February 20, 2023

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NEWS VIRGINIA TECH’S GIVING DAY 2023 BREAKS RECORDS

Jane Park | News editor

Donors

gave over $9.6 million this year.

From Wednesday, Feb. 15 to Thursday, Feb. 16, Virginia Tech celebrated its annual 24-hour Giving Day event. The event kicked off at 12 p.m. EST and concluded at the same time the following day.

Giving Day is an opportunity for Virginia Tech students, faculty and staff, alumni and other supporters to donate a gift of at least $5 to their preferred university departments, colleges, organizations, programs and teams. The celebration also included a scavenger hunt for students and parties in Washington, D.C. and Richmond.

On Feb. 16, VTx reported Giving Day 2023 broke records. Compared to last year’s 15,787 donors, 16,841 donors contributed gifts this year. Last year’s celebration saw $8.4 million worth of donations, but over $9.6 million was raised this year.

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There were 38 countries participating in the event; the university received gifts spanning from the United States to Germany to Australia.

“Thank you to all the Hokies who stepped up and made a difference,” said Ann Bolton, director of annual giving, in a statement to VTx. “It is thrilling what Hokie Nation can do together in 24 hours. The generosity of our community never surprises me, but it does inspire me. What we’ve been able to do together is nothing short of amazing. This giving is transformative for our university. It will be felt for decades to come and help countless future generations of Hokies.”

The Pamplin College of Business overall received the most funds of $2,538,239.88 from donors, winning an extra $5,000 from Virginia Tech. In second place was Virginia

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Tech Athletics, who had $1,427,154.42 worth of gifts, winning $4,000. The College of Science, College of Engineering and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences followed — all winning extra funds from the university. The Pamplin College of Business also came first in having the most donors of 2,649, winning them a bonus of $10,000. The Virginia Cooperative Extension came

second with 2,046 donors, which won them $9,000. The College of Engineering, Virginia Tech Athletics and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences also placed for having the most donors. All will be awarded additional funding from Virginia Tech.

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NEYHA POCHIRAJU / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Two Virginia Tech students running the Giving Day Scavenger Hunt booth in Squires, Feb 23 2022.

VIRGINIA TECH LAGS BEHIND IN CAMPUS RACE TO ZERO WASTE COMPETITION

bethany hansel | news writer

The university is currently placed 61st among 66 other universities.

Virginia Tech entered the Campus Race to Zero Waste challenge on Jan. 29 for an eight-week long competition with 66 other universities across North and Central America to reduce waste and boost recycling rates. With first place corresponding to the school with the highest recycling rate, Virginia Tech is currently ranked 61st in the competition.

The competition, formerly called RecycleMania, is sponsored by the waste management and recycling company Rubicon, and is conducted in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation.

In the first week of the competition, Tech had a 13.91% recycling rate, dropping to 10.30% in the second week. To compare, Loyola Marymount University, who currently holds the first spot in the competition, has an 80.256% recycling rate. Teresa Sweeney, Virginia Tech’s waste and recycling manager, reported that from the week of Feb. 5 to 11, the university produced 216,260 pounds of trash and recycled 15,142 pounds of material.

Sweeney explained that the university’s low ranking is largely due to the size of the school’s land and population compared with

most other participating colleges.

“I didn’t think anybody on that list necessarily was that much of a good comparison with us, because we’re a big university, we’re kind of widespread, we have locations in different places, number of students, that kind of thing … I want it to be a competition too, but I also want us to look at how we’re going to get better, and I want to commit to getting better,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney discussed how this competition is about taking steps to advance towards Tech’s Climate Action Commitment goal, which among other milestones, aims for the university to reach a 50% recycling rate by 2025, and then to be completely zero waste by 2030.

Virginia Tech is slowly taking steps toward this goal, including by hiring Sweeney as the university’s first waste and recycling manager in May 2022. Sweeney also outlined how the school’s location in southwest Virginia has proved to be a barrier to significantly reducing waste because Virginia Tech lacks access to facilities that collect 3 through 7 plastics, nor a nearby composting facility. To attempt to

address some of these issues, the university is hoping to create its own composting facility by 2025, which will greatly increase the school’s opportunities to reduce waste and their carbon footprint.

“(It’s) going to be necessary for us to get a composting facility that’s closer to where we are, because (right now) we’re shipping our organic material some 70-some miles up the road. If we had our own facility we could use that as kind of a learning laboratory and have those people who want to specialize in organics and composting of those things,” Sweeney said.

The current biggest sources of waste on campus, according to Sweeney, come primarily from the dining halls. Food, food packaging and plastic cups that come from the dining halls are all huge sources of waste, and although the university is taking steps to reduce these sources, there are still barriers. These include the absence of a nearby composting facility and the fact that not all compostable items actually end up in the compost.

“They’ve done a lot to decrease the

amount of waste there by only purchasing things that are reduced (in the) amount of plastic in making it. Or if they’re compostable items that they can purchase, then that’s what they’ve done,” Sweeney said. “But like I said, we can spend extra money on buying those things, but if they’re not getting composted, then we’ve really not gained anything by purchasing it and really followed through with the entire process.”

Virginia Tech is still far behind its goal of being zero waste by 2030, but Sweeney is confident in the university’s ability to take the necessary actions to get there.

“I do think that we have a ways to go. My goal with this Campus Race to Zero Waste is to be forced to look at these numbers on a weekly basis, and we can make small improvements each week,” Sweeney said. “We can take this information … and figure out where we need to focus our time.”

Sweeney encourages students and staff to do their part in helping the university reach its goals.

“Recycle what you can,” Sweeney said. “If you don’t understand the campus program, reach out to me, and I will assist you in setting up something in your office, (and) go over with you what things to put in that bin. Even if you just started with paper, bottles, and cans … you would take out the biggest part of our trash that we’re disposing of besides organics.”

Sweeney also gave a reminder to never bag recyclables. For more tips on what can and can’t be recycled and how to do your part to increase campus sustainability, please visit the university’s recycling page.

ARMAHN RASSULI / COLLEGIATE TIMES

A student recycling a plastic cup in one of the many recycling bins placed around campus, April 17, 2017.

THE UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OF SADNESS: WHY YOU SHOULDN’T REPRESS YOUR FEELINGS

Will Frank | opinions contributor

Sadness should be embraced because it improves life in a way other emotions cannot.

Today, sadness is deemed a weakness and an emotion that should be avoided at all costs. Fortunately, this is a resolvable misconception. Sadness should be embraced and recognized as one of the most influential emotions that the human body is capable of producing and appreciated for its ability to ground and connect us.

Sadness is capable of improving aspects of life no other emotion can. It has been recognized in one field study published by the Greater Good Science Center that sadness may have the ability to improve memory. In this study, it was found that negative attitudes improve the mind’s attention to memory for casual details in the environment, while positive moods impair attention to memory. This same study showed that on rainy, depressing days, people better recollect details they encounter throughout the day.

Sadness also has the ability to improve a person’s judgment. People are more likely to make social misjudgments due to biases they possess when they are cheery. Individuals in a negative mood are more likely to make judgments but are significantly better at correctly distinguishing between deceptive and truthful suspects.

Increasing a person’s motivation is also a unique perk of sadness. Happiness sends signals to the brain indicating that it is safe and in a familiar situation, telling it that there is no need to change anything. Contrarily, sadness operates as an alarm for the brain, triggering more effort and motivation to deal with challenges in our environment. People who are happier are less enthusiastic to push themselves compared to others who are sad. Those who are sad are more eager to adjust their habits to extricate themselves from their prison of unpleasantness.

Ironically, sadness can have the ability to improve social interactions. Happiness increases positive interactions between

people. People in happy moods are poised, assertive and proficient communicators. In turn, due to social constructs, they are perceived as more likable than sad people. However, sad moods are undoubtedly more helpful in situations where a more cautious, less assertive and more attentive communication style is needed. These people focus more on external cues and don’t rely on a first impression bias, which happy moods are more inclined to trust.

A fallacy universally believed is that sadness is an unhealthy state of mind. It’s known to put people in slumps, making it harder to eat and leading to more severe forms of sadness, like depression. Sadness is a healthy emotional response that our body generates to help process pain and loss, communicating a need for care and compassion from yourself and others. The leading cause of this fallacy is the unawareness of the difference between sadness and depression. These words are not interchangeable. Depression, or major depressive disorder, is defined as a “common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act,” according to Psychiatry.org. Understanding the difference between depression and sadness is pivotal to constructing a space where people can become comfortable with their feelings and the idea of sadness. These feelings of sadness are never permanent, and with the proper help are readily conquerable.

Sadness is one of the most dominant emotions that the body is capable of experiencing because it signals to the prefrontal cortex and helps people connect when it is expressed. It is meant to be seen and announced, not stuffed down and hidden until they erupt. Humans are a profoundly social species, so by being comforted or comforting others, our bodies can effectively respond to emotion with empathy which biologically “cools down” the

entirety of the nervous system.

Claire Webb, a junior psychology major, spoke on the ramifications of not embracing mental health.

“Depression is debilitating and prevents you from living your life,” Webb said. “It is not an emotion, it is something clinical, a disease almost. If you keep yourself from suppressing your emotions, it can lead to worse(ned) mental health in the future.”

Embracing one’s true emotions leads the mind to stable ground. Compromise is required to make progress in controlling your emotions, and sometimes the first step is admitting that you need help. There is a taboo that limits the conversation about mental health, especially in relation to how it affects men. Everyone, regardless of how they identify, can suffer from mental health issues. Toxic masculinity holds a lot of men back from reaching out for the help they need. Nearly one in 10 men suffer from depression but less than half will seek out treatment. In 2020, it was reported that men died by suicide 3.88 times more than women. There is a gender difference in suicide rates, with approximately three female suicide attempts per one male suicide attempt, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The data points indicate that men die by suicide significantly more than women, but women experience thoughts of suicide and attempt suicide more then men. Without proper resources and open discussions about what mental health is and its prevalence in young people’s lives, society is creating ill-equipped young adults and sending them out into the world, unable to function. The idea that empathy, humbleness and compassion is “weakness” is archaic and toxic.

Federal and state governments work together to address mental health systems. The federal government regulates systems and providers, like insurance and mental health facilities, and provides funding for

said services and supports research and innovation. State governments have to meet the prerequisites set by the federal government but are free to expand beyond them and improve the services and protections they offer. Freedom to improve on the services set in place by the federal government allows states to create improvements that, in due time, can be translated across the country.

Although it might not be the same with cases of depression, sadness can give way to more secure and meaningful feelings of happiness due to being more in tune with real emotions. Repressing sadness by concealing it with superficial facades to mask private despair is futile. Sadness is a natural response produced by the human mind in relation to natural circumstances that are ubiquitous in everyone’s lives. Being comfortable with sadness teaches people to see negative emotions as inevitable facts of life, and putting these feelings in a positive light equips us to deal with periods of dwelling and anxiety.

Prohibiting yourself from exploring all parts of your mind and engaging with your emotions is equivalent to locking yourself out of half of your body’s functions. Why would you only want to be able to operate half of yourself? Not allowing yourself to engage with your feelings can cause you to lean into toxic positivity, which gives rise to an inherent sense of contempt toward yourself when feeling sad. It is OK to feel bad, and it is more than OK to reach out and ask for help. Asking for help is a true sign of strength and self-awareness.

The number for Virginia Tech’s Cook Counseling Center, the university’s mental health services center, is (540) 231-6557. Students can visit https://ucc.vt.edu/ for information on the center’s hours and services.

WHAT TO BRING TO YOUR FIRST APARTMENT

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Moving off-campus can be a very intimidating part of college, and leaving the comfort and familiarity of dorms is a big step. You’re on your own now — you have to cook and clean for yourself, do your own laundry and make sure you didn’t leave your stove on before leaving the house.

After moving into my apartment, there were definitely some things I wish I had known to bring to my new home. With that in mind, here’s some of my apartment necessities for each room of your humble abode, and hopefully this will make moving in a breeze for you.

When splitting items, my roommates and I made a shared Google Doc of who had what items and if they’d bring them or not. This was just to make sure we didn’t purchase any extra items as well as establish a solid list of things we’d need to buy. It also helped to make a list to know which items we’d be splitting the cost for.

Basic necessities

On move-in day, make sure to have an easily accessible bag of your everyday needs: hygiene products, an outfit or two, phone chargers, your laptop, other important electronics, a water bottle and maybe even some snacks for energy are good to have at hand.

Move-in day is chaotic and tiring; your life’s belongings are everywhere in an unfamiliar living space. You’re going to be organizing, unpacking and carrying boxes for a few hours. Having your everyday essentials already organized will save you some hassle.

It’s also smart to keep a pair of scissors or a boxcutter at hand. You’ll have a lot of things taped shut to rip open — you’ll also need a trash bag to throw away all of those used packing materials.

Cleaning supplies

Luckily, many apartments are cleaned for you before you move in. But it’s not a bad idea to go over everything with some disinfecting spray or some antibacterial wipes upon moving in.

For cleaning basics, make sure to bring some cleaning wipes or spray to disinfect heavily-touched areas, a vacuum or Swiffer to

leeanna duong | lifestyles writer

make sure the floors are clean and dust-free and maybe a candle for any weird smells.

Simple cleaning supplies like dusters, a broom and dustpan, a mop and bucket and microfiber cloths are always reliable, too. I’d also bring some paper towels and napkins — you’ll need them more than you realize.

You’ll also need laundry supplies — so save your laundry bag to make transporting clothes easy. Don’t forget detergent, dryer balls or sheets, fabric softener and whatever else you like to add to your laundry.

Bathroom supplies

For bathroom supplies, you’re going to need toilet paper, towels, hand towels, hand soap, shower and toilet cleaning solution, a toilet brush, plunger, a brush for the shower, bath mats and a shower curtain and liner.

Depending on where you’re living, you might not get a towel rack, so I’d invest in Command hooks or a non-damaging rack you can stick on the wall. You also might not have much shelving in your shower, so I’d invest in some stick-on shelves for the shower. You can purchase shower shelves on Amazon if you need. If you don’t want to stick anything on your shower walls, an alternative is a three-tier rolling cart.

If you or your roommates have long hair, I’d highly recommend buying a drain cover to catch any hair that could go down the shower drain. It’ll save you from many clogs in your shower, but it wouldn’t hurt to buy a drain snake as well.

Kitchen supplies

If your kitchen doesn’t already have a microwave, buy one as soon as possible. Trust me — my roommates and I didn’t have a microwave for a week or two and it made cooking way more complicated than it should’ve been.

Besides a microwave, make sure you know what appliances your kitchen comes with. Other appliances that can be handy to have around would be a toaster, air fryer, microwave oven, kettle, coffee maker, Brita water filter, rice cooker, blender and an ice tray if the fridge doesn’t have an icemaker.

Make sure to have cooking supplies such as pots, pans, cooking utensils, oven-safe cooking sheets, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, Ziploc bags, tupperware, large mixing bowls, measuring cups, a strainer and a cutting board.

In terms of dinnerware and utensils, make sure to have enough utensils, knives for cutting, plates, bowls, cups and mugs of all sizes. It also doesn’t hurt to have paper dinnerware just to be safe.

Amazon, Target and Walmart have some really great sets for cooking utensils, pots and pans, cutlery and dinnerware that you can buy all at once.

If you have new dishes, you’ll need to wash them. So don’t forget dishwasher detergent, sponges, a dish brush, dish soap and a drying rack. If you want to get fancy, you can buy brushes to clean out water bottles and straws. I highly recommend rubber gloves if you want to avoid touching chunks of food in the sink. It’s also nice to have a sponge holder, too, so the sponge doesn’t get musty.

In terms of food, having a well-equipped spice cabinet will take your meals to the next level. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, cinnamon, cumin, paprika and oregano will take you a long way.

Organizational tools

Having an organized apartment will make it feel like your own space. Knowing where everything is is not only convenient but gives you a sense of safety and contentment. Although maybe that’s just me, since I’m an organization freak. I love having designated areas for my possessions to live. It always feels great to come home to a clean space.

Starting with the bedroom: having shelves, bins or a dresser to organize clothes will save you so much time when choosing outfits. Another option is hangers. They’re efficient and make it easy to find specific pieces of clothing — and prevent wrinkles.

I have many large and small bins in my room for miscellaneous items, such as random electronics, art supplies, books and medicine. On my desk, I also have various containers of all sizes to organize my school supplies and important documents. You’re going to obtain

many trinkets while being in college and you never know when they could be of use for you, so it’s good to keep them just in case.

There are a few things I used in my dorm room that I recommend keeping, such as the aforementioned three-tier rolling cart if you had one in your space. It’s versatile and you can put it in any room in your apartment. Also, keep all of your power strips, lamps, pillows, blankets and ottomans. Those items will still be very useful to you in the future.

Furniture and appliances

As for furniture and appliances, this will depend from apartment to apartment. If your place doesn’t come fully furnished, you’ll obviously have to purchase furniture on your own. Lucky for us, we live in a world where Facebook Marketplace and thrift stores exist.

These two resources were lifesavers when it came to buying lower-priced furniture for my apartment. Not only is this furniture significantly cheaper than firsthand sellers, but the pieces are also more unique. By shopping secondhand, my roommates and I found a dinner table, chairs, coffee table, side table, lamp, TVs, TV stand/storage console, entryway table, couches, a bookshelf and so much more. In this process, we saved so much money and have charming, unique pieces in our home.

Most importantly, you’ll need a bed and a bed frame if they are not provided. There are many places where you can buy a mattress and bed frame, so this process is totally up to your preference.

At the end of the day, this is your apartment and you get to customize it how you like. You get to decorate and design your living space to your heart’s content. Moving into an apartment seems like a long and stressful process, but once you get used to the routine of things it’ll be a wonderful experience living on your own.

PROS AND CONS OF BLACKSBURG HOUSING

MICHAELA SCOTT | LIFESTYLES ASSISTANT EDITOR

Students provide honest advice about various off-campus apartments.

With Virginia Tech’s housing policy that prioritizes solely freshmen living on campus, it is easy for students to worry about where they will live the following year. Housing complexes are cropping up faster than lightning, and anyone can get caught up in the advantages and disadvantages of the places to live in Blacksburg. A variety of students at Virginia Tech gave their input on their experiences living in these locations, and recommend others on campus take their advice when it comes time to signing a lease.

Collegiate Suites

Collegiate Suites is an apartment community located 1.8 miles away from Virginia Tech’s Drillfield. This residence emphasizes their clubhouse which offers amenities such as their fitness area, coffee bar and game center. The building includes one to four room floor plans and the complex has a breezeway passage that allows residents easy access from the parking lots to their apartments. Despite the services that Collegiate Suites mentions on their website, some ratings and student interviews say these arrangements are more of an inconvenience.

The website highlights that they offer ‘high speed internet access’ — despite this point of interest, both sources mention that the internet hardly ever operates properly.

“The place is a great area to live in if the internet ever worked — it is not strong at all,” said Croix Javier, a sophomore majoring in general engineering. “Honestly, the internet here is awful, it barely works most of the time.”

Students have concluded that this area is safe and very convenient when it comes to getting to class and the local Food Lion, which is the biggest benefit for students without a meal plan. The Blacksburg Transit (Main Street North bus stops) are also close to the complex, although those with cars have experienced other problems.

“My only big issue that I’ve dealt with while living here for one semester is the parking policy and towing company,” said Eva Giguere, a sophomore majoring in animal and poultry sciences. “They are brutal.”

The parking policy on the Collegiate Suites website states that they do not get involved between any disputes with residents and the Campus Automotive company. Additionally, this area has a first come-first served basis for parking, so there is no guarantee you will be able to park anywhere near your apartment.

The Hub

The Hub, located 1.3 miles from campus, is famous among students for its luxurious appearance, stylish full-furnished floor plans that contain one to four rooms and elusive VIP suites, including a variety of duplexes. The website brags about their elevated living which includes a resort-style pool area, health and wellness center, broad study spaces and various lounging areas. The leasing office has also made appearances at GobblerFest, the annual involvement fair in the fall located on the Drillfield that promotes organizations. This has given students an additional opportunity to learn about the Hub — and receive free prizes along with their giveaways. Although ratings discuss the impressive amenities, students residing in this area have continually mentioned the burdens of maintenance services, parking issues and surprise fees.

Students living in this complex have mentioned many benefits of this spot, however maintenance has been an ongoing issue with a range of Tech students. For instance, rating websites like Yelp have regularly outlined that workers have taken months to fix minor problems in students’ apartments. Despite these issues, the Hub is priced at nearly $1,000 per month.

“The maintenance is horrible, to be honest, everything breaks,” said Kathy Sueldo, a sophomore majoring in national security and foreign affairs. “My keypad barely ever works, and anytime it gets fixed it breaks again.”

According to Above Board Building Inspections, apartments that are completed within short time frames are frequently reported to have various defects and poor foundations. For example, the Hub community was built in Blacksburg during the fall of 2021 and was under construction throughout its completion in fall of 2022 — additionally, this was likely an inconvenience for students living alongside the construction.

The Union

The Union is a colonial-style apartment complex situated 1.3 miles from the Drillfield, offering a series of amenities similar to the Hub. It is conveniently located next to Kroger, Starbucks and a number of other strip malls within walking distance. Despite the extensive services that the Union provides such as their cycle room, content creation studio and large pool area, residents have complained the facility fails to provide students with necessary

utilities that equip their academic success.

“The Wi-Fi goes out 24/7 and it is literally so annoying,” said Hannah Small, a sophomore majoring in communications.

Small also mentioned the variety of rooms to work in, like the Clubhouse, although there may be some trouble if an individual prefers their own apartment when studying.

“There are a bunch of cool study rooms, but with the units including three to four roommates, the bedrooms and the living room are extremely small, so honestly, just live at the Retreat,” Small said.

Small also mentioned that the complex is right beside University City Boulevard, which is known for its daily traffic and typical congestion.

“I really just don’t like that my bedroom backs up to the street and I have four windows so my room is always noisy,” Small said. “Additionally, my assigned parking is in the garage which isn’t close to my building at all, yet the people who didn’t even pay for parking get to park right in front of their building.”

This community is a great investment if you’re looking for a homey apartment with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. However, if a busy roadway directly next to your room will keep you up at night, Small recommends looking elsewhere.

Maple Ridge Townhomes

Maple Ridge Townhomes are two-story complexes that include individually keyed bedrooms, spacious living room areas and a “state-of-the-art” fitness center. Contrary to other housing communities, many students have emphasized the affordability of this location and the expansive outdoor lounge pool area. Some students have rated this community poorly, however, due to a variety of undesirable dilemmas.

“Our washing machine was initially broken when we moved in,” said Katie Whittemore, a sophomore industrial systems engineering major. “My mail(box) key that I received also did not work until maintenance fixed it.”

Students have reported the location is a bit of a challenge due to the fact that the townhomes are situated 2.5 miles from the Drillfield. For students with rowdy roommates, studying is another problem because there is no communal study area in this residency.

“(There is)no study area, and occasionally the Wi-Fi will go out, although it’s better than eduroam (the university’s) Wi-Fi,” Whittemore

said. “My biggest challenge is that it’s far from campus.”

Blacksburg Transit buses (Main Street North bus stops) are near the entrance of the Maple Ridge Townhomes, but any Virginia Tech student can understand the inconvenience that accompanies this source of transit. These can include the irritation that comes with inconsistent schedules and the constantly cramped bus rides, especially for residents living as far away as this neighborhood.

Roanoke Street Houses

Living in a house, such as the ones on Roanoke Street, after being cramped in a dorm all freshman year can be a relief and may cure any homesickness if an apartment just isn’t your cup of tea. Many students choose to live in a house based on their Greek life affiliation or the economical pricing of homes around Blacksburg.

“The price of the house was part of the appeal,” said Ethan Schaefer, a junior majoring in general engineering. “Living here helps me have a good work-life balance. I like living with my friends, and being a walking distance from campus and downtown.”

Despite the advantages of living in a low-cost area, Schaefer recommends this form of housing to students that do not mind frequent noise and social gatherings.

“I have my own room to work in, but I don’t get a quiet safe haven to come home to,” Schaefer said. “My biggest challenge is easily the noise of people at the house past midnight on school nights.”

He included that he has no other issues when it comes to living in a house, mentioning that the utilities are adequate, water pressure is sufficient and he is near the heart of downtown which is an additional attraction. If you prefer a social setting, and can easily fall asleep to the sounds of others staying up, this is definitely an area to look into.

The Retreat

The Retreat is a multi-story cottage-style apartment complex that is located two miles away from the Virginia Tech campus. On their website, the community offers two to five bedroom floor plans, walking trails, hot tubs and a swimming pool; this neighborhood also emphasizes their all-inclusive necessities within each home. However, students have dealt with a wide range of issues among continued on page 8

continued from page 7 going to close the hot tub during the winter, our choice maybe would have been different.”

the resources that this area provides and the equipment added in the furnished homes.

“We have had several ongoing problems with our microwave and dishwasher, along with needing a new lock for our front door mid-lease,” said TJ Brooks, a sophomore political science major.

In addition to the faulty indoor utilities, students have complained about the arrangements of the community services that were not properly listed on the website.

“The Retreat changed the gym hours for residents from 24 hours to a tighter timeframe, which we did not know going into this lease,” Brooks said. “If we had known that the gym would be harder to use and that they were

Despite the neighborhood opportunities that did not turn out to be what some individuals expected, Brooks mentioned that this area is a great spot for hosting functions, and the internet is perfect, even for guests.

“I would recommend the Retreat to anyone who wants a large closet space, fun stop signs and free Starbucks,” Brooks said. “Other than that, the place was cheaply made and falls apart at times.”

The Edge

The Edge is by far the closest apartment complex to the Virginia Tech campus, located only 0.3 miles from Goodwin Hall. The Edge’s

online site spotlights their heated swimming pool, yoga/spinning room and their two-story clubhouse with several lounge/study areas. As pricey as this area is, students rarely have negatives to share about their housing situation.

“I have had a few issues with the microwave, dishwasher and laundry machines, but maintenance is super helpful and usually really quick,” said Sarah Falls, a sophomore majoring in human nutrition foods and exercise. “They replace things when needed — for example, my microwave and dishwasher were quickly restored.”

The complex includes a variety of amenities, such as their outdoor gas fireplace, BBQ area with gas grills, their fitness center and a sand-volleyball court. Falls also mentioned

that the apartments are spacious and all around convenient because of the distance to campus and the rest of Blacksburg.

“I love the Edge, if you couldn’t tell,” Falls said.

It’s safe to say that any housing arrangement you pay for will have its advantages and disadvantages. Taking the time to do research, speaking to current residents before signing a lease with an off-campus housing site and being more proactive will help you avoid the irritation of renting a lousy apartment.

SPORTS HOKIES WIN 9 OF 10 BOUTS AGAINST UVA

The No. 9 Virginia Tech wrestling team (10–3, 4–1 ACC) had no problem putting away their in-state rival, Virginia (8–6, 1–4 ACC), in the regular season finale. The Hokies won all but one bout on Friday night, winning the dual 33–3, with all three seniors winning their final match in Cassell Coliseum. On top of this, this dual win clinched the Hokies’ share in the 2022-23 ACC dual title. The Hokies will share this title with NC State and possibly Pittsburgh, depending on how their dual goes on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Two Hokies on Friday night won with bonus points, both of them coming on a fall. No. 3 Mekhi Lewis pinned UVA’s Victor Marcelli just over halfway through the third period. After the fall, the crowd gave the Hokies’ most successful wrestler of all-time a roaring standing ovation. Back in 2019, Lewis won the Hokies’ first ever individual national title. Lewis also won two ACC titles in his time with the Hokies and is favored to pick up another one next month in Raleigh, North Carolina.

No. 7 Hunter Bolen and Collin Gerardi were the other two Hokies who went out on top on their senior night. Bolen, in the highest-ranked bout of the night, defeated No. 16 Neil Antrassian, 9–5. Bolen dominated for the majority of the match, raking up over two minutes of riding time versus his Cavalier opponent. In his time with the Hokies, Bolen has been a two-time All-American and won the ACC once.

Gerardi’s final match in Cassell was a gritty one. In the second period, Gerardi started in the top position and was able to ride out UVA’s Dylan Cedeno to gain a huge riding time advantage. Gerardi was able to get his escape point a little before halfway through the final period and defended off Cedeno for the final minute to secure his 2–0 victory. Cassell once again erupted in a standing ovation for the senior.

The other fall for the Hokies came from the 157-pound weight class. No. 5 Bryce Andonian made quick work of Jake Keating, pinning him only halfway through the first period. Andonian, who has received bonus points in 75% of his matches this season, improved his record to 7–1 on the season going into the ACC tournament.

There were three more ranked bouts throughout the night, at 149, 165 and 197 pounds. At 149, No. 8 Caleb Henson and the Cavaliers’ No. 27 Jarod Verkleeren had a close match. Verkleeren led going into the third period 4–1. However, the third period was all Henson. In the final minute, the young Hokie picked up a takedown and four near-fall points to secure the 8–4 victory, adding yet another marquee victory to the freshman’s resume.

At 165 pounds, No. 17 Justin McCoy picked up UVA’s only win on Friday night with a 2–0 decision over the Hokies’ No. 27 Connor Brady.

At 197 pounds, the Hokies’ No. 22 Andy Smith picked up a decision in sudden victory

versus the Cavaliers’ No. 25 Michael Battista. The bout was tied at 1–1 going into sudden victory with only an escape for each of the wrestlers, but Smith came out immediately in extra time with a takedown that secured his victory.

Following that win, the heavyweight bout went to sudden victory as well. No. 19 Hunter Catka defeated Ethan Weatherspoon in a very similar match to Smith’s. After going into sudden victory tied at 1–1, Catka was able to pick up a near fall to secure his win 5–1.

No. 23 Eddie Ventresca and No. 6 Sam Latona both won their final match of the regular season as well, setting the tone for the

postseason. Both wrestlers won by a sevenpoint decision. Ventresca finished the regular season 17–6, finishing with a six-match winning streak. Latona finished his regular season 22–5 and is the favorite to win the ACC tournament.

The Hokies will have a couple of weeks off before getting back into action. The next time they will wrestle will be in the ACC Tournament on March 5.

ETHAN OWENS | SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The wrestling team finished the regular season with a dominant victory over in-state rivals

SPENCER DAVIDSON/COLLEGIATE TIMES

The Virginia Tech wrestling team vs. Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia, Feb. 17, 2023.