Tuesday, December 3, 2013 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

T N E M T R A P E D S N O I S S DISCU

This week, opinions writers take sides and discuss the pros and cons of their majors. page 3

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013 An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 110th year, issue 58 News, page 2

Lifestyles, page 6

Opinions, page 3

TUESDAY MORNING TAKEAWAYS

Commonwealth champions

BEN WEIDLICH / SPPS

BY JACOB EMERT | sports editor

irginia Tech’s 16-6 victory over Virginia on Saturday was its 10th straight over their in-state foe, and it was just what many expected out of two offenses that have struggled for most of the year. Both offenses moved the ball successfully in the beginning, but that production quickly ceased, with neither team scoring in the final 30 minutes of play. Commonwealth Dominance

Senior linebacker Jack Tyler clutched the Commonwealth Cup in a hallway underneath Scott Stadium after the game and admitted just how one-sided the rivalry has been in his time at Tech. “I feel like this program has done so well in this rivalry over the last 10 years,” he said. “It’s not much of a rivalry the last couple years.” Perhaps fittingly for rivals, there were plenty of skirmishes between the two teams.

“Typical rivalry game,” Tyler said. “We don’t particularly like each other and I feel like it showed. There was a time when it got a little chippy, but we just try to keep our heads cool and we prevailed.” The conflict came to a head when Virginia lineman Morgan Moses jumped on the back of Hokies defensive end James Gayle and brought him to the ground, leading to multiple shoving matches near midfield. see TMT / page ﬁve

Inn houses extravagant ginger creation THEA STOLLER lifestyles staff writer

Last year, the Inn at Virginia Tech started a new tradition of building a gingerbread display for the holiday season called “Graham Central Station.” The brains and creativity behind the display belong to the inn’s assistant banquet manager, Zach Coffren. Coffren said he believes that part of the reason he was chosen for such a task is his past experience with the bakery industry. “My family owns a bakery in Virginia Beach, so I have experience with icing and cakes and that sort of thing,” Coff ren said. Although he grew up surrounded by baked goods, last year was the very fi rst time he had worked with gingerbread on such a large scale. see INN / page six

NEWS

RYAN SUTHERLAND / SPPS

Zach Coffren, assistant banquet manager at the Inn, decorated this year’s “Graham Central Station”

LIFESTYLES

DEAN SEAL news editor

Voting in upcoming elections may soon become easier for students living on-campus. The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors are working with Virginia Tech officials and the student government to bring students an on-campus voting precinct for upcoming elections. In a work session on Monday night, the Board met to discuss methods by which an on-campus voting precinct would be feasible. Th is included a proposal for changes to existing precinct boundaries that would reshape E-3, one of the primary precincts for on-campus residents. Under the new boundaries, parts of Tech’s campus would be redesignated to new precincts, with a large portion of E-3 also being redesignated as A-3. The proposals come as a response to public outcry after the 2012 elections. After a record-setting oncampus voter turnout of in 2008, Montgomery County created district “E-3” for

the 2012 election that consisted solely of students. Students who fell into this category voted at the Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport, which was still 1.5 miles from the closest residential dorm. The surges in voter turnout at this precinct by the end of Election Day 2012 left thousands of student voters waiting for hours to cast their ballets — discouraging some from voting at all. In the meeting, members of the Board discussed a variety of the issues and concerns surrounding the proposed changes, as well as the implications of an on-campus location for its students. While there were a variety of options for where the polling location could reside, the Board was hesitant to proffer their own suggest locations, saying that it was a decision that should rest with Virginia Tech. The Board asked for input from student representatives who attended the meeting. see VOTING / page two

Terrace View bought by firm LESLIE MCCREA news reporter

Mica Creek-Sagamore (MCS), a Phoenix-based real estate investment firm, bought Blacksburg’s second largest apartment and townhome complex, Terrace View. Th is company’s portfolio includes other complexes in locations such as the University of Arizona, Florida State University and Arizona State University. In 2011, two companies bought Terrace View for a total of $51.1 million, but this sale’s purchase price is not yet available to the public. Originally built in 1968, the complex was not always as large, but increased in size until the late 1970s when it reached its current size. MCS has announced plans to renovate and enhance the 43-acre property that hosts over 750 units and over 1,700 beds.

info on the go New renovations to Terrace View include a new pool, hot tub, and expanded gym.

Terrace View went through major upgrades in the past year, including a new pool and hot tub area as well as a renovated clubhouse and gym expansion. In their press release last week, MCS expressed excitement over acquiring Terrace View and its 100 percent occupancy rate for the past six years. Neither MCS nor Terrace View would comment on the sale.

@LeslieMcCrea

ONLINE Find out how the Hokies sports teams did while you were gone over Thanksgiving break

Learn about Amazon’s futuristic new way of delivering packages. see page 2

Study Break, page 4

On-campus voting precinct planned

SPORTS See which movie landed number one on our columnist’s top 10 holiday movie countdown.

Find out what Blacksburg’s winter weather will look like. see page 2

Sports, page 5

For updates throughout the day. www.collegiatetimes.com

ctlifestyles CollegiateTimes

see page 6

see page 5

@collegiatetimes

newseditor@collegiatetimes.com

December 3, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

What will winter 2013-2014 hold?

NEWS

weather watch A

fter a rather cool and wet Thanksgiving break, things have begun to warm up and dry over the past few days. This trend will continue into midweek before the next storm system pushes in by Thursday, followed by our next chance for winter precipitation early next week. Tuesday will start off cool and cloudy. A few peaks of sun will be visible in the afternoon with a high temperature stretching to 53 degrees. Lows will be held just above freezing overnight with little to no

wind. Sunshine will be more abundant Wednesday as highs settle into the upper 50s. Clouds begin to thicken as the day continues, with shower chances entering the area just after sunset. Lows will hold in the mid-40s. Rain chances increase as we head into the weekend with an approaching cold front. Precipitation will fall the heaviest Friday and should come to an end by sunrise on Saturday. Frigid conditions will take over behind the front, with our next chance to see snow flurries on Sunday.

JAMES MORROW FILE 2012 / SPPS

Though previous winters have had below normal snowfall, Blacksburg, on average, receives 25.4 inches of snowfall per year. JAMES MORROW weather correspondent

ow much snow will fall in Blacksburg this winter? It’s a question that many Hokies ask each year, and one that can be very challenging to answer. On average, Blacksburg receives 25.4 inches of snowfall per year, which seems like a large amount compared to recent years when we saw 10 inches over the 2011-2012 winter and 12.3 inches over the 2012-2013 winter. But will this be the year the area goes above average? Each year, meteorologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association release a winter outlook for the entire U.S. This outlook does not include exact snowfall numbers, but rather overall conditions. In the 2013-2014 outlook,

Blacksburg is centered in the neutral zone. We are given equal chances of being warmer or colder than normal, while also having equal chances of being wetter or drier. In reality, that isn’t all that helpful. Some—mostly snow lovers— tend to look at the Farmer’s Almanac predictions. Th is year, they call for above normal snowfall amounts for much of the East Coast. As a studying meteorologist, I take those predictions with a grain of salt. They have a long history of predictions (since 1818), but not the best accuracy. In a place like Blacksburg, all long-range outlooks should be viewed cautiously. While they can prove useful to seeing overall patterns, what they do not show are the systems themselves that produce the precipitation. Blacksburg gets quite a bit of active weather throughout

the winter months. From fast moving clipper systems and winter storms to lake-effect snowfall events, we get many different weather makers that can produce a range of possible accumulations. Sitting in the New River Valley, we are also very temperature dependent. At times, cold air wedges can keep our surface temperature well below freezing, even if the air above us is not. This provides periods of ice and sleet events. Also, high temperatures often flirt with the freezing point during the colder months. In these situations, all it takes is one degree above or below to produce the difference between five inches of snow or one inch of rain. My gut feeling for this winter is that we will see close to normal snowfall amounts (21–26 inches). When it comes to the oscilla-

tions that are commonly used to predict winter weather patterns, we are very much in a neutral time period. Thus, we have been given a 50/50 chance of being above or below normal in both precipitation and temperatures. The fall weather pattern has been pretty dynamic so far, with snow-baring storms firing early in the season. If that pattern were to continue into our coldest months, our snowfall amounts may inch a bit higher than normal. Taking into account our recent history of snowfall totals, I tended toward the lower end of the predicted amounts. Keep reading the Collegiate Times and follow along as we keep you up to date on all the crazy Blacksburg weather.

James Morrow is CT’s news weather correspondent. He is a senior Meteorology major and a Hokie Storm Chaser. He currently serves as the Meteorology Club President and is the Chief Meteorologist at WUVT 90.7 FM Blacksburg.

With Prime Air, Amazon plans to deliver via drones

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COURTESY OF AMAZON

Amazon will be the ﬁrst online retailer to offer air delivery via drones.

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Other minor concerns were raised about how political parties would campaign on Election Day, and how signage could be established without

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Brent Ashley, Taylor Fix and Paul Rice were three of the students who had helped in getting the resolution pushed to the Board, and spoke graciously of the Board in getting the resolution on track. They noted that the creation of oncampus polling locations had already occurred at George Mason University and Liberty University, among others. In the discussions that ensued, a lot of emphasis was placed on the dearth of oncampus parking at potential polling locations, and the need to make sure that parking on election day would be available as needed, but ultimately not necessary, as the location should appeal mostly to students that live on-campus without access to a vehicle. Similarly, the group discussed the need for a regulated amount of voters in each of the revised precincts, so as to equivocate the amount of voters that each polling location could service. According to Randy Wertz, the Montgomery County Registrar, one location could accommodate two precincts. Members of the Board, however, seemed more compelled to establish two separate polling locations on-campus to ease the strain of voter surges. They noted that Virginia Tech has not yet discussed with them the possibility of two separate locations — they have thus far only specified that an on-campus location should be “student only.”

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Proposed plans would involve adding the portion of E-3 which houses students on-campus to precinct A-3. being disorderly or destructive content to see progress being to the campus. Furthermore, “I’m really encouraged by made, and what that could the Board noted that Tech the discussion that happened mean for the future of student had shown some reluctance — it seems like there is a lot civic activity at Tech. in approving a resolution too of energy both from the SGA “We made great headway,” quickly with the fear that an and the Board of Supervisors, said Brent Ashley, a senior on-campus polling location along with the registrars office, and president of the Student could be disruptive to the flow to get this done,” said Matthew Government Association. “My of classes on Election Day. Gabriele, a member of the goal is that we get it done by According to Wertz, details Board and Associate Professor the next election next year… such as parking, security, at Tech. “Right now we’re just Th is is something that was and signage will be worked talking about details. ...it’s just never talked about for, but out once a location has been a matter of working out the good work with good governapproved — a notion the Board nitty gritty. Hopefully it will ment can get things done.” concurred with. happen very quickly.” Taylor Fix, a senior and At the meeting’s close, the Gabriele noted that the main Senator for the College of Board concluded that the reso- goal of every party involved in Agriculture and Life Sciences, lution would be brought up the resolution is to get every agreed, noting “it’s going again at their Dec. 16 meeting, student in “the same place,” to have an amazing impact and that they would aim to and that the decision to create on the number of voters we make final decisions on the one or two polling locations have.” proposals by early 2014. on-campus was “superficial” at The tone at the conclusion of this point. @JDSeal the meeting was hopeful. The students involved were

Delivery drones are on their way. Amazon.com Inc. on Sunday introduced Prime Air, a futuristic delivery system that the company says will get packages into customers’ hands in half an hour or less, delivered via unmanned aerial vehicles. The online retail behemoth posted a video on its website that shows images of a recent Prime Air test flight. In the 80-second clip, a shopper buys an item on Amazon. The item is then placed into a yellow plastic Amazon container and picked up at the end of a conveyor belt by an Amazon drone, which takes off and soars over a grassy field before depositing the package with a thud outside the shopper’s doorstep. “One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today,” the company said in a brief Q&A on its website. Amazon said the company has been working on Prime Air in its next-generation research and development lab,

but cautioned that it would be a while before customers could choose it as a delivery option. “Putting Prime Air into commercial use will take some number of years as we advance the technology and wait for the necessary (Federal Aviation Administration) rules and regulations,” the company said. Amazon added that it hoped the agency would put in place rules for unmanned aerial vehicles by 2015. “We will be ready at that time,” it said. Amazon founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos introduced the delivery-by-drone concept during a segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday. He said Prime Air would be available for packages weighing 5 pounds or less. Already known for free, twoday delivery via its Amazon Prime membership program, the company has lately been experimenting with same-day delivery. It has also expanded its grocery delivery offerings and, most recently, announced that it was teaming with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver Amazon packages on Sundays.

Give the gift of memories!

OPINIONS

opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

December 3, 2013

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T N E M T R A DEP S N O I S S U C S I D This week, opinions writers take sides and discuss the pros and cons of their majors.

English classes fail to create lasting value W hen you’re an English major at a school that is heavily dedicated to engineering and technology, you’d think that the liberal arts classes would be more technologically inclined and that the curriculum would be based around “inventing the future” of professions relating to English. However, with a decreased interest in liberal art professions, studying at a large technical school seems to have the exact opposite effect.

“

Right now I am learning about literature and language like an English major is expected to, but grammar is not the only thing a future teacher should be studying and mastering.”

The decision to come to Virginia Tech was a difficult one, especially knowing that the focus of the school was dedicated to science and engineering. I am not math inclined, and I don’t find science enjoyable. However, my hope was that at a school that was so committed to providing a hands-on education, my studies in the English department would reflect that ideology as well — but I was wrong. In all of my experiences taking English classes here, I have been slightly disappointed. Most are classic lectures, others are discussion-based lectures and a very small portion are writing intensive classes dedicated to creating a portfolio or other professional materials. These courses are classic classes for English majors, and should be the expected curriculum at any school — but they should not be the only things offered here. As part of the pre-education track for English, I want to learn about different learning technologies that could be used today. Right now

I am learning about literature and language like an English major is expected to, but grammar is not the only thing a future teacher should be studying and mastering. Teachers are expected to get a master’s degree now, but if I could start that process in my undergraduate classes, especially if I have already declared an education track, I should be able to do so. When comparing my schedule to English majors in the literature track, I see negligible differences — so much so that I almost believe that majoring in the pre-education track is not necessary for me to be a teacher. I am not in another English subset, so I cannot speak about the other tracks within our department, but I know that many English classes are not being filled and are having to be cancelled due to underenrollment. Because of this, and other factors, I feel my education — and the education of all English majors, is at risk. The blame for this is not on any one person or department — it is on the focus of the school as a whole. Yes, students are required to take classes in all fields as part of a well-rounded education, but the English department is being noticeably neglected when it comes to classes beyond CLE requirements. As a state school, this is not acceptable. If the school’s focus is going to remain solely on engineering and science while continuing to neglect the betterment of its English and other liberal arts departments, then it should go back to just being Virginia Polytechnic Institute. MICHELE NEWBY -regular columnist -sophomore -English

English majors well prepared for work force As an English major, people often ask “What are you going to do when you’re done with school?” Besides become a teacher, that is. The reality is that Virginia Tech’s English Department has done a fantastic job of creating a curriculum that prepares students for a variety of jobs. In a 2006 survey by the Conference Board, 431 human resource professionals were contacted to gauge employers’ views of the readiness of high school and college graduates for the workforce. The results found that most young people lack writing skills, which are critical for success. In fact, writing was identified as the area the widest skill gap between employer expectations and applicant abilities. But beyond hiring candidates who have demonstrated the ability to clearly communicate in the workplace, most companies also require writers with specialty skills. Whether writing for a publication, editing a professional journal, capturing the minutes of a corporate board meeting or writing Cong ressiona l testimony, critical thinking and the ability to express ideas clearly and convincingly are coveted skills. The Virginia Tech professional writing track of the English major prepares students to apply their writing skills to real company needs. Students in the professional writing track have the opportunity to learn how to write grant proposals, create website content and learn the structure of technical writing. These are three very real applications of writing that can

be used in a lifelong career. Grant writing is the lifeblood of charitable non-profit and research organizations. Successful proposals, funded by foundations, fuel research and support organizations that seek to solve crises around the world, from refugee situations in war-torn countries to providing free meals to the hungry in the local community.

“

The reality is that Virginia Tech’s English Department has done a fantastic job of creating curriculum that prepares students for a variety of jobs.”

Technical writing requires conveying complex ideas in language that anyone can understand. It is a collaborative endeavor, where the writer works directly with engineers and scientists in order to make their output accessible to everyone. Outside of the Tech professional writing track, English majors have the ability to choose a pre-education track and even a pre-law track. Both tracks prepare degree holders for graduate school in their respective programs. Writing is a fundamental skill for lawyers. No matter how brilliant the legal argument, an inability to communicate ideas can ruin a legal career. No matter the era or the field, there will always be a need for good writers. The English major will always be relevant. How graduates apply their English majors determines how useful it is in upon graduation. This is especially important in an economic environment when graduate school is almost a necessity for launching a career. CAROLINE KELLY -regular columnist -sophomore -English

The Collegiate Times is an independent studentrun newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Priscilla Alvarez Managing Editor: Danielle Buynak Art Director: Kevin Dickel Design Editors: Brad Klodowski, Andrea Ledesma Public Editor: Andrew Kulak Web Editor: James O’Hara Multimedia Editor: Nick Smirniotopoulos News Editors: Cameron Austin, Dean Seal News Reporters: Melissa Draudt, Leslie McCrea News Staff Writers: Kelly Cline, Josh Higgins, Matt Minor Lifestyles Editors: Chelsea Giles, Madeline Gordon Opinions Editors: David Levitt, Sharath Reddy Sports Editors: Jacob Emert, Alex Koma Sports Media Manager: Mike Platania Assistant Photo Editor: Ben Weidlich Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: James Dean Seal Circulation Manager: Keith Bardsley College Media Solutions Ad Director: Michelle Sutherland Account Executives: Taylor Moran, Stephanie Morris, Danielle Pedra Inside Sales Manager: Amanda Gawne Assistant Account Executives: Catie Stockdale Jordan Williams, Emily Daugherty, Emily Reina, Becca Schwartz Creative Director: Diana Bayless Creative Staff: Mariah Jones, Samantha Keck, Kitty Schaffernoth, Seden Craig. Katherine Miller

Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. 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 the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2013. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

December 3, 2013

Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Love is this year’s holy grail. Embark on an adventure for spiritual, philosophical and inancial growth. Capture springtime creativity on paper and screen. With respect and focus, partnerships grow and your career thrives (especially late summer, when communications pop). July 25 and 26 ind special favor and bring extraordinary luck. Mix passion with contribution and ly on golden wings.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham Quote of the Day

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65 Bridge call 66 Activist Brockovich 67 Dope (out) 68 Bother a lot 69 Stiff hair

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ACROSS 1 "The Fiddler" painter Chagall 5 Brooch part 10 Scraped (out) 14 Miami River locale 15 Postal scale unit 16 Ristorante bottle 17 Capital of 62Across 19 Victorious cry 20 Refines, in a way 21 List-ending abbr. 22 Coffee bar stack 23 Biol. branch 25 Too pooped to pop

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46 In any way 48 Closed, as a sleeping bag 50 Sealing aids 52 Greenish-blue 53 "Bad Reputation" singer 55 "__ only money!" 57 Mental grasp 61 Clueless 62 Where "The Lord of the Rings" movies were filmed 64 Actress Teri

DOWN 1 Levels the playing field? 2 Cutting-in word 3 Grate 4 Amass 5 Simple soup 6 Tote with difficulty 7 Starting money of a sort 8 Dilbert creator Adams 9 One may be seen behind an ear 10 Sinister stare 11 Capital of 62Across 12 Sooner State city 13 Puts on 18 Strong urge 24 Italian director Sergio 26 TV's "The Amazing __" 27 Scary nestful 28 Allergic reaction 29 With 30-Down, capitals of 62Across? 30 See 29-Down 32 Oddball 33 Deceived 36 1976 Olympics headlines name 39 Coach

40 Reference site for travelers 43 Images used by Wii players 45 With "the," band with the 2006 remix album "Love" 47 Keep under control 49 Metamorphosis stage

51 Instructions opener 53 Crying spells 54 Old Testament twin 56 Party loot 58 Flower in Bern? 59 Make a wool cap, say 60 "Mother Ireland" writer O'Brien 63 When repeated, a Gabor

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

11/21/13

WORDSEARCH: Cat Breeds Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid.

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WORD BANK Rag Doll Maine Coon Persian Bengal Siamese Sphynx Munchkin Savannah Scottish Fold Turkish Angora Siberian Birman Burmese Manx Toyger Himalayan Charteux

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today could mark the beginning of something wonderful. Push beyond old limits. Your brave acts may also push someone else’s buttons. Understand their point of view and stay respectful.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Get into the competition. You’re learning quickly. Write down what a wealthy, older person told you. Respect the advice you receive. Turn down an expensive proposition, though. Be humble, as well, and you’ll score. You’re radiant.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) A dream reveals a completion and a new beginning. Work a little magic; believe you will succeed, even without proof. The pressure’s on to inish up, and there’s a call to action. Revise your routine. Keep sharing ideas.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) From the ashes, the phoenix rises. New opportunities open up in your education. Do the homework to succeed. You have the resources to try something you’ve always wanted to do. Accept support and acknowledge your team. Give thanks.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Keep longterm goals in mind. Each ending allows a new beginning. Your team is making advances quickly, and your applause is greatly appreciated. Sing out praises! You’re respected for your common sense. Soak in the love.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) True love’s worth the cost. Compromise and take action. Begin a new course of study, or pursue a passion. New skills look good on you. You’re motivated to learn more. A new personal phase begins.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Tackle a renovation or makeover project. Do what you promised, even if it seems impossible. A friend or partner would love to tell you how. Gather up info and customize to suit. Contemplate advice from an elder.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Your mate helps you get your message out. Give a inal mighty push. Discover another fringe bene it. You’re determined to succeed; keep the momentum going and victory is natural. Celebrate, then get right back to it.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Show your appreciation to someone. Start a new phase this week by completing an old one. Get rid of the dead wood and discover forgotten treasures. Clean, sort and organize. Connect with neighbors. Allow yourself a reward.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You want to be inished. Do the research so you’ll know the best path. You’re making money for others. Your mind is clear, and a shift in priorities arises. Lead your team to victory. Archive what worked.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You’ve been contemplating the future. List desired domestic improvements; the odds are good to accomplish them. Don’t let a grumpy mood spoil the moment. Push to inish a job. Get the family to help and the work will go faster. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Bring out your secret power. Talk about how it can be applied to a work project for long-lasting results. You’re learning as you go along, and a brilliant discovery changes the game. Celebrate what you’ve accomplished.

SPORTS

sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com

December 3, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

TMT: Hokies await bowl from page one

Moses and Gayle received offsetting personal foul penalties, but neither was ejected from the game. For Tyler, quarterback Logan Thomas and the rest of Tech’s senior class, the win ensured that their legacy consists of a perfect record against the Cavaliers. “It’s huge. It’s a rivalry that you’ve got to play every single year and to win 10-in-a-row against your rival,” Thomas said. “There is really no better feeling. Especially for me, I’ve been a part of the travel team for five years. 5-0 against them is something special.” Trey Edmunds Expectations for running back Trey Edmunds were high coming into the 2013 season, with fans, players and coaches all eager to see what the redshirt freshman could do. It didn’t take long for Edmunds to match and even exceed those expectations, as the Danville, Va. native rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown in the season opener against Alabama. Edmunds’ season came to a close Saturday when he suffered a broken right tibia in the third quarter against the Cavaliers. “I was sorry to see Trey Edmunds go down,” said head coach Frank Beamer. “I thought he was having his best game since he came to Virginia Tech, but we’ll get that healed up and get him ready to go next year.”

Edmunds underwent a successful surgery in Blacksburg on Sunday morning and is expected to return in four to five months. He carried the ball 11 times for 93 carries and caught one pass — the game’s lone touchdown — just before halftime. “We didn’t have to drop back and throw it every play, and you can rely on (our running backs) to run for four or five at a time and put their head down there and run it hard,” said quarterback Logan Thomas. “J.C. (Coleman) and Trey did a great job.” Edmunds was on pace to break 100 rushing yards for the third time this season, and was the only running back to eclipse the century mark in a game this year. For a rushing attack and an entire offense that has struggled to establish consistency, TREVOR WHITE / SPPS Edmunds’ size and speed was often a source of offensive pro- Trey Edmunds (14) rushes close to a ﬁrst down against the Cavaliers. ductivity. At 4.1 yards per carry, They’ve done something there leaving Tech relegated to a lessEdmunds fi nished the year that’s never been done before,” er bowl. with the best average on the Beamer said, referring to With plenty subject to change, team for players with at least 25 Duke’s first 10-win season in chances are the Hokies will end carries on the year. program history. “They deserve up either in El Paso, Texas for Bowl Projections a lot of credit, those kids hung the Sun Bowl, Charlotte, N.C. Frank Beamer admitted that in there and played great.” for the Belk Bowl or Orlando, it wasn’t until after Saturday’s Had Duke lost and Tech won, Fla. to play in the Russell win over Virginia that he found it would’ve been the Hokies Athletic Bowl for the second out the result of the Duke- playing in Charlotte. Now, the straight year. North Carolina contest that Hokies have just one game left As for Logan Thomas, he said occurred earlier that afternoon. on their 2013 schedule: their his only preference in terms When he did, he found out that 21st consecutive bowl game. of destination is “somewhere the Blue Devils won 27-25 and, With Florida State presum- warm.” as a result, would be playing in ably playing for the national the ACC Championship Game title if they beat Duke, the next weekend. ACC’s automatic BCS bid will @JacobEmert “Congratulations to Duke. most likely go to Clemson,

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what you missed in the world of sports BY ALEX KOMA | sports editor The women's soccer team continued their historic run over Thanksgiving break, advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. The Hokies battled Santa Clara University on Nov. 24, winning the 1-1 game on penalty kicks, then beat Duke 3-0 in the quarterfinals on Nov. 29 to advance the semifinals in Cary, N.C. The men’s basketball team traveled to New York City for the holiday, but didn’t find much success. The team dropped both of its games in the tournament, getting pummeled by top-ranked Michigan State 9677 and dropping a close game to Seton Hall 68-67. However, the Hokies rebounded with a pair of wins at home, beating both Furman and Radford handily. The women’s basketball team won a pair of games over the break, beating Hofstra 77-72 and Presbyterian 55-33, but lost their first game of the season to Richmond, falling 6456 to the Spiders. The squad is now 6-1 and slated to take on Indiana in the Big 10/ACC challenge on Wednesday. The volleyball team had a rough Thanksgiving, losing their game to Virginia 3-1. The squad upset Maryland with a 3-1 win, but fell to Pittsburgh on Senior Day by the same score. The team failed to make the ACC tournament, ending its season. The wrestling team came into its road match with Virginia on a hot streak, but fell 19-16 to the 15th ranked Cavaliers. The squad rebounded with a 29-3 win over Old Dominion, but dropped to 12th in the national rankings.

lifestyleseditor@collegiatetimes.com

December 3, 2013

collegiatetimes.com

LIFESTYLES

Create holiday gifts on a budget with Pinterest As

the old saying goes, Christmas is a time for giving, not receiving. I’ve always tried to take that to heart, but have found that, as a college student with limited funds, the act of giving is a little more challenging than whoever coined that phrase probably intended. However, nobody I love should suffer a bad Christmas gift because of my lack of money. So, as always, I turned to my good friend Pinterest to find unique solutions for giving personalized and creative gifts without emptying my wallet. The first demographic I tried to target for my gift-giving investigation was parents. If your mom is anything like mine, she probably loves family pictures. One economically friendly gift for mom is an album dedicated to you and your siblings (or even pets) by recreating old photographs. This can be done by picking out your favorite old pictures and replicating them. The more true to the initial photo you are, the funnier it will be, so try to include similar outfits, poses, facial expressions and any props necessary to best recreate the image. Then, place the original picture on

one side of the page in the album and place the recreated photo on the opposite page. For a unique photo display, you can also easily transfer one of your parents’ favorite pictures onto a block of wood, which can be purchased in any hardware store or Habit for Humanity’s ReStore for around $5. The wood doesn’t have to be perfect, either. Distressed wood will help give the display more character. Enlarge the photo and print it onto normal copy paper using a laser printer so that it is the same size as the block of wood that will be used as the photo’s “canvas.” Cover the wood with a gel medium and place the picture, photoside down, onto the wood. Using extreme caution, smooth any air bubbles out of the paper with a credit card. The paper will be wet, so go slow to ensure that it does not tear, then leave it to dry overnight. The next day, wet the surface and rub the wet paper off. After the residue is removed, you should see the photo transferred onto the wood. Finally, seal it with a few coats of Mod Podge glue and just like that, you have a rustic family photo display.

Inn: Gingerbread station open through New Year’s from page one

Because he is tackling a giant gingerbread task without much experience, he claims to use a “see what works” sort of method, as he fi nds himself working with many materials that are completely new to him. “This is the first time I’ve really worked with isomalt sugar, so it’s kind of a trial and error basis,” Coff ren said. Almost every material that was used to create “Graham Central Station” is completely edible. Decorations that may seem like real rocks are actually pure chocolate with a grey colored coating on top. Even the lake, the bridge and the door to the castle are all made of isomalt sugar. According to Max Kiebach, the inn’s director of food and beverage, the exact ingredients that go into the display include 20 pounds of candy, 30 pounds of chocolate, 60 pounds of powdered sugar, 40 pounds of gingerbread, 20 pounds of isomalt sugar, 25 pounds of flour, four pounds of brown sugar, four pounds of butter, five pounds of molasses, 16 eggs and assorted spices. Although last year’s display was a success, this year’s exhibit will be unique, as well as much larger in size. “The response to the gin-

gerbread house from last year was so great that we knew that we wanted to do it again but change the theme just a little bit,” said Tom Shaver, the inn’s general manager. This year’s display is not entirely built from scratch, though. Coffren used fresh ideas to expand off of a house built the previous year. Coffren said the ice castle is the part of “Graham Central Station” he is most excited about, because it is mostly made of materials that he has never worked with before. However, it’s also one of the most difficult and timeconsuming parts of the display. “You had to let the icing dry up before you could do another layer,” Coffren said. “It was kind of like building a house and using bricks.” At first glance, the ice castle may seem a bit familiar. This is because Coffren based it off of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Russia, one of his favorite buildings in the world. As the years progress, Coff ren said he hopes to include people from the Blacksburg community in the creation of the display. “Graham Central Station” will be on display at the inn’s Skelton Conference Center in the Latham Foyer Alcove and can be viewed anytime through New Year’s Day.

Homemade candles make excellent gifts for a holiday party host or roommates, and they are super easy and affordable to make. You can use a mason jar, tea cup, wine glass or mug to hold the wax depending on your style, but be sure to check out the china at your local Goodwill or thrift shop before dropping a lot of money on stylish glassware or pottery somewhere else. Often you can buy a set of four cups, jars or mugs for just $1 in unlikely places, and you would be surprised at how charming cheap finds can be. The wax can be bought in chunks from Michael’s or can be made from scratch. If you buy it in chunks, it sometimes already comes colored, but if you make it from scratch, you can color it with a little bit of food coloring or even glitter for some extra sparkle. The trick to getting the wick to stand up straight is to insert the wick into the wax while it is melted and tightly wrap the extra wick around a wooden stick that rests on the rim of whatever type of container you use. This way, you don’t have to stand around holding the string while waiting for your candle to form.

When the wax has solidified, unravel the wick from the wooden stick and trim off the excess so it stands about one centimeter tall. If you make your own wax, you can also play around with different fragrances. For the holidays, I suggest recipes that smell like Christmas cookies, peppermint or evergreen. For me, guys are always the most challenging people to buy gifts for. Whether it’s your dad, brother or boyfriend, if he’s a movie enthusiast, concert lover, frequent traveler or all of the above, a ticket stub shadow box would be a nice gift that would enable him to collect memories from all his experiences. Purchase a shadow box from WalMart, Target or Michael’s. You could get fancy by decorating the backing with some kind of fabric or lettering that says, “Admit one.” If you’re a planner, you can start saving the ticket stubs for movies or concerts you have been going to with your loved one, or if you want to go the extra mile, slide tickets to a soon to be released movie or upcoming concert into the shadow box as an added gift. This is just one way to start his collection and throw in a little some-

watch: As the holiday season approaches and the temperature drops, there is nothing more inviting than huddling in front of the television with some friends to enjoy a good movie. Here are the top 10 holiday films to watch this season. 10. “Frosty the Snowman” The holidays are not complete without the story of “Frosty the Snowman,” inspired by the classic song. Made as a television special in 1969, this animated tale tells the story of a snowman who is accidentally brought to life by a scrooge magician. The children of the town fall in love with the lively Frosty and work together to prevent the magician Hinkle from snatching his magic hat back from Frosty, which is what brought him to life. Featuring musical numbers, a creepy magician, intrigue and even resurrection, this movie is a holiday standby. 9. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” The memorable characters of the “Peanuts” comic strip are brought together for their first television special in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” As the Christmas season approaches, Charlie Brown laments the commercialization of the holiday. He tries to direct his friends in a nativity play to bring back the “true meaning” of the holiday, but they are uncooperative. It isn’t until the introduction of the most pathetic little Christmas tree ever seen that the kids begin to reconsider their focus. While very heavy handed on the message and religious imagery, this is still a well-made movie that deserves the repeat showings on television that it gets in the run-up to Christmas. 8. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” The 2000 feature film starring Jim Carrey may be popular, but the 1966 animated television special is still the superior adaptation. The special is faithful to Dr. Seuss’ classic book, with almost all the narration read straight from the book. The story of the Grinch finding the Christmas spirit is a must-see for the Christmas season. And clocking in at under an hour in length, there’s no reason not to see it.

thing extra to make this Christmas more memorable. Remember, the best gifts aren’t always the most expensive, but the most heartfelt, so whatever you do this Christmas, try do-it-yourself. For more Christmas gift, decorating and food ideas, visit the Collegiate Times’ Pinterest at www. pinterest.com/ctlifestyles/. EMILY CARRIGAN -lifestyles staff writer -sophomore -English major

Christmas Movie Countdown

7. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” The third in the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” series following the dysfunctional Griswold family, “Christmas Vacation” is an excellent option for those looking for a modern comedy to watch. Chevy Chase stars as Clark Griswold, a father just trying to have a “good, old-fashioned family Christmas.” However, a series of unfortunate events and unrelenting bad luck prevent it from running smoothly with comedic consequences. 6. “A Christmas Story” This Christmas comedy from 1983 is often played in a 24-hour repeat marathon on TBS during the Christmas season, and for good reason – it just doesn’t get old. All nine-year old Ralphie Parker wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB Gun, and he won’t stop campaigning his parents and any available adult until he gets it. Their response is always the classic “you’ll shoot your eye out!” Hilarious and heartwarming, this film was deservedly inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2012. he discovers Christmas Town and the joys of the holiday. 5. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Both children and adults can Reindeer” genuinely enjoy this story of The longest-running discovery, acceptance and love. Christmas special in history, this classic has been broadcast 3. “It’s A Wonderful Life” every year since its premiere The original Christmas movie, in 1964. Based on the song of “It’s A Wonderful Life” is easily the same name, this movie tells the oldest film on this list. It the story of Rudolph, a young was released in 1946, directreindeer that runs away after ed by the great Frank Capra the other reindeer bully him and starring James Stewart. because of his glowing red nose. Stewart plays George Bailey, a Joined by the elf Hermey, who selfless man who has put othis ostracized for his dreams of ers’ dreams before his own his being a dentist, the two encoun- entire life. ter a boisterous prospector As he considers suicide, his named Yukon Cornelius, the guardian angel appears and Abominable Snow Monster reveals to him what his beloved and an island devoted to Misfit town would be like had George Toys. Filmed in traditional stop not lived. George’s realization motion animation, this is truly of the richness of his life is a a can’t-miss for the holiday sea- classic in cinema history. son. If there’s one movie to watch for a heartwarming holiday, 4. “The Nightmare Before this is it. Christmas” Let’s settle the debate right 2. “Elf” now – while you may watch “The No holiday movie list would Nightmare Before Christmas” be complete without the amazon Halloween, it is without ing “Elf.” a doubt a Christmas fi lm. Will Ferrell plays Buddy, an Nothing captures the child- elf raised on the North Pole like fascination with Christmas who travels to find his birth quite like Tim Burton’s movie, father when he discovers that which follows Jack Skellington, he’s actually a human. the leader of Halloweentown, as It’s impossible not to fall in

love with Buddy’s attitude – his sheer joy and enthusiasm for Christmas and fun is simply infectious. Along the way, the movie delivers a powerful message about family and the holiday spirit. 1. “Love Actually” If you want to both laugh and cry, “Love Actually” is the holiday film for you. Featuring an all-star cast, including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman, just to name a few, this movie tells the story of nine interwoven stories of love, loss and friendship. Rarely, if ever, has a film so adeptly dealt with so many different storylines. But noted British screenwriter and director Richard Curtis does the impossible and makes you fall in love with a multitude of characters and care for each of them. This is easily my numberone choice for a holiday movie, perfect for watching with a loved one, family or friends. KATIE WHITE -movie columnist -junior -history major