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February 13, 2018

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An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

TECH UPSETS NO. 2 Eisenhauer VIRGINIA ON ROAD found guilty of murder BY SINGLE POINT

In a packed John Paul Jones Arena, unranked Virginia Tech took down Virginia by a one-point margin, serving up the Wahoos’ first conference loss so far this season. JORDAN HUTCHINSON sports editor

Virginia did not have the record it expected to come Monday, Feb. 12. It has Virginia Tech to thank for that. In an instant classic, Virginia Tech topped No. 2 Virginia, 61–60, in Charlottesville. The loss adds a sole blemish to Virginia’s ACC resume, as it fell to 12–1 in the conference. As for the Hokies, they move to 18–7 overall and 7–5 in the ACC. “We played really hard,” said Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams. “That’s all we’ve focused on since we played and lost versus Miami. I thought we were a lot better defensively against North Carolina State. We did the same thing in practice for preparation

that we did for North Carolina State.” The Hokies beat the Cavaliers at their own game. Tech played incredible defense, while making the most of its offensive opportunities. After getting out to a hot start, Virginia found itself with an eight-point lead. Then, Williams called a timeout. Over the next four minutes and 42 seconds, Virginia Tech went on a 17–0 run that took all life out of John Paul Jones Arena. The Hokies led at the half, and Virginia came out hot early in the second half. The rest of the second half was a stalemate of sorts, so let’s fast forward to the important stuff. With just a minute and 21 seconds left, it felt like it was UVA / page A3

David Eisenhauer, a former student at Tech, was convicted on Feb. 9 of firstdegree murder, among other charges. MEG CONNORS managing editor

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s Chris Clarke (15) celebrates after the Hokies upset Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville 61–60 in overtime, Feb. 10, 2018.

David Eisenhauer, a former engineering student and athlete at Virginia Tech, was convicted on Friday, Feb. 9, of firstdegree murder, abduction and concealing a dead body. These charges were made in connection to the 2016 death of 13-year-old Nicole Lovell, who was a student at Blacksburg Middle School. Lovell was first reported missing on Jan. 27, 2016, after her mother, Tammy Weeks, went to wake up Lovell for school and discovered her absence. After several days of missi ng- p e r s o n s e a r ch e s, including one that included over 100 members of Virginia Tech’s Corps of Cadets, Lovell’s body was found early in the morning on Jan. 31, 2016, off Route 89, just south of

the Virginia-North Carolina border in Surry County. Eisenhauer was arrested after authorities discovered messages sent between Eisenhauer and Lovell on her computer and brought him in for questioning on Jan. 29. After Eisenhauer waived his right to a speedy trial and his lawyers motioned for his trial to be pushed back twice, his trial began on Monday, Feb. 5, in the Montgomery County Courthouse. The trial, which was expected to last about two weeks, ended abruptly on Friday when Eisenhauer changed his pleas to all three charges from not guilty to no contest. By entering a plea of no contest, Eisenhauer waived his right to trial by jury, and the judge later found him guilty of all three counts. EISENHAUER / page A2

Blacksburg is for lovers: Events around town this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is this week. If you haven’t made plans to impress your date yet, don’t panic. We’ve got you covered. SARAH CARR

lifestyles staff writer

If you’ve checked the calendar, you’ve noticed that Valentine’s Day this year is sadly on a Wednesday. Despite this, Blacksburg has tons of amazing events and activities happening whether you are single, or looking for something to do with your significant other. From $5 events to a fancy dinner to spoil that special someone, you’re sure to find something exciting to do.

Movie at The Lyric This Valentine’s Day, The Lyric Theatre will be showing “The Post” at both 7 and 9:30 p.m. Maybe I’m just biased because I’m a journalism major, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It was intriguing, suspenseful and overall an excellent movie. The best part? Tickets are only $5. I highly suggest seeing this film, whether you are interested in journalism or not. If you haven’t been to The Lyric yet, and have

been wanting to check it out, Valentine’s Day is a great time to see what it’s all about (also you really can’t beat a $5 movie). Whether you grab your partner or just some popcorn, it’s sure to be a great time. Moss Arts Center The Moss Arts Center will be having some galeries open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. Head on over to see Ray Kass’ amazing work. The Moss Arts Center website states

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OPINION: FEMINISM IS FOR EVERYONE Intersectional feminism is crucial for progress.

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that the exhibition “highlights exemplary work from Kass’ prolific career, ranging from his large-scale, multi-panel ‘Polyptych’ (1961–2003) paintings to his most recent ‘Still Lifes’(2015–2018).” Virginia Tech is always having different performers come to the Moss Arts Center as well, and although none fall on Valentine’s Day this year, there are a few performances that fall around Valentine’s Day. A couple being the China National

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EISENHAUER: Police reveal relationship with second girl

DAVID EISENHAUER from page A1

Turning point After a day of jury selection and three days of witness testimony, Eisenhauer’s trial reached a major turning point on Thursday afternoon when Blacksburg Police Depa r tment Detective Deziree Twigger testified about messages recovered from a cell phone she had seized from Eisenhauer after his arrest. Eisenhauer’s defense team — led by John Lichtenstein and Tony Anderson, who The Roanoke Times referred to as “some of the highest-profile defense attorneys in Western Virginia” — i m me d iat ely obje ct e d that it hadn’t been proven that Eisenhauer wrote the messages sent from his phone. This led to a series

NATALIE KEEPERS

NICOLE LOVELL

of out-of-court discussions between Eisenhauer and his team, the defense and prosecution, and Judge Robert Turk, and the attorneys. Turk then declared a recess until the next morning, which is when Eisenhauer changed his pleas. After Eisenhauer changed his pleas, a series of text messages were shared in court, including messages sent between Eisenhauer and Lovell. Also presented were messages sent between Eisenhauer and Natalie Keepers, who is currently charged with being an accessory to Lovell’s murder before the fact and concealing a body. Shortly before being taken into custody on Jan. 29, he messaged Keepers that he’d looked online and found that the police do “basically nothing” to find missing children.

The prosecution, represented by Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettitt

“

If we had won, we wouldn’t be in this room, and Nicole would be in Blacksburg Middle School where she belongs.” Chief Anthony Wilson Blacksburg Police Department

and Ch ief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Patrick Jensen, revealed messages bet ween Eisenhauer and another juvenile girl, who the court identified as “B.B.” to protect her identity. B.B. and Eisenhauer formed

MIKE LIU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Commonwealth’s Attorney Mary Pettitt speaks at a press conference following David Eisenhauer’s conviction, Feb. 9, 2018.

a relationship during the summer before he started school at Tech in 2015. In December of 2015, he messaged B.B. that he had met a girl at a party, and that they had “messed around.” He told B.B. that the girl’s name was Nicole, and later told B.B. about his plans to murder Lovell. The day after Lovell’s death, B.B. messaged Eisenhauer and asked him to come over, saying that he should “bring some protection.” Eisenhauer responded, “With all the s--that came about because I couldn’t keep it in my pants, I think I’m done for a bit.” The evidence In addition to the messages revealed in court on Friday, the prosecution introduced additional evidence and called a plethora of witnesses to testify on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday about different pieces of the case — which Pettitt compared during opening arguments to jigsaw puzzles, claiming that no one piece of the puzzle is the complete picture in criminal cases. The majority of witnesses who spoke were members of law enforcement agencies, such as the Virginia State Police, the Blacksburg

Police Depar tment and the Virginia Tech Police Department. Law en forcement members spoke of various findings of the investigation, such as gloves, a bag containing a bleach bottle and disinfe c t a nt w ip e s w it h brown-red stains that were recovered from dumpsters on Tech’s campus. They also presented GPS data recovered from a Garmin GPS in Eisenhauer’s car that shows his car’s movement on the night of the murder and the day after, when the victim’s body was moved to Surry County. Another notable witness was Gayle Suzuki, an assistant medical examiner for the western district of Virginia who performed Lovell’s autopsy on Feb. 1, 2016. Suzuki testified to finding a bruise on Lovell’s forehead, a fractured vertebrae, six stab wounds on her head and eight stab wounds in her chest. According to Suzuki, the fatal injury was a stab wound on the left side of Lovell’s neck. She also claimed that the blunt force trauma found on Lovell’s body was not lethal — which disputed a claim made earlier by the defense during opening arguments that Keepers killed Lovell with a shovel

on which Keepers’ palm print was found. After the plea Following Eisenhauer’s plea of no contest to each charge, Turk informed Eisenhauer that he could face life imprisonment for the charges. Turk then found Eisenhauer guilty on all three counts. Sentencing is set to begin on May 22. After the trial ended, Pettitt announced in a press conference that she will not speak about evidence related to the case, since Keepers’ trial is set to begin on Sept. 17. Bl a c k s b u r g Pol ice Department Chief Anthony Wilson also spoke at the press conference, emphasizing that despite that Eisenhauer was convicted, there were no winners in the trial. “If we had won, we wouldn’t be in this room, and Nicole would be in Blacksburg Middle School where she belongs,” Wilson said. More coverage of the trial can be found on the Collegiate Times’ website, collegiatetimes.com.

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BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Two Virginia State Police Search and Recovery Team divers search the Vet-Med pond in connection with the Nicole Lovell case, Feb. 1, 2016. Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times. All letters must include a name and phone number. 365 Squires Student Center Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff Blacksburg, VA, 24061 must include position and department. Other submissions opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com must include city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.

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February 13, 2018 PAGE A3

UVA: Virginia Tech stuns Charlottesville in overtime from page A1

all but over. Vi rgi n ia Tech had knocked off one of, if not the best team in college basketball. With 20 seconds to go, Hokies guard Justin Robinson missed a free throw that would have virtually sealed it for Tech. Virginia ran with it. Literally. Virginia guard Ty Jerome ran down the court and hit a jumper to tie it. The building was shaking with fans’ excitement. Now there’s four seconds left. Virginia Tech’s ball. Robinson pushes the ball up the court and slips, turning the ball over. Then Jerome had a heave to win the game, but fell up short. Overtime. It wasn’t over, but it was. Virginia had this in the bag. The momentum was there, its deafening crowd had come alive again and Virginia Tech had lost confidence ... so we all thought. The Hokies and ‘Hoos went back and for th shooting, but with 39 seconds to go, Virginia was up by five, and it really was over now. The entire media section had started writing. It was a great effort from Tech, just not enough. Again ... so we all thought. Down five, forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. laid one in to cut it to three. It was still over, though.

They were playing the foul game now. Vi rg i n ia’s a l l- t i m e leading free-throw shooter was at the line shooting a one-and-one. He nails the first. Of course. Uncharacteristically, he missed the second. But still, it was over. Down four, 30 seconds to go, on the road, to an incredible free-throw shooting team. Then freshman guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker got a pass from Robinson. Alexander-Walker faked two defenders off, stood there and nailed the biggest three of his young career. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, he shot it,’” Justin Bibbs said. “Then when it went in, I said ‘Oh my god, it went in.’ It would be him to shoot it, that’s just the type of player he is.” Down one now, with just 22 seconds to go, Tech still had to foul. It again fouled Hall. He’ll nail this one at least, right? Wrong. Hall misses the free throw, and Robinson sprints down the court and misses a layup. Blackshear was there though, and put the ball in the hoop, while he was fouled. He missed the free throw. The Hokies lead. One point game. Eight seconds to go. Virginia took it up the court and Ty Jerome shot a deep three that was surely going in, but it clanked off of the rim.

It was over, for real this time. Virginia Tech, for the first time in the Williams era, and the first time in the last 13 attempts, beat a ranked team on the road. “It’s just who our kids are. We could have just stopped, or quit or splintered apart. But, it’s who their parents are, the togetherness of those kids and our staff has been phenomenal in their willingness to have high energy to coach to help our guys be accountable in the changes we’ve made,” Williams said. For Vi rginia Tech, Robinson had a game-high 20 and seven assists. Alexander-Wal ker had a really important 12 points. Chris Clarke, Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Devin Wilson all had seven points apiece. Virginia was led by Hall, who had 16 points. De’Andre Hunter had 14, while Kyle Guy had 13 points on 21 shots. It doesn’t get any easier, though, for Virginia Tech in the coming weeks. The Hokies head to Durham on Wednesday to play No. 9 Duke and then to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech. In this ACC, after tonight, who knows what’ll happen. Tipoff between Virginia Tech and Duke is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and it’ll air on ESPN.

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AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s Devin Wilson (11) makes his first of two free throws at the end of regulation to help the Hokies force overtime, Feb. 10, 2018.

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s Chris Clarke (15) goes inside to the rim as Virginia Cavaliers’ Mamadi Diakite (25) defends him at John Paul Jones Arena, Feb. 10, 2018.

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Cavaliers’ Ty Jerome (11) looks to pass as Virginia Tech Hokies’ Justin Robinson (5) guards him in a 61–60 OT upset win by the Hokies over the No. 2 Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Feb. 10, 2018.

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ players gather at half court following a timeout against Virginia in a 61–60 OT upset win by the Hokies over the No. 2 ranked Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Feb. 10, 2018.

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Kerry Blackshear Jr. (24) celebrates with teammate Chris Clarke (15) after scoring the basket and taking the foul to win the rivalry game against the Virginia Cavaliers 61–60 in overtime, Feb. 10, 2018.

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Liberal arts and STEM collaboration receives grant The National Science Foundation awarded a $150,000 grant to the Spatial Audio Data Immersive Experience project. The project will be conducted by Associate Professor Ivica Ico Bukvic using The Cube in the Moss Arts Center. TAHREEM ALAM news staff writer

A unique collaboration between a liberal arts professor and an engineering professor at Virginia Tech create a new platform for data analysis that will make it possible to understand the significance of data by turning it into sound. This project’s research is being funded by a $150,000 grant by the National Science Foundation awarded to Ivica Ico Bukvic, the principal investigator for this project. Bukvic is collaborating with Greg Earle, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, on the Spatial Audio Data Immersive Exper ience (SA DI E ) project. Data-sound conversion is a barely tread-on research field and Virginia Tech is fortunate enough to be one of the only institutions in the nation that has a facility

allowing for a strong investigation into it. The SADIE project will be conducted in The Cube, a facility in the Moss Arts Center. Researchers will play big data that is spatially distributed to mimic the upper half of Earth’s atmosphere by using The Cube’s semi-spherical loudspeaker system. “Imagine being immersed in data that is all around you. It gives us new opportunities to discover patterns in data,” Bukvic, who is also the founder of the Digital Interactive Sound and Intermedia Studio (DISIS), said. The geophysical data that will be used in this project will include quantities such as temperature and particle densities from the area of Earth’s upper atmosphere where satellites fly. It will be provided by Earle, whose research expertise is in geophysics.

“The data will be temperatures and densities of the neutral gas and plasma, which will be mapped onto the Cube speaker array to simulate the northern hemisphere,” Earle, who will also mentor the student researchers in creating this facility, said. “Different sounds will be used for the density and temperature of the plasma, ions and electrons, and the neutral gas species, which coexist at the altitudes in question.” Big data are huge data sets that, when examined, reveal patterns that can be used for information and research. Understanding big data is becoming increasingly harder as more and more data is made available. “We have so much technology that collects data, from consumer purchasing pat ter ns, to weat her patterns, to market patterns, to climate patterns. All of

these are big data sets that are increasingly harder to analyze to generate information,” Bukvic said. By using sound instead of sight to understand new

“

Imagine being immersed in data that is all around you. It gives us new opportunities to discover patterns in data.” Ivica Ico Bukvic associate professor of composition

data, data can be analyzed quicker, more accurately and in larger sets at a time. “Our perception of sound has certain advantages that our eyes don’t. We are very sensitive to recognizing repeating patterns through sound,” Bukvic said.

Data-sonification communication works by understanding the pitch, tone, volume and such in the data and then analyzing the differences between the pieces of data. Bukvic and Earle are working to understand how data can be made to be pleasing to listen to, so the research processes can be appealing to study further. “We are trying to incorporate the arts and aesthetics and using scientific rigor to study what works and what doesn’t so we can help others create similar models,” Bukvic said. “Now we’re in a situation in which the sound can engulf you, and the sound needs to be pleasing so someone can aesthetically subject themselves to it without suffering.” Moreover, researchers believe it will be an attractive option to use to improve technologies in other fields.

“I can imaging designing aud io -ba se d t ea ch i ng methods that could be used to teach everything from cell biology to particle physics, fluid mechanics, quantum theory,” Earle said. Data sonification could even be used to analyze the behavior of stock markets by tracking what markets are doing whether they are offline or online and on a global scale. For Virginia Tech, it could mean having new methods for teaching and for conducting research in a multitude of fields. “We want to capitalize on the advantages of human audio perception to ‘view’ the data in a new and potentially exciting way,” Earle said. “New discoveries may result from this approach.”

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KAILA NATHANIEL / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Blacksburg residents turned out in large numbers for the No Ban, No Wall solidarity rally, Jan. 30, 2017.

column

Undocumented immigrants need support, protection and the chance to chase the American Dream that they are seeking.

Modern feminism can only hope for real change by including and engaging marginalized groups of people in its narratives.

Blacksburg community must Feminist progress dependent lend itself to illegal immigrants on intersectionality, inclusivity Sanctuary cities are under attack. The White House has threatened to deny them federal funding, though this was blocked by a federal judge in California. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have b e en c onduct i ng a n increasing number of raids in sanctuary cities, sometimes disguising themselves as local police, the very people who had said that they would not target immigrant communities. Despite all of this, it is my belief that Blacksburg should declare itself to be a sanctuary city — or, I suppose, town — and vow to protect those who are helping to make their community a better place.

“

No person deserves to be treated as though they are less simply because of their immigration status.”

The amount of emotion sur rounding the ver y idea of sanctuary cities is remarkable. Liberals wax poetic about them as the last bastions of freedom and liberty, while conservatives see them as the destruction of American society and the first step toward anarchy. President Trump and his administration have put forth immigration, both legal and illegal, as a core issue. They have set up a hotline for people who have been victimized by illegal immigrants, even though concerned citizens can just dial 911 instead. The definition of a sanctuary city varies from place to place, but the term most commonly refers to a place that does not proactively give a person’s immigration status to ICE unless he or she has committed a serious crime. Some cities report all illegal immigrants who commit crimes, while others only report them if they have committed a felony. The latter group argues that it is neither part of their job nor under their jurisdiction to handle cases of illegal immigration, and that doing so would waste their resources. M a ny c o n s e r va t ive pundits would have you believe that sanctuary cities are crime-ridden hellholes, but that could not be further from the truth. A University of California, Riverside

study found that a city’s status as a sanctuary city does not affect crime rates. And contrary to what the general public might believe, immigrants are less likely than natural-born citizens to commit crimes. While some of the illegal immigrants who have been rounded up for deportation have committed serious felonies, others have been taken by ICE before even being convicted of any crime at all. And for the most part, sanctuary cities do support the deportation of people who pose a serious danger to society. Deporting illegal immigrants would significantly impact the economy by taking away members of the workforce. It is estimated that the removal of all undocumented immigrants could cost the government $283 billion and the private sector several hundred billion dollars, while they also pay over $11 billion in state and local taxes. The process of deportation would also be expensive, costing the federal government about $10,000 for each deportation and $50.3 billion overall. If illegal immigrants are granted legal protection, then they can demand higher wages equivalent to those that people with legal status earn, and level out the playing field. Companies would no longer be able to rely on illegal immigrants to work for lower wages and would instead have to raise wages to entice workers. Furthermore, there is a correlation between high levels of immigration and increased innovation and higher economic productivity, among other things. Immigrants also spend money in their respective communities, which spurs economic growth. And contrary to common misconceptions, they do pay taxes just like the rest of us, though they are not be eligible for Social Security. The tactics used by ICE are growing increasingly fascistic. The agency actively encourages citizens to report on their neighbors. Some people have fought back, contacting ICE with reports of aliens from space, but others have instead taken it upon themselves to act. These acts of vigilante justice, along with frequent raids by ICE, have had a chilling effect on the immigrant community, with children skipping school in order to avoid being deported

and immigrants hesitating to report crimes. ICE has made arrests at courthouses — with one woman being arrested right after receiving a restraining order against her then-boyfriend — instilling fear within other victims of abuse that will render them hesitant to seek help Even before Tr ump ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act, its recipients were becoming targets of this crackdown on illegal immigration. These are people who were brought to the United States at no fault of their own, some of whom do not remember a time before living in the U.S. These are some of the best people of our society — hardworking young people without criminal records, who are trying make a living in the place that they call home. They have trusted the government with all of their personal identifying information — information that now makes them even more vulnerable to deportation. If nothing else, Blacksburg should become a sanctuary city simply because doing so is the moral thing to do. Illegal immigrants are one of the most vulnerable social groups around the world. Their illegal status and lack of protection under the law makes them vulnerable to exploitation. No person deserves to be treated as though they are less simply because of their immigration status. Blacksburg isn’t like any other town or city in Virginia: It feels more like a family, with total strangers supporting each other and the town, and the students of Virginia Tech uniting in their eagerness to defeat the University of Virginia. This is a community of people that genuinely cares about one another and wants visitors to love this town as much as the rest of us do. It is time we acted to protect our friends and families, to take a stand and insist that those who are willing to obey the law and contribute to society have every right to be here. We cannot afford to wait to see how our lives will be affected. If one person is suffering, it is our duty as human beings to protect them. SALLY DUKES opinions columnist junior/political science

There is a specific brand of feminism called white feminism that is often used and misunderstood. White feminism has less to do with race and more to do with inclusion. By inclusion, I mean taking every woman’s needs and struggles into account. Often, people who display white feminist tendencies don’t recognize their own privilege. Every woman faces some degree of oppression because of her gender, but it is crucial to understand that oppression can take many different forms. For example, a white woman should recognize that her race gives her a voice that can stand up for women of color. A black woman, for example, is oppressed because of her gender and race. Understanding and supporting intersectional feminism is contingent upon understanding how race, sexuality, religion and class are interrelated. It’s i m p o r t a nt to recognize the fact that women all face various issues that can affect each of them differently. A

cisgender woman does not have to deal with anti-transgender violence. A woman who isn’t a sex worker doesn’t have to deal with the stigma around it. A woman who is white doesn’t have to deal with racism.

“

Women’s rights are human rights, and we should be fighting for the rights of all women, not just some.”

Intersectional feminism has recently gotten more at tention because of the Women’s March on Washington. The Women’s March was created to dismantle systems of oppression through social change. However, the Women’s March has faced some criticism for some of its less inclusive traditions like pink “pussyhats” and signs that focus on reproductive systems. These traditions are less inclusive

because not all women have reproductive systems and not all women have vaginas. Whether you agree with the criticism of these symbols, it’s a conversation that needs to be had. Transgender women should not feel excluded in conversations and spaces that affect them. Feminism is about more than wearing pink and making signs. Although symbols of activism are important, the symbols we use should represent the diverse range of issues that we face as women. If your definition of feminism does not include women of color, transgender women, disabled women and sex workers, then it’s not real feminism. Feminism is about intersectionality and supporting all women no matter how different we are from one another. Women’s rights are human rights, and we should be fighting for the rights of all women, not just some. HANNAH BROWN opinions columnist sophomore/multimedia journalism

LOS ANGELES TIMES / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Thousands gather for the Women’s March on Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2017.

PAGE A6 February 13, 2018

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Starting a blog in college provides many often overlooked benefits Few people will think to start a blog in college, but our writer did. For a measly three hours a week, there are endless perks.

ASHLEY LONG design editor

If you ever contemplate spending $40 on a pair of jeans for about three hours before deciding not to go through with it for the sake of your bank account, you’re not alone. We all know that steady sources of income are few and far between when you’re a college student. But what if you could earn money from your room with just your computer and some good ideas? That sounds pretty perfect, right? Well, welcome to blogging. I started a lifestyle blog about a month ago, and the benefits of having my own website with my own content have exceeded my expectations. When most people think of bloggers, they think of fashionistas with Starbucks drinks who have photographers follow them around all day. I’m here to debunk that myth. Each week, I probably spend about three hours in my dorm room writing content, taking and editing pictures for my posts, uploading the posts to my website through WordPress, and dealing with social media. That’s it. You don’t need to be a magnificent writer or a professional photographer; you just need to find something you’re passionate about and share it with the internet. While there are endless benefits to blogging, below you’ll find what I believe to be the best things about running a blog. Earning an income Most people fail to realize that people actually make full-time incomes blogging. And they’re not penny pinching — I’m talking

$50,000 per year. However, actually generating a steady and sufficient income takes a very long time and a lot of dedication. You probably won’t be making a full-time income blogging in college, but numbers around $1,000 per month aren’t that unrealistic. It may take some time to get there, but it’s possible. There are many ways to make money through b l o g g i n g, i nclud i ng affiliate marketing, advertising revenue, sponsored posts and selling your own products. Affiliate marketing is definitely the simplest and most common way to earn revenue, and consists of a company giving you money whenever your blog acts as a medium for providing their company with business. For example, some companies may pay you when a reader makes a purchase that was made through clicking a link used on your blog post. Additionally, a company may make you an affiliate and provide you with a discount code for your readers to use on their website. Each time a customer uses your personalized code, you will receive a set amount of money. Rates vary, but you can make anywhere from $10 to $50 each time your blog is used as a medium for customers to make a purchase. Free stuff Unlike the first benefit of earning a steady income from blogging, getting free offers from companies and brands is something I’ve had experience with after just one month of running a blog. If companies see your blog posts or social media feed and think you would be

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a good person to represent their brand, they might ask to collaborate with you. This can mean a few different things depending on the brand, but most commonly the collaborations take place through whatever Instagram account you have set up to advertise your blog. The Instagram account you set up for blogging purposes will be just like a normal account, except it will be mainly centered on advertising your blog posts. Usually, a company will direct message you or comment on a post asking to collaborate, and will then offer to send you free products in exchange for posting pictures of its products on your social media account. For example, a jewelry brand based in New York offered to send me three free pieces to style into my Instagram pictures. It’s that simple. I got the jewelry in the

mail, posted the pictures featuring the company’s necklaces and got extra exposure for my blog after it included my post in its Instagram story. Getting free stuff is fairly easy if you have a good Instagram account — you don’t even have to have hundreds of followers. Beefing up your resumes This is arguably the most beneficial aspect of having a blog in college. Employers will see that you are able to dedicate yourself to something other than school or working at a dining hall. The fact that you have turned what might have begun as a hobby into a potential business will, without a doubt, set you apart from other applicants. Most bloggers wait until they’re out of college to start their website, and thus delay the process of starting their own business.

Don’t make that mistake; start now. College is the best time to start a blog for more reasons than you could imagine. But don’t listen to me, listen to Virginia Tech graduate Ashley Battle, creator of Battle for Beauty and her YouTube channel, @ battleforbeauty. “College is literally the best time because you can just experiment with what you think you want to do, and if it’s not exactly what you want, you can change it with no pressure,” Battle said. “It’s all about discovering your talent and your niche, and what better time to do that when you’re around 30,000 other people from different backgrounds with unique talents and points of view?” You will also never have more time than you have in college, even though that may seem contradictory to your busy schedule. Just think about getting out into

the real world and having a job where you work upwards of nine hours per day. “Now I work an 8–5 job and it’s fun, but extremely draining, so it’s harder to find the time to focus on my blog and YouTube channel,” Battle said. “You’ll never have more time than right now.” Blogging is a practice that many college students don’t even think twice about because they don’t see the point of it. But if you want to be different and reap all of the benefits that having a blog can provide, start now. It may seem complicated, but just watch a YouTube tutorial and you can get started today.

@Ashleyel26

‘Fun Home’ to bring tragedy, comedy and music to Virginia Tech The award-winning musical that follows a dysfunctional family through life will be coming to the Studio Theatre in Squires on Feb. 20. MADY MOORE

lifestyles staff writer

Looking for some theater to appreciate? “Fun Home,” the family tragicomic musical, is coming to Virginia Tech on Feb. 20 to the Studio Theatre in Squires and is sure to bring the fundamental elements of theater to life. Tickets cost only $10 for students with a valid ID (which is cheaper than a movie ticket at Frank Theatres). The musical is based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel with book and lyrics crafted by Lisa Kron, and will explore main character Alison Bechdel’s journey toward uncovering her father Bruce’s influence on her life through memories, secrets and the exploration of her past. “Fun Home” also features music by Jeanine Tesori, and

it is sure to take us for a ride on an emotional journey. The production will be directed by Virginia Tech Faculty Chair of Theatre and Cinema and Associate Professor of Performance Susanna Rinehart, and Virginia Tech students will be acting throughout the musical. By watching Alison struggle with her identity and her past, we can see how other people come to terms with their identities and how they differ from us in doing so. The musical also explores seeing one’s parents through adult eyes and discovering impurities that you may not have seen as a child. Childhoods will be ruined, but there will be singing, dancing, laughing and crying — so you could say “Fun Home” really has it all. The musical follows

JOSHUA PRIBADI / COLLEGIATE TIMES “Fun Home” will be performed in the Studio Theatre in Squires, Feb. 11, 2018.

Alison at three different ages in her life, uncovering memories of her family and bringing her to re-evaluate

her life. “Fun Home” is also a very honest and eye-opening musical that forces us to

question how our families have shaped our lives and identities, which is sure to bring up some past

memories for us all. The $10 you spend on a “Fun Home” ticket will be your destination pass into another life, world and psychological state. The musical has been nominated for 12 Tony awards and won five, and the “Fun Home” cast album was nominated in 2016 for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. All in all, seeing “Fun Home” can help you begin to appreciate theater, my friends. You can purchase your tickets online and they are selling fast — so get them ASAP, but remember, as with all Virginia Tech events, you must have a printed ticket.

@CollegiateTimes

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‘Mrs. Maisel’: Amazon combines period dramas and stand-up V-DAY: comedy in a marvelous way with award-winning series Town

“Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” began gracing our screens on Nov. 29, 2017. The series follows a young mother through a divorce that lands her on stage doing stand-up comedy. MEGAN MAURY CHURCH

lifestyles staff writer

If you ever contemplate When it comes to the powerhouses of online video streaming, Hulu and Netflix are in tight competition for customer loyalty. However, Amazon Prime is not ready to be counted out of this fight, which it proved with its 2017 hit “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” “Mrs. Maisel” is a period comedy-drama set in the 1950s that follows a Jewish housewife in the Upper West Side of Manhattan as she explores independence. When her husband leaves her for another woman, Miriam “Midge” Maisel discovers (after drunkenly stumbling onto the stage at The Gaslight Cafe) that she has a talent and passion for stand-up comedy. Period d r a m a? Housewife? Divorce? Not the headlines one might expect from a popular favorite, but that is exactly what makes “Mrs. Maisel” so refreshing. A comedy-drama is something we are familiar with in hit shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Gilmore Girls.” The same goes for period dramas like “The Crown” and “Reign.” However, a combination of the two genres is something that is almost brand new to the small screen and has certainly never been done at the level of “Mrs. Maisel.” The combination is something that we care about,

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Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 10, and the Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band on Feb. 18.

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emotionally invest in, but that still keeps us laughing. 1950s housewife — rethink what you believe about the term. Were they repressed? Sometimes. Were they dependent on money-making spouses? Frequently. Were they judged for their abilities to have babies and stay beautiful? For sure. But while these were the circumstances, housewives were still funny, talented and strong women. Midge embodies these characteristics and proves that women are strong despite their circumstances. This will be a minor spoiler unless you have watched the t railers: Divorce is a major theme of

“Mrs. Maisel.” For Midge, this bump in the road leads to bigger, better things than being someone’s wife, even though she was extremely talented at being a traditional wife. She turns these talents around and starts promoting her own interests. The first and only (so far) season contains eight episodes, and each one will take you through so many twists and turns of plot that you will emerge from the 50 minutes feeling like you just lived the same 24 hours as Midge. Beyond the content, the show itself is a work of art. It’s hard not to get lost in. The sets are multi-dimensional, often stringing multiple rooms together so

the characters can weave in and out, on and off screen while carrying on conversations. The costumes are period-perfect and, even though most of the 1950s styles are still reminiscent of dated grandmothers rather than trendy throwbacks, the vibrant colors and high style of New York City are entirely attractive. And honestly, who can’t fall in love when Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald are playing in the background? Possibly the best part is that, every few episodes, we get a fantastic stand-up act. Midge has an undeniable talent for stand-up comedy and whenever she gets on stage, it has the potential to

be gold. We also get snippets of the history of stand-up comedy as Midge explores old record shops. All in all, it is no surprise that “Mrs. Maisel” won two Golden Globes in its first season. Rachel Brosnahan, the actress who brings Midge to life, definitely earned the title of Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. If you are looking for something new to watch, something that isn’t like anything you have ever seen before, put “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” at the top of your list. I give it a five out of five.

Our Daily Bread Valentine’s Day special Yep, you read that right. Everyone’s favorite brunch spot is having a Valentine’s Day special. Although it is on the pricier side at around $100, it’s a great pick for those wanting to spend a little extra this Valentine’s Day. This special includes four delicious courses, and with the most expensive special, a bottle of champagne. More information about making reservations for this luxurious meal for two can be found on their website. ODB and champagne, what’s not to love? Four-course meal at The Inn Described as a “romantic four-course dinner for two,” Preston’s Restaurant at The Inn at Virginia Tech is having a Valentine’s Day meal on the 14, 15 and 17 of February from 5 to 9 p.m. Reservations are required so make sure to call ahead ASAP. If the four-course dinner didn’t draw you in, maybe the “intimate atmosphere and live music” will instead. Although this is a pricier date starting at $99, it’s sure to be a romantic memory you’ll never forget.

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On-court leader for Tech emerges at crucial time Junior guard Justin Robinson has become an integral part of Tech’s offense, growing into his role as playmaker for Hokies. STEPHEN NEWMAN social media editor

Throughout this season, fans and followers of Vi rgi n ia Tech men’s basketball have had one major question about the team: Who is going to fill the holes left by Zach LeDay and Seth Allen now that they’ve graduated? Not only were they the senior leaders of the team, but they were also the top two scorers. While there may not be an exact answer to either of those questions, there is a leader who is beginning to emerge for the Hokies, who in certain respects serves as a little bit of both of them on the court. Entering this season, the top two returning scorers were Chris Clarke and Ahmed Hill. Clarke may be the most all-around gifted player Tech has, and Hill often appears to have a silkysmooth offensive repertoire. Until recently, Hill was Tech’s leading scorer, but he’s since been in a rather pronounced slump, missing 15 out of his last 17 shots. As for Clarke, he has been used in a variety of different

roles and has often served as the team’s “center” with Kerry Blackshear Jr. out of the lineup. While his importance shouldn’t be understated, this has diminished his overall impact. Justin Bibbs has the senior part going for him. Coach Buzz Williams has discussed how important he is as a glue guy on the defensive end, and he in fact is Tech’s leading scorer now, at 14 points per game. However, he doesn’t have the alpha personality that you’d prefer for your leader to have. Perhaps unfairly, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was, if nothing else, expected to help compensate for that void. He was a rare five-star recruit for the program, and he looked like one early in the season, scoring at least 20 points in three of his first four games. However, there have been ups and downs since then, which is what should be expected from a freshman. Then comes Justin Robinson. It was clear that once Seth Allen left, he would have to shoulder most of the load at the point guard

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies’ Justin Robinson (5) attempts a basket as Virginia Cavaliers’ Kyle Guy (5) and Isaiah Wilkins (21) defend the rim, Feb. 10, 2018.

position. Then again, he already seemed to be at least one of the team’s primary ball handlers, if not the guy. Therefore, his numbers (10.4 points and 4.8 assists per game) weren’t expected to increase that dramatically. He’s always been strong defensively, especially in terms of forcing turnovers. However, in order to become “the guy,” he needed to do more on the offensive end. Truthfully, it’s somewhat unfair to ask him to replace Seth Allen, because that would require him to continue contributing what he historically has while also picking up all of Allen’s lost production. Early in the season, that burden seemed to be too much. Through November, and even much of December, his stats were fairly pedestrian, outside of a few 8–9 assist games in December. Then in early January, something changed, and he became much more of the focal point of Tech’s offense. Against Pittsburgh on Jan. 6, he dished out double-digit assists for the first time this season. Two games later, against Louisville, he scored a career-high 23 points. A week later, he topped that, putting up 26 versus Florida State. Something else happened in his next three games — he showed that he could be a point guard in the traditional sense. He had four assists against no turnovers (to go along with 19 points) against North Carolina, and then dished out 19 assists combined in the next two contests, while only committing one turnover. In his two most recent games, he went back to scoring. He had 22 points on Saturday, then once again set a new personal best with 32 on Wednesday. Out of Robinson’s last seven contests, he has eclipsed 20 points in four of them. Before this stretch, he only had one such game in his collegiate career. The mo st t el l i ng numbers, though, may be

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies Justin Robinson (5) tries to find a creese in the Cavalier defense as Virginia Kyle Guy (5) defends him, Feb. 10, 2018.

his shot attempts. In the 17 games prior to Louisville, he averaged 7.6 shots per game, reaching double figures in attempts just twice. In contrast, he has taken more than 10 shots in each of his last seven games, averaging 13.9 per outing. Interestingly enough, his production in terms of scoring isn’t too dissimilar from Allen’s last season. Despite being thought of as a true scorer, he only averaged 10.7 points per game in his first 14 contests and was held in single digits in six of them. In the second “half” (his 18 games following Florida State on Jan. 7, which he missed due to injury) of the season, he scored in double figures in all but two of them, topping 20 points three times. In short, Robinson seems to be growing into that alpha offensive role at the same point in the season as Seth Allen did, while proving to

be a better facilitating point guard than Allen ever was. As a senior, Allen had nearly as many turnovers as assists. Robinson, on the other hand, has an assist to turnover ratio of almost 2.5 to 1 this season. With that said, he doesn’t get his points the same way Allen did. Seth converted on 44.1 percent of his three point attempts last season and was more of a glider through the lane (James Harden-like), whereas Justin is a good-not-great shooter and a hard driver to the rim (a la John Wall). In general, he’s a more physical, highlight reel type of player than Allen, which is where he makes up for Zach LeDay in a certain sense, not to say that he’s a post player or anything close to it. Going back to the direct Robinson vs. Allen compa r ison, it’s also important to note that the Hokies went on a run late in

the season, almost directly in line with when Allen took on a heightened scoring role. With its tournament hopes on the line, much like this season, Tech won five of its last seven regular season games, including two victories against top 25 foes and a narrow loss at No. 8 Louisville. In fact, it was viewed as one of the more dangerous sleeper teams entering March Madness. Sure, five of Virginia Tech’s last seven games come against teams that are currently ranked, but it’s not too different from last year. Plus, it has a clear leader now, and if he can keep up the run he’s on, the Hokies could find themselves in a very similar scenario as last season, which they would take in a heartbeat.

@Stephen_Newman1

Tech splits its weekend at Sand Dollar Classic Virginia Tech’s softball team traveled to Alabama for its first matchups of the 2018 season, going 2–2 during the weekend. JOSH GANN sports staff writer

T he Vi rginia Tech softball team opened its season this weekend in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in the 2018 Sand Dollar Classic. The tournament started early on Thursday due to poor weather, and the final game of the weekend for the Hokies was canceled. The Hokies went 2–2 over the weekend, losing to Ole Miss and Lamar, and beating Florida A&M and Penn State. Virginia Tech came into the weekend taking on

14th-ranked Ole Miss in its first game of the season. The Hokies looked as if they were going to put runs on the board early in this game, but were unable to score with bases loaded. After nearly taking advantage of a poor first inning by Ole Miss, the Rebels swung the momentum. The 2017 ACC All-Freshman pitcher Carrie Eberle gave up five runs over 2.2 innings. The Hokies also committed four errors over this stretch. However, the pitching would improve when freshman Jordan Dail came in as relief and threw

a seven-strikeout, no-hit relief effort to finish the game. However, this wasn’t enough, as the Hokies fell 5–1. The Hokies would put up another great effort against Lamar, but once again came up short. This game saw Caroline Schoenewald bat 5–5 with two home runs and four RBIs. However, the Hokies also gave up 13 hits and nine runs. Lamar held a 6–3 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth, when the bats awoke for Virginia Tech. The Hokies opened the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single from Darby

Trull. Trull then scored off of an RBI single from Schoenewald, who then scored off of an RBI single from Olivia Lattin, which sent the game into extra innings. Despite a three-run homer from Schoenewald in the eighth inning, Lamar was able to tie the game in the eighth, and win in walk-off fashion in the ninth. Friday would fare much better for the Hokies with two very different wins. In the first game of the day, Virginia Tech demolished Florida A&M 19–1 in five innings. The offensive

explosion was kicked off by an RBI single from Caitlyn Nolan. Eberle, who had six RBIs in the game, then hit her first career home run on a grand slam. The Hokies were leading 14–0 by the end of the second inning. They were fueled on the mound by Keely Rochard, who threw six strikeouts and one earned run over five innings. In the final game of the weekend, Virginia Tech beat Penn State 3–1 in a come-from-behind victory. The game was scoreless heading into the fourth, but Penn State broke open the

scoring, and took a 1–0 lead. With two outs in the fifth inning, the Hokies hit three RBI singles to take a 3–1 lead, and eventually win in the seventh. Dail recorded her first win in a dominant, seven-inning, 12-strikeout performance. The Hokies will return to the field in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge from Feb. 16–18 in Durham, North Carolina.

@JoshGannVT

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Women’s lacrosse suffers its first loss during home opener against No. 8 ranked Southern California In a frigid Indoor Practice Facility, Tech couldn’t capitalize on offensive campaigns, losing 11–5 to the Trojans Saturday. MADDIE THOMPSON assistant sports editor

Women’s lacrosse started its 2018 campaign this Saturday at Tech’s Indoor Practice Facility, where it faced the No. 8 ranked University of Southern California for the first time in program history. The 11–5 loss to the Trojans came after missed opportunities from the Hokies and unfortunate turnovers that didn’t go in their favor. “We can hang with these teams; we just need to figure out how to close games now,” said head coach John Sung. “I thought we had a second run in us, but they

got us when they scored some crucial goals at the end there.” Throughout the first half, the Hokies struggled to capitalize on offense, allowing the Trojans a five goal run from Izzy McMahon, Kerrigan Miller, Kaeli Huff and Maeve McMahon to start the game off. Despite getting the ball on the offensive side numerous times, it wasn’t until there was under three minutes left to play in the first half that redshirt-junior Mary Claire Byrne tossed one into the goal for Virginia Tech. For Tech, that goal was like finally throwing wood in the fire, as freshman

Paige Petty and senior Tristan McGinley each fired one into the back of the net as time wound down in the first. Tech remained competitive throughout the start of the second half, with Petty and McGinley each adding another goal to the board. These were matched by USC’s Izzy McMahon and Miller. However, this flame the Hokies had started would soon return to embers, as the Trojans went on a four goal run, the last one coming from Maeve McMahon with under a minute left to play. The freshmen, though showing out on offense,

BENJAMIN JUDELSON / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s Kelly Glatthorn (34) heads up the field with USC’s Izzy McMahon (22) and Hope Anhut (15) in pursuit, Feb. 10, 2018.

contributed some costly turnovers that didn’t help with the team’s momentum. There is a learning curve, however, as Sung mentioned after the game. “There were some costly turnovers at important times, and those things are gonna happen, and the learning curve has to happen for those freshmen, but there were just too many today,” Sung said. Though the Hokies may feel discouraged after

the loss, it’s important to remember that this is the first home game of the season against a team that went to the Elite 8 in 2017. The last time Tech played a team that went that far in the tournament was its matchup against Syracuse in the ACC Championship, which in itself is a milestone for the program. Brushing off the loss, Sung and the Hokies are looking ahead to their next matchup, when they will

face a James Madison team the program has never beaten. “This is important for us to get in the win column, this is important for us to get this one, so we’re gonna go back and see what we need to do and watch the film and re-attack it,” Sung said. The Hokies will play i n Ha r r isonbu rg on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

BENJAMIN JUDELSON / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech’s Mary Claire Byrne (2) passes as the Hokies try to push through USC’s defense. USC Jackie Gilbert (6) is seen defending, Feb. 10, 2018.

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study break

Be My Valentine

Today’s Birthday Horoscope (Feb. 13): Love feeds your career this year. Rising profits come through disciplined scheduling and coordination. Reach a new personal record this spring. Physical and health practices support an energy surge this summer before a personal challenge strengthens and grows a collaboration. Together, share from the heart.

FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 13, 2018

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Suffix with silver or glass 5 1980 Dom DeLuise film 10 Cry noisily 13 Acme 14 This evening, on marquees 15 Actress Longoria 16 Fiction’s opposite 17 Drag race racer 18 Women’s __ 19 Trick-taking game 21 “Stay With Me” singer Smith 22 A-OK 23 Fixes 25 Does harm to 27 Prefix with gram or graph 28 Earth sci. 29 World’s largest cognac producer 33 Cry of distress 37 Economist Greenspan 38 Marilyn Monroe’s first name at birth 40 Pakistan neighbor 41 Game piece with pips 43 Refused 45 Former House leader Gingrich 47 Gurgling sound 48 BBC TV series about cars 51 “You don’t have to tell me” 55 Kia subcompacts 56 ’60s-’80s Red Sox nickname 58 Makes happy 59 Raised railroads 60 Really tired 62 President before Wilson 63 Nintendo’s Super __ 64 Steam shovel scoop 65 The “E” in the HOMES mnemonic 66 Dr. with Grammys 67 Jouster’s horse 68 Ceremony DOWN 1 Kit Kat layer

2/13/18

By Brian Gubin

2 Quickly 3 Brief summary 4 Baseball overtime 5 Egg __ yung 6 Carpenter insects 7 Rant 8 Bellyache 9 Multivolume ref. work 10 Former baseball commissioner Bud 11 Sheeplike 12 Innocents “in the woods” 14 “We’re trapped in here!” 20 It ebbs and flows 22 Frank Lloyd Wright house built around multiple cascades, and what’s literally found in this puzzle’s circles 24 “Meh” 26 “The Simpsons” beer server 29 Fooled 30 “Xanadu” gp. 31 ’60s war zone

Monday’s Solved Previous Puzzle Puzzle Solved

W J

W T

M I

M F

W D

W Y

W E

W P

W S

M L

M Q

W K

W A

W O

M R

W I

M K

M H

M N

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W M P

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flowers chocolate gifts dinner reservations

patient late stood up depression TOTS

three rails drunk hookup regret

32 Coll. periods 34 For 35 Gym cushion 36 Musical Brian 39 Nativity trio 42 Formerly, in bridal announcements 44 Two-part 46 Hypnotic state 48 General tendency 49 Refueling ship

2/13/18

50 Old West outlaw chasers 52 Video game pioneer 53 Equip anew 54 Cosmetician Lauder 57 “The Wizard of Oz” farmhand 60 Sound units, briefly 61 Mil. roadside hazard

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Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! by Tim Rickard

xkcd by Randall Munroe

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Bliss by Harry Bliss

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GRAD GUIDE TECH EARNED PLACE IN TOP 10 GRAD SCHOOLS Tech is home to some of the best grad programs around. page B8

ACCELERATED MASTER’S Tech offers many programs that allow you to graduate with both a BA and an MBA. page B4

February 13, 2018

BUSINESS ANALYTICS This program is relatively new and will see its second graduating class this year. page B6

Pre-application: Questions to ask yourself before applying To grad school or to not grad school; asking yourself these questions before applying can help make the decision. JESSICA BRADY managing editor

ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Members of the Virginia Tech Class of 2017 jump to “Enter Sandman” during University Commencement, May 12, 2017.

ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT: APPLYING TO LAW SCHOOL

Law school is hard. Applying to law school can be even harder. Don’t get left behind, consult with every expert you can right from the beginning of the process. SAMANTHA SMITH lifestyles staff writer

T he ti me bet ween deciding to apply to law school and getting admitted can be confusing, and quite frankly exhausting. The process can take years, and between letters of recommendation, studying for the LSAT and writing a personal statement, it’s hard to know where to start. Fortunately for Virginia Tech students, there are resources that are meant to guide students through

this journey, including pre-law advisers Luke Plotica and Wayne Moore of the political science department. The Collegiate Times spoke to Plotica to gain insight into the law school admission and application process. This discussion was lightly edited for content and clarity. Collegiate Times: When is the right time to start thinking about law school? Luke Plotica: I guess it’s never too early if one

is seriously interested. I would say about a year out is the safe point ... With the way that the LSAT cycle works and everything else that an applicant needs to worry about ... the applicant benefits from having months and months on their side. You can do it on a shorter time frame and people have done it well that I’ve seen here at Tech, but if someone wants to apply in the spring then hopefully getting things moving pretty well, the previous spring would be good. We see

people who get started in the fall ... and that’s enough time for people to prepare for the LSAT to have perhaps a fallback date. Probably having ideally about a year or nine months lead time is good. CT: What are the different aspects of the application process? LP: One of the first things is to sign (in) with the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). That’s the portal LAW / page B2

When we leave Virginia Tech, we will have more options than we’ve ever had before. You could travel, you could launch your career, you could start a business, you could do an internship — the possibilities are endless. One popula r route that many recent alumni take is graduate school. Grad school is a huge commitment, and it can be tough to decide if it’s right for you at this time. Here are some questions to prompt some self-reflection and help guide your decision-making process. Are your grades good enough? GPA isn’t everything, but it does have a lot of weight when it comes to applying to grad school. The sooner you apply after you finish undergrad, the more weight your GPA has. When you’re in undergrad, going to school is considered to be your full-time job, and your GPA is a progress report. The more time you spend in the workforce after graduating minimizes the importance of your GPA when applying to graduate school. It is still a factor, but it carries less weight. It is important to evaluate yourself honestly before applying to grad school. If you decide to proceed and apply, this will help you determine your safety, target and reach schools. But it will also help you determine if you need to work a few years to minimize the damage of your GPA.

When looking at all of the components of a graduate school application, remember to be critical of what you have to offer. I tend to make excuses for myself. For example, if I am looking at my application for something and I recognize that I am weak in one area, I will think to myself, “Oh, I make up for that here.” Admissions officers will not be making these same excuses for you. I’m not saying you’re not good enough — you certainly are. I am encouraging you to be realistic. If you have that 4.0, that’s awesome. If you don’t, that’s cool too. Just have the selfawareness to know where you fall.

“

When you’re in undergrad, going to school is considered to be your full-time job, and your GPA is a progress report.”

What are yo u r short-term and long-term career goals? This one is a biggie. Before going to grad school, you need to know what you want. If you know exactly where you want to be in 10 years, more power to you. Some people, myself included, need a little more time to figure out what they want and where they want to be. Make time to sit down and figure out where you want to QUESTIONS / page B3

When should you start thinking about grad school? Advice from the director of the Office of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion helps make grad school apps less daunting. HALEY CUMMINGS lifestyles staff writer

Graduate school can be a daunting, but also an exciting, step for many students who are looking to further their educational careers. Last year alone, there were nearly 2.25 million graduate school applications received in the United States, all sent in by students hoping to take the next step in their lives. People attend graduate school for an array of reasons. Whether it is to dive deeper into their desired field, gain research experience or earn a higher degree, they all must go through the same application process. The Collegiate Times talked about the graduate school application process with Christian Matheis, the director of the Office

of Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion for Virginia Tech. Matheis received his master’s degree in applied ethics and bachelor’s degree in psychology from Oregon State, and received his doctorate from Virginia Tech. C o l l e g i at e T i m e s: When is the best time for an undergraduate student to start considering graduate school? Christian Matheis: From day one. Any kind of family member, advisor or mentor can help them start. The sooner they can start thinking about the long-term plan, the better. At least start thinking about course work and preparation early on, then it makes the long-term planning easier. Plan for day one, and prepare starting day one first semester of your junior year.

Start talking with professors about graduate schools and program types, and start to consider test preparation. CT: How is applying for g r a du at e scho ol different from applying for undergrad? CM: There is a general assumption that you can take more general course in undergrad to explore majors and classes. In graduate school there is a more concentrated focus. You will write a statement of intent that tells the potential graduate program what you plan to study. The process of applying will take at least six months. Plan at least six months for the faculty to write letters of recommendation, to perfect you statement of intent, and allow your professors to advocate for you. Be sure to take advantage of the

The Graduate Life Center, Feb. 1, 2017.

relationships you develop as an undergrad and allow the faculty to coach you on your application.

BILLY CLARKE / COLLEGIATE TIMES

CT: How do students meet with graduate school professionals? Are there walk-in hours or is it by appointment only?

CM: We are absolutely committed to helping any GRAD / page B3

PAGE B2 February 13, 2018

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

LAW: What is most important when applying to law school? from page B1

t h rough wh ich t he requests for letters of recommendations and then the clearinghouse through which those are delivered to the universities. It’s also a great place because there are a lot of “frequently asked questions” and other information for someone who is not yet committed to applying. GPA and LSAT score CT: How important is an applicant’s GPA? LP: It depends on which law school you want to go to. The median GPA numbers are frequently changing with U.S. News & World Report. If someone sees the median GPA for the law school is 3.5 and they have a 3.3, that doesn’t mean that they are in trouble, especially if you have a robust resume or you do quite well on the LSAT or you just present yourself really well. Someone can have a below median GPA and a below median LSAT and still get into a law school that they really want provided that their entire profile is something that the law school finds compelling. CT: How common is it for someone with a low GPA and a low LSAT score to get into law school? LP: Unfortunately, with all of these things, it also depends on who the other applicants were at the school you’re talking about. These are not the kinds of things that law schools end up releasing data about. They don’t blindly match LSAT scores and GPAs of incoming students. CT: What advice do you have when it comes to the LSAT? LP: This is probably what most people lose the most sleep over, and understandably so. It’s a very grueling thing to prepare for and it’s very stressful and nerve wracking to take. There just aren’t a lot of people who are naturally good at that kind of exam. A lot of people struggle not because they’re not smart, but because it’s a particularly challenging

task. The LSAT is inevitable, so the best advice I have is to allow yourself proper time to prepare. Letters of recommendation CT: Where should applicants start when it comes to letters of recommendation? LP: Figuring out who exactly you want to be your letter writers is good to lay the groundwork for months before you really need it. That’s so you can be sure to choose someone who is in a position to write you a strong letter, but also if you have someone who tends to procrastinate on these things, you can politely nudge them without being too insistent. CT: How should applicants ‘lay the groundwork’? LP: You want it to be someone who knows you reasonably well. For academic references, which are what most people get for most of their letters, it should be someone you have taken at least one class with. I think applicants should really ask themselves, ‘Who are the faculty who have the best impression of me as a student?’ I’ll see occasionally students request letters from people, sometimes from myself, where they got a B in the course. If the professor is completely honest, they’re going to say that this person is a B student. If possible, that’s not what you want. If you can have a letter that describes things differently, that describes you as an A student or puts your work in context, that really plays up your strengths. Ideally someone you have taken several courses with satisfying results or someone you have done some kind of work for, such as research work. The more experience you have with the person writing the letter, the more experience they have with you and the more that they can say. You don’t want to set yourself up to get a one paragraph letter from someone that says you were a B student, you want something that is substantial that describes who you are. If you are two or three years away from this, then

you might want to start thinking about who are the faculty who you’ve already encountered ... and try to get to know them a little bit better, try to take more courses with them, ask them if they have any research opportunities available. The most important thing is be very, very honest with yourself about how well you did in the courses or the other contexts in which you dealt with the faculty member. Be very realistic. Some faculty members will just turn away students who only got B grades in their course. Addenda CT: When is it appropriate to include an addenda? LP: I see often someone who has started off as, say, a biology major their freshman year and decides that’s really not for them. They take some really challenging courses and receive some C’s and low B’s, and then transfer to something in the social sciences and humanities and do much better, but their cumulative GPA is still lower than what it ought to be, given how they’re performing now. Students will include an addendum that says the explanation for the discrepancy.

“

Someone can have a below median GPA and ... LSAT score and still get into a law school that they really want.” Luke Plotica pre-law adviser

Hopefully this is not the case, but when someone has some sort of legal infraction on their record, they’re asked to disclose all such things. If someone were ever caught with an open container, even if the charges were dropped, you would want to put that in an addendum to explain because if it ever came out that you may have concealed that, it looks very bad. The law school is asking you, and won’t necessarily reject you

SAMANTHA SMITH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Political science professor and law school adviser Luke Plotica in Major Williams Hall, Feb. 8, 2018.

if there is something. But they just want to know. CT: Will a legal infraction prevent admittance to law school? LP: Especially with something minor, most likely it will virtually have no effect, especially if it is honestly stated and explained. The kinds of things that law schools are worried about are things that farther down the road could prevent someone from passing the bar or prevent someone from sitting for the bar. These things are often complicated and ambiguous, but if someone has a charge on their record of some sort of sexual misconduct or something similar, that’s probably far more severe and more serious than having a couple of open container violations when you were 19. They’re looking for something that would reflect very poorly on character in a way that is

less likely to have been one moment’s indiscretion. This is also not something that just goes through police, non-law enforcement disciplinary action through the university. Gap year CT: What do law school admission boards think when they see an applicant has taken a gap year? LP: I think what it mostly depends on is what you do with the year. I don’t think that taking the year hurts you ... If one is going to take a gap year, don’t let it be a year of sitting on the couch. They will ask you a legitimate question about how you spent your time if you graduate in May 2018 and you apply in February 2019 and there’s nothing on your resume. Even if it is just basic employment, but especially if it is something that you care about, something that is meaningful to you, something that can help you present who you are

in your application material as someone who is passionate about things, and motivated to work hard when it comes to things that matter to you, that can be a distinct advantage. There’s no one right path. You can go straight through, but taking a gap year or several gap years can be to your advantage depending on what you do with your time. CT: Do admissions boards want to see certain majors or types of extracurricular activities? LP: I think potential applicants should take seriously the kind of work they would actually be doing. Even though your resume is words on a page, law school admissions deans know how to see behind the way that you present these things. They know that if you were 19 years old and you did a summer internship at a law LAW / page B5

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QUESTIONS: Self-awareness is key when making decisions about graduate school from page B1

be immediately after you graduate, two years after you graduate and 10 years after you graduate. Make these specific and achievable goals, not “I want to be employed!” Think critically about which field you would like to work in, which positions you would like to have and how you plan on getting there. Will graduate school help you achieve those goals? How does graduate school fit into the years after you graduate and 10 years after you graduate. Make these specific and achievable goals, not “I want to be employed!” Think critically about which field you would like to work in, which positions you would like to have and how you plan on getting there. Will graduate school help you achieve those goals? How does graduate school fit into the timeline? Do you have the money? This one may seem obvious, but graduate school can cost a lot of money and can put you in a lot of debt. Make sure to understand all the financial impacts that graduate school will have on you. You must account for the cost of the school, the cost of a new apartment,

February 13, 2018 PAGE B3

collegiatetimes.com

GRAD: What to know about grad school applications from page B1

ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Members of the Class of 2017 cheer for their classmates receiving their diplomas at the College of Engineering graduation ceremony, May 13, 2017.

Virginia Tech student when they are thinking about graduate school. The office of Career and Professional Development allows for more coaching and preparation. However, we offer a program about every other year, run by the Graduate Student Assembly, that pairs current undergraduate students with current graduate students to learn more about graduate school. Also, if anyone has any questions about graduate school, they can email us at grads@vt.edu.

ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Members of the Class of 2017 listen to the opening remarks of the 2017 College of Engineering graduation ceremony, May 13, 2017.

CT: I’m sure the process of applying for grad school can be overwhelming at times; how do you suggest students minimize stress? CM: I think it is more important for students to think of a graduate application as having multiple parts, and to get clear on the parts you need. Think of it more as a construction process and assemble them, rather than an ambiguous application process. Each school that you apply to will have a list of those parts, if you make an Excel spreadsheet with those parts it is much easier to stay organized. Especially for students who begin the process junior year, once you talk to professors and experience internships, the process seems more exciting rather than daunting.

the cost of moving, a new cost of living. Additionally, if you are taking out loans, be aware that those will be hanging over your head. For some, a better option may be working for a few years and saving up money. But that’s not everyone, so make a plan that works best for you. Do you have the time? Being a student is a ton of work and can take a toll on your body, whether it’s from the all-nighters, the high caffeine intake or the stress. Do you have the time and flexibility to dedicate yourself to that? What role will your family and significant other play in your education? Are you planning on getting married? Having kids? Thinking about that may seem a little dramatic and far out, but all of these decisions cost money and time. In sum, know yourself and make a plan. Going to graduate school is a huge (costly) decision, so make sure you choose the right one at the right time.

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CT: What is one thing you wish you knew before applying to graduate school? CM: ( Laughs) I’m worried that this can sound more off-putting and daunting, but it’s actually meant to relieve some of the anxiety. All of the things you can control in your application: GPA, courses, volunteering, the statement of intent; it turns out the application process is very much out of your control. There is only so much you can do. The decision is often based on facing a stack of extremely qualified applicants and then there are funding decisions, faculty on leave and whether the school can support the potential students. Applicants should not internalize the application process as all the pressure is on them because some factors are out of their control and they need to make peace with that. CT: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to talk to me. Is there anything else you would like to add? CM: The Peterson’s Database is a great resource for graduate and undergraduate programs if students want more information on scholarships, test prep and more.

@CollegiateTimes

PAGE B4 February 13, 2018

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collegiatetimes.com

Save time and money on grad school by applying to one of Tech’s accelerated graduate programs Getting a bachelor’s and master’s simultaneously? Sounds too good to be true. Virginia Tech is making it a reality through accelerated programs. LILY CARROLL

lifestyles staff writer

For most st udents pu rsui ng a g raduate education, they must complete a four year bachelor’s degree before applying to a master’s program that can take an average of two to three years to complete — totaling up to seven years in school. However, for all that time spent, professionals with a graduate degree under their belt have higher average salaries and lower rates of unemployment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, under the United States Department of Labor, the average weekly salary is $1,380 for a person holding a master’s degree, meaning an average annual salary of $71,600. In comparison, the average annual salary for a person holding a bachelor’s is $60,112, with a higher unemployment rate. These discrepancies could provide some incentive when it comes to deciding to pursue graduate education, but how do you look past the time commitment? Virginia Tech has a s olut ion: a c c ele r a t e d

master’s programs. Accelerated master’s programs offer students the opportunity to complete credits toward their master’s degree, while simultaneously finishing their bachelor’s. Tech provides two program options with varied qualifications, an undergraduate/graduate (UG/GR) degree program and a dual degree program. The UG/GR degree program is open to students with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. Students in the program are allowed to count up to 12 credits taken in their final two semesters at Tech toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degree. In comparison, the dual degree program is open to students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students in this program can also earn up to 12 credits toward their master’s degree; however, these credits can only be taken in their final semester at Tech and will only appear on their graduate transcript. While students who meet the slightly higher GPA requirement of the UG/ GR degree program have more flexibility to complete their graduate credits, both

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programs allow students to earn a master’s degree more quickly. Additionally, accelerated master’s programs don’t only save students time, they also save them money. “Courses taken while an undergraduate/graduate or dual option student are charged at the undergraduate student rate, rather than the graduate student tuition rate, thereby saving in the overall cost or

earning a graduate degree,” according to a video posted on the Virginia Tech Graduate School page. Prospective students must apply and be approved for an accelerated degree prior to the start of the term in which credit will be counted toward their graduate degree. After applying online for the term immediately following the semester their bachelor’s degree is awarded (if the student is

graduating in fall 2019, they would apply for spring 2020) students complete an accelerated undergraduate/ graduate status and course designation form. This form is reviewed by department heads and staff coordinators, who accept students into the accelerated master’s program, before the form is sent to graduate school staff for further review. Virginia Tech has over 35 accelerated master’s

programs, ranging from aerospace engineering, to economics, to philosophy and everything in between. The programs have various degree options and requirements, but they all provide students with a faster, less expensive alternative to a graduate education, and the opportunity to stay a Hokie.

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LAW: Why you should still

apply for law school despite strenuous application process from page B2

firm, you weren’t arguing cases. You weren’t making dramatic decisions about people’s legal fate, you were probably helping with paperwork. Maybe (you were) doing things that were interesting, but nothing that gave you profound understanding as to how the law works. Rather than going out of one’s way to try to get internships or other experiences that sound lawyer-like, it’s probably more important to do things you really care about, because it’ll be a heck of a lot easier to explain why those things make you a good candidate for law school. Following your heart is really the most important thing. CT: Is law school as competitive as some say? LP: It can be ... It’s in the heads of the students, and it’s also in the expectations of the law school faculty. I’ve definitely heard from students that I’ve advised ... who have said it’s really cutthroat. ... As with anywhere else, if you’re in a room of 40 other people your age, chances are they’re not all jerks. It’s a matter of how you present yourself, how good you are at forming friendships with other people. No matter how cutthroat law school is, the one thing that all those students have in common is they’re all under pressure,

they all understand, they all know what they’re trying to do, they all know how difficult it is to get to the top. You don’t have to be at the top to graduate and do well. For the people who want super hard to get clerkships or straight out of law school paid positions at prestigious corporate firms, then yes, whether they’ve finished first or third in their class makes a heck of a lot of difference because it means they get that job or they don’t. If that’s not what you want either because it doesn’t interest you or you know it’ll go to someone else, it’s possible to just get a good legal education and

“

You don’t have to be at the top to graduate and do well.” Luke Plotica pre-law adviser

not get chewed up as much. CT: W hy shou ld potential applicants talk to a pre-law adviser? LP: Often we can help with assessing timelines and reminding students of what they ought to be considering. Even when students have a lot of time, but especially when time is of the essence ... One of the things that helps is just having someone to talk to face to face. A website with a Frequently

Asked Questions section is just not the same thing as a human being who you can look in the eye. I’m not sure if other advisers do this, but I’ll always offer to look over personal statements or anything else. Students don’t have to be on their own, that’s what we’re here for — to help people throughout the process in whatever way we can. CT: The law school process seems to be ext r em ely st r enuou s. Why should students still consider law school? LP: The benefit should really just be that you really want to go to law school and you feel that this is a meaningful thing to do with your life. You feel that studying law is something you are genuinely interested in. You can see yourself spending perhaps the rest of your working life working with the law in some capacity. If someone is interested in public policy, they don’t necessarily have to have a law degree. In going to law school and studying law, especially in practicing law, you are dealing with certain areas of policy law that there’s not really any more direct way to experience it, other than being an elected official. Unless you want to pass the bar and practice law, there’s nothing else you have to go to law school for. @SSmith992

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Hokies welcome new Pamplin graduate school program that concentrates on Business Analytics The new program, offered through the Pamplin College of Business, will see its second graduating class this year. MICHAELA KREITER lifestyles staff writer

As graduation approaches and one’s undergrad years seem to come to a rapid end, many students are plagued with the one question about what they’re supposed to do after college. Some students have had this question answered for years, whether it’s that they will go to law school, go right into work, travel the world or have something else in mind. Many students seek the path of grad school, a place where he or she may be given the opportunity to enhance their skill set in a specific field of study. Virginia Tech offers a grad program with a wide variety of major options. With a 29 percent acceptance rate and over 6,000 graduate students, the graduate program at Virginia Tech thrives. A program that is fairly new to Virginia Tech is the Master of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Analytics (MSBABA). This program currently is hosting its second

graduating class, and sets students on a track that will lead them to become highimpact business analytics leaders. This program is offered by the Pamplin College of Business and is also supported by the College’s Cent er for Busi ness Intelligence and Analytics. To complete the program a student must obtain 30 credit hours. After those 30 credit hours, a student will be set to pursue any career as a business analytics practitioner. The MSBA-BA program takes pride in admitting students from a wide range of backgrounds. Virginia Tech’s website states that half of the students who are admitted into the program enter without having a background in business. This allows for diversity and people with different thought processes to gain an understanding of this concrete subject matter. Many students enter this grad track with a different mindset of how they want it to influence their career. While some students pick up

ANDREW YOUNG / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students gather in the Pamplin Atrium for the reveal of the Global Business and Analytics Complex, Feb. 1, 2017.

this master’s to gain a better grasp on the subject matter, but with no desire of going into business analytics specifically, others have had aspirations to pursue this career path for a great deal of their academic career. Michelle Fultz is a student in the MSBA-BA program and has a strong desire to pursue a career in this field. “This is a dynamic and exciting field that is challenging companies to

innovate the way they do business,” Fultz said. “Currently I am interviewing for data scientist roles with a focus on data visualization, and hope to find a company where my interests and passions are directly aligned with their mission, values and vision.” Fultz has carried a business focus throughout her undergrad and graduate career. She came to Virginia Tech with a declared major

in business management and later added a dual concentration in human resources and consulting analysis. “My combination of dual concentrations and double minors have definitely been useful in gaining a holistic understanding of how I am able to apply and seamlessly blend my undergraduate and current education to my future efforts in the business world,” Fultz said. Other students use direct

master’s programs like this to fulfill a gap year as well as gain a better understanding of a useful subject matter. Virginia Tech hosts a strong foundation in both analytics and business, something that will allow students to move further in any field they’re interested in.

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What are Virginia Tech’s best graduate programs? Everyone knows Tech is the best school around, but it’s easy to forget that the grad school is a large part of what makes the university great. But how prestigious are Tech’s grad programs? According to U.S. News & World Report, very. MEG CONNORS

lifestyles staff writer

In my undergraduate bubble at Tech, I often forget how many students are enrolled in graduate programs — roughly 1 in every 6 Virginia Tech students are enrolled in grad school, and there are about 170 master’s and doctoral degree programs offered. While it’s easy to forget that many of my fellow students are in grad school, it’s important to remember that Tech has some of the best graduate programs in the country, in fields ranging from landscape architecture to theater arts, and everything in between. Beyond Tech’s obvious draws of a beautiful campus, incredible food and exciting football culture, many potential grad students apply to Tech for its highly ranked programs. According to U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 list of America’s best graduate schools, Virginia Tech is ranked in the top 10 for its evening MBA program and programs in civil engineering, environmental engineering, and industrial and systems engineering. Offered by Pamplin College of Business, Tech’s evening MBA program

is currently at No. 7 in the country. Based in the Virginia Tech campus in Falls Church, Virginia, the program is designed for working professionals and offers flexible scheduling with evening classes or one to four classes a semester. The program is also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which is an international body that has only accredited 5 percent of business schools internationally.

“

Beyond rigor, the department (of Civil and Environmental Engineering) is also renowned for its size.”

Tech is also ranked No. 6 for environmental and environmental health engineering and No. 7 for civil engineering, both of which are based in the Charles Edward Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Beyond rigor, the department is also renowned for its size — it has almost 400 graduate students and over 15 centers and laboratories used for

instruction and research. The master’s program is a 30-hour program and the doctorate program is 90 hours, and the department accepts both part-time and full-time students. Fi na l ly, t he G rado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at Tech is ranked No. 6 in the category industrial/ manufacturing/systems for its graduate program, and has been in the top 10 since 2000. ISE also offers a graduate student mentoring program, in which current grad students are paired with incoming grad students, and provide mentorship and assistance through the incoming students’ first year. While Tech has many strong graduate school programs, its evening MBA program and programs in civil engineering, environmental engineering, and industrial and systems engineering are ranked in the top 10 in the nation, and are important to consider in the search for the perfect grad school program.

BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Marc Edwards and Mona Hanna-Attisha deliver their graduation address to the Class of 2016 at the university commencement in Lane Stadium, May 13, 2016.

ZOE SCOPA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech students display decorated graduation caps at the university commencement ceremony, May 12, 2017.

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