Nov. 27, 2018

BASKETBALLSPECIAL

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November 27, 2018

COLLEGIATE TIMES

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

HOKIES KEEP THE CUP

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech pulled out a wild win Friday night, extending the win-streak against UVA to 15 years. Despite coming into the game as underdogs, the Hokies rallied late, winning in overtime off a Brian Johnson field goal and Bryce Perkins turnover.

DEVIN SHEPARD sports staff writer

What. A. Game.

Virginia Tech will keep the Commonwealth Cup for a 15th consecutive year.

In the 100th meeting for the title of best team in Virginia, the Hokies beat the University of Virginia 34–31. All the pressure was on Ryan Willis in his ninth consecutive start of the season, especially after

UVA head coach Bronco Mendenhall stressed the increased importance of this game to his team.

T he ga me st a r t e d slow with neither team scoring through the first eight drives, but there was excitement from the beginning. Seemingly from the start, Virginia Tech was playing a noticeably more physical brand of football, running the ball much more than usual, but all it would

yield was a missed field goal by redshirt-sophomore kicker Brian Johnson. The Hokies struggled to stop Cavalier quarterback Bryce Perkins, who would have one of the best games of his career despite what looked like an ankle injury in the first quarter.

Throughout most of the first half, Virginia Tech could not find a way to pressure Perkins. The Hokies weren’t the only ones

with a slow start, however, as UVA could not make good on its opportunities either, with a huge drop on a wide-open deep shot by freshman receiver Tavares Kelly and a Perkins fumble in the red zone. The Hokies started to turn it around near the end of the first half though, with freshman receiver Tre Turner breaking away for a 43-yard run on a jet sweep. On the next drive, Turner and quarterback

Ryan Willis would connect on a one-handed catch in the end zone. A few plays later Turner would block a punt for a touchdown, putting the Hokies up 14–0.

At the end of the half, UVA punt returner Chuck Davis would muff a punt and Virginia Tech would recover. This would end up being a negative for the Hokies though, as Willis would throw a scary interception that almost ended as

a pick six, but the defender would be tackled by Willis himself. Virginia Tech would go into the half with a confident two-score lead, behind a great 126-yard rushing effort through two quarters.

The game got much tighter in the second half, which opened with a solid UVA drive capped off by a 29-yard connection from UVA / page 9

Tech basketball stays fierce in nonconference play

The men’s and women’s teams both remain undefeated after Thanksgiving weekend — the men easily took down Saint Francis at home while the women won out in the UCF Thanksgiving Tournament, defeating University of Richmond and Villanova.

Men’s

RYAN WILSON

sports staff writer

The now 13th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies (5–0) returned home Saturday, after winning the Charleston Classic last week, defeating Saint Francis (PA), 75–37.

The Hokies have won their fifth straight to start the season, and continue to dominate nonconference opponents.

The Hokies were led by senior guard Ahmed Hill, who scored a team-high 19 points, while going 5-for-6 on three-point attempts.

He wasn’t the only one to put up double figures for the Hokies, with Ty Outlaw

posting 15 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker adding 11 and Justin Robinson finishing out the game with 10 himself.

Virginia Tech’s play was sloppy in the first half of the game, even trailing at one point 13–11, but they managed to rally and take an 11-point lead at halftime, walking out with a score of 33–22. Once out of the locker room, the Hokies put their feet on the gas pedal, and were able to outscore the Red Flash 42–15 in the second half.

As a whole, Virginia Tech held Saint Francis (PA) to around 26 percent shooting, including 18 percent from

th ree. T he Hokies’ defense was able to play without fouling as wel l, allowing the Re d F lash to shoot only three free throws all game.

On t he offensive s i d e, the Hokies did not shoot well in the MEN / page 10

Women’s

CLAIRE CASTAGNO sports staff writer

Vi rgin ia Tech a nd R ich mond Un iver sit y t raveled to O rla ndo, Florida, for their matchup on Sunday morning as part of the UCF Thanksgiving Tournament. After a hardfought comeback win over Villanova the day before, the Hokies looked to finish out the tournament by defeating the Richmond Spiders, who fell to UCF the day before.

The Hokies cruised by the Spiders 85–57 and led the entirety of the game from when they first scored — just over a minute into regulation.

In the first half, Virginia Tech did not shoot well from behind the arc, but made up for that with a field goal percentage of 62 percent to keep them on top. Richmond shot just 25 percent from the field during the first half. The Hokies doubled the Spiders’ turnovers with four, and Richmond was able to score six points off those turnovers. The Spiders went on a 10–3 run in the last three minutes of the first half to cut the Hokies’ lead to 10 points, making the halftime score 30–29.

During the second half, Virginia Tech did not shoot as well as Richmond but still scored higher in the

third and fourth quarters.

Richmond’s defense was suffocating and forced eight turnovers. However, Virginia Tech WOMEN / page 10

lifestyles

Students advocate for an ecologically sound campus Amid conflicting views concerning how to best care for Earth, Students for Sustainable Practice takes a collaborative approach to protect future generations by encouraging Virginia Tech students to adopt environmentally healthy habits and ways of life.

JOHN MCBRIDE

lifestyles staff writer

GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Dan Irving, a senior biological systems engineering major, listens to the discussion on activism, Nov. 12, 2018.

NICKEIL ALEXANDERWALKER STEPS UP The sophomore guard may be more crucial than you think. page 11

. There’s no shortage of environmentally centered clubs around Virginia Tech’s campus, but even though they may be similar, each club finds its own niche.

Students for Sustainable Practice has found its place on campus in advocating for more environmentally friendly practices to the Student Government Association (SGA) and to the university.

Students for Sustainable Practice recently underwent a name change, and with it came “different objectives,” said Sam Gittelman, a member and graduate student who studies environmental policy and planning. Originally called Students for Clean Energy when the club was founded in 2009, this club began as a way to protest the tons of coal used by the university for energy. When met with opposition from the Virginia Tech administration, they

HILL, OUTLAW LEAD THE WAY FOR TECH The two grad students provide key veteran experience. page 11

regrouped and revised their mission statement.

T he new m ission statement is as follows: “We, as members of Students for Sustainable Practice at Virginia Tech, will act as a liaison group between our student body and the university administration — to build awareness, contribute to our collective ongoing education, and facilitate the implementation of research projects related to sustainability on our campus. Through

collaboration with the students of various majors, faculty, staff, and administration, we aim to invent and establish a more sustainable future at Virginia Tech.”

With a new focus on education and innovation, the club has grown into a strong showing of ecologically minded individuals fighting for a cleaner future.

The focus this year is on a series of workshops with a common theme each month.

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ACTIVISM / page 8

PAGE 2 November 27, 2018

opinions

editor@collegiatetimes.com

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Caught in the Crossfire column

column

Cutting toxic friends out of Cutting toxic friends out of life prevents more conflict life creates needless pain Sometimes, friendships just don’t work out — people have their It may seem easier to just sever ties with someone you no longer differences, and reconciliation may not be the way to end things. consider a friend, but doing so might do more harm than good.

W

hen life gets a little rough, I find that there are two foolproof remedies: cut off your hair or cut off the negative people in your life. The first is clear, as cutting off your hair is like cutting away your problems, and a fresh look gives you a fresh perspective on life — after all, it worked for Britney Spears. The latter option is what tends to trouble people. Idealists like to think that if you’re having a disagreement with someone, you can simply talk to them to work things out. However, life, people and our emotions are far more complex than that.

Sometimes, letting toxic people fade out of your life can be the right thing to do for both parties, rather than hopelessly putting yourselves through the struggle of trying to piece together a broken relationship.

Throughout college, I’ve learned that you can’t be friends with everyone, no matter how hard you try.

Between classes, extracurriculars and taking care of yourself, the time you have to spend with others is scarce, so you shouldn’t spend it with someone who you don’t enjoy being around. Some personalities just don’t work well together and sometimes it can be hard to recognize that. There will be times when people do things out of frustration and end up hurting other people — that is inevitable. How you respond can determine if these occurrences become unbea rable, drawn-out issues or problems you’re able to get over more easily.

The norm is that you talk to whomever it is that you have the issue with, solve the issue and move on, but

this isn’t always doable.

There will be times when just talking about it won’t work, whether it’s because someone did something extremely hurtful or someone’s behavior has been negatively impacting you consistently. You may find that you no longer value being around that person because of how they have treated you, you can no longer trust them or you no longer feel happy because of the impact they have on your life. In these cases, it may be best to put some space between you and that individual. That doesn’t make you a bad person — it just means that you can recognize that your relationship with that person is not meant to be.

It isn’t fair to expect someone to have a discussion with someone who hurt them because they owe them an explanation.

The only things that friends owe each other are kindness and respect, so when one violates that, there is nothing left. There is no reason for an adult to have to explain to another adult what the problem is, especially at an age when we should clearly know right from wrong. You should be able to reflect on your behavior and actions and try to consider how your friend felt in response. Even if someone doesn’t blatantly say what upset them, your own moral compass and ability to pay attention to others’ reactions, body language and feelings should tell you.

Making the decision to distance yourself from someone isn’t a sign of immaturity or weakness.

What it truly reflects is your ability to sense that something is wrong and come

up with the best solution — trying to avoid further conflict rather than force reconciliation. Although we may try our hardest to have meaningful, respectful discussions with someone to solve our issues, that often does not happen because of our emotions, stubbornness and personal issues. People tend to feel the need to be right, so when you tell someone that they hurt you, their response may be defensive, condescending or angry, leaving you feeling worse than you did before.

Because of this, it is sometimes more reasonable to move on without having an unnecessary clash. Maturity allows you to understand that some things may be too emotionally taxing and painful for you to confront the person about and that’s OK, despite what society may have us think.

A bad relationship will consume your mind, energy and time. Forcing it will only take more of a toll on you. It is important to understand that distancing yourself from someone is a choice made in the interest of maintaining a positive environment and taking care of your mental health.

Deciding that someone isn’t meant to be in your life is understanding that a toxic relationship cannot be fixed no matter how hard you try.

DONYA MOMENIAN • opinions columnist • sophomore, business information technology

W

hen a friendship has died out and any hope of salvaging the relationship is gone, my generation’s favorite solution is simple: “Block and delete.” Through supposed proclamations of cleansing the soul of toxic energy and removing negative people from one’s life, millions of young people have impulsively removed former friends and foes from their social media and their lives. However, this manner of ending friendships not only perpetuates the negative energy it claims to prevent, but also allows many people to cut off others out of nowhere without a real explanation.

At first, simply removing someone from your life with the tap of a button might seem like an easy solution.

Many serial blockers would argue that creating a zerocontact policy is the best way to avoid potential conflict. There are certainly scenarios where it’s best to stop interacting with someone altogether — however, unless you are being actively harassed or stalked, I don’t see why the end of a friendship has to be treated as something inherently shameful. We’ve learned to break things off with our friends under the harsh glow of a smartphone light, tapping away at the screen in an effort to erase all traces of the offender as quickly as possible — but why?

Though many might like to argue otherwise, abruptly ending a friendship with zero warning can often lead to undeserved confusion for those involved. I’ve had a former acquaintance refuse to talk to me out of nowhere

with no explanation as to why, and the experience made me feel like someone was playing mind games with me. The reasons behind one friend desiring to end the relationship may not always be obvious to the other involved, and both parties are better off when those reasons are clearly expressed.

For the person ending the friendship, it can be an opportunity to get their grievances off their chest and really clear the air.

Though you may not realize it at first, if a friend has wronged you at any point in a friendship and you don’t confront them about it, the weight of those unaired grievances can haunt you for years to come. It’s best to be upfront about what has upset you so you can walk away from the friendship knowing your feelings were heard. Human emotion and social interactions are inherently complex, and different people might experience the same situation in completely different ways. There are so many complicated minutiae that might factor in to someone’s emotional response, and it’s ridiculous to imply that any difficulty in sorting through that complexity is the result of not having a moral compass. Conflict resolution is an important skill in all sorts of workplaces, ranging from the United Nations to your run-of-the-mill department store, so why wouldn’t it matter in friendships, too?

For the person being cut off, finding out why and how the friendship went wrong can be a great opportunity to fix certain behaviors or try to remedy any particularly annoying habits. Not every friendship is going to end

on great terms, but looking at every failed relationship as a learning opportunity at least allows us to gain something from a potentially painful experience — not to mention that it prepares us to be better companions to our future friends. If your former friend’s complaints turn out to be based on pure fantasy and you’re truly in the clear, then the worst case scenario is that you’ve learned they’re not a friend worth having.

There’s also the matter of approaching confrontation in a healthy manner. To put it bluntly, blocking a friend with no warning comes off as cowardly. There’s no doubt that conflict is far from fun, but it is an important part of adult life, and many might question why you’re so quick to cut off contact if you truly have a good reason for doing so.

You may not even realize it, but if you feel a desperate urge to block someone before they can ask what they’ve done wrong, you may be subconsciously trying to avoid addressing the issue.

The urge to hit “block” and run in the other direction can be overwhelming, but when you find the courage to openly admit what’s been on your mind, the end result can be rewarding for everyone involved. Don’t take the easy way out — do the right thing, even if it makes you a little uncomfortable.

LEXI SOLOMON • opinions contributor • freshman, Russian and national security and foreign affairs

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The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to provide educational experience in business and production of mass media for Virginia Tech students. © Collegiate Times, 2018. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

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November 27, 2018 PAGE 3

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COURTESY OF VT NEWS

Virginia Tech professors Study fuels awareness awarded grants to study to increase child car seat water antibiotic resistance use in rideshare vehicles Two professors in the College of Engineering were awarded with contracts that provide over half a million dollars in total.

TAHREEM ALAM news reporter

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently awarded two Virginia Tech professors with contracts to study antibiotic resistance in water.

The two professors are Amy Pruden, the W. Thomas Rice Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Marc Edwards, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech.

The contracts provide funds for the two projects, totaling to over half a million dollars.

The CDC awarded these contracts in part to advance their mission in the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Both Pruden and Edwards have contracts to study antibiotic resistance in recycled water and in plumbing, respectively.

Pruden is the principal investigator for the study, which focuses on recycled, or reused, water.

According to VT News, her team includes Kang Xia, a professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech, V. Jody Harwood, professor and chair of the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, post-doctoral student Emily Garner, and civil engineering graduate student Ishi Keenum.

“Recycled water is extremely important because drinkable water sources are diminishing, so researchers have to find ways to extend

and augmenter water supply,” Pruden said.

Moreover, humans take in antibiotics on a daily basis.

Not all of these are broken down by the body, so the antibiotics along with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria in human guts are excreted and end up in the sewage waters.

“Since antibiotic resistance is a really urgent problem, this is an important place to look to see if antibiotic resistance in sewage might spread and ultimately impact public health (by) making it more likely that people would get resistant infections that can’t be treated by antibiotics,” Pruden said.

Additionally, Edwards is the principal investigator for the project that will focus on drinking water once it’s already in the plumbing systems, specifically in hospitals. His team consists of Pruden, Joseph O. Falkinham III, a professor in biological sciences, and civil and environmental engineering graduate students Matheu Storme Spencer and Abe Cullom, according to VT News.

Hospitals add disinfectant boosters to their water like chlorine, copper or silver ions to prevent disease-causing bacteria from growing in their plumbing and to protect their patients. Though, the positive and negative effects of these boosters haven’t been studied.

“We have a lab study going on to systematically look at the effect of these different disinfectants added to water, simulating the pipe environment, and seeing which are most effective to keep levels of antibiotic-resistant

bacteria the lowest,” Pruden said.

Spencer created a pipe bioreactor system that models building plumbing to test the disinfectants used in hospitals’ plumbing systems, where water can remain stagnant for long periods of time and decay the disinfectants in it. They are looking at four different disinfectants that are common in these plumbing systems, which include chlorine, monochloramine, copper and silver ionization, and chlorine dioxide.

“From a public health perspective, (we’re) trying to figure out if how we’re treating the water is effective, if maybe there are some detriments to what we’re doing,” Spencer said. “We’re trying to provide some guidance that would explain maybe why people are getting sick ... in a hospital where they’re actually more at risk because (the water) only really affects people with an immunocompromised position.”

The researchers hope these studies provide enough information for advising.

“I hope that we can advise water utilities that want to be forward thinking, and advance water recycling projects that we can tell them what kind of treatments are most effective for reducing antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” Pruden said. “And I’d like to be able to tell hospitals which kinds of disinfectants and what doses offer the most assurance for keeping antibiotic-resistant bacteria levels low and protecting patient populations.” @Tahreem304

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute researchers collaborate with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to study car seats.

JULIA VAUGHN news staff writer

With the exponential g row t h of r idesha re companies like Uber and Lyft over the past few years, child passenger safety has become a growing concern.

As these services have been continuing to grow in popularity, families have run into issues when it comes to safely utilizing these more popular transportation options.

“The regulations are mixed across the country, and they are confusing, and sometimes it is hard to find good information about the regulations where you are going,” said Justin Owens, the principal investigator and a research scientist at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).

This fact makes the act of traveling with young children an even more challenging experience for parents.

Resea rchers at the VTTI in collaboration with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and San Diego State University have published a new study concerning the usage of child safety seat and ridership in rideshare vehicles in hopes of increasing child safety seat usage among their users.

Child safety seat is a kind of seat designed to protect children from getting injured from vehicle collisions.

In the study, child restraint laws from across the United States were analyzed to discover what

was required of parents transporting children in rideshare vehicles. They discovered that Virginia, along with 33 other states, do not require for-hire vehicles and taxis to follow the child restraint laws of their respective states.

Furthermore, it is oftentimes unclear whether these regulations, and the exemptions to them, apply to rideshare vehicles.

“Rideshares are thought of as an easier way to get a taxi, but the way it is written into law in almost all those states, rideshares do not share those exemptions,” Owens said.

The only state in the country that differentiates between rideshare and for-hire vehicles in its child restraint legislation is Georgia. While for-hire vehicles like taxis are exempt, rideshare services are required to provide proper accommodations for young passengers.

In addition to analyzing ch i ld rest r a i nt laws nationwide, researchers at TTI conducted focus groups with rideshare drivers and parents of young children.

In addition to the focus groups, they administered an internet survey to parents across the nation. Through these methodologies, the scientists gauged the practices and attitudes toward necessary safety precautions while transporting children, as well as what hinders parents from using child safety seats while traveling in rideshare services.

The results of the focus groups and survey revealed that approximately half of

the parents who utilized rideshare services did not provide their own proper safety seats. Likewise, only 50 percent of the rideshare drivers who participated in the focus groups that claimed to have driven young children said that they remembered a safety seat being used.

In general, a majority of parents wanted to adhere to the child restraint laws of their state but faced barriers such as an absence of appropriate child safety seats and ambiguity surrounding safety regulations. “One of the most consistent findings that we found was just how much confusion there is about the rules and regulations,” Owens said.

The researchers behind this study also created a website, kidsridesafe.org, that coincides with the data collected.

“The purpose of the website is to mainly give state-by-state information with links to rules and regulations to both parents, caregivers and rideshare drivers as they are planning travel,” Owens said.

@CollegiateTimes

Apex Center honored for emerging entrepreneurship The Virginia Tech Apex Center for Entrepreneurs was honored as Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center.

TAHREEM ALAM news reporter

The Virginia Tech Apex Center for Entrepreneurs was awa rde d the Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center Award by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) at this year’s conference in Chicago.

The GCEC is a global academic organization that serves as a connection for all university-based

entrepreneurship centers in the U.S. in order to collaborate on and advance entrepreneurship initiatives, programs and practices.

Over 255 colleges were represented in this year’s conference.

The Apex Center is a part of the Pamplin College of Business. The center provides courses, field trips and has its own entrepreneurship living-learning community called Innovate.

Students do not have to study under the college in order to

be an Apex Center member.

Rob er t Su m ich r a st, the dean of the Pamplin College, said the GCEC award is a great recognition for Pamplin and provides lots of pride for the Apex Center, the college and the university. He also said it will help attract the best students and faculty, as well as those who are interested in entrepreneurship and alumni funding.

Additionally, he feels this is “external validation” that the university is really

giving the students “something special with the kind of education that they can get.”

“I know that a lot of people have worked hard to make the entrepreneurship center really outstanding,” Sumichrast said. “Our executive director Derick Maggard has been with us from the beginning and he’s really taken on a lot of that leadership role in a lot of the actual implementation role, along with Sean Collins and some of the staff members

and faculty that support us.

So I felt very proud about that.”

The Apex Center has raised over $93 million in capital over the past 10 years through venture capital, funds dedicated to startups, alumni donations and competitions that have taken place on campus throughout the years.

There are 18 different programs that Apex Center members can participate in. Over 2,500 students are expected to be members of

the center this year.

“I’m just really proud of what the APEX System Center has been able to accomplish,” Sumichrast said. “I’m really grateful for the hard work of the faculty and staff and especially the alumni who are just doing this out of the goodness of their hearts.”

@Tahreem304

PAGE 4 November 27, 2018

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Community lends helping paw to local animal shelter The Animal Care and Adoption Center recently received about 2,500 pounds of dog food in donations from the community.

KELLEY GATES news staff writer

The Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center (ACAC) located on 480 Cinnabar Road in Christiansburg is where many go to find their new a wonderful place to find your new furry friends. The no-kill animal shelter runs entirely on donations and has received a lot of help from the community in the past year.

“The center runs largely on the support from the community,” Mahan said.

“With the help from the community, we can make the lives of these animals better and get the word out about these animals.”

The most common form of fundraising is from events hosted by various clubs and fraternities at Virginia Tech and Radford University, as well as fundraisers from K–12 schools.

According to the center’s Facebook post, the ACAC recently received about 2,500 pounds of dog food in donations from the community.

The center also hosts several events during the year to raise money and gather supplies for the animals. In May, the center hosted a one-year anniversary celebration to raise money for food and medicine for the animals.

The center also does free adoption weekends when it waives the $10 adoption fee and takes donations.

The center frequently sends out requests on Facebook called “Fill the

Cart Fridays,” where the center asks for donations of certain items such as food, cat litter and toys.

The supplies go a long way in helping the center care for the animals and greatly reduce the cost of running the facility.

According to Mahan, anonymous donations from businesses and residents of Montgomery County and the surrounding locales, as well as initiatives run by the center made an expansion to the shelter possible. The 16,300-square-foot building is located across the highway from the shopping district in Christiansburg and was built in April 2017.

This new facility can comfortably hold many more dogs than the old 4,200-square foot-facility and, for the first time in the organization’s history, hold cats. The new building also has a lobby with several waiting and play rooms to make the experience more pleasant for both the animals and people looking to adopt them.

“The old building wasn’t very welcoming,” said shelter director Eileen Mahan. “This new building allows people and pets to interact more.”

Students at Virginia Tech can also help the center by volunteering. Students who wish to help walk and care for the dogs at the center must complete two 30-minute training sessions on proper dog walking in order to participate. The center is f lexible with volunteer hours so students can adjust their volunteer

KELLEY GATES / COLLEGIATE TIMES Eileen Mahan, director of the Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center, pets Sparks the cat, Nov. 15, 2018.

time to their class schedule.

“Any help is appreciated,” Mahan said.

The center currently houses 162 animals, but had over 200 animals at one point. The shelter is always looking for people to foster the animals.

The center does a Christmas break foster initiative to relieve stress for both the animals and workers, and did this program last year with great success. The center sets up a booth with sign-up sheets, a place where children can visit Santa and an area to collect supplies. The event is currently scheduled for Dec. 15. First Bank and Trust will match all donations on this day.

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KELLEY GATES / COLLEGIATE TIMES Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center, Nov. 15, 2018.

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study break

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Today’s Birthday Horoscope (Nov. 27): Consider future dreams and visions this year.

Financial growth comes with dedication and persistence. Intuitively nurture your health and vitality. A profitable winter could inspire travel changes. A lucrative summer grows family assets before a financial hurdle redirects you. Meditate on love.

FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Transvaal treks 8 Quarters 15 Big building 16 Political power structure 17 Asian setting of a 2017 PBS documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick 18 Not belowdecks 19 Snakelike fish 20 Golf club part 22 Mend one’s sinful ways 23 Paul of “Ant-Man” 25 GI entertainers 26 Many soap opera meetings 27 Scottish caps 29 Ray of fast food 31 Nuclear pioneer Enrico 33 Kickoff aid 34 Physical therapy, briefly 39 French __ soup 40 Appt. book blocks 41 Mountains between Europe and Asia 42 Channel for school sports 43 Frequently, in verse 44 December temp 45 Skater Lipinski 47 Combat vet’s affliction, briefly 48 Bombard with noise 52 Tax whiz 54 Spanish “this” 57 Nonresident hospital employee 58 Gutter locale 60 Party bowlful 61 Brutish 63 Dilapidated digs 65 Contrived sentimentality 66 Funded 67 Like the oldest bread 68 Emails anew DOWN 1 Break, as ties 2 French parting 3 *Educational outing 4 Toward the stern

11/27/18

By Jeff Stillman

5 Mark on a table from a wet glass 6 Wax-winged flier of myth 7 Their winners go to the finals 8 The 1% in 1% milk 9 Portuguese wine city 10 *Social elite 11 Sounding like Popeye 12 Tastes 13 “Wish I __ said that” 14 Decides to leave in the manuscript 21 *Gambler’s stoic expression 24 Bourne portrayer 28 *Quick-cook side dish 30 Enjoy a recliner 31 Enemy 32 Nav. rank 33 Norse god with a hammer 35 Dry-__ board 36 Without a doubt ... or what the starts of the answers to starred clues are?

November 27, 2018 PAGE 5

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Previous Puzzle Solved Monday’s Puzzle Solved

Finals Crunch Time

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Finals Studying Newman Library Textbooks Memorize

Notes Exams Studying Cram Pencil

Paper Essays Projects Subject Thesis

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! by Tim Rickard

©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

37 PC key near Ctrl 38 Org. with merit badges 46 Chronological records 47 Stately 16th-century dance 48 Financial obligations 49 Wield, as influence

11/27/18

50 Perplexed 51 __ monitor: OB/GYN device 53 Peeling device 55 Like many shower stalls 56 Opinion columns 59 JFK postings 62 Tennis do-over 64 Furrow maker

Bliss by Harry Bliss

xkcd by Randall Munroe

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Where you go, we go. collegiatetimes.com

PAGE 6 November 27, 2018

lifestyles

editor@collegiatetimes.com

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Pistol Annies bring healthy dose of country cleverness with new record “Interstate Gospel” is a triumphant return for the trio, a charming yet driven collection that’s well worth the five-year wait.

HANNAH GOODE copy editor

A lot has changed for country power trio Pistol Annies in the five years since the release of their last album, 2013’s “Annie Up.” Each of the trio’s members has released two solo albums in that timespan, and each has undergone major transitions in her personal life.

Miranda Lambert (Lonestar Annie) went through a highprofile divorce, Ashley Monroe (Hippie Annie) got married and gave birth to a son, and Angaleena Presley (Holler Annie) is expecting a child due in January.

Despite these changes, on their new album “Interstate Gospel,” released Nov. 2 on RMC Nashville, the Annies pick up right where they left off. “Gospel” is filled with the intricate harmonies, acute songwriting and healthy dose of Southern humor that the group is known for. With references to weed, sugar daddies and Jesus, this album is classic Pistol Annies.

In some ways, the album feels like a sequel to Lambert’s 2016 double album “The Weight of These Wings,” as several of the songs reference marriage and divorce, and Lambert sings lead most often. In fact, one of my few grievances with the album is that I wish Monroe and Presley could have sung lead vocals on more songs.

The album begins with a one-minute intro called “Interstate Prelude,” which opens with the lyrics “Jesus is the bread of life / Without him, you’re toast.”

I personally think it should

have been called “Interstate P raylude” consider ing the religious motif, but I guess that was too corny even for the Pistol Annies.

After getting religious, the Annies turn hedonistic on “Stop Drop and Roll One,” a rollicking ode to burnt-out prom queens and drifters, which is notable if only because it rhymes “Mardi Gras” with “bra.”

The third track, “Best Years of My Life,” is one of the album’s best and marks its first tone of solemnity, which permeates throughout the rest out the album. It addresses the feeling of settling down with someone only to realize that it was a waste of time.

With lyrics like “I picked a good day for a recreational Percocet” and “I’ve got a hankering for intellectual emptiness,” “Best Years” showcases some of the album’s most clever and detailed songwriting.

Presley and her rich alto vocals take the lead on the next track, “5 Acres of Turnips,” which, unfortunately, was one of the few tracks on the album that I couldn’t get into. Based on the title, I was expecting something sim ila r to Presley’s hilarious fasttempo song “The Hunter’s Wife” from the Pistol Annies’ debut album.

However, “Turnips” is a sober depiction of hard work, faith and family ties, and with the mix of messages, I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

In “When I Was His Wife,” the Annies list things they said at the beginning of their marriages (“He’d never cheat,” ‘His love is enough

to keep me satisfied”), which read like warnings to their husbands’ next wives.

Next up is “Cheyenne,” a character sketch of a woman who “lives for the nightlife and trashy tattoos” and “loves country music and broken-in boots,” whom Lambert wishes she could be more like.

The album’s middle song, “Got My Name Changed Back,” is my absolute favorite; it was chosen as the lead single for a reason.

On this fun, sassy track, Lambert takes center stage, while her fellow Annies back her up as she sings about spending an afternoon at the DMV in her signature twang.

The confidence boost continues into the next song, “Sugar Daddy,” which begins with Lambert declaring herself the “red dirt queen of the palace.”

Although the song kicks off with Lambert, Monroe’s vocals really begin to shine in the last verse and outro.

The Annies’ individual personalities come out in this song as they brag about their sexual prowess and list the qualities of their ideal sugar daddies: Lambert’s has a rifle in the rack of his Cadillac, Presley’s has a truck with a lift kit and Monroe’s has a rhinestone suit.

Monroe’s lilting vocals continue to radiate on “Leavers Lullaby,” a pretty Americana ballad that wouldn’t sound out of place on her own albums, if it weren’t for the mariachi-like instrumentation during the chorus.

The back half of the album consists of songs

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that stand out on their own, but drag a little when paired back-to-back. “Milkman” is a melancholy vignette of a straight-laced mother who loves only her husband, and her daughter who turns out nothing like her. On “Commissary,” Presley proves that she can carry a song and carry it well. This song features the haunting refrain “didn’t put no money on your commissary,” saying so much in few words.

“Masterpiece” is about a romance that felt more like a performance in the public eye, and it wrestles with the question, “What thoughts linger behind the plastered-on smiles of the king and queen of country?” It’s hard not to draw parallels between this song and Lambert’s personal life.

After so many heavy songs in a row, listeners need a break, which the album provides with the title track, finally returning from its introduction in the prelude.

This song is about a breakup road trip fueled by faith and guided by church signs. The verses even read like church signs with lyrics like, “If you can’t stand the heat, turn the prayer-conditioner up” and “Even ol’ Moses was a basket case.”

“This Too Shall Pass” rounds out the album.

While it’s a perfectly fine song, it doesn’t really add much, especially following “Interstate Gospel,” which captures the ethos of the album, and the group, so well.

This album features some of Pistol Annies’ best instrumentation and songwriting

to date, but I wish they would have explored more complex themes instead of just sticking to the ones they know. Monroe and Presley also deserve more chances to shine, and more upbeat songs like “Stop Drop and Roll One” and “Got My Name Changed Back” could have helped prevent the album from dragging.

I give “Interstate Gospel” four out of five stars.

@CollegiateTimes

Meal plan pointers: Get the biggest bang for your buck at the dining halls A word of advice: If you’re low on dining dollars, don’t order the steak at West End. A DXpress burger should do the trick.

BREANNA KNOTTS lifestyles staff writer

I was told by multiple upperclassmen to purchase the smallest dining plan when I came to Virginia Tech as a freshman. I was promised to have “so much money” left over at the end of the semester and that I would “never” run out of funds. I am not sure if food prices went up or if those upperclassmen did not eat, because with over a month left until the end of the semester, my small dining plan is not going to make it through finals.

I’m not the only one complaining about having to make under $100 of meal plan money last until the end of the semester.

I’ve ventured to each dining hall to find the least wallet-stretching options that will help make your dining plan last.

Turner Place Even though Qdoba burrito bowls and shrimp fried rice are extremely hard to resist, it is wise to refrain from those dishes until the renewal of your dining dollars in January.

Honestly, there are few options in Turner that are cost-efficient, but due to its

convenient location on the academic side of campus, sometimes it is your only option. Dolci e Caffe offers a selection of crepes that are filling and delicious that start at around $2.75 in flex dollars. Also, if you venture downstairs, 1872 Fire Grill offers homestyle meals that provide the quality and quantity of food that’s worth your money. For example, grilled barbecue chicken is under $3.

Owens/Hokie Grill Frank’s Deli offers a variety of sandwiches and subs for a low price. One of its signature specials is the build-your-own sub, which costs less than $3 in flex dollars. These are not only inexpensive, but also extremely delicious. It is important to stay in line and not venture to the left for a smoothie, because those cost more than a sandwich.

In Hokie Grill, Chick-fil-A can be dining-plan friendly if you choose to refrain from the milkshakes or salads.

Pizza Hut offers pastas, wings and personal pizzas that are really yummy, but not good for the state of your wallet.

West End If you’re searching for a

homestyle meal, JP’s Chop House in West End offers a wide selection of freshly carved meats and many types of fish. Unfortunately, the meals are quite overpriced. Paying twice the usual amount for the catch of the day will break the bank, which makes it not the smartest option at West End. If you travel over to Seven 70, you can get a sandwich or a wrap for under $3 in flex money that is filling and tasty. Also, Bistro Firenze offers pizza and pasta, which can be a smart option if you don’t need a huge portion of food to fill you up.

D2 This buffet is definitely the most cost-efficient for people who eat a lot of food.

You can get anything from Indian to Italian for a cheap entrance fee of $4.65 for dinner. With one swipe, you have free range of drinks, food and dessert. This food may not be the healthiest, or the tastiest, but is definitely the best for students who have a big appetite. The only downfall of this dining hall is that the hours, 7 a.m. through 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. through 7 p.m. on typical weekdays, are weird and inconvenient.

Along with these major

dining halls, there are plenty of other options for cheap food around campus.

Au Bon Pain and Burger ‘37 in Squires are places to stay away from because they are very overpriced and the portions are small.

One cheap, tasty option for breakfast or a quick snack is Deet’s Place, under D2.

There, you can get a quick bagel or coffee for under $1.50 in flex dollars.

It is important to pay attention to prices around campus as we are nearing the end of the semester and the money in our dining plans continues to dwindle.

There is always the option to add more money on your dining plan, but it is easiest to try to eat with a cost-efficient mindset.

@CollegiateTimes

ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES Bistro Firenze, a restaurant inside the West End Market dining hall, offers traditional Italian cuisine, including pizza, pasta and calzones, Sept. 23, 2018.

editor@collegiatetimes.com

November 27, 2018 PAGE 7

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Make the most of our beautiful campus: 6 of the best photo shoot locations at Virginia Tech

Our school is just asking to be photographed. If you have a camera and a hunger for a great shot, check out these spots.

JUSTIN ROCHA

lifestyles staff writer

With everyone trying to build a great Instagram feed nowadays, people are doing anything they can to get a good picture. One of the most important parts of having a great picture is to find an interesting location that serves as a good background. As a photographer, one of my favorite things to do is scout out different locations for a photo shoot.

After some research and photo shoots in Blacksburg, I have found some of the best places to get some good shots.

Pylons Right in the center of Virginia Tech’s campus, the Pylons represent the heart and soul of Virginia Tech. Centering the subject of the picture in the middle of the Pylons can lead to a great portrait with the six Pylons as leading lines to the person. Although that is the most obvious shot that you can take, there are so many different ways to approach the location.

Ha hn Ho r t i cu l t u re Garden The Hahn Horticulture G a r d en, lo cat e d on Washington Street SW, has various beautiful backdrops for portraiture. There are so many different vibrant plants and pieces of art that can be implemented in a picture. The elegant Jane Edwards Stream Garden has a pond with a waterfall, unique plants and fish, while chairs on the side of the pond

can serve for fun shots and a place to take a break. (Photo shoots can be tiring.)

Burchard Hall One word can sum up the giant glass pyramids over Burchard Hall: lighting.

The reflections provide extremely good lighting for portraits and also provide a clean, modern-styled background. The pyramids, which can be found in front of Cowgill Hall, can even be used effectively on cloudy days. If you want to get even more creative, go inside of the glassed-in staircases next to the pyramids and shoot through the glass to have interesting lens glares on the subject.

Moss Arts Center The performing arts center located on Alumni Mall is a great photo shoot location, both inside and outside. Outside, the unique design has a clean and modern look that is great for a variety of styles. Inside, the 22 steps that lead up to the second floor make a great place for a group picture.

You can also get some shots in front of Diana Cooper’s mural, “HighWire.” The window frames also have a nice aesthetic look with their diamond patterns, which look good from both the inside and the outside.

Downtown Blacksburg Once you get off of ca mpus, dow nt ow n Blacksburg has tons of fun locations for pictures. The Lyric Theatre can make for an interesting background with its classic look. You can

mess around with the green piano on College Avenue.

There are even murals downtown that can be nice backdrops, especially for portrait photography. You can even get some snaps in front of the iconic Benny’s pizza if you want to just be silly.

Duck Pond The Duck Pond is an excellent location for practically any type of photo shoot. It can work for family portraits, graduation portraits or even engagement photos. The Duck Pond is a beautiful location during all four seasons, which can’t be said about a lot of places. If you want to go for a nature vibe, definitely choose the Duck Pond; the trees, wildlife and the pond provide gorgeous scenery.

These locations are all great, but you don’t have to limit yourself to them.

Some of the best locations are those that you find by going out and exploring.

Be creative and find something that hasn’t been photographed before. A great location isn’t always the most obvious one, so keep your eyes open.

@CollegiateTimes

Hahn Horticulture Garden, Sept. 23, 2018.

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES

From hotel hijinks to dogs with blogs: Disney Channel’s downward spiral Maybe it’s nostalgia that keeps us from liking the new Disney Channel. Or maybe the plummeting ratings speak for themselves.

MARISSA WHARTON lifestyles staff writer

A few days ago, I was flipping through the TV guide, mindlessly looking for something to watch while I put off my lengthening list of homework assignments. Before long, I landed on the Disney Channel, where an episode of “Big City Greens” was playing. Out of curiosity, I stuck around to watch a few

minutes of the cartoon to see what was happening in the show.

But a few minutes were all I could take before continuing my scan of that night’s television programming.

As I flicked through old episodes of “Friends,” new episodes of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” and everything in between, all I could think about was how painful those few minutes

of “Big City Greens” were.

What happened to the old Disney Channel? How did it go from producing hits like “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” to duds like “Dog with a Blog”? When did it stop creating originals like “That’s So Raven” and start recycling characters with one of its newest shows, “Raven’s Home”? Was it the simple fact that I’d grown up that made this new Disney Channel so hard to watch, or

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was it really just that bad?

As a middle child sandwiched between two mid-’90s kids and one early2000s child, I witnessed the Disney Channel at its prime over countless years.

I watched “Lizzie McGuire” with my older sisters, vividly remember when “Hannah Montana” premiered, and rooted for my favorite celebs during the “Disney Channel Games.” My younger sister and I were hooked on “Suite Life” and anxiously awaited each new “High School Musical” sing-along special.

But as we grew up, so did the actors, and the best shows started coming to their ends. We mourned the finale of “Wizards of Waverly Place” as Disney changed its logo and a new batch of young actors and actresses claimed their stakes as Disney Channel regulars. By the time my younger sister was of the true Disney-watching age, it was the era of “Good Luck Charlie” and “Austin and Ally.” I still watched with her, but I remember thinking the jokes weren’t as funny and the actors weren’t as convincing anymore.

By this time, I was learning to appreciate good entertainment, and recognize when television shows and movies missed the mark in their writing and acting. I could tell the Disney writers were struggling to deliver to the

standards of “The Cheetah Girls” and “Kim Possible.”

As the years went on, instead of writing witty characters like the brothers of “Phineas and Ferb,” they wrote the Jonas Brothers to be unintelligent goofs. Sure, “Jonas” may have produced a few catchy songs, but the slapstick humor and lackluster acting was hard to watch, even as a teenager obsessed with Nick Jonas.

Sadly, my younger sister missed the golden years of Disney Channel. She never saw the “Pass the Plate” segments and is too young to remember the very best Disney Channel original movies. I observed as she watched shows that didn’t resonate with her the way former Disney originals did with me and my older sisters.

Maybe it wasn’t my maturing sense of humor that made watching the Disney Channel harder year after year. After all, my sisters and I still look back and laugh at clips of Zack and Cody’s antics in the Tipton Hotel. We still sing and dance to “What Dreams Are Made Of” from “The Lizzie McGuire Movie.”

And if someone forced us to watch every episode of “That’s So Raven,” we wouldn’t be the least bit mad. The same shows that taught us lessons about life and friendship years ago are still funny and entertaining today. It could be nostalgia

that keeps us laughing, but something tells me it isn’t.

Shows of Disney’s past were genuinely entertaining. Not only did the plots and well-written comedy appeal to younger audiences, but they engaged adults, too. This is why as we grew up, it was still fun to watch the shows we grew up with. Characters were more genuine, actors were more convincing, and there was a more familial feel to the channel as a whole.

The fact is, the network is a shadow of its former self.

Just look at Disney’s plummeting ratings, which have been in free fall over the past decade. Disney must make a big change to turn around its ratings and even come close to its former glory, starting with new writers and better storylines. Lucky for those of us who remember Disney Channel at its best, there are ways to rewatch our old favorites. Unlucky for kids currently at Disneywatching age, they wouldn’t be missing out by cutting the cord on the current shows and looking to streaming services to discover the old Disney Channel classics for the first time.

R. I. P., old Disney Channel. You are missed.

@MarissaW19

PAGE 8 November 27, 2018

editor@collegiatetimes.com

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ACTIVISM: Club coordinates with Office of Sustainability from page 1

Nove m b e r’s theme is “Activism,” and the discussion was led by Gittelman.

The meeting on Nov. 12 opened with an icebreaker asking members of the club how they have experienced activism — was the experience too aggressive or too passive? Gittelman then

went on to define activism as “showing the world an ugly truth and forcing them to pick a side.” Different examples of how people have shown activism were given, starting with a YouTube video that Gittelman pointed out has no “call to action,” which is one of the most important asp e cts of act ivism.

Another more effective and aggressive example

was given in the form of the Earth Liberation Front and eco-terrorism. Closer to home, protesters of the Mountain Valley Pipeline were the last example.

After the meeting, I spoke with Ezra Lapidus, one of the vice presidents of the club and a junior in the environmental resource ma nagement progra m.

He explained the club’s involvement in the Green

RFP (Request for Proposal) Program, which is hosted

by Virginia Tech and allows student organizations to propose projects that support sustainability to the school. In this way, Students for Sustainable Practice acts as a liaison to the Office of Sustainability. One such project submitted by the club in 2016 is the solar tables you can see around the different quads on campus.

GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Hannah Skudlarek, senior studying geography and Spanish; Ceara Redd, a sophomore majoring in environmental policy and planning and philosophy; and Natalie Koppier, a sophomore in environmental policy and planning, discuss the definition of activism, Nov. 12, 2018.

GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Sam Gittelman, an environmental policy and planning graduate student, leads the discussion, Nov. 12, 2018.

Within the club, they host events such as documentary viewings and workshops.

They also write legislation to present to the SGA. One of the more recent legislations that passed will implement a compost system at Virginia Tech to replace the previous system of shipping compost offsite. This legislation is currently being processed by the SGA. Joining Students for

Sustainable Practice is simple, and they’re always looking for new members throughout the year. They meet weekly on Mondays, and more information about the club can be found on its GobblerConnect page.

@JohnMcBride98

GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Abby England, a junior geography major, listens during the discussion on activism, Nov. 12, 2018.

GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Kathleen Hillis, a junior and a smart and sustainable cities major, and Kristen Halper, a sophomore in computer engineering, discuss activism, Nov. 12, 2018.

sports

editor@collegiatetimes.com

November 27, 2018 PAGE 9

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RECAP: Commonwealth Cup remains at Virginia Tech from page 1

Perkins to junior receiver Joe Reed. This would be answered by a 31-yard make by Hokie kicker Brian Johnson. The Cavaliers would not be held down though, as on the next play from scrimmage, Perkins would hit Reed again on a 75-yard touchdown, bringing the game closer at 17–14.

Virginia Tech would play conservatively in the fourth, with Willis and the Hokies running the ball even more. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Tech running back Deshawn McClease would find the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run.

UVA would answer back on its next drive with a 12-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Jordan Ellis. The

Cavaliers would keep rolling on their next drive with a 36-yard reception by star receiver Olamide Zacchaeus, followed by a 26-yard touchdown reception by junior Hasise Dubois, giving UVA the lead. After picking off Willis as the Hokies tried to mount a comeback drive, the Cavaliers made a field goal with two minutes left, seemingly putting away the game.

Virginia Tech would go on to mount an improbable comeback, capped off by a crazy 18-yard run by Steven Peoples who would fumble in the end zone, but the ball would be recovered by Hezekiah Grimsley and the Hokies would tie the game 31–31, sending the match to overtime. In overtime, the Hokies would take the

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Tre Turner (11), Coleman Fox (16) and Hezekiah Grimsley (6) attempt to secure the blocked punt in the 34–31 overtime victory over the Cavaliers at Lane Stadium, Nov. 23, 2018.

lead on a Johnson field goal.

UVA had a chance to win it, but Virginia Tech linebacker Rayshard Ashby would seal the game with a strip sack fumble on Perkins.

In a game that was scary for many Virginia Tech fans, this ended up being a huge

bright spot in an otherwise d isapp oi nt i ng s e a son.

Virginia Tech will play Marshall next Saturday and hope to achieve bowl eligibility with a win. @DrashawnShepard

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Ricky Walker (25) celebrates after a defensive stand to win the Commonwealth Cup 34–31 in overtime, Nov. 23, 2018.

Grading the Hokies after impressive overtime win

Offensive and defensive units shined in the first overtime game in the history of the 100-year meeting between the two Virginia teams. Fuente’s team showed guts late in the game to complete the comeback to keep them in contention for bowl eligibility.

NICHOLAS HATCH sports staff writer

Quarterback: C+ The Commonwealth Clash between Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia renewed an ongoing rivalry in which the Hokies looked to continue their 14-game win streak against the Cavaliers.

Everything came down to this game and all prior disappointment from the season was ignored, as the only matter at hand was defeating UVA. Ryan Willis started the game slow but eventually put the team on his back when they needed it most.

Throwing for 199 yards while completing 14 of 33 attempts, Willis also threw for one touchdown and two interceptions. The redshirt junior was up and down throughout the game as evident by his beautiful back-shoulder touchdown pass to Tre Turner followed by a horrendous interception that almost resulted in a UVA pick-six.

Despite this inconsistency, Willis would recover to lead the Hokies down the field in the final minutes of regulation completing a 45-yard pass to tight end Dalton Keene, which was ultimately capped off by a game-saving touchdown.

Running back: ASteven Peoples stopped every Hokie fan’s heart when he fumbled the critical rush in the end zone, which would eventually tie the game at 21 apiece.

Offense

Luckily, fellow teammate Hezekiah Grimsley picked up his slack, recovering the fumble for a Virginia Tech touchdown. Despite this terrifying mishap, the Hokie running back committee consisting of Peoples and Deshawn McClease showed out Friday night, averaging an impressive 5.7 yards per carry on 26 attempts and one touchdown along with 254 yards. Excluding Peoples’ almost-turnover, the Hokie running attack made a monumental impact as Virginia’s defensive effort became exhausted and beaten down.

Based off of Peoples’ 19 rushing attempts, it appears as though Justin Fuente has faith in his attack moving forward.

Offensive line: A A monumental piece of Virginia Tech’s success Friday night in throwing 34 points on the scoreboard was the dominance of the offensive line in providing holes for the running backs to take advantage of, as well as the time given to Willis in going through his progressions without disturbance. The Hokie line was the unsung hero in a contest centered around offensive play in which each opponent traded touchdowns throughout much of the game. Furthermore, it was blatant that Willis had more time than he knew what to do with on a number of occasions when standing in the pocket for an extended

Defense

period of time. It is vital to give credit where credit is due especially when picking apart the success of Virginia Tech’s running attack in comparison to prior performances.

Wide receivers: A The touchdown reception by freshman Tre Turner had the jaws of fans dropped wide open as he was virtually smothered by the defender yet managed to snag the ball out of mid-air with his one free hand. To add on to this extraordinary play, Turner would set the tone by making an immediate impact on special teams by blocking a UVA punt in the second quarter. He would also pace the team in receptions and yardage with 69 yards on four catches, contributing to Virginia Tech’s 199 receiving yards. The Hokie air attack was critical in remaining at the heels of the Cavaliers and could be referred to as old reliable. Tight end Dalton Keene would also impress with a 45-yard reception to place the Hokies within striking distance as he fought for the ball with a Cavalier defender who was in position to make the catch.

The Virginia Tech receiving corps appeared to save the day when it was needed most in a match of high leverage.

@CTSportsTalk

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Ryan Willis (5) attempts a pass late in the fourth quarter against the Cavaliers. The pass would get batted down for the second time by Virginia’s Charles Snowden III (11), Nov. 23, 2018.

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s Ricky Walker (8) and Jarrod Hewitt (55) tackle Virginia running back Jordan Ellis (1) in the Hokies’ 34–31 overtime victory at Lane Stadium, Nov. 23, 2018.

HUNTER HODIES sports staff writer

Defensive line: AThis was one of the defensive line’s best performances of the entire season.

Ricky Walker led the way with three tackles as they allowed just 164 yards rushing to the Wahoos and 4.3 yards per carry. They were dominating the line of scrimmage and didn’t allow too many holes to open up for big runs. They were also especially good at keeping Cavaliers’ qua r terback Bryce Perkins in the pocket while getting pressure and not letting him scramble for long runs. Perkins overall averaged 4.7 yards per carry on 24 rushes for 112 yards.

Outside of Perkins, the rest of the team had a combined 53 yards rushing. You can’t fault the defensive line for the big pass plays that were given up in the second half, but they did clinch the game at the end when Emmanuel Belmar jumped on a fumble in overtime after the fumble

by Perkins.

Linebackers: AThe linebackers also rebounded this week, led by Rayshard Ashby who was all over the field. He had eight tackles for the game and was great stopping the run, especially Perkins. Dax Hollifield also had one of his best games of the season,

racking up two tackles and four assists on tackles. One main thing that’s haunted the Hokie defense this season has been letting runners get to the second and third level on missed tackles and breaking free. That didn’t happen against Virginia and even though Virginia had a lot of QB runs off pass plays with Perkins, the linebackers did a good job of getting to him.

They helped hold UVA to just 5–13 on third downs, which was enormous, especially in the latter stages of the second half when the defense kept them in it to allow the offense to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Secondary: C+ It was a bit of a mixed bag for the secondary in this game. They played a great first half as Perkins couldn’t get anything going in the passing game, but things changed in the second half.

Despite only completing less than 50 percent of his passes, Perkins started to pick on cornerback Bryce Watts, who has been dealing with a broken forearm. He got called for numerous holding and pass interference calls and gave up a touchdown to Joe Reed in the third quarter. Divine Deablo also had a game to forget as he missed a tackle on a 75 yard touchdown pass which was originally a five-yard route.

He also got lucky that Perkins

missed a wide open receiver for what should’ve been a big play that was dropped.

He wasn’t seeing the field well at all during the game but he should’ve been able to rebound, as he was one of their best players back there. The secondary did do well with allowing only four receptions for 55 yards to Olamide Zaccheaus, who’s the Wahoo’s best playmaker outside of Perkins. Coming into the game, he had 78 receptions for 923 yards and six touchdowns on the season, so this was a job well done.

Special teams: A The return of Beamer Ball came and at a great time too.

Toward the end of the first half, Tre Turner blocked a punt on special teams and the Hokies recovered it in the end zone to take a 14–0 lead into halftime. It was the Hokies’ first blocked punt since the Florida State game from opening week, so it’s definitely been a while.

Kicker Brian Johnson made two field goals, which had to be a big confidence boost for him with his recent struggles.

One of them of course ended up being the game-winner in overtime.

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PAGE 10 November 27, 2018

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BASKETBALLSPECIAL

MEN: Virginia Tech beats Red Flash WOMEN: Hokies after strong second-half performance stomp out Spiders, Wildcats in Florida

from page 1

first half, making only 41 percent of their shots, including 35 percent from the three-point line. In the second half, the shooters got hot, and the Hokies finished with 47 percent overall and 45 percent from three, which is the recipe to the Hokies’ success.

This game could have easily been more of a letdown for Virginia Tech.

They had not played since the previous Sunday night when they defeated No. 23-ranked Purdue in the final round of the Charleston Classic 89–83, which meant they had an entire week of rest. It could have been easy to fall victim to their sluggish start, but the Hokies

woke up in the second half, and took complete control.

The Hokies will now take their show on the road, for the first true away game of the season, as they travel to State College, Pennsylvania, to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in the ACC/ Big Ten challenge. Head coach Buzz Williams said he wants to see how his team finishes out the month

of November, and hopes to come out with a key road victory. The Hokies have won their last two games in the challenge, and look to make it three on Tuesday night. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

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from page 1

won on the glass with 10 rebounds, doubling Richmond’s five. Despite shooting 58 percent from the field and 67 percent from the three-point line, the game never came within reach for Richmond, and Virginia Tech won by 18 and scored more points than it has in every game since the season opener against USC Upstate.

Sophomore for wa rd Trinity Baptiste was a key member for the Hokies, scoring a career high of 24 points and also had a doubledouble with 11 rebounds.

She fell just one short of her career-high in rebounds, which she achieved while playing Georgia Southern on Nov. 10. Redshirt-senior Regan Magarity also played

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Justin Robinson (5) goes for the layup as he squeezes between Red Flash’s Keith Braxton (13) and Mark Flagg (42).

The Hokies won 75–37 against Saint Francis, Nov. 24, 2018.

a good game for the Hokies with a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Freshman guard Claire Holt was the leading performer for Richmond with 19 points.

With this win, Virginia Tech remains undefeated with a record of 7–0, now 2–0 against in-state rivals.

Richmond fell to 1–5 after this loss. Virginia Tech has its next game at home against Rutgers on Wednesday, Nov. 28 as part of the Big Ten/ ACC challenge. The Hokies look to come out with a win for their team and their conference. Richmond has the week off and will travel to Williamsburg, Virginia, to face William and Mary on Dec. 5. @CTSportsTalk

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November 27, 2018 PAGE 11

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column

Hokies may have found star in Alexander-Walker One of the most highly touted recruits in program history, the sophomore guard now has the chance to back up the claim.

ROBBY FLETCHER

assistant sports editor

Four games into the season, we’ve seen something eerily familiar out of guard Nickeil AlexanderWalker that Buzz Williams and Hokie fans alike hope to see transition into conference play: pure dominance on the offensive end.

In the first four games of last season, Alexander-Walker averaged 19 points per game,

including a 29-point performance against Citadel last November that still stands as a career high. He has nearly replicated that kind of dominating performance so far this season, except now it’s against stronger opponents like Northeastern and Purdue that hopefully hint at a more experienced and confident player than the one we saw last season.

He was everything we could’ve asked for out of a

freshman prospect when he decided to sign his letter of intent with the Hokies.

The truth of the matter is, Virginia Tech doesn’t often get blue chip basketball prospects like many of its fellow ACC counterparts.

Williams tries to find guys worth developing rather than the one-and-done athletes who have taken over college basketball in recent years. In fact, the last five-star prospect the Hokies

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Nickeil Alexander-Walker (4) dribbles the ball down the court after a rebound. The Hokies won 75–37 against Saint Francis, Nov. 24, 2018.

managed to get was forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who managed to play four years of college basketball, but ironically just one as a Hokie after transferring to Florida following his freshman year. A player of AlexanderWalker’s caliber doesn’t often come to Blacksburg, but now that one has, it’s easy to feel like Tech has a chance at something big this year if he blossoms the way he’s expected to.

Alexander-Walker’s performance in last week’s Charleston Classic was as promising as they come: He scored at least 20 points in all three contests and was a key piece to Tech’s championship run. Because he came away with MVP honors after the tournament and was named ACC Player of the Week, it’s hard not to get excited for what’s to come out of a player who could very well be the difference between a good team and a great team. The key now is for him to build on this momentum further into the season, something he struggled to do as a freshman in the latter half of the season.

D espit e A lexa nderWalker’s strong start last season, he had his fair share of freshman struggles.

He struggled to find his shot once conference play started and at times he felt like he was barely making an impact on the court.

In 18 conference games, Alexander-Walker averaged just 9.5 points per game, shooting 37 percent from the three-point line. His confidence seemed to wane as his shot struggled to fall, but it was an overall promising season for the young sharpshooter. He was fortunate enough to have guys around him like Justin Bibbs and Justin Robinson who could take the load off him and take control when the game came down to the wire. With Bibbs gone and Robinson in his last year as a Hokie, Alexander-Walker will have every chance to take control of the team and lead the way.

Now, the key for Alexander-Walker this season is to consistently be the 20-point scorer this team could really use. Williams has a very solid team this year that can easily be a top competitor in the ACC, but a guy like AlexanderWalker can be what pushes Virginia Tech even further.

Despite the balanced scoring plus a veteran stud in Robinson leading the way, the Hokies don’t have what many of the ACC elite get on a yearly basis: a true star player. Alexander-Walker is good enough to be just that, with a smooth jumper, an aggressive driving ability and as smooth a finish as you’re going to see.

The key is for that impressive skill set to be a constant presence rather

than just a few scattered cameo appearances that give fans just a taste of what he can do. It certainly helps having an entire season under his belt, something most five-star players rarely see because they jump ship so often after just one season in college. Maybe the Toronto native is different, maybe he’s looking for more than just a high draft stock, or maybe he’s looking to be part of something bigger in Blacksburg, where Virginia Tech has finally found relevancy in one of the most talented conferences in college basketball.

Speaking of draft stock, when Alexander-Walker decides to leave, whether that be after this season or after a few more seasons, he’s going to have a lot of buzz surrounding him. He could very well be Virginia Tech’s first player picked in the first round since Dell Curry went 15th overall in 1986. Not that it matters to any of the Hokie faithful, but it certainly shows just how good Nickeil AlexanderWalker is and how good he can be. The sky’s the limit for Nickeil Alexander-Walker, which means the sky’s the limit for this Virginia Tech basketball team.

@RFletcher_VT

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After closing out a frustrating football season, Buzz Williams’ No. 13 team shows loads of promise for Hokie fans this year.

Even though they’ve graduated, the two seasoned veterans get one last shot at claiming Tech’s first ACC Championship.

Hoop hopefuls: Hottest In their final seasons at show in Blacksburg this Tech, grad students Hill, season is now in Cassell Outlaw become leaders DILLON CAMPBELL assistant sports editor

To the surprise of absolutely no one whatsoever, Virginia Tech is a football school through and through.

Ask anyone about Virginia Tech and the first three things that immediately come to mind are legendary coach Frank Beamer, mythicized quarterback Michael Vick and daunting entrance “Enter Sandman,” and all for good reason. But while the football team gets all the clout, it’s really the 13th ranked men’s basketball team that’s the best show in town.

Before Buzz Williams got to campus in 2014, Virginia Tech hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2007. The program was lifeless and a perpetual laughing stock of ACC basketball. Since

his arrival, the program has undergone a revival, making the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons.

After losing in the first round in back-to-back seasons to a mis-seeded eighth seed Wisconsin in 2017 and a Collin Sexton and Avery Johnson led Alabama unit in 2018, the Hokies seem to finally have the team to get past the first round and capture that elusive tournament win.

For the first time since the 1995–96 season, the Hokies (4–0, 0–0) are ranked 13th in the nation, and for the first time in school history, Virginia Tech beat a ranked Big Ten foe with its 12-point come-from-behind win against No. 23 Purdue in the Charleston Classic championship game.

An offensive team with a propensity for breakneck

CHARLIE ALEXANDER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s Justin Bibbs (10) claps as the seconds wind down in Virginia Tech’s 80–69 win over North Carolina, Jan. 22, 2018.

play, averaging a little over 84 points a game, the Hokies play an uptempo style of basketball and are a fun group to watch.

Virginia Tech currently has four scorers who average double figures in Nickeil Alexander-Walker (21.8), Justin Robinson (17.0), Ahmed Hill (14.5) and Kerry Blackshear Jr. (14.3).

Meanwhile, the football team, a unit with fresh faces all over the place and decimated by injuries, is concluding one of its worst seasons in recent memory with humiliating losses to Old Dominion, a program that restarted in 2009, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. At 5–6 and fresh off a thrilling overtime win against Virginia, the Hokies are fighting and clawing to keep their 26-year bowl streak alive.

As disappointing and gloomy as the football season has been for Virginia Tech fans, basketball season has the chance to provide the excitement and joy that Virginia Tech fans have been looking for all along with matchups versus Tony Bennett’s fourth-ranked Cavaliers, Roy Williams’ seventh-ranked Tar Heels and Coach K’s No. 1-ranked “Fabbest Five” on the horizon.

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DAVIS CARBAUGH sports staff writer

For seniors Ahmed Hill and Ty Outlaw, the path to success at Virginia Tech has been all but conventional. Playing this season as graduate students, Hill and Outlaw are crucial pieces for Buzz Williams and the 2018–19 Tech basketball season.

“It’s for sure the oldest we’ve been since we’ve been here. To have those guys obviously is rare anymore at this level,” Williams said in a preseason press conference. “To have been a part of building what they’ve built here and still have that high of a return is really good.”

In his sixth year of eligibility, Outlaw is bouncing back from an ACL injury that kept him off the court all last season. The Roxboro, North Carolina native soared onto the scene in the 2016–17 season when his 48.7 percent three-point shooting was decisive in the Hokies making their first tournament appearance since 2007.

O u t l aw p r ev i o u sly missed the 2015–16 season with a medical condition after transferring from UNC Greensboro and Lee College. With the Hokies poised to have one of their best seasons in decades, Outlaw will provide an important shooting presence and leadership role.

“His ability to shoot at the

rate he shoots changes our team from a spacing standpoint,” Williams said. “All of us are excited that Ty is back.”

Outlaw is averaging 6.2 points per game through five nonconference games this year and shooting 40.9 percent from threepoint range. He graduated last spring with degrees in sociology and criminology.

Playing in his fifth and final season at Tech, Hill overcame knee surgery that forced him to miss the 2015–16 season and has been a staple for Virginia Tech in the seasons following. Hill played in all 33 games the last two seasons and started more than 20. A prolific shooter and defender, Hill has defined the playing style that Williams has established in his coaching tenure.

The Augusta, Georgia native averaged 10 points or more in the last two seasons and has put up 15 points per game in five starts this year.

Hill’s ability to finish in traffic and hit big shots will be vital to the Hokies late in the season.

Hill earned his degree in communications last spring and is currently working toward his master’s degree.

The development of Hill and Outlaw has gone in parallel with the rise of Virginia Tech’s basketball program under Williams.

Both players have been key building blocks to establishing a basketball culture

and tradition in Blacksburg.

“I remember freshman year, it was probably 600 or 700 people in the stands,” Hill said at ACC Media Day. “Now the younger guys come in and all they know is that the gym is packed and sold out.”

With th ree seniors leading the Hokies and Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s pro potential, this season seems like a make-or-break year for Tech.

“I’m a lot harder on them,” Williams said. “They understand the path to this point, and I think to pat them on the back because they’re older or coach them less intense is a disservice to who they need to become as players and as people.”

The Hokies are off to a 5–0 record in nonconference play and have already secured a top-25 win by defeating Purdue in the Charleston Classic tournament. Tech’s next opponent is Penn State on Nov. 27 in University Park, Pennsylvania.

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