March 12, 2024

NEWS

VIRGINIA HOUSE BILL ATTEMPTING TO BAN TIKTOK FOR MINORS FLOPS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Bethany Lenhardt | news writer

A separate bill which could determine TikTok’s future in the U.S. is currently going through Congress.

The latest version of House Bill 1468, which proposed banning minors in Virginia from using TikTok, failed during the House of Delegates vote earlier this month, according to WAVY News. The bill cited mental health and data privacy concerns the app poses to youth. The updated bill would incite civil and monetary action against parents whose children access TikTok.

In 2021, TikTok hit 1 billion monthly users — many of whom belong to Gen Z. In 2022, TikTok was the most downloaded social networking app worldwide, according to Forbes. It remains popular because of its impressive number of downloads and users; Statista reports that nearly 150 million people use TikTok as of January 2024.

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The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists’ role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin officially prohibited the use of any products created by ByteDance Ltd. or Tencent Holdings Ltd., including TikTok, on any state-maintained network or device in April 2023. Virginia Tech implemented the ban on campus on July 1, 2023.

Since then, students have found workarounds to continue to enjoy the beloved app. This includes methods such as paying for personal internet access or downloading a virtual private network (VPN). First-year business information technology student Ishita Ponnada employs the latter.

“I use TikTok every single day,” Ponnada said. “I turn off my Wi-Fi and turn on my cellular data.

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If I’m feeling a little fancy, I’ll download a VPN because it’s sometimes faster.”

Katy Colucci, a first-year international relations student and frequent TikTok user, says she finds the app valuable because of its ability to connect people.

“Humor is such a connecting thing,” Colucci said. “You begin to understand the trends of the times through using social media and can make jokes in social settings that allow us to communicate and connect in that way. I would argue that it’s important for us to enjoy these moments together in an age when the news can be so dark.”

However, both Ponnada and Colucci agree that the app poses some serious downsides for consumers.

Ponnada said, referencing commonly used beauty filters that enhance and change facial features, “The filters are upsetting to me, like the ‘glow up’ style, because they’re just not real.”

Colucci on the other hand believes one of TikTok’s worst traits is quick access to misleading or inaccurate information. Additionally, she

voiced concerns about how the app makes it so easy for untrustworthy individuals to make a successful platform.

“It’s so easy for bad people to make a platform and have so much influence on others; you can have one viral video and just keep going from there,” Colucci said. “Some of these people have no idea what they’re talking about and have no place to talk on world issues (without the facts).”

Virginia is not the only state that has attempted to ban TikTok entirely. Most notably, Montana legislators created a statewide TikTok ban in May 2023 that was set to go into effect at the start of 2024 until it was shut down by US District Judge Donald Molloy, according to CNN. Molloy said that the law likely violated the First Amendment. As these laws proliferate in the United States, it is unclear how long TikTok will be able to remain in fashion.

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OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON REDUCING SCREEN TIME

jenna masoN | opinions columnist

Instilling good screen time habits can be passed on throughout generations.

Technology has been around for the past 3.3 million years — starting with basic tools, followed by human-created fire, sailing, the compass, the steamboat, photography, the airplane, the first computer and the internet. As new technology develops, society continues to find innovative applications for it. In fact, some of the most used pieces of technology are mobile phones and computers. The constant need for these devices has increased the amount of screen time for users. According to an article from Exploding Topics, written by Josh Howarth, globally, people average six hours and 58 minutes of screen time per day. Considering people are on their screens for about one-third of the day, the effects of screen time have a serious impact and monitoring it is important.

According to MedlinePlus, “screen time” describes activities done in front of a screen. This includes, but is not limited to, watching television, working on a computer or playing video games.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created guidelines for the amount of screen time children and adults should have per age. The recommended time limit for children is zero hours of screen time per day for children under the ages of 2, and it increases to around two hours per day outside of schoolwork for ages of 5 to 17. As for adults, Henry Ford Health states that adults should limit their amount of screen time to less than two hours per day outside of work-related activities.

While substantial screen time can have many impacts, specific effects vary depending on age. For example, screen time influences brain development in children but has more health-related impacts in adults. The National Library of Medicine states that excessive screen time has both positive and negative effects on cognitive development in children. Screen time can enhance education and learning.

This mainly depends on what children are watching and absorbing while on their screens. On the other hand, studies have shown that children exposed to excessive amounts of screen time can experience delays in executive functioning, sensorimotor development, social-emotional development, emotional comprehension, social-emotional competence and academic performances. Mental health disorders like aggressive behavior, depression and anxiety have also been linked to screen time.

However, parents can reduce many of these effects. Parents play an extremely important role in the amount of screen usage of children. In today’s society, many parents use screens to distract children in order to complete other tasks. Most of the time, parents and guardians are unaware of the negative effects that screens really can have on their children. Parents should try to limit screen time and consider finding substitutes for devices. Substitutes could include coloring books, building blocks and jigsaw puzzles.

Because the adult brain is more developed, impacts of screen time on brain development is not as strong of a concern. According to Time Magazine, many researchers believe that excessive screen use may not be as damaging to adults, but the impact hasn’t been studied as extensively. New research has found that screen time for adults has jumped from 11 hours per day to 19 hours per day after the COVID pandemic. Research has also uncovered that screen time can still have damaging consequences for adults including insomnia, eye strain and headaches, addictive behaviors, spinal column (neck, shoulder and back) pain and reduced physical activity levels. With this in mind, monitoring screen time would help mitigate these physical problems some adults may struggle with.

Reid Health suggests adults should limit their screen time through the following

ways: turn off notifications, set a timer for the time spent while on a device and leave the phone out of the bedroom. Notifications from phones can trigger people to look at their phone, which in turn causes people to spend more time on a screen. Setting a timer is a good way to control the amount of time you spend on screens. The timer allows screen time to be broken up throughout the day and provides the motivation to do something that doesn’t involve any screens. Finally, keeping your phone out of the bedroom can prevent you from scrolling through social media at night before bed or first thing in the morning.

Not only do screens have significant negative impacts on individual wellbeing, society is increasingly reliant on screens. For example, schools and universities now have online classes and there’s an increase of remote options for many workplaces. While helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual learning eliminates interpersonal communications between students and teachers, thus making it harder for students to learn and grasp the material.

Ben Coppage, a sophomore studying national security and foreign affairs, references his struggles with his two online asynchronous classes: Insects and Entomology and Research and Writing in International Studies.

“Navigating the screens is really hard, especially for two separate classes,” Coppage said. “I’ve found myself getting confused between the two separate methods of organization. I’ll need to rely on the to-do tab for one class, but another requires that I read the modules section to find my work. The possibility of losing points due to technical errors is kind of stressful.”

Coppage then explains why he thinks colleges should not have mandatory online classes.

“I’m taking a writing class online, and I

would really value it being in person due to the kinds of questions it prompts,” Coppage said. “I want to ask the teacher for help, and it would be nice if it was a lecture, and I could ask for clarification. At least for classes that are worth the money we spend to take them, no I don’t think they should be online. If they are valuable enough to spend an x-amount of money to take, I should not be able to complete the class by spending an hour or two on my laptop every week and forgetting the information I received once I close the tab. It’s supposed to be valuable information right?”

Screen time is something that can be valuable, but it’s also hard to control the excessive amount of time we spend on it. Given the effect screens have on society, it’s important to realize why we should reduce our screen time. Decreasing screen time not only benefits each generation alive now, but also getting into the habit of spending less time on screens would benefit future generations since good habits can be taught and passed on. It is difficult to restrict something so ingrained in our daily lives, but taking the time to disconnect from screens will benefit you and your future in the long run.

AN END TO HISTORICAL HEROES

Chris Donaldson | opinions columnist

Fostering discussions about controversial historical figures is critical in education.

In the realm of history villains are easy to come by. There are some historical figures that almost everyone agrees were bad. Hitler is perhaps the poster child for evil and one assumes that Idi Amin did not earn the title of “Butcher of Uganda” for his gentle way with children. But heroes — good people — are much more elusive and often much more controversial.

History classes are littered with them. Something in us cheers for the good guys: the ardent activists, the rebels with a just cause. In grade school, we learned first of Lincoln the liberator, Jefferson the freedom-loving founder and Washington who could not tell a lie. These were powerful stories — lessons in morality and the meaning of citizenship. Yet equally powerful was the sense of loss and disbelief many of us felt upon learning that these men, morally speaking, may not have been all they were made out to be. Jefferson fathered six children with a woman he enslaved, Lincoln supported, for a time, the deportation of freed slaves to Panama, and Washington has long been known to the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) as “Village-Burner.” Many of us also recall when our teachers or our textbooks tried to salvage their heroism by casting them as “products of their time.”

This response is natural. Contradictions are uncomfortable, especially for those who’ve come to identify with people of the past. But is it the right way to teach history? As our society inches towards greater tolerance and reason, what should educators do when historical heroes fail to match modern moral standards? Should they excuse them as “products of their time” — no better or worse than their historical peers — or erase them, influential as they may be, from the curriculum?

Neither of these choices are ideal. The study of history ought to be more than a search for heroes, and a person need not be a role model to be worthy of study. It’s easy to fall victim to the comfort of moral relativism, to protect the legacy of cherished figures with the label “product of their time.” However, teachers at all levels should avoid this path. Students can learn a lot about history and about themselves when we ask them to examine historical figures objectively, faults and all.

From a perspective of philosophy and ethics, excusing historical figures for harmful or irrational acts on the basis that such acts were once common is hard to justify. The term for this type of thinking is “moral relativism.” Dr. Justin Horn, a professor of philosophy at Virginia Tech, explains moral relativism as follows:

“The central notion is that there is no “absolute” truth when it comes to morality,” Dr. Horn said. “In one extreme form, relativism holds that right and wrong are wholly determined by the norms of the society in which one happens to live — if your society holds that something is morally okay, then it is morally okay, at least in that society.” He continued.

Many of the historical figures we have come to admire stand out in part because they questioned the prevailing thinking of their time and sought to change the status quo. But moral relativism and the “product of their time” doctrine asks history students to do exactly the opposite — to accept the notion that certain aspects of society, no matter how cruel or unjust, were too entrenched to be questioned or changed.

One wonders if encouraging this kind of thinking in the classroom has any implications for how our generation will approach modern moral controversies. We are all, in a sense, products of our time — a time as fraught with controversy and injustice as any other period in history. When we learn that the minerals in our computers are sourced from open pit mines where children work for pennies a day, or that our produce section is stocked with the fruits of voiceless undocumented labor, should we accept these arrangements as inevitable facts of life? If educators have an eye for the moral development of their students and the betterment of their world, they should train their students to question the systems that surround them. They should emphasize the difference between normal and moral.

However, the question arises, if we assess historical figures with modern notions of morality, won’t we end up demonizing some of our most valuable role models? What if we can’t agree if someone’s conduct was right or wrong? There are very few historical figures with no controversy to their name. Helen Keller,

for example, was a deaf-blind icon and advocate as well as an ardent supporter of eugenics, according to Keller scholar Kim E. Nielsen. Ghandi may be known for his principled resistance to British rule, but as historian Ashwin Desai notes, as a young lawyer in South Africa, he shared the ruling class belief in black inferiority, advocating at times for stricter racial segregation.

Even such steadfast progressives as civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are not entirely without controversy. Though his wife would be known for her zealous advocacy after his death, King’s views on the gay rights movement were ambiguous at best. In his early career as an advice columnist for Ebony magazine, he once advised a youth questioning his sexuality to seek psychological help.

These contradictions, unsettling as they may be, show the past’s true complexity, expose the human faults of historical figures, and invite teachers and their students to ask the most important question in history: why? Why would a deaf-blind woman, given her own struggle for social acceptance, advocate for the elimination of so called “undesirables?” Why would a man so devoted to equality appear to privilege one form of love over another? Moreover, acknowledging moral faults and asking these critical questions does not preclude us from seeing the good in past people. If anything, it challenges learners to specify exactly which traits and actions are worthy of admiration and which are not, a practice that may serve us all as we navigate the moral controversies of our own time.

As for figures like John Brown or J. R. Oppenheimer—people whose actions have always been the subject of fierce debate and moral disagreement — teachers should welcome the discussion their legacies conjure up. Such discussions, in this case about the necessity of violence, are always relevant, and encourage students and teachers alike to work towards a consensus about right and wrong — something any good history class should push us to do.

LIFESTYLES

NCAA MARCH MADNESS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP VS ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ENVIRONMENTS

Janiya Lewis | lifestyles writer

Lifestyles writer Janiya Lewis shares the key distinctions between ACC vs. NCAA tournaments.

Virginia Tech’s sports play an extraordinary role in the college experience and include two unique events that come in the spring and winter seasons: The NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament and the ACC Football Championship Game. Although the tournaments are both a special part of sports culture for the university’s legacy, there are distinct differences between the environments that set the championships apart.

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship comes first in the school year as this crucial game occurs in December during the fall semester. Starting in the year 2023, the two opposing ACC football teams with the

highest conference winning percentage will play against each other to win the title.

The ACC has a total of 14 football teams: Virginia Tech Hokies, Pittsburgh Panthers, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Virginia Cavaliers, Syracuse Orange, North Carolina Tar Heels, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Miami (FL) Hurricanes, Louisville Cardinals, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Florida State Seminoles, Boston College Eagles, Clemson Tigers and the Duke Blue Devils.

There is a sense of community as the supporters come to represent their favorite teams only in this conference. The fans between the conference teams have a long,

historic and competitive relationship because of the rivalries. This is a battle for bragging rights for both the players and supporters with added pressure to win the championship title.

The fight for the win creates more animosity because the long-awaited battle of the game determines territorial success within the competing teams, which makes it a more intense environment to be in as a fan.

On the basketball side, the NCAA March Madness Basketball Championship is similar to the ACC Football Championship because it comes at the end of the regular season in March.

Selecting 68 teams to participate, the

NCAA selection committee has a process for both the men’s and women’s teams to determine the tournament brackets. Selection Sunday is the designated day that their teams are chosen and released to the public.

There are six important rounds of the tournament bracket system: the first round, the second round, the sweet sixteen (regional semifinals), the elite eight (regional finals), the final four (national semifinals) and the final championship.

The selected teams come from different types of conferences that are extended outside of the ACC schools.

continued on page 6

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Because there is a mix of conferences, there is no heavy animosity between fans. In the regular season, it is rare to compete against a school from another conference, which makes March Madness special with the surprise opponents.

The atmosphere is more diverse, and because of the diversification between teams, there is rarely any previous hostility and

loathing between them. Although there is still pressure on the fans to have their favorite to win, the energy is less hectic because the viewership involves a more broader audience.

Virginia Tech is lucky to be a part of two of the most well-respected tournaments and has a legacy with iconic participation in both tournaments over the years. The commitment to supporting the Hokies unifies the university family with the love of sports.

The ACC Championship tends to intensify the deeply rooted opposition. On the other hand, the NCAA March Madness Tournament has national appeal because of the diversity of fans who join together to enjoy the game.

The NCAA website has created a dictionary of March Madness terms to help guide you through the elements of the game. To keep up with the remaining teams as the tournament continues, the live bracket system structure is

available while the results for Selection Sunday for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are to be announced on March 17.

To keep up with the start of the ACC football season, their website contains information about upcoming events and schedules for all sports.

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HOKIE PEP BAND PREPARES TO INTESIFY THE MARCH MADNESS ATMOSPHERE

Michaela Scott | lifestyles editor

Discover the inner-world of the traveling Hokie Pep Band for March Madness.

The world of college basketball is drawing more and more anticipation as the season nears the NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament, also known as March Madness. Simultaneously, the Hokie Pep Band is working overtime in their coursework. Twenty-nine individuals have the opportunity to rock each arena as they travel with the Virginia Tech athletic teams.

In a regular-season men’s basketball game at Cassell Coliseum, it’s hard to miss the exhilarating ambiance of the pep band. It comprises 150 students who stand courtside with their instruments and cheer on the team as they win or lose. Each year, this group of musicians transforms Cassell into an arena that vibrates with live music and chants in support of the team. The band includes all instruments of the outdoor ensemble in The Marching Virginians but adds electric guitars, basses and a drum set.

“In the past, I’ve been to games where the band isn’t there, so the sound system is just playing song recordings and it’s an entirely different, unnatural feel,” said Carter Bohart, a sophomore majoring in political science. “When you throw our band in, there’s a whole new energy that we bring to the stadium and it’s unrelatable to just a soundtrack. These games are truly an experience I wish that every student at Virginia Tech will get at least once.”

Bohart explained that there are a variety of elements that create the infectious Hokie spirit in a basketball game, such as the enthusiasm from the fan base and the Cassell Guard. Although, he emphasized that there would be a critical component missing if the Hokie Pep Band wasn’t present.

“It’s not Virginia Tech basketball at that point,” Bohart said.

Auditions to join the Hokie Pep Band begin in November after football season ends and basketball season is about to pick up. When March Madness season rolls around, the band’s director, Chad Reep, narrows down the 150

talented individuals to only 29 students who will travel with the men’s and women’s basketball teams for the NCAA tournament. The playing ground for both teams must be equal, excluding the fan base, which is why they are only permitted to bring 29 band members to each game.

“Our director often tells us how far we’ve come, growth wise as a band at Virginia Tech,” said Paige Barnhart, a sophomore majoring in computer model data analytics. “When Chad first started the band about five years ago, there were only a few people. Now it has come so far that the interest has gone up and he has to create auditions because not everyone can be a member.”

Andrew Stewart, a senior majoring in industrial systems engineering mentioned that it’s always his director’s biggest challenge to decipher the students who are chosen to travel during March Madness. Logistically, the decision is based on seniority, attendance record and the grading scale for how students made the ensemble.

“Our director says the experience to travel is really once in a lifetime and unforgettable,” Bohart said. “He tells us that when you look back at your time in college, you won’t remember that policy class that you made a bad grade in, you’ll remember the Final Four game where you are standing courtside, playing your instrument and screaming your head off.”

In addition to the director’s difficult decision to reduce the size of the band, students also may end up being tied down to a larger time commitment than they initially signed up for. Barnhart explained that she heard crazy stories last year when the squad ended up missing an extra week of classes. However, she noted that Reep always prioritizes his band members’ academics and understands how chaotic a college student’s schedule can be. He always puts the band members as students first, which is highly appreciated among the group of musicians.

“Last year, we had no choice but to fly directly from Seattle to Dallas and didn’t have the

opportunity to swap out players of the band, in case someone had to go back to Blacksburg for an exam or an important assignment,” Stewart said. “Sometimes, logistics can get complicated, but it’s nothing we haven’t been able to work past.”

As the season nears the tournament, the Hokie Pep Band is preparing for post-season travel to their best ability. Stewart added that although there are many unknowns about the brackets, the squad is always ready to back the team in any victory or loss.

“We could get a weeks’ notice or we could get days’ notice, so I’m basically on standby,” Bohart said. “I could get an email in my inbox in the evening asking for my age, height and weight so that I’ll have an ID card ready to travel to the tournament tomorrow. I already have drafted emails to my professors explaining my plan to complete coursework in case there’s the possibility that I’ll get to travel. It’s a very quick turnaround in these tournaments.”

When the bracket is set, the time between the director’s roster distribution and hopping on a plane is awfully rapid. Although, when the traveling band arrives at games during the tournament, Stewart describes the experience as relaxed, yet unique.The band members have time to explore each city or college town they visit and go through the backdoors or pathways as they enter each stadium. At the end of the day, however, the band members are still students, so they may find public libraries or coffee shops in their free time to work on academic assignments.

The band is also getting ready to show off some of their best music in the songbook. The students play a variety of Virginia Tech classics, in addition to karaoke tunes and modern music, including “Mr. Brightside” and songs by The Weeknd and Taylor Swift. Barnhart mentioned that there are a few songs they save for the sold-out games, so that the band can truly show off to a full arena how incredible the ensemble can be.

“We have a lot of truly powerful hard hitters

that give me goosebumps every time,” Stewart said. “In addition to our songs, we are really good at getting into our opponents’ heads because we are literally right there on the court.We’ll be waving our instruments, yelling our heads off, trying to distract them and get them out of the zone.”

The pep band has also worked with the cheer squad to understand their chants and cheers, trying to unify the Hokies in each stadium. Stewart highlighted that a major component they worked on last season is establishing themselves as a “legit” spirit squad for Virginia Tech. The team has already gained traction among the Virginia Tech fan base and the opponents in the audience. Barnhart noted that this aspect makes the band feel that they’re truly making a difference in the gameday atmosphere.

“During the tournament last year, our director received so many compliments from all sorts of fans,” Stewart said. “Sometimes, we would check on Twitter and see people talking about how exciting the Hokie Pep Band was, so we’ve definitely been working on building a fan base and making a name for ourselves.”

No matter the outcome of March Madness, this squad is equipped to take the same energy from the Virginia Tech football field, condense it into a basketball arena and keep the audience engaged and excited throughout each game.

“The biggest comment I get about being in the band is that I’m a band nerd,” Bohart said. “My response back is always, one, I get a free ticket to every single game, two, I get to watch the most incredible players win inside my favorite arena and three, I personally believe that there is no other experience than playing in this incredible ensemble, cheering on my favorite sports team.”

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SPORTS

KITLEY MISSING ACC TOURNAMENT COMES WITH AGONY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HOKIE HOKIES

Thomas Bray | sports editor

The three-time ACC Player of the Year sustained a knee injury and missed the ACC Tournament.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Most teams that had to play on short notice without a key starter would struggle. In the Hokies’ case, they lost an All-American and three-time ACC Player of the Year in Elizabeth Kitley.

In the quarterfinals, Virginia Tech managed to beat Miami without the star big, but her absence was evident against a Notre Dame team that previously beat them at the end of February.

“(Kitley) is such a big presence,”Summiel said after finishing the Notre Dame with her third double-double as a Hokie. “She’s a great player, and we definitely missed her out there today.”

It’s hard to come away with anything positive with a 22-point, 11-rebound-sized void in the lineup, but Kitley’s missed time pushed freshman Clara Strack into a bigger role.

“I really had to work a lot more than I used to do,” Strack said after their semifinal game.“I had to make stuff for myself.”

Strack received nothing but praise from just about every opponent Virginia Tech faced this season, many comparing her to Kitley.

Earlier this season, Radford head coach Mike McGuire thought Kitley and Strack were one of the best duos in the country, and that Strack’s career was only beginning.

“I think Strack is next in line,” McGuire said after an 85–40 loss to Tech in December.“She’s going to be really good.”

Strack scored eight of the Hokies first 20 points in their quarterfinal win over Miami, but only had four points in their 82–53 loss to Notre Dame.

Despite the small scoring outing, Strack shouldered a lot more on both ends and had a few fade-away jumpers that resembled Kitley.

“We’ve (Strack and Kitley) been working on it for a while,” Strack said.

Strack’s potential is no longer a secret. She’s even earned a nickname: Strack Attack.

Everyone in the country knows who she

is and who she can become, especially her teammates.

“Clara is a really dominant freshman, Summiel said. “She’s grown so much since the beginning ...I’m really excited for her future, and she’s got a high ceiling.”

The 6-foot-5 Buffalo, New York native becoming more comfortable with taking shots and creating for herself only helps the Hokies.

This is especially true as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament with one of their star’s statuses up in the air. @CTSPORTSTALK

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CRUMBLES IN ACC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

sam mostow | sports editor Tech struggled to find production aside from Georgia Amoore.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Without Elizabeth Kitley in the lineup, Hokies women’s basketball needed to be flawless in the ACC Tournament semifinals. They weren’t, crumbling against Notre Dame, 82–53.

The Irish (25–6) went on a 15–0 run across the second and third quarters, blowing the game open. While Virginia Tech (24–7) was down the three-time ACC Player of the Year, they ran much of their offense through guard Georgia Amoore — who scored 24 points — but failed to find contributions elsewhere.

“It was not our night,” said Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks. “I don’t think we played well, especially well enough to advance to the ACC championship game.”

The Hokies did a lot of things right, making a lot of the hustle plays, but their shots just didn’t fall. They were 21-of-70 from the field, including 8-for-28 from three.

“We’re a really great shooting team when we’re on,” Hokies forward Olivia Summiel said. “Obviously, with our showing at the

tournament, we struggled a little bit … We’ve put in reps and hours and a lot of time spent at the gym. For us to not be able to show that at this stage is a little bit frustrating.”

Aside from Amoore, Summiel was the only other Virginia Tech player to score 10 points. Guard Cayla King scored six points while guard Carleigh Wenzel scored five. Amoore was the only Hokies player to score more than three field goals.

“I thought we got good shots all day, but people have to step up — including myself — and hit those shots,” King said. “In big games, we need people other than Georgia to score for us, and we’ll work on that.”

Notre Dame, meanwhile, had four players score at least 14 points, contributing to its 64% three-point rate.

“I looked down the stat sheet and I was like, ‘Wow, we’re averaging about five to six threes and we had nine,’” said Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey. “… They stay in the gym and they put up so many shots and put so much

work in, and I love seeing confident shooters get a chance to come out and show what they have.”

Tech actually outrebounded the Irish, 42–38, totaling 17 offensive rebounds. Summiel grabbed 17 of its boards, three shy of a program record.

“Notre Dame is a great rebounding team, and a huge emphasis for us today was to win the battle on the boards,” Summiel said.

Virginia Tech struggled to contain Notre Dame 10 days ago in South Bend, even with Kitley in the lineup. Without her, Saturday’s matchup against the Irish was even more challenging.

“We can’t really dread her absence,” Amoore said. “It wasn’t going to change anything. We can’t sit and dread and be like, ‘Oh, if we had Liz, if we had Liz’ — we just didn’t. We had to change our mentality.

“If we played better defense and hit shots, then it’s definitely a more interesting game.”

If there’s any consolation for the Hokies,

Saturday’s game was largely inconsequential. While it could impact NCAA Tournament seeding, they will still qualify for the tournament and have another game to play in two weeks. They will learn when and where they play next week, but in the meantime, they can learn from the loss.

“We’ve gotta take from it what we can,” Summiel said. “Obviously, these were our first two games playing with this lineup in this rotation. We’ve seen what it looks like now and have some time to get back to work and try to put something together for the NCAA Tournament.”

Virginia Tech will play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on either March 22 or 23, and learn their seeding and bracket on March 17.

SECOND CHANCE SHOTS PROPEL MEN’S BASKETBALL TO A SENIOR DAY VICTORY

Ellen Muldowney | sports staff writer

Sean Pedulla scored 28 points in the winning effort.

Virginia Tech men’s basketball endured its last game of the conference regular season against Notre Dame in Cassell Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. With an impactful performance from Sean Pedulla, who scored 28 points, the Hokies successfully sought their revenge for their earlier season loss against the Irish, 82–76.

Tech (18–13, 10–10 ACC) had an early start, quickly getting ahead with triples from guards MJ Collins and Hunter Cattoor. Notre Dame (12–19, 7–13 ACC) was also not shy of the basket in the first half, with many open shot opportunities, but struggled with jump shot accuracy. The Irish missed 11 of their shots, which caused them to fall behind, 22–12, in the first nine minutes of the half.

The Hokies also struggled from behind the three-point arc, having success in only six of their 18 attempts.

Just two minutes later into the half, Notre Dame quickly got over its scoring drought, going on a 10–0 streak that evened them out with the Hokies. Guards Carey Booth and Markus Burton were significant contributors to the Fighting Irish, with a combined 32 points.

The rest of the half was a toss-up of who took the lead and was an absolute offensive battle for the Hokies, who started to excel with their offensive rebounding. Ultimately, the half concluded with a three-point play from Pedulla and a buzzer-beater dunk from Collins. The half ended with Virginia Tech ahead, 43–38.

“They did a great job early on just kind of wedging us on the ramp and just being more physical,” said Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry. “You see a bunch of their guards like Collins and Pedulla too, and Nickel…those were probably more long rebounds where our guys were fighting over it, but they came up with it. It just went over our heads because we weren’t doing our job.”

The second half was dominated by Pedulla and his efforts driving to the basket. Out of his 28 points, just four baskets came from the foul line and zero came from behind the arc. His unstoppable basket penetration and consistent

endeavors to not only follow his own shots but also his teammates’. This made him one of the biggest offensive and defensive threats on the court.

Pedulla also had 16 points in the second where he made one of the most significant plays of the game, blocking Burton’s layup, and returning the favor with a double.

“He’s just such a downhill, all gas no brakes,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. “Man, he was hard to handle… That’s a good basketball player, it has absolutely nothing to do with coaching ––it’s just good players making winning plays.”

Despite Pedulla’s dominant performance, the second half’s largest margin was six points. Tech never gave up the lead, however, with 15 offensive boards with help from Nickel, Collins and forward

Nickel and Collins each put up 15 points and were significant outside threats. Beran also had six total rebounds, three of which came off the offensive boards.

Other key players of the game were Cattoor and center Mylyjael Poteat. Cattoor had nine points and led the team with four assists and Poteat had eight points with eight total rebounds.

The last minute of the game was a two-point battle, especially between Pedulla and Burton. But ultimately, with four successful free throws from Nickel and Collins, Virginia Tech came out on top, 82–76.

The Hokies will play against Florida State this upcoming Wednesday in Washington D.C. to kick off the ACC Tournament.

Robbie Beran.

HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech Hokies guard Hunter Cattoor (0) brings the ball up court, Feb. 19, 2024.