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November 8, 2022
PAGE 2 November 8, 2022
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VIRGINIA TECH’S SEXUAL VIOLENCE CULTURE AND CLIMATE WORK GROUP MARKS ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY Victoria Weber | news EDItor
Members Caroline Lohr and Christine Dennis Smith comment on the progress made since the group’s creation. On Nov. 4, 2021, President Tim Sands announced the formation of the Sexual Violence Culture and Climate Work Group in response to a series of sexual assaults on campus since the university’s return to in-person classes. The group was criticized publicly by the United Feminist Movement organization at Virginia Tech. According to the Roanoke Times, three days after the work group was announced, UFM held a silent protest of the group at the Nov. 7, 2021 Board of Visitors meeting. Last year, in a letter to the Board of Visitors, UFM wrote, “Yesterday, President Sands announced a Sexual Violence Culture and Climate work group. This twenty-one person committee is focused on preventing gender based violence directed at undergraduate students. Despite this focus, only two students were appointed to the committee. The composition of the group lacks representation and reflects poorly on the University’s response to community outrage.” Caroline Lohr, Undergraduate Student Senate president, and her colleague, Paolo Fermin, undergraduate student representative to the Board of Visitors, were the only student group members at the time of the group’s creation. One year later, Lohr remarked on the headway made by the SVCC’s Subcommittee on Community Engagement. Lohr is a co-facilitator of the subcommittee. “Right now, our main focus within my
subcommittee is working on getting students involved in educating people about sexual violence, and kind of the stuff that leads up to it, taking more of a preventative approach,” Lohr said. Lohr further elaborated on the research her subcommittee conducted to produce the SAFE at VT website. “This was a project that we were working on towards the end of the last semester and really hitting the ground running over the summer,” Lohr said. “We talked to students in our subcommittee, we talked to students through the Women’s Resource Center, to come up with, ‘What are questions that survivors have after an incident,’ and ‘How can we best explain the processes of going through Title IX versus going through the police without having to set up a meeting and putting someone in a more vulnerable place than just being able to look it up.’” According to Lohr, statistics on the work group’s progress have yet to be published and evaluated. However, Lohr anticipates Virginia Tech will start collecting information on student attitudes toward the steps the work group has taken to combat sexual violence. She also believes the role of her subcommittee has shifted over time. “At the very beginning, it was just, ‘What students are involved in learning more about this,’ right, and so we had started sending out student forms for different students to sit on other subcommittees including ours,” Lohr said. “(Now) our actual subcommittee has
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grown, I think at the beginning we had fifteen and now we have over fifty students, and it’s open to any student.” Christine Dennis Smith, co-director of the Women’s Center and co-facilitator of the work group’s Subcommittee on Developing a Framework for a Sustainable Climate and Cultural Transformation, commented on the intention of the group. “I think the idea behind the SVCC is to work towards cultural transformation, and so there are multiple ways that the university is looking at addressing sexual violence, and culture change is a huge thing,” Dennis Smith said. “But in order for there to be cultural transformation, you have to have it all across the university, and so I think the point of the group is to create groups across the university, so to include faculty and staff, to include students, to include more connection with our academic departments. So really, in order for there to be cultural transformation, it has to be the whole entire community,” Dennis Smith said. According to Dennis Smith, the focus of the NEWSROOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief: Momiji Barlow (editor@collegiatetimes.com) Managing editor: Colleen Henneberry Design editor: Sydney Johnson Assistant Design editor: Nanami Nishimoto Copy editors: Emily Burch and Riley Vinluan News editor: Victoria Weber Lifestyles editor: Olivia Ferrare Sports editors: Amber Williams, Margaret Allocca, and Colby Talley Opinions editor: Olivia Nelson Photo editors: Andrew Rodgers and Hamad Alhendi
work group will shift from mostly first-year and on-campus students to include off-campus and graduate students, as well as students who are members of marginalized groups. For students who wish to get involved in tackling sexual violence at Virginia Tech, Dennis Smith recommends participating in Sexual Assault and Violence Education by Students through the Women’s Center, working with the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley as well as aiding the United Feminist Movement with the Clothesline Project and their annual Take Back the Night Rally.
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November 8, 2022 PAGE 3
OPINIONS collegiatetimes.com
CAMPUS EXPANSION IS NECESSARY EVAN HULL | OPINIONS CONTRIBUTOR
The proposed Beyond Boundaries Campus Plan is worthwhile despite construction inconveniences. As Virginia Tech continues to receive record numbers of applicants each year, including 45,214 from the class of 2026, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate the number of students the university would like to admit. Many students and faculty across campus have expressed their concerns about over-enrollment and crowdedness, especially since returning to in-person learning after the pandemic. These issues have made it obvious that the university’s campus will need to expand in the near future, which has raised questions among students regarding increased construction, the quality of campus life and how we will deal with a larger student population once accommodations are made. Though construction may cause some short-term chaos and changes to the quality of life on campus, expansion of campus and the renovation of current structures will allow Virginia Tech to construct its ideal campus with better facilities and resources for future generations of students. In 2018, Virginia Tech presented the updated “Beyond Boundaries 2047: The Campus Plan.” According to the 376-page document, which has been in the works since the mid-2010s, Virginia Tech is looking to expand campus westward toward the Duck Pond in order to “create academic, research and campus life facilities to accommodate a larger campus population,” among other reasons. Sustainability and the creation and renovation of multi-use facilities are emphasized within the plan as well. This document was released pre-pandemic, so one can argue that public health will be a major focus moving forward. The document details initiatives to construct and enhance campus infrastructure, particularly along the agricultural belt, which is located on the opposite side of the Duck Pond from the Drillfield and extends out across Route 460. For example, the plan hopes to integrate more greenspaces to keep students in touch with the nature of southwestern Virginia. Also contained within the plan are intentions to connect with downtown Blacksburg, specifically by means of the
Creativity and Innovation District. It seems that student commons are another focus of the plan as it shows three new common areas to take the place of Squires Student Center. These additions would allow students to better interact with a larger, more accessible campus and town and accommodate more students to be admitted in the future. There are hundreds more renovation and new building plans for Virginia Tech in the coming quarter-century within Beyond Boundaries’ agenda. Mark Owczarski, assistant vice president of University Relations, outlined the purpose of the Beyond Boundaries Plan. “The Beyond Boundaries Campus Plan is not a campus construction ‘to do’ list, rather it is a conversation starter, a possible road map or a broad framework that can help inform future conversations and much further decisions the university will make as it decides whether it will grow (physically) or not,” Owczarski said. Of course, none of the plans detailed within the Beyond Boundaries 2047 document are set in stone, but many of the projects are clearly being prioritized already. While campus space dwindles with construction and renovation projects such as future dining facility Hitt Hall, Dietrick Hall and War Memorial Hall, it’s becoming increasingly clear that a large expansion will be necessary. Despite the utopian visions detailed within the document, concerns have been raised all throughout the Virginia Tech student body. The biggest issue with the potential expansion is, of course, the on-campus nuisance we are already all too familiar with — construction. Angelina De Marco, a freshman majoring in sports media and analytics, supports campus renovations and construction projects but also recognizes the annoyance of its presence. “I feel on-campus construction cuts off certain walkways which makes it take longer to get places,” De Marco said. She isn’t alone in this statement. In fact, she echoes the thoughts of most students who have to journey through the construction around Derring Hall, Goodwin Hall and New Classroom Building.
BENJAMIN MONTGOMERY / COLLEGIATE TIMES The Duck Pond features a paved nature walk along its edge, Nov. 1, 2022.
As far as expansion toward the agricultural belt goes, students on the east side of campus would not be as greatly affected by those potential projects. Dante Walker, a senior majoring in civil engineering, expressed his support of the expansion. “Construction on the west side of campus would probably cause some traffic issues, but I don’t think we’d be affected by it too much,” Walker said when referring to Price’s Fork, Duck Pond Drive and West Campus Drive. Despite some pushback, it seems obvious that we should overlook the short-term growing pains of campus construction in order to see this outstanding campus become even larger with more amenities than ever before. Emily McLeod, a sophomore majoring in health communications, mentioned another reason why expansion would benefit Virginia Tech while also providing a unique suggestion. “I think expansion would definitely make the university more competitive against other schools, I would also hope that students see it as an opportunity to meet more students,” McLeod said. “Maybe class buildings could be grouped by major so that students can meet more people in their fields.” A renovated campus would not only appeal to those of us who already occupy Virginia Tech but also to publications that review
university amenities and potential student applicants. Seeing a university that is investing in its campus environment and resources is sure to attract more attention from those looking to attend college as well as employers hiring Tech students. For most students applying for colleges, knowing that they have the opportunity to live on an expanding and improving campus is certainly a plus. There are thousands of potential ideas for renovations and new buildings outlined within the 2047 Beyond Boundaries Campus Plan. Though concerns have been raised regarding construction complications, the overwhelming support for expansion overshadows doubts. It will be exciting to see exactly how the path toward the envisioned campus will develop through the next quarter-century, though we must be sure to remember the greater goal as we pass construction on the way to our classes.
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WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DECK THE HALLS JUST YET Sarah Leberknight | opinions contributor
This upcoming holiday season, take the time to appreciate each holiday on its own. Have you ever been casually strolling through the grocery store in August, only to find the shelves stocked with candy corn, pumpkins and Halloween decor? Or how about opening up your phone on Nov. 1 only to find social media riddled with videos of people putting up their Christmas trees and turning up the Christmas tunes? These days, the holidays can’t come sooner, with preparations and excitement boiling up months before the holidays even occur. The extension of the holiday season is very real, with celebrations crawling into stores and the lives of consumers earlier each year, to the point where it’s going overboard. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the holidays, but there is a point when it is too soon to be decking the halls. The “big” holidays of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all squeezed into the latter half of the year, which is part of the problem — it’s easy to roll from one holiday to the next without any breaks or time to recover from the previous holiday. However, just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Halloween is the first part of the problem. Once people are tired of the summer heat,
they decide it’s time to plunge into the spooky season, even before fall has officially started. According to the National Retail Foundation, shoppers begin preparing costumes and stocking up on decor for Halloween as early as the first week of September. Businesses welcome and feed on the Halloween excitement, releasing their selection of festive goods and treats as early as they can, like 7-Eleven, who released its assortment of pumpkin spiced delectables on August 5 this year. Pumpkin spice isn’t all things nice when it comes more than two months early. However, Halloween doesn’t get the fall season to itself anymore. By the time it’s October, and sometimes even sooner, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are already flooding the shelves. According to CNN Business, this year Christmas trees were being sold as soon as the end of September at Lowe’s and Costco. Target and Walmart began their holiday sales in early October. Not only has the gap between holidays been eliminated, but they are now encroaching on one another. The sooner that retailers can thrust their holiday goods onto the public, the
NANAMI NISHIMOTO / COLLEGIATE TIMES A bell ornament on a Christmas tree, Dec. 25, 2020.
better — for them at least. Companies put their holiday-themed displays up as early as possible because the holiday season is extremely profitable. In doing so, retailers feed right into the extension of the holiday season. Once shoppers see the shelves lined with festive goods, they feel the need to embrace the seasonal spirit even if it’s well before the holiday season has begun. It’s a chain reaction, resulting in some serious holiday brainwashing. Brooke Wager, a freshman studying English at Virginia Tech, is a self-proclaimed lover of the holidays, but even she agrees that the early celebrations are getting out of hand. “I hate that when I go into Target … say I’m looking for something Halloween related, and there’s only turkeys, I’m like, ‘Where’s the Halloween stuff?’ I don’t like when they start pulling their other stuff off the shelf before the next holiday has even happened,” Wager said. This phenomenon has a name — “Christmas creep.” The phrase refers to how the season of Christmas is lengthening, taking on a bigger role in the months before December. Christmas consumes and overpowers other holidays, leaving Halloween a second-rate holiday and Thanksgiving practically forgotten. No one gets excited and decorates their whole house for Thanksgiving. They may put out a turkey and call it a day, but for the most part, people just have their Turkey dinner beside the Christmas tree instead. For many people, Christmas decorations come out Nov. 1 and the few days that follow, especially on the internet. Instagram influencers across the internet have taken to sharing their houses fully decked out for Christmas. It’s like a light switch, flipping from Halloween to Christmas the moment the clock strikes 12. In some cases, quite literally, seeing as Mariah Carey posted a video of her smashing pumpkins and celebrating Christmas at midnight on Nov. 1 last year. Seeing their beloved celebrities decking their halls with extravagant Christmas decorations only makes people more excited to pull out those storage containers full of tinsel, twinkling lights and ornaments. There is no respite from holiday to holiday. It’s become something of a one big mashed up season, and it takes away from what each
holiday has to offer. How is one supposed to enjoy a holiday when the only thing on their mind is the next one, and the one after that? It’s not only absurd to see Christmas trees in September, but it’s exhausting too. It’s stressful having to plan out holidays months in advance. Now, there are certainly benefits to doing so — it helps people spread out spending and reduce the stress of holiday expenses. But there’s a difference between getting ahead to be cost-effective and simply deciding the beginning of November is an appropriate time to turn on “All I Want For Christmas” and put up that Christmas tree. Plus, if people aren’t careful, early spending could just turn into additional spending, as people may feel compelled to buy things from the festive store displays that pop up in the months leading to the holidays. There is also statistical evidence to show that “holiday cheer” is a real thing, and it does make people happy. However, there is a time and a place for everything, and months before a holiday occurs is simply too soon. “Once the next big holiday is over, then you can talk about the next holiday,” Wager said. “Once Thanksgiving is over then you can talk about Christmas. Once Halloween is over, then you can talk about Thanksgiving.” Holidays are special because they come only once a year. Halloween, and especially Christmas, lose their luster when they’re extended to the point of extremity. It’s draining to have holidays span months at a time, with festivity being shoved in your face everywhere you go. The holiday season is great; there’s no doubt about it — nothing rivals the seemingly universal good mood and the excitement that continues to increase as the days tick down until the grand event. However, celebrating holidays too early ruins the almost magical quality that the holiday season brings, and turns holidays from momentous occasions to stretched out, unsatisfactory events. So the next time you go to take your bins of Christmas decor out on Nov. 1, consider holding off for a few weeks.
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LIFESTYLES collegiatetimes.com
November 8, 2022 PAGE 5
FROM CLASS TO THE GRASS: PROFESSOR HITS FIELD FOR USA FIELD HOCKEY TEAM ANTHONY CUSAT | lifestyles staff writer
Virginia Tech professor Stella Volpe makes an impact inside the classroom and on the USA Master’s Field Hockey team. Have you ever wondered what a professor does in their free time? One Virginia Tech professor not only puts on a game face for teaching students in the classroom but also brings it to the field. Stella Volpe, Ph.D., the head of the Virginia Tech Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, lives a dual life as a member of the USA Masters Women’s Field Hockey Team. Volpe traveled all the way to Cape Town, South Africa in early October to represent the United States and to play alongside some of the best players in the world. Volpe’s experience with field hockey extends all the way back to ninth grade, when she followed in her sister’s footsteps in starting the sport. Having been involved in sports all the way up to high school,
Volpe took a leap of faith and found a new passion. “I love team sports and so I just fell in love with the game,” Volpe said. From there, Volpe continued to hone her skills on club teams and the University of Pittsburgh’s field hockey team during her time as an undergraduate student and served as the Virginia Tech club team’s coach while pursuing her master’s degree. “I just continued to play and loved it,” Volpe said. Little did she know that passion would come to fruition into an amazing life experience. Volpe’s time with the USA Master’s team started with an email in 2017, which inspired her to try out for the 2018 World Cup team. When deciding whether to try out or not, Volpe said she wondered what she had to lose from not trying out. This
spurred her decision to take the chance, and soon after, Volpe made the team which played in Terrassa, Spain. However, that was not the end of the road. “I was so competitive that I wanted to try out again,” said Volpe. In 2020, the cup was canceled due to the pandemic, but Volpe made her return to the field for 2022. For this year’s World Cup, Volpe was committed to making the journey to Cape Town, no matter the circumstances. “My flight from start to finish was 30 hours,” Volpe said. In addition to the long travel time, Volpe had to adapt to unexpected circumstances. A f te r m i s sin g h e r fli ght fro m Johannesburg to Cape Town, Volpe had to buy a ticket to her end destination in an
Courtesy of Phoebe McLaughlin
airport over five hours from where she was. “We wanted to make sure we made that flight. We drove down to this cute little airport (and) got there the next day.” As for her time playing, Volpe described the electric atmosphere she was met with when playing against the world. “You go to these places that are field hockey clubs … People are there, they’re cheering you on and from all other countries,” Volpe said. Countries like Argentina have the “ole” chant for their teams, and Volpe described playing against these competitors in such an environment as exciting for her. “To represent the U.S. is such an honor in itself, but when you’re playing internationally and you’re playing against Ireland and Wales and South Africa … It was very special,” Volpe said. In the end, the USA Master’s team finished tenth in the world, which is not what Volpe’s teammates had hoped for. Despite a string of very close games, Volpe’s experience was still extremely remarkable. “Sure we would’ve loved to have done better, but for me it’s the camaraderie, the friendship, and the one word I use with my teammates in our many WhatsApp group chats is ‘magical,’” Volpe said. Volpe had some advice for Hokies trying to achieve a dream that may seem out of reach. “I know this is going to sound cliché, but just keep trying … If you try, and even if you don’t (succeed), you at least know you gave it your best,” Volpe said.
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YOUR GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK Aidan Mason | lifestyles contributor
Take the plunge and publish your own work with these tips from lifestyles contributor Aidan Mason. November has finally approached us. Not only is this the season of fall leaves and cool weather, but also the season for books. But what if you’re not simply satisfied with reading books anymore? What if you want to write one? So now you’ve got the urge. The question is, how do you get it published? You could go through a standard publication company, but that takes anywhere from nine months to two years, according to Writers Digest. Not only that, companies are notoriously picky with who they choose; not everyone is going to get an offer. However, this isn’t the only path you have to take. Thanks to our modern technology and enhanced access to resources, self-publishing has never been easier. Writers are no longer forced to go through countless corporate hoops and rejection letters. Instead, you can publish what you want when you want. Here’s everything you need to know about self-publishing your own books. Manuscript First, obviously, you need something to publish. Empty books don’t sell, after all. For example, “The Hunger Games” runs for 374 pages, while on the higher end, “IT” runs for 1,344 pages. On the lower end, there are smaller books, such as the 112-page “Animal Farm. ”In the end, however, it’s your book and you get to decide what to do with it. If the story doesn’t fit a certain page count, don’t try and force it to. This is also when you should come up with your title. Try and ensure that it sounds both original and easy to say. Think of today’s most popular titles and try to dig into why they work so well. It’s not bad if you have the same title as another book because that happens sometimes. Just make sure that yours is obviously different. While you’re writing, make sure to prepare to format your book. Normal books tend to be much smaller than the 8.5 x 11 page size that you start off with when you open a typing app. Typically books are around 6 x 9 or 5.5 x 8.5 in terms of page size. Make sure to set this up early on, so you can size and format the text accordingly. Also, be sure to edit your work and have people look over it or, at the very least, do a thorough comb-through to avoid errors.
Plot holes, misspelled words and bad formatting can easily be caught by doing a simple look-over. Some good writing software for things like this is Google Docs and Open Office. They have options such as spellcheck and you can change the page size in the settings, particularly with Open Office. They’re also easy to get used to and don’t require special skills. Cover Often one of the most memorable things about a book is the cover. A good cover can make the difference between someone passing over your book and giving it a chance. If you’re already an artist, good news! You can make your own cover right here and now. For those who aren’t or who want something different, there are thousands of artists out there in the world that are available to do your cover. Check any social media platform you can think of and you’ll find artists there. Make sure to be clear about your objectives when you approach them, as sometimes commissions have rights issues that won’t allow you to use them for your cover. Also, pay your artists well. They’re trying to earn a living just as much as you are and deserve to be well paid for their work. Plus, it will ensure that you’re trusted by said artist and others in the future. For specific platforms, Instagram, DeviantArt and Fiverr are some of the best places to look, as they’ve become trusted platforms for artists. It also helps that these apps have features that promote visual images or a freelance work style that often applies to artists. Platform Now it’s time to choose a platform. There are multiple places to put your book and you can pick and choose depending on what you prefer. You could even do all of them if you’d like. You’ll need to have your social security number and a credit card to create an account. This is so your royalties can be deposited into your bank account and you can collect social security based on your sales. Speaking of royalties, that’s something to take into account when choosing a platform
(or multiple platforms). The total amount depends on multiple factors, such as printing cost, page size and how much you’re going to charge for each copy when it gets put up for sale. It’s best to visit each platform’s website before you start to calculate exactly how much you’ll be getting. Which platforms, you may ask? Well, some of the biggest names in the industry today have self-publishing features. Both Barnes and Noble and Amazon have their own self-publishing platforms, Barnes and Noble Press and KDP Amazon, respectively. Choosing to publish there automatically puts your book on their websites alongside some of the industry titans. If these big platforms are not for you, smaller platforms such as Lulu Press are available. There’s also the National Novel Writing Month Organization or NaNoWriMo. They’re a non-profit that hosts an event every November where you enter your word count per day throughout the month. It’s designed to get your novel written in 30 days, and you can get your book printed and published through it. Set-Up Now that you’ve got your platform, manuscript and cover all ready to go, it’s time to go through the process of getting your book published. Each platform is slightly different from the others, but they’ll generally want you to have specific sizes and file types to ensure that your book comes out looking good. This can also be the stage where you add some extra flair to your book. If you want to add an e-book version, this is the time to do so. There are also often offers for you to print a hardcover version on the platform, so if you want that truly unique look, this is the time to do it. Finally, once you have everything uploaded and the system is finished reviewing your book, make sure to order a preview copy before you make it available for sale. This way, you can have a physical version of your book before you put it out to the public. This is a perfect time to look over it once more and make sure everything is perfect. Publicity Now that you’ve got it all set up,
published and ready for people to buy, it’s time for the final part of the equation: letting people know that the book is out. This is how you make money and get readers — no one will buy it if they don’t know it exists. To start, tell your friends! Word of mouth travels fast, and creating and publishing your own book is certainly an impressive feat. People like to spread gossip and they will most certainly talk about it with their friends. Also, tell your professors and classmates. It’s a big accomplishment for a student to publish a book and they might be impressed enough to spread it to people they know, giving you a greater range than just your friend group. Also, take advantage of the internet. Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms are a good way to spread out your book and having your friends and family interact with your posts does wonders with the algorithm. Make sure to get your links clicked on at every opportunity because the more clicks you have, the better chance your book will appear on the first page of Google. At first, the task of self-publishing a book may seem daunting. But in the end, it’s not that hard at all once you have the basics down. Really, all you need is the manuscript, the cover, the platform, the set-up and the promotion. Hopefully these tips have given you a head start on what you should know. Now go forth and write your own story!
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November 8, 2022 PAGE 7
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VIRGINIA TECH LOSES SIXTH-STRAIGHT, CRUMBLES LATE AGAINST GEORGIA TECH Colby Talley | sports editor
Virginia Tech blows an 11-point fourth quarter lead to lose sixth-straight game to Georgia Tech.
HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Keli Lawson (21) intercepts a pass on Georgia Tech’s right yard line and scores a touchdown, Nov. 5, 2022.
Virginia Tech (2–7, 1–5 ACC) has achieved bowl eligibility in 29 straight seasons, one of the longest such streaks in Division I FBS. That streak will come to an end this year. Despite being up 11 points heading into the final quarter, the Hokies suffered their sixthstraight loss as Georgia Tech (4–5, 3–3 ACC) scored back-to-back late touchdowns to come away with a 28-27 win. “Every week, we’re just finding a way not to play well enough to win the game,” said Hokies head coach Brent Pry. “We did some great things today, and we did some things that you absolutely cannot do and win a game.” Coincidentally, this was also the second straight game where the Hokies led going into the fourth quarter but lost after giving up big plays to an offense led by a true freshman quarterback. “We just need to stay dialed in,” said Hokies safety Nasir Peoples. “I feel like we get a little too complacent and we need to find a way to be better than that.”
Zach Pyron, the aforementioned freshman quarterback for the Yellow Jackets, only seemed to get better as the game progressed. Pyron’s play was pivotal in the fourth quarter as he hit wideout Nate McCollum with a pass for a 56-yard touchdown and gave the Yellow Jackets the lead with a 9-yard scoring run. Pyron finished his day with 253 passing yards, 66 rushing yards and two combined touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Yellow Jacket running back Dontae Smith also contributed heavily to the success of the offense with 88 yards and a 29-yard touchdown run that featured several broken tackles. Overall, the Yellow Jacket offense, despite being statistically ranked as the worst offense in the ACC, recorded 463 total yards, well above their weekly average of 309. Regarding the Hokies’ offense, they struggled yet again, only putting up 13 points despite facing a struggling Yellow Jacket defense. The only bright spots were wide receiver Kaleb Smith and
running back Keshawn King. Smith had one of his best games of the season with 78 yards on four catches, including a play where he picked up 24 yards on an impressive sideline completion where he managed to get one foot in bounds. That catch set up a touchdown on the next play. “I didn’t even think it was that close,” Smith said regarding his reaction to the play. “It was just a good back shoulder, high-ball where only I could get it.” Meanwhile, King rushed for 79 yards and one touchdown after not playing at all against NC State two weeks ago. A lot of King’s runs served as nice chunk play for the offense, with his longest gain being 19 yards. Most of the Hokies’ points came from the defense and special team unit. Linebacker Keli Lawson caught an interception in the third quarter off a batted pass and ran it back seven yards for a touchdown. Additionally, Hokies punt returner Tucker Holloway increased the Hokies’
second quarter lead when he ran a punt back 90 yards for his first collegiate score. While the main issue for the Hokies is usually penalties, turnovers seemed to take its place this week. Out of the four turnovers the Hokies committed, three of them came during the team’s final four offensive drives. The biggest culprit in this category was, unfortunately, Hokies quarterback Grant Wells who recorded both an interception and a fumble late in the fourth quarter to seal his team’s fate. “He hasn’t been turning the ball over,” Pry said when asked about the performance of his signalcaller. “Bad timing to turn it over today, you’ve got to be smart.” With this loss, the Hokies have now lost four straight contests to the Yellow Jackets inside Lane Stadium. They will look to finally break out of their losing skid as they play Duke in Durham, NC, next Saturday at 12 p.m.
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PAGE 8 November 8, 2022
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VIRGINIA TECH VOLLEYBALL BEATS DUKE TO IGNITE WINNING STREAK Sam Mostow | sports staff writer
The Hokies now have their first win streak since September. Virginia Tech volleyball (11–14, 4–10 ACC) won 3–1 against Duke (13–11, 4–9 ACC) prevailing in its second consecutive match on Friday, creating the first win streak since September. The Hokies went 42 days without consecutive wins, culminating in their 3–2 win over Clemson, the first ACC matchup of the season, on Sept. 23. They hadn’t won consecutive ACC matches since Oct. 24, 2020. During the first set, the Hokies looked as in
sync as they have looked all year, cruising to a 25–12 set victory. Cera Powell led with six kills, while Duke’s attackers failed to come anywhere close. Attacking errors plagued the Blue Devils with six in the first set, leading to a 0.069 hitting percentage, contrasted from Tech’s 0.480. Set two was similar to its predecessor, as the Hokies jumped to an early 11–4 lead. The Blue Devils put up more of a fight, scoring six consecutive points during the middle of the
JUSTIN DEAN / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s volleyball team huddling up during timeout, Oct. 7, 2022.
set, although the Hokies eventually prevailed, 25–20. In the set, Duke had as many errors with 14 as they had kills. For the first time in the match, Duke looked competitive in set three, avoiding a sweep 25–23. The Hokies looked progressively less dominant as the set continued, committing ten errors in the set with a 0.170 hitting percentage. Tied or separated by mere one-point margins for most of set four, Virginia Tech eventually pulled away to win the set, 25–18, and the match, 3–1. The teams exchanged ten ties and three lead changes in the fourth set before the Hokies eventually prevailed. Tech’s service pressure, culminating in six aces, forced the Blue Devils out of their system, allowing for the Hokies’ first home win against Duke since 2014. “We were on top of our serves in sets one and two,” said Virginia Tech head coach Marci Byers. “We laid off a little bit in set three, but when we got back to set four, we were able to put more pressure on them.” Providing service pressure allowed for Tech’s offense and defense to flourish, led by outside hitter Cera Powell’s 13 kills. “It worked for us to serve hard and get the other team out of system, and even
just communicating and keeping our team together,” Powell said. The Hokies’ recent hot streak and the resulting confidence has served as a reset. If Tech wins the rest of their matches against Virginia, Wake Forest, Boston College and Notre Dame, they will win more matches than they lost for the first time since 2015. “I believe we have so much confidence and we can finish the season strong,” Powell said. “We’re excited for the rest of the season and ready to see what we have to come.” “(We are) trying to get (players) focused, trying to get them to still have some positivity, even though things have been really bad,” Byers said. “I think it’s been great and they’ve risen to the occasion during the last few matches.” Virginia Tech’s next match is on Friday, Nov. 11 against Virginia (11–13, 3–10 ACC) in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers and Hokies played each other last week, resulting in a 3–2 UVA win.
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SIX HOKIES BRING HOME A TITLE AT THE SOUTHEAST OPEN Ethan Owens | sports staff writer
Tech places 15 wrestlers at Southeast Open. Six Hokie wrestlers were able to win a title at the Southeast Open on Saturday in Salem. The Hokies had 15 total placers. Five of the titles were claimed in the Open Division, while TJ Stewart was able to claim one in the Freshman/Sophomore Division. The 125-weight class was an all-Hokie final, with Eddie Ventresca defeating fellow Hokie Cooper Flynn in a tiebreaker. Ventresca wasn’t the only Hokie freshman that claimed a title on Saturday, as Tom Crook was able to win at 141-pounds as well. In his college debut, Crook defeated Matt Kazimir,
who qualified for the NCAA tournament last year. Crook also defeated two fellow ACC opponents — Lachlan McNeil from North Carolina and Dylan Cedeno in the finals from the University of Virginia. Caleb Henson, another freshman Hokie, was able to claim the 149-pound weight class. Henson defeated 30th-ranked Sam Hillegas from West Virginia in the finals 3–0. Andy Smith won for the Hokies at 197 pounds. Smith went 3–0 on the day, defeating Gavin Henry from Davidson, John Crawford from Franklin and Marshall then defeating
Austin Cooley from West Virginia in the finals by way of a major decision. Hunter Catka took the heavyweight title home, also going undefeated on the day. Catka also won in the finals over a Mountaineer, defeating Michael Wolfgram in the finals 4–1. Wolfgram is ranked 20th in the nation byIntermat, while Catka is ranked 19th. One other Hokie took home first place, which was Stewart at 197 pounds in the Freshman/Sophomore Division. Stewart went 4–0 in his first tournament in college. Stewart was ranked as the 10th overall recruit
coming into college. Other notable Hokie finishes were Drew Nicholson placing second at 165 pounds and Sam Fisher placing second at 184 pounds. The Hokies will travel up to Columbus, Ohio to dual with Ohio State on Friday, Nov. 11.
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