NEWS
STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON GRADUATE LIFE CENTER LAWN
Jonathan Mususa | news staff writer
The press conference ended with a moment of silence for Palestinians killed in the Gaza strip.
On Tuesday, Oct. 8, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a press conference at 5 p.m. on the Graduate Life Center (GLC) lawn — the site of a pro-Palestine encampment and subsequent mass arrest in late April — to mark the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Gaza Strip and share experiences of those involved in the encampment.
Beginning in the evening of Sunday, April 28 and continuing into the early morning of Monday, April 29, Virginia Tech police and local law enforcement arrested 82 people, including 53 Virginia Tech students, on the Graduate Life Center lawn. Arrested subjects were charged with trespassing by Virginia Tech police. Virginia Tech administrators claimed the weekend-long protest
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was in violation of University Policy 5000, which governs the use of university property.
Several speakers accused Virginia Tech’s administration of unfairly retaliating against students, faculty, staff and community members arrested during or otherwise involved in the encampment.
“The reason most students are apathetic to the cause for Palestinian liberation and divestment is because they are not empowered, and because it is Virginia Tech’s strategic goal to disempower students to raise their voices,” said sophomore Megan Christle.
One of SJP’s grievances against university administrators involves changes made in August to University Policy 5000 that prohibit all encampments on university
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“This policy change in itself is an attack on our First Amendment rights,” said SJP Vice President Emon Green. “Virginia Tech’s application of it is a blatant display of anti-Palestinian racism, its disalignment with democratic and humanitarian principles, and its direct interest in the genocide being carried out by the State of Israel.”
According to SJP co-president Layan Masri, President Tim Sands and Undergraduate Student Senate leaders refused to approve statements offering recognition of Palestinian students equal to that offered to Israeli students and calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
She also remarked that the Blacksburg community members arrested as part of the encampment have been banned indefinitely from Virginia Tech’s campus.
“Blacksburg locals must basically avoid half of their town that they’ve lived in their entire lives and alumni cannot return to their alma mater,” Masri said.
SJP co-president Shahed Sanuri alleged in her remarks that students were being barred from pursuing student government offices and that faculty members were being threatened with denial of tenure by the Board of Visitors.
“How far will Virginia Tech go?” Sanuri asked. “How far will the administration go with retaliation against its students, faculty and staff, whom they call Hokies? Or are we not members of the Hokie community anymore?”
The press conference ended with a moment of silence for Palestinians killed in the Gaza strip, with 649 pages with 34,344 names laid out on the lawn behind those assembled.
A screening of a pro-Palestine documentary, “The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza,” followed at 7:30 p.m., with the film’s executive producer Leila Al-Arian present as a special guest.
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OPINIONS IN SHADES OF GREIGE
Gwendolyn Lee | opinions columnist
Minimalism has taken over the world while the use of expression through color has faded.
Blue, green, yellow, purple, red, orange and even pink cars used to color the streets. Vibrant blocks were a staple in every child’s room. I bet many of us even had a teal or hot pink room with zebra print bedding in our youths. In the last 30 years color has been seeping away from our daily lives. I feel like I’m living in the opposite of “Pleasantville,” a film where two teenagers introduce color to a fictional blackand-white world by encouraging freedom of expression.
We are living in a world of gray and beige. Minimalism, thinking of resale value and modern pop culture have ruined our daily lives in ways we don’t even think about. The sight of beautiful patterns and colors can now only be found in eccentricity and individualism. I believe living in a world of black and white takes away the joys of life. Doesn’t red excite you? Doesn’t a nice sage green calm you down? Don’t you associate yellow with happiness?
In an article from The Spectator called “Fifty Shades of Gray: The World is Losing it’s Color,” Khandaker Mushfikuzzaman states “It sounds overly dramatic, but despite the richness of colors we see in nature, in the commercial world, and ultimately the ‘human’ world, the variety of color is decreasing.”
The bleaching of color can be witnessed in everyday objects. Cars of the 50s were beautifully bright and decorated the streets. Growing up, I loved driving past the house with an old collection of Volkswagen Beetles of various shades of the rainbow.
In an article by Hunter Johnson, called “50 Shades of Grayscale,” written for Carparts.com, he states that 75% of all cars sold in 2020 were in grayscale. Maria Killam, shares in her blog post labeled “What makes Neutral Rooms Timeless and Beautiful?,” that this may be because neutrals are popular and look more modern and timeless to us. Johnson also explains that neutrals like blacks and whites are easier to sell to a wide range of customers
and this may have shrunk the color market.
Why did color start changing? The shift started relatively recently. If you’ve ever watched an 80s movie you will notice the clothing and decor were eccentric by our standards.
As seen in “Is the World Less Colorful? Highlighting the Color Evolution in Objects and Spaces” in ArchDaily, Giovana Martino shared that since the turn of the 19th to 20th century home decor has started straying away from browns and yellows into more grays and blacks. She attributed this in part to the heavier use of stainless steel and plastic and the movement away from wooden furniture.
Martino emphasizes the loss of detail in interior design. “... while trying to introduce materials and remove finishes seeking an almost monochromatic uniformity, the finishes also became more and more industrialized, and consequently, more uniform. The result over the years is a loss of ornaments, colors, textures and prints in indoor ambiances,” Martino wrote.
This movement away from wood wall paneling may not be a bad thing, but the loss of the personality in decor is. But can we solely contribute it to raw material changes in the last half a century, or is there something else at play? I too am guilty of the neutrals rabbit hole, and it is not just because of stainless steel. Modern aesthetics are very clearly a major factor.
The trend of warmth and neutrals is coming back; however, the color is not. The bright wallpapers and colorful couches are now a quirky design choice and no longer the norm. This is spreading to even children’s rooms. This trend of neutrality seeping into kids’ surroundings has been referred to as ‘sad beige parenting,’ as referenced in an article by Marie Holmes for HuffPost. Detailed in “What is ‘Sad Beige’ Parenting and how did we get here?”, Holmes attributes the muted tone of children’s items to the aversion to gender normative colors, preference for fewer plastics around teething infants and
the appeal to the parent’s aesthetic choices throughout the rest of the home.
“Sad beige appeals to parents, especially expectant or new parents who are anxious about how a new child will disrupt the serene aesthetic of their homes — and their lives,” Holmes writes.
So, if our homes and offices are neutral, and our cars are grayscale, where do we get the joy that comes with color? Found in “The Links Between Color, Architecture, and Mental Health” for The Center of Urban Design and Mental Health (UD/ MH), Layla McCay, the director of UD/ MH correlates colors with moods. Red can cause urgency and appetite, yellow promotes optimism and blue can imply security while grey can cause irritability, shared McCay.
An article in Mental Health America, “How do colors in my home change my mood? Color psychology explained,” illustrates that color is essential to our mental health. “Just a few brightly colored accessories or pops of color throughout your home are enough to elevate your mood.” This article even goes as far as to say color can help alleviate seasonal depression. The blues, green and yellows that disappear in the colder months are associated with increased dopamine levels.
Our youth should live in a world of emotion and color before the drabness of a nine-to-five or the responsibilities of life make them logical and sterile. According to an article by Tricia Striano Skoler Ph.D. for Psychology Today, while muted colors won’t directly inhibit child development, children do start associating colors with moods at a young age. Titled “Color Matter and Childhood Development,” this article goes not into the intellectual effects of less vibrancy, but into the emotional connections children make to colors. It is in the early years that a child creates ties between yellow and happiness or picks their favorite colors.
When directly related to your surroundings, an entirely white and gray
bedroom isn’t going to be as relaxing as a room that introduces the right colors for the calming atmosphere. A sterile dining room isn’t going to make you want to dig in. So why are we giving ourselves and our children a monotonous and colorless lifestyle when the world could be filled with so much more vibrancy?
We belong in a world of brightness and expression, not in a black and white film.
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REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF CREATION IN A CONSUMED WORLD
Alexandria Lilly | opinions contributor
Using creativity as an outlet makes life easier in a technology dominated world.
HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Students craft during Gobblerfest, Aug. 30, 2024.
In our fast-paced digital landscape of today, it is all too easy to become a passive consumer of information. Every day we are bombarded with pieces of information through social media feeds, advertisements and websites — absorbing endless streams of content. While communication, entertainment and education from various sources are essential for personal growth, it is equally important to balance this consumption with the creations of our own imagination. Creative expression is one way we can harness our individuality while also contemplating our own life experiences.
In January 2024, the digital reference library DataReportal released its annual Global Overview Report illuminating that users ages 16 to 64 spend an average of six hours and 40 minutes daily surfing the web on any device. As a result, we are consuming almost four times more information than we did less than 20 years ago. This surge of consumption is not inherently bad or good, but we must not only
be passive consumers. The future of our world depends on how we embrace this abundance of information at our fingertips. We must demand more meaning from the content that surrounds us and reflect on how it shapes our perspectives. Taking the initiative to create our own informational truths and designs leads to a vital balance of creation and consumption needed in our daily lives.
Lily Olejnicki, a junior studying industrial design, reflects on her experience and course work in design thus far at Virginia Tech.
“I have always had a passion for fabricating things whether it is by drawing, crocheting, taking photos — or woodworking,” Olejnicki said. “Being able to explore this further in my major has been such an amazing experience.”
Many people view creativity and artistic capability as intrinsically linked together, yet creativity is a fundamental part of human nature. To be creative does not mean you must have any artistic
capability. In fact, the outlets to express one’s creativity are endless, just as Olejnicki suggests. According to Stanford’s Encyclopedia of Philosophy, creativity can be defined as the originality in expressing ideas, problem solving, and the freedom to convey our emotions in artful ways. This expression does not have to be about aesthetics, but rather, the strong principle it has in empowering us to find our unique voice. As humans, we are fully responsible for how we embrace our creativity; this is a beautiful gift we are free to embody in our daily lives.
Olejnicki also expresses her love for her major and the classes she is taking.
“I love taking design classes because they have pushed me to think and world in ways I never previously have,” Olejnicki said. “Having such freedom in these classes allows so much margin for personal expression and development.”
Whether you are enrolled in design classes or not, finding your own space to express your creativity plays a fundamental role in nurturing our own well-being and personal development. Some ways to express one’s creativity include writing, such as poetry and songwriting, cooking, dance, art, setting personal goals, storytelling, problem-solving, mindfulness practices, and even everyday organization.
Abbey Lynch, a graduate student in mental health counseling at Virginia Tech, emphasizes how creative expression is a beautiful thing people can do to explore their feelings.
“Creativity through songwriting, art, writing poems or stories, can be impactful for people to examine what it is they are experiencing in their day-to-day life,” Lynch said. “Putting our feelings in an expressive and creative way can open pathways to people’s feelings that maybe they couldn’t understand before.”
It is easy to be overwhelmed by everything life presents but taking small moments to process our feelings and emotions through creativity can allow for increased stability, self-awareness, meditation and a sense of accomplishment. By allowing ourselves the space to explore
different creative outlets we open doors to personal growth and fulfillment.
The results of creative exploration can be profoundly rewarding and enrich our lives in unexpected ways. Thus, we should fully embrace our creativity to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves while simultaneously inspiring others around us. Whether it is through design, music, problem-solving or other art forms, let us be present for ourselves and our community by sharing and expressing our creativity. Together, let us focus on rediscovering the joy of creation in an overwhelmingly consumed world.
SPORTS
STRONG SECOND HALF GIVES NO. 21 HOKIES 1–0 VICTORY OVER SMU
Javier Mico-Crump | sports staff writer
Taylor Price’s sixth goal of the season was the decider.
The No. 21 Virginia Tech women’s soccer team (10–3–2, 4–1–1 ACC) remained undefeated at home in ACC play on Thursday night. The Hokies claimed a 1–0 win over the Southern Methodist University Mustangs (6–6–2, 2–3–2 ACC) at Thompson Field.
Prior to Thursday, the Hokies had never faced off against the Mustangs. SMU joined the conference alongside Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley this season.
The ACC was already one of the most competitive conferences in women’s soccer. The match against the Hokies was the Mustangs’ fourth consecutive game against a ranked opponent.
“It’s extremely competitive,” said Hokie head coach Charles “Chugger” Adair. “I think every team is good. SMU joined the conference and they’ve got some ACC-quality forwards who are extremely dangerous. We were worried about
them today, so we were pleased we got the shutout against them, and extremely excited to get the three points.”
The first half, although closely contested, didn’t present any clear goal-scoring opportunities for either team. The Hokies slightly outshot the Mustangs 4–2, with each team registering only one shot-on-goal in the half. The Mustangs found their best chances on counterattacks, led by the speed of junior forward Eliana Salama. Salama looked comfortable on the counter, accelerating through holes in the Hokie midfield on several occasions to create looks. Her solo run that ended in a shot off the crossbar was the Mustangs’ best chance of the half.
The Hokies, on the other hand, looked the most dangerous from set pieces. They registered five corner kicks in the first half and came close to capitalizing on these efforts.
The Hokies took over the game in the
second half, gaining momentum after a shot from forward Sarah Rosenbaum came close to finding the top corner of the goal. Soon after, the Hokies converted a corner kick as Taylor Price rose up and headed the ball into the net for her sixth goal of the year. Price continues to impress in her comeback season, leading the Hokies in scoring after netting five goals in the last four games. The goal was assisted by Natalie Mitchell who has started every game this season and leads the Hokies in assists with six.
The Hokies continued to look comfortable for the rest of the half, recording 11 shots to SMU’s one. It was an impressive performance from the Hokie defense, who held the Mustangs to a single shot on goal all game. Kylie Marschall and Allie Lewis have started every match in ACC play and continue to solidify their center-back partnership.
“Allie is the ball winner and then Kylie
helps her with the recovery,” Adair said. “They have a good yin and yang type of relationship as they play, which is what you want with a center back partnership.”
As of Thursday, the Hokies are in second place in the ACC standings with 16 points. They will have a two-week break before their next game due to scheduling.
“We’re gonna try our best to let them recover, but then also train them,” Adair said when asked about the schedule. “We’ll play 11-a-side to replicate a game and try to get some of the game-like situations.”
The Hokies will look to maintain their positive momentum despite the time off. Upon their return, they will travel to Raleigh to play the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Thursday, Oct. 24.
JACK NEWELL / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Virginia Tech Hokies fm Taylor Price (25) celebrates scoring a goal, Sept. 26, 2024.
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