April 6, 2021

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‘WANDAVISION’ WandaVision takes a good, . hard look at grief pg. 3

Let’s allow Tiger Woods to return on his own terms Fans of Tiger Woods need to let him, along with his family, heal in peace.

n an astounding career that has spanned over 20 years and has included many comebacks and triumphs, Tiger Woods’ latest incident is cause for more serious concern.

On Feb. 23, the golf legend was in a single-car accident that left him hospitalized, leaving his fans to worry over the potentially life-threatening injuries he may have sustained. It was not until later that night that Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent, reported that Woods’ life was not in danger. However, he did end up suffering damage to both the upper and lower portions of his tibia and fibula in his right leg, as well as damage to the ankle bones and trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg.

Woods is no stranger to surgery. As an athlete he has experienced extreme physical trauma over the course of his career. Not including his latest surgery from the recent car crash, Woods has undergone eight major surgeries, including multiple knee and back operations.

It has now been over two months since Woods’ accident, and many members of the golf media have begun to speculate about Woods’ return to professional golf, hopeful that he will soon be back near the top of the world rankings.

While it is understandable to want the most exciting name in golf to play again, it is time to pause and let Woods live a normal life for a while. He has provided fans with so many incredible memories, and the golf world would not be the same without him. The least we can do is leave him alone, as it is crucial for both his mental and physical health and more importantly, for his children.

Woods is not only one of the greatest golfers of all time, but with his unprecedented talent and charisma, he has succeeded in lifting the sport of golf to new heights. Woods has been a massive inspiration to the younger professionals on tour — those who looked up to him as adolescents now have to match up with him on a

While the 2009 scandal was completely self-inflicted and inexcusable, it came with more public criticism than an average citizen would have to endure. The scandal not only damaged the image of Woods, but took an enormous toll on his ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, and their children.

As he was in the process of rebranding

“His decision on whether to make a re-

turn to golf will be ultimately decided by him and his family, but it is important that the decision is made without outside noise and pressure.

”

regular basis. Television ratings for the PGA Tour skyrocket with Woods’ mere presence in tournaments, and as long as he plays, that will continue, which is why many are rooting for his return.

Woods’ life has been broadcasted on television and social media ever since he was just 2 years old and appeared on the “Mike Douglas Show” with his father Earl Woods.

From that moment on, Tiger Woods has lived in a metaphorical glass house, allowing the public to see much of what goes on in both his professional and private life.

Living in this glass house has been downright destructive to Woods and his family, which was underscored back in 2009 during his infamous cheating scandal that was the top headline of many news outlets for weeks. The scandal ultimately tarnished his public image, causing many of even his most diehard fans to question their loyalty to the golfer.

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his life off the course, his play on the course suffered due to physical injury. Tiger Woods was the no. 1 ranked golfer in the world at the end of each calendar year in 11 out of the previous 12 years (1998–2009), but shortly following his divorce and his first knee surgery, the golf superstar slipped to outside the top 20 by 2011. He reached world no.

1 again in 2013 but was derailed by injury

not long after. In 2015, Tiger Woods slipped outside the top 300 golfers in the world, leaving golf fans to ponder whether he would ever be himself again.

Any hope fans may have had were crushed again in 2017 when it was reported that Woods had been arrested on a DUI charge, as he was found falling asleep at the wheel while on painkillers prescribed for his recent surgery. The DUI really made fans consider if they had seen Woods play golf at a high level for the last time.

It was apparent that he was addicted to painkillers — something that had happened before back in 2010 when he went into rehab.

Addiction and mental health are very serious issues in the United States, as there is a direct correlation between substance abuse and mental health issues. With everything that Woods has been through, it is vital that he prioritizes his mental health this time.

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Throughout Woods’ professional life, his fans have always been hopeful for a return to “vintage Tiger Woods,” and many times he has bounced back to provide his devoted following with a blast from the past. However, this time feels different than any other time in the past 12 years, since his ACL knee injury and scandal back in 2008–09, not only because of Woods’ age, but because he has already proven he can make a full-scale return to golf. Woods’ improbable return during the 2018–19 PGA Tour Season, which led to his historic victory at the 2019 Masters, was nothing more than a minor miracle. This accomplishment is something that Woods could certainly hang his hat on; it was his first

collegiatetimes.com major in 11 years, and any future victory of his will likely feel less exciting.

Despite his victorious return, he is not a robot, and making a full recovery from a spinal fusion surgery and later returning to professional sports took a significant physical and mental toll on him. He can only overcome so many obstacles before he becomes completely burnt out.

Woods has transformed his public image, and due to many months recovering from various injuries in the past 10 years, has become a very active father to his now teenage children. Recently, Woods captured many hearts when he and his son, Charlie, participated in the PNC Championship back in December.

When it was first reported that Tiger Woods was in a car accident back in February, I couldn’t help but first think of his children and how scared they must have been for him. Thankfully, Woods is lucky to be alive.

Woods’ professional resume of 15 major championships, combined with 82 PGA Tour wins and years of dominance, makes up one of the most amazing careers in sports history.

His decision on whether to make a return to golf will be ultimately decided by him and his family, but it is important that the decision is made without outside noise and pressure. He needs to trust his doctors while prioritizing mental health in his recovery. The game of golf will always be there for Woods in many

April 6, 2021 PAGE 3

ways besides playing: coaching, broadcasting or just being a fan are all options for him to venture back into the game in an interesting manner.

Woods’ return to the spotlight is inevitable, so it is important that whatever way he returns, his family and children know he is well.

RORY AILOR • junior • multimedia journalism

‘WandaVision’ takes a good, hard look at grief The miniseries dives deep into grief and how it affects us, straying far from Marvel’s typical happy endings.

Spoiler Alert! This article reveals several events in “WandaVision”; stop reading now if you haven’t watched the miniseries yet.

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot in America.

Without the ability to go out and have fun, many of us have found some solace by watching T.V. Marvel, along with most other superhero movies, occupies a unique space in the American consciousness. Superheroes stand at the forefront of reinforcing American culture, as argued in the Harvard political review. Marvel has experienced a revival over the last 10 years, starting with “Iron Man” in 2008, and most recently with “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” While these works are an excellent way to study American culture, as superheroes in many cases reflect heavily on the cultures of the place they were created, they also offer a wonderful medium to look at more intense topics, like grief.

“WandaVision,” which premiered in January, did a masterful job of this.

The miniseries’ beginning is set after the events of Infinity War, where Wanda Maximoff’s love interest Vision was murdered. The episodes then carry on through the decades, each a riff on different cultural classics, leading up to the last three episodes in which Wanda Maximoff is forced to face reality — and not the one she created.

T h roughout t he show, Wa nda reimagines herself from an emigrant of the fictional country of Sokovia to

the classic American housewife. The audience later discovers that Wanda is responsible for creating the world she lives in; by harnessing her powers, she was able to create her own slice of a perfect life. We also find out that Wanda has taken control of an entire town and is essentially holding the people of Westview hostage. When Wanda fights with the evil Agatha Harkness, who momentarily frees the townspeople from the grip of Wanda’s magic, she is bombarded by their pleas to her for their release.

Wanda’s hostages grieve their loss of autonomy and their old lives. They can only sleep when she allows them, and they are unable to return home to their families, much like we have all gone without seeing our loved ones over the past year. The grief that the townspeople of Westview feel is similar to the grief we’ve felt throughout the pandemic. People throughout the world have experienced varying degrees of loss: from football games to time with friends to the people we care about.

Despite Wanda’s misgivings and flaws, it’s hard not to root for her. Few characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have had a backstory quite as sad as Wanda’s. Both of her parents were killed in a missile strike when they were young, her twin brother dies during their first mission as part of the Avengers and Vision, the one person who she can share her grief with, is murdered in front of her eyes. “WandaVision” was unique in the

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MCU because of its focus on the relationship between Wanda and Vision as well as her relationship with her kids.

We are given intimate insight into their love, and even if imagined, it feels real and relatable to all of us. Wanda’s grief over losing her loved ones leads her to do horrible things, which the audience fails to blame her for — perhaps out of some sense that in her position, they would do the same.

Superhero movies and shows have often been criticized for being one-dimensional.

The good guys will always triumph; they will always be moral actors, and if not moral, they will at least do what they legitimately believe is for the common good — even if it isn’t. In some ways, “WandaVision” fits that mold. Wanda defeats Agatha, her twins defeat the government and the good Vision defeats the bad, destructive Vision. In the end, the good guys won.

However, the Good Guys Always continued on page 4

PAGE 4 April 6, 2021 continued from page 3

Win trope is also subverted. Her victory over Agatha is pyrrhic. Wanda is forced to give it all up: her powers, the idyllic world she has created for herself and her family, and, in the process, her family as well. Vision and her children evaporate into nothingness and Wanda leaves the home she planned to share with Vision once again empty-handed.

The people whom she held hostage are

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collegiatetimes.com set free, but the harm caused to them is likely to have lasting consequences that will be hard to overcome, in the same way millions of us will now have to work to overcome the trauma that the pandemic wrought on us.

Ultimately, “WandaVision” begs a simple question: what would you do if you had the power to create your own idealized life? It goes without saying that life is painful for a multitude of reasons. Losing a loved one is an

News

extreme example, but it is an experience that most people deal with at some point in their lives. With Wanda’s powers, one could create their own slice of a “perfect” life and resurrect any loved ones gone too soon. But by doing this, you would knowingly hurt perfectly innocent strangers. None of us want to admit that we’d even consider that trade-off; however, many of us long for a way to end life’s suffering, and like Wanda, would probably take

extreme measures to get relief from our own. “WandaVision” was an excellent exploration of grief, and timely for us to witness after the year of death brought about by COVID-19.

MARCUS LEWIS • junior • national security and foreign affairs

VT AAPI COMMUNITY AAPI students reflect on the . rise of anti-Asian hate pg. 5

Virginia Tech finalizes in-person commencement plans Gov. Northam’s relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions opens the door for small in-person graduation celebrations.

ADIAH GHOLSTON news editor

Virginia Tech will hold smaller, in-person graduation ceremonies in Lane Stadium in accordance with COVID-19 protocols May 10-16.

Degrees will be conferred during the virtual university commencement ceremony taking place on Friday, May 14, at 6:15 p.m.

Throughout the seven days, 15 college-specific graduation ceremonies will take place allowing students and families to celebrate in person.

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine graduation ceremony will take place in Roanoke on May 8, and the greater Washington, D.C. area graduation ceremony will take place in Falls Church on May 18.

The Corps of Cadets ceremony will take

ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES University Commencement Ceremony, May 11, 2018.

place on the Upper Quad on May 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Graduating students and their guests must register to attend the in-person ceremonies. Each graduate can invite up to four guests.

Registration for graduating students ends April 16. Beginning April 19, students will receive an email to secure up to four guest tickets.

Graduation ceremonies are expected to last two hours. Large colleges will have their graduation split into two ceremonies. Students will be able to select the time they wish to attend.

Ceremonies will feature a message from each college’s dean. Graduates will be able to walk across the stage as their name is called and a picture is taken.

More than 8,0 0 0 students are expected to graduate this year.

Virginia Tech is able to host these ceremonies because Gov. Northam recently relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, allowing up to 5,000 attendees at outdoor commencement ceremonies.

The schedule for in-person college ceremonies held at Lane Stadium is currently planned as:

Tuesday, May 11 4 p.m. Graduate School (2 of 2)

3)

Wednesday, May 12 6 p.m. College of Engineering (1 of

Thursday, May 13 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. College of Engineering (2 and 3 of 3) 6 p.m. College of Architecture and Urban Studies Friday, May 14 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. College of Science (1 and 2 of 2) 6:15 p.m. University Commencement virtual ceremony Saturday, May 15 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (1 and 2 of 2) 6 p.m. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Sunday, May 16 8 a.m. College of Natural Resources and Environment 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Pamplin College of Business (1 and 2 of 2)

Monday, May 10 2 p.m. Graduate School (1 of 2) 6:30 p.m. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine @CollegiateTimes

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April 6, 2021 PAGE 5

Virginia Tech AAPI community reflects on rising anti-Asian hate The Georgia shooting intensified conversations about the rapid increase of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States.

ADIAH GHOLSTON news editor

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has been grappling with the recent killings in Atlanta, Georgia, and the rapid rise of anti-Asian attacks nationwide.

The Asian American Student Union (AASU) released a statement and the APIDA Caucus wrote a Roanoke Times op-ed raising awareness of these increased incidents of anti-Asian hate.

On March 16, eight people, six of whom were Asian and seven of whom were women, were shot to death at three different Georgia massage parlors in the Atlanta area. Robert Aaron Long, who confessed to the shootings, has been arrested and charged eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

The Georgia shooting intensified conversations about the rapid rise of anti-Asian sentiment in the U.S., which began last spring in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks reports of violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, has received reports of over 3,700 hate incidents in the United States since the beginning of the pandemic. These incidents range from violent attacks and verbal abuse to vandalization of Asian businesses.

Virginia Tech is not isolated from this problem; Virginia Tech’s bias incident report shows four reported incidents of antiAsian sentiment within the past school year.

“People have come to me, they have told me they and their classmates were experiencing, not necessarily violence, but discrimination in their classes, especially at the onset of the pandemic,” said Jessica Nguyen, president of the Asian American Student Union.

Stop AAPI Hate has also found Asian American women reported 2.3 times more hate incidents than men.

Authorities have declared it is too early to determine the Georgia shootings as a hate crime, instead saying the gunman’s motivation was, in the gunman’s words, driven by a sex addiction. It was found Long visited two of the three massage parlors he attacked for sex when he relapsed from celibacy.

However, Asian American women have proclaimed that racism and sexism have been inseparable in their personal experience and throughout the recent rise of attacks, especially in regards to the Georgia shootings.

“Before there was even discussion about whether Asian American women were targeted, we knew that (fetishization of Asian and Asian American women) had a role in this,” Nguyen said. “Once it was publicized that the perpetrator had a sex addiction, we were like, ‘This definitely has to do with (the) fetishization of Asian and Asian American women.’ America has a very deep history of fetishizing Asian women.”

Nyguyen cites Afong Moy, who is believed to have been one of the first Chinese women to come to the United States, as an example of historical American fetishism of Asian women. Moy was sold to sit center stage of an American exhibit selling the “Oriental” experience to the American people: showing off her bound feet, having her eat from chopsticks, showcasing Chinese goods and more.

The fetishization of Asian women has also been seen through policy. The Page Act of 1875 banned women from “China, Japan and other oriental” countries for “lewd and immoral purposes” or “the importation of women for the purposes of prostitution.” In practice, it aimed to bar Chinese women from migrating to the United States.

Individuals would have to face discriminatory and embarrassing medical exams and their entry depended on the Consul-General at port cities.

“From the get-go, you are already fetishizing Asian women as this otherly figure, as this figure you don’t encompass as your culture and community,” Nguyen said.

President Tim Sands and Vice President Menah Pratt-Clarke released a statement on March 4 condemning the recent rise of antiAsian hate.

“At Virginia Tech, in solidarity with the Asian American Student Union (AASU) and the APIDA Caucus, we condemn this racially fueled brutality as abhorrent and reaffirm our unwavering support of the APIDA community — on our campus and beyond,” the statement said. “We must also recognize the continued psychological toll and trauma the APIDA community is

COURTESY OF ASSOCIATED PRESS Jessica Wong, front left, Jenny Chiang, centre, and Sheila Vo, from the Asian American Commission in Massachusetts, stand together during a protest to condemn racism, fear-mongering and misinformation aimed at Asian communities on the steps of the statehouse in Boston, March 12, 2020

experiencing.”

AASU and APIDA felt that the letter wasn’t comprehensive when it came to addressing the severity of the violence and expressed these grievances to Pratt-Clarke in a meeting.

However, the groups feel as if the Virginia Tech administration has been receptive to their expressions of grief and criticism. After the Georgia shootings, AASU and APIDA were pleased to find that the statement was updated on March 18 with a section on how the Georgia shootings were tied into antiAsian violence.

“What we think they did really well is that they attached resources specifically to the Asian Cultural Engagement Center, they credited the AASU for working toward this and they credited the APIDA Caucus, so we’re grateful for that,” Nguyen said.

From candlelight vigils and student organization leaders stepping up to AASU hosting mental health sessions for the APIDA population, Nguyen has seen an increase in collective action and advocacy in aims to educate, spread awareness of antiAsian violence and advocate for justice at Virginia Tech.

“In the past, the APIDA population here has had trouble getting interest for social advocacy, social justice work and anything involving politics,” Nguyen said. “It’s really

nice to see that student leaders are showing up, bringing ideas to the table, really offering their support for the community. I’m really proud of our constituency for that.”

Outside of Virginia Tech, the intercollegiate APIDA coalition, made out of collegiate Asian American student organizations, was formed to bring awareness of the anti-Asian sentiment happening locally, nationally and on their college campuses.

The coalition’s main goal is to call out universities and get them to denounce anti-Asian violence. The group has listed demands such as hiring more Asian faculty well-versed in Asian American history, hiring mental health professionals who are culturally competent in the Asian American experience and more. Over 90 organizations from over 35 schools have co-signed on these demands, including Virginia Tech’s AASU. “As devastating as it is, (the pandemic) definitely did bring our community closer,” Nguyen said. “We all care about this community here; it’s special. (With) the gradual publicization of these attacks, we increasingly grew angry. We can’t just stand idly by.”

To keep the momentum of the current movement, AASU leaders plan to continue to network and work with student organizations within and outside of Virginia Tech.

PAGE 6 April 6, 2021

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Lifestyles

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April 6, 2021 PAGE 7

KEELY ROCHARD Catching up with Hokies’ star pitcher pg. 8

After the awards: Everything you missed from the Grammys Our writer watched the 63rd annual Grammys and all the virtual celebrating so you don’t have to.

ELISE MCCUE lifestyles staff writer

Did you hang out with friends, catch up with school work or do anything else except browse cable TV on the night of March 14?

If you said yes, chances are you missed this year’s Grammy Awards. Do not fret, because I watched all three hours and 45 minutes of the award show so you don’t have to. Here are the biggest winners and losers of the Grammys that you might have missed.

Winner: Retro Revivals Between the bold performances and old fashion choices, this year’s Grammys brought blasts from the past. Harry Styles exuded a Mick Jagger-esque swagger with his stripped-down version of “Watermelon Sugar,” complete with soulful background performers and a horns section fit for a ’70s record. Speaking of the ’70s, the live-debut of the Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak duo “Silk Sonic” looked like a performance plucked right out of 1975. Adorned in warm brown hues of leisure suits and sparkling shades, the performance of the group’s debut single “Leave the Door Open” was a ’70s vision. Bonus points for the song’s intro, made by ’70s soul legend Bootsy Collins.

Going back even further in time, Megan Thee Stallion performed a mashup of her hits “Body” and “Savage (Remix)” in a set that can be best described as “vaudevillian.”

The contrast between the modern anthems and the follies-like set, complete with a big-band accompaniment and a tap dancing duet, all worked together to make a glitzy performance.

Loser: PG-13 WAP Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve surely heard of the raunchy anthem that brought together two of hip hop’s biggest names, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. The original took the TikToksphere

by storm and found itself on every charttopper playlist and Top 40 radio station for weeks. The original song finds its punch in its shocking explicitness, which is why the primetime-friendly performance of the song was interesting — to say the least. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion still performed the song with all the power they put into the original, but hearing “WAP” without half of the content from the original song was jarring and confusing.

Winner: Disco Dua If anyone has inexplicably prospered during the past year, it was Dua Lipa. Her hit single “Don’t Stop Now” got the TikTok community through the beginning stages of the pandemic, and she finally got what she deserved with a big win for her album “Future Nostalgia.” Lipa’s sophomore LP snagged the title of this year’s Best Pop Vocal Album, and her shimmering live performance was a testament to this win.

The mashup of her songs “Levitating” featuring DaBaby and “Don’t Stop Now” was a glittery, rose-colored vision from the disco days and a bold reminder that Dua Lipa is a force to be reckoned with.

Loser: In Memoriam of Eddie Van Halen The annual “In Memoriam” portion of the Grammys is a segment dedicated to honoring music legends who died within the past year. Host Trevor Noah noted that there were 1,000-plus artists considered for the tribute this year, so of course, no amount of screen time can do justice for each artist who passed. However, one of the most notable deaths is that of rock legend Eddie Van Halen of the ’70s band Van Halen. For someone so widely recognized as not just a musical but also a cultural icon, the 20-second snippet of his iconic “Eruption” guitar solo did not bode well with many who regarded this brief

COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE A view of the Latin Grammy award trophy onstage during The 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony at MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 17, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Rich Polk/WireImage/Getty Images/TNS)

tribute as squeezed-in and rushed.

Winner: Trevor Noah and the Five Venues Host Trevor Noah was tasked with the particularly difficult job of not only hosting the most prestigious award show of the season but also hosting a socially distanced, partially virtual award show between five venues and making the event seem cohesive.

With quips and one-liners that didn’t seem forced and his lack of pointless filler bits, Noah succeeded in hosting the awards show and somehow sewing together the physical distance between the attendees and venues, making for an intimate and consistent show. Speaking of the venues, this year’s Grammys strayed from the traditional banquet hall-style theatre packed with show-goers and opted for the regulation safe, multi-venue option. The show was held at five venues across the country: the Hotel Café in Los Angeles, the Troubadour in West Hollywood, The Station Inn in Nashville, and the Apollo Theater in Harlem, with the central location of the award show being in the Los Angeles Convention Center. Each venue featured their own personal flare, socially distanced table layouts, and gave a spotlight to the workers of the independent venues who shared their typically unheard stories of being part of the music industry.

Loser: Say So… Again…

Doja Cat’s biggest hit “Say So” is

undeniably catchy, the soundtrack to one of the most viral TikTok dances, and has spent 38 weeks on the charts. The song debuted in 2019 and Doja Cat has since performed it at the MTV Europe Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, a number of late night shows, and countless other live performances. It’s 2021. Critics and audience members alike were confused as to why Doja Cat was still performing the song two years later when the performance slot could’ve been given to other, newer artists.

Winner: Billie Eilish Sweep The last and biggest Grammy to be awarded is Record of the Year, and 19-year-old music virtuoso Billie Eilish won big by receiving this award for her single “Everything I Wanted.” In addition to claiming the biggest award of the night, Eilish was nominated for a grand total of four Grammys and won two, the other being a win with her song “No Time Left to Die” winning Song Written for Visual Media. The cooler-than-you LA teen has been surprising the world with her hauntingly catchy and memorable tunes since 2016 and has been taking the world by storm since. This win is a long time coming and an indicator that this young star has more surprises and talents up her sleeve as she grows as an artist. @CollegiateTimes

Sports

PAGE 8 April 6, 2021

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Keely Rochard talks women’s softball

Hokies’ star pitcher discusses her success and what techniques have served her well throughout her athletic career.

AMBER WILLIAMS sports editor

Keely Rochard, pitcher for the Hokies’ softball team, has been performing incredibly well to propel Tech to the No. 19/16 spot. The 5-foot-8-inch junior had a career-high performance on March 20 on the latter half of a doubleheader. Rochard accumulated 19 strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Panthers, which eventually led to the Hokies winning the series.

Her performance has been recognized within the ACC and nationally as Rochard continues to add accolades to her career.

Rochard was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as National

Keely Rochard vs. Pittsburgh, March 21, 2021.

Pitcher of the Week on March 23; this is her second time receiving the honor this season and the fifth time in her career.

As a result of pitching four shutout games during the week of March 22 – 30 against the University of Virginia and Louisville, the Williamsburg, Virginia, native was recognized as the ACC Pitcher of the Week on March 30. This was her second time receiving the title this season and the eighth of her career.

When asked what has sparked this sudden explosive performance, Rochard states she has not changed her playing style.

“I know my stats have been doing better recently, but I feel like I’ve been able to be pretty steady with my command and am

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feeling confident with hitting my spots with my off-speed,” Rochard said.

During the back-to-back games on March 20 against Pittsburgh, both of which Rochard pitched for, she remained steady throughout both matchups. After the team dropped the first game 5 – 3, Rochard remained focused and came back to the mound determined.

For this game, Rochard denied the Panthers any runs with a final of 5 – 0.

Rochard has her own personal recipe for remaining calm and it has proven to serve her well throughout her career.

“Some things that help me (to stay focused) are the preparation that I do beforehand and how that gives me confidence during the game,” Rochard said. “(Also) the calmness that I keep internally when things don’t go the way I may have wanted them to. Then the support of my teammates on and off the field is something I always remember during a game.”

Rochard’s teammates were fully supportive after the game against the Panthers. They all ran up to surround her, echoing congratulations. Rochard could be seen smiling in the huddle, the first time breaking her concentration since parting from the mound.

Following the Pittsburgh series came her shutout pitching performance against the Hokies’ rival UVA. Despite the rivalry, Rochard and her teammates do not place any particular emphasis on the matchup.

“Even though they are our rival and all of my teammates enjoy playing them, we treat each game the same,” Rochard said. “When I am able to get a shutout, I don’t really think it tastes sweeter — if you will — when it’s versus UVA. We respect them a bunch and enjoy playing them every year.”

As previously mentioned, Rochard has been the recipient of multiple awards and recognitions over the past couple of weeks.

In regards to the NFCA National Pitcher of the Week title, Rochard points to her teammates as a source of her success.

“Even though it is an individual award, I have to give credit to my two catchers,

Mackenzie Lawter and Alexa Milius, who have been great catching for me this season,” Rochard said. “Their ability to frame my [pitches] and give me pointers throughout the game has been very helpful. Then my defense behind me has been stellar all year, committing very few errors and making great plays left and right.”

Rochard has had an exciting career so far, but she still feels the same amount of excitement when receiving recognitions such as ACC Player of the Week.

“It always feels good to be honored, whether that’s within the conference or nationally,” Rochard said. “Similar to the NFCA award, I know my teammates made it possible and I know they are proud of me, too. So, it’s cool, but not why I play the game.”

Rochard and the Hokies are 20 – 5 overall and 13 – 5 in the ACC thanks to a total-team effort. Tech looks to continue their success in its upcoming series against Duke and Longwood.

@CollegiateTimes