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November 7, 2023
PAGE 2 November 7, 2023
NEWS
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RECORD LOW ACT SCORES NOT A CONCERN FOR VIRGINIA TECH ADMISSIONS Ben Montgomery | news writer
Virginia Tech admissions will use other metrics to evaluate applications. Virginia Tech admissions are unbothered by the lowest reported ACT scores in 31 years and say that there are other application metrics for determining college readiness. “When you look at standardized testing as a predictor on how students will do once they’re in college as a standalone variable, it’s never been a very strong predictor,” said Juan Espinoza, director of undergraduate admissions at Virginia Tech. According to the New York Times, ACT test scores for the high school class of 2023 have reached their lowest average since 1991. About 43% of students did not reach any of the subject-matter benchmarks. The average composite score was 19.5 out of 36. The class of 2023 started high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing a significant shift to online learning for several months. During this time, there was
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Impartiality means reporting, editing and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively and without opinion or bias. Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility. To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news, but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy. The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists’ role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and
also a movement among colleges and universities to permit the exclusion of standardized test scores on admission applications. These simultaneous events can be the most significant indicators of the steady dropping in scores nationwide. Due to Virginia Tech’s increasing interest in non-cognitive attributes, rigor of classes and extracurricular activities within a candidate’s application, the trend of falling test scores is not a concern for their admission offices. “We do a truly holistic review with a lot of focus outside of the classroom,” Espinoza said. “We do what are called non-cognitive attributes, essentially attributes based on the student’s characteristics or experiences that can be utilized, research shows, at a higher level than testing when being utilized as predictors on how they’re not only gonna do in college, but how they’re gonna do
reveal only that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth. When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.
Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times. All letters must include a name and phone number. Students 365 Squires Student Center 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.
in life. And on the academic side, we pay strong attention to grades, which has been proven to be very good predictor and rigor of courses, so we like to see AP, IB (and/or) dual enrollment classes.” Virginia Tech became a test-optional application institution in 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented many incoming students from accessing standardized test aid and services and a decades-long national discourse regarding the inequitable nature of standardized tests. “The reason we moved to test-optional initially was in response to the pandemic’s cancellation of testing, so it was impossible for most students to get test aid,” Espinoza said. “But there were already conversations happening not just at Virginia Tech but in higher education in general about the role that standardized testing should take.” Virginia Tech has only been test-optional for three years, so its long-term efficacy has not been determined. However, they are continually evolving their application process year after year to adapt to the circumstances of incoming students. “I am a firm believer that there is no perfect
application review process — it’s everchanging — and so you always want to kind of make sure that the process you’re using to review students is resulting in positive steps towards progression and graduation,” Espinoza said. “All metrics are looking pretty good for this cohort, and I think that’s a good sign, our retention rate for the most recent group is up one full percentage point from 90 percent to 90.9.” According to a report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, among 13 public and private institutions, college applicants who did not submit scores graduated in four years at a rate of 79% compared to applicants who did submit scores at 76.4%. Although this study only includes data from a small cohort of institutions within a small time frame, it is undeniable that the influence and weight standardized testing has among colleges and universities is wavering in the light of equity and test availability.
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November 7, 2023 PAGE 3
OPINIONS collegiatetimes.com
CLASSROOM ENGAGEMENT IS CRUCIAL AFTER COVID-19 IMPACT ON STUDENT PARTICIPATION Emily Dorsey | opinions contributer
Following a time of isolation, being an active participant in class fosters connection. Despite being such a large school, Virginia Tech was able to reach a 13:1 student-to-professor ratio. With those numbers, students should take advantage of great mentoring from professors and regularly participate in class. The classroom environment is the perfect time to make the most of your professors’ knowledge and guidance. Unfortunately, student participation in the classroom does not match these ideal conditions. As a student at Virginia Tech, I have witnessed less and less participation over the course of my academic career. Whether it is an in-person class or online Zoom calls, fewer students are willing and wanting to participate in class. Instructors are having to practically beg for any sort of response from their students — whether it’s a lecture or a 20-person class. Liam Weikart, professor of social problems and sociological theory in the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, explains why this decrease in student participation may be happening. “I think for a lot of people,
myself included, COVID made us lose our social skills a little bit,” Weikart said. “I think socializing is a kind of skill and if you don’t use it, you lose it.” COVID-19 was unfamiliar territory for everyone and set us back in many aspects like interpersonal relationships, mental health and productivity. Despite the social and mental effects from the pandemic, students should use their time and money to utilize in-person learning and actively engage in class. According to Grey Matters Journal at Temple University, “Lack of social interaction affects the ability to foster quality connections, which impacts personal growth.” Without social interaction, humans have a harder time growing individually thus affecting our desire to participate in social settings like a classroom. Before COVID-19, I was definitely an introvert, but I was still very bubbly and able to carry conversations. Yet, when COVID-19 struck us all, I found it harder to start, carry and feel good about conversations I had with others. Even though the
BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students gather for the first 2017 lecture in the “Through Feminist Eyes” series in Fralin Auditorium, Sept. 20, 2017.
official lockdown was about five months in the U.S., the time spent isolating went on for way longer. With the effects of COVID-19, I became more dependent on my phone and technology because that was the only way to connect and communicate with other people. TikTok became more addicting and all-consuming than ever before, which definitely did not help my attention span. With short attention spans, I get distracted much easier and hence have a harder time staying present and focused on what I’m learning about at the moment. “As a culture, I think our over-reliance on technology and immediate gratification often erodes attention spans,” Weikart said. COVID-19 made many of us more reliant on phones and social media, more prone to isolate with technology rather than communicate with others. Therefore, our mental health issues worsened. It has made finding recreational or academic participation harder to do than ever before. People may question why participation in class even matters. There may be some students who just want to get through college without going to in-person classes. If virtual or Zoom classes are what fit your schedule then that is totally OK, but it won’t be the same experience that you’ll get from in-person classes. “A big part of learning is just interacting with other people inside the discipline and getting other people’s perspectives. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, different experiences. Ideally, that comes out in the classroom,” Weikart said. What is most enjoyable about in-person classes is the feeling of connection to fellow peers, professors and Virginia Tech. What COVID-19 made me realize is that I love being a part of a community. I love meeting new people, participating in various activities and learning something new. Engaging in class and immersing
ourselves in society does not only benefit us as students but also helps out our hardworking professors and faculty at Virginia Tech. “For me the biggest point or advantage to classroom participation is hearing from other classmates back and forth and respectful exchange of opinions,” Weikart said. “That can happen online but with online courses often people have their cameras off and there is so much that comes through with body language and facial expressions. Body language and facial expressions can tell me when my students are getting something or if they are not getting it.” Weikart has advice for students who may feel like they don’t have the social skills they used to have or feel anxious participating in class for various reasons. “Getting out there and creating new opportunities to meet new people and discover new ideas and experiences,” Weikart said. The more we connect with our communit y the more we will feel connected and hence be an avid participant that other people can look up to. COVID-19 has made most of us lose our social skills which may contribute to this decrease in participation within our community and classrooms. But in class, challenge yourself to just say one thing and maybe the next class two things. Participating in class sets students up for the real world by providing outlets to grow our social skills, connect with others and learn to live in the present moment.
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PAGE 4 November 7, 2023
LIFESTYLES collegiatetimes.com
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GOODBYE GRADS: HENNEBERRY’S HARDEST HEADLINE Colleen Henneberry | former managing editor
“I transferred to Tech in 2021, and my life changed for the better. I realized that it was possible for me to have a future.” I don’t even know where to begin. How do you summarize a chapter of your life that was so significant, filled with moments you never thought you would experience? I didn’t think I would make it to college. I didn’t think I would get to experience the 2 a.m. Cook Out runs, the late hours studying in Torgerson and Newman or weekends downtown. I don’t know why I didn’t think it was a possibility for me — it just seemed so far out of reach. To be frank, I was at such a low point during my senior year of high school that I wasn’t able to see a future for myself. That feeling was only amplified when COVID-19 locked us all in our houses for over a year. I was in community college at the time, but being holed up in my room in front of a computer screen all day had me itching to get out, to be anywhere but home. I transferred to Tech in 2021, and my life changed for the better. I realized that it was possible for me to have a future. Looking back, I don’t even recognize the person I was before Tech. I’ve been able to explore my identity in a way that wouldn’t have been possible without the people I surrounded myself with throughout these two and a half years. Two and a half years — in that amount of time, I became comfortable with my identity as a queer person; made friends and lost friends; formed relationships and lost
HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES Colleen Henneberry posing for their goodbye grads piece, Nov. 5, 2023.
relationships; and laughed until my stomach hurt and cried out my tear ducts. I learned a lot of things the hard way, but one of the main things was that sometimes (a lot of the time, for me), you don’t have to know what you’re doing in college! You can change majors, add minors and drop or add classes. Center your college education around you, not society’s expectation of you. Easier said than done, I’m aware, but life is far too short and precious to waste a quality education on a subject you aren’t passionate about. Even though I experienced all these changes, I was still at a loss for what to get involved in at Tech — that’s when the CT came along. Writing was — and continues to be — my favorite thing to do in this world. I wrote about anything and everything because that’s the beauty of words — you can use them however you want. I liked the structure of the CT, and as a journalism major, it just seemed like a perfect fit. Not long after I joined, I moved up the ranks from writer to editor. I was so proud of myself because I had proof — confirmation that I’m good at this thing I like doing. That was (and still sometimes is) my worst fear: being bad at something I’m so incredibly passionate about. But the CT showed me that I was good continued on page 5
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November 7, 2023 PAGE 5
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continued from page 4 at writing, and wanted me to stay. So, I stayed. Some time after Momiji and I stepped into our leadership roles, I felt a shift in the newsroom. It turned into a place where people could come to production and share ideas and write incredible things about Tech. Every Sunday from now on, I’ll think of these production days, spent listening to hours of lo-fi music (you’re welcome) and sitting in weird rolly chairs that don’t function properly. I also wanted to take a moment to recognize the queen editor-in-chief herself — Momiji. It’s simple — you’re absolutely a force to be reckoned with. You’re the one who pulls me back from my outlandish ideas (most of which are not AP-friendly, mind you), and you constantly push me to be a better version of
myself. Your understanding and support has meant the world to me, and there aren’t enough thanks in the world to show you how grateful I am for you. I can’t wait to see what amazing things you do in this next chapter of your life. You’ve made the CT such a fun and inviting environment, something every newsroom should strive to be. Victoria, we couldn’t have picked a better editor-in-chief — because, let’s face it, anyone who’s willing to build an office chair with confusing instructions deserves some recognition! You’ve gone above and beyond to help the CT reach where it is now, and I know you’re going to go on and do great things. Keep doing what you’re doing, and don’t forget to play some funky jams during production — someone needs to take over the aux! To the rest of the CT staff, I mean this when I say it — this paper would not exist without you.
Each writer, editor, photographer and design staffer is the backbone of this student newspaper. You do this because you want to and are passionate about it, and it shows through your work. I’m so thankful I’ve gotten to share the things I’m passionate about with you all. This team is made up of so many creative minds, and each and every one has pushed me to be a better creative person. I can’t thank you enough for that. The one thing I want to leave you with — keep creating. Whatever it is, even if you think it’s dumb or lame, it doesn’t matter. Burnout is real, and if you only focus on classes, work or extracurriculars, it will consume you. Create whatever you want, because the one thing that I’m looking forward to after school is creating for myself — not for money, not for a job, but for myself. The CT has given me many unique opportunities — like being on the field or court taking
pictures and getting to talk with interesting people with amazing stories. The Collegiate Times, an entirely independent, student-run newspaper, gives the Virginia Tech community news that matters. And what matters isn’t always the latest update on increased tuition or events on campus; although those are important, they aren’t the only thing that happens at Virginia Tech. Highlighting things like the soil judging team and professors in love is what matters, too. It’s important to show these golden nuggets that are littered across campus, because most of the time they go unnoticed. It’s a privilege to be able to highlight stories like these — it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. And, thanks to the CT, I’ve been able to do it.
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GOODBYE GRADS: THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF IS SIGNING OFF Momiji Barlow | former editor-in-chief
“I’m proud of the small mark I’ll be leaving behind within the tucked-away newsroom in Squires.” I had heard before that with each year that passes by, the shorter each year seems — after all, 365 days is a smaller fraction of your life the older you get. But somehow I still wasn’t prepared for how fast my time in college would go. How could it be that it was four years ago, and not four months, that I was moving into my dorm, going to Gobblerfest (virtually) and writing my first news piece for the Collegiate Times? I first started writing in a journalistic capacity when I was 15 years old. Honestly, that doesn’t feel like too long ago, either. Back in high school, I wrote for The Purple Tide, a student-run paper with a wonderful advisor that gave me deep friendships and a sense of community within a large high school of over 3,000 students. Many of those friends I still keep in touch with, and we often reminisce about the lavender-hued classroom that we went through our awkward stages cocooned in. When I visited Virginia Tech as a high school junior, one of the first things I reached for were the papers stacked in the red newspaper stands emblazoned with the CT logo. It could be that somewhere in my gut, I knew that I would spend my time in college working for that very same paper. There are several core lessons I’ve
HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES Momiji Barlow posing for her goodbye grads piece, Nov. 5, 2023.
learned from my time at the CT, for better or worse. One: leadership positions are hard, and they’re meant to be hard. For someone who generally tends to be a people-pleaser, saying no, setting boundaries and advocating for not only myself, but an entire staff is a difficult aspect of being in charge. These situations would make me break out in a cold sweat in the beginning — and I’ll be frank, they still do. Often I would find myself being upset at an unkind Facebook comment or a particularly hard conversation with a staffer, and wonder if I was really cut out for the job. But at the end of the day, you were chosen for a reason. Own your role: “fake it ‘til you make it” is real and works. Two: It’s okay to rely on other people. I realized very quickly during my first semester of being in charge that you don’t get a lot done when you try to do it all yourself. Being a leader is about delegating as much as it is about leading and taking on everything alone only leads to burnout. Three: Sometimes your friends can be found in the most unexpected places. To truly love your work, you have to enjoy being around your coworkers, and the continued on page 6
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continued from page 5 staff at the CT were exceedingly easy to like. Somewhere between brainstorming headlines and decks together, snacking on Carol Lee’s glazed donuts during production and debating the merits of the Oxford comma, we became each other’s friends. How beautiful is that? As I reflect on my time both as a staff member and a student leader of this organization, I can’t help but be in awe at how much I have grown. Gone is the woman who was wary of difficult conversations and decisions, who would rather sit back than take charge. I ’ve become more aware of my strengths as well as areas of improvement, and I’m proud of the small mark I’ll be leaving behind within the tucked-away newsroom in Squires. Although I won’t be going into journalism, instead working toward becoming an English literature educator, the skills
I have picked up over the years are endlessly valuable and will serve me well. If there’s one piece of advice I leave you as the reader with, especially if you’re just starting out in college — it’s to make the leap. It’s okay to be scared or nervous, but take a chance on yourself, try something new or go for that leadership role, and know that you may stumble upon something truly wonderful. There’s so much out there lying in wait, but you have to take the first step to find it. Sometimes the only way to grow is to be just a little bit uncomfortable. You’ve got this. I have so many people to thank for both my personal and professional growth during my time at the paper that it is impossible to list them all. Thank you to Adiah Gholston, my first mentor and the news editor who preceded me, who encouraged and supported me during the COVID -19 period even while we could only meet over Zoom. Thank you
to Tori Walker for being someone I admire so much for her grace and kindness — I can’t thank her enough for answering all of my incessant EIC-related questions even after she graduated. Thank you Kiley Thompson and Amy Ostroth, the general managers/mother hens of the media hall who have always been my staunch supporters, and everyone else at EMCVT. Colleen, thank you for being the absolute light of the newsroom and the classic good cop to my bad cop. There were so many times that you made me laugh and grounded me when I was stressed, and I absolutely couldn’t have done this job without you. Thank you to Victoria for showing me in a hundred little ways throughout the time I ’ve known you that you are and will continue to be a wonderful EIC. I’ll always be here if you need anything. Thank you to all the CT staff I’ve worked with over the years, and your contributions to keeping this
paper running, and running well. Thank you to my parents for being my biggest cheerleaders. Lastly, thank you to Clare Gartlan, my amazing high school journalism advisor, and my friends from The Purple Tide, who started it all.
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TAYLOR SWIFT’S CONCERT FILM GIVES ALL HER FANS A CHANCE TO HAVE THE ERAS EXPERIENCE Gracie Brogowski | lifestyles contributor
Lifestyles contributor Gracie Brogowski shares her thoughts on the Eras Tour movie. After selling out the entire Eras tour in November, Taylor Swift is allowing her fans to see the show on the big screen. The Eras Tour was the biggest tour of the summer. However, even with a total of 146 shows internationally, the entire tour was sold out in a day during the presale on Nov. 6. Due to the supply and demand for tickets, Swift chose to record her final U.S. show and release it as a movie, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” Before the film was released on Oct. 13, it made over $100 million in presale tickets. Variety also has guessed that the film will make a total of $95-$97 million within the opening weekend. The movie gives fans a front-row seat to the concert. Unlike other concert films, this one doesn’t alternate between the show and behind-the-scenes footage which is great for those eager to watch Swif t per form. It has no backstage content, just her show. The camera angles were on point with placement. They had shots up close, from a distance, above the
stage and from the crowd’s point of view. It was as if you were sitting all around the arena. A s people could assume, Swif t ’s gentle vocals were top-notch for each song. You could easily hear the emotions that she wants listeners to feel for each song. It ’s also easy to hear an excited tone in her voice as well which adds more genuine meaning to her performance. The shocking part of the music was that seven songs that were on the setlist were cut from the film. While it was disappointing, it didn’t ruin the experience for viewers. It was also disappointing to see that she only had three to five songs from each era. For those who saw the tour live or seen videos and pictures on social media, you would know that the setup was amazing and the visuals were incredible. It’s easy to see that Swift and her team went all out for this tour. While the set was spectacular, so were the outfit selections. Each outfit was coordinated with each
album. For example, she came out in a silver and gold dress for “Fearless,” which is the album cover’s color scheme. They all glistened as she danced around the stage. Another noticeable component was that her microphones changed for each era. Some were brand new, but those who’ve seen other concerts of hers live or as a movie might recognize a few from past shows. It was smart on her part and increased the fun for her eagle-eyed fans. In an Instagram post back in August by Swift announcing the movie, she wrote “Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged.” Her fans followed those instructions. Since the movie’s release, people have been posting videos of either them and their friends or the entire theater on its feet dancing and singing along. Some footage shows attendees with glow sticks, and others have shown a mosh pit of people crowding around the screen as if they were on the floor of S oFi Stadium
watching the concert in person. This truly gives Swifties the full Eras Tour experience. “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is a fun night out for friends and a gift for Swift fans. Make sure to get to B&B Theatres to see the concert of the summer. Overall, I would give this movie 10/10.
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November 7, 2023 PAGE 7
SPORTS
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WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY WINS HOKIE OPEN, MEN FINISH SECOND Ben Schneider | sports staff writer
The women’s team defeated James Madison, Wake Forest and Hollins. On Friday afternoon, the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Hokie Open, the third and final home meet in Blacksburg this season. The women won the meet, while the men were runners-up to Wake Forest. The meet took place at Virginia Tech’s Buford Meredith Cross Country Course, located on campus near the Duck Pond. The rugged, hilly course took the runners through a grassy loop that features a cow pasture at its center. The meet included several other NCAA teams but was also open to unattached runners competing solo. Many of the Hokies’ top runners did not compete in the meet in order to rest and prevent injury ahead of the NCAA Southeast Regional meet next Friday. The Hokie Open instead served as a proving ground for younger and developing runners who do not have one of the seven spots for regionals. In the men’s six-kilometer race at 4 p.m., the Hokies faced off against Wake Forest and Hampton. The top of the race was close throughout, with Alec Fleming, Garrett
Winter and Will Jones of Virginia Tech battling with several unattached runners and members of Wake Forest’s squad. Two Wake Forest runners ended up pulling away to take first and second place, but Fleming and Winter secured third and fourth. “The first mile went by pretty quick, and we came through right around where we wanted,” Winter said. “After that, I was holding on to those around me and trying to move up and catch anyone I could. Our team strategy was to go out around 4:50 for the first mile and then be competitive which I think we did a good job of. I didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t run the first 6k earlier this year, so to run like I did was a good confidence boost. I think the team did a great job as a whole and showed just how much depth we have.” Jones (11th), Bryce Reeburgh (15th) and Colin Doran (16th) rounded out the scoring for the Hokies. The team results ended up giving Virginia Tech a slim one-point loss to Wake Forest by a score of 28–27. The women’s four-kilometer race started at 4:45 p.m., and it was a blowout win for the Hokies over James Madison, Wake
Forest and Hollins. A JMU runner won the race, but she was followed by a pack of six Hokies. Sarah Leach, Star Price, Chase Kappeler, Kenza Elakari, Sophie Brzezinski and Sidney Walters earned places second through sixth for Virginia Tech, securing a 23-point win. Leach nearly caught up to James Madison’s first-place finisher at the end, but she ended up finishing just three seconds behind her. Still, she was the first finisher of the Virginia Tech pack that ran together for much of the race. “I wanted to start off not too fast because I’ve done that before, and it doesn’t end well for me,” Leach said. “And then I saw the front of the pack, and I was like ‘I guess I can go up there,’ and so I did. Then I tried to chase down the top girl, (and I) didn’t quite get her, but I was definitely closing in on her, but didn’t have it at the end I guess.” Head coach Eric Johannigmeier likes what he saw from his athletes in what was likely their season finale, as only seven runners can compete in the upcoming regional and national meets. He feels the team had a strong performance on their
home course. “(There were) overall good efforts,” Johannigmeier said. “This group, most of them, it’s probably their last race of the cross country season, so we just wanted to go out there, run competitively (and) be tough at home, and they executed that well.” The Hokies will race next on Friday, Nov. 10, in the NCAA Southeast Regional in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with qualifications for nationals on the line. The NCAA championship meet will be at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, Nov. 18. Johannigmeier is confident in his team as they head into the most important meet so far this season in a week’s time. “I think everyone’s trending in the right direction,” Johannigmeier said. “It’ll be a good opportunity to see some teams that we’ve seen earlier in the year, and see if we can maybe win some battles that we weren’t winning earlier in the year.”
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CALEB HENSON WINS THIRD SOUTHEAST OPEN WRESTLING TITLE Thomas Bray | sports editor
Henson defeated West Virginia freshman Ty Watters in the first-place match. The Hokies fared well in the Southeast Open tournament. (149) No. 4 Caleb Henson, (157) Clayton Ulrey and (184) Sam Fisher each wrestled in the finals match of the open portion, and Henson won his third Southeast Open title. Henson has dominated the Southeast Open. The second-year Hokie won the tournament in his senior year of high school and his freshman year of college. On his way to the title, Henson pinned
Virginia’s Luca Errico and Campbell’s Callum Sitek. H enson’s dominance followed him into the quarterfinals. Henson’s 19–3 victor y over West Virginia’s Michael Dolan was his first technical fall of the season. In the NCAA, a technical fall occurs when one wrestler leads by 15 or more points at any point in the match. In the semi-finals, Henson matched up with Campbell’s Shannon Hanna. Last
season, Hanna was a First-Team All-SoCon member and NC A A qualifier. The second-year Hokie defeated Hanna 5–1 to advance to the first-place match. Waiting for Henson in the first-place match was West Virginia freshman Ty Watters. Watters finished his prep career with consecutive PIA A Class 3A state championships, one at 145 and one at 152. Watters had one upset on the day over Ohio’s No. 31 Derek Raike in the semifinals,
but Henson went on to defeat the freshman 4–1 to finish the day on top of the podium. Henson and the Hokies’ next action won’t come until Nov. 10. The Hokies open dual action with No. 7 Ohio State in Cassell Coliseum at 7 p.m. in an early top-10 matchup.
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PAGE 8 November 7, 2023
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HOKIES’ RUN DEFENSE WOES RETURN IN LOUISVILLE DRUBBING Thomas Bray | sports editor
Tech rushed for just 68 yards on Saturday. The Virginia Tech (4–5, 3–2 ACC) defense resembled what it looked like over the first month of the season in a 34–3 loss to Louisville (8–1, 5–1 ACC). One could argue that this was the biggest game of the Brent Pry era. Sitting at 3–1 in the ACC, a victory over Louisville would’ve catapulted the Hokies to second in the conference standings, meaning winning their final two games would put them in the ACC championship. The first offensive drive for the Hokies really set the tone for how the rest of the game would go. Kyron Drones was sacked for a 10-yard loss on the first play from scrimmage. Virginia Tech struggled to protect Drones for most of the evening. Left tackle Xavier Chaplin was called for a false start, making a third and long even longer. Drones went on to connect with Jaylin Lane on a screen pass, but it would go nowhere, and the Hokies would punt. Meanwhile, the Cardinals imposed their will on their opening drive. Running back Jawhar Jordan carried the ball nine times, and the Cardinals marched down the field to
take a 7–0 lead. The Hokies picked up two first downs on the ensuing drive, but another Drones sack in as many drives led to another punt from Peter Moore. Louisville continued to run the ball effectively and even got their quarterback, Jack Plummer, involved on the ground. Cardinals’ running back Isaac Guerendo rushed for 27 yards on the final play of the quarter, and the Hokies trailed 7–0 at the end of the quarter. After a brief sideline interview where Pry emphasized the importance of stopping the run, Guerendo rushed for a 39-yard touchdown to open the second quarter/ Guerendo had a career day on the ground. The Wisconsin transfer finished the day with a career-high 146 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It was his first career 100-yard rushing game for the Cardinals. Offensive Coordinator Tyler Bowen didn’t have enough protection up front for his quarterback to create much offensively. Drones was sacked again on the ensuing drive after Lane was brought down in the backfield on first down. It was another drive where Moore was brought on to punt.
Virginia Tech Hokies’ quarterback Kyron Drones (1), Oct. 26, 2023.
The rushing attack continued to be prolific for the Cardinals, but their lack of aggressiveness late in the drive gave the Hokies a glimpse of hope. Plummer was facing a third and long when he connected with Jimmy Calloway, but Calloway was ruled just short of the first down. It was fourth and two, and Louisville opted for what seemed like sure points and a 17–0 lead. However, Louisville kicker Brock Travelstead missed the short field goal attempt. For the first time all season, the Hokies held a team scoreless in the red zone. What followed the missed field goal was Virginia Tech’s best drive of the game. The Hokies relied on Drones’ legs to get them to midfield before a trick play gave the offense another 15 yards. Drones had Ayden Greene just outside of the endzone before Louisville defensive back Cam’Ron Kelly twisted him out of bounds to prevent a big play. Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 14 yards to the 12-yard line following the penalty. Tuten broke several tackles on the run and was reluctant to go down for the entire game.
HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Louisville’s defense didn’t break, however. After Virginia Tech was flagged for offensive pass interference, they settled for a field goal to close the half. John Love’s 44-yard field goal on that drive went on to be the only points that the Hokies scored on any drive. Coming out of the break, each team went three and out before Louisville got back to their bread and butter offensively. This time, it was Plummer’s arm for the Cardinals. The Cincinnati transfer found Jadon Thompson over the middle, and Thompson did the rest on the 37-yard score. On the ensuing drive, Drones had a deflected interception. Drones threw in traffic over the middle, and Cardinals defensive back Storm Duck deflected the pass into the hands of linebacker TJ Quinn. Last week against Syracuse, Drones broke Sean Glennon’s record of consecutive passes without an interception. After the turnover, Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm continued to feed the hot hand at running back. Guerendo received three straight touches and accounted for 46 yards and a back-breaking touchdown to all but seal it. The Hokies had the ball trailing 27–3 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but they failed to create offensive success, and Moore would punt again. The offense punted seven times against Louisville’s 15th-ranked total defense and couldn’t sustain anything offensively outside of one drive before halftime. Louisville had their way with Virginia Tech on the ground. The Cardinals rushed for 231 yards, and their backfield averaged 6.1 yards per carry in a 34–3 rout. With three games remaining, the Hokies will need to win two of their final three to qualify for bowl season. Virginia Tech is set to travel to Massachusetts on Nov. 11 for a matchup with Boston College.
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