April 3, 2017

collegiatetimes.com

April 3, 2017

COLLEGIATETIMES

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 TAKE BACK THE NIGHT Blacksburg comes together against sexual violence with annual rally and march. page 3

POWER RANGERS Does the new adaptation live up to the classic TV show?

Read on to find out. page 5

MEN’S TENNIS RECAP Check out how the Hokies did against ACC opponents this weekend. page 4

Turner Place set to offer online ordering by end of semester The new online dining ordering service is scheduled to launch completely in fall 2017.

MIKE LIU news reporter

KAILA NATHANIEL / COLLEGIATE TIMES Henry Mason, Caleb Caldwell and Trevor Moody perform during the Juxtaposition spring concert, “Men vs. Wild,” March 31, 2017.

Juxta finds its forte

‘Men vs. Wild’ wows the crowd The all-male a capella group performed a mix of radio hits and throwbacks at The Lyric on March 31 for a packed house for the seniors’ last show.

JESSICA BRADY AND MEG CONNORS copy editors

This past Friday, March 31, Juxtaposition, one of Virginia Tech’s all-male a cappella groups received a standing ovation in The Lyric Theatre for its outstanding performance “Men vs. Wild.”

Prior to the concert, the Collegiate Times sat down with three members of the group, who, according to the program, are “Naked” Nathan Rafala, who is a senior, sings bass and is the music director; Nick “Small Body” Robinson, who is a junior, sings tenor and is the business manager; and Trevor “El Presidente” Moody, who is a senior, sings tenor and is president.

Before learning a new song, a soloist and a vocal

percussionist must be selected.

In order to fill the soloist position, auditions are held and then brought to a vote.

“So, we do have the method where anyone can audition for anything they’d like,” Rafala said. “We have this kind of elimination. So there’s round one, and you have to have so many number of votes to get onto the next round. If there’s a large enough gap between the leader and the next-high person, it will go immediately to the leader, but if it’s close enough it can go to a second, sometimes we’ve been to a third round before.

“It seems like it would go fast, but sometimes it can take 45 (minutes) to an hour to decide,” Rafala said.

On average, Juxtaposition takes about one week to learn a song, but the time required

varies by difficulty of the piece. percussionist in the mix as well, it will take maybe a week if the song isn’t too advanced or anything like that.”

My favorite part is For concerts, Juxta aims to the brotherhood and maintain a variety of genres to keep the audience interested. the bonds that we “We try to keep an even balance between radio hits and all share outside more of, not obscure, but not of practice. Music usually what you’d be used to is not the only hearing,” Rafala said.

“Ones with unique factors,” thing that keeps us Moody interjected. together.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Rafala Nick Robinson continued. “We don’t want business manager to beat a dead horse by oversJuxtaposition inging a song or people overhearing it on the radio or some“It does depend on diffi- thing like that. So we try to culty, sometimes we can keep it a little bit fresh, try to knock out a song in two days, keep it a little new. We decide sometimes it might take two by mostly, it’s mostly a majority weeks. But for an average song, of the group has to feel like it usually, once we get the solo decided and we get a vocal see JUXTA / page 5

“

Vi rg i n ia Te ch is preparing to launch a new online dining service completely in fall 2017 with several locations in Turner Place scheduled to open before the end of the 2017 spring semester. The purpose of the new online dining service is to ease the stress that the dining halls are facing.

Vi rg i n ia Te ch is working with Tapingo, a company that provides online dining services.

Us e r s can easi ly download the Tapingo app and pick thei r campus. All of the dining halls will be available on the app. Users can browse through the menu and place their orders online.

The app will inform the customers about the estimated time that the food will be ready for pick up.

The customers can then pick up the food at the dining hall by showing their confirmations of the order or their Hokie Passports.

“Customer satisfaction with the app has been great and our students love it. It’s proof that we’re cutting edge,” said Shira Fogel, program director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, in a written statement on the Tapingo website.

Customers will be

charged a relatively small order fee when they place the order. The fee is used to keep the online dining system running.

The online dining service will be available at every dining hall with a few exceptions, such as Origami at Turner Place and Chick-fil-A at Hokie Grill.

“

Customer satisfaction with the app has been great and our students love it.”

Shira Fogel program director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham

According to Andrew Watling, training and project manager for Di n i ng Ser vices at Vi rg i n ia Te ch, t he purpose of the app is not to create new customers, but to help the customers who are spending a large amount of time waiting in line. The Tapingo online service can reduce the number of people who are standing in line waiting for their food significantly.

“If you can purchase it see TURNER / page 3

column

Self-esteem should be less reliant on others Although natural, seeking validation from external sources can lead to self-destructive thought patterns.

I

gnorance is bliss so long as you are not the victim. However, we are nearly all casualties when it comes to social validation. While we all seek approval to a certain extent, it is clear that individuals require distinctly different proportions of social acceptance. Could there be some some sort of biological, psychological or perhaps even societal reasoning behind our insatiable appetites for validation? According to scientific literature on the matter, researchers have found this may indeed be the case.

“

We are primed to consume the messages perpetrated by this system from a young age, often resulting in low self-esteem and a reduction in one’s self-knowledge.”

It is nearly impossible to escape both the conscious and subliminal messaging perpetrated by our commercially saturated culture. The continual promotion of impractical ideals constructs an environment where corporations profit from consumer self-doubt. The media has only added to the immensity of this issue, placing those who possess seemingly unattainable standards on pedestals.

Most of us do not know ourselves outside of the contexts of external appearance and social approval, for we were raised in a society indoctrinating the ideology that we are fundamentally lacking. We are primed to consume the

messages perpetrated by this system from a young age, often resulting in low self-esteem and a reduction in one’s self-knowledge.

Further, we learn to continually seek validation from others upon the basis of our looks thanks to an onslaught of subliminal social messaging. This alienating act constricts us into attempting to constantly live in alignment with others’ perceptions of a “perfect” image. In doing so, we develop a self-destructive mindset toward satisfying what we have convinced ourselves others expect of us. While all individuals (literally) pay the price for falling prey to this system on some level, recent scientific research has shown that some people are more vulnerable to developing physiological conditions related to low self-esteem than others.

According to a study featured in the academic journal “Current Biology,” recent advancements in brain imaging can help predict when people are influenced by the opinions of others. Perhaps even more groundbreaking, these techniques have been able to decipher which of these individuals are more likely to value those views more highly than their peers.

Researchers have identified that those who typically place more value in the opinions of others are at a higher risk of developing certain mental illnesses in comparison to their peers. Additional studies have shown a positive relationship between social comparisons and social anxiety, depression and eating disorders. see LIKES / page 2

CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Joey Slye (46) kicks the ball for another goal against Clemson, Dec. 3, 2016.

Joey Slye is kicking cancer to honor his brother, A.J. Senior kicker for the Hokies, Joey Slye, works on and off the football field to continue his brother’s legacy.

CHASE PARKER football beat reporter

It all started with a V-shaped tree in the front yard of his childhood Montana home.

That’s where 10-year-old Joey Slye and his older brother, A.J. Slye, would have kicking competitions and challenge each other in sport.

The two would go out and pretend that the tree was a field goal post and kick the ball through it, just as Joey does for the Virginia Tech football team now. It was a bonding experience for the Slye brothers, not that they needed any extra help getting closer.

Growing up, their father was in the military, making it difficult to establish any

solid friendships in school.

Whenever prompted to by the United States Armed Forces, the Slye family would have to move and start building relationships all over again.

“It was just me and him,” Joey explained. “My mom and dad were never really there, so it was just me and him. My dad was military so we moved around a couple times. Every single time you move, you lose all of your friends from that place before, so you’ve got to start fresh. The first person I looked to was my older brother to be my best friend. So every time we moved we just got closer and closer and closer.

So from that aspect, he was my best friend.”

Joey and his brother found

solace in sports, particularly football. Even though Joey was two years younger, he would oftentimes play up a league just so he could line up alongside A.J. Both of them specialized on the defensive side of the ball in high school. Joey played linebacker while A.J. would move back and forth from safety to linebacker. Naturally, Joey looked up to his older brother.

He mirrored his game after A.J.’s and strived to be just like him.

“I was always playing sports with (my brother) and always looking up to him and stuff like that,” Slye explained.

“He was truly like my hero. I see SLYE / page 4

collegiatetimes.com

PAGE 2 April 3, 2017

editor@collegiatetimes.com

opinions collegiatetimes.com/opinion

column

LIKES: Comparison may damage mental health from page 1

IBRAHIM MOHAMED / COLLEGIATE TIMES

column

COINS recommends oil as a careful investment The price of crude oil is complex and dependent on several factors, but must be understood before investing.

B

oth West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent Crude are benchmarks for crude oil prices, meaning that they aim to accurately represent the price and market trends of light crude oil, each representing its own distinct types of oil. WTI refers to U.S.-extracted oil that is transported via pipelines to Cushing, Oklahoma, while Brent is produced in four main North Sea fields. WTI is “sweeter” and “lighter” than Brent, making it the ideal choice for gasoline refining. Sweet oil refers to low sulfur content, while light oil refers to low density.

Although both Brent and WTI are benchmarks, they trade at different prices. This difference is largely due to the relative ease or difficulty to refine them into their final products, such as gasoline and heating oil.

While the price of oil is determined in part by how difficult it is to refine, there are many other factors that influence the price of oil in a more significant way, including currencies, interest rates, supply and demand and political situations within different nations. In order to understand how crude oil is priced, it is necessary to understand how each of these factors directly or indirectly impacts prices.

How do supply and demand influence the price of oil?

The laws of supply and demand taught in economics courses govern the price fluctuations of crude oil. There are two main groups of oil producers, OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and several key non-OPEC countries. OPEC consists of 13 oil-producing countries including Middle Eastern nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAB), while non-OPEC production is dominated by the United States and Russia. Currently, these two organizations have competing interests in terms of near-term production strategies.

In November of 2016, OPEC announced that its countries would be cutting production in an effort to reduce the amount of crude oil supplied to increase deflated prices. However, in response to these cuts, the U.S. has ramped up production to gain market share and take advantage of the price support provided by the cuts, rendering OPEC’s efforts futile. The laws of supply and demand require that if the supply of oil decreases due to production cuts, the price of oil should increase. The U.S.’s increased production has now brought the price back down. This is one of the simplest factors that influence the price of crude oil.

Though demand growth has remained relatively steady, severe fluctuations in supply have sent the oil market for a wild ride.

How does currency value influence the price of oil?

Similar to many other commodities, crude oil is priced in U.S. dollars (USD). A “strong” dollar, which occurs when the USD becomes relatively more valuable compared to foreign currencies, makes oil less attractive to investors who use foreign currencies as their medium of exchange to purchase the oil barrels. Similarly, if the dollar is “weak,” meaning the exchange rate is relatively lower for USD, investors that use foreign currencies are able to get a better deal and oil is a more attractive purchase.

Holding the supply of oil constant, when the U.S. dollar is weak, demand for oil will increase because it becomes more affordable to foreign investors, which in turn will drive prices up. Although currencies influence the price of oil, the values of currencies are driven by outside factors, such as government interest rates and states of foreign economies.

How do politics influence the price of oil?

As with all markets, crude oil prices are influenced by politics both within and outside of the U.S. During the election season, the price of oil was especially volatile, which can partly be attributed to the opposing views of the candidates. One candidate typically takes a position that is more “oil friendly,” but no one knows what the outcome of the election will be.

During times of volatility or uncertainty, those active in the market speculate on the outcome of the election by taking long or short positions in the market, hence affecting price. Foreign politics also play a serious role in affecting oil prices, as seen with the political decisions in Europe, China, Russia and the major OPEC nations.

Determining the price of crude oil is incredibly complex, as a wide array of factors is constantly yielding unique impacts. Each factor interacts with the others, creating an intertwined cause-and-effect network, which ultimately determines what a barrel of oil should cost. From basic supply and demand data to bond yields and interest rates, determining if “the price is right” for oil is an art that requires practice, experience and a fundamental understanding of global economics and foreign policy.

REAGAN MILLER AND ELIAS SULFRIDGENUYENS • COINS columnists • sophomore/applied economic management • junior/chemical engineering

What forces foster such an environment for mental illness within the body? According to social psychologist Leon Festinger’s social comparison theory, individuals possess an innate desire to assess their progress upon the basis of social comparison. Festinger established that people engage in “upward comparisons” when they measure their own attributes against those to whom they feel inferior. He noted that the individuals who were engaged in this method of subconscious social comparison experienced feelings of “dissatisfaction, desperation and depression.”

We have allowed the opinions of others to influence the extent to which we value ourselves, which is dangerous territory.

Individuals in this trap feel compelled to contort themselves and model the idea of who other people think one ought to be.

The insatiable hunger for approval has been conditioned in most of us throughout the entirety of our lives, but perhaps the cruelest form of this hunger manifests in the millions of women and men with fullblown eating disorders. Researchers have come to find that eating disorders are the result of a “complex interaction of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological and social factors.” Thus, the relentless pursuit of a svelte frame is not a choice for those plagued by the illness, but rather a terrible onslaught of mental illness.

While the act of seeking the validation outside of oneself is not inherently toxic, this practice becomes dangerous when an individual begins valuing these opinions more highly than one’s own. When one is entirely dependent on sources of external validation, one is likely to encounter difficulty maintaining emotional security.

The only surefire way to recover from

this dependence on external validation arises once one’s self-worth is no longer contingent on the opinions of others.

Every individual can aid this issue by coming to see that one’s external image is merely a constructed illusion of how others choose to define him or her.

Expanding one’s capacity to love, express compassion and exude understanding will allow him or her to see that one’s external appearance is transitory. By electing to focus on the unique attributes of the self and others, rather than judging upon the basis of conventional beauty standards, we break free from societal constraints.

“

We have allowed the opinions of others to influence the extent to which we value ourselves, which is dangerous territory.”

So, we exist in a world which capitalizes off of our feelings of inadequacy. Instead of focusing on issues of substance, we are disillusioned and distracted by digitally distorted illusions of beauty. Is the solution filtering the media or boycotting particular brands? No, but perhaps we can each spread awareness of the real issues facing our planet and instead direct our energy toward bettering it. Maybe then, our desire to belong to something larger than ourselves can lead us to discover the beauty in our imperfections.

ALEXA WILLIAMS • assistant opinions editor • freshman/political science

COLLEGIATETIMES NEWSROOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231-9865

Photo editor: Armahn Rassuli

Editor-in-Chief: Andrea Pappas (editor@collegiatetimes.com)

Assistant photo editor: Cat Piper

Managing editors: Lewis Millholland and Zack Wajsgras

Social media editors: Melissa Fairfax and Lisa Kucharczk

Web engineer: Matt Jones

Design editor: Jina Ro Assistant design editors: Alison Robertson Copy editors: Jessica Brady and Meg Connors

Have a news tip? newstips@collegiatetimes.com

News editors: Aly De Angelus and Izzy Rossi Lifestyles editor: Samantha Smith Assistant lifestyles editor: Katelyn Meade

BUSINESS STAFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231-9860

Sports editor: Faizan Hasnany

Business manager: Breanna Anderson (business@collegemedia.com)

Assistant sports editors: Kyle Cooke and Sierra Huckfeldt Opinions editor: Carson Bartlett Assistant opinions editors: Neha Ogale and Alexa Williams

COLLEGE MEDIA SOLUTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . 231-9860 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, 2017. 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.

Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times.

All letters must include a name and phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include Blacksburg, VA, 24061 position and department. Other submissions must include opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times.

Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors.

365 Squires Student Center

Dining Services to eliminate styrofoam cups on campus Along with other sustainability programs across campus, new compostable cups are expected to cut down on waste.

ANNA DAVIS news reporter

Students can li kely expect to see several new sustainable dining initiatives rolled out next semester. Dining Services is currently seeking funding for a series of sustainable programs. If approved, these proposals will be carried out in campus dining halls this fall.

One of these initiatives is to bring compostable cups to Deet’s Place. Deet’s currently uses styrofoam cups, which are made from petroleum, a non-sustainable resource. Styrofoam cups are also non-biodegradable and infrequently recycled.

Dining Services is in the process of selecting a compostable cup brand, and

once finalized, the cups will be implemented this August.

The new compostable cups are expected to help cut down on campus waste, as the entire cup, lid included, will be compostable. The cups will also be doublewalled, which will eliminate the need for a protective corrugated cup sleeve.

The compostable cups can cost up to 10 cents more per unit than the styrofoam cups, however, which presents budgeting challenges.

“Compostable products are costlier right now, so we have to factor that into the budget for Dining for the year,” said Gwyneth Manser, Dining Services’ sustainability manager. “(10 cents) doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you’re dealing

with 60,000 16-ounce cups a year, that number adds up really quickly.”

Dining Services is also planning to expand its reusable to-go container program. After a successful pilot of the containers during fall 2013, the first OZZI container collection unit was installed in West End Market the following year, then expanded to Turner Place and Owens Food Court in 2015. A fourth OZZI collection unit will be installed in Hokie Grill this fall.

Dining Services is collaborating with the Student Government Association and Housing and Residence Life to once again provide each incoming freshman with a reusable to-go container in his or her dorm

room.

“We want to cut back how many personal clamshell (containers) people use, especially because a lot of those don’t actually make it into the compost,” Manser said.

Dining Services is also looking to put forward several student-driven ideas.

The Request for Proposal for Sustainability Initiatives

by Student Organizations (Green RFP Program) was established in 2010 to give students the chance to play a role in making campus more sustainable. The Green RFP Program allows students to submit proposals for sustainable initiatives that could help the university become more eco-friendly.

Di n i ng Ser vices is hoping to secure funding

for two Green RFPs: singleent ree reusable to -go containers and reusable soup containers.

“Right now when you get a reusable to-go container it has two little compartments and one big compartment, which is great for some foods, but if you’re ordering two slices of pizza or a salad, you probably just want one big container,” Manser said.

“If we get that funding, we’ll be able to try out singleentree containers and soup containers.”

While the plans are still tentative, Dining Services is currently working with the entomology department to potentially bring bees to Kentland Farm, which produces fruits, vegetables and herbs for dining halls.

Dining Services would

install several bee boxes at the farm, and the entomology department would help maintain them.

This would eventually result in farm-fresh honey in the dining halls.

“Hopefully after a year or so, after the bees are established, we could begin harvesting honey there and bring that into the dining units,” Manser said. “It’s a small thing, but it’s really cool to see and tells a neat story. It’s a great way of making local more visible.”

Students can follow Su s t a i n a bl e D i n i n g’s social media accounts for updates about the proposed initiatives. @AnnnaDavis

news collegiatetimes.com

editor@collegiatetimes.com

April 3, 2017 PAGE 3

collegiatetimes.com/news

Blacksburg community stands up to sexual violence Hundreds of Virginia Tech students and Blacksburg citizens gathered Thursday night to rally against sexual violence.

ALY DE ANGELUS news editor

Squeezing into the jampacked auditorium, community members took their seats on the floor next to the dozens of other rally-goers who lined the aisle ways with attentive ears and persistent eyes.

They fought to look past the shoulders of people shuffling by and counted their blessings for merely making it into the venue, as the line of people swung out the door and past the entry table, all sharing silence moments before the night’s first speaker took to the stage.

One by one, remarks were given by members of the United Feminist Movement, Women’s Wellness Center, Intercultural Engagement Center, Muslim Student Union, the Clothesline Project and Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley, all of whom shared the stage with sign language interpreter Marilyn Simerson-Wallfred.

Many times throughout the night, the high ceiling and vibrant walls rendered waves of thunder claps that would spring attendees to their feet in standing ovation but the energy never peaked. It just kept accelerating.

Shirts from the Clothesline Project were draped and swaying as each person came and left the stage to speak out against gender violence, the day they prepared to “Take Back The Night.”

“I was crying,” said Hannah Ridings, co-coordinator of the event and member of the United Feminist Movement. “It’s intense, but that’s because it’s an intense issue … Sexual assault and rape are not acceptable and we are working to create a culture that understands that

and that enforces that.”

Ridings was not alone in facing a night of empowerment that left her teary eyed and even at times angry for the grief that offenders have put these victims through. Though the personal stories shared on stage were not allowed to be recorded or shared publicly, as the event promised all survivors a safe, consoling space for people to bring awareness and gain closure, a soundbyte proved unnecessary to deepen the hearts of those who came to listen.

“I wish we could get the whole community here to experience it once just so they could get a sense for what their fellow students and members of the community are feeling because I don’t think people, the general population of Virginia Tech really understands that,” said Tim Sands, president of Virginia Tech, while waiting to exit the auditorium. “What would get them here? You know, there’s a lot of reasons why they might not want to come — it’s not comfortable, I could think of much more relaxing ways to spend the evening but I suspect that a lot of people feel that way so you have to drag your friends.”

As the 28th annual rally and march finalized, participants reflected on the hectic week of crime alerts, and Sarah Pavilack, senior public relations and French major, decided to introduce a petition that will push mandatory seminars, hoping to curb assault cases in the future with a more adequate education system.

“I think that the emotional aspect is just completely lost on a computer screen,” Pavilack said. “The online system right now is well intentioned but it’s

not really effective because students are able to just kind of click through the education plan, just breeze through it, even for the video you can mute it if you want to … I think right now it’s something the students feel like they have to just get through in order to be a student at Virginia Tech.”

Immediately following the school issuing its fourth sexual assault email to students, Pavilack saw a huge burst of signatures and has reached 1,700 so far. Though the movement is slowing down, she says that her campaign is definitely not stopping and appreciates all speakers at the Take Back The Night event for sharing their stories because it has motivated her and her fellow peers to trek forward and put a stop to the horrible crimes occurring within the walls of our campus and in other places.

“It was a really heavy night, but I definitely think it’s necessary for people like that to speak out,” Pavilack said. “I was really happy to see so many members of the administration were there.”

This is the second time that Sands has attended the rally, including the 2015 event where the school had a large spike in crime alerts. The event outlined six rapes which, according to the Roanoke Times, “was higher than the national average for all four-year colleges with housing, but lower than the average of such colleges with more than 10,000 students.

In 2013 and 2014, Tech also reported higher than average forcible sex offenses.”

On Thursday night, Sands told audience members that he would like to work with students in elementary and secondary education

MEHHER HASNANY / COLLEGIATE TIMES Rochelle Sacks performs at the 28th annual Take Back the Night rally and march, which raise awareness of gender-based violence, March 30, 2017.

to implement a ground-up program. At one point, Sands used a close derivative of the phrase “boys just need to get it out of their system,” where a majority of people were triggered by his response.

Succeeding his speech, one speaker even took to the stage and outright called out Sands for his poorly thought-out word choice, meanwhile the whole audience snapped, cheered and yelled in solidarity with the speaker’s perspective.

“I have sympathy for President Sands because I could tell that he felt he was in a bit of a hostile environment and I feel like emotions are really heightened right now with all things going on,” Pavilack said. “I think a lot of the night was directed at the administration so it was interesting to see the president of my school be so nervous to speak.

Unfortunately, I do believe that it was a mistake that he said that.”

Due to a variety of meetings

this weekend, Sands was only able to supply a written followup response. His response to the overwhelming discontent with his choice of words reads in its entirety: “As the president of Virginia Tech, my focus is on our campus and community. We are committed to the safety for all and have a zero tolerance for any kind of sexual assault and violence. Our reputation must be that we do not allow such aggressions to go unanswered. An individual considering coming here must understand that they will not get away with this kind of behavior.

That is not to suggest that this behavior is ever ok, education and prevention should start in middle school and high school but as the president I am focused on what happens here, in our community. It is NOT OK that any form of sexual assault happen anywhere, anytime to anybody. And anyone who thinks otherwise is not welcome here.”

One Less Stranger overcomes seclusion New Virginia Tech group encourages students to make connections with those around them by engaging in a movement of thoughtful dialogue in a casual setting.

ALY DE ANGELUS news editor

Starting their morning strong with a conversation as hearty as the meals they ordered for breakfast, Muneeb Hameed and Alex Gagliano each blindly agreed over Facebook to meet for coffee and engage in thoughtful dialogue with a complete stranger.

Little did they know, this was just the beginning, as they would go on to frontline an organization that teaches other students what it takes to form meaningful connections with people they barely know — the strangers of Blacksburg.

Hameed and Gagliano were not the only students at Virginia Tech with a mission to familiarize the community, and their coincidental partnership with Rachel Palermo and Kelsea Mensh, who had been simultaneously building upon ideas for interfaith connectivity on campus, was simply icing on the cake.

“We always talk about how fortuitous it was that we were all doing separate things that have the same underlying meaning, and (it) all kind of coalesced at the exact same time,” said Gagliano, who is a senior computational modeling and data analytics major. He said he’d been organizing “stranger dinners” since junior year in his free time and was looking for heads of other Virginia Tech groups to expand the project.

Hameed, senior industrial systems engineering major and former president of Muslim Students Association (MSA) at Virginia Tech, recalled their conversation being enjoyable for others sharing the space as well.

“There was this one lady, she was leaving while we were talking, just some random girl that was at the table, and as she was leaving she was like, ‘Sorry to interrupt, but I really enjoyed eavesdropping on your conversation.’” Hameed smiled as he and the others being interviewed laughed about the unexpected interjection.

But for senior Palermo and sophomore Mensh, who both are majoring in international studies

LOREN SKINKER / COLLEGIATE TIMES The creators of the quickly growing One Less Stranger movement at Virginia Tech pose outside Lavery Hall, March 28, 2017. (LEFT to RIGHT) Alex Gagliano, Rachel Palermo, Kelsea Mensh and Muneeb Hameed.

and Spanish, their directive was fueled by the pollution of hateful words infiltrating campus, which they attribute to the 2016 presidential election.

“The United States became very two-sided,” Palermo said.

“There was a lot of polarity, and so we were thinking of how can we bring people together to talk out their differences and come to realize how many similarities there really are between them, so we were thinking of having some sort of dinner.”

“Like she said, we were driving back from Virginia Tech, and it was post-election and we felt that there was something missing at Virginia Tech,” Mensh said.

The foursome call this newly formed organization “One Less Stranger” and held their firstever event on March 17 in the Hillel Center where they supplied Shabbat dinner and created a safe environment for people, facilitating honest conversation while imparting useful skills to make friends in any casual setting.

Modestly anticipating 60 students to attend, the group was floored when they exceeded their estimate by more than double the amount.

Though they were thankful for Virginia Tech’s $500 grant, the funds didn’t even pay for an average $800 Shabbat dinner, and the students said Hillel graciously

dealt with the unexpected dinner expenses.

At the event, the leaders emphasized their aspirations for change as less of a by-the-book club that registers on GobblerConnect and more of a movement.

Reveling in the success stories from the night, Palermo mentioned progress made by attendees who took the initiative to form an ice cream GroupMe. These people collected numbers from other nearby guests and promised to go and get ice cream anytime a person messages that they are having a bad day.

Mensh also sympathizes with those who feel that the notion of meeting a stranger can be daunting and admits to often being scared to initiate the conversation.

After joining this group, she says she has been more aware of the opportunities around her and that with just a little encouragement from her friends, she busted out her bilingual skills at Turner Place and had a wonderful time socializing with the four Costa Ricans standing in line next to her.

“We should never be scared to intrude upon someone because we both leave the conversation learning from each other,” Mensh reflected.

Even Palermo models a “better safe than sorry” motto when it comes to waving to people that she

is unsure if she has met before. In the end, Palermo points to modern day technology as her societal crutch, defining her week without a phone as a bit more awkward than she could have imagined.

“I was making eye contact with people as they were walking into the door and it was almost uncomfortable. I found myself tying my shoe like eight times, and then I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. I use my phone, I mean I think we all do, as a social crutch.’”

As conversation came to a close, the group ended the discussion calling for more openmindedness and awareness of the intricacy of a person’s life you barely know, relating the idea back to an untranslatable word “saunder” that Gagliano defines as “the sudden realization that every person around you is living a life as infinitely complex as your own.”

In essence, the group hopes people will refrain from looking to others as a defined point because they believe that through the superficial veil, a human being with dimension exists.

“I think that what we would hope to do is have people look at a person as they walk around campus and have their worlds expand,” Gagliano said. “You look at a person and say, ‘I wonder what they are thinking right now,’ or ‘I wonder how their class that they just walked out (of) went,’ or, ‘I wonder if they remembered to wear their jacket today because it’s raining,’ and ‘Do they need an umbrella?’ Just steps like that are small, but I think they can make a really profound difference in how you see the world around you.”

On April 12, the One Less Stranger group will have a table and chairs on the Drillfield with a sign that reads, “Come sit and talk,” an idea that came from one of their participants at the kickoff dinner.

For more information on their events, go check out its Facebook page.

@RealSlimAD

For Pavilack and others who wish to remain anonymous, they would like to emphasize that this rally holds the intention to completely eradicate gender violence and they will not stop until they have succeeded.

“I would like to believe that that’s not what he actually thinks but in the case that he does, my official view of it is it’s not a phase in somebody’s life that they just have to get over and get out,” Pavilack said. “I did like his message that students are not going to come into our school with that mindset and I am hoping that he was referencing the work that I am trying to do, but I think it needs to be recognized that (for) the assaulters, it’s in their control, their behavior and their actions are not some outside person controlling them. They are able to control themselves.” @RealSlimAD

TURNER: App meant to reduce dining hall congestion on campus from page1

online, then just go in, and pick it up really quick and then take it back out. I think there will be great alternatives rather than having to walk through the line and having to order and wait through all of that,” said Christian Kang, sophomore majoring in computer science and student employee at Owens.

“I think it’s going to help reduce (the) number of people that are standing in line, waiting for their food,” Watling said. “So if anything, it should help ease the chaos, because instead of having to wait for your food, you order it, and then pick it up. You can go just grab your food and go.”

According to Watling, the online orders will be worked into the flow.

“As a customer, you shouldn’t even notice any major difference, except hopefully the lines won’t be as long, and you don’t have to wait,” Watling said. “They’ll just slide it in, make that order and then it will be ready at the end to be picked up.”

According to Watling, Virginia Tech is looking for full launch for fall 2017 with several locations opening before the end of the 2017 spring semester.

“We’re looking for full launch for fall.

We are hoping to have some locations online before the semester is out,” Watling said. “We are looking at Turner Place to at least have some of those locations online, so we can kind of get it going, get people introduced to it, before the semester is done.”

Watling also claimed that Virginia Tech may offer delivering service in the future.

“There is a potential. I don’t yet know if that’s absolutely going to happen, but there is some potential for that, if that does happen it will be very limited,” Watling said. “We won’t deliver off campus, so it’ll be on campus to on campus essentially, but there is that potential.” @KacheeMMM

collegiatetimes.com

PAGE 4 April 3, 2017

sports

study break

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com/sports

TAYO OLADELE / COLLEGIATE TIMES Hokies’ Mitch Harper performs a backhand against Notre Dame, March 24, 2017.

Men’s tennis team splits ACC weekend matches The Hokies had two ACC matches this weekend, winning the first at home and dropping the second on the road.

JORDAN HUTCHINSON seed, Alexandre Ribeiro (VT), Rouanet (UL), defeated sports reporter

The Virginia Tech men’s tennis team played two matches over the weekend and split the matches, 1–1. The first match was against Clemson, in which the Hokies won 6–1.

The second featured No. 35 Louisville and Tech.

The Clemson match took place at home on Friday. The Hokies handled the Tigers, only dropping one match.

At the one seed, Alex Favrot C81Y0 (CU) defeated No. 82 Jai M30K8 Corbett (VT) 7–6 (7–2), 6–4, which was the only loss for the Hokies all day. Next, at two, Mitch Harper (VT) defeated Daffra Sanon (CU) 6–4, 6–3.

The Hokies kept winning; at the third seed, Henrik Korsgaard (VT) defeated Robert Dudley (CU) 4–6, 7–5, 1–0 (10–7). The fourth

2014-2015 Study Break Edition Color Scheme C0Y0M0K20

C32Y100 M74K40

C11Y100 M100K0

C0Y22 M95K8

C3Y63 M90K0

Library Bingo Someone filling up their water bottle

Someone who just rolled out of bed

Someone gasey

Yoga Pants

Someone on Facebook

Someone with Beats

Making Flashcards

Person on the Phone

Someone singing

Someone playing Starcraft

Someone texting and walking

Flirting Couple

Overprepared Freshman

Someone Crying

Someone Asleep

People Fighting

Someone reading the Collegiate Times

COLLEGIATE TIMES

Someone Snap Chatting

ERGY

Energy Drink

EN

Someone with their shoes off

Coughing Fit

Group Talking Too Loudly

Wearing Apparel From Other Schools

Harper (VT) 1–6, 7–6, 6–0.

The third seed featured Parker Wynn (UL), who defeated Korsgaard (VT) 6–0, 6–3.

Moving down to four, George Hedley (UL) defeated Ribeiro (VT) 6–4, 2–6, 6–4. On five, Brandon Lancaster (UL) defeated Kros (VT) 7–6, 6–3.

The sole win for the Hokies came on court six, where Mesmer (VT) defeated Sean Donohue 6–2, 6–3.

The loss to Louisville put the Hokies at 8–10 and 3–5 in the ACC on the season. Next up for the Hokies is a road trip to Charlottesville and Richmond to play UVA and VCU. Tech returns home on Saturday, April 15, for senior day against Georgia Tech. @JHutchinsonVT

SLYE: Tech kicker works to honor brother’s legacy from page 1

Gossip

defeated Sam Edwards (CU) 7–5, 6–4. At five, the Hokies took care of business as Jason Kros (VT) defeated Carlos Kelaidis (CU) 6–3, 6–2.

Finally, Freddy Mesmer (VT) defeated Christian Harris (CU) 6–3, 6–3.

With the win over the Tigers, Tech moved to 8–9 on the season, and 3–4 in the ACC. The next match, against No. 35 Louisville, took place on Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Hokies didn’t have the same luck against the Cardinals, as they did the Tigers. The Hokies won the doubles point and then lost five of six singles matches in the loss.

At one, Christopher MorinKougoucheff (UL) defeated No. 82 Corbett (VT) 6–4, 0–6, 6–4. The two seed, Nicolas

UVA

looked up to him in a lot of ways. My brother was really, really important to me.”

On Dec. 15, 2012, Joey’s “hero” was hit harder than ever before. The opponent that delivered the blow wasn’t strapped up from head to toe in football equipment, nor was it running up and down the gridiron. Instead, it was silent in its attack and blindsided the entire Slye family. A.J. was diagnosed with leukemia, a type of blood cancer.

In the months that followed, A.J.’s strength deteriorated.

The process of chemotherapy and countless injections of other chemicals had taken a noticeable toll on A.J.’s body.

The person who Joey had looked up to his entire life was suddenly withering away.

“So like, with ‘hero’ you think of Superman, right,” Joey said. “So you think that something wrong is never gonna happen to him. So sitting on the outside looking in, watching him go through all this stuff, I was just kind of like this can’t happen to my brother.

This type of stuff can’t happen to my brother.”

A.J.’s final shot at recovery depended on a successful bone marrow transplant. After multiple hospitals claimed they

were incapable of performing the procedure, the Slye family admitted A.J. into the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where the surgery was attempted. Unfortunately, the transplant failed and the cancer came back even more aggressive than before.

“He was just like me, 205 or 210 (pounds), real strong looking,” Joey explained.

“Then you see him towards the end of his treatment before he passed away, and the things that happened to him and the things that had been done to his body were, I mean, he just looked like a shell of what he used to be. That’s hard to look at. And it was hard for me to just sit back and know that I can’t do anything to help you.”

On Feb. 27, 2014, A.J. lost his battle with leukemia.

In the wake of devastation, Joey and the rest of his family decided that they weren’t going to allow the tragedy to cripple them. Instead, they started the SlyeStrong#6 Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization with the goal of raising money and giving back to those who are enduring hardships similar to the one their family went through.

Recently, Joey took on another project that he hopes will add to his brother’s legacy.

He was nominated by the Leukemia and Lymphoma

Society to run for its Man of the Year award. The goal is to raise money that can go toward treatment plans for blood cancer patients.

“I’m sitting there like, my brother’s legacy can continue every single time someone gets a treatment because his name would be in the type of treatment that they give him,” Joey explained. “So, that’s literally the first thing that popped in my head as soon as they said it. I want to win this competition in honor of my brother, but I know that it is a healthy competition.

Like, we’re working towards the same goal, leukemia and lymphoma, just ending blood cancers and stuff like that.”

The winner of that award will be announced in late May. In the meantime, Joey is staying focused on football — a task that he says takes him back to that V-shaped tree from his childhood.

“My mom is always just like, ‘When you go out there, think about kicking into that tree with your brother.’ And that’s how I do it. That’s every single time I go out there I’m just thinking about that,” Joey said.

@ChaseParker_VT

WANT TO REACH NEW CUSTOMERS? Advertise with us!

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES Adonis Alexander (36) holds the ball for Joey Slye (46) on a kickoff, Nov. 26, 2016.

collegiatetimes.com

editor@collegiatetimes.com

April 3, 2017 PAGE 5

JUXTA: All-male a capella group rocks The Lyric from page 1

belongs on the (repertoire) feel like it would go well with the rep. It also has to be a solo interest as well. If not enough guys are going to audition for the solo, it doesn’t offer us enough variety in choosing.”

Preparing for concerts requires a great deal of focus and effort from each member of the group.

“So, we have rehearsal three times a week for two hours. We usually have at least a small gig on the weekend …

As we get closer to concerts we do like to perform at sorority chapters just to get the word out. We’ll perform around campus. Sometimes we’ll go dorm singing — sneak into dorms and start singing in the hallways,” Rafala said.

Despite the amount of work that goes into the process of preparing for concerts, the members occasionally get so excited, their energy needs to be reigned in.

“We do try to stay as strict as possible. I mean sometimes we get really excited ‘cause everything starts to come together, everyone gets really excited, the energy is there. There’s so much sometimes we need to keep it in check. A lot of work, but a lot of energy and a lot of reward, especially if we get the work done,” Rafala said.

This semester’s show was

different from that of previous semesters in a major way — the group now provides its own lighting and sound equipment.

Unhappy with the equipment provided by The Lyric in previous shows, Christian “Dirty Boy” Mergl, who is a sophomore and sings bass, stepped up to the challenge and decided to invest in his own sound and lighting equipment.

“We have one of our guys, who is a sophomore, is pretty much supplying professional grade equipment to run the sound — Christian. We are really, really, really, really excited for him to have this opportunity to support us in Juxta, and we could not be more thankful. We are so excited,” Rafala gushed.

Juxta also gave Mergl a shoutout in the program that read, “Juxta would like to thank our very own Christian Mergl for all the work he put in to make this concert sound as good as possible.

Christian is starting his own sound production company in addition to his studies and commitments to Juxta. If you’re interested in Christian’s sound services — talk to him after the show or contact Juxta.

“Christian has one of the best musical ears in Juxta and exemplifies his competence.

He risked his own security and actively searched for more responsibility to help Juxta

and the greater good while pursuing his passion for music.

Christian and his speakers are truly a force to be reckoned with.”

Established at Virginia Tech in 1994, Juxtaposition is a relatively new organization.

However, the group follows many traditions that were set by its predecessors. While music is at the core of the group, Robinson, Rafala and Moody all agreed that the friendships formed within the group were their favorite parts of participating in Juxtaposition.

“My favorite part is the brotherhood and the bonds that we all share outside of practice.

Music is not the only thing that keeps us together,” Robinson said.

One tradition in particular that Robinson described was the group’s annual trip to The Greenbrier in West Virginia during winter break. “We sing every night there, but when we’re not doing that, we just get to be together, and it’s during New Year’s, so we always have a blast there.”

A major facet of Juxtaposition’s brotherhood is its strong alumni network.

Alumni were given the opportunity to come up on stage and perform alongside the group during the encore song, a mashup of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, “Shake Your Booty” by KC and the Sunshine Band, and “Brick

REVIEW: POWER RANGERS BRADY TICKLE movie columnist

Whoever was in charge of the marketing for “Power Rangers” needs to be fired immediately, because this film is not nearly as cringeinducing as the trailers led me to believe. That is faint praise, however; while my expectations for the movie were exceeded, they were quite low going in, so this wasn’t much of an accomplishment.

Oddly enough, my problem with this take on the Power Rangers isn’t that this version was too silly — my problem with it is that it was not silly enough.

Allow me to explain. The Power Rangers, in most of the various incarnations that I am aware of, consists of a group of teenagers who have superpowers and fight monsters. This is a ridiculous concept, and therefore, in order for it to work well, the execution should be fairly ridiculous.

Unfortunately, this film tries too hard to have it both ways by telling a gritty, dark origin story while also interspersing some of the more outlandish elements from the source material.

Before going on any further, I should note that I am perhaps not the intended demographic of “Power Rangers.” This movie is (I think) intended for adults who grew up watching the Power Rangers kick and punch their way through different shows and movies when the ninja group was in their prime.

I was never a big “Power Rangers” fan as a kid; “Scooby Doo” was my go-to television show, and I only recall renting VHS tapes for the 1995 “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” movie and some weird episode where the Red Ranger went back in time and fought a tyrannosaurus rex. In other words, there are probably things I am missing out on here due to my lack of experience with the franchise.

Even with my lack of knowledge, though, the plot of this particular movie is simple enough: a group of five teenagers stumbles upon ancient crystals that turn them into the Power Rangers, and they have to kill the villainous Rita Repulsa before she takes over the world.

This is a perfectly cheesy, perfectly acceptable storyline based on the preceding incarnations of these superheroes. Alas, much like nearly every other superhero film outside of the Marvel cinematic universe, “Power Rangers” tries far too hard to emulate

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” by attempting to be dark and gritty.

Regrettably, this simply doesn’t work for the Power Rangers because, as stated, the source material is too cheesy. Batman as a character has become defined by the psychological pathos of his stories, so a complex film works for him; the Power Rangers punch monsters, and that’s about as deep as it gets.

Fortunately, there are some elements of the movie that embrace the inherent silliness of the Power Rangers. Specifically, the robot Alpha 5 (played by a scene-stealing Bill Hader) delivers punchline after punchline as he helps train the teenagers to become warriors. Elizabeth Banks absolutely owns the movie as Rita Repulsa, and it’s clear from her over-the-top performance that she was having a great time on set.

As for the Power Rangers themselves, this is where the film falls flat. With the exception of R.J. Cyler as Billy, the Blue Ranger (who in this version has autism), who is lovable, hilarious and the true heart of the movie. The other four are all pretty mediocre.

Dacre Montgomery’s Jason, the footballstar-turned-Red-Ranger, is a likable enough lead, but somewhat bland. Naomi Scott is the most cringe-worthy part of the entire movie as Kimberly, the Pink Ranger. Her whole storyline of getting kicked out of the cheerleading squad and becoming a rebel by cutting her hair short (because, you know, no popular girl in high school has ever had short hair) made me roll my eyes to where I could almost see my suffering brain cells.

Becky G’s Trini, the Yellow Ranger, is incredibly underwritten; while both of the female Rangers are basically stereotypes, it never quite reaches the Michael Bay treatment of women, so that’s a positive.

Ludi Lin’s Zack, the Black Ranger, is also annoying in that he is constantly talking about how crazy he is apparently supposed to be.

Note to screenwriters: people who are actually crazy don’t constantly talk about or are even aware of how crazy they are. It’s not quirky to talk about it, it’s irritating.

I do appreciate the attempt at giving the Power Rangers a decent backstory, but frankly, the whole “Breakfast Club” routine they tried to do just didn’t work. This is made all the more painful by the fact that the Power Rangers take four years and a day to actually become the Power Rangers and suit up.

By the time they do suit up, they are also constantly talking without their face masks in a fashion similar to Topher Grace’s Venom in “Spider-Man 3.” Just like we wanted to see Venom’s cool face in that movie, we want to see the Power Rangers in the “Power Rangers” movie.

Overall, “Power Rangers” wasn’t terrible.

The aforementioned supporting cast is fantastic (including Bryan Cranston’s gravelly take on Zordon), and some of the special effects are cool.

Unfortunately, the film is bogged down by bland protagonists, a misguided attempt at being dark and gritty and some truly horrendous camerawork during the action scenes (an initial car chase looks like it was shot with a Go-Pro). I give “Power Rangers” two and a half out of five stars.

@BradyTickle

KAILA NATHANIEL / COLLEGIATE TIMES Juxtaposition performs during its spring concert, “Men vs. Wild,” March 31, 2017.

House” by the Commodores.

Alumni are also invited to celebrate with the group after the 9:30 p.m. performance, and are encouraged to attend the cookout that the group has every semester on the Saturday after the show.

Before the show, the members do a chant and a vocal percussion exercise in which one person starts a bass line and each singer adds a riff on top of it.

“So, we’re backstage, we’re waiting to run out and we do this thing where someone starts just a baseline, just a vocal percussion beat.

Everybody starts to add their own little riff on top of it, as long as you’re in key, as long as you sound good, you can do whatever the hell you want. We get everyone hyped up and as soon as we finish that, we run out to the back of the house and run in and it’s really, really, really exciting,” Rafala said.

As the group ran through the cheering house and got into formation onstage, pulsing music blared through the speakers while blindingly bright lights moved across the stage

and into the audience with lightning speed.

Once on stage, we saw that each of the members were dressed to theme, sporting outdoorsy clothes — Robinson even wore a squirrel costume.

The group brought one member to the front, sophomore and tenor Austin Reddin, who wore a grill around his neck and carried a spatula. Sophomore and tenor Harrison de Wolfe even wore painted-on abs to complete the “Man vs. Wild” look.

While the first song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” was a bit of a disappointment, the crowd roared nonetheless.

Additionally, each song following the opener was better than the last.

The audience was incredibly interactive, screaming the soloist’s name during each song and clapping along when appropriate. After the mashup of “Ignition” and “Sexy Can I,” one male audience member screamed, “Yes, you can!”

Sophomore and tenor Henry “Fox” Mason stole the show with his quick wit and intriguing facial expressions during several featured solos, including “24K Magic,” originally performed by

Bruno Mars and “Death of a Bachelor,” originally performed by Panic! At The Disco. Mason instantly caught and captured the audience’s eye with his easygoing charm, and was undoubtedly a crowd favorite throughout the show.

Caleb “Southern Comfort” Caldwell, senior and tenor, stood out as one of the most captivating soloists throughout the performance. His rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey” is both a favorite among the members of Juxtaposition and the audience. His voice was, yes, as smooth as Tennessee Whiskey, as sweet as strawberry wine and as warm as a glass of brandy.

Before the final remaining songs, members of the group presented plaques to the graduating singers, one of whom is Rafala, who, after graduation, will be going to Tunisia with the Peace Corps. For the graduating seniors of the group, this concert was the last time that they will perform on stage with Juxtaposition, making it a meaningful and special concert. @CollegiateTimes

collegiatetimes.com

PAGE 6 April 3, 2017

Softball takes two at home The Hokies snapped a five game losing streak at home this weekend, defeating Georgia Tech in the first two games of the series.

KYLE COOKE assistant sports editor

JORDAN HUTCHINSON a goal. lacrosse beat reporter

Game One

Game Two

In Saturday’s matchup, the Hokies made it clear that they did not want another extra-inning game. Tech racked up 13 runs on 16 hits, including three-hit games from Richardson, Emma Strouth and Caroline Schoenewald.

The Hokies took a 5–0 lead in the first two innings, but it wasn’t particularly glamorous. Only one of the first five runs

Lacrosse loses senior day in overtime 13–12 Tech lost an overtime thriller against Louisville in its final home game.

Following five straight losses, Virginia Tech returned home for a series against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, winning the first two games of the series before dropping Sunday’s matinee.

The first game of the series between the Jackets and the Hokies was a wellbalanced attack from both teams. In the first inning, Tech struck first with an RBI single from Breanna Davenport, the Hokies’ left fielder. Aysha Richardson, who tallied three hits Friday, came across to score for Tech.

Georgia Tech was quick to respond in the following innings. In the top of the second, shortstop Kelsey Chisholm scored on a wild pitch from Tech’s freshman pitcher Carrie Eberle. In the next frame, the Jackets scored two more runs thanks to a sac fly and a fielder’s choice.

The Hokies didn’t take the lead until the fourth inning when second baseman Olivia Lattin roped a double to leftcenter field, scoring senior first baseman Vanessa Gonzalez.

A home run from Georgia Tech’s Jessica Kowalewicz put the Jackets back on top in the top of the seventh, forcing the Hokies to rally to win the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, with two strikes and two outs, Caitlyn Nolan laced a double to left field, scoring pinch runner Whitney Metz and sending the game into extra innings.

The Hokies came out on top thanks to an error from Chisholm in the bottom of the eighth inning. After Chisholm fumbled a hard-hit grounder from catcher Lauren Duff, Lattin came across to score for the Hokies, giving them their first ACC victory since a win against North Carolina last month.

editor@collegiatetimes.com

BILLY CLARKE / COLLEGIATE TIMES Emily Anderson (88) pitches toward Vanessa Gonzalez (7) on the Tech Softball Park, April 2, 2017.

scored from a base hit. The rest came from small ball, with the Hokies pushing runners across with sac flies, walks and stolen bases.

Even without the long ball, the Hokies were able to tack on another five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The final score was 13–6.

Richardson, whose batting average is floating around an outstanding .400, also showed what she can do in the circle. The junior from Louisa, Virginia, pitched four innings and only surrendered one hit. Richardson did, however, walk six batters, but with how hot the Hokies’ offense was, nothing they did on the field really mattered.

Game Three

This was not the case in Sunday’s afternoon matchup, as the Yellow Jackets’ aggressive base-running, in conjunction with Virginia Tech’s ineffectiveness at the plate, helped them to avoid the sweep.

In the first two games of the series, Georgia Tech consistently attempted to steal bases, but Duff did an outstanding job of cutting down runners at second.

Sunday’s game was a different story.

On two separate occasions, the Jackets pulled off a double steal, scoring a run each time.

During the second double steal of the game, Nolan — arguably the Hokies’ best defensive player — hurt her knee as she tried to make a throw home and had to leave the game, forcing freshman Taylor Clark to fill in at short.

“Obviously she’s going to be a big loss,” Thomas said about Nolan. “She’s going to have an MRI at the beginning of the week. Maybe it’ll be something where she’s only out for a short period of time, but at this point we don’t know.”

Georgia Tech had its best game at the plate Sunday. They got to Tech’s Taylor Barnes early and often, scoring three runs in the first inning. By the end of the fourth inning, it was 7–0 in favor of the Jackets, and Richardson had to come in to pitch.

After giving up a double, Richardson struck out the side in the top of the fifth and seemed to give the Hokies some life.

Gonzalez led off with a home run in the bottom half of the inning, giving her a team-high eight home runs on the season.

Lattin added on with a two-run shot later in the frame and cut the Hokies’ deficit to four.

That’s where the score would remain and the Jackets avoided the sweep with a 7–3 win.

“It’s too bad we couldn’t get the sweep, but at this point we’ll take the series,” Thomas said. “As we kind of climb through the end of the season here, we need to make sure we don’t fall too far.”

The Hokies have a doubleheader against Elon Wednesday before hitting the road for a series against the Pitt Panthers.

@kcboomstick23

In its final home game of the season, the Virginia Tech lacrosse team fell to Louisville, 13–12, in overtime. With the loss, the Hokies fall to 11–4 on the year with three tough games remaining before the ACC championships.

It was senior day for Kristine Loscalzo, who recorded her fifth straight hat trick, as her season total for goals rose to 44. Emma Harden scored four goals for the Hokies and was 2–2 on free position shots.

Tristan McGinley tacked on two more goals and won three draw controls. Zan Biedenharn and Marissa Davey also each scored a goal. Goalie Meagh Graham had a great game, recording 10 saves in 61 minutes.

L ou isvi l le’s Ha n na h Koloski knocked in four goals and won seven draw controls for the Cardinals. Meghan Siverson also recorded a hat trick and took eight shots in Louisville’s win over the Hokies. Elise Koehl scored two goals, while Ashley Lynch and Emily Howell each added

The Hokies were a perfect 4–4 from free-position shots on Saturday. With that said, the Cardinals handled the Hokies in terms of draw controls in which the Cardinals had 17 to the Hokies’ 10. The Hokies were also outshot, 32–22.

As the Hokies wrap up their home season, it is important to look back and see how they fared. At home, the Hokies were 6–4 with two overtime losses. On the road, however, Tech is 5–0. Considering that all of the remaining games are road games, the Hokies have a great opportunity to finish the year on a tough note.

The Hokies, who are ranked 12th, will almost surely fall in the rankings after two tough losses. Next on the schedule for the Hokies is Syracuse, which is 8–4 on the season. After the Orange, Tech will face Notre Dame and Virginia, both on the road. The Hokies will look to bounce back after two straight losses to North Carolina and Louisville last week. @JHutchinsonVT

LOREN SKINKER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Tech’s Kristine Loscalzo (24) and Taylor Caskey (28) attempt to steal the ball from Louisville’s goalkeeper Brittany Read (19), April 1, 2017.