August 29, 2023

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

VARIOUS SCAMS SWEEP BLACKSBURG

JANE PARK | news EDItor

On Wednesday, Aug. 23, the Virginia Tech Police emailed a university-wide situational awareness report, alerting the Virginia Tech community of various scams, particularly a sextortion scam. Virginia Tech News also published the alert.

The scam has targeted male students, according to the alert. An unknown female sends a “follow” request, and after it is accepted, a conversation begins. The unknown female messages nude photos and requests nude photos or videos in return.

“Private photographs or videos are shared and/or recorded, sometimes without the consent or awareness of the person who is being recorded,” the alert said. “The scammer then blackmails the person by threatening to release the intimate material online to their followers unless they receive payment. In some cases, the payment only delays the release of this material, as the scammer

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will likely request additional payments to withhold the material.”

VTPD advised anyone who is targeted by this scam to stop responding, take screenshots, report and block the user and reach out to local police. It also suggests that people avoid sending images, responding to demands, providing money or gift cards or continuing the conversation.

Another scam that has targeted the Virginia Tech community is fraudulent football ticket sales, as the alert stated. Scammers will join unofficial Virginia Tech groups on social media, such as “VT Class of 2027,” to sell deceptive football tickets. Scammers will request and accept payment through an electronic payment service or app without fulfilling the ticket purchase.

VTPD clarified that seatgeek.com is the official ticketing partner of Virginia Tech Athletics. Most tickets for Virginia Tech’s

sporting events are also electronic and must be transferred.

Scammers will also join unofficial Virginia Tech groups to post research assistant positions using a university-affiliated email address as a contact. This has been an ongoing scam since the last academic year.

The alert also described a scam involving unsolicited contact from a known associate, family member or Law Enforcement. The scammer will send an email posing as a faculty member, student or staff.

“The scammer(s) will tell the victim that he/ she cannot connect to the internet for some reason and will state that they need to send money to a family member or fellow student/ colleague who is in dire need of the money,” the alert said. “The scammer will then ask the victim to obtain either gift cards or utilize ‘steam wallet’ (or other electronic means) to obtain cards, will ask the victim to take a photo of the bar code of the card(s), and send it to the scammer.”

left on voice mailboxes, asking the individual to contact the police department at a specific number. The number given, leads callers to a voice message appearing to be the BPD,” the post said.

BPD’s main line is (540) 443-1400. The department has asked the public to call the number if they receive a fraudulent message or are aware of other scams. This is an ongoing investigation.

365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

As students return to campus, VT Police encourages vigilance during an uptick in scams. @COLLEGIATETIMES

reveal only that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth.

When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.

Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times.

All letters must include a name and phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. Other submissions must include city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.

A similar scam has also occurred not only within the university but across Blacksburg. On Aug. 18, The Town of Blacksburg website posted a telephone scam alert.

“...the Blacksburg Police Department was made aware of a fraudulent message being

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RECSPORTS IMPLEMENTS NEW POLICIES FOR ACCESS TO TURF FIELDS

JANE PARK | news EDItor

New changes include a reservation system for open recreation.

According to Alison Cross, director of Recreational Sports, the Department of Recreational Sports is currently planning new initiatives to help control access to its turf fields, which are typically used for both intramural sports and open recreational use by students.

The fields have historically been used for the Intramural Sports program, according to Cross, who has worked at Virginia Tech since 1999.

Cross said the fields were previously natural turf until 2015 when it was renovated into artificial turf, which was called the South Recreation Field Surface Replacement Project. According to Virginia Tech News, the two original multi-purpose fields were sectioned off into six separate fields. The project cost $2.9 million.

In 2018, the newly-renovated field opened. However, gates to the fields were locked when they weren’t in use.

“And that’s how a lot of places manage artificial turf, because they’re very attractive, and they’re a very good field, so a lot of people would want to use them,” Cross said. “And so with wear and tear, people doing activities on the turf, that’s not safe for the turf.”

RecSports began leaving the gates unlocked after there was strong student interest in using the fields for open recreation. The department also pushed back the hours of intramural sports to provide more time for open recreation. Intramurals previously began at 4 p.m. but was changed to 6 p.m. to midnight.

This was the case until 2020 — because of the COVID-19 pandemic, RecSports halted the intramural sports program. In the absence of the program, Cross said there was an influx of the area’s community members coming to use the fields.

“Because we weren’t running intramurals, they were getting used to having them in the evenings, which of course is a very popular time for any group to want to use them,” Cross said. “So if you go up there at any given time, you’ll see parents with children up there using them, where it’s just maybe a parent working with one kid, so you can tell it’s not a team. It’s just

community members using it like how you would use a public park, and so for the most part, if they are not in our way during our intramural leagues, we don’t ask them to leave.”

However, Cross said this became a problem after patrons would not leave the fields for intramural sports or would become difficult after employees would ask them to do so. She also said she noticed some patrons were not students but primarily groups of community members.

“And once you have a power in numbers, and they’re in a heated game of soccer, it’s really tough if we have intramural supervisors that are student employees that are coming up trying to clear a field that’s nine acres,” Cross said.

RecSports then began locking the gates at 3 p.m. last semester — about two weeks before the end of intramurals — to avoid conflict and provide enough time to set up.

“No student employee who makes $12 an hour really deserves to be treated the way that these people were treating them,” Cross said. “And I can’t hold those people accountable because I don’t know who they are. They don’t have IDs. They aren’t students that go here, so I don’t have any way to really say ‘you are no longer on the field complex.’”

Davide Locatelli, a Virginia Tech alum who received his Ph.D. in engineering science and mechanics in 2012, spent time with his kids at the fields. He is also a part of a local pick up soccer group that used the fields. Locatelli offered an explanation as to why the community disagreed with the decision to close the fields.

“…And (the fields were) always open for anybody, students especially. And we had similar issues before like when they have intramural they come in, they kick people out. That’s fine. They have to run their own tournaments,” Locatelli said. “The thing that I think people didn’t like is that they maybe need to use just one soccer field, and they close down the whole facility. So that’s when people really get upset because no other group does that.”

According to Cross, RecSports has considered requiring students to swipe their Hokie Passports to access the fields so that there’s a record of who is in attendance.

Cross also said that a reservation system will be implemented. Those who are not affiliated with Virginia Tech can reserve the field for $30 an hour.

Both Cross and Locatelli said that this is not a new issue, but Cross believes the artificial turf renovation escalated the problem.

Caroline Gardner, a senior studying human nutrition, foods and exercise, created a petition last April to reopen the fields from 3 to 6 p.m. and to allow an extra field for open recreational use. Gardner and Locatelli are a part of the same pick up soccer group.

Gardner said she created the petition to explain the situation and raise awareness. It also outlined what she and the group hoped would change.

“I made the petition last semester, and we were kind of basically asking for two things,” Gardner said. “First, is just to have access to the fields and to not be locked, essentially. And the second thing that we were hoping for was, since a lot of us have class all day, we were requesting … for one of the fields to be an open rec space.”

Cross said the gates are no longer locked this semester, but that could be subject to change if issues arise.

Cross also said that an open field space would be available for open recreation during intramurals, but due to the waitlist and value of the program, RecSports would not be able to provide one entire field.

Cross also emphasized that because Virginia Tech students pay RecSport fees of $187 per semester, they have priority of using the field, both for intramural and open recreation.

After meeting with community members, which included Gardner and Locatelli, on Friday, Aug. 25, RecSports has decided to keep open communication with the community and keep an eye on further open space for recreational use.

“I think the bottom line is, I don’t want

people to feel like there’s not space; they just need to communicate with us — request it,” Cross said. “And then we can schedule appropriately to where we squeeze in a lot, like the turnaround time between one activity to the next is back to back. So we try to make sure that these fields get filled, and courts, every space that (are) ours gets used to the maximum abilities.”

OPINIONS

THE USWNT’S WORLD CUP LOSS IS A WIN FOR WOMEN’S SOCCER

Sarah Leberknight | opinions columnist

The WWC’s unexpected outcome will make players work harder and future matches more exciting.

their first star in 2023. The opportunities for women’s teams across the globe to participate in the greatest soccer tournament in the world will only continue to soar.

Plenty of longstanding teams saw heaps of success as well, many getting their best finishes ever. England and Spain got their first-ever spots in a final, and Columbia also secured their best finish by making it to the quarter-finals. The Matildas’ fourth-place finish is the best Australian, men’s or women’s, finish in a World Cup. These outstanding finishes for these teams are further proof that women’s teams are continuing to excel in the soccer world and reveal that there are plenty of teams that are capable of winning a star.

the U.S. has to find their place in this new world of women’s soccer, where they can’t just walk onto the field and win. Their weak performance, however, by no means justifies the hate they’re receiving from people across the internet. Teams win some and they lose some. That’s how the world of soccer should be, where there is no dominating force and everyone has a shot at winning.

The Women’s World Cup (WWC) 2023 was a smashing success from multiple angles, with records broken across the globe: 1.98 million people attended, and the tournament made 570 million dollars, meaning this WWC made more money (globally) than any other sport aside from the men’s World Cup. Spain took home their first WWC trophy, and a number of new teams entered the tournament for the first time.

Unfortunately, the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) didn’t see the same successes that other teams did. For the winners of the last two WWCs, who had never placed lower than bronze, the U.S. performed poorly. They narrowly escaped the group stages, with a team record low of five points, and then they were eliminated in the round of 16, the first knockout round, ending the dream of a “three-peat.” For the team and their fans, this was devastating. I was one of them, sitting there heartbroken as I watched my childhood heroes crash out of the World Cup in their shoot-out against Sweden. However, as disastrous as their finish was, the soccer community as a whole should be cheering. Gone are the days when the U.S. dominates — teams across the globe are catching up. The women’s game is growing and improving, and that is the

greatest possible thing for players and fans alike.

This was the first time a WWC had used a 32-team format, as in previous years, they only had 24 teams, thus allowing eight new countries to step onto the world’s stage for the first time. The Philippines, Haiti, the Republic of Ireland, Panama, Morocco, Portugal, Zambia and Vietnam all made their debuts, with the Philippines, Zambia, and Morocco notching their first-ever WWC wins. Morocco even made it out of the group stage, joining Jamaica and South Africa as teams making their first-ever round of 16 appearances.

While most of the newbies did not advance past the group stage, it doesn’t mean they played poorly — Ireland notched a tie and their captain, Katie McCabe, scored the first ever WWC Olimpico goal, a goal scored directly from a corner kick. Portugal also stood their ground against the U.S. for a tight 0–0 draw. The appearance and success of new teams is a fantastic look at how women’s soccer is growing and how it will continue to grow. This is only the beginning of what the world of women’s soccer will look like in a few years when the playing fields have evened out even more. After all, Spain only made their WWC debut in 2015 and has now earned

This Women’s World Cup also had its fair share of upsets: not only did the U.S. have their worst finish to date, but other world superpowers had early exits. Germany, ranked second in the world prior to the tournament, didn’t make it out of the group stage. Neither did superstar Christine Sinclair and Canada, ranked seventh, or legend Marta Vieira da Silva and the Brazilians, ranked eighth. Not a single previous WWC winner (U.S., Germany, Norway or Japan) made it into the semi-finals. This goes to show that in a tournament like this, rankings are meaningless. Future tournaments are going to be a fantastic watch for any fan because they’re ultimately unpredictable. While it might not be fun to watch favorites like the U.S. or Germany go out early, their exits just prove that women’s soccer is becoming more balanced. It’s evening out, and that is not a bad thing: the world will begin to see better games from each and every team.

This shift will also teach the big, popular and historically “better” teams that they can no longer rely on the past to win the future. They have to try just as hard as everyone else and accept that the future of women’s soccer is not one where they can crush everyone in their path. It’s the ultimate humbling, which is naturally sad for both fans and players but necessary for them to continue in a world where other teams, regardless of rankings, will actually be putting up a fight. Going forward,

While The Women’s World Cup 2023 may not have been a win for every team involved, it was ultimately a resounding success for women’s soccer as a whole. WWC popularity soared, and many individual teams rose to the occasion to gain success. A brand new nation was crowned winner, and deservedly so. This World Cup alone should be proof that people are invested in women’s soccer, and those who aren’t should be. The women’s game isn’t boring or less than the men’s game, and the women’s successes won’t be stopping any time soon. The women’s game has by no means reached its peak — there is still much to be done to push women’s soccer into the future. Nonetheless, this World Cup has shown the kind of support that the women’s game can get from fans and demonstrates to countries’ federations and doubters of women’s soccer that not only do teams have the chance to go far, but also that they deserve support. There shouldn’t be a doubt in anyone’s mind that the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be any less exciting. If anything, it will be more exciting than ever, as the U.S. has a comeback to make, and the rest of the world has everything to play for.

Courtesy of Getty Images

STUDYING ABROAD IS A ROAD TO SELF-DISCOVERY

Olivia Nelson | Opinions Editor

For students looking to step out of their comfort zones and increase self-confidence, consider studying abroad.

If you had told me a year ago that I would spend the first five months of 2023 exploring one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I wouldn’t have believed you.

Last spring semester, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Scotland. As a biochemistry major at Virginia Tech, I was able to study at the University of Dundee through a partnership between the two universities. I was able to take classes that counted towards my major, explore a different country and meet so many different people. It was an experience I will carry with me throughout life as it forced me to do things I never believed I was capable of accomplishing. Although it can seem daunting, students should take advantage of study abroad opportunities as a means to push their comfort zones.

While living in Scotland for a semester sounds exciting, words cannot describe how nervous I was to make the leap to study abroad. Having learned about the program my freshman year of college, I had kept the possibility of studying abroad in mind — it

was more of something that I could do, not something I was actually serious about. Traveling always seemed like a fun experience, but I never saw myself as someone who was capable of navigating a country different from that of my own. Flying across an ocean, being away from friends and family and adopting a new way of life seemed incredibly challenging — a challenge too far out of my comfort zone. Studying abroad meant breaking out of my routine, and I wasn’t sure if this was something I was ready to do. Aside from these personal anxieties, I couldn’t think of a concrete reason not to take advantage of the opportunity. This was my chance to prove to myself I could go on an adventure, to try something I never would have considered before.

Katherine Santos, advisor for Global Education and Study Abroad at Virginia Tech, describes some of the initial challenges students might face when studying abroad.

“Some challenges that students should be prepared for are; feeling like an outsider when they first arrive, overcoming the

language barrier, being far from your support network and coping with cultural misunderstandings,” Santos said.

When I first landed in Scotland, I was overwhelmed. Having never been out of the U.S. before, coupled with the fact that I had never been away from home for so long, was incredibly intimidating. While I didn’t have to worry about a language barrier, I was surprised with how many cultural differences there are between the U.S. and Scotland. Because cars are driven on the opposite side of the road in Scotland, I had to remember to look right first before crossing the street, not left. Back home in the U.S., we rely so heavily on cars for transportation that my legs ached the first few days walking everywhere. My academic schedule was also different, as students took classes in blocks rather than simultaneously throughout an entire semester. Common phrases are also different, which I learned embarrassingly. Having referred to my “trousers”’ as “pants,’’ my friends did not hesitate to tell me that the U.S. phrase “pants” means “underwear.” It was an uncomfortable feeling, because so

much was changing so quickly. However, these feelings subsided over time as I adapted to my new home for the next five months. If I was going to make the most out of my experience, I knew I had to start embracing the differences rather than fearing them.

“Experience abroad helps you overcome all of these (challenges),” Santos said. “The more time you spend studying abroad, the more comfortable you become in new spaces. The longer you spend in an area, the more of the language you start to understand. Immersion is the best way to learn a language and a new culture. Being a world traveler helps you approach cultural differences with respect and an open mind.”

Although studying abroad can seem intimidating, the key to feeling more comfortable in the unknown is to make the most out of your experience. Because I was at a new university and had no preconceived notions, I gave myself permission to try new things that I otherwise would not have done if I had

Courtesy of Olivia Nelson

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stayed in the U.S. Taking advantage of the fact that I was in a new country, I participated in new clubs, made plans to hang out with friends, traveled throughout Great Britain and simply said “yes” to things outside of my comfort zone. Trying new things does not have to be scary but can be an outlet to expand interests and foster new friendships. Studying abroad is the perfect opportunity for students to test the boundaries of their comfort zones and discover other

parts of themselves.

“Try not to place too many expectations on the trip and be present during your time abroad. Take every experience it comes, and say yes whenever you can,” Santos said. There are many resources available at Virginia Tech for students looking to get involved in studying abroad. According to Santos, the Virginia Tech Global Education Office will be attending Gobblerfest on Sept. 1 and will be hosting the Study Abroad Fair on Sept. 26 for those interested in

learning about the different opportunities available. Students are also encouraged to stop by the Global Education Office, where they can speak with advisors to find the right study abroad program.

The benefits of studying abroad reach much farther than simply spending time in another country. It’s a period of self-discovery where you not only learn more about yourself but also what you can accomplish. However, it’s not for everyone, and it’s important to leave romanticized

expectations behind. It’s letting go of those doubts and instead embracing your new environment that creates the most rewarding experience.

@COLLEGIATETIMES

LIFESTYLES A GUIDE AND REVIEW OF DATING APPS

Aidan Mason | Lifestyles Writer

Curious about the different dating platforms available? Here’s insight on the college dating app scene.

Now that everyone’s settled in on campus and the Hokie Bird wanders the streets once again, all the hustle and bustle of opening week is done and you’re sitting in your first classes while starting to get a hang of college life. For many, this is the time when thoughts of romance and relationships hit the air or maybe even just fantasies of a quick hookup. Regardless, you will probably download a dating app at some point.

There’s always the question, however, of which one to choose? Across the market there are hundreds of dating apps, each one promising great matches and boasting about their accessibility. The thing is, corporations lie. A lot. So it’s probably best that you don’t take what they say hook, line and sinker.

To help you on your journey, I’ve decided to share my own personal opinions on dating apps and which ones I prefer. I’ve developed a bit of a taste for them over the months, partially from trying to figure out how they work and partially from college hormones running rampant.

Now granted, this is only from my perspective as a straight man; things may be very different for you if you are a woman or a member of the LGBTQ+ community. However, hopefully even if you have an entirely different life experience than mine, this will at least help you in some shape or form.

Tinder

Ah, Tinder. The big boy, the king of the dating apps. There are countless stories about Tinder, both a mixture of the good and the bad. You’ve seen the screenshots of creepy matches, the catfishing, and many more horror

stories. It has its reputation for a reason.

But in spite of that, it’s undoubtedly the best app out of the bunch. The interface is very aesthetically pleasing and easy to use, while the profiles are simple, yet comprehensive. The color palette makes it instantly recognizable and easy on the eyes as well. The Washington Post describes the interface as, “perfectly constructed to encourage this rapid swiping.”

In terms of matches, this is where I’ve gotten the most. Granted, the quality of said matches is very much a hit or miss; some have led to lovely conversations and dates, while others have led to ghostings and on one occasion, finding out I was being used to cheat on her boyfriend. Overall, however, simply due to the quantity of matches, Tinder is perhaps one of the better apps amid all of them.

Bumble

Bumble is an interesting app, one that’s very much a polar opposite of Tinder. The app’s profiles are “scroll-down” as opposed to “tap to see more.” Also, in contrast to Tinder’s societal expectation that men are expected to talk first, Bumble has a unique mechanic in which women have to send the first message, otherwise the match goes away after 24 hours.

In a strange way, this does ensure a more quality standard of matches. From my experience, women you match with are much more likely to want to speak with you and are more invested as opposed to an app such as Tinder. Indeed, all of my matches have been very pleasant to talk to and I felt like I was able to connect much more than many of my Tinder matches. A downside, unfortunately, is that matches are less common and sometimes,

even if you do match, they don’t reply and thus the match expires.

Whether you think it’s better or worse than Tinder is up to you and your own preferences. For me, I view the two as companions, different in their own ways, but each with their own strengths.

Hinge

There’s an air of professionalism, of sleekness on Hinge that makes it a very easy app to look at. The bios, while having a “scroll-down” feature like Bumble along with the many prompts, polls, “roses” (similar to a super like) per week and the option to include a comment adds onto the app’s positive qualities.

In terms of matches, the app is somewhat stingy due to the fact that you can only like eight people per day on the free version. Likes are much more careful as opposed to the rest of them, which may mean you don’t get much or any for a while. This does mean, however, that there’s a smaller chance of getting an unenthusiastic match or ghosted. It’s not a definitive zero percent chance, however; I’ve been ghosted a few times.

Basically, Hinge is a solid app that should definitely be on your list.

OkCupid

Oh boy, where to start? OkCupid is perhaps one of the least well known out of the mainstream dating apps and unfortunately it shows. While I have gotten a nice amount of matches with a couple decent people to talk to, the app itself is a bit of a mess. The design feels very cramped and a sense of claustrophobia permeates throughout. Not only

that, but because the app allows you to set your location, there’s a lot of people either catfishing you from other countries or clogging up your area despite living thousands of miles away.

That being said, there are diamonds in the rough. The app, much like Hinge, allows you to leave a comment before you like and there’s a super like that you get once a week. OkCupid also has a very extensive profile creation with a pretty helpful “percent compatibility” statistic that displays prominently on the profile, allowing you to avoid wasting your time on potential bad matches.

A mixed bag overall and a good tool to have, but perhaps not the one you want to rely on.

Of course, this is all from my own personal experience and may not be relevant to everyone. Some people will have better experiences on certain apps, others will have worse than I had. It all depends on the individual and their own circumstances.

But for me, the best combo is all of them. After all, more apps means more swiping and more of a chance for a match. If I had to pick a favorite, however, I’d choose Tinder simply because of the well done interface and the quantity of matches.

Regardless, have fun and good luck swiping!

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN GIRLBOSSES

Alejandra Caballero | Lifestyles writer

Discussions regarding the dangers of the #girlboss narrative featured in the upcoming Snow White film.

Most people have grown up with Disney’s stories and characters and have an emotional bond when it comes to the storytelling of the Disney franchise. Many who watched a Disney princess movie growing up can relate to wanting to find true love with a charming prince. These ideas of finding love, courtship and living a life of love and beauty were major themes in the time of the making of the original “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937. Becoming the first fully animated feature helped open many doors in the cinema world and even inspired the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” The movie was critically acclaimed and put Walt Disney and Disney Studios on the map as a serious contender in the movie business, all the while building a unique brand of playful fantasy and enchantment.

A remake of this iconic film has been in the works for a couple of years, with the main protagonist role reprised by Rachel Zegler. Known for her work in musical theatres, Zegler’s biggest role to date was playing

Maria in the remake of “West Side Story.” A video of her talking about the remake went viral where Zegler expressed her disdain for the original film. In the video, Zegler talks with an interviewer on how the remake isn’t about Snow White falling for the prince but about her becoming a leader. Viewers of the video expressed their concerns with what they viewed as the toxic #girlboss agenda that Disney is trying to push onto impressionable young audience members.

Victoria Thomas, a senior in mechanical engineering, shared her insight on the ongoing criticism of Zegler’s comments.

“When I was a little girl, I wasn’t thinking (Snow White) was weak, I was thinking about how she loved and made friends with the dwarves and I also hoped as a little girl I would find true love like Snow White found with the prince. (For) the actors and producers of the movie to throw out that concept from the original, that I feel many of us looked up to, is really disappointing,” Thomas said.

The “girlboss” narrative has been a prominent idea over the past couple of years as a way to empower women who have faced decades of sexism. People or characters that characterize what it means to be a girlboss are usually ambitious, strong and independent.

People may see it as dangerous when the girlboss narrative begins to label traditional feminine aspirations such as seeking love and companionship as regressive, as they believe it affects young viewers.

Samuel Ayala, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, shared his male perspective.

“I think the reasons behind these movies are great, however the people doing them are not doing it in an efficient way and are affecting people more than they realize,” Ayala said.

Showcasing characters as only “girlbosses” can be controversial for multiple reasons. It could potentially limit the range of aspirations young girls might want

— it is important to show that feminism is a spectrum with various paths to being successful. By celebrating that spectrum the power of media and in this case, film, can empower without excluding those who are striving for love and contentment.

Despite the negative conversation surrounding the remake I am still eagerly awaiting the movie’s release. I believe discussions are important to hold film companies accountable and make them reevaluate their decisions as these conversations serve as a catalyst for improving the cinematic experience for viewers the movies are made for, young and older minds alike.

@COLLEGIATETIMES

SPORTS WHAT A TWO-QUARTERBACK SYSTEM COULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE HOKIES THIS SEASON

Thomas Bray

| Sports editor

Grant Wells and Kyron Drones will share time on the field this season.

Grant Wells was recently named the starting quarterback for the upcoming season. However, Wells will not be the only quarterback opposing defenses have to prepare for. When discussing the quarterback situation, Virginia Tech Head Coach Brent Pry assured everyone Kyron Drones would be a factor week-to-week.

“You have to prepare for both Grant and Kyron,” Pry said.

Wells’ experience in the offense, coupled with Drones’ lack of snaps at this level, made it difficult for the Hokies to make any other decision. Intentionally using multiple quarterbacks during the regular season hasn’t boded well for the Hokies recently.

After sharing reps with Braxton

Burmeister, Hendon Hooker transferred after the 2020 season. With Josh Heupel by his side, Hooker finished fifth in Heisman voting shortly after and was eventually drafted by the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, the Hokies went on to win just nine games during Hooker’s tenure as a Volunteer.

However, there have been several instances where a dual-quarterback approach has been beneficial for a team. The Kansas Jayhawks were bowl-eligible for the first time since 2008 last season, and they had packages where both quarterbacks were at their best. Kansas even had a play where both quarterbacks touched the ball.

Pry certainly hasn’t suggested that the

Hokies would use both quarterbacks at the same time, but this could be a situation where Drones is gradually integrated into the offense before taking over as the starter. With his athleticism, Drones could definitely begin as a rushing threat in the red zone and gradually soak up the rest of the offense.

Drones, a transfer from Baylor, has never started a collegiate game before, and he completed just 14 passes last season. It would’ve taken a complete meltdown from Wells for Drones to be named the starter heading into the season.

Regardless of what their plan is now, losing, combined with subpar quarterback play, could accelerate their timeline. If Wells wants to start for the entire season, he’ll

have to begin by beating Old Dominion this weekend. Wells threw four interceptions in last year’s matchup against the Monarchs, and Virginia Tech fell, 20–17, in Pry’s first game.

Virginia Tech volleyball (3–0) won every set they played this weekend in the Hokie Invitational across three matches, defeating Morgan State, Quinnipiac and Furman at

Sam Mostow | Sports Editor Tech defeated Morgan State, Quinnipiac and Furman.

Cassell Coliseum.

Coming off of a last place ACC finish in 2022, the Hokies swept Morgan State (0–3) on Friday in both schools’ season openers. The

first match, which Tech won 25–12, 25–19, 25–9, marked their ninth consecutive win in season openers. Outside hitter Leandra Mangual Duran, a transfer from Missouri, finished with 10 kills, leading the team.

Another bright spot against Morgan State was Iliana Rodriguez’s eight digs and a match-high four aces. Rodriguez, who played four seasons at St. John’s, is another transfer who produced for Tech this weekend.

Tech dominated Morgan State in every offensive category. The Hokies scored 49 points, countering the Bears’ 27. They totaled 40 kills, as opposed to Morgan State’s 21. They also ended with five service aces, four of which were from Rodriguez, while the Bears only had two.

Later that evening, the Hokies defeated Quinnipiac, 25–17, 25–17, 25–17. In the second match of their Friday doubleheader, middle blocker Sydney Petersen totaled eight kills, including a .615 hitting percentage. Petersen also led with six blocks, followed by outside hitter Hailey Pearce’s five. The Bobcats (1–2),

the 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions, finished with six fewer aces and seven fewer blocks than the Hokies.

To complete the weekend sweep, the Hokies handled Furman on Saturday, winning 25–22, 25–14, 25–18. Outside hitter Elayna Duprey led offensively with 12 kills, while Rodriguez led defensively with 11 digs. The Paladins (2–1) were led by outside hitter Ava Augustson’s 12 kills.

Virginia Tech will continue their non-conference slate, traveling to Toledo for the Toledo Challenge next weekend. The Hokies will play Memphis (2–1) on Friday at 10:30 a.m., Toledo (1–2) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Youngstown State (1–1) on Saturday at 12 p.m.

@CTSPORTSTALK

JUSTIN DEAN / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech’s Women’s Volleyball Team celebrating after beating Wake Forest 3-0, Nov. 2 2022.