March 21, 2023

NEWS

TIM SANDS INVITES BOTSWANA PRESIDENT TO VIRGINIA TECH

JANE PARK | NEWS EDITOR

President Masisi will give a speech: “Merging Conversation, Democracy, and Sustainable Development in Botswana.”

The president of Botswana, His Excellency Mokgweetsi Masisi, is scheduled to speak at Squires Student Center on Tuesday, March 21, according to VTx. This is believed to be the first visit to the university by an international head of state.

His lecture, “Merging Conversation, Democracy, and Sustainable Development in Botswana,” is open to the Virginia Tech community and members of the public.

Masisi’s platform is focused on supporting the economy of Botswana’s communities and boosting conservation and biodiversity stewardship.

“The people of Botswana are at the forefront of efforts to address the needs and challenges facing Africa and the rest of the world,” Sands said in an interview with VTx. “We are proud to have Hokies working shoulder to

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shoulder with them and honored to welcome His Excellency, Dr. Masisi, to our Blacksburg campus.”

Masisi’s ties to Virginia Tech go back to December 2019 when he and first lady Neo Masisi toured the Centre for Conservation of African Resources: Animals, Communities, and Land Use, founded by Professor Kathleen Alexander in 2001. The research program is located in Northern Botswana and aims at “protecting wildlife and improving the livelihoods of communities through outreach projects, animal conservation efforts, and research aimed at securing a sustainable future.”

At the time of the Masisi’s visit, Alexander noted the president taking the time to tour the site and speak with staff and students.

“A unique aspect of the Botswana

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government is its willingness to consider and engage evidence-based recommendations,” Alexander said. “It was a humbling experience

to have His Excellency visit us.”

The current president of Botswana,

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PHOTO COURTESY OF VTX

His Excellency Mokgweetsi Masisi.

@COLLEGIATETIMES

OPINIONS

RATE MY PROFESSORS COULD BE THE GREATEST ACADEMIC WEAPON OF OUR TIME

SARAH LEBERKNIGHT | OPINIONS COLUMNIST

Embracing Rate My Professors will help students and institutions curate the most beneficial environment for education.

The time has come once again to select classes for the next semester, which means it’s time to load up Rate My Professors, a site where you can do exactly as the title suggests: rate professors based on their course’s difficulty and quality. If you think it seems like a small thing that isn’t worth your consideration, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate. The professor you have for a class can make or break your experience and possibly your grade. Every student should be using Rate My Professors to ensure that they get the best possible experience in a class, because they deserve to get the quality teaching and education they are paying for. More than that, universities and colleges should embrace the site and use it as a way to keep professors in check.

Professors are the pinnacle of a college student’s education, so it’s important that students get professors who will provide them with a valuable learning experience. After all, college is an expensive investment; these days, students are typically spending about $25,000 a year on their education. For that massive sum of money, they should be compensated with the best possible professors that have the best interest of their students in mind — professors who want to see their students engaged and succeeding in their class, who are understanding of circumstances and are responsive to feedback. Luckily, Rate My Professors can help accomplish that.

The site rates over 1.8 million professors, giving scores in both quality and difficulty, and students can write comments to explain their ratings. With a few clicks of a mouse, students can look over their options and select the professors that are best suited to their needs and wants. What a professor’s attitude and personality is like, how they interact with students and how they run their class — it’s all crucial to building a learning experience. The site is very accessible, since it’s not locked behind any kind of paywall, and it’s user-friendly, with an uncomplicated layout. As more people contribute and rate their own professors, it can build a network of honest feedback to help students. If students want to build a schedule that suits their needs

— because not every teaching style works for every student — they need the resources to do so.

Angelina Cortez, a freshman microbiology major, believes that Rate My Professors is a great starting place for choosing professors for a semester.

“People want to know what they’re getting into, you know? Your teacher could define how well that class goes for you that semester,” Cortez said. “And if you have a not-so-great teacher, then you might get a not-so-great grade. It can be a baseline first impression of a teacher and how their class will (be) run.”

It’s not just students that should be making use of the site, however. Universities and colleges could greatly benefit from a rating site like Rate My Professors. If schools want to promote the quality of their professors and the overall quality of education at the school, seeing what students really feel about professors should be a top priority. Schools can boast about great teachers all they want, but they need evidence to back it up. Why not use this site, or others like it, to the school’s advantage? This is especially true for schools ditching the use of end-of-semester surveys, and the ones that still use them generate response rates of less than 50%. For this reason, schools should be looking into and embracing new ways to evaluate their professors. If students are going to use the site whether or not it’s being promoted by their school, colleges should take this opportunity to use these ratings for their own gain.

Rate My Professors is not a catch-all without drawbacks, however. People could lie about their experiences and use the site as a way to insult a professor they don’t like for personal reasons. Users of Rate My Professors should be cautious of slander and take this into consideration when evaluating and writing posts. Fortunately, the site does help to police what people say and prevent slander by allowing users to like or dislike others comments, and they have laid out in their guidelines what is and is not acceptable to say. If a person crosses boundaries, they will remove the comment. However,

if more students are willing to contribute to the site and actively review their professors, it would weed out the liars; if a professor has dozens of positive reviews, and one negative review, chances are that review isn’t an honest depiction of a professor or their class. Plus, more reviews could help other students see the pros and cons of professors — this is important considering that some professors either don’t have a page or only have one review. One person’s thoughts aren’t going to grant others very much perspective on a professor.

“Other students could totally use Rate My Professor and give their input on teachers, but I think they should take into consideration that professors have outside lives and sometimes teaching can be stressful … so, when you are writing reviews, remember that being a professor is not their entire life,” Cortez said.

It’s more important to look at what people write about the professors than the numerical rating (out of 5) they have; one professor’s method of teaching may bother one student but not another. Using common sense is important when looking at sites like this, so taking the reviews with some reservation, especially if there are only one or two reviews, is crucial.

There are, no doubt, drawbacks about the site, but those don’t devalue the service that Rate My Professors provides. It supplies students with an idea of what a class with a professor will look like, something that is currently not provided to students by schools.

Rate My Professors is a great resource that students should take advantage of. At its core, it’s a way to deliver students into the hands of success and prevents classes and professors from being a mystery or potential horror story. Students should not only take the time to browse through the site, but should be encouraged to add their own experiences with professors to make the site as useful and informative as possible. Universities should also look to the website to get information about their professors and hear the opinions of their students. The quality of education matters, and schools should embrace using Rate My Professors and tools like it to enhance the college experience.

ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES

The Rate My Professors homepage, Feb. 15, 2018.

WITH A FEW CHANGES, THE BIG EVENT COULD HAVE A BIGGER IMPACT

CHRIS DONALDSON | OPINIONS COLUMNIST

Expanding the services The Big Event provides would further benefit the local community.

Southwest Virginia is known for many things: its landscapes, its cultures and regrettably, its poverty. According to WSLS, approximately 140,000 people in the region face food insecurity — they lack access to a sufficient quantity or quality of food to meet their basic physical needs. The situation is even more distressing among the region’s children. In 2022, 18% of children in Pulaski County were food insecure. In the City of Roanoke, the figure was almost 20%.

Equally astounding is the number of volunteers that assemble in Blacksburg every April for a day of service. In 2019, 7,820 Virginia tech students, faculty and staff attended The Big Event, a massive student-run service initiative that has become a mainstay of the Virginia Tech experience in its 20-year run. In 2016, attendance broke 9,000. What service did these volunteers gather to perform? They came to do yard work. According to the Big Event website, volunteers may be tasked with “painting, mulching, washing windows, cleaning, and minor repairs” at homes, churches and businesses in Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Participants agree to perform these tasks without regard to the “need or socioeconomic status” of those they serve.

On the surface, this type of blanket

service can seem like a misuse of labor and resources considering the struggles of our region. But the Big Event does have a valuable aim. The project’s goal has always been to say “Thank you” to local residents for their support of Virginia Tech and their enrichment of community life. Without this support Virginia Tech as we know it would not exist. It is only right that we show our gratitude and engage with our neighbors. But could the Big Event have a bigger impact? With such a massive force of volunteers, this flagship service project could be modified, preserving its emphasis on gratitude and community, while broadening its aims to provide real, material aid to our neighbors who need it most.

David Bratton, a junior studying biological sciences, was optimistic about potential changes.

“Why not expand?” Bratton said. “You have the power of a couple thousand people, why not use that for something really good?”

While skeptical of modifying the event, Charlie Sloop, a sophomore studying public relations and theatre arts, and the Big Event director of public relations, clarified the value of the project.

“What’s most valuable about the services we provide is not within the service itself but more so the human

interaction that college students and residents of the New River Valley get to build.” Sloop said.

Likewise, thinking back to last year’s Big Event, Bratton recalled the connections he made with fellow students and community members:

“I mean really it’s just like they say — the Big Event is about helping the people who host us. So it felt nice to be involved with that. It was great to meet some people outside my major.” Bratton said.

If gratitude and human interaction are truly the heart of the Big Event, then the project need not be limited to a single format or cause. With some small but meaningful changes, volunteers could continue to show their support for surrounding communities while also working to address pressing local issues.

For previous Big Events, local residents have submitted job requests, and volunteers have been sent to complete requested work on the day of the event. However, with one modification, the impact of the Big Event could be magnified, with little sacrifice to human interaction at its core. In exchange for the work performed, residents could be asked to donate at minimum one item of food to a regional food bank. Just like in years past, volunteers would spend the day at work, conversing with each other and connecting with their neighbors, but they would have more than memories and goodwill to show for their work: they would return with bags of nutritious food to be distributed to families in dire need. Volunteers could contribute as well — a donation of canned goods could be encouraged during registration. With thousands of residents and volunteers involved, even these small changes could be life-altering for food insecure communities and the local charities that struggle to meet their needs.

Hunger relief is not the only cause the Big Event could support. A food drive could just as easily be a clothing drive or a disaster relief effort, depending on the changing needs of the region. Many in the New River Valley struggle to secure safe, affordable housing, and this struggle has only worsened as the nationwide

housing shortage intensifies. Why not send a portion of this year’s volunteers to Habitat for Humanity builds in the New River Valley? Through this organization, they could work alongside their neighbors not just to beautify neighborhoods, but to build new ones from the ground up. These changes would of course present additional logistical challenges, but compared to the logistical feat that Big Event staff already manage every spring, they would be minor and well worth the effort considering their impact.

But why should Big Event coordinators feel obligated to change the event? Aren’t there other organizations taking on these pressing local issues? There are hundreds of service organizations serving hundreds of causes at Virginia Tech, but few of them match the Big Event in terms of scale, visibility and significance to campus culture. Virginia Tech students comprise a close-knit community, but college is by nature, a time defined by self-concern. As college students, so much of our thinking is directed toward our own studies, our own fulfillment and our own futures. At the Big Event, our mindsets shift — our paths converge in a rare moment of unity and shared purpose. The Big Event is a massive show of what we as Hokies can do together. If we are able, why not aim a little higher? As long as we can maintain the essential values of the project, we have no reason not to expand, and every reason to better serve our neighbors in need.

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students sweep and cut vines from the stairs for their Big Event project, April 6, 2019.

LIFESTYLES NETFLIX SHOW ‘YOU’ SEASON FOUR REVIEW

Mirula Prasad | Lifestyles

“You” was met with critical acclaim when it first came out in 2018 on Netflix. Viewers were charmed and disturbed by Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager who hides his manipulative and dangerous behavior under his calm and unassuming demeanor. The audience was gripped as they watched Joe Goldberg follow his romantic relationship with Elizabeth Lail’s Guinevere Beck while also stalking her and getting rid of everyone who threatened their relationship. Goldberg’s actions grew more manic and violent as the season went on, which allowed the show to explore the themes of toxic relationships, the dangers of social media and stalking. It was a great show, and every season seemed to improve on the previous one. With compelling plot twists and new characters introduced each season, every installment expanded on Goldberg’s character and got deeper into the root of his behavior.

Season four part one reaction:

Season four takes a sharp turn — surprisingly, Goldberg is not the main killer. Goldberg has retired to London to escape his past and start anew as a university professor. He quickly integrates with the people there and is at the center of a whodunnit. This bold and risky shift in dynamic for the storyline should be applauded for its innovation, but ultimately it falls flat. Joe himself considers the whodunnit the “lowest form of literature” and unfortunately, the medium of this season mimics that. Its format is boring and overdone; it completely strips “You” of what made it so compelling in the first place: a real dive into the mindset of a killer and stalker who often convinces audiences that his reasoning for his violent crimes were just. Instead, Goldberg goes on a half-baked hunt to find the person that’s been taking out the people around him and pinning it on him.

Season four ends with a reveal of the actual killer, which would be unsurprising to anyone familiar with the whodunnit format

and leaves me wondering what the second part of the season could possibly do for five more episodes. Will Goldberg finally meet his end and be revealed to be the vicious stalker that he is or not? I’m predicting his lover from the previous season to make a reappearance to finally provide that karmic sense of justice that comes from taking Goldberg down like he has done to so many other people.

Season four part two prediction:

I hope that the second part of the season expands upon the ensemble’s lives and gives them more humanity. While the characters that Goldberg targeted were definitely flawed and maladjusted, they at least had personalities and character traits that were worth rooting for. This ensemble cast of incredibly wealthy aristocratic Londoners are completely unlikable. His love interest, Kate, lacks backstory and doesn’t evoke much sympathy like Goldberg’s previous lovers. Season four is also missing that precocious child that Goldberg looks after and gives him depth as trying to protect young people from the things he had to endure as a child.

Hopefully, part two of season four develops the ensemble cast more and makes them easier to root for. There’s still much to unravel now that the real killer has been revealed to Goldberg but not the rest of the world. How will he manage to live on in his fake identity? Will he be able to protect himself, or will the authorities finally catch on to his games? If the plotline in part two doesn’t ramp up to the exciting and heart-clenching pace of the previous seasons, it might be time to end Goldberg’s story with a nice, wrapped-up ending.

Season four part two reaction:

After watching the second part of season four, it’s safe to say that I had no idea where this was going. I thought that there was nowhere else for the plot to go after finding out who the killer was, but the “You”

writers have managed to surprise me again with another baffling plot twist with clever misdirection. The use of flashbacks and the return of many beloved cast members like Victoria Pedretti and Elizabeth Lail gives you a peek into the twisted mind of Goldberg and his slip into madness. Goldberg is revealed to be an unreliable narrator with his monologues because he has been suffering from visions and hallucinations the whole time. He is revealed to be behind all the murders while lacking memory of it all. Goldberg, as always, wants to feel like a good person and can’t reconcile his actions to the ones he has made. He tries to end it all, but somehow he always seems to make it through any harrowing situation alive and better than ever.

It’s clear now that “You” is coming to an end. All notions of Goldberg being a good man who’s only killing people and evading crime to save the one he loves have been discarded. Even Goldberg accepts his true nature and accepts his murderous tendencies as a way to fix things. It’s now

an inevitable part of his life to tie up loose ends and succeed. His pattern of finding new women and obsessing over them has been revealed, and it’s clear that this cannot be broken. I’m anticipating the finale, where we finally get to learn how Goldberg finally meets his end, or maybe the showrunners will leave it open-ended to comment on how justice isn’t always served. I think viewers are looking for an ending where one of his victims finally gets revenge. Whatever happens, we’re all invested in Goldberg’s story and what he will do next in the name of love.

staff writer Lifestyles staff writer Mirula Prasad reflects on the chilling reveal that occurs during the season finale.

460 WEST: FOLLOWING EXIT SIGNS TO BLUEFIELD, WEST VIRGINIA

emelia delaporte | assistant lifestyles editor

Read about assistant lifestyles editor Emelia Delaporte’s experience in Bluefield, a near-forgotten border town of West Virginia.

In the quiet between birdsong and our shoes shuffling, the only common sound came from a mile and a half southeast — US-460 at some of its tamest, where it briefly climbs through West Virginia.

This is what a dying city sounds like.

“People always talked about how Bluefield was getting smaller and surrounding areas were getting bigger,” said Zack Sowder, a former resident of Bluefield, West Virginia. “In classes, we’d talk about when they called Bluefield ‘little New York City.’”

Bluefield, located in Mercer County on West Virginia’s southeastern border with Virginia, has its roots in the coal boom of the late nineteenth century. The city practically sprung up overnight and was one of the first in the nation to have a proper skyline. When it was constructed, Bluefield’s West Virginia Hotel was one of the world’s tallest buildings.

Bluefield, in the aftermath of the long reign of King Coal, has maintained a particular relationship with American progress.

In the 1960s, the local coal industry began to decline in response to the rise in the popularity of natural gas. The local rail industry began to decline with it. In 1974, Bluefield gained access to Interstate 77, upon the completion of the over-5,000-foot-long East River Mountain Tunnel. In 1979, Amtrak Train No. 67, the Hilltopper, stopped running to Bluefield. The introduction of highways to the area had been successful. In 1980, Bluefield got a shopping mall.

Like many communities in Appalachia, that relationship with progress has been a toxic one. Bluefield was given the beginnings of the infrastructure necessary to keep up but was left behind.

“A lot of what I’ve been told over the years of what hurt the downtown area so much was the mall,” said Laura Cole, current Bluefield resident and local business owner. “When it went in, the majority of the shops would open in the mall and I think it basically ruined the downtown.”

Bluefield’s downtown district has become close to a ghost town. Many buildings stand vacant and in disrepair. This process of decay is known as urban blight.

One example of urban blight in Bluefield is the old H.B. Thompson building on

Commerce Street, which once housed a large furniture business. The Thompson building has had broken windows since at least 2015, the last time that Google collected Street Imagery data there. That shattered glass litters the alley leading to the Greyhound station.

An even more shocking example would be 602 Raleigh Street, which at Bluefield’s height in the 1950s had been a hotel listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide for Black American roadtrippers.

Without looking closely at these neglected buildings and others, however, downtown Bluefield paints a pretty picture. Classical architecture styles in brick, limestone sandstone and more provide ample scope for the imagination of the bustling micropolis that Bluefield once was — and also for a hopeful future.

A micropolitan statistical area, according to the US Census Bureau, possesses an urban cluster of at least 10,000 people, but fewer than 50,000. The Bluefield Micropolitan Statistical Area includes both Bluefield, Virginia, in Tazewell County and Bluefield, West Virginia, in Mercer County. Together, their population is around 15,000.

In spite of the odds stacked against it and largely abandoned by the industries that birthed and sustained the city in the early days, Bluefield is fighting to make a comeback.

“From the time I was in middle school, high school, the downtown area has transformed. The Bluefield leaders within the city and Economic Development program have done a tremendous job,” Cole said. “To see what it is now is incredible and hopefully it continues to grow.”

Small businesses like the Railyard, the Blue Spoon, Imogene & Rose — Cole’s business — and more have made downtown Bluefield home with the hopes of bringing business back to the area for the past decade.

“It seems like most residents here and business owners, they continuously are thinking up new ideas,” Cole said. “The amount of support that we get from the community, just my business, is amazing.”

In addition to the businesses moving in, other efforts to revitalize downtown Bluefield have been made. The Historic Granada Theatre was renovated in 2012 and is back in

operation for movies and shows. The former Ramsey School is on its way to becoming a regional arts center with the non-profit Gary Bowling’s House of Art. Bluefield’s Holiday of Lights festival had over 5,000 visitors this recent holiday season.

The hard work is far from done, but the increase of businesses and local engagement have been important stepping stones for making Bluefield a destination again.

“There’s a lot of nice, awesome little businesses down there that weren’t there. I think it’s a great shot,” said Sowder. “I wish them the best, but it’s not conducive to long-term, and that is concerning because there isn’t a new influx of people.”

Like thousands of others over the past seven decades, we left Bluefield to a purple horizon with the sun at our backs. With any luck, though, the efforts being made downtown will continue going strong — there may still be a reverse to the decline.

Perhaps someday, more people will watch

an Appalachian sunset from the comfort of home in Bluefield instead of running from it.

COURTESY OF AUDREY JONES Delaporte stands in front of City of Bluefield downtown mural.

WOMEN’S SWIM AND DIVE FINISHES NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION WITH TOP 20 FINISH

DUNCAN WEIGAND | SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The Hokies earned their best finish since 2012.

The Virginia Tech women’s swim and dive team wrapped up the NCAA championships from March 15 to 18 in 20th place, totaling 46 points and gathering five All-American honorable mentions. The top 20 finish is also the best finish for the women’s team since 2012. The women’s team concluded their season, but the men will begin their NCAA championships on March 22 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Emma Atkinson: Atkinson left her mark on the first day of competition when her group, along with Carmen Weiler Sastre,

Sarah Shackelford and Emily Claesson, placed 14th in the 800 free relay. The junior took home her first honor of the competition along with the rest of the group. Atkinson was also a part of the group that earned an honorable mention when they placed 11th in the 200 relay on day two. Atkinson racked up two more honorable mentions, including an individual award to wrap up her third and fourth day of competition.

Caroline Bentz: Bentz also had herself an impressive tournament, recording a

1:57.74 time in the 200-yard backstroke and racing the second-fastest time in Virginia Tech history. That wasn’t the only Virginia Tech record Bentz posted, as she also recorded the fourth-fastest time when she timed a 52.71 second time in the 100-yard backstroke. Bentz was also in the group with Atkinson that earned an All-American honorable mention in the 200-yard freestyle relay on the second day of competition.

Sarah Shackelford: Shackelford was also another Hokie who earned an

All-American honorable mention, placing 15th in the 200-yard freestyle relay along with Madelyn Moore, Bentz, and Atkinson.

Hokies who received All-American honorable mentions: Emma Atkinson, Caroline Bentz, Madelyn Moore, Sarah Shackelford and Carmen Weiler Sastre.

VIRGINIA TECH WOMEN’S TENNIS LOSES ACCMATCHUP TO NOTRE DAME

Amber WILLIAMS | SPORTS EDITOR

Coming off of their first ACC win against Louisville on Friday, the Virginia Tech women’s tennis team entered their matchup on Sunday against No. 24 Notre Dame on a high note. However, that didn’t translate against No. 23 Notre Dame (10–6, 1–4 ACC) on Sunday, when the Hokies (10–6, 1–5 ACC) lost 5–2.

Tech was swept in doubles with Erika Cheng and Sabina Richtrova being taken down first 6–2 followed by two 6–3 losses on courts one and two.

The Hokies picked up their two points in the singles round with Tamara Barad Itzhaki defeating Yashna Yellayi 7–5, 6–0. Katie Andreini took her match to three sets, ultimately taking down Carrie Beckman 6–1, 2–6, 6–4. The junior is now 12–2 on the season.

Charlotte Cartledge took her opponent

Akari Matsuno to three sets going 5–7, 6–1, 4–6 to concede the point. Özlem Uslu and Dariya Radulova both fell to ranked opponents, No. 71 Page Freeman and No. 115 Julia Andreach, respectively.

Virginia Tech will face another in-conference opponent in Florida State (9–6, 2–3 ACC) on March 24 for its next matchup.

JUSTIN DEAN / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Charlotte Cartledge awaiting her opponents serve, Oct. 20, 2022.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL KEEPS DANCING AS THEY ADVANCE TO THE SWEET 16

luke evans | sports staff writer

The team is continuing to make history after a fierce game against South Dakota State.

On Sunday, March 19, 2023, the No. 1 Virginia Tech women’s basketball team looked to do something they had only done once before: qualify for the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. They succeeded, defeating No. 9 South Dakota State, 72–60, and advancing to the third round for the first time since 1999.

In their nearly 24 year drought, the Hokies (29–4, 14–4 ACC) had either been knocked out of the first or second round. But as the top seed in the Seattle 3 region, this was the Hokies’ best shot to make history.

Fans stood outside Cassell Coliseum for nearly four hours prior to Virginia Tech’s showdown with the Jackrabbits from South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits (29–6, 18–0 Summit League) had to beat No. 8 USC in an overtime thriller on Friday, 62–57, to match up with the Hokies.

The Hokie’s started the game hot, making four three-pointers within the first three and a half minutes. Guard Georgia Amoore was aggressive from the jump, taking three shots in the first four minutes.

By the end of the first quarter, the Hokies had already made their presence known, establishing a 12-point lead, and holding the Jackrabbits to just seven points.

And once the halftime horn rang, the Hokies had established a 23-point lead, with guard Kayana Traylor hitting a buzzer-beater mid-range shot at the end of the second quarter.

As the third quarter began to take place, so did the Hokies inability to stop the Jackrabbits. Guard Haleigh Timmer from SDSU was able to take advantage of the Hokies sub-par defense, hitting two field goals and sinking four free throws.

By the time the third quarter ended, the Jackrabbits were able to cut the lead to 16.

The fourth quarter shaped up to be an intense, offensive-driven 10 minutes, and it definitely lived up to that. Both teams traded baskets and kept the game physical and fierce.

With 1:05 left in the fourth, and the Hokies’ lead cut down to 11, Tech needed a basket to kill the Jackrabbits’ attempted comeback. Georgia Amoore did just that,

hitting a dagger-like three-pointer, ending all hopes for South Dakota State.

After the game, Head Coach Kenny Brooks was asked why this year’s team was able to get to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.

“We’re good,” Brooks said. “Elizabeth (Kitley) is an All-American, Georgia (Amoore) is an All-American, Taylor (Soule) was able to get us over the hump with her play, her unselfishness.”

Georgia Amoore was clutch for the Hokies, as she had nine fourth quarter points, totaling 21. Amoore, who struggled shooting in the third quarter, spoke to her coach’s confidence in her ability to continue.

“I was getting frustrated, but then I walked over to Coach Brooks, and he just said ‘I need you to give me those eyes,’” Amoore said. “‘I need you to be locked in.’”

Center Elizabeth Kitley ended the night with 14 points and 14 rebounds, her third consecutive double-double, dating back to the ACC Championship game.

Forward Taylor Soule was a key thirdweapon for the Hokies, contributing 13 points and seven rebounds. Kayana Traylor had 11 points, five rebounds and two assists for the Hokies, and guard Cayla King had nine points on three triples.

The Hokies will head to Seattle to compete in the Sweet 16 next weekend, against either No. 4 Tennessee or No. 12 Toledo.

HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Virginia Tech Hokies forward Taylor Soule (13) forcing her way to the basket while being double-teamed by South Dakota State Jackrabbits forwards, March 19, 2023.