March 20, 2017

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March 20, 2017

COLLEGIATETIMES

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 TECH ADVANCES IN WNIT The women’s basketball team defeated Navy 75–64 in the second round . page 6

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A stepping stone Is Tech just an audition for Tim Sands?

His aversion to addressing controversy leads some to ask whether he’s in Blacksburg for the long haul.

In

perhaps C-SPAN expected Sands to offer an illuminating comment.

Instead, Sands, plain and tall, offered banal platitudes as though he was reading from a script: “We as a public institution have sort of a town square mentality, where we certainly promote free speech,” Sands said. “It is part of our principles of community so it is naturally part of what we do at Virginia Tech.”

If the goal was to upset no one, he surely succeeded. However, if the goal was to make a case for Virginia Tech’s unique place in higher education, Sands should hope to be rebooked.

Two days after President Donald Trump’s rushed travel ban was implemented, Sands issued an open letter flatly stating he was aware of concerns, but offered no statement in support for those targeted by the reckless order. Only nine universities had more students impacted by the ban than Virginia Tech, according to Business Insider.

It is as if Sands is walking a tightrope of self preservation, afraid to provoke an angered response from political partisans, while also

Fresh, handmade food delivered straight to your door is the goal of NomNoms, one of Blacksburg’s newest local restaurants. Owner Jennifer “Jen” Morrison, a Hokie alum and long-time member of the Blacksburg community, is passionate about building connections with the town and providing us with exactly what she thinks we need: really good sandwiches.

Morrison has worked in the food industry of Blacksburg since she began her studies at Virginia Tech in 1999. She fell in love with the local community and decided to stick around. She is a sandwich lover who could never get the sandwich she wanted in Blacksburg and found herself driving out to Roanoke for a really good deli, and

see NOMS / page 5

Baseball steals series from No. 1 FSU The Virginia Tech baseball team hosted the best-ranked team in the country this weekend, winning two of three, including a 17–0 rout in the final game of the series. baseball beat reporter

Game One Virginia Tech welcomed the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles to Blacksburg over the weekend.

With Packy Naughton on the mound, the Hokies kept things tight until the sixth, when Florida State took control and rolled to a 9–2 win.

Naughton allowed one run through the first five innings, but a leadoff walk helped build a big inning for the Seminoles.

A big triple from JC Flowers made it 5–1, and head coach Patrick Mason talked about the TAYO OLADELE / COLLEGIATE TIMES decision to stay with his starter.

“We made a decision to try Virginia Tech’s Nick Anderson (26) throws a pitch as the Hokies and let him pitch his way out of defeat Florida State, March 19, 2017.

“

There is a political sea change going on right now and it’s deeper than Trump but Trump tapped into it and he’s continuing it.”

Jim Kuypers expert on presidential rhetoric

see PRESIDENT / page 3

by Morrison and built with all of her favorite things: ham, Genoa salami, Lebanon bologna, capicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion,

MEGAN MAURY CHURCH / COLLEGIATE TIMES The interior of NomNoms, which recently opened, March 18, 2017.

NATHAN LOPRETE

Just two months ago, Donald J. Trump stood victorious at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., as an estimated 160,000 people witnessed the 58th Presidential Inauguration. For the third time in history, Lincoln’s mahogany and golden-lined Bible was presented during oath, marking the first (and certainly not last) unavoidable comparison of Trump’s transition to the Oval Office to that of his predecessor, Barack Hussein Obama.

How it all began Karen Hult, chair of the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech and

see UPSET / page 6

NomNoms opened on March 18 with the mission to provide an authentic deli experience for Blacksburg citizens who have a passion for fresh food — just like owner Jen Morrison. and more — but also serves salads and a few miscellaneous items called “Noms.” They also sell to-order cuts of cheeses and meats.

The star of the show is the NomNoms, a sandwich crafted

news editor

it because he had been making some big pitches throughout the course of the first five innings.

That triple was a big hit. It was the difference between a 5–1 game and how do we handle our bullpen versus (a) 3–1 (game) and how do we handle our bullpen,” Mason said.

The offense only managed two runs on six hits and Mason spoke about the lack of production after the game.

“They were getting their pitch.

They were just throwing fastballs.

It was 0–9 with runners in scoring position, seven of them were outs on fastballs, four of them being strikeouts on fastballs. We have got to do a better

see STAY/ page 2

NomNoms offers a true deli experience in 2012, she began dreaming of opening NomNoms to help anyone else in this situation.

NomNoms, a deli and delivery service, officially opened on Saturday, March 18. It is in the building that used to be a Long John Silver’s, but, as one customer on the second day of business joked, it is much healthier than Long John Silver’s.

Morrison believes that her sandwich shop stands out from others of its kind for its freshness.

“We have no fryer, no grill, no grease,” she said. Everything is built fresh. The bagels and sourdough bread come locally from Blacksburg Bagels, while the rest of the breads are ordered from Ivy, Virginia, guaranteeing local freshness.

It specializes in sandwiches of all kinds — classics, bagels, subs

As executive orders flow from Washington, experts reflect on the last 59 days.

board member of the nonpartisan White House Transition Project, enjoys providing constructive criticism to government officials on the basis of formerly identified mishaps made by presidential candidates, staff and cabinet members. In careful analysis of Trump’s inaugural address, Hult believes that his speech was loa ded with divisive language, which is typically done away with once the campaign trail has come to an end.

“It’s not that this hasn’t happened before, it’s that it was counter to what many people expected in this particular inaugural address,” Hult explained. “Given the vast division in the country, the closeness of the race, the fact that he lost the popular vote but won the electoral college ... people had different kinds of expectations.”

Despite the popular belief that Trump would abandon his traditional rhetoric and recalibrate with more diplomatic expressions, both Americans and foreigners shared confusion as to why the newly elected president spoke with such distaste toward the actions made by previous political figures. Some felt that his language unnecessarily distinguished himself, not between political parties, but between his future plans and his disapproval of all politicians before him.

“We are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people,” Trump said in the opening remarks of his inaugural address, alluding that the people did not have power under previous leaders of the country. “For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.”

Hult described Trump’s use of “American carnage” in his speech as “at best overstated.”

Meanwhile Jim Kuypers, professor in the Department of Communication and expert in presidential rhetoric, assessed America’s political state as contingent with the changes made at a heightened speed, rather than Trump truly intending to promote a platform that is unable to resolve problems from both the Republicans’ and Democrats’ wish lists.

“There is a political sea change going on right now and it’s deeper than Trump, but Trump tapped into it and he’s continuing it,” Kuypers said. “I think it is very important to note in his inaugural address that he wasn’t putting forth a Republican agenda — you go back and you read that speech, and you’ll see that he took on the establishment, both Democrats and Republicans.”

Instead, Kuypers urges others to look at Trump’s initiative for immediate change optimistically, seeing the disappointment in both major political parties as a strangely accurate indicator for Trump’s effort to equally distribute disappointment.

“He was hitting on everybody on that stage, and he ran on a promise of draining the swamp,” Kuypers said. “Well, the snakes and

BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES

food columnist

Two months later: A look at Trump’s transition ALY DE ANGELUS

his short time at Virginia Tech, President Timothy Sands has done his best to sidestep controversy.

Despite many opportunities, the university has avoided its share of embarrassing headlines.

From the bigoted remarks by Virginia Tech football players at a gender-based violence protest, to the controversial decision to grant white nationalist Charles Murray a platform, several potentially damaging stories never went national. Somehow Virginia Tech even avoided scorn after the nation learned of Stephen Bannon and his ties to the university.

All cases were handled quietly and quickly. Rushing to quell any potential uproar, Sands has grown accustomed to the use of the open letter, which almost always seems to include the same copy and pasted paragraph about “our principles of community.”

Sands’ affinity for milquetoast boiler plate was on fine display last month when he joined C-SPAN to discuss free speech on college campuses. The issue has become a popular political rallying cry and after last year’s Murray debacle,

MEGAN MAURY CHURCH

‘HIT SOME STUFF’ Two Tech alumni move Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness to new location. page 5

ANTI-SEMITIC LEAFLETS Jewish community center finds swastika-adorned leaflets during Sabbath. page 4

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Understanding Islam: Explaining the religion’s enigma Currently, the Islamic faith is under tremendous scrutiny from all sides. I often suspect that pundits who deliver their ideological quips regarding my faith do not have much in the way of direct experience nor understanding when it comes to this tender subject.

The purpose of this column is to communicate information on the needlessly enigmatic subject of Islam.

Islam is a popular religion.

The faith has nearly 1.6 billion practitioners — thus making it the second most practiced religion behind Christianity.

Nearly 23 percent of the world is Muslim. The faith is currently growing at a rate that is believed to be the fastest among all major belief systems. Unfortunately, the previous sentence might give some readers cause for alarm. However, these impulses might be neutralized with increased exposure to Muslims and knowledge of the Islamic faith.

The word “Islam” in Arabic means submission. Muslims are those who submit to Allah (“God”). The faith is not named after a particular people, like Judaism, or a particular individual, like Christianity.

Interesting side note: the word “God” is derived from the old Germanic word “Gott” or “Gud,” meaning “to invoke or sacrifice to.” Knowing

as much as we know about Jesus, or “Isa” in Arabic, he most likely never referred to his deity as “God.” However, there is ample evidence that the namesake he used for his deity had a pronunciation closer to “AaLaH” or “AlaHa,” a generic root word for “God” in Aramaic.

The necessary beliefs in Islam are of Allah, the angels, the Quran (Islamic holy scripture), the prophets, the Last Day (day of judgement) and the afterlife. A pivotal belief in Islam is that there is an inherent separation between the Creator and the creation. In Islam, Allah is the one creator and deity, and his creations possess no holiness or supreme powers. This logic is extended to all of the prophets. We believe that the prophets were humans of the highest character and piety, yet they were not worthy of worship.

Also, since no humans hold holiness, we see no need to confess our sins to men, or to seek spiritual endowment from anyone other than Allah.

Allah states in the Quran that He rewards good behaviors, among the most frequently mentioned of these are speaking the truth, being kind to family, honoring parents, giving charity, feeding the poor, freeing slaves and studying. Allah also states in the Quran that He punishes bad

behaviors; among these are the worship of idols, stealing from orphans, disobeying one’s parents, cheating on one’s spouse, giving false testimony, committing murder or suicide, or enslaving a free person.

Interesting fact: the words “heaven” and “hell” are both repeated in the Quran exactly 77 times.

There is a profound degree of weight in Islam’s messages and, like all powerful messages, they can be used for depravity in the wrong hands.

Many men, as we have seen throughout history, exploit feelings of fear, passion and awe to achieve the same old patriarchal end goals: autocracy, the subjugation of women and the suppression of freedom. This has happened with other faiths and other cultures, although Islam does not necessarily promote a single culture. The fault is not in the faith itself, but in the individual practitioners and the misguided outsiders.

This assertion is shared by top United States security officials. Current United States National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster states that terrorists are “un-Islamic” and that we should avoid the term “radical Islamic terrorism” because it is inaccurate.

In my opinion, the best way to neuter terrorism by self-proclaimed Muslims is

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The health effects of modern devices exposed

T

he deliberation over the extent of harm caused by electromagnetic fields (EMFs) is one that has continued for decades. Electromagnetic fields are physical fields produced by electrically charged objects. Depending on their force of radiation, they can reshape the behavior of other electric items in their vicinity at various magnitudes. As time has progressed, technology has advanced from herculean machines to handheld innovations. The impact of cellular radiation on the human brain, behavior and health are everlasting — but in the most detrimental way.

It is essential that our daily device usage be limited; this means significantly less phone and laptop time.

The widespread increase in cell phone usage contributes to a dver se physica l symptoms and prominent magnitudes of daily stress in the average American.

Considering minute EMFs are produced by the human body itself in order to carry out biochemical processes, needless to say that external radiation-producing

devices can alter the body’s natural system of electromagnetic field movement.

Entrainment, the changing of a motion to flow in a pattern that matches the frequency of the objects surrounding it, occurs when the human body is within close contact to powerful EMFs. Frances E. Jensen’s nonfiction book “The Teenage Brain” lists side effects such as erratic behavior, dysfunctional personality traits and copious amounts of stress in teens caused by excessive cell phone usage.

In fact, SafeSpace’s article on the health effects of radiation even presents EMFs as possible carcinogensa substance able to cause cancer. Evidently, these transformed waves not only impact our physical wellbeing, but our emotional health as well.

As a psychology student and an avid researcher on neuropsychology-related subjects, I experimented with various cell phone usage settings. I came to the conclusion that my decreased proximity to my cellular device vastly reduced my stress and provided me with

a more sound and undisturbed sleep cycle. Simply modifying my phone habits cleared my mind and led me to feel healthier and rejuvenated throughout my daily routines. Upon interaction with others who have followed a similar process, I came to the conclusion that larger distance from cellular devices leads to increased peace both mentally and physically.

Cellular device usage needs to be restricted immediately. Children of younger age groups are becoming latched onto technological gadgets, causing only more severe interference between external and internal EMFs, thus damaging the growing brain. By the time adulthood is reached, not only will these individuals be more susceptible to extreme diseases, but technology will become so insinuated in daily life that carrying out tasks without it will become impossible.

It is the duty of the general public to become proponents of preaching the dimensions of harm that can result from such prevalently used machines.

Furthermore, it is urgent that adults, teachers and instructors today educate their children and students on the dangerous aftermath that can arise from extensive cellular device dependence — knowledge that still remains unknown among many. It is our duty to regulate technology usage and judiciously handle our devices for the well-being of our lives and those who will follow in our footsteps.

to ensure that the majority of Muslims around the world have ensured human dignity and fair treatment. When groups of people feel that they are under attack, they tend to lose objectivity and are more prone to radicalization. When Muslims see the injustices being carried out in places like Syria, Palestine and Iraq, it causes many of them — us — to feel demoralized, threatened or resentful.

“

The fault is not in the faith itself, but in the individual practitioners and the misguided outsiders.”

Under these conditions, the most brutal and archaic of voices in the Muslim world are granted credibility. This phenomenon is present across all societies, including the United States. The brutality here perhaps is not on the level of the Middle East, but neither is the perceived threat among the citizenry. Canada, in the minds of radicals, has issued the Muslim world few sleights, and as a result, their nation has experienced considerably fewer terror attacks than other western nations. Terrorism is unacceptable under any

circumstance, but we would be wise to understand and limit its causes.

Back to discussing the faith itself — in Islam, practice is based upon five essential pillars: Shahada: to declare one’s belief in Allah and the prophetic role of Muhammad.

Salah: to pray five times a day (dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening).

Zakat: to give charity to those in need.

Sawn: to fast from food, liquids and other bodily pleasures during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan.

Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if it is physically and financially feasible.

Some other interesting nuggets pertaining to the practice of Islam: Abstinence is to be practiced until marriage.

Mind-altering substances are prohibited.

The consumption of swine is prohibited.

While Islam is a strict faith compared to many other belief systems, an often undercommunicated aspect of our faith is the great mercy of our Creator. Two epithets that we regularly use for Allah are “Al Rahman” and “Al Raheem,” which translate to “the most compassionate” and “the most merciful.” Human beings sin, naturally — Allah

understands, and He rewards our struggle and attempts at self-improvement. In fact, it could be said that Allah grades on a curve. The more difficult our fight to righteousness, the greater our reward with Him in the end.

A source of grave misunderstanding regarding the Islamic faith concerns the word “jihad,” which literally means “struggle.” The concept of jihad revolves around a struggle for the greater good and the study, practice and preaching of Islam.

Unfortunately, in the term’s original usage, there was a lot of room left for interpretation. While both suicide and murder are explicitly listed as some of the worst sins in our entire faith, many people imagine that some gruesome combination of the two ensures paradise and 72 virgins — I can assure you quite the contrary.

There are many ways to fight for the greater good; in fact, I hope I am enacting jihad right now.

Also, many people assume that the Islamic faith is hostile toward the world’s other religions. This is not so. Our Quran reads, “Rest assured that Believers (Muslims), Jews, Christians and Sabians — whoever believes in Allah see FAITH / page 5

STAY: Is Tech President Sands’ stepping stone? from page 1

offering only a hint of sympathy to those caught in the drama. The most boring high-wire act in Blacksburg.

In September, Sands ended his first State of the University Address as though he was a character in an early 2000s Disney Channel Original Movie. Think, The Cheetah Girls.

“We cannot afford to miss this window of opportunity during the short time it is open for us,” Sands said. “This is our moment. This is our century. And today, I believe there is no better place to be in higher education than right here, right now.”

So why take this trite, almost corny, approach? Is this simply who Sands is?

Or does he see himself one day moving beyond Virginia Tech and is afraid to sour the perspective of potential employers?

It is common for higher education administrators to take new positions at different universities. Before arriving in Blacksburg, Sands had risen to become the provost at Purdue University and after a successful six months as acting president, Virginia Tech tapped him to replace the retiring Steger.

College football fans may be familiar with this process. Take Virginia Tech head football coach Justin Fuente, for example. Fuente, a

talented offensive coordinator at Texas Christian University, became the head coach of the University of Memphis in 2012. After an impressive four-year run, Fuente was able to move on to Virginia Tech’s larger program.

So the inevitable question: is Virginia Tech just a stepping stone for Sands?

Could he one day move onto a more prestigious university?

The chancellor of Sands’ alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley, is 73 and Mitch Daniels, the president of Sands’ last stop, Purdue, is 67. Sands never expected to leave Purdue, and by his own account shares a great love for the Indiana land-grant. It will not be long before both look for successors.

If Sands’ time as a Hokie is in fact an audition he will no doubt need a few more years to prove his worth.

Sands’ current contract will reportedly expire in May 2019. Before the contract’s expiration the university Board of Visitors will have to decide to extend his contract, and by then other schools may have their eye on Sands — not to mention government agencies or private engineering firms.

Since the consolidation of the university in 1891, Virginia Tech has had 12 presidents, with an average tenure of 10 and a half years. 2019 will mark Sands’ halfway point to a decade in office.

Before leaving for Virginia Tech, Sands reflected on his career trajectory in a presentation to Purdue faculty members. What drew him to Purdue and later to Virginia Tech, Sands said, was the way the two universities are able to balance both the STEM and the humanities. He told the crowd there were only a handful of other universities that shared that characteristic.

Sands, a brilliant engineer and academic in his own right, is an exceptionally effective university administrator. His commitment to interdisciplinary education has undoubtedly put the university on a track for sustained success.

If Sands’ rhetorical trepidations are the result of a new president still finding his footing, he should recognize how willing the community is to accept him. He is beloved by the student body and has quickly made himself the face of Virginia Tech. Never before in his career have his words mattered as much as they do today.

There would be no better way to solidify his place in Blacksburg than for him to strengthen his conviction.

And if those convictions suddenly appear, we would be lucky to keep him around.

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Candidates duke it out for positions at SGA debate With six total candidates this year, student leaders competed with their ideas ahead of the election. interested in helping SGA succeed and be the best it can be.” news editor Rex Willis, junior management On Thursday, March 16, Virginia major and presidential candidate, and Tech’s Student Government his vice presidential counterpart Julia Association (SGA) hosted its annual Billingsley ran on an “Action for All” debate. slogan.

The debate started with a twominute opening statement from each of the three presidential candidates I think it really shows and their respective running mates. that we have a lot of Most campaigns chose to focus their opening statements on the overall people this year who are platform of their campaign. interested in helping SGA “Usually presidential and vice succeed.” presidential candidates run unopGenevieve Lemley posed or maybe with one other group chief justice of the SGA running against them, so having three groups all running for these executive positions is really special,” said Genevieve Lemley, chief justice of the SGA and moderator of the “We both served on executive debate. “I think it really shows that we board last year, so we’ve combined have a lot of people this year who are that experience, and we’ve gauged

IZZY ROSSI

“

student opinion in the weeks prior to campaigning to build our platform, and our platform is inspired by the values that unite all Hokies on this campus, the values on the pylons,” Willis said. “We have a multi-faceted platform that each has two action items with it, and, if elected, we plan to use this platform to create ‘Action for All.’” Nick Falls, junior electrical engineering major and vice presidential candidate, stressed raising awareness for SGA as a key component of his and junior presidential candidate Spencer Morris’ campaign.

“Our platform is based on bringing your ideas to life. We want to raise awareness for the Student Government Association here on campus,” Falls said. “A lot of people don’t know that back in 1983, I think it was, the Town of Blacksburg and Student Government Association

PRESIDENT: Obama and

Trump, grappling with presidential rhetoric styles from page 1

alligators are fighting back from both parties.

You may not like the messenger, but he is shaking things up in a big way.”

Trump Tower to Trump’s power With two months underway, Trump has taken to the living standards at the White House in warped speed, and executive orders are no longer crawling — they are sprinting. Gauging against Obama’s 276 executive orders issued in his entire eight-year term, Trump has landed in work overdrive, issuing a whopping 17 orders in 59 days. To put this into perspective, Obama had 2,920 days in office, averaging one executive order for every 10 and a half days. Granted, Obama issued 12 executive orders in his first 10 days alone, but Trump’s 14 orders in his first week continue to gain momentum, on target to more than double Obama’s actions and U.S. citizens don’t know how to feel.

For Hult, this kind of power shift drastically contrasts against Obama’s leading style, which is what she feels has alarmed the people more than anything, although she can sympathize with those that see Trump leading with a modernized dictatorial approach.

“That’s been a concern about him even before he was elected into the presidency, that he seems to be ... somewhat thin-skinned,” Hult said.

“He seems not to want people around him who disagree with him and that’s a concern for any president because nobody is the perfect decision maker. Lots of people are going to benefit from having all kinds of information, some of which they might disagree with, so I don’t know if that’s saying it’s a dictator, but that is a source of concern for somebody in the Oval Office.”

Overall, Kuypers chalks up the continual rallies and marches, including Virginia Tech alumni disavowing Bannon, as a product of

adhering to traditional styles of communication for too long, spotting Obama’s approval ratings to soar when he spoke in fluent, prepared remarks as opposed to Trump’s “off-the-cuff” style that demands an acquired taste.

What’s next for America?

As tension between activis Trump’s executive action continue to increase, Hult admits that statistician Allan Lichtman and his impeachment prediction, while extreme, is not far-fetched.

“I’d say, from my standpoint anyway, I wouldn’t put more than 5 or 6 dollars on it,” Hult said. “I just think the probability is low.

Impossible? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, I don’t think much about betting on our country’s future, but that’s what we have put ourselves in the position of.”

Comparing Nixon’s impeachment, Hult draws a striking parallel with James David Barber, a political scientist who correctly predicted Nixon’s resignation after psychoanalyzing him as a “dangerous president.”

For Kuypers, his focus strays from Trump’s actions and more to the intersection of political beliefs among community members, whose goal is to see more people handling ideas with the reality that they are attached to real human beings and that their logic deserves as much merit as any other to move forward in unifying our country.

“When we start looking at people like that it’s a lot easier to forgive them for being a Clinton or a Trump supporter than when we just look at them as a political pawn,” Kuypers said. “I think we have gotten to a point in this country where we are not doing the right thing in the way we look at people (and) instead of calling somebody a name because they believe X or Y, maybe it’s better to say, ‘Why?’” @RealSlimAD

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES (TOP) Barack Obama speaks in the James S. Brady press briefing room in the White House during his end-of-year press conference in 2015. (BOTTOM) Donald Trump speaks to an audience inside the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Sept. 24, 2016.

teamed up to create the Blacksburg Transit. That’s the scope of it, so we want to raise the awareness and get more students involved so we can do projects like that again.”

Finally, Hunter Bowers, junior public and urban affairs and political science major and presidential candidate, introduced “Bringing Virginia Tech Together” as the platform he and his vice presidential counterpart Abel Solomon will be running on. The pair stressed that their campaign will focus on inclusivity and bringing new groups into SGA. “This is more than a platform for us; this is an idea, and this is something that we’re really passionate about. We feel that SGA has really grown and developed amazing leaders, but we do think that SGA has a responsibility to the student body to represent both marginalized groups

and organizations,” Bowers said. “So, our plan is throughout our campaign we’ve talked to many organizations, as well as fraternities and sororities, as well as marginalized students, and they all feel like they haven’t heard of anything from SGA. So what we want is to bring the students back into SGA and make it a possibility for students to be more actively engaged and feel like if they ever need anything they can come to us.”

The opening statements were followed by a round of questions for the candidates, ranging from ways to increase inclusivity on campus to plans for large scale projects, and ending with closing statements from each group.

Elections will take place March 20–24. @IzzyRossiCT

SCOTUS nominee is a classic conservative Well liked by former classmates and friends, Neil Gorsuch displayed a judicial temperament at a young age.

ZACK WAJSGRAS managing editor

Amid the political turmoil of Donald Trump’s first weeks in office, one executive appointee has escaped the controversy that many of the president’s nominations have faced. He also happens to be up for the most significant position that a president has the power to fill.

Reince Priebus, the current chief of staff in the White House, announced at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that the president’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to Antonin Scalia’s vacant Supreme Court seat was the most significant accomplishment of the administration in its first month in office.

For many conservative voters last November, a major factor for backing the Trump ticket was the likelihood of gaining a conservative leaning justice to the court.

In Gorsuch, a federal judge from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals who was nominated

by George Bush in 2006, conservatives have found just that.

With his hearings set to begin toward the end of March, Gorsuch’s qualifications and background will be scrutinized by the members of Congress overseeing those meetings, as well as politicians and members of the media across the spectrum.

Early Life and Judicial Temperament Gorsuch was born in Denver, Colorado, in 1967, where he lived for much of his childhood. That changed when his mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, was nominated by Ronald Reagan as the first female head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1981.

Burford gained her own reputation as a political figure for her beliefs about the EPA, which she ran.

According to her obituary in the Washington Post in 2004, “Her 22-month tenure was one of the most controversial of the early Reagan administration. A firm believer that the federal government, and specifically the EPA, was too big, too wasteful and too restrictive of business, Ms. Burford cut her agency’s budget by 22 percent. She boasted that she reduced the thickness of the book of clean water regulations from six inches to a half-inch.”

She was forced to resign in 1983 during a dispute over the “mismanagement of a $1.6 billion program to clean up hazardous waste dumps,” despite never being charged for the offense.

Gorsuch, however, began school at the elite North Bethesda school Georgetown Prep near the start of his

mother’s tenure.

He quickly gained a reputation for his wit and political views around campus.

“He was very active in student government; he was always really politically aware,” said Steve Ochs, a professor at Georgetown Prep who has taught American history and government classes for 40 years and was also involved with student government when Gorsuch was a student. “He was conservative politically, and he was engaged in debates with fellow students and with teachers too. There were some really ultra-liberal teachers who took him on in class, dealing with contemporary issues.”

That aptitude for political discussion began to define his personality. However, many who knew him have added that his debates rarely, if ever, became personal or offensive.

“I was always struck by the fact that Neil could disagree without being disagreeable,” Ochs said. “He would argue and he was brilliant; he was a national champion in terms of student government debate.

He was so formidable of a debater, but there was never any animus, there was never any visceral nastiness.”

After his nomination at the end of January, a story surfaced about Gorsuch purporting that in his yearbook senior year, he claimed to have created a “Fascism Forever” club. News reports began swirling, riding the wind of the many other controversies streaming out of the White House.

However, while Gorsuch’s page did state that he was the president and founder of the “Fascism Forever” club, it was quickly debunked as a misinterpreted joke. In fact, it was common at the time for many seniors at the high school to create fake and whimsical clubs.

“There were some teachers who really challenged him, and he would debate (them) back and forth, and this whole ‘fascism’ thing came up because somebody humorously remarked, using hyperbole, that, ‘Oh, here’s conservative Neil Gorsuch, he’s like the president of the young fascists,’” Ochs said.

“It’s a joke on people who were labeling him that — it was in humor.”

Law Career It was no surprise to those who knew him that he went on to some of the finest law schools in the world. Upon leaving Georgetown Prep, Gorsuch attended Columbia University as an undergraduate before moving on to study at Harvard Law School. He then completed his education with a doctorate in legal philosophy from Oxford.

Before starting at Oxford, however, Gorsuch had the opportunity to serve as a law clerk for two Supreme Court justices: Justice Byron White and Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Very few law students have the opportunity to experience working in the highest court in the federal system.

Howard Gutman, a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium under the Obama administration, and who also clerked under Supreme Court Justices Potter Stewart and Sandra Day O’Connor, said that that experience could be particularly important for how he could potentially handle his Supreme Court seat should he be approved.

As Gorsuch’s career took off, he began working for a private law firm in Washington, D.C., for about a decade before being appointed to the federal court

by George Bush. During his time as a judge, he has been classified as an “originalist” in the way that he interprets the law.

“It’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard; it says (with) the Constitution in 1776 and the Bill of Rights, you have to apply original intent of the people who wrote it,” Gutman said. “And I guess presumably since they were all slave owners, the original intent was you can have discrimination.”

Wat Hopkins, a Virginia Tech legal studies professor and a former court reporter for the Fayetteville Times in North Carolina, noted that an originalist’s position, along with being conservative, comes with a certain set of nuances. “ He b el ieve s the Constitution should be interpreted as was intended by those who framed it, then that gives him a certain leaning.

But that also gives some inhibitions because he’s got to apply those kinds of laws to things like the internet when we know that there was no internet, there was no television (back then),” Hopkins said. “Conservative justices, because they seem many times to be more inclined to respect precedent, don’t like to overturn previous cases.

Even if Justice Gorsuch is opposed to abortion, that doesn’t mean automatically that he’s going to second guess a prior court and overturn Roe v. Wade; that would be a huge decision.”

To combat the reservations of some, Gorsuch’s classmates penned a letter with over 50 signatures to informally endorse him for his nomination, including Brian Cashman, the current general see SCOTUS / page 4

collegiatetimes.com

PAGE 4 March 20, 2017

editor@collegiatetimes.com

SCOTUS: Gorsuch Swastika leaflets littered on Jewish Student Center’s lawn to endure tough With nearly 100 hand-drawn swastikas scattered across the front yard of the Chabad Librescu, President Sands and others emphasize community support.

Rabbi Zvi Zwiebel stepped out of the Chabad Librescu Jewish Student Center at Virginia Tech on Saturday to get some fresh air. He was met with nearly 100 handdrawn swastikas emblazoned on leaflets littered across the front lawn, still dry in the light afternoon rain.

The leaflets were scattered one day after Chabad announced that Holocaust survivor Rabbi Nissen Mangel would speak at Virginia Tech on April 24. According to Zwiebel, “We’re strongly inclined to believe” that there is a connection between the event’s publicity and the appearance of the leaflets.

“It’s shocking that it can happen at the Virginia Tech community,” Zwiebel said. “(I’ve) been here eight years and never believed such a thing can happen here.”

As the case remains active, Blacksburg Police declined to provide information regarding the investigation.

This incident comes amid a rise in antiSemitic activity in the United States and Canada. Stories of defaced Jewish tombstones and bomb threats against Jewish

community centers have routinely made headlines in early 2017.

“Why attack cemeteries? Why Jewish community centers?” wrote Samuel Kessler, postdoctoral fellow in Judaic studies in the Department of Religion and Culture, in a public statement regarding the recent uptick in threats against Jewish centers across North America. “Because those are ‘religious’ places — places of sacred meaning, of expressing moral and ethical difference, of cultural difference, rather than difference based on race or ethnicity.

“For the most part, one can no longer tell who a Jew is on the street. But one knows a Jewish space without much difficulty.

It is the literal presence of those places in America, on American soil, that is under attack. A gravestone or a child’s playground is only a danger because it represents an idea. Anti-Semitism is about the living people.”

President Timothy Sands tweeted his support for the Virginia Tech Jewish community early Sunday morning. “@jsu_vt #Hokies stand with you. The propagators of hate may be among us, but

they are not welcome in our community,” Sands wrote.

The Jewish Student Center is named for Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor, professor of engineering science and mechanics at Virginia Tech and one of the 32 victims of the April 16 shootings.

“When our community has been the recipient of a hateful, criminal act like happened last night, we need to stand together and tell people in our community that we support one another,” said Assistant Vice President for University Relations Mark Owczarski. “This speaks to a lot of what President Sands and others have done in recent months, and just really stressed that importance of community and standing together.”

Chabad will hold a rally in support of the Virginia Tech Jewish community at the Graduate Life Center Plaza at 5:30 p.m., March 20. All members of the Virginia Tech community are welcome to attend.

@WithTheFancyGuy

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES A sign hangs on a fence surrounding the Chabad Librescu Jewish Student Center on the corner of Otey Street and Wall Street, March 19, 2017.

study break

manager of the New York Yankees, who also graduated high school with Gorsuch. The letter states that the signatories came from across the political spectrum, showing that despite his well-known views, his classmates support him regardless.

His classmates also believe that Gorsuch will be unaffected by political interests when it comes to deciding future cases in front of him. When asked whether Gorsuch’s political orientations would affect his legal judgement, Hughes said, “They haven’t. Neil loved and I’m sure would still love good political discourse, but in terms of how it impacts his law career and his career as a judge, it hasn’t. He has an approach, a philosophy of jurisprudence, which I do not believe is impacted by his political views.”

Confirmation Gorsuch will be vetted by a senate committee before he is officially approved to take the vacant seat. This process, according to Hopkins, is important for the politicians who hope Gorsuch will take note of their political aspirations.

“It’s kind of a sparring match because the nominee is not going to be willing to answer questions about specific issues that might come before him,” Hopkins continued. “(Dodging questions) frustrates presidents, and it frustrates members of the committee, and it frustrates people in the Senate, but that’s just the way it is. It sounds like the nominee is avoiding an answer, and in some cases that’s possible. But in most cases the nominee is just telling the truth.”

Recent criticism of Gorsuch from the Democrats has focused on his ties to large corporations and wealthy businessmen, particularly after a New York Times article last week described his ties to billionaire

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Philip Anschutz. Anschutz is a significant contributor to the Federalist Society, a group that created the short list Trump chose Gorsuch from for the vacant seat. The report also indicates that Anschutz had a significant role in Gorsuch’s appellate court nomination in 2006 as well. A likely Democratic party criticism of Gorsuch during the nomination process will be of his relationships with wealthy business people.

In terms of the composition of the court, decisions will likely be similar to those before former Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat was left vacant.

“There’s not a problem with Gorsuch, because we go back to the Scalia court where Justice Kennedy will still have the vote the counts on gay rights, on abortion, on the full school of decisions,” Gutman said.

Should Gorsuch be approved, his temperament could potentially change due to the lifetime tenure of the Supreme Court seat.

With that freedom, “Gorsuch could be his own man in one of two ways, he could just say, ‘Look, I had to be a pretty classic federalist to get on the bench, to get to the Supreme Court, but now I can do whatever I want,’” Gutman said. “Or he could say, ‘Look, I’m such a federalist that the truth is these doctrines are all decided, we’ve decided abortion a long time ago, we’ve decided gay marriage a while ago, so as a conservative justice I’m not going to make new law just because I got in,’ so he could be relatively restrained in that way.”

Gorsuch’s family background and political history paint the picture of an ideologically passionate youth, but his qualifications for the Court from a career perspective are exceptional. The way Gorsuch will behave on the court is largely unpredictable. @ZackWazePhoto

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lifestyles collegiatetimes.com/lifestyles

NOMS: New deli The ‘G’ in GroupX doesn’t just stand for girls: Guys should take part offers alternatives from page 1

cherry peppers, mayo, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Ordering food online is easy on its website, and it will be at your door before you even have time to ask to borrow cash from your room mates. However, NomNoms only serves lunch and dinner, and its hours are limited, so catch it while you can any day except Monday.

Despite its focus on delivery, NomNoms also has a dine-in option. The deli’s location has free parking you don’t have to walk a block to get to. There is seating for large and small parties alike, as well as outdoor seating, which will hopefully be useful as the weather is predicted to improve with the start of spring.

In starting this new business, Morrison hopes to make a place for NomNoms wit h i n t he ex ist i ng Blacksburg community.

“The biggest thing that I want is to make sure that everyone knows I’m here to serve,” Morrison said.

“Let me know what you’re thinking and feeling, give me feedback, and I will do my best to accommodate.

I want to make sure that conversation stays open with the community.”

The NomNoms menu accommodates cer tain dietary restrictions. There are tuna and salmon options for pescatarians, the McGregor (all the basic elements of a caprese) for

vegetarians and specially ordered gluten-free bagels for anyone who needs them.

For its first weekend open, NomNoms did not advertise very much, instead opting for a more natural customer flow of friends and friends of friends. Still, customers are already stumbling upon this new restaurant due to its convenient location on South Main near Kroger and Cook Out. Morrison wants customers to know that they can always rely on the quality of her food.

“Rely on the service,” she added. “I want to get to know the people that come in here and be a part of this community and this neighborhood. I’m really interested to see how that relationship develops. And that’s the nice thing about being independently owned, I don’t have anybody to answer to but the people that walk through my door. I am absolutely willing and want to accommodate people to the best that I can. I will do everything I can do get you what you want and need.”

I don’t believe that anyone can talk to Morrison about her passion for this business and not get excited about it.

With fresh breads, savory meats and intentional craftsmanship, the food is everything you could want from a sandwich shop.

For a critical take on the food at NomNoms, read my upcoming article publishing in the near future.

@CollegiateTimes

Our fitness columnist, who is also a Club Zumba instructor at McComas Hall, takes a look at why female students typically outnumber males in GroupX. KATIE RICE fitness columnist

When I am in the gym, I often find the gender divide fascinating. Virginia Tech Fitness offers almost 100 group exercise classes this semester — but I have noticed that men typically opt to stay in the weight room rather than take classes.

“We offer over 100 classes a week — everything from Boot Camp and spin to yoga and BODYPUMP. We’re sure you’ll find a class you love that works with your schedule,” reads the recsports website.

The names of the classes offered could contribute to the lack of men.

While I see zero men in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), there are a few that make Boot Camp a regular part of their weeks.

This is interesting since both classes are under the same category: “cardio, speed + agility, strength + sculpting.”

Boot Camp sounds tough and masculine, while HIIT could imply mostly cardio.

The main difference is that HIIT is a 30-minute class and Boot Camp is 45–60 minutes.

In my mind, HIIT sounds like intense bodyweight exercise that would be appealing to any fitness enthusiast. I needed a man’s opinion on this topic.

“I think guys want to have muscles, and high intensity seems more aerobic than actually building muscle mass.

(Men) want to get big, not have endurance. (They) want people to see (their muscles),” said James McCray, a junior in computer engineering and regular weightlifter.

This made sense, but GroupX offers many classes that focus on weightlifting, including BODYPUMP. Why are the classes still filled with mostly women? Why are three out of 14 BODYPUMP instructors male?

“It costs money. I guess for me, I’ve

Blacksburg boxing gym lets students ‘hit some stuff’ Get to know Kevin and Augusta Bowen — the power couple and Tech alumni behind Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness.

KATELYN MEADE assistant lifestyles editor

Kevin and Augusta Bowen, both Virginia Tech alumni, started Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness in September 2015 out of the Little Leapers ballet studio, located at First and Main.

Little Leapers was looking for someone to rent the studio hourly, and for Kevin (who had recently moved back to Blacksburg with his wife Augusta since his graduation in 2011), who was trying to gauge interest in opening a boxing gym in the area, this low-risk situation was perfect.

While Kevin, a native of Baltimore, had a heavy bag hanging in his basement while growing up, he didn’t really begin boxing until his senior year when he joined the boxing club at Virginia Tech, which disbanded in 2012.

Kevin has always had a passion for health and fitness, even while majoring in entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and management, as well as marketing. But after his graduation, he “took a desk job” at CMG leasing in Blacksburg before meeting his now-wife Augusta, who graduated in 2013.

The couple moved to Baltimore after her graduation, and Kevin began to pursue his personal training certification.

“It all kind of happened simultaneously. I was working on my personal t ra i n i ng cer t i f icat ion, we moved back home (to Baltimore), and there were other circumstances that got me into boxing — and specifically hitting things — and that honestly was just health-related issues with my family,” Kevin said. “My

dad had undergone a surgery and … he’s no longer with us, let’s just put it that way. But for those six months or so that I was going from hospital to hospital to hospital with him … I just started calling up places where I could go relieve some stress and hit some stuff.”

Kevi n had a l ready b eg u n g r ow i ng his personal training business in Baltimore, but when Augusta got a job offer back in Blacksburg the day after the couple returned from their honeymoon in July 2015, Kevin saw this as the perfect opportunity to

“

This business is my second wife I guess — we are married to the gym.

But what makes it all worth it is that it is absolutely what we’re passionate about.”

Kevin Bowen founder of Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness

fulfill his dream of opening his own gym, which he now knew had to be boxing.

“I really wanted that way to differentiate myself from other trainers. Because in my opinion, anybody can teach you how to lift weights and run on a treadmill and that kind of stuff — and that is great, if you need help with that. But I really wanted to add additional value to our clients that I was working with,” Kevin said.

Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness moved to its current location in January 2016, but when they first looked at the

building, it was bare.

“There was a water leak, and it destroyed the entire interior of the entire building. There was no drywall, no HVAC, no electric — nothing. It was basically just a big skeleton of 2 by 4s, and totally wide open,” Kevin said.

Augusta and Kevin saw this as an opportunity because they could now build a gym that was perfect for boxing, from rubber flooring to the wooden blocks that stabilize the heavy bags hanging from the ceiling.

“Everything was specifically engineered for us, for this purpose,” Kevin said.

Kevin started building the business plan when they moved back in 2015.

“I think getting the boss lady (Augusta) on board with that was the biggest challenge … because you’re all in once you get your own spot,” Kevin said with a laugh while looking over at his wife.

The gym has grown substantially since its move to this location in January of last year. Starting out with just 25 members, the gym now has more than 190. And the couple, who welcomed a new son just eight weeks ago, could not be more thrilled.

“We live and breathe boxing and fitness, and I think if we didn’t we probably would have killed each other by now. We’re here 70 to 80 hours a week, we have a cot in the back, so we pretty much live here,” Kevin said. “This (business) is my second wife I guess — we are married to the gym.

But what makes it all worth it is that it is absolutely what we are passionate about.” @meade_katelyn

BILLY CLARKE / COLLEGIATE TIMES Two students sit in a McComas fitness studio during a workout, Feb. 7, 2017.

lifted weights since I was in eighth grade. So, I knew how to work out, so I didn’t really need anyone to tell me, ‘You need to do it this way or that way,’” McCray said.

Another explanation could be the ratio of female to male instructors.

Women outnumber men in all of the GroupX formats. Risking being the only male in a class full of women and taught by a woman does not sound appealing.

In regard to whether cardio prevents muscle gain, there are conflicting views. According to intense-workout. com, continuing to build muscle and incorporating cardio requires more calories to be eaten to make up for the fat being burned.

Cardio can also cut into recovery time, which is crucial for muscle building.

However, various articles on the Men’s Fitness website recommend

doing cardio or conditioning two to three times a week.

According to the article, “You can work your aerobic energy system and still increase your muscle, but you need to work at the right intensities.

Three days worth of conditioning, on the other hand, won’t deplete all your muscle mass, though 4+ days a week likely will. Your body will drop muscle with constant low-intensity exercise to optimize your size for the task at hand.”

Overall, exercise is good. The preferred format is up to the individual.

Group exercise can be beneficial for those who want the community, extra motivation and do not want to plan the workouts themselves.

@KatieRice_CT

column

FAITH: Illuminating the true essence of Islam from page 2

a

nd the Last Day and performs good deeds — will be rewarded by their Lord; they will have nothing to fear or to regret (22.40).” The Prophet’s life mission, endowed upon him by his Creator, was to spread the word of Islam. Yet, when it came to the sizable Jewish community right in Madinah, he established a peace agreement with them and allowed them to continue practicing their religion in peace.

In a letter to the Christian king of Abyssinia, he ends, “I have conveyed the message and now it is up to you to accept it. Once again, peace be upon him who follows the true guidance.” He employed no harassment — and he was the Prophet.

Muslims believe that they know the truth, when people believe they know a truth that others do not, they like to get others up to speed. However, many Muslims around the world today would be wise to remember the Prophet’s gentle and earnest ways.

Another source of misunderstanding regarding the Islamic faith revolves around the female usage of hijab — a garment

“

Humility is an essential value in our faith, and it is not only mandated in the dress of females.”

often worn to cover hair. Many in the West have made the argument that the hijab and the burka, a garment that covers nearly the full female body, are instruments of female subjugation. While it is true that some men, like in all societies, attempt to levy control over what the women in their proximity wear, I would argue that the original and true purpose of these garments was to conduce female humility and equality.

Last time I checked, men like to see what women look like — and as candidly as possible. This ogling can have adverse effects for women, including the inciting of passions in unwanted onlookers and the disregard for female cognitive and personal abilities.

Islamic scholar Muhammad al-Bukhari states that “a woman is married for her deen (piety), her wealth or her beauty. You must go for the one with deen.” This quote expresses that the quality of a woman should be determined by her character, rather than

her beauty or wealth. Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his view on the very meaning of human equality when he stated that his children should “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Humility is an essential value in our faith, and it is not only mandated in the dress of females. Males must stay covered from their shoulders to their knees and refrain from accessorizing with gold or silk.

Contrary to the beliefs of many, Islam since the beginning has mandated women’s rights. In Islam, women have a right to property, education, lawsuit initiation, divorce initiation, alimony and suffrage.

Also, falsely slandering a woman’s reputation is a grave sin — as well as spousal abuse and forced marriage. Our beloved Prophet’s own wife, Khadija, could arguably be seen as an original proponent of feminism.

She was a reputable businesswoman who traded goods from Mecca to Yemen, had a history of turning down marriage proposals, asked the Prophet to marry her, gave charitably and was the very first person to accept Islam after our Prophet. We revere her.

Interesting fact: the words “man” and “woman” are both repeated in the Quran exactly 23 times.

I will end this article with translations of some popular Muslim phrases: Assalam Alaikom — “Peace be upon you.” — This phrase is a common greeting.

Allahu Akbar — “Allah is great.” — This phrase can be said out loud or simply thought of on a regular basis.

Alhamdulillah — “Praise be to Allah.”

— This phrase is commonly used to express satisfaction with life.

Inshallah — “If Allah wills.” — This phrase is commonly used when Muslims plan or ponder future events.

Bismillah — “In the name of Allah.”

— This phrase is commonly used before a Muslim starts something.

Subhanallah — “Glory to Allah.” — This phrase is commonly used to express amazement in regard to things.

Mashallah — “God has willed.” — This phrase is commonly used to express amazement in regard to human achievement.

La ilaha illa Allah — “There is no god but Allah.” — This phrase can used at any time.

IBRAHIM MOHAMED opinions contributor junior/finance

collegiatetimes.com

PAGE 6 March 20, 2017

UPSET: Baseball makes statement against FSU from page 1

job of putting the fastball in play,” he said.

He also spoke about adjustments the Hokies could make in order to get back into the series.

“Packy (Naughton) did set the blueprint of how to get those guys out. Just throw fastballs, pound the zone, force them to swing, and eliminate the walk. Offensively we have to move the baseball better,” he said.

Game Two Saturday brought crazy weather and a unbelievable comeback. Virginia Tech starter Andrew McDonald struggled early and only lasted 3.1 innings while allowing nine earned runs. The game seemed to be headed toward an easy victory for Florida State, but a rain delay seemed to change the story.

Tech came back with five runs in the fourth, including a three-run homer from Tom Stoffel, and pulled within three runs. He talked about his approach and the adjustments he made.

“I think yesterday I was a little anxious, so I was relaxed a little more. I was trying to get my pitches instead of swinging at theirs,” Stoffel said.

Connor Coward took over for the Hokies on the mound, and while he did not have his best game, he shut the Seminoles out for four innings and gave the offense a chance.

With the win, he is now 4–0 with a 1.32 ERA. He talked about his performance and how he felt on the mound.

“I was effectively wild. I was locating the fastball when I needed to, and they were putting good swings on them, but they were well-located,” Coward said.

In the sixth inning, Virginia Tech sent eight men to the plate and scored four times to retake the lead. RBIs from Ryan Tufts, Sam Fragale and Mac Caples made it 11–10.

Coward struck out two in the seventh and cruised through the eighth, but the Hokies were still only up a run.

A two-run triple from Joe Freiday Jr. made it 13–10, and that proved to be huge.

Aaron McGarity came in to close things out, but Florida State did not go quietly. A two-run homer made it a one-run game, and the ‘noles put the tying run 90 feet away

with two outs. On a 3–2 pitch, McGarity got Flowers to fly out to center, completing the epic comeback.

Mason talked about the way his team came back following the rain delay.

“You could feel that our offense was seeing the ball. I told them I believed in my heart that we were going to win this game and that if they believed it, we would see what happens,” he said.

Coward talked about the win and what the team wants to accomplish in the ACC. “We want to make a lot of noise and bounce back from last year. Being able to prove we can compete at this level, especially against a team of this caliber, says a lot. We want to show we belong in the pack of the ACC,” he said.

Game Three Virginia Tech sent Nick Anderson to the mound in search of winning the series.

Behind an offensive explosion and shutdown pitching, the Hokies rolled to a 17–0 victory.

The offense got going in the third when Stoffel picked up where he left off yesterday and drove in Rahiem Cooper with a single. That was just the beginning for the Tech offense that scored 30 runs over the past two days.

Anderson was cruising along and only ran into trouble in the second when Florida State loaded the bases, but was ultimately still able to escape.

At one point he had retired eight in a row and was keeping a low pitch count.

The run support came in the sixth when Tech erupted for 10 runs. Stoffel, Fragale and JD Mundy loaded the bases for Garrett Hudson who drove in two runs with a hit. A Cooper RBI single made it 4–0, and it chased starter Drew Parrish from the game.

New pitcher Grant Stewart issued a walk that scored a run and a two run-double to Tufts.

Tech led 7–0 as the Seminoles made another pitching change.

Things did not go any better for pitcher Will Zirzow.

After allowing two more runs, Fragale stepped in and launched a 410-foot bomb to left field, and Tech led 11–0.

Fragale, who drove in three runs and scored three runs, talked about the big sixth inning.

“Our offense did what we’re expected to do. We did a great job with putting quality at bats

together, putting guys on and moving runners. We’re really sticking to our approach and gelling as a team,” Fragale said.

The onslaught continued in the seventh when JD Mundy went yard with two on. Fragale, Cooper and Owens added more on, and it was 17–0.

Anderson finished with eight shutout innings on 108 pitches (76 strikes). The right hander moves to 4–1 with a 1.74 ERA. He talked about his outing, which he called the best of his career.

“We knew they were very patient, so I tried to attack the zone early. I had that changeup going early in counts,” Anderson said.

Kit Scheetz closed things out in the ninth, and the weekend was complete.

Mason spoke about his team’s performance on both sides of the game.

“One of the things coach Pinzino always says to our pitching staff is to string together some zeroes and see what we can do offensively,” he said. “When we got guys in scoring position, we seemed to get even better today. It’s a great way to finish the weekend.”

Mason also talked about Anderson’s performance.

“Coach (Pinzino) called a great game, but he can call any pitch, in any count and at anytime. If he can keep doing that, it’ll bode well for us,” he said.

Mason knows this was a huge weekend for the program, and he said the Hokies have to keep their focus moving forward.

“We had an opportunity two years ago to build off of a win against UVA, and we gave away that Tuesday game,” Mason said. “We talked about having an opportunity to redo things. We walk away with a big weekend against a quality opponent. That’s going to be big for us when it comes to be selection time. Whit (Babcock) always talks about momentum.

The number one thing with keeping that is not shooting yourself in the foot.”

Virginia Tech moves to 13–9 overall and 3–3 in the ACC. The Hokies will host William and Mary on Tuesday. Joey Sullivan is expected to make the start after only throwing a few pitches Saturday.

@natejloprete

Falling short of title goals Despite losing head coach Kevin Dresser, the Hokies traveled to compete at the NCAA Championships.

HUMBERTO ZARCO wrestling beat reporter

The fourth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team finished in sixth place at the NCAA championships held in St. Louis last week, where five Hokies earned All-American honors.

Tech’s performance this year was down from its program-best fourth-place finish last year under former coach Kevin Dresser, who left for Iowa State last month. This year under interim coach Tony Robie, Tech had seven national qualifiers, including five returning All-Americans.

The NCAA championships marked the end of the career for Tech’s three seniors: Joey Dance, Sal Mastriani and Ty Walz. All three closed out their careers as All-Americans by placing in the top eight of their respective weight classes.

Dance, seeded second at 125 pounds, was upset by Virginia freshman Jack Mueller in the quarterfinals. He responded with two victories in the consolation bracket before losing to top-seeded Thomas Gilman of Iowa in the consolation semifinals to drop into the fifthplace match. Dance, now a two-time All-American, won the fifth-place match over Mueller by medical forfeit. The Christiansburg native finished his career with three ACC individual titles, two All-American honors and 114 wins.

The story of the tournament for the Hokies was Mastriani’s Cinderella run to

an All-American finish in the 157-pound division. Seeded 14th, he won his first round match before losing in the second round to third-seeded Joey Lavallee of Missouri.

Mastriani responded with three-straight victories in the consolation bracket before being pinned by Stanford’s Paul Fox in the seventh place match.

Fifth-year senior Walz finished fourth in the heavyweight division. In the semifinals he was defeated by se cond-se e de d Con nor Medbery of Wisconsin. In the third-place match, he lost in heartbreaking fashion to seventh-seeded Tanner Hall of Arizona State. Walz scored a takedown to go ahead with 20 seconds left before Hall escaped to tie the match and sent it into overtime. With the match deadlocked in doubleovertime, Hall escaped again to win the match 5–4. Walz finished his career as only the third three-time All-American in program history.

Tech junior Jared Haught also finished fourth in the 197-pound division. He defeated sixth-seeded Preston Weigel of Oklahoma State in the consolation semifinals to advance to the third placematch. Haught, now a two-time All-American, was pinned by third-seeded Kollin Moore of Ohio State.

Tech sophomore Solomon Chishko, seeded sixth in the 149-pound division, lost to fifth-seeded Brandon

Sorenson of Iowa in the consolation semifinals to drop in the the fifth-place match. Chishko, now a two-time All-American, then lost to seventh-seeded Max Thomsen of Northern Iowa.

2016 All-Americans Zach Epperly and Zack Zavatsky had disappointing showings this year, losing in the quarterfinals of the 174-pound division and the second round of the 184-pound division, respectively.

Tech fell short of its preseason national championship expectations, but this season was largely a success.

Dresser left to coach Iowa State last month, but the Hokies still swept the ACC regular season and tournament titles with relative ease. They finished in the top 10 at the NCAAs for the fifth-straight year. Its five All-Americans this year tied for the third most among the teams competing.

Haught, Chishko, Epperly and Zavatsky will all be back to make another run next year, but Tech and the rest of the country have a lot of work to do to catch and dethrone Penn State, which won this year’s tournament in dominant fashion. Penn State had nine national qualifiers and five individual champions, which tied the NCAA record for most individual titles and has now won six of the last seven national championships.

@CTSportsTalk

editor@collegiatetimes.com

Hokies survive, advance

Tech defeated Navy in the second round of the WNIT on Sunday 75–64 and will advance to play Penn State.

JORDAN HUTCHINSON Magarity, Hicks scored 21 care who you win against, basketball beat reporter

T he Vi rgi n ia Tech women’s basketball team demolished the Rider Broncs 76–62 on Friday night in the first round of the WNIT tournament.

“The motto of this time of year is survive and advance, and I thought we did just that,” said head coach Kenny Brooks. “I thought we played well in the first half, but in the second half we really got away from doing the things that got us there.”

In the second quarter, the Hokies went on a 23–1 run to end the half, which ultimately decided the game.

“I think our defense is really what got our offense going,” said guard Chanette Hicks. “Just coming together and playing together when we practice helps translate into our offense and defense out here.”

Forward Regan Magarity led all scorers with 25 points and 12 rebounds. She led the Hokies in every category, excluding steals. Behind

points and grabbed five rebounds. Senior guard Sami Hill, in what was potentially her last game in Cassell Coliseum, scored 19 points, secured six rebounds and forced four steals. Another senior, Sidney Cook, looked a step slow on Friday, in her first game in nearly a month due to a concussion. Cook had no points, but was still able to grab seven rebounds on the way to the Hokies’ victory.

“I try not to think about that too much, more focusing on winning another game and going out on a win,” Hill said about her potential last game in Cassell.

The Hokies have now won two of their last three, with the sole loss to Clemson in one-point fashion, after losing the 11 previous games. Brooks talked about what it was like to get a win in the postseason.

“When you have this feeling, and you win, it’s good. It’s going to help the kids and the program. I don’t

you’re still going to have that feeling of winning,” Brooks said.

For the Broncs, Kamila Hoskova led the way.

Hoskova scored 18 points and had five rebounds.

Three other Broncs scored in double digits as Lexi Posset had 13, Stella Johnson had 13 and Julia Duggan had 12. Rider is eliminated from WNIT play and will finish its season 24–9.

Up next for Tech in the second round of the WNIT is Navy. Navy won a tough first-round game on the road at George Washington, who was a “first four out” team for the NCAA tournament.

Navy is 24–9 on the season and is looking for a big win over a Virginia Tech team that has had issues down the stretch. The Hokies will host the Midshipmen at home on Sunday at 2 p.m.

@JHutchinsonVT

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks shouts at the referee after an offensive foul is called on the Hokies, March 19, 2017.