collegiatetimes.com
March 20, 2018
COLLEGIATETIMES
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES
NEW DINING CENTER COMING TO DIETRICK HALL IN FALL OF 2019 A major renovation will add a new dining center with more pre-packaged food options and transform the outdoor space into a “Spirit Plaza.” MIKE LIU
assistant news editor
Virginia Tech is planning a major renovation to Dietrick Hall. The renovation is scheduled to take place in December of 2018. T here a re sever a l different parts of the renovation, including new doors for the first floor, a transformation of the outdoor space, relocation of the convenience store and the addition of a new dining center. Built in 1970, Dietrick Hall currently houses three dining centers and a convenience store. The three dining centers are D2, which is located on the second floor, Deet’s Place and DXpress, which are both located on the first floor. Accord i ng to Te d Faulkner, director of Dining Services, Virginia Tech is planning on transforming the space between Dietrick Hall and the open field next to Washington Street, known as the Dietrick Quad, into a “Spirit Plaza.” The renovation will add 200 additional seats to the Spirit Plaza. The Spirit Plaza will create a gateway from the athletics side of the campus to the residential side and academic side of the campus. “You often see that at other universities where they have iconic locations
on campus where you can kind of take selfies or get a picture, and everybody will know instantly from seeing it that you are at Virginia Tech,” Faulkner said. Faulkner said there is a possibility that the university may move the HokieBird currently located inside Cassell Coliseum, to the Spirit Plaza. Although it is still under discussion, Faulkner said the Spirit Plaza and Hok ieBi rd could become the iconic landmark for Virginia Tech if the plan is approved by the university. There will be famous quotes about Virginia Tech engraved in the sidewalk of Spirit Plaza. According to Faulkner, the quotes may include “We are Virginia Tech” by Nikki Giovanni, popular poet and university distinguished professor at Virginia Tech; “I saw Virginia Tech as a sleeping giant that could be awakened. I thought the time was right.” by T. Marshall Hahn Jr., president of Virginia Tech from 1962 to 1974; and “Tyrod did it Mikey! Tyrod did it!” by Bill Roth, former voice of the Hokies and current Virginia Tech professor. The convenience store that is currently located on the first floor of Dietrick Hall will be moved to the right side of the building
DAVID HONG / COLLEGIATE TIMES A chef introducing new dishes to the student representatives during the Dietrick Hall Renovation discussion, March 1, 2018.
next to DXpress. DXpress and Deet’s Place will stay at the same location. The space where the convenience store is currently located will be transformed into a new dining center. It will connect Deet’s Place and DXpress. Students will be able to access all three places from any gateway without exiting the building. According to Faulkner, Dining Services has not
yet decided the name of the new dining center. The dining center will include a self-serve station for coffee, which is similar to Au Bon Pain’s self-serve coffee station, a Greek yogurt and protein bar and a Mediterranean food station. There will be prepared products and pre-packaged food options for students. DIETRICK / page 3
Happy Hokies: The perfect spots around town for a first date
Picking the perfect spot for a first date can be nerve-wracking — but our writer has you covered. HALEY CUMMINGS lifestyles staff writer
First date. These two words can make you feel a rush of anxiety, excitement and hope all at once. There are a million questions still to be answered, and the person is new and intriguing. What you say, what you do and how you look are all important parts of a first date. But none of these are as important as the location. The location determines how long the date lasts and what you talk about, and influences how you get to know the other person. Luck y for ever yone, Blacksburg is home to a variety of places for every kind of first date you’ve been imagining in your head. Pandapas Pond is a beautiful lake surrounded by different trails. This location lets you and your date walk around freely and get to know one another in an area that is usually not very busy. Also, if your date has a dog, this is the perfect opportunity to make sure the pup likes you before proceeding with the relationship. Pack a picnic if you want the date to last even longer. Beliveau Estate Winery and Recreational Venue is a fun and scenic adventure. It’s a bit of a drive, and of course you must be of age to enjoy the wine, but the winery sits on an absolutely beautiful piece of land,
and it holds many events throughout the year, such as its annual lavender festival, which is usually held in June. The Moss Arts Center is a great place to see an art exhibit or enjoy a performance. It is open to all students and most performances are $10 or less. Even if you aren’t into art, this is a great location to talk or experience something new with someone new. Puzzlr is an exciting attraction in Blacksburg that puts you and your date in an escape room in which you must work together to solve puzzles in order to get out of the room. You have 60 minutes to escape any of its three different room options. This is a true test of a relationship, and also would work well as a good group date option if you want more minds to help you escape. The Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech is an option for the sportier types who love golf. This course is open to the public and costs between $30–$40 for a Tech student to play. Only a 25 minute drive from campus, this course definitely beats mini-golf dates. Mill Mountain Zoo is the perfect place to see if your date likes animals. And let’s face it, if your date doesn’t like animals, then why are you even dating them? The DATE / page 4
‘Shadows of Flowers’: Creative writing alumna publishes novel
Holly Kays graduated from Virginia Tech in 2011 and says that her experience here helped give her the courage to write a novel. LILY CARROLL
lifestyles staff writer
COURTESY OF HOLLY KAYS
HOKIES DEFEATED BY CRIMSON TIDE Tech goes down in hardfought game, 86–83.
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Nearly 2,000 miles separate the small, rural town of Buffalo, Wyoming, and our very own Virginia Tech. But for author Holly Kays, they are both home. In her debut novel, “Shadows of Flowers,”Kays draws c on n e c t ion s b et we en Buffalo and Blacksburg, as the main character Dana Stullman struggles to come to terms with the grief of her past and step into an uncertain future. Born in Williamsport, Maryland, Kays graduated from Virginia Tech’s
NEW CHANGES COMING TO AIRPORT Airport expanding to allow more air traffic.
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creative writing and natural resources programs in 2011. After graduation, she moved to Idaho, then Wyoming to pursue a career in journalism, working for a series of small papers, hoping to one day return east. Inspired by the vast Wyoming landscape, Kays put pen to paper, and what started as just a writing exercise became much more. “I wasn’t planning to write a novel when I started exploring this image of a young woman driving down a Wyoming highway, startled into the past by a song on the radio. But I found myself interested in
that woman — her background, her motivations, her fears — and I kept writing. I built Dana’s character as I went, combining pieces of my own experiences out west and imagined what-ifs to tell the story,” Kays said. In “Shadows of Flowers,” the sudden death of her boyfriend in their senior year at Virginia Tech causes Dana to flee to Buffalo — running from her past and the desolation it brings. But the memories of a tragedy she has yet to come to terms with remain. It culminates with an unlikely friendship,
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WRITER / page 4