small unit tactics and leadership. The series of events varies from year to year and regularly features challenges including The nine-cadet squad from Virginia Tech was determined through a tryout early in the fall. Each team must include a cadet from every Military Science class as well as a female. The tryout consisted of a five-mile ruck run with a 35-pound ruck in addition to the weight of a Kevlar helmet and vest, as well as a timed run through the Virginia Tech obstacle course and a handful of other qualifying exercises.

Once the team is determined early in the semester, chosen cadets begin training for both the physical and mental aspects of the challenge.

Roman Hatala, senior international studies major, served as this year’s Bold Leader Challenge team captain as he was one of the most experienced cadets after participating in the challenge since his freshman year.

“It’s always a lot of ruck

marching and running.

That’s the majority of what we did on the physical side,” Hatala said. “For the technical aspect, most of the events are the same every year with a few variations, but we always know generally what’s coming so that’s what we practiced.”

One event always included is the Rope Bridge. All nine cadets as well as nine cadets’ worth of gear must cross a stream using a rope bridge constructed by the cadets.

Since this is one event almost guaranteed to make an appearance during the challenge, the team dedicated time to perfecting it.

“If you don’t know how to do it, it’s hard to figure out, but once you know the technique you can really drill it down to all nine people and all the equipment across in two or three minutes,” Hatala said.

Unfortunately, a surprise switch from a static rope to a dynamic one threw off not only Virginia Tech’s strategy but many other teams’ as well. What normally took the team no more than three minutes took them 17.

“It took a lot of time, so that was a good curve ball they threw in there. It threw off a lot of teams,” said Austin Fuller, senior political science major and experienced member of the team.

Texas A&M placed first, VMI placed second, Norwich placed third, Citadel placed fourth and Virginia Tech placed fifth. The Hokies outperformed every other squad in the physically challenging aspects of the competition. (Note: A q u e s t i o n a bl e t i m i ng discrepancy may place Virginia Tech’s squad in fourth place rather than fifth once resolved.)

Virginia Tech’s squad scored the highest Army Physical Fitness Test average

overall among the 17 teams by a nine-point team average.

Fuller scored the highest single score on the male side and Hatala scored the second-highest score.

Unanimously identified as the most difficult challenge was the Commander’s Challenge, a 10K ruck march, the very last event, after four hours completing the rest of the challenge.

“We’d already been pushing out really hard for the last four hours, moving really fast. So when we found out we had to go all the way back, non-stop, it pushed us almost to our limits,” Hatala said.

Eric Lamberton, junior psychology major, added, “We were wet, we were sandy, then afterwards they tell us we’re doing a 10K for time with all of our gear. We had no idea it was coming up and it was after pushing ourselves to our limits during the rest of the events.”

This year’s Bold Leader Challenge proved to be the most physically challenging one in the past four years that both Hatala and Fuller participated in. On top of that, the team had to dip into their pool of alternates for the first time in Fuller’s experience.

“It’s very strategic. Going into it we trained together, so we know who can handle what and needs a little bit of help. A few miles into the event we were cross-loading gear just to make sure that the people we knew it would be more difficult on, we could help them out,” Fuller said.

“I thought we did really well together. Everyone got along well and everyone focused and knew what they had to do.”

Only 25 cadets attempted the initial tryout. Hatala, as team captain, had some reservations about the team’s performance, which the squad proved unwarranted.

“I was skeptical in the beginning because it was a pretty inexperienced team, but they all worked hard and did their jobs, and I had no worries by the time we went into the competition about their competence or skills,” Hatala said.

The challenge itself offered these cadets a unique experience to supplement the ROTC training they receive as Virginia Tech cadets.

“This has been the best Army ROTC training experience that we’ve had in our whole time here. It’s the best hands-on training that you’ll get, and you really can’t do it unless you’re part of this,” Fuller said.

COURTESY OF U.S. ARMY CADET COMMAND

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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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November 3, 2015 PAGE 3

collegiatetimes.com

tarting Monday we have seen a rainy and cloudy start to the week. Expect a chance of showers in the evening with them ending overnight. Lows for tonight will approach the low 50s. Tuesday we will see a chance of a morning shower with the skies partly clearing up in the afternoon. Temperatures will remain cool with a high around the low 60s.

Don’t let the clearing skies fool

you on Wednesday as we see another chance for pop-up showers in the afternoon. Temperatures will drop down into the low 50s once again with high temperatures reaching the mid-60s.

By Thursday, the rain will have passed us, bringing clear weather with a few clouds mixed in. Low temperatures will approach the low 50s overnight. During the day, expect temperatures to reach the comfortable high 60s and low 70s. Looking further into the week, Friday we’ll see another sunny day with another chance of showers as we make our way into the weekend.

NICK MILLER • weather correspondent • @HOKIEwxWATCH

Screening guidelines for women 40+ 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year

55+ should switch to mammograms every two years or have the choice to continue yearly screening

40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast mammograms

ANDREA PAPPAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech entrepreneurs named innovation finalists CANCER: Hokies relate The Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship advanced to the final round of D.C. Inno’s 50 on Fire competition.

ZACH HOOPES Pamplin beat reporter

Virginia Te c h ’s Apex Systems Center for I n novat ion a nd Entrepreneurship is creating waves and people are noticing.

A few weeks ago, the year-old program hosted the governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, for a round table discussion inaugurating the opening of the Innovate Venture Lab in Pritchard Hall. The program was also highlighted recently in a DC Inno article entitled, “How Virginia Tech Will Lure Student Innovators Away From Stanford and MIT.” The program is now getting even more of the limelight as it makes the finalist round in DC Inno’s 50 On Fire. The 50 On Fire competition is a program built to recognize “inventors, disrupters, luminaries and newsmakers, DC Inno’s 50 on Fire celebrates visionary individuals and companies across DC’s top industries,” according to the competition’s website. By this stage, there are 150 companies and individuals left in the competition. The final 50 winners of the competition will be announced on Dec. 10.

While the center is not sure how it made it on the list, it certainly is exciting recognition.

“I think that (the governor’s visit) was the first time we really got on their radar, and then I think they started digging a little deeper and realizing, ‘Wow, this group is doing a lot of incredible things.’ So we are just excited that we are part of that list,”

said Derick Maggard, the executive director for Apex CIE. “Win or lose, there are some amazing companies and amazing organizations on that list, so just to be recognized is a huge win for us.”

The Apex CIE is one of 18 finalists in DC Inno’s education category, and its nomination is one more notch in the belt of the fledgling program that has created incredible success in the past year. Maggard credits the success largely to the authenticity the program has maintained.

“One thing that separates Virginia Tech from every other university is that we are not building programs based on what we think is needed.

We are building programs off of what industry people have told us that they need and based off of what students want, and so what that allows is just lots of happy people,” Maggard said. “So the energy is dynamic, it is palpable … and when you have that kind of energy, then everything else just falls into place.”

According to a preliminary poll, Innovate, the Apex Center’s Living-Learning Community, is expecting up to 90 percent student retention in the program this coming year. One factor in this exceptional number is the environment that the Apex center has created, engaging students as essential contributors for the center.

“The same way that we are running the center as a startup … they are basically part of this, they are pioneers in this journey,” Maggard said.

The Apex center has been working to establish and

grow relations with firms in the D.C. and Northern Virginia areas.

“Ap ex Cent er for Ent repreneu rsh ip a nd Innovation has a huge relationship with a lot of companies and a lot of organizations up in that area,” Maggard said. “D.C. is just a natural place for us to have that partnership and that exposure.”

Each semester students from the Apex center embark on an “entrepreneur trek,” making the drive up to D.C. to meet with startups and other firms with Hokie alumni to learn about companies, get some exposure and do some networking. Other “entrepreneur treks” have included Boston and New York City.

As the center expands the programs and initiatives it offers, Virginia Tech will continue to increase its influence and presence in the entrepreneurial community.

Like any great entrepreneur, Maggard realizes and appreciates the whole team that has helped the Apex CIE get where it is today.

“We are excited about the nomination, but we are also so thrilled because this is not a single nomination for Apex CIE, this is a nomination for Virginia Tech as a whole,” Maggard said. “ … and it directly reflects the leadership and administration of the University, and it directly correlates with the students that are here. We cannot do this alone … it takes a village.”

@zkhoopes

Student thrown from bike after being struck by car LAUREN PAK news staff writer

A student driver hit a student biking across a crosswalk on Monday, Nov. 2, at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Prices Fork Road. The cyclist, Tyler T hompson, a ju n ior computer science major, did not sustain serious injuries at the scene and declined medical attention.

Thompson was following pedest r ians across the crosswalk from campus towards The Edge Apartment Homes when his bike was hit by a car in the right lane driving towards the intersection.

“I go this way every day; every single day,” Thompson said. “I ride bikes on the trails, on the road, and this is the first time I got hit. She totally didn’t see me at all.”

Thompson was thrown over the handlebars of the bike and landed on his shoulder but was unsure if he hit the car or the ground.

Thompson estimated the incident will cost a total of $700 in replacements, $600 for the bike and $100 for the jacket.

“I wait every time until the light’s blinking, and they say to wait until the

LAUREN PAK / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Junior Tyler Thompson stands by his bike after being hit by a vehicle on Prices Fork Road on Nov. 2, 2015. lights are blinking at the crosswalk, so I wait,” Thompson said. “I saw the first person stop, and it was like, ‘Well, the first person stopped, so surely the next person’s going to stop in the next lane, but I guess they didn’t see me or whatever, so I don’t know.”

Students had been walking in front of and behind Thompson when he was hit. He agreed that a pedestrian walking next to his bike would have likely been hit. Moving forward,

Thompson does not plan to take extra caution.

“I’m really not hurt too bad,” Thompson said. “It really is supposed to be somewhere people can cross safely and not have to worry about getting hit.

I wasn’t doing anything illegal, so I don’t see why I should change what I was doing in a safe place.”

This is the second recorded bike accident this year after the death of Mark Slough, fueling concer n over sa fety.

According to the Code of Virginia, bikers at crosswalks have the same rights and responsibilities as pedestrians. Virginia Tech Police encourages bikers to dismount at crosswalks.

“Stuff happens, so I’m not going to get all mad at her or whatever,” Thompson said. “But stuff happens; it’s just like everyday life. It’s a Monday, right?”

The Vi rginia Tech student who was driving declined to comment at the scene, and Blacksburg Police was unavailable for comment.

@lauren_pak

personal experiences from page 1

is unaware of. Changing these attitudes will take a long time and people are engrained with a certain way of thinking; it is hard to change their way of thinking,” Fogel said.

An important caveat to note for the updated regulations is that this is for average-risk women only. High-risk women need to have a completely separate conversation with their doctors. High risk factors, according to the ACS, include BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene, Li-Fraumeni s y n d r o m e, C owd en synd rome, Ba nnaya nRiley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, a first-degree relative with one of these syndromes, family history and chest radiation exposure between the ages of 10 and 30. The ACS guidelines for highrisk women are currently in the process of being updated.

Katelyn Meade, a junior and multimedia journalism major, has seen firsthand the effects of breast cancer.

Her mother, R honda Galatis, at age 49 was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer that was caught early due to a mammogram.

“I think mammograms are so important,” Meade said. “If it weren’t for my mom getting her yearly mammograms, who knows what would have happened.

For all I know, if she hadn’t been getting her yearly mammograms, then she wouldn’t be here today.”

Both Meade and her mother have some reservations about the updated regulations.

“I would rather get a mammogram and get a false positive and biopsy it to find out that it is not cancer than never get a mammogram at all. I think that it is always better to know what is going on in your body and to know your risks. It is something so simple that you can do that does so much,” Meade said. “My mom was extremely lucky because she got mammograms every year. Yeah, she does fit the age range where she was supposed to be getting them every year, but if it had developed five years later and she was only getting them every two years, this cancer could have been at stage three or even four before they found it.”

Even t houg h he r mother’s cancer was caught at such an early stage, she still had to have surgery and 25 rounds of radiation.

To Meade, breast cancer is more than just awareness, it is something that she has seen her mother go through and something that she does not want others to have to experience.

“I feel like breast cancer has been turned into a cutesy thing. It’s not cute.

It’s not pretty. It’s not all nice and pink. It’s not all ‘save the boobies,’” Meade said. “It’s real, and it’s hard.

It’s not fun and rosy. It hurts.

I have never seen my mom in that much pain before.”

M e a d e, who is considered a high-risk

candidate, is starting her yearly mammograms next year when she is 21. She strongly encourages getting mammograms as early as possible for all women and not just for high-risk patients.

“It is so much more than statistics. Just because you have a higher chance of it after 45 doesn’t mean that you have no chance of it before 45,” Meade said. “It is still a one-in-eight chance that a woman will develop breast cancer in her life, and that is the only statistic that matters.”

The research process is ongoing and has not stopped since the 2003 study. Research continues as new information is being discovered and better methods are being used.

With no set date for new research to be published, the ACS says that research will be published as new discoveries are made.

“

Breast cancer has been turned into a cutesy thing. It’s not cute ... It hurts.

I have never seen my mom in that much pain before.”

Katelyn Meade Daughter of a survivor

The American Cancer Society is an organization that is no stranger to the Virginia Tech campus.

The ACS event Relay for Life has been at Virginia Tech for 15 years and has been the largest collegiate Relay since 2009. The organization works all yearround to raise money and awareness. On Oct. 15, it set up a breast cancer booth to raise awareness for the campus.

“We are getting lot of good feedback. A lot of people are signing up for Relay. A lot of people are donating. A lot of people are getting aware of what we’re doing and getting aware of what month it is,” said Juliana Leckszas, a junior human development major and communications executive for Relay for Life at Virginia Tech.

“A lot of people just see, ‘Oh! Football players are wearing pink. Okay cool.’

It is kind of cool that we get help in their information and their knowing of what is going on around campus and why everyone is wearing pink this month.”

Due to her involvement with Relay for Life, Leckszas has talked to many people who have been affected by breast cancer.

“We start out executive meetings every week with a mission moment. One person on exec every single meeting starts off with a story about how they have been affected by cancer.

One of our exec members started off our meeting talking about how her mom just got diagnosed with breast cancer. So many people that walk around us — their family members, their friends, everyone

is affected by cancer,” Leckszas said.

The ACS is more than a research and awareness program. It also helps to raise money and provide support for people battling cancer and their families.

Both Leckszas and her committee within Relay are working on a personal stories email campaign to help raise awareness.

The campaign, starting in November, will feature Leckszas’ sorority sister’s story about how her mother passed away last year from lymphoma as the first story.

Relay for Life is not the only campus group focused on the fight against breast cancer. The sorority alpha Kappa Delta Phi is also dedicated to breast cancer awareness.

“The biggest thing is to raise awareness by promoting and showing that breast cancer is present. It’s not something hush-hush under the table,” said Julie Lang, a senior majoring in international studies and president of alpha Kappa Delta Phi. “People are affected, their mothers, sisters, daughters, relatives, friends. It definitely affects everyone’s life either directly or indirectly.”

All of the girls in this sorority play an active role in both raising awareness and raising money for research. Partnering with the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, the goal for this small sorority of 15 girls is to raise $2,000 this year.

“Like any other diseases out there, breast cancer is very serious and everyone should have at least some knowledge of it,” Lang said.

“They shouldn’t just brush it aside because they think that it is just for a woman.

Men are affected by it too whether they have breast cancer themselves or their family member has breast cancer.”

Another on-campus breast cancer awareness supporter is Zeta Tau Alpha. Its philanthropy is Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. It has trademarked the phrase “Think Pink” and has partnered with 23 National Football League teams to distribute “Think Pink” ribbons to 680,000 fans. It also fundraises locally with the Crown Classic, last year raising approximately $17,000.

Since 1989 mammography has allowed for breast cancer deaths to drop 35 percent, according to the ACS. “It is so important that once you start feeling wrong and that something is wrong inside of you, you need to go get it checked out because even though you want to write it off, it could be something as bad as cancer,” Leckszas said.

“You need to get it checked out because it is your life on the line, and it is your loved ones worrying about you.

Early detection is the key to saving your life, and it’s very important.”

@ashleymwills

PAGE 4 November 3, 2015

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EDITORIAL: Beamer impacted Tech on and off the field from page 1

COURTESY OF HOKIE SPORTS

Coach Frank Beamer and his wife Cheryl address the media at a press conference following Beamer’s decision to retire at the end of the 2015 season. Beamer has received waves of support from people involved with the Virginia Tech football program after his official announcement regarding the end of his 29-season tenure as head coach.

Beamer reminisces on the end of an era Frank Beamer announced that he will be retiring as head coach after this season. In an emotional press conference, Beamer reflected on his time with Virginia Tech.

FAIZAN HASNANY sports editor

The impact that Frank Beamer has had on Virginia Tech can’t merely be quantified by numbers and his on-field accomplishments. The emotional atmosphere at Beamer’s retirement press conference, which consisted of several watery eyes from the players, staff and family in attendance, elucidated that the legendary Virginia Tech football icon will be missed for so much more.

“He is who he is. Honest, caring and respectful,” Beamer stated frankly when asked how he would like to be remembered. These three traits were put on display incessantly throughout Beamer’s 29-year tenure and have been engrained in the culture that he has created not just within the football program but throughout the University.

That honesty and transparency with the people around him is what led to the somewhat spontaneous timing of the announcement.

“I’ve always wanted to be honest when I know something,” Beamer said.

“I’m not very good at keeping a secret, No. 1, and No. 2, I don’t want to. I feel my players and coaches deserve to know what’s going on, and to me it was the right thing to do right now.”

The relationships and interactions that Beamer has had with people personally is ultimately what has drawn so much appreciation from current and former players, coaches, fans and everyone else he has impacted throughout his career.

He attributed his accomplishments and the results he has been able to produce to

those relationships.

“I know the biggest part of this business and the way you get results is relationships and caring about people genuinely,” Beamer said. “This group of players and coaches made it easy, but caring and relationships is what I will miss the most.”

Fullback Sam Rogers and defensive end Ken Ekanem took the stage after Beamer to share their thoughts and share some of their personal experiences with Beamer, giving more of an insight as to how he conducted his business and the kind of person he was.

“When I was getting recruited my junior year, I came here and sat in his office, with him and Bud (Foster), and he just kept telling me how there’s a family atmosphere and ‘no one else will take care of you like we will,’ and at that moment he said, ‘We’ll honor your scholarship regardless of what happens, of what injury happens or whatever may happen to you,” Ekanem said. “In my senior year in one of my football games, I tore my ACL. He sent Bud over, and Bud emphasized that Beamer would still honor my scholarship when a lot of schools didn’t and a lot of schools backed down.”

“Coach Beamer was really the only coach to give me a chance, and he just means so much to me, and it goes far beyond football,” said Rogers, who came to Tech as a walk-on and has since become one of the most highly regarded team leaders.

The dedication to his players and their respective futures has not only been apparent in the 100 percent senior

graduation rate since 2012 and the 93 players who have been drafted into the NFL but also the dedication and tenacity that his players reciprocate on the field.

Over the years Hokies fans have become accustomed to and have grown to expect “Beamerball,” a hard-nosed brand of football that embodies the culture Beamer has established, which has remained a constant regardless of any ups and downs that the team has had in recent years.

“Our record right now isn’t quite what we wanted, but it’s not from lack of effort,” Beamer said. “As far as coaching players and the relationships, I don’t think that’s changed at all.”

With great facilities, staff, a winning culture and a devoted fanbase, Beamer will leave the program in excellent shape going forward for whoever the successor might be.

“One thing I take great pride in is that it this is a very attractive job, the facilities and ability to compete, we leave it in good shape,” Beamer said. “We leave some fantastic players, some really good young players who have developed, and the future is bright, and I take pride in that we aren’t leaving it in a bad way.”

The Hokies still have three games to go this season, and the focus has now been turned on sending Beamer off on a positive note in addition to extending the 22-season bowl streak.

“I think it gives us more incentive to win out for him and send off this legend in the right, proper way,” Ekanem said. @FaizanCT

after b owl ga m e, including the magical run in 1999 when Tech played in the BCS National Championship Game.

Tech moved into the ACC in 2004 and proceeded to win the conference four out of the next six seasons. Lane Stadium expanded several times under Beamer’s watch. Since Beamer took over the program, 13,132 seats have been added.

Additionally, the South End Zone was built up and a new press box was constructed.

Those numbers does not even begin to express how much the program has changed under Beamer.

Before Beamer, Virginia Tech football did not mean much of anything to anyone outside of Blacksburg.

Now, it is a nationally renowned program with state-of-the-art facilities and a large, widespread fanbase. Tech fans generally travel to nearby places like Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.

Not only has Beamer cha nged the football program, his success and leadership have grown the university. The football program has brought Virginia Tech an immeasurable amount of publicity and attention. The school has changed drastically since 1986, adding thousands of students and growing the campus building by building.

Beamer’s leadership off the field may be best exemplified by the way the campus looked up to him after the tragic shootings in 2007.

“What’s so amazing about this is that it’s so the opposite of what this place is every day,” Beamer told USA Today after the shootings. “The calmness, the caring, the friendliness, and this was just totally the opposite, and all those innocent people who died, it’s just … My mission right now is that we’re not going to let one person come here and destroy what happens here every day. We will not; we absolutely will not. We cannot.”

Beamer’s impact is more than just stats and figures. He took over a reeling football program fresh off of sanctions that placed Beamer at a big disadvantage. He built it from the ground up, and now the team competes for bowl

berths every season.

Sure, the team has not been as competitive as fans would have hoped. There have been calls for Beamer to leave the program.

Beamer, true to his personality, finally agreed it was time.

“The last thing I want is for Hokies to be divided,” Beamer said. “I want everyone to be in the same direction, and I think it’s

“

The last thing I want is for Hokies to be divided. I want everyone to be in the same direction, and I think it’s right in that regard and so I think this is the right time.”

Frank Beamer Head Coach

right in that regard, and so I think this is the right time.”

Beamer has given so much to the University and to the town of Blacksburg.

None of us even remember Virginia Tech without Beamer. We all remember the blowout win over No. 2 Miami in 2004 in Lane Stadium. We remember the amazing comeback against Nebraska in 2008. We remember Danny Coale’s catch that was not a catch in the Sugar Bowl against Michigan in 2012, and who could forget the 2014 upset against the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe?

We remember everything that Beamer has done for Virginia Tech. Without him, our experiences as Virginia Tech students would not be what they are today. The opportunities we have at the Collegiate Times because of Virginia Tech football are endless, and we are forever thankful.

When asked how he would like to be remembered, Beamer said, “He is who he is. Honest, caring and respectful.”

We will remember him for all of those things and so much more.

From all of us at the Collegiate Times, thank you Frank. @CollegiateTimes

Volleyball taken down by Miami and No. 16 Florida State JOSH WILETS volleyball beat reporter

This past weekend, the Hokies were defeated by Miami in a 3-2 heartbreaker (22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 17-25, 13-15) and were also swept

by No. 16 Florida State 3-0 (17-25, 21-25, 15-25).

In the first set, Katie Krueger a junior outside hitter, made her first career start for the Hokies and put them ahead 1-0 on a kill to kick it off.

“Katie was playing for us last weekend, and we started in that situation based on matchups. We were trying to get Lindsey (Owens) in front of Olga (Strantzali). Katie has been playing great, but it was more based on matchups,” Head Coach Chris Riley said.

Later on in the set, Lindsey Owens recorded an emphatic kill, which was her 1,000th career kill.

In the late stages of the first set, the Hokies rallied with a 3-0 run, but that was not enough to outlast Miami. Miami took the first set by the score of 25-22.

Miami’s Haley Templeton contributed with 12 assists in the first set, and Kalysta White added five digs.

For the Hokies, Rhegan Mitchell added six assists while Kyra Coundourides chipped in with four assists of her own. Amanda McKinzie struggled, committing three attack errors and only racking up two kills.

Virginia Tech took the second set 25-19.

The Hurricanes committed six attack errors, leading to their

0.143 attack percentage in the set, compared to the Hokies, who committed just four attack errors and owned an attack percentage of 0.353.

With the match knotted up at 1-1, Miami and Virginia Tech were both trying to find the chance to pull ahead.

Virginia Tech started off the third set with a bang, taking a 3-0 lead early on. The Hokies took off, leading 11-5 thanks to an 8-3 run.

Tech took set number three by the score of 25-16.

The Hurricanes committed seven attack errors and only tallied nine kills in the third set. Miami owned an attack percentage of 0.095 for the set. To put that into perspective, Virginia Tech committed just four attack errors in the set and tallied 13 kills, leading to the Hokies holding a 0.391 attack percentage.

Miami took an early 6-2 lead in the fourth set, thanks to a 4-0 run.

Despite a late rally by Virginia Tech, Miami was able to hold off the Hokies and win the fourth set by the score of 25-17.

In the fourth set, Miami racked up digs left and right. Kelsie Groot and Strantzali both recorded four digs apiece while White added eight digs in the set. Templeton chipped in with 14 assists in the fourth set, which was a big reason why Miami took the fourth set.

With the match knotted 2-2, the Hokies and Hurricanes were looking to gain an early edge in the fifth set.

Scoring was back-and-forth until the very end of the set. Virginia

Tech had a 13-9 lead, but the Hokies were unable to hold off Miami. The ‘Canes went on a 6-0 tear to take the set and match.

The Hokies committed just 23 attack errors in the match, averaging 4.6 errors per set, which is an improvement over the past stretch for the Hokies.

“We have worked hard on being able to be in control and take good swings,” Riley said.

Despite working on those attack errors, some late errors came at a terrible time, late in the last set.

With the win, Miami improved to 15-6 (8-3 ACC) and Virginia Tech fell to 14-9 (5-6 ACC).

The Hokies battled all night but were unable to pull out a win against the Hurricanes.

“We did a lot of things really well,” Riley said. “It stinks when you put in all the effort and you’re right in that situation where it was about to pay off. We have to build on that. We did so many things well.”

On Sunday, the Hokies took on No. 15 Florida State, which had just received its first ACC loss against Pittsburgh.

Florida State went on a 6-0 run in the middle of the first set to take a 17-9 lead. Tech was unable to mount enough of a comeback to win the set, and the Seminoles won the first set 25-17.

For Florida State, Mercedes Vaughn recorded five kills while Hailey Luke and Cecilie Woie both added five digs in the set. Luke also chipped in with six assists.

The second set really started to swing towards Florida State in the

early stages, thanks to a 9-1 run to take a 13-6 lead.

Bryan recorded five kills in the set and Mitchell added six assists for Virginia Tech. The Hokies committed eight attack errors in the second set, which cost them the chance for the win of the set.

In the third set, the Seminoles went on a 10-3 run to end the set and pull away from Virginia Tech.

Florida State won the set 25-15 and the match 3-0.

In the match, McKinzie struggled, committing six attack errors while recording just five kills.

As a team, the Hokies averaged seven attack errors per set, which is far too many.

“It’s a little disheartening; we had opportunities. They were so much bigger than us that it was really hard

for us to get around their block,” Riley said. “We had some moments when good things happened, but they were way better than us tonight.”

With the win, Florida State improved to 18-5 (11-1 ACC) and with the loss, Virginia Tech fell to 14-10 (5-7 ACC).

The Hokies hit the road this coming weekend to face Notre Dame and Louisville.

“I know Notre Dame is not playing great, but everyone is good at home, so we’ve got to be able to answer the bell from a competitive standpoint,” Riley said. “I don’t know that we did that tonight.”

@josh_wilets

LOREN SKINKER / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Florida State’s middle blocker Melanie Keil (21) hits around Tech player Cara Cunningham’s (3) block, Nov. 1, 2015.

PAGE 6 November 3, 2015

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

Highway 55 to CROWN: Mitchell and Fernandez open Nov. 16 talk Tech, community service LAUREN PAK lifestyles staff writer

Highway 55, a North Carolina-based 50s diner chain specializing in burgers, shakes and fries, will open in Blacksburg on Monday, Nov. 16.

The restaurant, located near the Math Emporium, is undergoing its final touches.

“Virginia Tech had a lot to do with it,” Don Downard, president of Highway 55 said. “Virginia Tech, we know, is a good school.

My brother went to school there and so does my niece, but we didn’t expect to have such highly qualified people applying for these positions.”

Fifties music will set the atmosphere with vintage movie posters and Elvis records decorating the walls.

The chain has more than 50 restaurants concentrated in the southern United States and three international restaurants in Denmark and the United Arab Emirates.

Blacksburg is one of the two in Virginia. The other is located in Virginia Beach.

“It’s a really, really good community,” Downard said.

“We felt like it was a place that not just people traveling through would want to eat; it’s a place where the local population would want to eat and not feel like they have to eat the same thing every time they come in.”

The menu features burgers, wings, sandwiches and desserts, including their signature custard, which is made into concretes and floats. Other highlights include the pimento cheeseburger and the John Boy & Billy chicken sandwich.

“Highway 55 has what I believe is probably the best custard you’ll have anywhere,” Downard said.

“I always equated custard

with soft serve ice cream, but I’ve learned from Highway 55 that real custard is actually better than ice cream because it has a higher cream content.”

If a customer can complete the Five-Five Challenge, by finishing a 55 oz. burger with at least four toppings, fries and a 24 oz. drink in less than 30 minutes, the meal is free.

“It’s a big, sloppy mess that you don’t want to eat in the car,” Downard said.

“They have competitions in North Carolina where professionals come in to do this, and a woman actually owns the title, and she’s not even a big woman. She did the whole thing in less than three minutes.”

The diner will host a contest to win a free burger every week for a year upon opening (details unconfirmed). Loyalty cards, eligible for all purchases of at least $4.99, can amount to a custard or a full meal.

“One of my goals as the human resources person is to work around students’ schedules because school is more important,” said Lynda Downard, the director of operations and wife of Don Downard. “I know some businesses can’t do that, but we are certainly going to do our very best to work around students’ schedules so that they have the opportunity to learn and work from that, but at the same time, they really are here for school.”

Downard is optimistic but plans for future challenges, specifically holidays when a majority of students leave Blacksburg. The restaurant hopes to become involved with student organizations at Tech as well as the on-campus community.

@lauren_pak

from page 1

bigger was really what sold me on Homecoming,” Mitchell said.

Before they could enact their service, the two first had to win the election.

Old campaign strategies wouldn’t be effective for the new, service-based one.

Fernandez said one of the best strategies she found while campaigning was just being present to talk about her cause, as opposed to so many candidates in the past who showed their faces only on their marketing.

“People have a face, they have a personality to put with this candidate they keep hearing about,” Fernandez said. “Passing other people’s booths, you’d hear, ‘Let me tell you about our cause, we’re really passionate about this.’”

“Being able to have those personal interactions will always trump anything you could post with a status or a tweet,” Mitchell said.

“This year, the reason why so many people voted is because so many people had these interactions with us.”

That all culminated in last Saturday’s homecoming football game, during which the winners of the election were announced. Mitchell and Fernandez had plenty to be nervous about, but their biggest hurdle? The twosecond delay between the on-field action and the video screen.

“I’m standing there, and I see (Timothy Sands, university president) say my name before I hear it.

There’s kind of a moment of disbelief as I see the words form on his mouth,” Mitchell said.

From then on, the candidates only had to get through their pre-written speeches (though no one was told

the winner beforehand).

Whether they remember what happened is a different story.

“I honestly could not tell you what I said in front of that microphone,” Mitchell said.

“I go over to say the speech, and of course they warn you about the twosecond delay,” Fernandez laughed. “There’s footage of it, and it’s really unfortunate … but I said the first line, and then I heard it come back, and I made this really shocked, disgusted face.”

On top of that, Fernandez joked how it was a struggle for her to stay standing.

“It’s a running joke in my family that I’m very clumsy,” Fernandez said.

“My mom and my sister had a running bet that I was going to (fall), so that was on my mind.”

If this were any other year, that would be the end of it. The winners would take their crowns and sashes and go, perhaps making a couple of appearances at sporting events while the bouquets they were given slowly wither on their kitchen tables.

However, the community service platform gives the king and queen a newfound sense of longevity on Virginia Tech’s campus.

“Now t hat we’r e accountable for this platform, we want to be open to the Virginia Tech community for suggestions for our platforms or if somebody needs a voice to help get their cause out there,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell’s project helps soldiers adjust to civilian life through a charity called The Mission Continues, which works to channel soldiers’ intensity into continued service, rather than leaving them to transition on their own.

“The American public doesn’t always know or doesn’t as easily relate to the war experience of the modern soldier,” Mitchell said. “Being involved in the Army ROTC and the Corps, that’s not a reality I get to look away from. I see some of the struggles veterans have coming back and adjusting and transitioning back into civilian life.”

It’s no coincidence that The Mission Continues was founded by Eric Greitens, author of this year’s common book, “The Heart and the Fist.” Mitchell said the book had a huge impact on him and was a major influence on his platform.

Mitchell will present his $1,000 winnings to Greitens when he comes to campus on Thursday for a lecture.

In the spring, he and others will put together an obstacle course for civilians, with proceeds going to The Mission Continues.

Fernandez, meanwhile, wants to combat food insecurity in Blacksburg by launching a community garden. People will be able to receive fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden at no cost. The idea came to her while having a candid talk with a close friend.

“It started off as a normal conversation, but it led into how she wasn’t able to afford more than one to two meals a day,” Fernandez said. “All these other expenses (tuition, rent, car payments) seemed a lot more demanding than the money she could allot to more food.”

While other community gardens in the area haven’t seen success, Fernandez hopes her homecoming support will give the garden the lasting power it needs.

She’s currently researching whether she wants to revamp an old garden or start anew.

The garden will work

on an honor system, but upkeep will come from local agricultural organizations and volunteers.

Fernandez hopes people who take from the garden will feel more inclined to give back through service of their own. She also hopes to work alongside other groups fighting food insecurity like 209 Manna Ministries and Campus Kitchen.

Conditions for homecoming require that both programs be carried out by the close of spring semester, but the king and queen aren’t procrastinating – they’ve already started planning.

While this particular homecoming week is in the books, both Mitchell and Fernandez see community service as a positive direction for the event. It’s even permeated how they interacted with people who should have been their competition.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that we won’t be the only ones that people will see coming next semester.

I think there’s going to be a lot of good work that’s going to come out of these 16 individuals,” Mitchell said. “I know I’m a better person because of this experience, and I think a lot of that has to do with being able to interact with phenomenal people.

You learn so much about yourself from them.”

It is a new homecoming tradition like this that really exemplifies Ut Prosim, serving the community and the university itself.

“There are so many ways you can make this university better than it already is,” Fernandez said, “just by being passionate about something and pursuing that passion.”

@MaybeNotPayton