2016 Wrap Up: Dec. 5, 2016

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December 5, 2016

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Classmates recall top Trump strategist Steve Bannon, Virginia Tech Class of 1976, was recently named President-elect Donald Trump’s chief strategist. Bannon served as SGA president from 1975 to 1976 amid mixed reviews from his peers.

LINDSEY GROOMS news reporter

Decades prior to becoming Presidentelect Donald Trump’s pick for White House chief strategist and senior counselor, Steve Bannon was the student government president at Virginia Tech from 1975 to 1976.

Ever since the announcement that he would serve as chief strategist, opponents have labeled Bannon as anti-Semitic, misogynistic, racist and homophobic.

According to Mike McLaughlin, one of Bannon’s two opponents in the 1975 student government election, the media could not be getting it more wrong.

“The rumors I have heard in the media

that Steve Bannon is some kind of monster with unacceptable ideas about race or religion do not square with the Steve Bannon I remember. He was open to ideas from all people — a friendly, regular guy,” McLaughlin said.

Furthermore, Mark Krivoruchka, Bannon’s former roommate and friend, found him to be a good conversationalist. “(He) enjoyed debating and discussions. We shared a common desire to open our student policies and get student input,” Krivoruchka said. “I know that was important to us at that time.”

Jeanne Centracchio DaDamio, a member of the class of 1975, was in SGA during her time as an undergraduate;

COLLEGE MEDIA SOLUTIONS . . . . . . . . 231-9860 Creative Director: Hannah Murray Creative Staff: Richie Parks and Matt Cox solutions.collegemedia.com advertising@collegemedia.com 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 Monday and Thursday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. 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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Student Government Association President Steve Bannon speaks at an SGA meeting (found in the 1976 Bugle).

she served as a senator her freshman and sophomore years, SGA secretary her junior year and SGA vice president her senior year.

DaDamio is not surprised by what Bannon has become.

“During his campaign and after his win, he was known for the same controversial style as he is today,” DaDamio said.

According to an April 1975 Collegiate Times article, the incumbent SGA president Gary Clisham broke precedent to denounce Bannon’s candidacy.

“It has in the past been somewhat of a precedent for the incumbent president not to endorse a successor; however, in this presidential race, some candidates have resorted to such low tactic of misinforming and misrepresenting the student body, I must intervene,” Clisham told the Collegiate Times. “(Bannon) has immense charisma, but lacks the ability to keep his head geared in any one particular direction long enough to accomplish anything.”

Despite the attempt of his predecessor to depict him as unideal, Bannon was able to rake in 2,676 votes — giving him a landslide margin of 1,596 votes.

Bannon, an SGA insurgent, had been a member for only a little over five months.

In the race, he defeated Marshall DeBerry, who had been a part of SGA for three years.

After leaving Virginia Tech, Bannon went on to join the Navy as a surface warfare officer for seven years. He was stationed at the Pentagon during Ronald Reagan’s first term as president, where he was appointed the special assistant to the chief of naval operations. While he was there, he took the opportunity to get a Master’s degree in national security studies from Georgetown University, and later attended Harvard Business School to obtain an MBA. Ac c o r d i ng to a Blo o m b e r g Businessweek profile, Bannon landed a job at Goldman Sachs after graduating from Harvard.

“The camaraderie was amazing,” Bannon told Bloomberg. “It was like being in the Navy, in the wardroom of a ship.”

“

I never heard Steve say anything nasty or racist about anybody or anyone. He was a deep thinker and sometimes introspective about things — he always got along with people very well.”

@lindsey_grooms

ASHLEY WILLS mulitmedia editor

Virginia Tech recently became the first university to become part of a long-standing presidential tradition. The university received a special shout-out from President Obama during the yearly pardoning of the National Thanksgiving Turkey. This year’s pardoned turkeys, Tater and Tot, were saved from the abysmal fate of the typical Thanksgiving dinner, unlike most of their fellow fowls.

“And now, from the Rose Garden, Tater and Tot will go to their new home at Virginia Tech — which is admittedly a bit Hokie,” Obama said during his pardoning of the national turkey speech.

The history of pardoning turkeys during the Thanksgiving season is somewhat unclear. According to the White House Historical Association, some believe the act began with Abraham Lincoln in 1863, but others claim that Harry S. Truman began the tradition during his presidency. In the years since, it has become a yearly tradition for the president to pardon a turkey and a “vice” turkey.

“Now, Tater is here in a backup role, just in case Tot can’t fulfill his duties,” Obama said during the ceremony. “So he’s sort of like the

vice turkey. We’re working on getting him a pair of aviator glasses.”

The yearly tradition is a time for the president to give a light-hearted speech full of turkey-filled dad jokes.

“It is my great privilege — well, it’s my privilege — actually, let’s just say it’s my job — to grant them clemency this afternoon,” Obama said. “As I do, I want to take a moment to recognize the brave turkeys who weren’t so lucky, who didn’t get to ride the gravy train to freedom — who met their fate with courage and sacrifice — and proved that they weren’t chicken.”

This year, the two turkeys have a slightly different fate than the other turkeys before them. Instead of going to private farms, Disneyland or Disney World like in years past, the birds will live out the remainder of their days at Virginia Tech. The decision for the change came from the National Turkey Federation, which chooses the two turkeys who will get the national honor.

This year it decided to partner with a landgrant university to house the turkeys after the ceremony.

“It was obviously a good fit,” said Rami Dalloul, assistant professor of poultry sciences. “We have deeply rooted traditions in turkey production, and we also have a HokieBird so it worked out very well.”

The National Turkey Federation contacted the university in late September to begin the plans to bring the birds to Virginia Tech.

After several conference calls to finalize details, Virginia Tech’s Poultry Club was brought in to help set up Gobbler’s Rest, where the birds are being held.

Gobbler’s Rest, nestled inside the Livestock Judging Pavilion, features the White House with Hokie Tracks leading to the state of Virginia painted with maroon and orange.

“It was kind of a collaborative thing,” said Francesca Vogt, PR officer for the Poultry Club and biology senior. “We spent a couple solid nights prepping for them.”

After media day, followed by the official pardoning in the Rose Garden by Obama, Dalloul loaded the birds to bring them to their new home.

“We are going to keep taking care of them at least twice a day,” Dalloul said. “We are going to get them to keep interacting with people, walk around basically until they pass — this is their retirement home.”

Aside from being checked twice a day, the birds also require visits from the university’s veterinarian.

“Right now both birds look great so we see TURKEYS/ page 4

ASHLEY WILLS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

The two pardoned turkeys, Tater and Tot, enjoy a stroll outside of their new home in Blacksburg, Gobbler’s Rest.

December 5, 2016 PAGE 3

at Blacksburg’s Stonegate Apartments, has published four articles for Breitbart since January 2013. He reunites with him every couple of years. “(What the media is saying) is way overblown; it’s completely inaccurate,” Alberice said. “I never heard Steve say anything nasty or racist about anybody or anyone. He was a deep thinker and sometimes introspective about things — he always got along with people very well. He was always interested in what people were doing and what they were thinking about. We had classes together, and he was very much interested in pushing ideas and challenging ideas that people had, mainly professors.”

Alberice emphasized that Bannon only has the best interest of the American people at heart.

“He basically grew up in a working, middle-class background, and he was always interested in the things happening with the American middle-class, particularly bluecollar. That gets misinterpreted as being racist or nationalist,” Alberice said. “What Steve sees is an agenda that gets the whole country to a better than 3 or 4 percent GDP growth rate.”

Two of America’s luckiest turkeys, Tater and Tot, were chosen to live out the rest of their days at Gobbler’s Rest on Virginia Tech’s campus under the careful care and supervision of poultry scientists.

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Peter Alberice former roommate of Steve Bannon

Pardoned turkeys find home at Tech

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In 1990, Bannon and a couple Goldman colleagues left Wall Street to start a mediafocused boutique investment bank called Bannon & Co. It lasted eight years before being purchased by French bank Societe Generale. Meanwhile, Bannon began to pursue producing — his first production was “The Indian Runner,” a 1991 film directed

by Sean Penn. He has 18 credits as a producer and nine as a director/writer, according to his IMDb page.

Many conservative-leaning documentaries later, Bannon became the executive chair of Breitbart News following the death of its founder, Andrew Breitbart, in March 2012.

Peter Alberice, Bannon’s former roommate

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TURKEYS: Hokies flock to home of Tater and Tot from page 3

are going to try to continue to maintain that situation,” said Bill Pierson, professor of biosecurity and infection control and poultry medicine expert.

Despite their positions as the official presidentially pardoned turkeys, they still have to be treated like traditional commercial birds.

“The FDA sees poultry as all foodanimal species, so there is a peculiar situation with these birds in that one could consider them almost kind of like pet turkeys or mascots, and yet the Food and Drug Administration see them as food-animal species,” Pierson said. “There is a lot of restrictions in relation to the medication that can be used on these birds should we encounter any type of problem.”

The average lifespan for the birds is eight to 10 years. Pierson says that with

the proper care and treatment of the birds, a normal lifespan can easily be accomplished. In the upcoming years, besides the typical upkeep, the university’s veterinarians will be looking for possible skeletal issues or respiratory problems and make sure that the birds have proper vaccinations.

Although this is the first year for the birds to come to Virginia Tech, Dalloul says that he hopes that the relationship will continue into the future.

“There is nothing official yet, but we hope that we get them next year,” Dalloul said. “Having turkeys here actually helps us highlight the significance of what we do here for the poultry industry and agriculture in general.”

@ashleymwills

TOP 10 STORIES OF THE YEAR From revealing the Flint water crisis to playing before the largest crowd in college football history, Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg community had a busy 2016. Take a look back at the CT’s best coverage of 2016, in chronological order. Read the full piece: ctimes.com/2gEfxFS

FLINT WATER CRISIS This year kicked off with national headlines on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. When the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality dismissed reports of brown and unhealthy tap water, Flint residents turned to the Virginia Tech research team led by Marc Edwards, sparking national attention and a nationwide refocus on water infrastructure.

COMMUNITY MOURNS NICOLE LOVELL While national media outlets flocked to Blacksburg to cover the untimely death of 13-year-old Nicole Lovell, the Collegiate Times remembers the local community, the university and police coming together to mourn the tragic loss.

PROTESTORS RALLY OVER LECTURER CHARLES MURRAY Charles Murray, co-author of the best-selling book “The Bell Curve” — which argues that intelligence is linked to race and class — spoke at the Inn at Virginia Tech as part of Pamplin College of Business’ BB&T Distinguished Lectures series. Protesters accused Murray of racism and sexism, chanting and holding protest signs. Pamplin partnered with the faculty-led initiative Still Concerned to hold a counter-lecture shortly after Murray’s lecture ended.

DRONES DELIVER BURRITOS TO VIRGINIA TECH While the deliveries fell short of front-door dreams, the partnership with Google and continued leadership in drone technology was a source of pride for the research university. Plus, getting burritos from the sky was pretty cool.

BATTLE AT BRISTOL Virginia Tech football traveled to Bristol to play against Tennessee before the biggest crowd in college football history at the NASCAR racetrack-turned-football-stadium. An estimated 156,990 fans packed the stands, and pre-game festivities included a free concert featuring Sam Hunt and Jon Pardi.

LTE: RESPONSE TO THREATENING EMAIL After a threatening email was distributed to several Virginia Tech students and faculty, a Blacksburg native responded with a poetic and powerful reflection on what the threat meant to those who lived through the April 16 shootings.

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STUDENT GOES ON STRIKE FOR CONCEAL-CARRY RIGHTS Fifth-year student Ryan Martin went on a week-long hunger strike to start a conversation on allowing students to carry concealed firearms on campus. His protest at the university where the second-largest mass shooting in America occurred drew national attention, and even U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued a statement on the matter.

MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS SCORN DIPLO CONCERT NOISE EDM artist Diplo performed on the Drillfield as a reward for Virginia Tech students winning the Victoria’s Secret PINK Campus Showdown, but Blacksburg residents for miles around suffered rattling windows and a disrupted evening. Town officials lambasted the event on social media, sparking a back-and-forth discussion of the concert-turned-controversy across the internet.

TRUMP IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA: A CAMPAIGN IN THREE ACTS The Collegiate Times framed the unorthodox campaign of President-elect Donald Trump in terms of his three rallies held in southwest Virginia, each time with a new campaign manager in tow.

FUENTE LEADS FOOTBALL TO ACC CHAMPIONSHIP Head coach Justin Fuente had big shoes to fill after the legendary Frank Beamer retired after the 2015 season. Making it to the ACC Championship and heading into a bowl game with nine wins proved he was the right choice.

Working in anonymity, the Blacksburg Giver helps volunteers by hiding envelopes and encouraging a cancer survivor to speak at Relay For Life.

ALY DE ANGELUS news reporter

BBG early in the fall of 2015. His community spirit, willingness to give to others and general care toward others drove me to want to meet him,” Parks-Brisendine said. “From that point on, he began coming by my office once every two weeks checking on me. He put me in touch with the Relay executive director urging me to

“

Speaking in front of 5,000 people about having cancer and trying to be positive is mindblowing.”

Nancy Parks-Brisendine software distribution coordinator

become more involved.”

Since initial correspondence, BBG spent nine months convincing Parks-Brisendine to speak at Relay For Life last April. ParksBrisendine says that BBG was instrumental in contacting her son, a marine, as well as her other kids to attend Relay via a live video call during the event.

“The pressure to write and speak was a bit much at times. We joke about it now. My youngest daughter laughs that it took me six months and four legal pads to get it right,” Parks-Brisendine said. “Speaking in front of 5,000 people about having cancer and trying to be positive is mind-blowing.”

In Parks-Brisendine’s video, she recalls her son Alex stating that he “was lucky to grow up in the community of Virginia Tech where they shine a light in times of darkness.”

In spirit of the holidays, BBG has considered seasonal goodies such as candy canes to mix up the traditional $5 and flyer in an envelope. Per usual, envelopes are scattered across campus in hot spots like benches or taped to light poles near bus stops. Every now and then, BBG will even reveal a spot on Twitter to keep people motivated.

Parks-Brisendine hopes to see more faculty and staff become involved as well and urges the next item on Hokies’ list to Santa to be a donation for VT Relay For Life.

For more information about Virginia Tech’s Relay For Life, be sure to follow BBG on Twitter at @BBurgGiver, friend on Facebook, email at bburggiver@gmail.com or sign up for Relay on its website. @CollegiateTimes

December 5, 2016 PAGE 5

ILLUSTRATION BY ARMAHN RASSULI

With the holidays around the corner, the Blacksburg Giver moves toward social media presence for stronger participation for Relay For Life.

X discovered the BBG, who X describes as someone who faintly captures Kyle’s persona.

X believed this similarity to be a sign.

For people like X who were denied from Virginia Tech’s Relay For Life committees, the Blacksburg Giver has provided a place to honor loved ones and foster a better future for cancer research and prevention.

“In that whole interim year they are not participating, they could be helping with ideas and really helping to crystallize the fight against cancer,” BBG said. “What I did was I reached out to Virginia Tech’s Relay For Life director last year and said, ‘Give me the list.

I’ll look through it, pick some people off and have them help me do this.’ You don’t really see it as a defeat; you see it more as a new way to re-invent a mission and a new way to reach out to people, and I think I like this better.”

Adam Bloom, alum and director of Relay For Life last year, told the Collegiate Times in an email that the committee largely depends on the amount of applicants, the number of committees and the number of people qualified for the interview process. Last year, approximately 300 applications were received, and only half were accepted to join a committee.

Bloom mentions that effort has been made to include people who were not offered a spot on committees for Relay For Life in prior years; however, the varying level of commitment has often caused ineffectiveness in time management. Nevertheless, Bloom is excited that the BBG offers an outlet for others to participate in Relay For Life festivities.

“The pressure to write and speak was a bit much at times. We joke about it now. My youngest daughter laughs that it took me six months and four legal pads to get it right.”

Along with additional social media platforms, the BBG says that there has been an overwhelming tide of people who are willing to vocalize their stories. After the Collegiate Times’ first article on the Blacksburg Giver last year, Nancy Parks-Brisendine, software distribution coordinator at Virginia Tech, was inspired to meet with the BBG in person.

Since last year, the BBG has become better acclimated to social media and admits that Instagram is a struggle. With 135 followers on Twitter, the BBG has seen more progression toward flash challenges and hashtags for cyber events such as #WhyIRelayWednesday.

“I was reading a Twitter CT article about the

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On Sept. 1, 2015, just days after facing rejection from Virginia Tech’s Relay for Life committees, an anonymous presence formally known as the Blacksburg Giver took to the streets with nothing more than a sealed envelope and an open mind. One year later, the Blacksburg Giver’s notoriety has flourished.

The Blacksburg Giver attributes the heightened success to recent volunteers, sworn to secrecy who have pledged to uphold the legacy of Virginia Tech’s favorite clandestine altruist.

The Blacksburg Giver (BBG) works closely with 10 to 15 volunteers at a time, working to maintain a social media presence while inspiring change through simple acts of kindness. BBG’s proverbial “right-hand man” is just one of the many volunteers for a behindthe-scenes team that has an extraordinary story about overcoming adversity.

Due to a confidentiality agreement, all members of the Blacksburg Giver’s team must remain anonymous. This volunteer will be referred to as “X.” “I am somebody who struggles with a severe degree of anxiety disorder, depression

and other medical problems,” X said. “Coming to Virginia Tech was never an option for me if you first asked me in high school, which was really hard because this has been my dream school since I was a kid.”

With both parents, an aunt, an uncle and now a brother receiving their educations from Virginia Tech, X felt destined to experience the world as a Hokie. After X received a diagnosis of depression and hope resurfaced, X experienced a succeeding whirlwind of obstacles during senior year of high school including a broken wrist, traumatic brain injury and the loss of a grandmother on graduation day.

“My mom actually had to come pull me out of bed to go to graduation; I did not want to go,” X said. “I made (my grandmother) keep a promise to me when she first got sick that she had to make it to my graduation, granted she would have never been able to make it because she was physically bound to a wheelchair in a nursing home, so I was kept with the notion that this was her way.”

In time, X came to terms with those losses and ventured to Virginia Tech. But then a second loss hit last May when Kyle, X’s best friend and most trusted confidant, died from cancer. But once X reached Virginia Tech,

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Mystery giver, volunteers send message of hope

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The end of 2016 marks the beginning of an era for new music and old artists A review of the up-and-coming music from November 2016: the highlights, the albums to watch and the singles currently climbing the charts. John Mayer, John Legend and the Rolling Stones all make appearances this season.

PEGAH HOSSEINI

PAGE 6 December 5, 2016

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lifestyles staff writer

After a string of tumultuous events in 2016, the year is finally coming to an end, and with it has come a resurrection of albums from well-known artists. Names such as John Legend, The Weeknd and Childish Gambino have risen in the music industry once again this November.

John Legend is debuting a new single named “I Know Better,” for his upcoming album “Darkness and Light,” with his previous song “All of Me,” initially giving a name to his work. Aside from Legend’s previous album, “Love In The Future,” his new album embodies a more soulful sound than his previous works. This album features more guest artists like Chance The Rapper and Alabama Shakes, who both have the same producer as Legend.

The message of this album relates mostly to Legend’s personal life and growth, while his lyrics speak in broader terms, on a societal level, for the audience to understand. Legend’s previous album, “Love In The Future,” lyrically focused on the aspects of love and the trials and experiences associated with love.

Blake Mills of The Rolling Stone noted that the heart of the album lies in, “boldly reminding us that though darkness is abound, it is the light that will ultimately push us forward.” The album released Dec. 2, while his new single can currently be heard on Spotify and iTunes.

Aside from soul, an experienced musician in both rhythm and blues and pop, The Weeknd, has just released his new album “Starboy” for the world to hear. With producers Daft Punk and Cashmere Cat featured on his new album, his most recent single, also named “Starboy,” has made waves on top 50 radio.

There are technical differences between his previous album and

“Starboy,” which features elements from the 80s and 90s, as The Weeknd states the most influential musicians to him on this album were David Bowie and Prince. A-list musicians such as Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey and Future will be featured on The Weeknd’s new album.

“

John Mayer is fighting the tide of consistency this year ... his new album will have his usual acoustic/folk/rock vibe going, except this time around, listeners can expect a slight pop twist.”

John Mayer is fighting the tide of consistency this year. His seventh album, “The Search For Everything,” is slightly different from his other works.

With only his new single “Love On The Weekend” released, the prediction for his new album will have his usual acoustic/folk/rock vibe going, except this time around, listeners can expect a slight pop twist.

Brittany Spanos of The Rolling Stone said that, “‘Love on the Weekend’ is a return to Mayer’s pop-rock roots while retaining a bit of bluesy flair Mayer cultivated on his last several studio albums.”

The classic of rock, The Rolling Stones, released a new album on Dec. 2, “Blue and Lonesome.” The group’s new single, “Ride ‘Em On Down,” can be heard on Spotify. Considering how long The Rolling Stones have been in the music industry, the band’s genre of music can be easily predicted, since its sound has been cultivated long ago. The Rolling Stones’ new song brings back the same classic blues and rock sounds the group is known for.

The new single features Mick Jagger wailing on the harmonica, which brings the band back to its original 60s and

70s roots. Neil McCormick of The Telegraph expressed his approval of the band’s comeback stating, “This is the album any Stones fan could have wished for.”

A legend among men, Neil Young, the connoisseur of great lyricism and a master of swift song-making, has come out with a new single called “My Pledge.” Young remains in his country and folk roots while also progressing in new areas of music production.

Jon Blistein of The Rolling Stone stated that Young’s new album “is reportedly a primarily acoustic effort.”

His new album, “Peace Trail,” is set to release on Dec. 9.

Probably the most anticipated album thus far, “Awaken, My Love!,”

by Childish Gambino has already excited fans with its single release from his new album. The single, “Me and Your Mama,” adds compelling new production levels as he wails his lyrics, “This is the end of us/Sleeping with the moon and the stars/I know where you’ve been.” These lyrics show the power of his lyricism within this new record.

This has been Gambino’s most anticipated album, released on Dec. 2. With so many experimental factors introduced to his new music, Gambino showcases a new side as he embarks on a new journey in his life. Marcus J. Moore of NPR Music clearly sums up the new record stating “a dramatic leap in Glover’s creative evolution and punctuates what’s already been a stellar year for the artist.”

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(TOP to BOTTOM) Courtesy of Columbia Records, Glassnote Records, Interscope Records and Republic Records.

BRADY TICKLE movie columnist

December 5, 2016 PAGE 7

@BradyTickle

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Many of us have had to experience the awkwardness of adolescence: the raging hormones, the social stratification, the unrequited longings and the pervasive uncertainty of the future. Nadine, the protagonist of “The Edge of Seventeen,” is stuck right in the middle of this period, and she is the epitome of the angstridden social outcast.

She only has one friend in her entire high school, Krista; in addition, she has a perfect older brother that she can never live up to in the eyes of her mother, and a desperate yearning for a juvenile delinquent classmate who she feels is out of her league.

While I can safely say that I have never found myself madly in love with a future parolee, I can say that, on many levels, I was able to identify with Nadine’s struggles. This is where the strength of “The Edge of Seventeen” lies — almost anyone who has ever had an awkward high school phase can sympathize with the lead, even when she is doing and saying terrible things.

Nadine has a knack for talking too much and being overdramatic. She also stands on the firm belief that she is always right and that there is no middle ground when it comes to her view of how the world works. In her eyes, the world is an unfair place in which the pretty, stupid people get everything they want, whereas the people like her who are not graced with popularity are left to simply survive for as long as they can.

This rigidity in her belief system pushes everyone away except for her best friend since primary school, Krista.

Unfortunately, this all changes when Krista has sex with Nadine’s older brother, Darian; when Nadine walks in on them, it sends her spiraling out of control. She refuses to reconcile with Krista, and a rift grows between them.

Soon enough, the only person that Nadine has to talk to is her ornery, middle-aged history teacher Mr. Bruner, who seemingly could not care less if Nadine killed herself or not.

Have we seen similar plots before? Sure.

Can you tell pretty much beat-by-beat where this film is going to go from beginning to end?

Absolutely.

However, the saving graces here are the fleshed-out characters and the superb, often hilarious dialogue. These characters feel real,

what they say feels real, and as a result the movie is able to resonate not just with teenage girls, but with anyone who has ever felt let down by life.

This is the directorial debut of Kelly Fremon Craig (who also single-handedly wrote the script), and it indicates true potential. I have no idea what happened between the time of writing her first screenplay, “Post Grad” (which is sitting at an 8 percent on “Rotten Tomatoes”) and writing this (which is currently sitting at a certified fresh 94 percent), but Craig has done something wonderful with this film.

Of course, it helps that the actors are great all-around. Hailee Steinfeld is (pun-intended) pitch-perfect as Nadine, showing both perfect comic timing and powerful dramatic acting chops. She makes what could have been an unlikeable character a sympathetic, relatable lead; she carries the movie on her shoulders, and it is clear from her performance that she is going to cement herself as a big name in Hollywood.

Woody Harrelson steals the show as Mr. Bruner, her mean history teacher who may have more of a heart than he lets on.

Hayden Szeto is awesome as Erwin, the nice but dorky guy who has a crush on Nadine. Blake Jenner is surprisingly good as Darian, Nadine’s older brother (I say “surprisingly” because usually when someone looks as pretty as he does, acting is not required).

Kyra Sedgwick also gets in some solid moments as Nadine’s misunderstanding mother.

Finally, Haley Lu Richardson is good enough in her role as Krista, but the character is so underwritten that she really does not get a chance to shine; Krista is really only there as a plot device to push Nadine’s story forward, which is a little bit of a letdown in a film that fully realizes almost every other character.

“The Edge of Seventeen” works both as a coming-of-age comedy and as an emotionally heartfelt character study. It shows how we can let our flaws define us and conversely how we should work through our flaws to become the people we need to be.

One of its biggest accomplishments, though, is that it made me sympathize with and relate to an overdramatic teenage girl. Although that may say more about me than the movie, I give “The Edge of Seventeen” four and a half out of five stars.

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WATCH: THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN

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ILLUSTRATION BY ARMAHN RASSULI

Following the election, the divide between voters never seemed greater. However, Americans should put aside their differences and discuss their political beliefs.

column

Voters must step across the aisle as we move forward

As

I was watching the election on Nov. 8 and saw the electoral votes going to the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, my throat tightened and hands could not stop shaking. It all became real; he has become the 45th President of the United States.

Growing up in northern Virginia, I have been surrounded by a large amount of diversity and many people who helped elect our first African-American president. And as a Muslim girl, I have never personally experienced any sort of racism or oppression in my community.

So, for me to watch a candidate win who built a platform based on bigotry and sexism, it opened my eyes to the values the rest of this country holds.

I was just shocked. Not only because an unqualified candidate was going to represent my country for the next four years, but also because of the number of people who voted for him. We have underestimated the feelings of the people of this country. They want to see a

change, a change in the system and in our democracy.

“

We have underestimated the feelings of the people of this country. They want to see a change, a change in the system and in our democracy.”

Ever since the election of Trump, there has been a manifest split between Trump supporters and anti-Trump individuals expressing their distress through protests and social media. We do not have a choice to ignore this matter of election; he has won this presidency and that is something we must learn to accept. We must stand together and understand how he has come to represent our country that stands for freedom and independence.

One way to understand his win is to

simply talk about it. We cannot change Trump’s views, but we can appeal to our peers who elected him. It is not fair to generalize every single Trump supporter as a racist; instead we may try to figure out why our friend, neighbor or classmate saw him as a “lesser evil” than opposing candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump supporters should step forward and explain why they have felt so misrepresented.

Additionally, there must also be an understanding toward the anti-Trump individuals grieving over his win.

People have the right to show heartbreak over this win just as people have the right to vote for him. Due to all these votes for a candidate who has generalized multiple minority groups, these groups feel personally attacked that many individuals have agreed with his views against them. Members from these minority groups and other anti-Trump individuals have clearly expressed their feelings through protesting and social media posts.

This is exactly why voters must step forward and talk. To bridge the gap between the two sides, anti-Trump individuals must try to accept this election since that is what the country voted, and Trump supporters must try to explain how we can ignore his degrading remarks toward minorities as we are a nation which spent years diminishing racism.

We have four years ahead of us with a Trump presidency. I am hoping this win will change him to become more professional, mature and respectable, which are traits he has not shown throughout his campaign. I am living in fear, fear that this nation has split and will decline. But we cannot let the election of this president break what we have spent decades building; we must come together.

AINY AKHTAR

• regular columnist • freshman/psychology

Non-STEM majors stigmatized as ‘easy way out’

In

almost everyone ever.

Yes, psychology was relatively simpler in comparison to other subjects in high school. Yes, majoring in the field may lead to difficulties regarding scope in the workforce. And yes, I go to Virginia Tech, and I’m a psychology major. Keep the questions coming.

In an international market that is incessantly competing for lucre and economic gain, the United States is determined to stay on the court by imposing a widespread pressure on STEM education. However, this overwhelming emphasis has led many astray from the liberal arts.

According to a 2013 Statistical Analysis Report by Xianglei Chen and Matthew Soldner at the National Center for Education Statistics, students in certain non-STEM fields, such as health sciences and education, experienced higher attrition rates (56–62 percent) than those in STEM fields (48 percent). A similar pattern was shown for students who changed or switched their majors: the data presented 42 percent of education majors and 35 percent of health sciences majors switching to another area of study, as opposed to the 28 percent that switched out of STEM fields.

Growing up, we are taught to follow our

Employer at the Connection Job Fair talks to job-seeking students.

“

When students across the nation are choosing medicine over their gift for music ... it is hard to pretend that the system is not flawed.”

Those who are unsure of their plans are often looked at condescendingly, but given reassuring statements such as, “Don’t worry, you’ll have enough time to figure it out!” and, “You don’t have to know now anyway.”

However, even those who have their minds made up but plan on studying non-STEM related fields, such as performing arts or linguistics, are often times looked down upon.

It is unfortunate that society has reached the point at which we have stigmatized the humanities as a whole and stereotyped the liberal arts as “the easy way out.” When students across the nation are choosing medicine over their gift for music and engineering instead of their affinity for political science solely out of fear for their image, there is no way to pretend that the system is not flawed.

Even worse, the money-mindedness of our culture is blinding us from correlating personal achievements to success, and instead is sending millennials the message that making “big bucks” is what matters at the end of the day. A survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers showed that graduates with STEM-related degrees are expected to earn the highest average salaries in 2016. Meanwhile, those earning the greatest amounts in liberal arts fields earn approximately the same, if not lower than, employees who fall on the lowest income

spectrum for STEM fields.

While nanotechnology and biomedical engineering may be beneficial in extending the possibilities of scientific applications, that in no way undermines the importance of the liberal arts in the progression of society. Where would we be today without the teachers who spend countless hours after class to help us finish assignments that our parents proudly look at, the artists whose lyrics inspired us to pick up a new hobby or start a conversation, or the writers whose novels we delve into at late hours in the night, searching for an escape from reality?

It is imperative that we acknowledge the value that the humanities always had and will hold, not only in highly developed first-world nations, but internationally. It is in our hands to put an end to the judgment associated with the liberal arts and instead foster an open-minded environment for future generations to follow in their journey to selecting a career path.

Instead of catching students off guard once they reach the college application stage, let’s validate the idea that teenagers should chase their dreams just like they were told to when they were younger. Instead of denouncing the worth of their passions, let’s encourage students across the globe that they can truly accomplish what it is they put their minds to. Let’s redefine success to mean arriving at one’s own pursuit of happiness.

Undoubtedly, this transition will be gradual, but eventually I hope that students will exit the maze along their chosen path, one that, no matter what it may be, makes them feel confident, accepted and fulfilled walking out of school.

Have I left the maze yet? Many would say that I have just by writing this article. I would say I still have a ways to go due to the occasional moments when I worry about how strangers view me when I first introduce myself as a psychology student.

No, I may have not escaped the maze just yet, but yes, I go to Virginia Tech, and I’m a psychology major.

NISTHA DUBE

• Virginia Tech Class of 2020 • psychology

December 5, 2016 PAGE 9

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES

dreams, think outside the box, believe in the possibility of anything and everything and work to achieve whatever it is our heart desires. Soon after, we reach a point when we are expected to decide on a lifelong career path at the same time we are learning how to drive a car, improve our SAT scores, pin a boutonniere on our prom dates and walk across the stage for senior graduation.

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a world that revolves around systematic approachs, pragmatic processes and scientific advances, it is no wonder that millions find themselves lost in a maze searching for a path out, but when the only exits lead to a world of technology and statistics or gadgets and gizmos, many of us find that remaining stuck inside may be the better choice after all.

“You’re majoring in psychology? What made you choose that? I mean, wasn’t it the easy class in high school?” a family friend once asked me.

Per most students, psychology was indeed less difficult than the other AP courses offered in high school. Sure, it obviously did not involve complex equations or lengthy lab assignments like chemistry and calculus did.

“Graduating as a psychology major reduces chances of finding jobs after undergrad. At work today, we talked about how it’s one of the least recommended fields for young adults to go into,” my dad explained to my mom after unsuccessfully attempting to dissuade me from choosing the subject as my primary area of study.

“You’re going to Virginia Tech? So what’s your major, engineering?” asked ... well,

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your views [letter to the editor]

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Wrestling places third at Las Vegas Invitational Tech had a successful weekend against tough competition, bouncing back from a 19–23 loss against No. 5 Missouri last weekend.

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HUMBERTO ZARCO sports staff writer

The sixth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team finished third behind No. 4 Ohio State and No. 17 Wisconsin at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Saturday.

The tournament featured four of the top 10 teams in the country and served as a measuring stick for the Hokies, who suffered a narrow 19–23 defeat on the road at No. 5 Missouri two weeks ago.

Virginia Tech had six wrestlers reach the semifinals, the most by any team in the field.

Senior Joey Dance (No. 2) won first place in the 125-pound division to remain unbeaten this season.

The Christiansburg native defeated Edinboro’s Sean Russell for the second time this year to reach the final. Dance secured only the second Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title in program history by scoring a takedown with six seconds left in the bout, securing a narrow 4–3 decision over Ohio State’s Jose Rodriguez.

PAGE 10 December 5, 2016

Virginia Tech had six wrestlers reach the semifinals, the most by any team in the field.”

After Dominic Latona suffered a mercy rule defeat in his opening match at the 133-pound division, the Hokies responded with two straight sixthplace finishes in the 149-pound and 157-pound divisions.

Fifth-ra n ked a nd top -seeded Solomon Chishko was upset by Edinboro’s Pat Lugo (No. 8) in the quarterfinals. Chishko had defeated Lugo in a dual meet at Cassell Coliseum earlier this season. An injury in the consolation round forced him to settle for a disappointing sixth-place finish.

A sixth-place finish for Sal Mastriani

(No. 20) in the 157-pound division was anything but disappointing. Mastriani, who was unseeded, strung together four consecutive victories to reach the semifinals, which included an upset quarterfinal victory over the No. 2 seed, Army’s Russell Parsons (No. 11). His run ended at the hands of Minnesota’s Jake Short, the eventual champion.

After David Bergida suffered the Hokies’ second opening match defeat in the 165-pound division, Tech concluded the tournament with three consecutive second-place finishes.

Zack Zavatsky upset Ohio State’s Myles Martin (No. 2) in the semifinals, before suffering a mercy rule defeat against two-time national champion No. 1 Gabe Dean of Cornell. In the 197-pound division final Jared Haught (No. 3) also suffered a mercy rule defeat to Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr (No. 2).

The final of the heavyweight division was a rematch of this year’s main event bout at the NWCA All-Star Classic, where Virginia Tech’s Ty Walz (No. 3) was defeated by Wisconsin’s Connor Medbery (No. 2). In another close bout Saturday, Walz came back from a 0–2 deficit to take the lead with a takedown in the second period.

Medbery answered with a takedown of his own in the third period to send the match into sudden death overtime, where he outlasted Walz with another takedown.

The long distance travel, tournament format and national caliber competition will benefit a Virginia Tech team with national championship expectations as they continue to take steps toward the NCAA Championships in March.

The Virginia Tech wrestling team will return to action on the road against West Virginia on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m.

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Clemson center Jay Guillermo (57) snaps the ball during the Tigers’ second drive at the ACC Football Championship in the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, Dec. 3, 2016.

Hokies headed in right direction despite ACC Championship loss While Tech fell short 42–35 against Clemson, the team is headed in the right direction under Justin Fuente and will look to remain competitive.

FAIZAN HASNANY sports editor

As the Virginia Tech football team walked off the field after its 42–35 ACC Championship defeat, the sentiment toward what occurred on the field was one marked by deep ambivalence. Though the players looked visibly frustrated as they treaded toward the locker room, the thousands of Hokies fans in attendance, several of which drove about 10 hours from Blacksburg, exhibited a very different emotion: they continued to emphatically cheer their team off the field.

Tech fans, media members and college football analysts entered this season lacking any real expectations for the Hokies’ football team. The lack of expectations was due in large part to the fact that many people, myself included, simply didn’t know what to expect. Justin Fuente was entering his first season as head coach

and implementing an entirely new offense led by a new quarterback with junior college transfer Jerod Evans.

“Well, obviously we’re really proud of where we’ve come, you know nobody gave us any credit,” said Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster after the game. “We were preseason fourth or fifth in the league, but we’re here tonight.”

Due to the lack of expectations surrounding the team prior to the season, to the vast majority of spectators and followers of Virginia Tech football, just seeing the team win the division and be competitive in its first ACC Championship Game in half a decade against one of the most dominant teams in the country was more than satisfactory.

Internally, the team’s players and personnel can’t relate to that sentiment.

They expected to make progress in their first year within a new system, win the division and they expected to win this

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conference championship.

“To be honest I can’t really think about that right now, it’s a tough loss, and we really wanted to win this game for our seniors, so I’m sorry I can’t really answer that one,” said standout wide receiver Isaiah Ford when asked how he felt about the team’s progress this season.

It was an uphill battle for the Hokies throughout the game, getting off to a slow start, dealing with highly questionable penalties in pivotal situations and even getting down 35–14 in the third quarter.

However, Tech maintained its composure through it all, fighting back to bring it within one possession with just over a minute left and the ball deep in Clemson’s territory.

“

Well, obviously we’re really proud of where we’ve come, you know nobody gave us any credit.”

Bud Foster defensive coordinator

BEN WEIDLICH AND CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES

The Virginia Tech football team faced an uphill battle against Clemson, but was able to come within one touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game. The game ultimately finished 42–35 with the fourthranked Clemson Tigers claiming the ACC Football Championship at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida, Dec. 3, 2016.

December 5, 2016 PAGE 11

@FaizanCT

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The hard-nosed, unrelenting mentality to try to win the game wasn’t just apparent in the manner that the players carried themselves on the field, but also in the aggressive play calling on the Tech sideline from the first snap. In the first quarter the Hokies attempted back-to-back trick plays, first completing a fake punt on fourth and long and then drawing a pass interference on a deep pass from Sam Rogers on a running back option.

When asked if the Hokies intended on going for a two-point conversion if they had scored on their final drive, in an attempt to win the game and avoid overtime, Fuente responded with no hesitation, “Absolutely.”

There is one takeaway from the outcome of this game that almost everyone can agree upon though: Virginia Tech football is headed in the right direction, and there will certainly be expectations in place for the Hokies next season.

“We’re going to hit the ground running recruiting tomorrow, and I think the kids and recruits can see that there’s excitement ahead for Virginia Tech and we’re on the road back to be a factor in this league,” Foster said.

“And I think if you’re a factor in this league, you’ve got a chance to be a major player in the national picture.”

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Ahmed Hill (13) and Zach LeDay (32) react after LeDay’s dunk while preparing to play defense against High Point in Cassell Coliseum, Nov. 15, 2016.

BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech redshirt-senior Zach LeDay dunks on a freshman High Point forward during the first half of the game Tuesday night in Cassell Coliseum, Nov. 15, 2016.

The transformation of Virginia Tech’s Zach LeDay The 6-foot-7 redshirt senior has proven himself to be an integral member of Tech’s lineup since his debut with the Hokies in 2015.

PAGE 12 December 5, 2016

ROBERT FLETCHER sports staff writer

After two seasons as a South Florida Bull, where he averaged just under 16 minutes of play and a measly 4.15 points a game, few could have predicted the rise of PF Zach LeDay. From the little-used big man to go-to scorer and key cog of the up-and-coming Virginia Tech Hokies, LeDay has defied expectations.

“This is my 23rd year as a Division I coach and my 10th year as a head coach, and I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a player handle a redshirt transfer year better than Zach,” said head coach Buzz Williams.

LeDay has stepped up in a major way for the Hokies since he made his debut in the 2015–2016 season, acting as a reliable scorer inside the paint and a welcoming

boost of energy every time he’s on the court. LeDay has improved in almost every facet of his game, and it certainly shows. Averaging almost 30 minutes a game off the bench, LeDay has managed to lead the 6–1 Hokies in both points per game and rebounding, with a stellar 16.6 PPG and 7.4 RPG. It was not the easiest path to success for LeDay, however. After bulking up for his sophomore season at South Florida, LeDay mentioned his struggles with maintaining the athleticism that defined his game which led to a lack of minutes and production. Following former South Florida assistant coach Steve Roccaforte, who recruited LeDay to Virginia Tech, LeDay found a new opportunity in the ACC that would lead him to becoming the player we see today.

“I just needed a new environment,” LeDay said, and as you can see from his production today, the statement couldn’t ring more true.

Ultimately, when he decided to shed the weight in his redshirt year before joining Tech, it appeared he regained the athleticism that made him such a dangerous playmaker in the first place. Now with something to prove to the team he left and a new team now on his shoulders, LeDay flourished in the starring role of Tech’s up-tempo and high-powered offense. He averaged 15.5 PPG and 7.9 RPG in over 30 minutes a game his first season with the Hokies and hasn’t let up since.

As the team as a whole has gotten better since the start of Williams’ tenure as head coach, so has LeDay. And with the production he’s having, it’s looking more

and more like a possibility that LeDay has what it takes to play at the next level in the NBA. For now, for LeDay and the people lucky enough to see him play in a Tech uniform, the focus is on the here and now with the Hokies looking to make a push into the upper echelon of the ACC standings this season.

With arguably their hardest stretch of non-conference games out of the way after rallying past the John Beilein-led Michigan Wolverines last Wednesday, it is hard not to feel confident about the LeDay-led Hokies as they look to shake things up in the ACC this coming winter.

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