July 1, 2022

HELLO HOKIES A COLLEGIATE TIMES SPECIAL ISSUE

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EDITOR’S NOTE MOMIJI BARLOW | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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MOMIJI BARLOW, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

f you’re reading this, welcome! Thanks for picking up the Hello Hokies issue of the Collegiate Times, a special issue created to welcome new Hokies into the Virginia Tech community. We’re happy you’re here.

Although it seems the whirlwind that was COVID-19 is finally in the rearview mirror, pandemic or not, college can be daunting for everyone. I remember myself as a freshman, worried about all manner of things, including if I was going to be able to make close friends or if dorm bathrooms were going to be the nightmare everyone said they were (they weren’t). Most of all, I was concerned about how I was going to get involved in the community and find my place. Two years

willing to extend a helping hand if you need it.

This issue is meant to alleviate some of your concerns, and hopefully get you excited for what is sure to be a great year as a new Hokie.

Thanks again for reading, and welcome to Blacksburg!

later, I have a much better idea of how I am able to contribute and give back to the Hokie community.

My advice for anyone wondering the same is to try new things with the mindset of, “What do I have to lose?” Most of the time, it’s nothing at all. College in some ways is a blank slate, where you can strengthen the passions you cultivated before coming to Tech, but also venture into something completely different. Join an intramural team. Try learning a new language. Write for the college paper.

Everyone else is focused on doing the same, and there’s no shame in realizing something may not be right for you, either. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone remembers their time as an acclimating freshman, and is

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SNEAK PEEK INTO THE ISSUE DEAR FRESHMAN, LOVE SOPHOMORE - page 7

FALL SPORTS RECAP - page 17 The 2022 season is upon us for fall sports, so it’s time to brush up on your stats! Sports editor Amber Williams details the records of each team from the previous year, and offers some predictions for new potential star players.

Being a freshman isn’t easy — luckily, lifestyles writer Emelia Delaporte imparts her newfound advice to incoming Hokies.

From trying new things to maintaining a healthy work/life balance, she tells the story of her freshman year and what she would’ve done differently.

Amber williams / Collegiate times

Ethan Candelario / Collegiate times

COLL LLEG EGIA IAT TE TIMES

NORMALCY COMES JUST IN TIME FOR NEW HOKIES - page 5 With COVID-19 mostly in the past, this upcoming school year will be the first without major restrictions or mask mandates on campus. Opinions editor Olivia Nelson details her freshman year at Virginia Tech, when COVID-19 cases were at an all time high, and points out Virginia Tech’s continued commitment to the safety of its students.

Courtesy of Emelia Delaporte

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 Blacksburg, VA, 24061 position and department. Other submissions must include opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com 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.

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NEWS collegiatetimes.com

VIRGINIA TECH WELCOMES THE CLASS OF 2026 CAROLINE BODA | NEWS WRITER

The new class reflects the admissions office’s goal to make the application process more accessible for all.

In just a few weeks, a new class of freshmen will make the move to Blacksburg. The admissions team saw the largest applicant pool to date during the 2021 to 2022 admissions cycle with a record number of 45,214 students competing for a spot in the Class of 2026. Additionally, according to director of undergraduate admissions Juan Espinoza, the average high school GPA of a student who is entering Virginia Tech this fall is a 4.19, reflecting a 0.09 increase from last year’s freshman class.

Virginia Tech’s high standards of both academic achievement and personal character for their students account for this increase in competitiveness in each year’s applicant pool.

“We are looking for future leaders that are academically ready for the academic rigor that they will see here at Virginia Tech,” Espinoza said. “We want to select the brightest students that believe in our mission of Ut Prosim and are motivated to change the world.”

One of the admissions department’s leading goals in recent years has been to increase the accessibility of applying to Virginia Tech. During the most recent application cycle, there was a 19% increase in the number of first-generation college students who applied for admission. There was also a 6% increase in Black applicants, a 9% increase in Latino applicants and an 8% increase in Native American applicants.

These substantial increases in applications from historically underrepresented groups can be attributed to several changes made to the Virginia Tech application process in recent years that seek to make compiling an application for admission more accessible, oftentimes from a financial perspective.

Prior to utilizing shared application platforms in their application process, Virginia Tech would typically waive the application fee for 5 to 6% of their applicant pool. After introducing the Coalition for College Access platform in 2018 and the Common Application platform in 2020, the number of applicants who qualified for a fee waiver rose by 20%.

Espinoza went on to explain that a second way Virginia Tech made their application process more accessible was by launching the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR)

application. Prior to implementing the SRAR application as a part of their review process, the admissions team usually canceled between 2,000 to 3,000 applications each year. This was due to the failure of many applicants to send official transcripts or standardized test scores to the university, two previously required components of the application process that each came with an individual fee.

“In introducing the SRAR application, our hope was to reduce the number of canceled files, but also to accelerate the completion of the application file,” Espinoza said.

Espinoza explained that opting for self-reported grades and test scores over the alternative method speeds up the application process from about eight weeks to just a few days.

In addition to a potential student’s academic success, Virginia Tech also places importance on an individual’s personal attributes and character when reviewing their application. During the 2021 to 2022 application cycle, the admissions team introduced four essay questions that highlight a student’s non-cognitive qualities, serving as indicators of non-academic success.

Hayley Torres, an incoming freshman this fall, spoke about how this unique part of the application process drew her toward accepting her offer of admission.

“The most notable difference (in the application process) was the additional questions asked. The questions were not just about academic excellence,” Torres said.

Virginia Tech’s Class of 2026 has already broken many records in the university’s history.

Espinoza spoke highly of this group of students who will join the student body this fall, as well as of the many notable accomplishments they have already achieved.

“This was one of the most competitive processes we have seen … This class looks to be not only one of the strongest classes on record, but also the most diverse class in our history,” Espinoza said.

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Ethan Candelario/ Collegiate times

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OPINIONS

NOT HAVING A LIFE PLAN IS OKAY WHEN YOU’RE ENTERING COLLEGE ELEA-MARIA ABISAMRA | OPINIONS CONTRIBUTOR

Incoming Hokies don’t need to have their entire college experience mapped out.

I started my journey at Virginia Tech in August of 2021, and by that December, I’d already changed my major. The same goes for a lot of my friends. Sometimes that’s just how it is. You take a random course for your general education requirements and boom — you find an interest, and suddenly the original plan for your four years at college becomes a distant memory.

Incoming freshmen don’t have to have it all figured out when they come into college — most people don’t even have it figured out when they leave. For some reason, there’s a societal belief that everyone is supposed to find their passions at a young age, do that until they’re 65 and retire at an age where their body is probably too fragile to do all the dangerous bungee jumping and skydiving they were craving when they were younger.

Luckily, our generation is changing things little by little.

Oscar Wilde, a famous poet from the late 1800s, had a lot to say about knowing what you want to be in life.

“If you want to be a grocer, or a general, or a politician, or a judge, you will invariably

become it; that is your punishment. If you never know what you want to be, if you live what some might call the dynamic life but what I will call the artistic life, if each day you are unsure of who you are and what you know you will never become anything, and that is your reward.”

Being in college gives students the opportunity to be lost. Which, as Wilde shows, isn’t a bad thing, but a gift. It gives them the chance to take random classes that sound cool and fun just because they want to try it out. Freshmen will be placed in an environment where they can take a break from the typical science or math class for a few credits and take a course on World Religions, Floral Design, Painting or anything they want to try out that they haven’t yet.

Mia Olsen, a rising junior majoring in computer engineering with a focus on software systems, spoke about her own conflicting decision on what to study.

“When I came into school I was dead set on majoring in computer science,” she said. “After my fundamentals in engineering class forced me to go to an info session on all of these

different engineering majors, I changed my major to computer engineering.”

Olsen’s experience demonstrates that even those who enter college with a foolproof plan for their degree may change their minds when they allow themselves to learn about different options. Olsen went on to offer advice for incoming freshmen.

“Going into college, nobody really realizes how many majors are actually provided… there’s a wide range and so many,” she said.

“I’ve also known at least ten people that have changed their major at least once before they graduated. If you have a chance to try a different class, I’d say definitely go for it.”

That’s the fun thing about college. Rarely do people have it all figured out. Incoming students can give themselves a break and just take the first year to get situated and take full advantage of the interesting courses offered.

All the specific classes for whatever major is chosen will be taken eventually, but when entering college, it’s okay to not be in the know.

It’s fine to just go with the flow of the unknown and see where life takes you. Even if freshmen enter college with enough AP credits to cover

the general education requirements of electives, it can still be beneficial to take a few of those interesting courses — because why not try something new when it’s being offered to you? This is an opportunity students should take advantage of.

That’s why so many people miss college.

For four years they lived in a world where constantly exploring something new was not only an expectation, but also encouraged.

They had a built in social life, breaks over the summer and a purpose to just live and explore.

This is a world where students are allowed to be free — where they’re given the “reward” described by Oscar Wilde.

Incoming freshmen will figure out who they want to be eventually, and then discover something new and reinvent themselves again. In the end, keeping an open mind with the unknown and giving yourself the chance to try something new is what will keep you going.

It’s the mindset you need to grow and improve the ever-changing versions of yourself.

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NORMALCY COMES JUST IN TIME FOR NEW HOKIES OLIVIA NELSON | OPINIONS EDITOR

New students can have the true college experience following reduced COVID-19 restrictions.

My freshman college experience was not the one you hear about in movies or passed down between generations of families, but one rooted in a culture many had yet to experience — a pandemic.

When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March of 2020, I was a senior in high school.

Looking forward to senior nights for sports, prom, graduation and the notorious senior skip day, my anticipation was dashed, along

with many of my peers, by a virus. This virus spread rapidly worldwide and turned many lives upside down, including my own. Instead of finishing my senior year as planned, classes were moved online. Senior nights? Gone.

Prom? Gone. In-person graduation? Gone.

While one could argue the remainder of the semester felt like an endless senior skip day, it could not make up for the lack of the true senior year experience every student anticipates.

Because my senior year did not end the way I planned, I focused my attention on something else — the college freshman experience.

I got to college naively thinking life would be different. Sure, students were required to wear masks and most of my classes were online, but this was the new normal. My peers and I had been adapting to our ever-changing world over the past six months. Why would college be any different? I knew I would have to take

additional precautions, but a fun freshman college experience still seemed achievable.

Unfortunately, what was once deemed typical was redefined by the pandemic.

Instead of meeting everyone on the floor of my dorm before classes began, I was greeted with closed doors to mitigate the spread of the virus. Weekend explorations into Blacksburg were replaced with nights sequestered in continued on page 7

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continued from page 5 dorms with our pods. In-person classes were replaced by long days spent hunching over laptops. And jumping to Enter Sandman at the first home football game of the season was replaced by head-bops at watch parties with a few friends.

While my freshman college experience was not like I imagined, the newest class of Hokies may be the first class to have the same typical college experience society has always associated with their first year on campus. With a reported 94% of students vaccinated and 87% of employees vaccinated for the last school

July 1, 2022 PAGE 7

collegiatetimes.com year according to the Virginia Tech vaccination dashboard, the university was able to relatively contain the spread of COVID-19. This allowed for in-person classes and eventually led to the lifting of the mask mandate in the spring semester.

Because of these measures and the advancements in vaccinations, the normal college experience has begun to reform over the past two years. In addition, the Virginia Tech community was forced to come together once again in the face of adversity. Our community became more adaptable and unified to prevent the spread of the virus. As a result, the class of 2026, along

with transfer students, have the opportunity to experience what it means to truly be a new college student unlike the few classes before.

Previous classes endured a not-so-normal college experience so that these newer classes can return to normalcy.

As of June 27, 2022, there have been approximately 20,536 COVID-19 cases reported in Montgomery County, Virginia, with a daily average of about 20 cases. While COVID-19 will most likely continue to evolve, the VT community has shown that individual accountability and prioritizing safety will always come first. Because of this, new students

lifestyles

can look forward to in-person classes, football games and exploring downtown Blacksburg without capacity restrictions. Most importantly, new students now have the freedom to define their own college experience free from previous COVID-19 mandates — an experience full of everything Virginia Tech has been famously known to offer.

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DEAR FRESHMAN, LOVE SOPHOMORE emELIA delaporte | lifestyles staff writer

Sophomore Emelia Delaporte pens a letter to the freshman class based on her experiences from the last year.

Dear Freshman, Hi! I’m one of your many friendly Virginia Tech journalists. As you can see from the byline, I work in the Lifestyles column, one of many sections of the Collegiate Times — your campus newspaper. Throughout your time at Virginia Tech (and after, if you truly are a loyal Hokie), you’ll see our work online and in print every week. We work hard to bring you local news, athletics updates, music and film reviews, notify you on upcoming events and more. We think you’ll find it to be a pretty handy resource — I know that as a freshman, I did.

I’ll be starting my sophomore year at Tech, and am here to impart some wisdom and advice as well as soothe some fears (and maybe accidentally spark some that you didn’t know you had). You will quickly realize that despite college being such a big life change, it doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming.

Virginia Tech is a big school with infinite combinations of opportunities to create your dream college life. Here are some tips to help you get there.

Roommate Relations There are three things that I would have done differently about my freshman year.

One of them was getting close with my future roommate over text during the summer and coming in with expectations of us being best friends. This works out for a lot of people!

However, compatibility can be different online than it is in person. I had two roommates my freshman year as a result of a housing

change a month in, and had very different relationships with each — I had my ups and downs with both, but they helped me learn about myself and how I get along with different types of people.

Keeping the peace with your roommate is vitally important as it helps you to feel comfortable and in your new home away from

little things that make all of the difference.

Maybe you don’t like that they put trash in the recycling bin, but you can still bring them breakfast and bop along to their music during your evening homework time together. Learn how to share and to be generous.

home. Offer to bring them back a milkshake if you’re at Deet’s and about to come home, or check if they need anything from the grocery store if you’re going to Kroger. Address your issues instead of letting them build up (something I definitely was guilty of at times), and be considerate of their life and feelings. It’s the

Making Friends This is the second area that I made some big mistakes in as a freshman. This can be pretty important for building character, but time wasted can still sting when the college years fly by. Here’s what I would change.

Just like with your roommate, don’t go in expecting people on your floor to be your best friends. Even having friends on a different floor in your same building is more than a lot of people do. You will probably find a great group on your floor, but there’s more out there than your residence hall. Find your soulfriends — those deep, unbreakable bonds you’ll keep up and reminisce about long after college. Another thing would be to expect conflict — college friendships can get very middle-school really fast. If you have a ‘friend’ that puts you in uncomfortable situations, it’s OK to reconsider that friendship.

My best friendships that I made my freshman year were slow burners. Most of them are people I’m in the Marching Virginians with, and it took me a couple of months (or a semester even) to realize that I could love these individuals for the rest of my life. Some of them I only see once or twice a month and we rarely hang out, but we‘ve been present for a hard moment or two for each other and know it will always be a safe place to go. Friendship comes in many forms and you don’t have to see each other every day. No matter what the Instagram posts and Snapchat stories tell you, there is zero need to find your Tech family right away. They’ll be there when it’s time.

Getting Involved Speaking of the Marching Virginians — clubs and organizations are the best way to continued on page 9

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continued from page 7 meet people from across the university.

Tech has over a thousand student organizations for you to check out on gobblerconnect. vt.edu while you wait for GobblerFest on September 2. You can join as many or as few as you want, but I would highly recommend at least going to GobblerFest and signing up for a couple of things. Try a meeting once or twice and if it’s not your cup of tea, that’s okay.

College is about trying new things as much as it is education.

Personally, I overdid it on organizations my freshman year, and I realized that at the end of the year. I joined three clubs, two pre-professional organizations, three media publications, the Marching Virginians, and a sorority.

Here’s the thing — for most student organizations, you don’t have to be at absolutely everything and can be just as involved as you want to be. Because of this pick-and-choose flexibility for my schedule, I’m only dropping one club and keeping everything else, so I can be even more involved in the others next year.

There’s no shame in quitting if you don’t love something, but don’t let people say you’re doing too much, either.

There is an organization at Tech for absolutely everyone. There are sports on the intramural, club, and collegiate level, pre-professional societies and fraternities for a variety of disciplines such as chemistry, law, and wildlife conservation, special-interest clubs ranging from chocolate milk to Pokémon to fungus, cultural and religious organizations, performance organizations like dance teams and a cappella and comedy, and media organizations such as a student radio station, the newspaper, a literary and arts magazine and more.

There are also a number of classes that offer a strong feeling of community, such as any of the many musical ensembles on campus.

If at the end of the day, being a member of something isn’t your cup of tea, Virginia Tech hosts a number of events on and off campus each year. Being involved can be as simple as participating in the Big Event or going to an art exhibit in Squires. There is a place for everyone on campus, but it’s up to you to get out there and find it.

Academics You might have a really easy first semester, or you might not. Midterms and finals might be scary and hard, or you might not even have them. You’re going to be surrounded by people studying different things and taking different classes. My first year consisted of introductory courses to my two majors, literature, wildlife conservation, sociolinguistics, GIS systems and ecological ethics. My best friend’s first year included courses in chemistry, biology, psychology, concert band and

collegiatetimes.com so on. By virtue of electives (restricted or free) and Pathways credits, your schedule has potential to be unique from people even in your major.

Your freshman year can set you up for success or failure in successive years early on.

It is up to you (and sometimes your academic advisor) what ‘success’ and ‘failure’ mean to you, so figuring that out early on can be helpful. Maybe you have a target GPA or other goals that make you academically satisfied.

You don’t have to have a 4.0 to be happy or a good student.

Carve out time to work, and figure out how you best work. Newman Library might be your best friend, or you might find that you can only focus in your dorm. Maybe some light background noise and snacks craft the perfect environment, or maybe you need complete silence. Find your rhythm and use it regularly. Don’t procrastinate. Find someone in all of your classes that you’re comfortable asking for help. Use your office hours; coming up with a routine of asking for help will aid in eventual exam preparation. Engage with your professors, and usually the class will have a larger impact on your academic journey. A bad grade is not the end of the world, but a negative class experience can turn you off of a whole subject. You chose those classes or at least your major, so put in the effort to enjoy them or at least learn something from them.

FYE – VT slang for First-year Experience FYE isn’t just a class you take in your major.

Every freshman year is unique. There are things almost every Hokie does, of course, but you will do them as you, and that will make all the difference.

Make new friends. Try new things. Use all of your spring dining plan (it doesn’t roll over).

There’s more to life than Turner and West End. Get off of campus often, even just to go to Kroger. Get out of Blacksburg and explore the NRV and beyond — the surrounding area is out there for students to venture into.

Pay attention to your professors and do your homework. Make mistakes and learn how to clean them up. Enjoy everything Blacksburg has to offer.

The last piece of advice that I have for you is to get excited and start jumping!

Love, Sophomore

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THINGS YOU ACTUALLY NEED FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR AT VIRGINIA TECH ELEA-MARIA ABISAMRA | LIFESTYLES CONTRIBUTOR

From what you should and shouldn’t bring to organization hacks, here are some ultimate college living tips.

If you search “what to bring to college” on Google, you’ll find lists on lists with hundreds of things advised to take with you. It can be intimidating — packing for a whole year of your life. How are you supposed to know how many throw blankets you need, or how many sweaters to bring for the fall when it’s sweltering in August? Or how many suits or dresses you need, or if you’ll even need them at all. What about fans?

The first thing to do is find out where you’re living. Will your dorm have windows you can open because there’s no air conditioning?

If so, definitely bring a fan. Does it have air conditioning? Then bringing more things to make it cooler will only take up space. A mini heater never hurt anyone, though.

Next, always bring the essentials: bath and bedding necessities, health and hygiene

products, household items and adhesive hooks for anything you need to hang up to save space.

Some quick notes on these essentials: the things you can’t forget for bath and bedding products besides the basics are a shower caddy, shower slippers and one throw blanket for when friends come over. If you’re into makeup, you’ll be surprised how fast makeup remover wipes run out, so stock up on those.

In terms of household items, you can’t forget things like paper towels, garbage bags, and Lysol spray and wipes. You’ll also need utensils, but they have plastic ones at dining halls, so don’t waste your money on those; I’d say just bring one set of metal utensils and a kitchen knife in case you’re cooking because those can come in handy.

Finally, don’t pack for the entire school year

— pack for around three months. Anything you forget or have excess of can be stored during Thanksgiving break. You won’t need so many sweaters or jackets until then. I’d say two jackets and two hoodies/sweaters along with two pairs of pants/sweats for when it gets a bit cold. It’ll be “shorts and t-shirt” weather for the most part. One swimsuit won’t hurt because there’s a pool in the McComas gym and rivers nearby where you can swim with friends.

Once you have everything you need, organization is key. It’s surprising how much you can store if you arrange everything right.

Things that do not need to be stored in the closet or on the floor, like photos or posters can be hung up with command hooks or double sided tape. Also, if you want to decorate your room, there are a lot of cheaper

routes to go than expensive couches or chairs to have friends over. A comfortable rug and a couple bed rest pillows from Target will be your lifesaver. LED light strips are also fun decorations to have in the dorm for hangouts, and a speaker is a must-have.

Everything about college seems so nerve wracking before the first day because you don’t really know what to expect. There’s no reason to stress. When moving in, try to keep your door open for the first few days so people can walk by and introduce themselves. Your new neighbors might comment on your room and your posters, or even ask if you have extra command strips. That’s how you can make your first friends, and over the next continued on page 11

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continued from page 10 few months, you’ll find a rhythm with certain people and a friend group will form.

It’ll be fun and a bit scary at first just because it’s unfamiliar, but if you step out of your comfort zone and try something new, it can be the start to the best years of your life.

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Photos cour tesy of Sydney Johnson, Momiji Barlow, Nanami Nishimoto, Maria Martinez, Colleen Henneberry, Olivia Nelson, Olivia Ferrare and Dana Stuardi. Hopefully, this gives you a glimpse of the variety of ways you can choose to decorate your space.

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FIVE HOKIE-INSPIRED PLAYLISTS FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR COLLEEN HENNEBERRY | MANAGING EDITOR

Get ready to step foot on Virginia Tech’s campus with these back-to-school bops.

Welcome, Hokies! Fall classes are getting ready to start — whether you’re ready for them or not. Academic and environmental transitions can be challenging, especially the change from high school to college. Also, many of our heads are still at the beach, overseas or even just at your humble abode back home where you were able to sleep all summer.

Luckily, the CT has got you covered! Here are some playlists to fit every type of mood you’re in when you’re here at Tech: happy, sad, frustrated or dreading going to class.

Laying on the Drillfield in the sun with friends After a day of classes and homework, there’s nothing better to do than to lay on the Drillfield and unwind with your pals. So, grab your hammock, your speaker and some snacks

for you and your friends to kick back and relax.

1. Sunday Best by Surfaces 2. Magic in the Hamptons (ft. Lil Yachty) by Social House and Lil Yachty 3. Are You Bored Yet? (ft. Clairo) By Wallows and Clairo 4. Island in the Sun by Weezer 5. Cocoa Butter Kisses by Chance the Rapper, VIC MENSA, and Twista

6. Small Worlds by Mac Miller Waking up for your 8 a.m. class on a Monday So, you’re up way earlier than you want to be – the last thing you want to do is get up out of your cozy bed and walk through campus to listen to a lecture. Fortunately, these songs help you wake up in the morning to face the day ahead of you. They’re not too loud, and they offer some chill energy while you get ready for class.

1. Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles

Post-breakdown in Newman Library over that one class We’ve all been there. Chances are, there will be one class that you just can’t seem to get the hang of. You might go to Newman Library to focus on understanding the material, but soon you realize that your efforts are futile and you just might fail the quiz you have coming up. After this mini-freakout, you’re going to need some pick-me-up jams to regain your confidence. You got this!

2. Japanese Denim By Daniel Caesar 3. Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson

1. OK Not To Be OK by Marshmello and Demi Lovato

4. Golden Hour by Kasey Musgraves

2. successful by Ariana Grande

5. Pretty Girl by Clairo

3. Truth Hurts by Lizzo

6. Sweet Creature by Harry Styles

4. Crazy in Love (ft. Jay-Z) by Beyonce and Jay-Z 5. POWER by Kanye West 6. Congratulations by Post Malone and Quavo

Studying at Torgerson Bridge Doing homework at Torgerson Bride feels like you’re in your own little world. Especially if you’re a procrastinator, sitting down and cranking out those assignments with zero distractions will help tremendously. Make sure to grab one of the cozy cubicles in the bridge that overlooks campus, a snack, and some earbuds and get to work!

1. When This Was All New by Russ 2. I Think I Like When It Rains by WILLIS

Pump up jams for a Virginia Tech football game Football season is upon us, and Virginia Tech students sure know how to prepare.

From tailgating to wearing our favorite colors, orange and maroon in the stands, you need to get hyped for games so you can cheer on your Hokies!

3. To Be So Lonely by Harry Styles 1. Time of Our Lives by Pitbull and Ne-Yo 4. Lost by Frank Ocean 2. I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas 5. Good News by Mac Miller 6. Normal Girl by SZA

3. Club Can’t Handle Me (ft. David Guetta) by Flo Rida and David Guetta continued on page 13

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continued from page 12 4. Day N’ Nite (nightmare) by Kid Cudi 5. DNA. by Kendrick Lamar 6. Enter Sandman by Metallica

July 1, 2022 PAGE 13

Of course, these songs are just a starting point to set the mood for whatever situation you might be in as you begin your new school year at Virginia Tech. Feel free to make these Hokie-inspired playlists your own, and cater them to you and your music taste. We here at the CT hope this makes you excited for your new school year — be creative and enjoy your first semester as a Hokie. Happy listening!

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SPORTS

A GAME DAY GUIDE FOR NEW HOKIES MARGARET ALLOCCA | SPORTS EDITOR

An insider guide on how to make the most of a Virginia Tech game day.

Virginia Tech football game days are some of my favorite days out of the whole school year. One of the biggest reasons why I wanted to go to Virginia Tech was to indulge myself in infectious school spirit. Attending small schools my whole life, my heart ached to go somewhere where school pride was ignited in every student. Hokie football is the flame to that wick.

While so far only a handful of game times have been announced, the majority are night games, which are the best kind of game day because the whole day and night are dedicated to the game, extending the timeframe of fun. The later the game, the more you get to

sleep in, and the more energy and enthusiasm you have.

Football fans or not, most of the entire student body comes together on these days to celebrate our successes in Division 1 athletics.

Students, alumni and prospective Hokies fill the stands with orange and maroon. While these days are a ton of fun, they’re also actionpacked and very exhausting. I personally had no idea what to expect for my first Hokie gameday. From traffic, to the trek in the woods to get to Lane Stadium, this article will give you a gameday heads up.

You can expect traffic from a Hokie football game day starting the day before the game.

Always prepare to add 15 minutes of extra automotive travel to your route, especially if you plan to use Main Street. Campus itself can also be hectic with families visiting, so you might want to put your Grubhub order for Fighting Gobbler ten minutes earlier than when you actually want it.

On the actual day itself, you have two options: students will either tailgate at the infamous Center Street or they will tailgate at the Lane Stadium parking lot. If you prefer to tailgate with parents and family, Lane Stadium’s lot is the perfect place for you. If you prefer to tailgate with fellow students and friends, Center Street is calling your name.

Center Street has the loud speakers, the Lane Stadium lot has the food.

The challenge of entering the stadium is another unspoken issue similar to the traffic on Main Street. Lane Stadium can be a bit of a nightmare for entry, especially if you are coming from Center Street. There is a lack of crowd control, so make sure to arrive at the stadium early, especially so you can get good seats.

The games themselves are long, and especially for night games, you’re going to be hungry for dinner after getting excited continued on page 15

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continued from page 14 for the game all day long. While there isn’t a huge list of options from the concessions, the turkey legs are fan favorites to eat and to also take a photo with in the stands.

Hot dogs are also a classic choice; you can never go wrong with a gameday glizzy. The

collegiatetimes.com best time to get your food is before the game, during a play in the second quarter or at the end of the third quarter. The last thing you want to do is get stuck in a long concession line during halftime or wait too long to the end of the game and discover that the stands have closed.

Attend as many games as you can, make

sure to dress to the color theme (there is nothing worse than showing up in maroon when at an Orange Effect game), learn all the words to Enter Sandman so you can start jumping at your first game with confidence and make sure you have your keys out to jingle to make some noise during third-down plays. I am so excited for the incoming Hokies

July 1, 2022 PAGE 15 that haven’t had a game day yet to be able to experience it. There is nothing quite like hearing Enter Sandman for the first time and shaking the stands to the beat of the song.

Let’s Go Hokies!

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CT Staff Game Day Photos

COURTESY OF AMBER WILLIAMS

COURTESY OF MOMIJI BARLOW

COURTESY OF COLLEEN HENNEBERRY

COURTESY OF OLIVIA FERRARE

COURTESY OF OLIVIA NELSON

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THE BEST UNEXPECTED PLACES TO WATCH GAMES IN DOWNTOWN BLACKSBURG Amber Williams and Margaret Allocca | SPORTS EDITORs

Two sports editors share their favorite locations to cheer for their fellow Hokies on TV. Sometimes students are unable to attend football games in person, whether that’s because the team is away, games are sold out, they were not able purchase tickets or a number of other reasons. Luckily, Blacksburg is crawling with places that have the perfect atmosphere to watch the Hokies on game days. While these may not be the first places you think of when deciding where to watch a game, CT sports editors have shared their top locations to still have a great game day experience when you can’t cheer on the team from the stands.

Amber Williams, sports editor: Mellow Mushroom —207 S Main St, Blacksburg, VA 24060

The 2020 football season was unusual; minimal fans were allowed into Lane Stadium which meant that most students were unable to attend games in person. However, this did not dampen the excitement surrounding the season. For the home opener on Sept.

26 against NC State, my roommate and I were determined to still celebrate the start of football season. We lived in the dorms at the time and it was announced that our residence hall was arranging a watch party, but the spots filled up so quickly that we could not participate. We quickly shifted gears, put on our best dresses for added flair, completed the outfits with pops of Burnt Orange and Chicago Maroon jewelry and headed downtown.

Unfortunately, we were too late and

Sharkey’s was full, along with every other bar and restaurant up and down Main Street.

After navigating the crowds, we finally made our way to Mellow Mushroom with our feet aching from our miscalculated choice in high heels. Certain we would be told there was no room, we entered, and to our surprise ended up being seated in less than half an hour, right in time for kickoff. We enjoyed tasty pizza for dinner, had the TV right next to our table and were able to cheer with our fellow Hokies at every touchdown. It was a perfect environment; still incredibly fun with plenty of opportunities to be social, but the chaos was much less than that of the other downtown locations. If you want somewhere with a low-key, yet fun vibe, Mellow Mushroom is the best place to go.

Margaret Allocca, sports editor: Buffalo Wild Wings — 460 Turner St NW, Blacksburg, VA 24060 If you can’t make it in person for a basketball game, can’t seem to make time for dinner and the game before doing your homework or if you were too slow to buy basketball season tickets, Buffalo Wild Wings is the best spot to enjoy a basketball game.

Located on Turner Street, a mere six minute walk from Turner Place, (for the freshman who might be unaware, Turner is Tech’s best — in my humble opinion — dining hall with options like Jamba Juice, Qdoba continued on page 17

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July 1, 2022 PAGE 17

continued from page 16 and Origami, our wonderful steakhouse) the proximity makes it accessible to go to after class to enjoy dinner and a show. Buffalo Wild Wings is almost always filled with students; it’s a perfect spot to feel like you’re in the student section in Cassell while actually enjoying dinner. But don’t be fooled, there is hardly ever a wait.

and it is a good idea to keep these alternative locations in mind to enjoy a Hokie sports game!

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If you’re lucky enough and a game falls on a Thursday night, you can enjoy Buffalo Wild Wing’s BOGO deal. It’s almost even more tempting to stay seated indoors eating delicious wings while the game is on. While getting to jump to Enter Sandman inside Cassell Coliseum is a treat, it is also a luxury,

Andrew Rodgers / Collegiate Times

FALL SPORTS RECAP Amber Williams | SPORTS EDITOR

Stay on top of the upcoming sports seasons with this helpful review.

The weather will soon start getting cooler, the days shorter and changing leaves will begin decorating the mountains surrounding the Virginia Tech campus. Fall will be here shortly and with the change of the season comes an exciting time for Virginia Tech sports as new seasons begin for many of the Hokies’ teams.

Football — 2021 record: 6–7, 4–4 ACC In the first year under head coach Brent Pry, previous defensive coordinator for Pennsylvania State, all eyes will be on the Virginia Tech football team when they open their season against Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA on Sept. 2. The anticipation about a new era in Hokie football has been building since Pry took over the program on Nov. 30, 2021. Tech was 6–7 overall and 4–4 in the ACC last season under Justin Fuente and interim head coach J.C. Price. The Hokies concluded the year in the Pinstripe Bowl with a 10–54 loss against Maryland. However, they finished the regular season with a win against in-state rivals UVA in the Commonwealth Clash on Nov. 27.

As far as the roster is concerned, at the time of this publication there are still many unanswered questions. A quarterback has not been named for the 2022 season. At the spring game on April 16, Grant Wells, a transfer from Marshall, and Jason Brown, a South Carolina transfer, were both starting

quarterbacks.

Wells is a 6’2”, 203 lbs redshirt sophomore who was the starting quarterback at Marshall for the previous two seasons. Wells had a 64.3% pass completion for 5,623 yards, 34 touchdowns and 22 interceptions during his time as a Thunder Herd. Brown, a 6’2, 229 lbs graduate student, was 2–2 as a starter for the Gamecocks. Brown had a 55.6% pass completion, eight touchdowns and six interceptions during his time in South Carolina.

Brown helped his team achieve bowl eligibility status in 2021.

The Hokies started their summer workouts at the beginning of June with plenty of time for the roster to start taking shape before Sept. 2.

Men’s soccer — 2021 record: 11–5–4, 3–4–1 ACC Led by head coach Mike Brizendine, the Hokies made it to the quarterfinals of the ACC Championships where they fell to Pitt on Nov. 7 in double overtime 2–1. They followed this up with an NCAA Championships appearance where they defeated the Campbell Camels 2–1 in the first round, but fell to West Virginia by penalty kicks in the second.

The Hokies have plenty of veterans returning, including goalkeeper Ben Martino, who was named the No. 20 best freshman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer, Welnilton Da Silva Jr., who was the only player to start

all 20 games last season, Conor Pugh, who scored six goals last season, Danny Flores, who was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and listed as the No. 3 freshman in the country

by Top Drawer Soccer and Kyle McDowell, who was second in the ACC with eight assists.

The Hokies also welcomed eleven new members as part of the 2022 signing class.

The season is set to open on Aug. 25 against Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. The team will have their first match of the season on home turf on Sept. 2 against Mercer to open the Virginia Tech Tournament.

Women’s soccer — 2021 record: 12–6–2, 5–3–2 ACC Headlined by Emily Gray, who was drafted No. 3 overall to the North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League Draft in December, the team made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they fell to Arkansas.

With Gray, who had 12 goals and eight assists for Tech last season, no longer leading the reins, Coach Charles “Chugger” Adair will have some adjusting to do. Alia Skinner will return in goal for the Hokies; the goalkeeper led the ACC in saves with 83 for the 2020-21 season. Tori Powell, an important asset to the Hokies last season who was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and who was second on the team in points with 18, will be returning as well.

The Hokies have not yet announced their 2022 season schedule.

Volleyball — 2021 record: 12–18, 3–15 ACC The Hokies had a rough season in coach Marci Byers’ second season leading the team, landing them in second to last in the ACC standings. The 2022 recruiting class was ranked 30th by Prep Volleyball, with three top-150 ranked players.

The team is young, with seven players graduating after the conclusion of the 2021 season and six freshmen who saw time during the season. Notably, Cera Powell, who had 223 points with 203 kills and 34 digs will be returning. However, four of the five leading points players will not be returning for the 2022 season.

The schedule has not been announced for the 2022 Virginia Tech volleyball season yet.

It will be an exciting fall in Blacksburg as “Enter Sandman” begins playing again to welcome new and returning Hokies to their respective fields and courts for the 2022 seasons.

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VT Through The seasons

An exciting glimpse of your future at Virginia Tech

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July 1, 2022 PAGE 19