Sept. 4, 2018

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September 4, 2018

COLLEGIATETIMES

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

GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Volleyball dominates at Hokie Exploring the Invitational, win home opener Mountain Valley The Hokies went 3–0 during their weekend in Blacksburg, maintaining their perfect record for the 2018 season and winning back-to-back tournament weekends.

MADDIE THOMPSON sports editor

Tech volleyball remains undefeated after dominating the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg this weekend.

The team went 3–0 against opponents William and Mary, Campbell and Robert Morris.

Friday night saw two straight sweeps by the Hokies, as they took down William and Mary in their home opener, followed by Campbell. After the win, they moved to 35–7 all-time in home openers, seeing a hitting percentage of .455 against the Camels.

Against the Tribe, Tech thrived, posting 35 kills on the match as well as 13 service aces, a campaign led by sophomore Ester Talamazzi. The outside hitter finished the match with a career-high eight aces, just one shy of Tech’s all-time record.

However, the day marked more than one milestone for the Hokies, consisting of more than just one career-best.

Marisa Cerchio posted her best ever hitting percentage in the maroon and orange against William and Mary, finishing the match at .812 after smacking down 13 kills.

“Marisa (Cerchio) played

GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Ester Talamazzi (14) serves the ball, Aug. 31, 2018.

great. She played as a very mature middle today,” said head coach Jill Wilson to HokieSports after playing William and Mary. “Even when she didn’t have a ball to put away, she would hit a really smart shot and get them out of system. For a middle to hit .812, that’s a great day.”

Saturday saw the only bump in the road for the team, losing one set to Robert Morris but coming back to get the W after four sets in Cassell Coliseum. Tech fought back after losing the first set to the Colonials 25–22, bouncing back and adapting to the tough blocks, winning three straight sets to put the match to bed.

“I was a little disappointed in how we started the match today,” Wilson said. “We didn’t show a lot of the grit that we started with yesterday; I think we worked our way into it, but not as much as I would have liked to see today.”

Sophomores Talamazzi and Kaity Smith helped bring the Hokies out of their short-lived rut. Charlotte Invitational Co-MVP Smith racked up points in the front and back rows, posting eight digs and 17 kills during the match. Talamazzi also made noise at the net, throwing down 15 kills and finishing the match hitting at .262. On defense, freshman Angel Robinson netted five blocks

out of the team’s six total.

With a team made up of 69 percent freshmen and sophomores, there was uncertainty about how the team would bounce back after losing almost half the roster. The Hokies responded powerfully in their home opener; freshman like setter Talyn Jackson, teamed with veterans like Jaila Tolbert, could be dangerous for other opponents during the 2018 season, and Wilson is eager to continue their campaign to see what her second year brings.

“I think we’ve put ourselves in a good position going into the third weekend. We have some really tough matches coming up over the next couple of weeks, and obviously the ACC is gonna be super challenging,” Wilson said. “If we’re aggressive and consistent and don’t go on these highs and lows, good things are going to happen.”

The Hokies will travel to Athens, Ohio, next weekend for the Bobcat Invitational, their third tournament of the season. The team will face Ohio University, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Samford as it tries to keep its perfect record.

@Maddz_T

Pipeline: Facts you should know Not quite sure about what’s up with the Mountain Valley Pipeline? Don’t fret; we’ve got you covered with the basics.

JOHN MCBRIDE

lifestyles staff writer

When I first came to Virginia Tech, I had never heard about the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

However over the past few semesters, I started hearing the “Mountain Valley Pipeline” name more often.

Despite knowing of its existence, though, I knew almost nothing about what was going on. I find this statement to be true for many other students at Virginia Tech as well, especially those students who are not fond of keeping up with current events or politics.

In the spirit of spreading knowledge, I’ve done a little investigative digging and put together a non-biased informational piece in hopes that students will educate themselves and get involved in their own way.

What is the Mountain Valley Pipeline?

The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a natural gas pipeline that crosses 303 miles of terrain from northern West Virginia to southern Virginia. It was

announced four years ago that this pipeline would transport gas to the Atlantic region of America.

The pipeline is privately owned by Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, NextEra US Gas Assets LLC, Con Edison Transmission Inc., WGL Midst rea m and RGC Midstream LLC. It is expected to be in service by 2019.

Construction for the pipeline was recently ceased due to a court order from the 4th Circuit on Aug. 3, 2018, but as of Aug. 29 construction has been allowed to continue.

What are the positives of the pipeline?

According to the MVP website, “pipelines are the safest way to transport natural gas over long distances.” MVP also claims to be following the regulations laid out by the state and federal governments. In the event of any type of failure, the pipeline will constantly be electronically monitored.

To alleviate the burden of landowners whenever possible, the pipeline will

PIPELINE / page 9

Virginia Tech Police Department issues officers 48 new body cameras to enhance public safety The new cameras cost approximately $115,000 and will increase safety for both the public and the police officers.

TAHREEM ALAM news staff writer

The Virginia Tech Police Department (VTPD) has issued a new tool for its police officers to enhance public safety: body cameras.

The VTPD, which is under the Virginia Tech Division of Operations, bought 48 body cameras along with any associated software and storage for approximately $115,000.

Kevin Foust, chief of police and director of security at the VTPD, said the body cameras will increase public safety for both the public and for the police officers.

“As far as public safety is concerned, it’s a two-way

street,” Foust said. “It provides more accountability for the officers … in the sense that if we do have issues and they’re captured on a body camera, then we can take corrective action … but it also protects the officers at the same time from folks who make claims against officers.”

The idea for the program had been a year long in the making, and the police department tested several different makes and manufacturers until it found the one that works the best.

In late July, the police department initiated a two-week pilot period with the chosen body cameras.

The trial period helped the

UBER EATS LAUNCHES IN BLACKSBURG Uber Eats partners with 20 restaurants in NRV.

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officers decide where the body cameras fit best on a uniform, as well as test how well the batteries last on a 12-hour shift.

The two-week pilot period was successful, and the officers now have the body cameras on their uniforms up and running.

“We were satisfied with the results and so we deployed them to all of our officers,” Foust said.

The new body cameras are synced to the campus police cruisers’ systems and function in the same way as their vehicle cameras. The vehicle cameras automatically turn on when an officer VTPD / page 6

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Police Department Station, Sept. 3, 2018.

NEW ORIGINAL FILM “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” exceeds society’s expectations.

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PAGE 2 September 4, 2018

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Hysteria surrounding MMR vaccine rooted in falsehood Parents should learn to be responsible consumers of scientific literature for the sake of their own children’s health and safety.

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s a parent, a main goal is to protect your child from all types of danger, even of the biological variety. To that point, it would seem that deciding to vaccinate your children is easy — of course you want to prevent your child from contracting a terrible disease. However, A mer ica ns a re more frequently choosing not to vaccinate, and they’re facing the consequences.

Anti-vaccinators in the United States are becoming sur prisingly prevalent.

Concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccines prompt many families to opt out their children from vacci nat ions re qu i re d for school by obtaining nonmedical exemptions (NMEs) based on religious or philosophical beliefs. A June 2018 study found that, over the past decade, the number of philosophical vaccine exemptions rose in two-thirds of the states that allow them. The driving factor behind these higher refusal numbers is parents’ irrational fear that vaccines are somehow more dangerous than the diseases they prevent.

What seemed to jumpstart this fear was the MMR vaccine, which vaccinates against measles, mumps and rubella. According to the Centers for Disease Control vaccination schedule, the MMR vaccine should be administered in a two-dose series at 12 to 15 months and 4 to 6 years. In addition, students planning on attending educational institutions after high school and

even adults are encouraged to get the vaccine. While the early symptoms of these diseases are similar to that of a severe cold or flu — fever, diarrhea, headaches — they can all lead to more serious problems if not treated, ranging from brain damage or inflammation to even death.

Although these diseases could lead to death of their child, parents are surprisingly still refusing the MMR vaccine. An overwhelming belief among these anti-vaccinators is that the MMR vaccine causes autism in children. Obviously, as a parent, you wouldn’t make the decision to give your child autism if this were true. However, many of the anti-vaccinators seem to ignore the actual, faulty research their beliefs are based on.

In 19 98, A nd r ew Wakefield and 12 of his colleagues published a case series that suggested that the MMR vaccine may predispose children to behavioral regression and pervasive developmental disorder. The initial research was flawed in its small sample size, the uncontrolled design and the speculative nature of the conclusions. However, the research still received wide publicity, and the drop in vaccination rates continued.

If Wakefield’s work wasn’t flawed enough by this point, epidemiological studies were conducted refuting his supposed link between MMR vaccines and autism. Eventually, Wakefield’s work was

completely retracted and discredited in February 2010 after ethical violations in the form of invasive investigations on children were discovered as well as blatant falsified facts. Why people would still believe and continue to spread this false information makes no sense, yet children are still wrongly left unvaccinated, leading to greater consequences.

As recently as August 2018, health officials in Florida urged parents to vaccinate their kids for measles after multiple cases of the disease were reported in the state, among more than 100 cases in the U.S. this year. Although the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, travelers can bring it into our country and infect those who are not vaccinated. According to the CDC, the majority of recent cases of measles affected u nva c c i nat e d p e ople, whose falsely rooted belief that MMR causes autism allowed them to contract the disease.

The fact that parents continue to put their children as well as others around them at risk based on research that has been proven to be both false and unethical is baffling. While I understand a parent’s fear — should they be gullible enough to believe Wakefield’s research after it was discredited — anyone can do the simple research to discover no actual ties between MMR and autism.

LINDSEY SLUSHER • opinions columnist • junior, political science

BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students gather for the first 2017 lecture in the “Through Feminist Eyes” series in Fralin Auditorium on Sept. 20.

your views

LTE: #MeToo gives voice to voiceless

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t’s important that we talk about the article published in the Collegiate Times on Sunday. Titled “Women’s rights movements provoke mass hysteria, perpetuate victimhood culture,” this article attacks both the #MeToo and feminist movements. As I read the article, I was first angered, then horrified, then disgusted.

Some quotes that stood out to me: “There is no rape culture in the United States, and there certainly isn’t one on college campuses either,” and “Extreme feminist ideas and horrible sexual assault and harassment policies completely undermine the real problems that women in America face, such as domestic violence and mental illness.”

I will give the author the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps he does not have personal experience with sexual harassment or assault. Perhaps he doesn’t know anyone who has had such an experience. Giving him this benefit, I still cannot allow him to invalidate the experiences of victims of such behaviors by denouncing movements that have given exposure to some of those “real problems that women in America face.”

I want to clear something up immediately.

The #MeToo movement is not exclusive to women.

While many of the victims coming forward in the movement do identify

as female, male victims have revealed instances of harassment, mistreatment and assault as well. #MeToo is not a “women’s rights movement,” as our author puts it. It is, instead, a direct attack on a culture we all share that, quite honestly, enables individuals to treat one another poorly and with violence.

Sexual ha rassment, assault and violence are real. If you haven’t experienced it yourself, it’s probable you know someone that has. This movement is in no way a “witch hunt.” When we cite the #MeToo movement, we are acknowledging the toxic culture that has allowed for inappropriate sexual behaviors to persist and choosing to then combat that culture by promoting change.

This issue isn’t a “mass hysteria,” it’s an exposure of a national problem that needs addressing.

Even more hurtful is the invalidation of the very real experiences of victims of sexual misconduct.

The claim that feminist movements are “perpetuating victimhood culture” almost sounds like victims need to “suck it up” when they are mistreated or hurt. If the changes that are taking place in our culture because of the #MeToo and feminist movements scare you, I suggest taking the following rules to heart to avoid being accused of inappropriate behavior: No means no.

Ask before you touch.

Treat everyone with respect.

Do not use sexual language toward anyone that is not a consenting sexual partner.

If someone tells you that you are making them uncomfortable, stop.

It’s not rocket science, folks.

Because of the #MeToo movement, dialogues are now being opened about sexual harassment and misconduct. Standards are being set, rules are being established. This is not a bad thing. Boundaries are necessary to ensure that environments are inclusive and comfortable for those within them. Perhaps this makes some uncomfortable, as behaviors that once were OK are no longer acceptable. There will be changes in the way we treat one another professionally and personally. We’re going to have to think before we speak and act.

That’s OK. That’s what we should be doing. We need to start treating one another as human beings rather than objects.

Let’s treat each other with respect. Let’s learn from the experiences of victims rather than criticizing them. Let’s work together. Let’s understand one another. The conversation’s already begun; let’s face it head on and vow to be better.

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Feminism inspires a new Feminism promotes toxic hope for progress, justice agenda, stifling rationality Sexual assault and rape culture are prominent issues in today’s society and should not be discounted by people not affected.

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he article titled “Women’s r ig ht s m ove ments provoke mass hys t e r i a , per petuate victim hood c u lt u r e”

by Thomas Thorgersen conflates the progress of women in aggregate with the continued necessity of feminist and #MeToo movements. The sentiments argued in this piece sharply dismiss the perpetuation of rape culture by rapists, complicit bystanders and institutional forces.

According to Thorgersen, “there is no rape culture in the United States, and there certainly isn’t one on college campuses either.” However wishful we would like to be about society’s progress, we must face the reality that rape culture is real and is prevalent on college campuses — including our own.

For years, it was the norm for occurrences of sexual assault to be swept under the rug. Most would go unreported, many of the accused would never even be brought to the courtroom and, if they were, they would have walked away with barely a slap on the wrist. This is the way it was three years ago at the University of Alabama when Megan Rondini went to the authorities to report her rape, only to be interrogated herself and pressured to transfer to a different college, where she would kill herself a year later. This is the way it was two years ago at Stanford when Brock Turner was found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman and only received six months of jail time, of which he served just three months. This is the way it was just months ago at James Madison University when Abby Gainsforth found out that her assailant would be returning to the university this coming spring.

Events like these, as well as the uncovering of numerous scandals in Hollywood, have led to the rise of feminist campaigns such as the Women’s March

and the #MeToo movements. Finally, after years of injustice being unrecognized by the government, law enforcement and society as a whole, the voices of women who have been ignored and silenced are being brought to the attention of the American people. This is the way it should have always been.

Now that issues of sexual assault are being brought to public attention in powerful, undeniable movements, people have been quick to deny the extremity of the issue and to belittle the efforts being made on behalf of these groups. Opponents of the movement attempt to dismantle its credibility; however, the movement is not full of falsehoods as its opponents claim. It simply uncovers what women have always known: that sexual assault is an inevitable challenge that too many women are forced to face in their lives. Not because of self-inflicted victimhood or personal choices, but because the reality is that 1 in 5 women will be raped at some point in their lives and 91 percent of sexual assault victims are women.

Sexual assault — defined as “attacks or attempted attacks generally involving unwanted sexual contact b et we en vict i m a nd offender” — takes many forms. Even when events of sexual assault are reported, the measurement processes of these events vary between the criminal justice system and public health organizations. The Association of American Universities reported the 1 in 4 statistic criticized by Thorgersen, which included 89,115 women. If that is not credible enough, researchers at the National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center all found similar statistics.

Institutions, especially college campuses, are complicit in rape culture.

Men who are found guilty of sexual assault outside of

higher education face tough jail and prison sentences.

Perpetrators of sexual assault on college campuses — even after being found “responsible”— face consequences much more lenient in comparison. According to the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, men found to have committed acts of sexual assault were rarely punished, and in only 10 to 25 percent of cases where the student was deemed responsible did the school expel the perpetrator — which leaves men who commit these crimes to roam college campuses in search of their next victim.

Feminist movements are not formed at the expense of men. Their purpose is to elevate women and all people to a more equal footing. Men are not losing anything because women are being treated more fairly.

In fact, men have much to gain from feminist movements, such as reducing the financial and psychological harms incurred by victims and, by extension, their loved ones.

It is easy to claim that a culture that allows and arguably enables sexual assault does not exist when you are not among the population who is targeted. Now more than ever, because of these movements, those who don’t believe that rape culture exists are more aware of issues of consent and what defines sexual harassment. If being brought to understand these issues strikes fear in those who resent these movements, they are probably engaging in questionable behaviors themselves. Understanding the hardships faced by women shouldn’t be a threat, but rather an opportunity to learn.

Women’s rights movements rely increasingly on fearmongering, questionable research and blatant misandry to attract followers.

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t is often misconstrued that any type of criticism implies ignorance or a predetermined hate. These presumptions are never helpful, and will never encourage any healthy dialogue. Women’s movements have accomplished tremendous feats in the past; there is no refuting that. It is my objection to their use of identity politics and victimization as a tool of furthering their political and social influence that I rightfully defend.

People realize what feminism has become as of recently. It emulates a man-hating agenda filled with an endless list of complaints about the “evil” patriarchal system.

Third-wave feminism takes a destructive and dangerous approach to equality and places too much importance on group identity.

Telling women they are victims simply because of their gender is extremely dishonest and potentially catastrophic.

Feminism has completely lost its way in the eyes of many people all over the world. For instance, over half of women in the U.K. do not identify themselves as feminists. In the U.S. results were similar — polling findings indicated that more than half of millennial women do not identify as feminists. When it comes to men, only about 16 percent in the U.S. and 4 percent in the U.K. identify themselves as such. Interestingly enough, 82 percent of those polled in the United States still believed that men and

women should be social, political and economic equals.

T h i r d -w a v e fem inism’s acceptance of a theory called intersectionality is a prime example of its ludicracy. Coined by UCLA Professor Kimberle Crenshaw, intersectionality is defined as “the complex, cumulative manner in which the effects of different forms of discrimination combine, overlap, or intersect.” This approach essentially allows people to place themselves lower on the victim ladder if they can check a few more boxes in the diversity column. Choosing an array of identities would make that person the “Lebron James” of intersectionality, or as I call it, the victimhood Olympics.

It is the movement’s distaste for the current state of women that is quite perplexing to me. In any society, there are problems that must be addressed and fought for, and these movements do a great job in that aspect. Feminist movements should strive for equality of opportunity rather than equality of outcome. Equality of outcome is a common fault of and dangerous approach to improving any society.

There are absolutely no systematic barriers in the way of women succeeding.

If anything, the system is set up to advance women and other minorities socially and economically. Equality of opportunity is the most essential attribute of an efficient political system, and it certainly exists in America.

Women’s hardships are not a product of the so-called patriarchy; they are products of their life choices and personality traits.

Criticizing the rhetoric and tactics of these progressive movements is frowned upon by their supporters. Their mob rule mentality has become infectious to the point that any criticism is deemed as sexist or misogynistic as I stated in my previous article. I still stand by my claim that there is no rape culture in the United States, but that does not deny the fact that sexual assault and rape still occur. Stating that we live in a culture that accepts or supports male sexual aggression is a gross exaggeration. If you are curious as to what a real rape culture is, I suggest you take a look into Middle Eastern countries where rape is truly accepted and women are seen as property, not humans.

If you tell someone they are a victim their entire life simply because of their sex, you are creating an illusion and essentially setting them up for failure.

As higher education, media and women’s movements continue to impose this rhetoric upon people, victimhood culture and identity politics will only continue to divide our society into a state of utter chaos.

THOMAS THORGERSEN • opnions columnist • senior, political science

DONYA MOMENIAN • opinions columnist • sophomore, business information technology JARRODD DAVIS • opinions contributor • senior, public and urban affairs

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Coordinators begin chants for students to repeat, March 29, 2018.

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students march along Squires Student Center, March 29, 2018.

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Virginia Tech students must prepare for a mobility revolution, accept new parking policies on campus

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Bike-sharing, ride-sharing and public transit systems, not more cars and parking spots, represent the future of transportation. hile juggling classes, work a nd ext racurriculars may be among students’ most daunting problems, parking might just top the list.

Many students react e d fer vent ly to the Office of Parking and Tr a n sp o r t a t io n’s announcement that Commuter/Graduate (C/G) parking permit holders can no longer park in the Perry Street area. Instead, students can purchase a premium permit for $389 — $100 more than the C/G permit — to students wishing to use the parking facilities on Perry Street. While $389 is a steep price jump, students have been willing to pay — there is already a waitlist for the passes. However, the current overarching student mindset surrounding parking and driving is incompatible with the present and future realities of transportation, and students will leave Virginia Tech expecting a transportation reality that does not exist.

Driving a private vehicle is an incredibly individualistic practice that prioritizes the driver’s dominion over the landscape using a machine that weighs multiple thousands of pounds. Drivers are constantly competing with hundreds of moving and stationary objects per minute, including people. In a town as densely populated as Blacksburg, the competition is incredibly intense.

Most students at Virginia Tech come from localities built for cars instead of people — we are looking at you, Northern Virginia people. Many students come to Blacksburg expecting to navigate the spatial landscape in the same manner that they did in their hometowns. However, Blacksburg was built long before cars and has developed in ways conducive to a college town, prioritizing the pedestrian and allowing individuals to choose from various modes of transport (car, bus, biking, walking).

Thinking into the future, driving may not be a pleasant reality for many Tech graduates. According to the Wall Street Journal, Tech grads end up in some of the country’s most car-unfriendly cities, such as Washington, D.C., New York, Boston and San Francisco. These cities are embracing the mobility revolution — the idea that getting from point A to point B will look drastically different in the coming years thanks to the innovative technology of autonomous vehicles, new modes of transit and the increasing popularity of ride-sharing.

Bike-sharing programs in North America began in Washington, D.C. ten years ago with SmartBike (now Capital Bikeshare), and most major cities have since building their own programs. which have been

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Perry Street parking lot, July 11, 2018.

eclipsed in popularity by private sector dockless bike shares such as Lime, Spin, and the troubled dockless pioneer, Ofo. Now, in many cities, electric scooter shares are skyrocketing in popularity. It is not uncommon to see cars, bikes and scooters all occupying the same road space in major cities, whereas ten years ago, these spaces were reserved exclusively for cars.

If you have yet to see the effects of the mobility revolution, look no further than ride-sharing services. For example, Lyft reported that 250,000 users have traded in their own car keys in favor of ride-sharing.

Considering our cars are parked for 95 percent of the time, ride-sharing platforms like Lyft and Uber have already begun laying the groundwork for shared mobility. Once autonomous

veh icle technology permeates the mainstream market, personal vehicles will give way to shared vehicles. Instead of one person owning a car for their exclusive use, they may be part of a network of people with access to a nearby fleet of vehicles available to them at anytime.

Large market influencers such as Ford, the auto manufacturer, and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, are getting on board with the mobility revolution. Graeme Whickman, president and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand said that “the automotive solutions that have served us for the last century will not serve us for the next 100 years.” He made the point that Ford is shifting its focus from simply selling more cars to providing mobility. Have you wondered how Lyft

can offer users 50 percent off rides for a month and still manage to pay its drivers competitive wages?

Alphabet invested $1 billion into the popular ridesharing company last year.

Now, they have the power to grow their user base and change the way people see mobility.

Apart from the disastrous environmental effects of driving, using a car here on campus is an incredibly wasteful practice, and a stressful experience for all that leads to hours upon hours of missed productivity. Students miss out on valuable time to study by ‘sharking’ — idling around a parking lot waiting for available space and often end up late to class.

However, the individual choice to drive affects all of us. The more cars that are on the road, the more

inefficient the transit system is, which in turn means we will all be scrambling to get to class on time. As of 2016, a majority of student respondents commuted to campus in a personal vehicle without passengers. Most students live along or near a transit route and all students pay to use Blacksburg Transit.

Using a system that was created to benefit you that you already pay for only makes sense.

If you really can’t fathom the idea of paying premium rates for premium parking, the working world may shock you. Some cities, such as New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. require companies with more than 20 employees to provide transit benefits to their workers. Instead of exacerbating the problem of traffic congestion, employers are offering bus,

bike and rail benefits instead of parking. Employees who want to park in these cities face daunting and stress-inducing commutes, not to mention an average of $270 per month for a parking spot in Downtown D.C. In a mid-sized city like Charlotte, monthly parking would run you about $150 per month. Remember: When you are paying for parking, you are purchasing the rights to high-demand real estate, and capitalism will always exploit the market to produce a profit.

JARRODD DAVIS • opinions contributor • senior, public and urban affairs

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Remembering John McCain: A public servant who valued country over party and civility over censure

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Though by no means a perfect politician or man, McCain embodied the last traces of political decency, grace and rectitude.

en. John McCain III (R-Ariz.) died in the waning afternoon hours of Aug. 25 in his Arizona home.

McCain, a veteran of 60 years of public service that included a protracted stint as a brutalized prisoner of war (POW) in Vietnam, was perhaps the last of a breed commensurate to the high ideals of American patriotism. McCain fought bravely, failed often and strove through imperfection in service of a country and value system worthy of such sacrifice.

In mainstream circles, McCain has often been cited as the last bastion of political decency. His willingness to question the integrity of his own party, coupled with his penchant for graceful defeat at the hands of his political opposition, rendered him something of an ideological

bastard. For these qualities, McCain was President Donald Trump’s perfect foil: the maverick unwilling to fall in line to secure a smooth course for Trump’s misguided domestic policy.

Transitively, pundits have wondered aloud if decency itself might die with McCain.

The irony here, though, is that the death of political decency occured long before the death of the man who worked steadfastly within its confines.

It would be overly romantic to claim that this notion of decency and respect somehow slipped calmly into the vague providence of death; political decency was killed. Not all at once or at the hands of a single man, but the aggregate of the 2008 presidential campaign marked its true demise.

Never had a player on the national political battleground been as widely respected before subsequently suffering an incredible volume of ad-hominem attacks as did McCain when he was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. The swing in sentiment had nothing to do with any new revelations about the man and everything to do with the occasionally unpopular stances held by the man. Yet, instead of being derided for his political acumen, McCain was vilified for his performance as a POW in Vietnam and his accumulated wealth.

None of this should serve to claim that personal political attacks were conceived through the 2008 election cycle, or that McCain did not partake in occasional jabs at his opposition. Elections are a messy

business and McCain was not to be exempted from reproach. It does, however, remain an immutable fact that John McCain sacrificed more on behalf of his country than could possibly be expected of almost any American in our short history. And it was this very service that was called into question without refrain

by Democrats in 2008, and eventually by Republicans in 2015.

Finally, in the face of a convincing defeat at the hands of eventual President Barack Obama, this supposedly coddled, turncoat of a man who had “sold his soul” to win the Republican nomination assumed the podium to deliver one of the most gracious concession speeches in recent memory, making sure to applaud the hard-won victory and

character of his opponent.

Because despite suffering the slings and arrows of undeserved attacks on his character and gallantry, the man within had never changed.

Praise for McCain from all sides has been incessant in the days immediately following his death. It may seem needlessly cynical to deem much of it an artificial attempt to laud a good man now that he poses no political threat to anybody; however, given the cold calculus of political gamesmanship, this is almost certainly the case.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”

McCain loved his country perhaps more than could be warranted given some of the treatment he received in

return, though it’s fair to say that many are, at least, retroactively thankful for his service. However, it should be no wonder that the offices on Capitol Hill are now so infrequently inhabited by politicians we deem to be veritably “good” people.

This tepid support for our country’s best and bravest is certainly to blame.

In an era saturated with faux heroes and martyrs, John McCain personified the imperfection of heroic sacrifice, and the republic he served is a manifestly better place as a result of his resolve.

TRAVIS BAUER • opinions columnist • senior, civil engineering

Blacksburg’s potential as a music hub may be met with support for local, up-and-coming musical acts

L

Giving our local groups attention can attract more well-established artists to Blacksburg and showcase our rich cultural scene. eavi ng the Washington D.C., Ma r yla nd a nd Virginia area — known to locals as the DMV — to come to Virginia Tech, one of my concerns was Blacksburg’s lack of live music. I had grown up knowing that there was a concert near me that I could go to almost every weekend.

I never thought much of it until I came to Blacksburg and had to plan out multiple road trips back to the DMV to see some of my favorite artists perform.

Recently, the magnitude of concerts in the DMV has been overwhelming. The area has seen Cher’s residency at the MGM National Harbor; the last ever stop of Warped, the touring festival that had its final cross country run this summer, at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland;; Beyonce performing for two nights at FedEx Field in Prince George’s County, Maryland; and the opening of The Anthem, a new venue at D.C.’s latest waterfront, the Wharf.

This attention is not unwarranted. Of course, D.C. is the nation’s capital and Northern Virginia and

Maryland do benefit from that, but what makes these areas stand out is that it’s clear there’s a market there.

Not necessarily because of ticket sales or the density of venues, but more so because of the local artists that fans in these areas have brought to prominence. The DMV has produced popular artists from a variety of genres like rock band Good Charlotte, country duo Brothers Osborne, rapper Logic, pop-rock band The Downtown Fiction, and Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters.

Like the D M V, Blacksburg is a great area with plenty to offer, including beautiful venues and plenty of music fans. We have the Moss Arts Center, Burruss Hall and The Lyric, and we have great artists like The Band Concord, Silas & Range and Andrew Young.

However, Blacksburg unfortunately doesn’t see a lot of big-name artists very often like the DMV does.

Surely, campus organizations do what they can to book great artists for big events. However, we don’t see many popular acts intentionally put the area on their cross-country tours. This

is because Blacksburg’s potential hasn’t been seen.

There haven’t been many local artists that have come from this area and risen to a significant amount of popularity. That isn’t because of a lack of talent, but rather because they haven’t received enough support.

When we give local artists a platform, it enables them to book more extensive tours with more popular supporting artists. Because of all that their communities have given them, most local artists like to stop in their hometowns, bringing their supporting acts with them.

Such is the case with All Time Low, a punk rock-band local to Towson, Maryland.

The group has toured with The Maine, a band from Arizona, numerous times.

Despite being based in Arizona, The Maine has decided to play its final show of the year in Silver Spring, Maryland, before returning to the recording studio.

Making Blacksburg a destination for music will impact not only artists and music fans, but everyone in our community. If we see an increase in shows, we will also see an increase in people traveling here

for shows. While they are in the area, they will eat at our restaurants, shop at our boutiques and appreciate all the things that Blacksburg has to offer.

While we bring awareness to our music scene, we

would simultaneously bring awareness to our town as a whole.

Instead of focusing on big artists who overlook us, we should shift our attention to supporting our local artists. If we can help them

succeed and show the world how talented they are, they can show the world how amazing Blacksburg is.

DONYA MOMENIAN • opinions columnist • sophomore, business information technology

BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Musical performers take part in Market Square Jam on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2017.

news

PAGE 6 September 4, 2018

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com/news

VTPD: Body cameras to increase accountability and transparency of department

from page 1

activates the emergency lights; similarly, if an officer activates the car’s emergency lights, the body cameras will also turn on. If officers are out of their cars, they simply push a button on the camera itself.

Additionally, Foust said the body cameras enhance the police department’s credibility and accountability and the public safety as a whole.

The VTPD is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and by the International Association of

Campus Law Enforcement Officers (IACLEA). This essentially means that there are about 400 business standards that the police department must abide by every year in order to maintain that accreditation.

“The Virginia Tech Police Department is one of only several police departments (university police departments) in the United States that’s accredited both nationally and internationally,” Foust said. “We take this accreditation very seriously because again, it’s an indication of the professionalism, the professional standards, that the department wants to set for

itself.”

The body cameras will add to the professionalism of the VTPD by increasing the accountability and transparency of the police department to the community.

“If you have an incident in which there’s any question about the officer’s behavior or any question about anything that happened in that incident, having the footage is just another tool in the toolbox that allows us to be accountable and transparent,” Foust said.

@CollegiateTimes

MIKE LIU / COLLEGIATE TIMES

MIKE LIU / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech main website Uber Eats gobbles its way revamped with new design into New River Valley area The new design aims to increase accessibility for users who require assistive technology when using web pages.

ISABELLA ROSSI managing editor

On Thursday, Aug. 23, Virginia Tech unveiled a new design for vt.edu, the main website for Virginia Tech. An announcement that the new website was being introduced came via a press release from University Relations describing the switch in designs.

“In the hours leading up to the launch, the web team within University Relations and Information Technology will coordinate on the transition to the new website,” stated the University Relations press release. “Those visiting the website should not experience any downtime.

However, the experience between the existing design and new template may vary during the afternoon.”

A major goal of the redesign is to increase accessibility for those who require assistive technology when using web pages. This increased accessibility

is accomplished through consistent global navigation, or links to a site’s top-level categories that occur on every page of the site, as well as a new template and design that make all site content accessible to visitors.

“From the beginning, we’ve worked closely with Assistive Technologies within the Division of Information Technology.

Through that collaboration, we’ve greatly improved the web experience for all of our site visitors,” said Brad Soucy, director of design and digital strategy for University Relations to VT News. “From day one, a top objective for us to accomplish was greater site accessibility.”

The new design of vt.edu took over a year to develop from planning to launch.

Prior to the launch, the site was tested with user tests, focus groups and surveys.

“Th roughout this process, we have sought to inform and engage the

campus community,” said Tracy Vosburgh, senior associate vice president for University Relations.

“As Virginia Tech’s ‘front door,’ vt.edu needs to reflect the priorities and values that make this institution distinct. Through this redesign, we believe we’ve accomplished that.”

Despite the testing that has already taken place on the site prior to launch, the project will continue to be worked on to make any further necessary improvements.

“It’s very much the start as we begin to test the decisions we’ve made and refine our strategy,” said John Jackson, director of web communications for University Relations. “Good websites constantly develop and evolve. The flexibility of this site design and underlying strategy give us a better ability to do that.”

@IzzyRossiCT

Uber Eats partners with 20 restaurants in the New River Valley area to deliver food to users’ homes.

MIKE LIU

news editor

Starting Aug. 23, Uber Eats officially launched its service in the New River Valley area. Residents in Bl a ck sb u r g and Christiansburg can now order food from their smartphone to be delivered to their door.

Uber Eats, which is an online food ordering and delivery platform, was launched in 2014. Uber Eats is available in more than 200 cities in the world.

Much like the company’s famous ride service, Uber, Uber Eats allows its users to order food from its collaborative restaurants on the website or the Uber Eats app on their smartphones.

According to the Uber Eats official website, the app is free to download and was designed to make getting food as easy as getting a ride.

A user can see a list of restaurants on the Uber Eats app or the website. After

selecting the restaurant, the user can see the menu items.

After placing an order, the user pays through an Uber account. The order will then be assigned to a driver, who will pick the food up when it’s ready and deliver it to the customer’s door. The user can choose for the food to be delivered now or schedule an order to be delivered in the future.

In addition to the menu price, the user will be charged a booking fee that is around $5 to cover the delivery service. Tipping the driver is also an option within the app.

Uber Eats offers a variety of restaurant options and now has 20 restaurants available in the New River Valley. The average delivery time for most restaurants is 20 to 30 minutes.

The restaurants available on Uber Eats in Blacksburg and Christiansburg are: - McDonald’s (110 Turner Street) - Macado’s Restaurant & Bar

-Which Wich Superior Sandwiches - Bottom of the Stairs - Kobe Japanese Express - Hokie House - Zeppoli’s - Sycamore Deli -Sub Station II - Lucie Monroe’s -Ben & Jerry’s - Sam’s Hot Dogs -Cinnabon - Bull & Bones Brewhaus & Grill - Chinese Kitchen -Green’s Grill & Sushi Bar - Hunan King - Benny’s Delivery - Bollo’s Cafe & Bakery

@Zelia_Liu

CT

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

September 4, 2018 PAGE 7

Collegiate Times

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Come join our team.

And you can help make the world safer, too.

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We offer full-time employment in disciplines such as engineering, science, business, information technology and other technical fields. We also offer an extensive internship program in the same disciplines for uniquely skilled students who want to enhance their education with hands-on experience.

For more information www.savannahrivernuclearsolutions.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr

PAGE 8 September 4, 2018

lifestyles

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com/lifestyles

Squeeze in some much-needed extra shut-eye with these morning hacks Desperate times call for desperate measures when it comes to getting in your beauty rest. And these are as desperate as they come.

EMILY CARTER

lifestyles staff writer

The year has started, and the time has come when sleeping in is no longer an option. We must once again rise early for our 8, 9 and 10 a.m. classes, and let’s face it: That’s hard to do. As sleep is near and dear to us college students, we’d do just about anything to squeeze in an

extra minute or two of shuteye. Here are some easy ways to maximize your sleep time.

Sleep in your clothes.

A lot of people wake up not knowing what clothes to wear and take eons to get dressed in the morning. Why not save yourself up to 20 minutes by sleeping in your clothes the night before?

Sure, your button-down may be wrinkled as heck, but at least you got an extra 20 minutes to snooze. And you’ll look so cool walking to class with weird creases in your pants.

Also, since you’ve already decided to sleep in your clothes, why not sleep in your shoes as well? You’ll be so well-rested with the 30 seconds saved from not

putting on your sneakers before you walk out the door.

Do your hair the night before.

A lot of people decide to do their hair the morning before classes. Why not do it the night before? If you curl your hair and sleep on it, it’ll get matted and leave you with the most beautiful loose curls our campus has

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ZACK WAJSGRAS

study break Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle ACROSS 1 Sail supports 6 Forearm bone 10 Balls and strikes caller 13 Off-the-cuff 14 What insomniacs count 15 Slithery squeezer 16 With 58-Across, “sweet” expression about consequences 19 Courses for coll. credit 20 __ de cologne 21 Defensive trenches 22 With 48-Across, “sweet” expression about consequences 27 Forest floor growth 28 Funnyman Jay 29 Supercharged engine, for short 32 Bit of gel 33 Flock female 36 Experiencing some “sweet” consequences 41 Gym shirt 42 Car nut 43 Be of use to 44 Kind of butter used in moisturizers 46 Half up front?

48 See 22-Across 54 Photographer Adams 55 Yale student 56 Soak (up), as sauce 58 See 16-Across 63 Acapulco aunt 64 Enjoys a novel 65 Songs for two 66 Bargain bin abbr.

67 Thanksgiving side dish 68 Daisy variety DOWN 1 Poet Angelou 2 Take home from an animal shelter 3 Partly melted snow 4 Idiosyncrasy 5 Entrepreneurhelping org.

6 “Yeah”

By Paul Coulter

7 Pasture 8 Ariz. neighbor 9 Theoretical primate 10 WWII sea attacker 11 River delta area 12 Break down grammatically 14 Sports figures 17 Loch with a legend 18 Up-and-down toy 23 Prefix with dextrous 24 Warner Bros. creation 25 Jack of “Rio Lobo” 26 Jack of “Dragnet” 29 Vietnamese New Year 30 Abu Dhabi’s federation: Abbr.

31 GPS suggestion 32 Found really groovy 33 Antipollution org.

34 Nintendo game console since 2006 35 Slithery swimmer 37 Pure joy 38 ’50s Red Scare gp.

39 Souvlaki meat

9/4/18

PreviousPuzzle Puzzle Solved Monday’s Solved

stomach makes loud noises in your 400-person class, people won’t be looking at you because you haven’t eaten; they’ll be looking at you because you look so well-rested.

Don’t go to class.

The most efficient way to get the most sleep possible is to just straight-up flake.

Find a friend to take notes for you — it’s OK, they won’t mind. Speaking of not minding, your parents should understand that sleep is more important than attending that one class that is a requirement for your major. They’ll be totally fine with you throwing about $80 away when you decide to sleep through a lecture.

Besides, once you flunk out of school because you didn’t pass said class, you’ll get to live with mom and dad for a while, and what parent doesn’t want their 30-year-old back in the nest?

Sleep is a college student’s best friend, so obviously we want to get as much of it as possible. If you follow these five easy steps, you’ll be looking well-rested all school year because you got at least 30 extra minutes of shut-eye. Happy sleeping, Hokies.

Do your makeup on the bus.

Every girl knows a big no-no is sleeping with your makeup on. Since you’ll have no time to put it on before you catch the bus, why not just throw all of your makeup in a duffel bag and put it on during your ride to class? Sure, people will stare at you while you prime your face, but beauty is pain.

And sometimes the bus ride can be bumpy, but maybe you’ll start a campus-wide trend with everyone wearing eyeliner on their forehead, all because you weren’t holding on while the driver was braking for a crosswalk.

Don’t eat breakfast.

People say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Wrong. Who needs extra energy from food when you have an extra 10 minutes of energy from not eating breakfast? You don’t. Forget eating a crumbly granola bar — you have to sleep as many extra seconds as possible to get you through the first half of the day. When your

@CollegiateTimes

Today’s Birthday Horoscope (Sept. 4): Grow by sharing your story this year. Passion plus devoted action equals satisfaction. Explore new ideas to make bold discoveries. Summer brings a team win, leading to shifting health and work circumstances that inspire profound insights. Winter romance sweeps you off your feet. Love animates and delights.

FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ever seen. If you style your hair with gel or mousse, it’ll get crusty and hard, and who doesn’t want that? Everyone will be wondering how they can get their hair matted and crusty looking like you sprinkled brown sugar on your head.

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Center Street Touchdown Skipper

Quarterback Fuente Interception

Beamer Lane Tailgate

xkcd by Randall Munroe

xkcd.com

©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

40 Bad to the bone 44 __-Ball: midway game 45 Two-time Oscar winner Swank 46 Luau dances 47 Discharge 48 Spiny desert bloomers 49 “We’re live!” studio sign 50 Liam’s “Schindler’s List” role

9/4/18

51 Marshy grasses 52 Cosmetician Lauder 53 Like a chimney sweep 57 Sit for a picture 59 Cultural funding org.

60 Beaver’s output 61 Altar vow 62 Prom rental

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! by Tim Rickard

editor@collegiatetimes.com

September 4, 2018 PAGE 9

collegiatetimes.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’: A win for Netflix original rom-coms After a string of sub-par original romantic comedies, the streaming giant strikes gold with its latest venture.

MARISSA WHARTON lifestyles contributor

As Netflix digs deeper into the mine of content creation and distribution, more than once it’s struck gold, more than once it’s missed the mark. Its latest original film, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” has generated a copious amount of buzz across the globe, but is it truly a good find?

Lara Jean Covey (played

by Lana Condor) spends her days reading romance novels and her nights watching movies of the same genre. When she develops a serious crush on someone,

she writes them a love letter to help sort out her own feelings. Dramatic? Maybe, but Lara Jean thinks “drama can be fun.” She’ll come to regret that sentiment later on when her top-secret letters are mailed to each of her five crushes. Drama, humiliation and misunderstanding only scratch the surface of what follows. As she deals with the consequences from each of the letters, she learns more about life and love than she ever could in the novels and films she previously immersed herself in.

While the plot sets itself up, we learn more about the Covey family dynamic: the

endearing father trying to hold everything together after the passing of his wife, the oldest sister who steps into the role of a second parent, the witty youngest sister who is way cooler than most of us were in middle school and Lara Jean — the middle child who is terrified of driving and hates to clean. When Lara Jean’s love letters are out, she strikes an only-inthe-movies type deal with the school’s popular athlete, Peter Kavinsky (played by Noah Centineo). They’ll act like a couple to make Peter’s ex-girlfriend jealous and to help Lara Jean avoid

the major consequences of one of her letters. As the plot thickens, Lara Jean’s life takes a few wild twists and turns, ultimately helping her face her fears and realize the benefits of saying, not just writing, how she feels.

So, here’s my verdict.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” based off the Jenny Han novel of the same title, takes you back to high school in some of the best and most awkward ways. Unlike romantic comedies of years past, this Netflix original is one our generation can actually relate to. From the awkward and uncomfortable misunderstandings to the

insignificant disagreement over who posts more couple pictures on Instagram, everyone can understand the characters in the film.

While the screenwriting holds its own, it is the actors who truly carry the film.

The bond between the Covey sisters — who, by the way, are Asian-American, and the chemistry between the main characters is almost palpable. It’s Lana Condor’s facial expressions that tell you exactly how she’s feeling and Noah Centineo’s emotion-layered delivery that hook you and keep you watching.

Overall, “To All the Boys

I’ve Loved Before” lives up to the hype you’ve heard from friends or seen on social media. It’s a rom-com worth watching for its modern-day drama, witty narration and emotional plotlines. It’s safe to say that this time, Netflix has struck gold.

@CollegiateTimes

PIPELINE: Pro- and antipipeline activists stand by positives and negatives from page 1

constantly be electronically monitored.

To alleviate the burden of landowners whenever possible, the pipeline will minimize use of eminent domain by running by existing roads and highways.

The companies governing the pipeline have made a program that will grant scholarships and donate to charities along the route.

For a more in-depth look at the economic benefits of the pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC has provided this page as a resource.

A Collegiate Times’ opinions writer has also publ ished a n a r t icle defending the pipeline and detailing other benefits.

What are the negatives of the pipeline?

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Professor Emily Satterwhite, who t e a ch e s Ap p a l a ch i a n Studies at Virginia Tech.

Satterwhite is a known opposer to the pipeline and I wanted to get her take on the situation.

Satterwhite states that the companies constructing the pipeline received the permit to pass through public and private lands on the basis of public necessity, but it is speculated that little to no gas is coming back to Virginians. Most, it is believed, will be sold overseas, mostly to China and India.

Other concerns are the

unprecedented specifications of the pipeline. Never before have 42-inch pipes traveled at such steep grades through the mountains.

This opens up discussion about potential failure. If the pipeline were to fail, it is more likely that it will explode rather than a simple leak, Satterwhite claims.

I wondered how the pipeline is affecting the local economy.

“10 percent of the construction jobs are local,” Satterwhite said.

This is a positive, but local businesses may be hurting.

Satterwhite continued to explain that the other 90 percent of the workers are renting rooms in hotels that tourists could stay in instead, but they aren’t spending as much as tourists might on local business. While much of this talk could simply be conjecture, it is also a legitimate concern for locals.

Lastly, environmental concer ns plag ue t he construction.

“Jef ferson Nat iona l Forest predicts a 2 percent permanent increase in s e d i m ent a t ion lo a d,” Satterwhite said.

I ncrease d se d i mentation in the water means that erosion is more prominent due to the pipeline.

Satterwhite also claims that this increase will cost the city of Roanoke “$36,000,000 over the next 10 years” in water filtration costs.

To decrease erosion, plans were put in place in the event of a cease work

order like the one previously passed. Where construction is halted, MVP is supposed to mulch the areas affected by the pipeline.

“They (the construction crew) can’t leave the worksite for more than two weeks without seeding it,” Satterwhite said.

When I visited the site, well over two weeks since the order, neither mulch nor seed was seen in the area. These regulations are supposed to be enforced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

How can students get involved?

There are a number of ways students can express their favor or opposition toward the pipeline. The one closest to home is The Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech. To get more involved with the Mountain Valley Pipeline, contact your local congressman to discover service opportunities and news on the subject.

For more detailed information about the Mountain Valley Pipeline, be sure to gather more research on your own to discover more facts that support or refute your own ideas.

@JohnMcBride98

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PAGE 10 September 4, 2018

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

Feel safe in your own skin: Harmful beauty care ingredients to watch for

Be careful; your favorite shampoos, sprays and soaps may not be as benign as you’d think. Scan the labels for these common culprits.

HEATHER TROBRIDGE lifestyles staff writer

As Netflix digs deeper into the mine of content creation and distribution, more than once it’s struck gold, more than once it’s missed the mark. Its latest original film, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” has generated a copious amount of buzz across the globe, but is it truly a good find?

Lara Jean Covey (played

by Lana Condor) spends her days reading romance novels and her nights watching movies of the same genre. When she develops a serious crush on someone, she writes them a love letter to help sort out her own feelings. Dramatic? Maybe, but Lara Jean thinks “drama can be fun.” She’ll come to regret that sentiment later on when her top-secret letters are mailed to each of her five crushes. Drama, humiliation and misunderstanding only scratch the surface of what follows. As she deals with the consequences from each of the letters, she learns more about life and love than she ever could in the novels and films she previously immersed herself in.

While the plot sets itself up, we learn more about the Covey family dynamic: the endearing father trying to hold everything together

after the passing of his wife, the oldest sister who steps into the role of a second parent, the witty youngest sister who is way cooler than most of us were in middle school and Lara Jean — the middle child who is terrified of driving and hates to clean. When Lara Jean’s love letters are out, she strikes an only-inthe-movies type deal with the school’s popular athlete, Peter Kavinsky (played by Noah Centineo). They’ll act like a couple to make Peter’s ex-girlfriend jealous and to help Lara Jean avoid the major consequences of one of her letters. As the plot thickens, Lara Jean’s life takes a few wild twists and turns, ultimately helping her face her fears and realize the benefits of saying, not just writing, how she feels.

So, here’s my verdict.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” based off the Jenny Han novel of the same title, takes you back to high school in some of the best and most awkward ways.

Unlike romantic comedies of years past, this Netflix original is one our generation can actually relate to. From the awkward and uncomfortable misunderstandings to the insignificant disagreement over who posts more couple pictures on Instagram, everyone can

understand the characters in the film.

While the screenwriting holds its own, it is the actors who truly carry the film.

The bond between the Covey sisters — who, by the way, are Asian-American, and the chemistry between the main characters is almost palpable. It’s Lana Condor’s facial expressions that tell you exactly how she’s feeling and Noah Centineo’s emotion-layered delivery that hook you and keep you watching.

Overall, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” lives up to the hype you’ve heard from friends or seen on social media. It’s a rom-com worth watching for its modern-day drama, witty narration and emotional plotlines. It’s safe to say that this time, Netflix has struck gold.

@Heather__Tro

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLEY LONG

Death Cab’s ‘Thank You for Today’: A quintessential breakup record Even with the absence of former guitarist Chris Walla, the seminal indie rock outfit knows its way around musical heartache.

BRYCE NOLAN

lifestyles staff writer

I always consider it a good sign when I start tapping my foot within the first few seconds of listening to a new album, and that’s exactly what happened with the latest release from Death Cab for Cutie. “Thank You for Today,” released on Aug. 17 through Atlantic Records, wears the skin of a run-of-the-mill breakup album, but its heartfelt and pain-stricken lyrics and rhythmic sophistication reveal it to be so much more: a meditation on the passage of time and the processes of change, using the collapse of a romantic relationship as a timestamp for an era long past.

Before I go on, it warrants mentioning that this is the first Death Cab album to not feature founding guitarist Chris Walla in any capacity, and the band manages to avoid the creative jinx of losing a longtime member, avoiding the fate of bands such as Iron Maiden postBruce Dickinson.

No, I am happy to say that Death Cab for Cutie still lives; they have lost none of their musicality here, and “Thank You for Today” utilizes the remaining members’ talents to enormous effect, creating a song cycle that evokes a sense of longing and bittersweet despair. As mentioned above, the album consists almost entirely of breakup songs, but a careful listen will reveal that there is a story being told from a variety of angles: One gets the sense that the entire album is about the failure of a single relationship, and one of the former partners finds themselves faced not only with the pain of an eternally lost love, but also with the inevitable passage of time. Both are tragedies, like sand falling through one’s fingers, and it gets

PHOTO COURTESY OF ATLANTIC RECORDS

hard to tell just which one is more painful.

Props, of course, go to Ben Gibbard for his vocal performance, as he brings this tale of existential dread to life. His voice conveys the sense of an overwhelmed soul attempting to carefully contemplate the events in his life, who yet finds himself falling back into the same mode of thought: that the world is moving on and he is stuck in the past.

Drummer Jason McGerr is also a driving force behind this album, responsible for the aforementioned foot

tapping. His drumming is at the forefront of most of the songs on the album, keeping the rhythm as steady as a ticking clock, which, considering this album’s preoccupation with the passage of time, I suggest might not be entirely accidental.

The combination of a failed relationship with a fixation on the passage of time establishes the human experience in microcosm.

The album’s na r rator projects his own life experiences against the changes occurring all around him, such as in the track “Gold

Rush,” where he notes that many of the places where he and his former beloved would spend time together have been replaced with construction sites, parking garages, etc. It paints a portrait of a character who, whether he knows it or not, waxes nostalgic about a relationship not entirely for the sake of the relationship itself, but also for a more familiar time when things seemed more simple.

All through the album the former significant other takes the form of a vague silhouette, as in “Northern

Lights,” or the disembodied voice of a ghost like in “I Dreamt We Spoke Again.”

It is quite clear that the narrator isn’t remembering this person as such, but rather as a series of familiar feelings and emotions that have become corroded by time and the absence of the person concerned.

But putting that heady analysis aside, the music itself is excellent fare, and Death Cab for Cutie remains an act that is musically and culturally relevant 21 years since their formation in 1997, creeping upon the

front porch of seniority for a band. “Thank You for Today” is a compelling set of 10 songs that sets a high point for the concept of the breakup album by being quite a bit more than one might expect from anything bearing that label.

I give “Thank You for Today” four and a half out of five stars.

@CollegiateTimes

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editor@collegiatetimes.com

September 4, 2018 PAGE 11

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Men’s soccer remains perfect while in Florida

Women’s soccer falls to stiff SEC competition

The team moves to 3–0–1, beating South Florida and tying Central Florida, during its weekend in the Sunshine State.

DAVIS CARBAUGH sports staff writer

The Virginia Tech men’s soccer squad traveled to Florida this weekend to take on two opponents from the American Athletic Conference. On Friday, the Hokies defeated South Florida 1–0 in Tampa. Two days later, Tech concluded a close 2–2 draw against Central Florida in Orlando to finish the weekend 1–0–1 and improve to 3–0–1 on the season.

The Hokies got off to a fast start against the South Florida Bulls at Corbett Stadium, as the early tempo of the match favored Tech. In the 22nd minute, sophomore midfielder Kristo Strickler scored off of a corner kick to give the Hokies an early lead. The decisive goal is the Hilliard, Ohio native’s first of the season.

The Hokies finished the first half with nine shots compared to eight for the Bulls. However, South Florida ramped up its offensive tempo in the second half and put the pressure on Tech with 13 shots. Virginia Tech sophomore goalkeeper Mathijs Swaneveld recorded five saves and recorded the shutout to help the Hokies defeat the Bulls 1–0.

Friday night’s victory in

Tampa improved the Hokies to 3–0, while the Bulls’ record fell to 0–3.

On Sunday, Tech faced a step up in competition as the Central Florida Knights came into the match with a 2–1 record and high expectations in the American Athletic Conference.

Similar to their first game of the weekend, the Hokies came out fast and struck the back of the net first. Sophomore midfielder David Sanz scored an unassisted goal in the 25th minute to give the Hokies an early lead. The Santander, Spain native followed his missed penalty shot and scored on the left side of the goal.

Two m inutes later, Strickler scored off a UCF defender’s deflection to put Tech up 2–0 in the 27th minute. Strickler’s goal is his second of the weekend and puts his season total up to two goals.

With a 2– 0 lead at halftime, the Hokies were still outshot six to four by the Knights. This was a sign of things to come in the second half as UCF put up 13 shots in the second half alone.

Redshirt-senior Walker Dawkins cut the lead to 2–1 in the 64th minute as junior forward Cal Jennings recorded the assist off of a cross. One minute later,

The women fought hard against the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs, finishing the weekend at 0–1–1.

senior defensive midfielder Jonathan Dean scored a goal from outside the box to equalize the match at 2–2.

Despite giving up 23 shots, the Hokies were able to hold on for the draw with only nine shots in the game.

Tech goalkeeper Swaneveld recorded an impressive 10 saves to keep the Hokies from defeat.

Despite being significantly outshot in both matches, the Tech men’s soccer squad finished its weekend in Florida undefeated. Despite little rest in between games, the Hokies were able to gain a crucial win and hold off defeat against a solid UCF team.

The Hokies are now 3–0–1 on the season and have five days off before a crucial match in Charlottesville against UVA.

@Davis_Carbaugh

ROBBY FLETCHER assistant sports editor

The Hokies had a week to forget as they failed to score a goal in two games against the Alabama Crimson Tide (2–2–1) and the Georgia Bulldogs (2–2–2) this weekend. While neither of the two SEC opponents were highly favored against the Lady Hokies, Tech (2–1–3) couldn’t seem to hit the back of the net in either match though the team did manage to leave Georgia scoreless, leading to a 0–0 draw.

Virginia Tech opened the week against Alabama on Thursday at Alabama where, for the fifth time this season, the Hokies outshot their opponent 10 shots to six. Freshman forward Karlie Johnson led the way with two shots on goal for the Hokies, while fellow freshman forward Emmalee McCa r ter and junior defender Jordan Hemmen also added a shot on goal.

The lone goal of the game came in the 16th minute as a cross by Alabama midfielder Taylor Morgan toward the net was inadvertently headed into the net by a Virginia Tech defender, giving the Crimson Tide the goal needed to pull away for a victory.

“It was a bit unlucky and unfortunate and frustrating

that we were on the road and could have won a game against a good team, but we can’t get the result,” said coach Charles Adair after the game.

Despite it being their first loss of the season, the Hokies played well and unfortunately dealt with a bit of misfortune.

“I think we came out and played some very good soccer at times and possessed very well. I’m a little bit frustrated with the result because I think we deserved more from the match than we got,” Adair said.

Coming into their second away game of the week against Georgia on Sunday, the Hokies had a chip on their shoulder to come away with a win against another solid SEC opponent.

Virginia Tech once again outshot its opponent 19 shots to Georgia’s 13, but it once again struggled to find the net and ended up coming away with its third draw of the season. Junior forward Bridget Patch had an impressive night with three shots on goal, but Georgia goalkeeper Emory Wegener had an impressive performance with nine saves on the day. In fact, both goalkeepers were very impressive in the game, with Tech goalkeeper Mandy

McGlynn registering five saves of her own. The junior recorded her 14th career shutout as a Hokie.

Another great save came not from a goalie, but from junior defender Jaylyn Thompson, who deflected away a potential gamewinning header by Bella Ponzi in the 102nd minute.

Thompson started her 34th consecutive game for the Hokies Sunday, good for the longest on the team.

Despite failing to record a goal for two straight games, Adair was proud of his unit for their gutsy performance.

“I think we were the better side for much of the game and we controlled much of the tempo by creating a lot of chances,” he said after the game. “We just need to keep plugging along and keep playing and playing our guts out.”

The Hokies are now 7– 6 –2 all-time against current teams in the SEC. Their next match will be another road matchup, this time against Big East opponent Villanova at Talen Energy Stadium, home of the MLS team the Philadelphia Union, next Friday at 5 p.m.

@RealSpicyRob

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GET READY FOR HOKIE FOOTBALL

2018 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Sep 8 - W&M at VT

Oct 25 - GT at VT

Sep 15 - ECU at VT

Nov 3 - BC at VT

Sep 22 - ODU

Nov 10 - Pitt

Sep 29 - Duke

Nov 17 - Miami at VT

Oct 6 - ND at VT

Nov 23 - UVA at VT

Oct 13 - UNC

CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Jalen Holston (13) runs the ball to the outside against Pitt as Saleem Brightwell (39) and Oluwaseun Idowu (23) attempt to tackle him, Nov. 18, 2017.

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ corner Greg Stroman (3) breaks up a pass from Kenny Pickett (8) to wide receiver Julian Desire (85) in the final seconds of a 20–14 victory, Nov. 18, 2017.

ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Colton Taylor (87) completes a pass from quarterback Josh Jackson (17) during the homecoming game against UNC. A penalty was called on cornerback MJ Steward after the play, Oct. 21, 2017.

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Greg Stroman (3) returns a punt 91 yards for a touchdown, putting the Hokies up 13–0, Oct. 21, 2017.