August 27, 2019

August 27, 2019

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PAGE 2 August 27, 2019

opinions collegiatetimes.com

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Just a little bit of everything: Virginia Tech ought to expand interdisciplinary studies offered

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Courses that explore subjects beyond majors provide better opportunities and real-life lessons for students to explore. ne of the most important things that college students take into consideration when choosing majors, minors and courses is finding something that interests them. Some students like math and science, so they go into engineering. Others like to read, so they study English or history. This scheme of classification challenged me a lot my first semester of college. I enjoyed nearly every class I took in high school, from physics to psychology. I worried that there was no place for students who had varied or seemingly dissimilar interests — the students such as myself who like math and science, but also crave elements of education in the humanities like intensive reading, writing and discussion.

Eventually, I found a home in geography, an interdisciplinary subject that allows me to take humanities-based courses and courses dealing with information systems and computer software.

Along the way, I realized that a great alternative for students with eclectic interests are interdisciplinary subjects and courses from departments like that of science, technology and society.

Last semester, I took a class through this depa r tment, STS/ H IST/ PH I L 2604: Introduction to Data in a Social Context, which focused on the way that categorization and analysis of data shape our daily lives. This course was a helpful way for me to combine my interest in math and technical thinking with history skills and discussion.

The university should place more emphasis on courses in interdisciplinary

fields, as they allow students to pursue multiple interests and prepare us for future careers in an increasingly integrated world.

It is becoming more uncommon for people to work in just one field for their entire lives, and even when they do, it is likely that they will have to use lots of different skills and interact with lots of different people to accomplish their goals. Furthermore, there should be more of a focus on these kinds of courses because they combine many different skills and allow students to learn things they wouldn’t in traditional subjects.

A final important benefit of combining varying skills into one course is that it gives students more confidence when embarking on careers that require skills they haven’t necessarily studied comprehensively. To go back to the Intro to Data example, I would be more confident doing some kind of digital data analysis after taking that course than I was beforehand, even though I haven’t taken any classes in the statistics or computer science departments.

It’s great to take classes in engineering, math and science — we definitely need people who can lead those fields and develop new technologies to improve the world. It is important, however, to not get stuck on just completing degree requirements rather than exploring courses which combine different ways of thinking and approaching a subject. The university as a whole should acknowledge this kind of academic environment, as moving beyond it can provide a more enriching and satisfying educational experience.

In a very important way, interdisciplinary

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courses and degree tracks represent part of interdisciplinary courses force students to why many students choose to attend colleges combine their skill sets in novel ways. and universities in the first place. They allow In order for Virginia Tech to provide a us to learn about interesting subjects and see well-rounded education for its students, the world from others’ points of view. They interdisciplinary studies cannot be ignored; help us to become better critical thinkers they must be expanded and emphasized. for a quickly changing world. They help us Of course, it’s important to focus on engito become better global citizens, eventually neering, the sciences and the humanities reaching out to serve others. individually, but there is a lot to be gained Of course, Virginia Tech does have from combining the work, developments and requirements for students to explore beyond viewpoints of multiple disciplines. their majors, specifically through the Curriculum for Liberal Education and the new Pathways courses. The issue with these requirements, however, is that many students come in with so many Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits to really experience them at the college level.

Furthermore, interdisciplinary courses create the opportunity to apply the potentially disparate skills of CLE or Pathways courses to interesting topics. In other RYAN SHAYER words, while it’s great to learn several skills • opinions columnist through CLEs and Pathways, deliberately • sophomore/geography

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August 27, 2019 PAGE 3

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Electric scooters are rolling onto campus this fall New all-electric scooters at Virginia Tech will contribute to ongoing research on personal mobility and transportation.

TAHREEM ALAM news editor

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) will team up with Spin, a dockless mobility system, to bring electric scooters on campus for a pilot study on naturalistic scooter-riding starting Sept.

1.

“Virginia Tech is committed to offering a wide variety of alternative transportation options,” said Virginia Tech Vice President for Operations Sherwood Wilson in a press release. “Throughout the research initiative, we will continue to identify and evaluate strategies that maximize the safety of riders, pedestrians, drivers, and the greater university community.”

Three hundred scooters will be available. VTTI will provide research equipment such as forward-facing cameras on 50 scooters, and up to 20 fixed cameras will be placed on campus for more footage of scooter interactions.

Some of the interactions the researchers will look for include rider behavior, behavior of those around scooter riders and other data on safety.

In addition, the scooters cost $1 to unlock and are charged 15 cents per minute during use, according to The Roanoke Times. They will be available starting 7 a.m. until a half-hour after sunset. However, they will be locked at night and in advance of “high-traffic

events” like football games and graduation, as well as during inclement weather.

The e-scooters will be controlled by a geofence that will restrict them to a maximum speed of 15 mph and only 5 mph on the Drillfield paths. The geofencing will also keep the e-scooters within campus limits and slow down and automatically stop if a rider tries using it around Blacksburg. If a rider is outside the campus limits, the Spin app will continue charging them until the e-scooter is back on campus and the rider closes out the app.

In general, the e-scooters fall under Bicycles and Personal Transportation Devices under Virginia Tech policy and have similar rules. However, e-scooters will not be allowed in parking garages and also are not allowed in university-owned or leased buildings anywhere in the world.

They “must be parked within 5 feet of an approved bicycle rack or at designated zones on campus” according to the policy.

The first period of the research will end mid-December. The entire study will take 18 months, with 12 months of scooter operations and a review period over the remaining six months.

“This trial period gives us a unique and important opportunity to critically examine micro-mobility, a rapidly developing form of transportation,” said Michael Mollenhauer, director of VTTI’s Center for Technology Implementation and the principal investigator of the study. “VTTI’s innovative data collection

capabilities will make it possible to assess mobility impacts while identifying opportunities to improve safety.”

A grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Centers program, called the Safety Through Disruption National UTC, is also funding the study at Virginia Tech.

The total cost of the study is $467,126, The Roanoke Times stated.

There will be a kick-off event Sept. 3 hosted by the company Spin on campus, which will include helmet giveaways, scooter demonstrations and safety information, according to VT News.

Spin is a company owned by Ford and is available in 47 cities and campuses. Some of the other campuses Spin is located

on include the University of Michigan, Purdue University, Vanderbilt University and Duke University. Spin seeks to offer safe, affordable, accessible and environmentally-friendly transportation options for personal mobility, according to its website.

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lifestyles collegiatetimes.com

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‘All’s well that ends well’ in Taylor Swift’s 7th studio album, ‘Lover’ Swift returns to the spotlight with 18 songs of love and loss that tell a beautiful story about her current relationship.

EMILY CARTER lifestyles editor

Ever since Taylor Swift announced her new album in June, I have been counting down the days until the release of “Lover.” I watched every Instagram Live Swift streamed, researched which deluxe edition of the album to get (the one with the original “All Too Well” lyrics duh) and prepared myself for my favorite artist’s newest album.

As soon as I heard the opening notes on the first song, I smiled. I had missed my favorite artist, I was so glad she had returned to the spotlight.

A lot of the songs on the album are happy and upbeat, especially “I Forgot That You Existed,” one of my favorites on “Lover.” Swift sings of past pain and her old “reputation” and people getting pleasure from her pain but not caring and remembering what people think of her for a few short moments. It kind of gives off “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” vibes and I’m OK with that. Swift has been through some stuff,

so she has a right to talk about her pain, but it takes a true magician to turn pain into a pop song.

Swift also gets slightly political with a few songs on the album. With “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” she compares politics to high school with lyrics like “Running through rose thorns, I saw the scoreboard and ran for my life” which alludes to the presidential election. This song is full of metaphors, and it’s an innovative song concept. Another political song is “You Need to Calm Down” which is about the LGBTQ+ community. I didn’t like the song at first due to its beat and plain lyrics like “You need to just stop, like can you just not,” but it’s grown on me now that I see how it fits into the rest of the album.

Track four, “The Man” was a hidden gem. It is so empowering. Swift sings of the double standard in the entertainment industry between men and women (“They’d say I hustled, put in the work, they wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I

deserve”).

Another song that took me by surprise is “False God.” If “Dress” from her last album was raunchy, you haven’t listened to this song.

“False God” is if “Dress” and Ariana Grande’s “God is a woman” had a baby with a dash of “Careless Whisper.” “We might just get away with this, religion’s in your hips, even if it’s a false god, we’d still worship.” The song is soft and sexy, and I’m ashamed to say I really like it.

The slowest song on “Lover” is “Soon You’ll Get Better” featuring the Dixie Chicks. In a video clip, Swift tells viewers this song was the hardest to write because it alludes to her mother’s struggle with cancer. The decision to put the song on the album was made by her family and I’m glad they did. This tune gives her fans a personal look into her family life, which her fans rarely get to see.

The only song that I’m not a huge fan of is “ME!” featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! At the Disco. The tune seems really childish to me, like it belongs in

a kids’ movie. However, when the song was first released Swift and Urie sing “Hey kids, spelling is fun!” which the worst song lyric I’ve ever heard. Due to audiences hating and making fun of this line, Swift made the decision to cut it from the album. Thank goodness.

“Daylight,” is the final song on the album and is soft and dreamy. With its calming instruments and lyrics (“I’ve been sleeping so long in a 20 year dark night, and now I see daylight”). At the end of the song, Swift closes with a small speech about love that fades out with the song. It’s calming and refreshing and makes the listener feel peaceful at the end.

Was “Lover” worth two-year wait?

Absolutely. Swift has a way with words that few artists have. “Lover” is dreamy, soft, bright, upbeat, slow and is one of Swift’s best albums, though nothing can ever dethrone “RED.” I give “Lover” 4.75 stars out of five. @Emilynic_12

It’s fun to thrift at the YMCA: The best stop for students on a budget With $20 in your pocket, the Y Thrift Store located on North Main is the place to pop some tags.

BRYCE NOLAN

lifestyles staff writer

If you head east from campus on Prices Fork and take a left where the roundabout meets North Main St, you’ll find on the right side of the road what is perhaps the best way to get pretty much anything you need on the cheap. In the Y Thrift Store you’ll find used clothes, furniture ranging from lounge chairs to mattresses, all the obsolete electronic equipment you could ask for, a variety of novelty coffee mugs and a wide selection of used books sold for next to nothing.

And, in all likelihood, you’ll find me.

There’s a lot of things that make this place the perfect stop for all of your

budget-related needs. For one thing, it’s a typical drop off for students to get rid of their textbooks without going through the rigamarole of selling them to anyone. For another, it’s pretty much a swap meet for apartment furniture, where pieces are dropped off and sold to a new home. And don’t worry, they sanitize everything they get. I’m moving into a new place this summer, and almost everything I got came from the Y. I managed to get a bed frame, a box spring and a full size mattress for a fraction of the cost of just the mattress anywhere else.

One of the best parts of the Y experience is the yearly book sale held early in October. Ever since a professor told me about it when I was a freshman, the

three-day event has become a yearly pilgrimage for me along with other bookworms of all stripes; everything from the headiest of speculative fiction to the steamiest of romance, with more than a few atlases, dictionaries and coffee table books thrown in for good measure. And the deals on these books border on ridiculous. You can fill a decent sized reusable grocery bag of books for less than it takes to fill up a tank of gas. It’s a shame this only comes three days out of the year. For those of you who prefer to get your books in periodic hauls, there are few opportunities as good as this one.

Some of the other things that the Y Thrift Store has on display include used bicycles, books on tape, old CDs (for

those of you that still use them) and more lamps than you can swing a lamp at. The Y is one of the best places in Blacksburg to get what you need, and I am stunned when I notice how few people know about it.

College is a time of tight budgeting and bargain hunting, and there ever was such a thing as a silver bullet of frugality, the Y Thrift Store comes pretty darn close to fitting that description. I guess the Village People were right: it is fun to stay at the YMCA.

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW collegiatetimes.com

Ryan Willis announced as starting quarterback The veteran quarterback offers the Hokies experience heading into the season and looks for a consistent year.

WYATT KRUEGER sports staff writer

After being named the Virginia Tech starting quarterback for the 2019 season Aug. 22, Ryan Willis leads a Hokie squad with many question marks. Willis was part of a productive yet inconsistent offense in a 2018 season that had many ups and downs, but now he is entering his second year for the Hokies alongside only four returning offensive starters. A promising ACC schedule, talent at the wide receiver position and more continuity with head coach Justin Fuente should lessen some of the inexperience issues, but what should Hokie football fans expect from the redshirt senior?

The good: It may not have seemed like it throughout the 10 games Willis started last year — he finished with a 4–6 record — but he has the tools to be a top-tier quarterback in the ACC and very well could lead the Hokies atop a wide open ACC Coastal Division.

At 6’4” 224 lbs, Willis has great size for the quarterback position, and he showed the ability to run the ball effectively in Fuente’s offense. He has a strong enough arm to make all the throws needed at the Division I level.

He also showed the toughness you want to see throughout the season and performed in big games in 2018 against Virginia and Marshall.

The bad: Despite Willis’ ability to beat out two hungry backup quarterbacks in Hendon Hooker and Quincy Patterson, there is still a reason he did not have the job locked up going into training camp for the 2019 season.

Willis posted a below-average 58.5% completion percentage in 2018, something he’ll need to improve this season. Although his statistics are consistent with some of the top quarterbacks in the ACC, the gameto-game consistency needs to improve along with his accuracy and decision making.

Conclusion: The 2019 offense is dependent on the consistency of Ryan Willis and the development of the players around him. It is hard to put a read on where the team is going to be at a month from now, but come this Saturday against Boston College, we should be able to see what direction the quarterback position is going in. At the end of the day, Willis should be highly motivated to prove a lot of doubters wrong in a very winnable ACC division.

@CTSportsTalk

Nathan Proctor enters transfer portal week before season starts The redshirt sophomore defensive end suggests that playing time is the reason for last-minute transfer effort, Fuente must adjust.

DEVIN SHEPPARD sports staff writer

Defensive end Nathan Proctor has announced he is entering the NCAA transfer portal after making a farewell post on his Twitter account. The redshirt sophomore followed behind redshirt freshman DeJuan Ellis as the second player to leave the program during training camp.

According to multiple reports, Proctor is looking for a situation involving more playing time as he was falling behind on the depth chart this August. Proctor reached out on social media earlier today as an act of goodwill to the university.

The former 4-star All-American was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, and was one of the prizes of the high-ranking 2017 recruiting class that also included top 300 prospects Devon Hunter, Dylan Rivers and TyJuan Garbutt.

His explosion and speed off the edge were a point of excitement for fans, but the edge rusher was never really able to find a way onto the field for the Hokies.

Proctor, a Maryland native, seems likely to join Hokie-transfers Ellis, Josh Jackson and Sean Savoy at the University of Maryland but would probably have to sit out a year before playing football again.

Virginia Tech’s edge rusher depth is looking increasingly thin now after losing Trevon Hill last fall and last year’s sack leader Houshun Gaines this offseason.

The expected edge rotation of Emmanuel Belmar, Garbutt and Zion Debose has a whopping three sacks combined for their careers.

The Hokies will need someone else to step up if they want to be able to put some pressure on opposing ACC quarterbacks.

Defensive line coach Charley Wiles seems pleased with the development of the

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Ryan Willis (5) rolls to his right as he looks downfield for a reciever in the Hokies’ ACC opener at Wallace Wade Stadium, Sept. 29, 2018.

teams young pass rushers, with redshirt freshman Jaevon Becton seemingly having the highest upside, but we’ll have to wait until the opening matchup against Boston College on Aug. 31 to see if that upside yields any results.

@CTSportsTalk

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Brock Hoffman seeks immediate playing eligibiliy from NCAA

CT

Hoffman awaits NCAA decision on appeal for denied eligibility waiver, frustrated with NCAA transfer guidlines. sports editor

The Brock Hoffman eligibility saga has been a long, winding process since the NCAA denied his waiver request for immediate eligibility April 23, and frankly it’s one that deserves a conclusion now rather than later.

Since his tweet about the waiver denial blew up on social media, which currently has over 18,000 retweets and 37,000 likes as of the writing of this piece, the scrutiny against the NCAA’s inconsistent transfer guidelines has been at an all-time high. This is especially true considering that Hoffman’s case is eerily similar to that of sophomore tight end Luke Ford’s, who was also denied a waiver request for immediate eligibility this off-season after his decision to transfer to Illinois from Georgia in order to be closer to his family.

Ford’s appeal was ultimately upheld, which means he’ll have to sit out for the upcoming season.

“I thought it was an open-and-shut case,” Hoffman said after his waiver denial. “I guess I was a little naive.”

It’s hard to fault Hoffman for his alleged naivete, especially when big-name athletes such as Tate Martell, Justin Fields and Shea Patterson, arguably the most notable cases that people have pointed to in defense of Hoffman’s struggle, faced little to no problems receiving immediate eligibility in search of more playing time.

The difference with those cases falls under the type of waiver request filed by the athletes. The aforementioned athletes found success applying for the general waiver, which has recently been adjusted to soften the requirements for an athlete to transfer.

Hoffman applied for a medical hardship waiver, which was not a part of the recent adjustments made by the NCAA. In fact, part of the NCAA’s reasoning for denying his request was soundly based on its own guidelines that an athlete’s new school has to be within a 100-mile radius of his residence; Hoffman’s home in Statesville, North Carolina, is 105 miles away. It’s a

tediously small thing to deny someone based on a 5-mile difference, but it’s a rule that has been in place since 2012 and it’s hard to argue.

The part of the denied waiver that does spark understandable outrage is the second aspect of why the NCAA denied Hoffman’s request: the alleged improvement of Hoffman’s mother Stephanie since her surgery in 2017.

Clearly this isn’t something Hoffman would necessarily agree with, as he mentioned in his Twitter post that she still has facial paralysis, hearing loss and eyesight issues. That doesn’t necessarily shout improvement.

The thing about this case is, even as a sports writer, it doesn’t really feel like it’s about football at all. Having Hoffman back in the fold is a nice plus for the team for sure, he took first-team reps and is coming to the team with tons of experience after starting 24 games for Coastal Carolina, but the true concern for Hoffman is a little more human than that. Hoffman not getting immediate eligibility from the NCAA despite leaving Coastal Carolina for very understandable personal reasons feels more like a punishment than a fair ruling.

“It’s been tough, but we only can control what we control, obviously we’d like a resolution not only for us, but for Brock, for his family and everyone else,” Virginia Tech offensive line coach Vance Vice said.

Currently there’s no timetable for a decision on Hoffman’s appeal from the NCAA, but with the season starting in a little over a week, the questions about when Hoffman will get his decision will only continue to arise. It’s clear coach Fuente is tired of talking about the situation as I’m sure most are. The best way to sort out this mess would be to give Hoffman an answer as soon as possible so that everyone involved can move forward and put this saga to a close.

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McClease leads young running back committee Offense coordinator Brad Cornelsen looks to use a number of experienced backs as well as a number of new players.

DAVIS CARBAUGH sports editor

Virginia Tech has not had a 1,000-yard rusher since Travon McMillian in 2015, but that does not mean the Hokies cannot produce an effective rushing attack. In 2016, head coach Justin Fuente’s most successful season at Virginia Tech, quarterback Jerod Evans even led all Hokies in rushing with 846 yards.

As seen in the past, Fuente and offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen will look to employ a running back committee this season composed of a number of backs with varying skill sets.

Deshawn McClease Redshirt junior Deshawn McClease has the most experience of the group and will look to lead the Hokies in rushing this upcoming season. The Chesapeake, Virginia, native rushed for 530 yards in 2017 and 433 yards in 2018. Following a brief stint in the transfer portal this offseason, McClease looks poised for an increase in yards and production.

While McClease has the potential for a 1,000-yard season, the Hokies may be more productive in using a committee of backs to throw off opposing defenses.

Among the committee include returning players Jalen Holston and Terius Wheatley.

Jalen Holston and Terius Wheatley Holston, a junior, rushed for 281 yards last season and two touchdowns.

Ninety-four of those yards came in the last two games of the season as Holston established himself as a serviceable backup to McClease who is capable of coming off the bench and providing solid rushing attempts. Holston seems to be a lock at the RB2 position this season for the Hokies.

Redshirt sophomore Terius Wheatley showed his potential early in his freshman year, rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown against William & Mary. Wheatley’s production dropped off heavily later in the season as he finished with 126 yards on the year. A solid offseason could allow for the former three-star recruit to take advantage of his opportunities and become an integral part of this year’s running back committee.

Newcomers Several new recruits and former redshirted players could find their way into solid playing time this season if Fuente and Cornelsen stick with the

committee rushing attack in 2019. Three redshirt freshmen have the opportunity to earn playing time this season: Caleb Steward, Malik Bell and Cole Beck.

Beck, a former track star at Blacksburg High School, will likely be used in special teams and trick play scenarios where his blazing speed could burn opposing defenses. However, redshirt freshmen Steward and Bell both had solid spring games and may be called upon in select formations to backup McClease and Holsten.

Bell is a 230-pound power runner who could eventually establish a role similar to successful Tech players of the past like Sam Rogers and Steven Peoples. Steward is more of a downhill runner who will likely be used in limited scenarios but has the potential to break open larger gains.

Freshmen Two freshmen running backs joined the Hokies this offseason with lots of potential. Keshawn King is a four-star back from Florida that was ranked 23rd in his class by 247sports. With so many holes in the running back committee idea, King could easily lock up solid playing time if he can make the most out of early opportunities against non-conference opponents.

King may very well be the Virginia Tech running back of the future, but his time to make an impact on Tech’s offense could start this fall.

Tahj Gary is another true freshman that joins this loaded running back group. Gary is a 5’8” running back from Atlanta that weighs in at 221 pounds. The three-star recruit will likely compete with Bell for short-yardage reps, but he has the potential to be yet another bruiser for the Hokie running back committee.

While McClease could easily become the first 1,000-yard rusher in the Fuente era, there is no shortage of backup options if a running back committee is what Fuente and Cornelsen decide upon. Seeing as Tech has reloaded the group with young talent, the Hokies will have plenty of options as well as a solid future at the position. This season, look for a number of names to be called from the Lane Stadium speakers as the Hokies experiment with their weapons in the backfield.

@Davis_Carbaugh

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Deshawn McClease (33) looks for a hole in the Seminole defense in the Hokies’ 24–3 victory, Sept. 3, 2018.