January 28, 2020

collegiatetimes.com

January 28, 2020

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

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PAGE 2 January 28, 2020

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your views [letter to the editor]

LTE: Acceptance is the key to cultivating a community of pioneers

A

t Virginia Tech, innovations aren’t exclusive to inventions; breakthroughs aren’t always scientific; and maroon and orange aren’t our only two colors. The true strength of Virginia Tech isn’t the size of its endowment or the height of its halls, but the determination of students from different backgrounds to achieve against great adversity.

Being a Hokie isn’t about where you come from, what you look like, how you pray or who you love. Being a Hokie is about not allowing others to tell you what you can and can’t do. So when people ask, “What is a Hokie?” remember that a Hokie is someone who accepts people for who they are and doesn’t tolerate it when others don’t.

Growing up, I was fascinated by Neil Armstrong, my childhood hero. It’s easy to see why so many of us admire this moonwalking man from Ohio — he was the first.

Before him, no one had ever set foot on the surface of the moon. Young Neil Armstrong ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES had good role models as a kid, but no one he Some of these barriers persist. Students The HokieBird greets and poses with fans during the Hokie Walk prior to the game could point to and say, “I want to go to the don’t always feel safe or welcome in spaces against Miami, Nov. 17, 2018. moon just like they did.” Instead, he blazed on campus. Some students can’t even get a trail and inspired a generation of engi- into these spaces because they’re not accesneers, scientists and astronauts. sible. If we want them to continue reaching For that same reason, I love Virginia for the moon, then we will need to give Tech. Like the astronauts, we too share a students the fuel to do it. Inclusion must NEWSROOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Social media editors: Will Bower and Miller Farley commitment to service and to discovery. never stall behind diversity. Accessibility 231-9865 Multimedia editor: Katie Dillon We are a university of firsts. First generation must never lag behind advances in infra- Editor-in-Chief: Ashley Long Have a news tip? (editor@collegiatetimes.com) and underrepresented college students at structure. When we are increasing reprenewstips@collegiatetimes.com Virginia Tech are breaking down barriers sentation of students through our admis- Managing editors: Emily Hannah and Isabella Rossi Design editors: Celina Ng and Heather Trobridge BUSINESS STAFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . every day. We sit in classrooms, study halls sions, we must be sure to prioritize inclusion 231-9860 Copy editors: John McBride and Tori Walker and dining areas full of Neil Armstrongs. and accessibility.

News editor: Tahreem Alam Business manager: Abby Setash For many, it’s difficult being first. Irving (business@collegemedia.com) Lifestyles editors: Emily Carter and Breanna Knotts Peddrew and Charlie Yates struggled at JACKSON RIBLER Sports editors: Davis Carbaugh and Robby Fletcher MEDIAMATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Virginia Tech so that those who came after • sophomore 888-897-7711 Assistant sports editor: Claire Castagno collegiatetimes.com/media_kit/ them would have greater opportunities. • national security & foreign affairs Opinions editors: Donya Momenian and Lexi

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news

January 28, 2020 PAGE 3

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Tech students protest against US war with Iran Students rallied to oppose a war against Iran to help raise awareness of the situation during the “Global Day of Protest.”

IZZY ROSSI managing editor

Virginia Tech students and Blacksburg community members met in Blacksburg on Saturday, Jan. 25, for a No War with Iran Rally as part of a “Global Day of Protest” to oppose going to war with Iran.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran recently escalated after a U.S. airstrike killed an Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq on Jan. 2, 2020.

People across the United States are now rallying to raise awareness and pressure the government to deescalate the situation. Cities in more than 40 states also held protests, and other countries like Japan, New Zealand and Poland have held rallies as well.

Student organizations at Virginia Tech including Young Democratic Socialists of America, Hokies for Bernie Sanders, New River Workers Power and Appalachian Climate Action gathered on Henderson Lawn to hear speeches and show support for the global movement.

“I think (this issue is) quintessential to this university because we’re just a stone’s throw away from the Corp of Cadets dorm,” said Jeremy Smith, building construction major and organizer of the event. “You’re looking at a place that started as a military institution.

Militarism is ingrained in this university, so an antiwar movement at Virginia Tech –– there’s something to be said about that.”

Smith and other members of student

groups gave speeches at the event inviting students and community members to rally behind this cause.

“I think it’s super important to get involved. I would recommend joining one of our many clubs,” Smith said. “There’s Hokies for Bernie, where one of Bernie’s big planks is an antiwar movement and getting our troops out of Iraq, bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. You could get involved in groups like the Environmental Coalition, or even getting involved in the community is super important.”

Despite the serious topic of the rally, organizers highlighted the event’s overarching message of community.

“It’s important to do events like this to know that there are other people who

Visual arts minor allows STEM students to take part in Tech liberal arts

will stand in solidarity with you,” Smith said. “It’s important to never get so disheartened that you feel alone. It feels good to be part of a movement.”

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The Virginia Tech School of Visual Arts launched the visual arts and society minor in fall 2018 for all undergraduates.

BEN WALLS news staff writer

The Virginia Tech School of Visual Arts (SOVA) launched the visual arts and society minor in fall 2018 to provide the opportunity for more Virginia Tech students to take art courses and different disciplines to students. The minor is a part of the broader Pathways to General Education program at Virginia Tech.

About 60% of the students enrolled in visual arts and society are STEM students –– a statistic that may surprise many, but the minor was particularly designed for these students.

“I think it lets them exercise a different part of their brain,” said James Jewitt, who serves as the director of the visual arts and society minor in addition to teaching the minor’s gateway and capstone courses.

“It’s not so quantitative, and it doesn’t require a lot of analytical thinking. It has a mental freedom … you need that refreshing break.”

Over three semesters, about 500 students have submitted seat requests for the minor, and hundreds continue to be on the waitlist according to Jewitt, which makes visual arts and society one of the most popular minors at Tech.

“We wanted an interdisciplinary arts minor that would meet this huge demand from across the university for students, particularly those in STEM fields, to get involved in the arts, because it is vital in creating a well-rounded student,” Jewitt said. “There is lots of academic research, particularly in medical journals, showing that taking these art courses ARTS / page 4

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PAGE 4 January 28, 2020

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ARTS: Visual art and society minor includes capstone project where students travel to D.C., create podcasts from page 3

and being trained in close observation with visual skills for looking and synthesizing information will make you a better doctor or criminologist or even a forensic accountant.”

Visual arts and society is one of two minors offered at SOVA, but it is the only minor that is a “Pathways minor” and interdisciplinary; the minor’s courses offer 42% of a student’s Pathways requirements, and 18 credits are required for a student to earn the minor.

All of the courses satisfy most of the general education requirements, making it easier for STEM students to include them into their class schedules.

“The students get more out of their tuition dollars because they get a minor while satisfying their gen-ed requirements, and these are gen-ed courses no matter what your major is,” Jewitt said.

The idea of creativity in the college classroom and the importance to employers for students to use different

parts of their brains is what the SOVA staff believes is driving the popularity of the minor among STEM students.

Quoting a requirement for medical students at Yale University, Jewitt explained that medical students must study art, and Yale believes that its students have better observational skills for interpreting visual signs for disease and sickness.

“There’s room for creativity and imagination and critically considering subjects from multiple viewpoints: Usually one right answer exists in engineering, physics and calculus courses, but in art there is no single truth that exists,” Jewitt said. “Art can be analyzed from multiple viewpoints depending on your breakdown. Students tend to love this, and it helps them to think critically and think creatively.”

Jewitt also highlighted that CEOs and employers value creativity highly on an applicant’s resume, and art courses nurture the creativity skills that typically are not implemented in a STEM student’s curriculum.

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Virginia Tech has implemented a system for its visual arts and society students that Yale has done with its medical students. A perk for art students is the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. to not only study art, but to create a student podcast about the art the students saw in museums. The podcasts are created by students in the capstone course “Interpretation of Visual Arts.” They are currently being produced and will eventually be published and available online.

“I think the students like (the podcasts) because it’s applicable to their lives –– a conversation about art, not something only your professor reads,” Jewitt said.

“It’s much more grounded in the real world, not abstract and theoretical.”

The capstone course’s trip to Wash ington, D.C. is cu r rently supported by the university’s Office of Undergraduate Research and the new student living space under construction behind the Graduate Life Center will feature studio spaces to accommodate the students’ demand for SOVA to teach

courses in book art, painting, digital art, web design and sculpture, according to Jewitt.

Moreover, SOVA will host a program in neuro-art history, a study about what happens to the brain when someone looks at art, in the future as well.

“What I’m really excited about is the capstone project,” Jewitt said on the future of the minor at Virginia Tech. “Eventually, we’ll have a website that hosts the podcasts. (The podcasts are) what will keep the momentum going, (since other) students at the university can see what the capstone students have produced.

“The idea is that the students really are the engine of the minor,” Jewitt said.

“They have enormous freedom to pursue whatever sort of art they want to make, study or produce their podcast.”

@CollegiateTimes

Tori Walker copy editor

Collegiate Times (CT): What is your year and major?

Tori Walker (TW): I am a sophomore and I’m studying communication studies and professional and technical writing.

CT: How long have you been with the CT? TW: I’ve been working at the CT for about a year and seven months. I started out as an assistant copy editor, and I’ve been a copy editor for about a year.

CT: What band or musician are you currently listening to?

TW: My favorite band currently is Lake Street Dive. I saw them in concert, and it was my favorite concert ever. They sang this song called “Side Pony.” My favorite lyrics are, “Baby, I’m just livin’ my life because I’m rocking a side pony.” It’s just a confidence booster and reminds me of my childhood.

CT: What do you think you suck at?

TW: I wish I honked at people more when I’m driving.

CT: Do you believe in Bigfoot?

TW: I’m not a Bigfoot supporter.

CT: Have you had any supernatural experiences?

TW: Not really supernatural, but sort of psychic. A lot of my dreams actually eventually come true, like the ones that are realistic in regular day-to-day situations. I have really intense deja vu when I know that I’ve dreamt little moments of my life before. My grandma had the same thing so I know I’m not crazy.

CT: Any recent dreams?

TW: I had a dream recently that my roommate’s dad was a serial killer.

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Tori Walker livin’ the dream (without a side pony).

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lifestyles collegiatetimes.com

January 28, 2020 PAGE 5

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‘Manic’: Halsey shines in her most vulnerable album to date Halsey’s album includes tales of love and heartbreak, and there’s even a soundbyte from a Kate Winslet movie.

BRYCE NOLAN

lifestyles staff writer

One of the more legitimate criticisms of modern pop music revolves around its seemingly endless romanticizing of bad decisions and personal pain. Sometimes this plays out with a reasonable degree of self-awareness, such as in Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” where she knows all too well that the relationship in question probably won’t work out for a variety of reasons, chief among them her own insecurities. Unfortunately, lyrics pertaining to these kinds of topics more often provoke a critical response somewhere in the realm of, “Do you even realize what you’re singing about?” Add exclamation marks as necessary.

Now, pointing out the problematic implications baked into pop songwriting is a hot take that stopped being new around the time of the Spanish Inquisition, and it often ties into questions regarding a particular artist’s ability to project authenticity or sincerity. An artist deficient in these qualities will often find themselves with a comparatively brief shelf life as compared to artists who possess them in abundance. With that said, let this review state for the record that if the ability to project authenticity were the only accepted measure of artistic longevity, then that would mean Halsey will be around for a long, long time.

The third album from Halsey (real name Ashley Nicolette Frangipane) is called “Manic.” It was released Jan. 17 from Capitol Records and will be supported on her upcoming world tour. Halsey is a singer who has repeatedly been able to turn her struggles with mental illness into musical success, perhaps most famously through her song “Gasoline,” which rather bluntly states the kind of erratic behavior and self-doubt with which mental illness can disrupt a healthy life.

“Manic” takes all the insecurity, the self-damage, the irrationality and the

self-deprecation that mental health entails and places it front and center for the listeners. And let this reviewer state that there was not a single moment of doubt regarding Halsey’s sincerity or authenticity. This reviewer believed every word she said.

The opener, “Ashley,” is a blistering self-portrait of the singer’s constant struggle to stay whole against the incomprehensible forces that threaten to shatter her or burn her up. The track ends with a soundbite from the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” a line from Kate Winslet that essentially serves as the album’s epigraph: “Too many guys think I’m a concept, or I complete them, or I’m gonna make them alive. I’m just a f----- up girl who’s lookin’ for my own peace of mind. Don’t assign me yours.”

A common theme running through the album is failed relationships, or perhaps more precisely relationships with no depth, ones that exist only in passing for shallow experiences. These come across through the music as something of a cross between a bad habit and a coping mechanism, a thing the singer does because she can’t help it and because she thinks it helps. It doesn’t, and Halsey makes this painfully, achingly clear on a number of tracks.

The song “Without Me,” a charttopping single from 2018, is the ninth track on the album. Its lyrical content takes the perspective of someone upset, hard-done-by because their ex is now in a position of prominence because of them.

At first the listener seems to be expected to believe that Halsey is addressing her own ex in this song, but the further it goes on the less that interpretation makes sense. And then it hits: Haley is singing back what someone else has said to her. Someone has hurt her with words and those words won’t go away, and now those words are a song. Whether or not this song is based on reality is beside the point, which is that this is an extremely sophisticated form of

songwriting that only a singer capable of airing their insecurities and struggles and vulnerabilities can pull off.

In this current you-can’t-tell-if-I’mbeing-serious-or-not pop culture epoch, artists and other figures who can display an unambiguous sense of authenticity in discussing difficult topics are at a premium. The content of “Manic” is such that not just anybody could pull it off as music, and depending on who tried, one would assume they were either being pretentious, crass, or both at the same time. Halsey is neither. And while the

music can be poppy and bouncy at times, the listener never doubts the reality of the music at hand.

I give “Manic” four out of five stars.

@CollegiateTimes

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PAGE 6 January 28, 2020

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Year of the Rat: Celebrate Chinese New Year in Blacksburg with style Here are a few events and places to celebrate the holiday with your friends this New Year.

ALAYA BURILL

lifestyles staff writer

There are several traditions people use to celebrate the longest holiday of the year, Chinese New Year. On New Years Eve, which will be on Jan. 24, there is a dinner where families will reunite over usually fish and dumplings. At midnight, fireworks are set off to drive away evil and obtain good luck. On Jan. 24 and 25, local Chinese restaurant Spicity and The Inn at Virginia Tech will be celebrating the Chinese New Year for students who cannot be home with their families.

Spicity is an authentic Chinese restaurant in Blacksburg that opened its doors in 2018 and has quickly become popular among the students at Virginia Tech and locals. This Friday, the restaurant will be decorated in festive red and gold Chinese decorations to symbolize good fortune, joy and good luck. The menu will be served as is with many authentic Chinese dishes such as teriyaki frog and sizzling squid. There are also many fish dishes, fried and steamed dumplings and

spring rolls on the menu which are part of the seven lucky foods to eat during Chinese New Year.

“We have been open for over a year now and have been met with a lot of success! I am excited to see how the students can feel at home here for the Chinese New Year,” said owner Mindy Lin. The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center will be holding its fourth annual Lunar New Year and Celebration on Jan. 25 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Latham Ballroom. Everyone is welcome to attend but must make a reservation prior to the event by calling 540-231-0120. The cost for this dinner is free for children ages 5 and under, $18.50 for children ages 6-12 and $29.99 for adults. The dinner will be set up as a buffet with dishes such as grilled turnip cakes, steamed buns, rice sticks and sweet rice cake.

As for the Hokies who live on campus or have a meal plan, Owens Food Court is partnering with the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars at Virginia Tech to host a Lunar New Year Festival

The exterior of Spicity in Blacksburg, Jan. 18, 2020.

Saturday, Jan. 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. The cost for this dinner is $16.95 in cash or $8.47 flex at the door. Dinner will be served as an all-you-can-eat with many authentic dishes such as bao, dumplings, spring rolls and even shredded jellyfish. Owens will also be handing out traditional Lunar New Year hard candies. Of course there are still places to go to for Chinese New Year and this year the Blacksburg Baptist Church is hosting a Chinese Dumpling Party.

“To celebrate I will be attending a Chinese Dumpling Party held at the Blacksburg Baptist Church along with my Chinese Bible study group. The event is open to the public; people can bring desserts to share and there will be ingredients to make your own dumplings,” said senior communication studies major Esther Xiao.

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival falls on Jan. 25 this year. The date for the first day of this holiday is determined by the lunisolar Chinese calendar. However it always falls somewhere between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. The festivities will begin on Jan. 25 and will end with the Lantern

Festival on Feb. 8.

Every year an animal emphasizes this special holiday with this year being the “Year of the Rat.” The year of the rat occurs every 12 years in a cycle along with other symbolic animals such as the horse, sheep, monkey and chicken. The rat is the first animal in the Chinese zodiac and is seen as a sign of wealth and surplus.

Additionally, because of its strong reproductive capacity, married couples would pray to rats if they were struggling to conceive.

Holidays can be tough for some Hokies to spend without their families but luckily there are places in Blacksburg to celebrate the Chinese New Year so they won’t have to miss out on these special times.

@CollegiateTimes

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January 28, 2020 PAGE 7

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ALEX NAGELI / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech’s Aisha Sheppard (2) looks to make a pass, Jan. 26, 2020.

Taja Cole’s 15 points lead the way in Clemson blowout, Tech wins its third consecutive game A big second half and a Lydia Rivers double-double was key for the Hokies as they won their second straight game by 21 points. Virginia Tech is now tied with Florida State for third in the ACC conference standings with a 15-4 (5-3) record.

CLAIRE CASTAGNO sports editor

Virginia Tech women’s basketball hosted Clemson for another ACC tilt Jan. 26. Clemson swept the Hokies in two matchups last season, once in overtime.

The Hokies won the aggressive game 71-50 and improved to a 5-3 ACC record to tie Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina for third place in the conference.

The win also keeps Tech’s home record perfect on the season at 10-0.

“I thought our kids came out with a lot of focus. We knew Clemson was going to be scrappy,” said head coach Kenny Brooks.

It was a fast-paced first quarter of basketball. The Hokies were quick to run their offense through center Elizabeth Kitley; she had six points in the first quarter. Virginia Tech completed a 10-2 run to finish the quarter for an early ninepoint lead after 10 minutes.

For the remainder of the half, Tech

played very unselfish basketball. The Hokies recorded nine assists, including six from Taja Cole. Virginia Tech was able

quarter, there were no buckets for the Hokies for 2:20 until the 4:00 minute mark when they went on a quick 6-0 for a

“I just try to do whatever my team

needs me to do. I read the defense. I knew how they were going to play us.

I could have got more; I want more.

”

Taja Cole Virginia Tech women’s basketball to turn defense suffocating into offense scoring nine points off seven Clemson turnovers in the first half. The Hokies headed to the locker room up 36-27.

The Hokies scored an easy five points to open up the second half, and after a steal and layup from Cole, the Tigers found themselves down by double-digits and called a timeout.

After the early five points in the third

20 point lead.

Virginia Tech picked up its offense for the final minutes of the third quarter for a promising 22-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, the Hokies continued to make smart plays on offense and stayed aggressive on the glass and the defensive side of the ball despite the considerable lead.

Lydia Rivers earned a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds, and Cole came close with 15 points and nine assists.

Aisha Sheppard scored 12 points and Kitley finished with nine.

“I just try to do whatever my team needs me to do,” Cole said. “I read the defense.

I knew how they were going to try to play us. I could have got more; I want more.”

Virginia Tech will travel to Syracuse later in the week for its matchup on Jan. 30. The Orange sit at 3-4 in the ACC.

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PAGE 8 January 28, 2020

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Hokies win double-OT thriller against Tar Heels Tyrece Radford’s game-winning layup with 0.5 seconds left proved to be the difference in a comeback win over UNC. STEVEN ROWEN sports staff writer

After suffering a tough loss to Syracuse, Virginia Tech basketball looked to bounce back in an ACC matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Hokies came out victorious in a nailbiting 79-77 win in double overtime.

Tyrece Radford connected on a driving layup to give Virginia Tech the lead in the final moments of the game, securing the win. This marked North Carolina’s fifth consecutive loss, and Virginia Tech’s fourth win in the last five games.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle all the way through. Landers Nolley kickstarted the offense for the Hokies immediately with a 3-pointer within the first minute of the game. A few minutes later, he followed that up with another three to give the Hokies their first lead of the game, 13-12. Nolley led Virginia Tech in the first half, scoring 12 of his 22 points in the first. Nine minutes into the game, Wabissa Bede made a highlight reel bounce pass to Isaiah Wilkins for a fast break dunk. After trading baskets for multiple minutes, UNC strung a few baskets together and started to pull away nearing the end of the first half. Virginia Tech entered the break trailing 36-30.

The Tar Heels commanded the start of the second half and eventually increased their lead to 12 points, but the Hokies didn’t quit and clawed their way back into the game. Jalen Cone led the comeback effort as he hit two back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to one point with three minutes left in the second half. Cone finished the game with a career-high six 3-pointers. He has been on fire from deep lately, logging 14 threes made in his

last three games. Down by two points with 13.7 seconds left in regulation, P.J. Horne knocked down a pair of clutch free throws to send the game into overtime, tied 60-60.

UNC once again came out of the break prepared and established a five point lead to start the overtime period, but, the Hokies stayed focused and fought back again, sending the game into double overtime thanks to a layup by Nolley to tie the game at 67.

The second overtime was another extremely competitive period. Nolley made another big layup to take the lead in the final minute, but the Tar Heels quickly tied it back up. On the Hokies’ final possession, Radford drove inside and sunk a contested layup for his first basket of the night to win the game, 79-77.

The Virginia Tech freshmen showcased strong scoring performances, with Nolley (22), Cone (18) and Nahiem Alleyne (11) all notching double-digit points. Three-pointers were the key to this victory; the Hokies made 14 on the night while holding UNC to only seven.

The entire game was an uphill battle for the Hokies, mounting a comeback from down 12 in the second half, and facing deficits in overtime. After the game, when asked about his team’s ability to stay strong and optimistic in the face of adversity, head coach Mike Young praised his players, saying, “Weak teams don’t respond that way; tough teams do.”

Next, Virginia Tech will face Boston College on the road in another ACC matchup at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25.

MEHHER HASNANY / COLLEGIATE TIMES Wabissa Bede (3) looks up toward the basket for an opening, Jan. 22, 2020.

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MEHHER HASNANY / COLLEGIATE TIMES Landers Nolley II (2) drives down the court toward the basket, Jan. 22, 2020.