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April 3, 2018

COLLEGIATETIMES

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

TAKE BACK THE NIGHT CALLS ATTENTION TO GENDER VIOLENCE

ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES

During the march and rally, multiple speakers adressed the small things students can do to stop gender-based violence on the Virginia Tech campus.

SANSKRITI NEUPANE assistant news editor

Despite the potential rain and heavy wind, members of the Virginia Tech community gathered at Henderson Lawn on March 29 to protest gender-based violence. This year was the 29th annual Take Back the Night rally and march, which was sponsored by many organizations at Virginia Tech, including the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech, Hokie Wellness and the Division of Student Affairs. After recognizing guests who were present at the event, such as Dean of Students Tom Brown, and reading statements from Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Morgan Griffith, the event began with speakers who expressed support for survivors of gender-based violence and encouraged members of the community to take action. Katie Mey of the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech began the rally by discussing the work that the Women’s Center does in relation to gender-based violence. “We are one of three confidential resources on

campus that serve survivors of gender-based violence in our community. My colleagues are counselors and social workers who can provide emotional support in one-on-one sessions, both short and long term. We can help with anything from crisis intervention to trauma and recovery and any other things you might need,” Mey said during her speech. Other speakers included Shannon Mitchell of Sexual Assault and Violence Education by Students (SAVES); Brandy Faulkner, professor of political science and president of the Black Faculty and Staff Caucus; Lindsay Kahle, instructor in the sociology department; and Joe Frazier, assistant director for Cultural and Community Centers. There was also a performance by Soulstice, an a cappella group at Virginia Tech. Faulkner highlighted the struggle of minorities, and how for some it is not just about taking back the night — because it was never theirs. “I am here this evening because black women matter, Latina women matter, native women matter, Asian and AsianAmerican women matter,”

Faulkner said during her remark. “It is important for us to lift up the voices of all who have been victimized by violence and specifically by gender-based violence. For the women who don’t have the millions of dollars in reserve that celebrities have, for women who don’t have access to media platforms that middle-class women have … for all of those who have not had their voices heard, for all of those who have suffered in silence and in fear, it is time to make your night, not just take back a night, but create one in your own likeness and in your own experience.”

“

For all of those who have suffered in silence and in fear, it is time to make your night, not just take back a night, but create one in your own likeness.” Brandy Faulkner political science professor

Kahle discussed the many setbacks that members of

the LGBTQ+ community face and began by listing the names of those who have been hurt by violence against the community. Frazier continued the discussion star ted by Faulkner and brought up how minority communities are more likely to face violence and the culture that allows men to commit such acts. “Men are more likely to commit sexual violence in communities where sexual violence goes unpunished, and we see this play out in the U.S. We often don’t talk about sex trafficking, sex slavery, which is huge,” Frazier said. “We even know statistically when it goes to court traffickers are more likely to be caught trafficking black women because if they get caught they’ll get less jail time.” The speech portion of the event concluded with Susan Anderson, the faculty adviser for United Feminist Movement and vice mayor for Blacksburg Town Council, explaining the Clothesline Project and with personal experiences from students who have experienced gender-based NIGHT / page 4

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Virginia Tech Hokies head coach John Sung walks up the sideline in a 17–14 victory over the 10th ranked Duke Blue Devils, Feb. 24, 2018.

Video of lacrosse team singing slur posted to Twitter A video of the women’s lacrosse team singing along to “Freaky Friday” was retweeted multiple times. SANSKRITI NEUPANE AND ISABELLA ROSSI assistant news editor and news editor

Over the weekend of March 25, a video of the Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team singing along to the song “Freaky Friday” by Lil Dicky was posted on Twitter. During the video players can be heard singing along to the lyrics, including the word “n-----.” A version of the video was posted on Twitter and retweeted multiple times. “Following an away match on Saturday, March 24, a member of our squad

posted a video to social media of the team singing along to a song that included derogatory lyrics,” said head coach John Sung in a statement emailed to the Collegiate Times. “We are engaged in conversations within the campus community to share our sincere apology.” Coaches as well as members of the Virginia Tech Athletics administration met with the full team to discuss the video that was posted. Sung considers this to be a teaching moment LAX / page 3

Let’s get musical: Unique venues around the New River Valley

New River Valley is home to many one-of-a-kind places to listen to music — sometimes it just takes some adventuring. BRYCE NOLAN

lifestyles staff writer

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS OPINION: NOT ALL FILMS OSCAR BOUND Films should be judged on merit, not popularity.

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A couple weeks ago, my dad and I went to Rocky Mount to see a band we both like, a southern rock group called Blackberry Smoke. It was performing an extra show at the Harvester Performance Center, and my dad had secured two tickets. On the way there, we stopped at a burger joint in Roanoke called Jack Brown’s, where we met up with one of my dad’s oldest friends, a guy named Stu. We talked for a long time and the two of them got into the kind of deep reminiscence that only begins to become prevalent beyond age 50. One specific story that came up was the tale of how,

SUMMER JOBS FOR UNDERCLASSMEN How to avoid flipping burgers this summer.

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during their college years, my dad would attend performances by Stu’s band, only to leap up to the stage and belt out Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.” Another that came up was the story of how, during a frat party, my dad and his friends duct taped mattresses to the walls of their frat house to serve as makeshift sonic insulation. As I sat there listening, I felt a pang of sadness at the absence of live music on college campuses in this day and age. The decline is understandable; after all, learning an instrument, starting a band and getting good enough to put on a show is difficult and time-consuming. But this is an aspect not just of college life, but life in general that is almost

essential to musical appreciation. I racked my brain over this topic and I decided that the best thing to do, for the benefit of the readers of this paper, is to pick out three performance venues within reasonable driving distance of Virginia Tech to share with you. First of all is the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount, Virginia. I’ve been to two shows there, one by the aforementioned Blackberry Smoke and one more recently by the band Southern Culture on the Skids, who performed there on St. Patrick’s Day. The show contained punk-infused rockabilly music bristling with ironic and downright absurd lyrics.

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VENUES / page 5

PAGE 2 April 3, 2018

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Films like ‘Black Panther’ must be more than wellintentioned for Oscar glory The social importance and popularity of a movie should not be taken into account during awards season.

ith his new film “Black Panther,” director Ryan Coogler has made one of the most visually stunning and emotionally resonant Marvel movies to date. While I haven’t seen Coogler’s “Fruitvale Station” (though it is on my need-towatch list), I think “Black Panther” is an improvement over his last film “Creed,” which I considered a solidly entertaining, good-not-great movie. While I felt that there was a lack of character development in “Creed,” each character felt so rich in “Black Panther.” Even as we, the viewers, were thrown into Wakanda without much exposition, there is no doubt that the relationships between the characters were captured beautifully. Though, when I see “Black Panther” touted as a potential Oscar Best Picture contender, I think we all need to take a step back. This movie was not perfect. The setup of Erik Killmonger, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, was one of the few places where the script did a lot of telling rather than showing. Killmonger also made some choices that didn’t really make sense after I sat on them for a while (no spoilers). And while the first act did do a great job of worldbuilding and character development, as mentioned above, it was of very little consequence to the plot. I do have some other issues with the film, but the good far outweighs the bad. While “Black Panther” was probably my favorite Marvel movie to date, I just don’t think the film is in the same class as last year’s crop of Best Picture nominees, nor will it be in the same class as this coming year’s nominees. “Black Panther” was an event, just like “Wonder Woman” was last year. Both movies tackled relevant social issues and gave two groups of people, AfricanAmericans and women, the opportunity to see one of their own as a superhero on the big screen. It’s powerful and commendable that the Hollywood studios were able to see that non-white and non-male-centric films could succeed in the box office (though, they were probably a bit late to the party). However, the great intentions of these movies aren’t what make them great films. For the sake of comparison, let’s take Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time.” Its main star was a biracial teen, and it had a very diverse cast to back her up. It was also very, very bad. Given that the viewers score is only 34 percent, and that many of the reviews tended to soften the blow on the movie for being

MARVEL STUDIOS / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE (LEFT to RIGHT) Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman, with Daniel Kaluuya in the background, in the film “Black Panther.”

“well-intentioned,” chances are that its 40 percent critics score would probably be even lower in a vacuum. Just ask the Reese Witherspoon lettuce monster. But the narrative around “A Wrinkle in Time” was very similar to the one surrounding “Black Panther.” And that’s not to say that “A Wrinkle in Time” is even half the movie “Black Panther” is, but while “Black Panther” is a good — borderline great — movie, I just can’t wrap my head around it being so good that it holds a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So, let’s finally talk about the Oscars. A lot of people see “Black Panther” as this year’s “Wonder Woman,” and while I do see the parallels, I don’t think it’s really a fair comparison. “Black Panther” is by far the superior film. Visually, the two are pretty close, and I might give the edge to “Wonder Woman,” but the characters, especially the villain, in “Wonder Woman” simply cannot compare to the amazingly well-realized characters in “Black Panther.” “Wonder Woman” is mostly just an origin story, with a kind-of period piece woven in. “Black Panther” has an entire world and society to build and manages to be the greater achievement in character study, which is truly remarkable. To the dismay of some, myself not included, “Wonder Woman” wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. This year, I saw five of the Best Picture nominees and other awards contenders like “I, Tonya” and “The Disaster Artist.” All of those, with the exception of “The Disaster Artist” and maybe “The Post,” were far more deserving than “Wonder Woman.” And yes, I know “The Post” was nominated,

but there are other films I saw last year that would quite easily slide ahead of “Wonder Woman” for that slot (“Baby Driver,” anyone?). However, to judge the awards potential of a superhero movie like “Black Panther,” the comparison that needs to be made is to “The Dark Knight.” Its snub was at least in part due to the Academy only having five Best Picture nominees back then. And given all the prestige — no pun intended — that Christopher Nolan has gained, it likely would be a shoo-in nominee today. “The Dark Knight” is easily the most mature and grounded superhero movie ever made, and Heath Ledger’s Joker might be the best villain to appear on screen. When analyzing both “The Dark Knight” and “Black Panther” side by side, Nolan’s film wins by a landslide. The Oscars are about the films. Sometimes, the ceremony — and the lead-up to it — is extremely political. But at the end of the day, the best, and not necessarily most popular, art wins out. While “Black Panther” might be just as important as a film like “Moonlight” — and perhaps even more so given its mainstream appeal — it could never compare artistically to “Moonlight.” I hope everyone sees “Black Panther.” I hope it joins the $2 billion club. But come Oscar time, as I’ve said before,I’m hopeful that the best films are rewarded. Sooner rather than later, we will all have to come to grips with the fact that “Black Panther” should not be one of those films.

Hollywood actresses do not deserve to be praised for surface-level feminist acts Icons such as Jennifer Lawrence and Gal Gadot should not be put on a pedestal for playing strong female roles.

ast year, the DC Comics film “Wonder Woman” placed leading actress Gal Gadot at the center of acclaim for feminism. While the film received critical acclaim for its focus on an empowered heroine, Gadot herself was hailed as a feminist icon on news outlets and social media for just about anything from not wearing high heels to self-sabotaging her chances at being named Miss Universe as Miss Israel. This obsession with putting actresses who play strong women in movies or on television on a pedestal is nothing new. The same happened with others like Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson and many more actresses. Of course, it is OK to be fans of these actresses, as many of the characters they have portrayed do depict women in a positive light. However, it is important to note that these actresses are not their characters, and at times, exalting them as decorated feminists is unwarranted. Actresses like these are erroneously deemed the faces of feminism. Sure, they are playing a part in the feminist movement by offering a positive representation of women, but they are quite literally playing a part — specifically, a part that earns them up to $26 million in Emma Stone’s case due to her role in “La La Land.” While it is important that these women are representing women in the media in a positive light, their primary motive for doing it isn’t necessarily in the name of feminism, but rather to make money. Apart from playing a role that earns them millions of dollars, there’s nothing that distinctively makes them as individuals, not their characters, feminists. A prime example of this phenomenon is Jennifer Lawrence. She rose to fame after starring in “The Hunger Games” as Katniss Everdeen, a strong, independent young woman who defies an authoritarian government. But in reality, Lawrence’s contributions to feminism are not nearly as bold or influential as her character. If anything, she’s showed how much she differs from

the ideals of feminism set by her character. In a recent interview, she displayed how out of touch she is with modern-day feminism by calling reality star Lala Kent derogatory slurs. When asked about Kent’s recent actions on “Vanderpump Rules,” Lawrence responded, “I’m like, b----, (you are) a c---.” Tearing another woman down with sexist terms certainly does not align with feminist values. To praise Lawrence as a feminist is a travesty. As much as fans want to think of her as an influential feminist, she hasn’t shown that she is. Lawrence herself criticized people for calling her anti-feminist when she wore a dress in the cold weather while her male co-stars were in coats. “All these people trying to be feminist, you’re not — you’re loud, you’re annoying, you have no point — and what you also do, you make people hate a movement,” Lawrence said. Her own awareness of the public’s tendency to grasp on to anything and make it an issue of feminism exemplifies just how over the top people can be. We want to politicize everything, when sometimes it is just a matter of personal choice. Although this may not seem like a big deal, falsely idolizing women as feminist icons is harmful. When we wrongly classify people

as feminists even though they do things that do not uphold feminist values, we spread misconceptions about feminism. Likewise, it takes attention away from the real efforts of devout feminists. Instead of the spotlight being on Gadot for her shoe choice, we should focus on those making actual efforts, like Patricia Arquette, who participated in the Women’s March and spoke out for equal pay in front of the United Nations. Arquette and many other women are actually going out of their way to advocate for women’s equality. They are the ones who deserve that praise. We have to learn to differentiate actors from their characters. Just because an actress plays a strong, independent woman in a movie, doesn’t mean that she is a feminist icon herself. We cannot overanalyze their every action and call it a bold move for women everywhere when they do the simplest things. Instead, we should appreciate women who truly have devoted themselves to the cause by taking real action and follow their lead.

DONYA MOMENIAN • opinions columnist • freshman/business information technology

LOS ANGELES TIMES / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.

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LAX: President Sands releases statement in response from page 1

for the team and hopes the team will be able to learn from their actions as they move forward. “We have confidence that the team will learn from this mistake and understand that these actions reflect poorly on our program and do not represent the values of our program or the principles of

the university,” Sung said. President Tim Sands released a statement to the Virginia Tech community on the morning of Saturday, March 31 in relation to the incident. In the statement, Sands said the team and members of Virginia Tech administration have reached out to and scheduled a meeting with the Black Organizations Council

(BOC). “W hile we discuss and debate the intent, the context, and the remorse expressed by the students involved, we would be missing an opportunity if we did not accept the reality that this incident is not an isolated one at Virginia Tech, in our communities, or in our country,” Sands wrote in the statement. “Let us use this moment to confront

our own biases, cultural misperceptions, fears, and aggressions.” In the statement, Sands also emphasizes the importance of Ut Prosim at Virginia Tech. “We cannot practice Ut Prosim without empathy, and we cannot develop empathy without curiosity and a commitment to learning more about the lived experience of others

every day,” Sands wrote. “If we aren’t sure if someone will be offended by a remark or an action, let’s ask rather than assume. If we learn that words or actions are offensive to others, let’s commit to understanding why. If we hear a friend say something that we know is offensive to others, let’s share our understanding with that friend.” Coaches and members of

the Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse team have not made new statements since the initial incident early last week. Virginia Tech lacrosse is currently ranked 17th with its next game set to take place March 28 against North Carolina.

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Tuition, room and board Students locked out of to rise next school year residence halls twice Virginia Tech Board of Visitors announced an increase in parking fees and will add more pass options in 2018–19.

CBORD system failure causes students to be locked out of residence halls for second time in two weeks.

MATT JONES

JESSICA BRADY

At its regular meeting on March 25–26, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved a number of major action items — including raising tuition and fees 2.9 percent for undergraduate students. The increase marks the 17th straight year of increases, although the increase is tied with last year’s increase as the smallest since the 2001–02 academic year. For Virginia residents, tuition will rise $390 to $13,620 per year. For out-of-state students, tuition will rise by $894 to $31,908. “The demand for a Virginia Tech degree is greater than it has ever been, but we are committed to keeping costs down and providing an affordable, high-quality education for Virginia residents,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in a press release. “Even though we face rising costs, and as we strive to improve our academic quality and implement new, innovative programs, our commitment to make Virginia Tech accessible to all will not change.” The university will also implement program-specific fees for incoming st udents in 2018 –19. Freshmen in engineering will pay an additional $2,000 per year. Those in architecture and design or building construction will pay $1,500 per year, and incoming freshmen in agriculture will pay $750 per year. Additionally, incoming business students will pay a fee of $75 per credit hour. Room and board fees will increase for students on campus too. Fees for all residence halls, including Oak Lane, will increase 2.3 percent. Dining plan costs will also increase 3.8 percent across the board, raising the fee for the smallest on-campus dining plan from $3,478 to $3,610 per year. Also mentioned in the board’s plans for fee increases were increases for parking fees. The charge for a residential student permit will increase $20 to $419, and the faculty and staff permit will increase $26 to $338. The fee for the commuter and graduate student permit will not change, but the fee increase included the creation of a “Commuter/

On the evening of March 22, Virginia Tech’s electronic door access (EDA) failed for the second time in 10 days, leaving students either locked out of their rooms or unable to re-enter after leaving. “We saw girls coming up, and they were livid,” said Alli Hill, a freshman cognitive and behavioral neuroscience major who lives in West Eggleston. “They were like, ‘I just want to sit in my bed. I want to watch Netflix. I can’t do that.’” The first outage occurred early March 12 at 12:07 a.m. “It was mostly back up a few minutes after 4 a.m. and fully back up right before 5 a.m,” said Kenneth Belcher, senior associate director for housing services. “We did have some capabilities earlier before that, but system-wide most of it was up by a little bit after 4 ... It just takes a while for the whole system to come back up.” Because Hokie Passport had encountered the same issue before, the second EDA failure took only an hour to fix. Since the electronic system was down, which requires a combination of either a Hokie Passport or a Mobile ID and a code, doors to individual rooms had to be opened

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COURTESY OF HOKIESPORTS Rendering of the proposed Student-Athlete Performance Center.

Graduate Student Premium” parking permit that would cost $389, which is $100 more than the non-premium version. The Board of Visitors also officially approved the $15.2-million StudentAt h let e Pe r fo r m a nc e Center. T he project, announced in December and funded by an anonymous donation, will renovate the fourth floor of the Jamerson Center. The project, expected to wrap up in early 2021, will include new dining spaces for student-athletes and space to host donors. A new ACC Network Studio in Lane Stadium was approved. The project, which is estimated to cost $10 million, will add two new studios, two control rooms and other infrastructure necessary for ex p a n d e d t e l ev i s i o n broadcasts of games. The university hopes to have the studio ready by spring 2019, before the new ESPNowned channel launches in fall 2019. The board voted to approve improvements to Commonwealth Ballroom, the largest ballroom on campus, in Squires Student Center. The space, built in 1969, hosted about 160 events in 2017 and brings in about $117,000 per year in revenue. The $3.2-million project will address ongoing maintenance issues, replace equipment throughout the ballroom and add a dividing wall. The university plans to start the project in the fall

and finish it in spring 2019 before commencement. In board documents, it was noted that there are long-term plans in the works to create a replacement ballroom — drafts of the university Master Plan call for replacing Squires — but this will not happen for years. Several capital projects were included as under design, including improvements to War Memorial Hall and McComas Hall that would relocate Cook Counseling from McComas to War. Another project included was a planned 600-bed residence hall in the Creativity and Innovation District with 176 beds for student athletes, which the university hopes to have ready by summer 2021. Also under preliminary design is the new Intelligent Infrastructure and Construction Complex, anticipated to cost $50 million. The complex will include Hitt Hall, labs and a new smart dining center. Schematic design is underway for a new undergraduate science laboratory building to be located near the New Classroom Building as well.

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with physical keys. Housing and Residence Life relied on resident advisers during the outages to help students access their rooms and residence halls. “It’s never a good thing when a system like that goes down, but our resident adviser staff and our on-call staff did a really good job of mobilizing and getting the keys and ... responding to people who were coming in a little bit later at night,” Belcher said in reference to the first outage. “I’m really proud of the way the staff jumped in on that.” Both outages occurred because the Virginia Tech database with CBORD, a third-party system provider for the Hokie Passport system, became too full. CBORD handles a variety of services, including access, dining and debit. “Two different files — one was an index and one was a file — had reached (their) maximum,” said Julie Wesel, systems manager for Hokie Passport Services in a joint interview with Joe Griffitts, director of Hokie Passport Services. “We have the capability to extend it, which we had done. So we took care of the one on the 12th. But another one also reached it, and that wasn’t the one we were aware of at the time.” “It was a CBORD issue ... There was an issue with their program, and they

made a correction,” added Griffitts. CBORD did not respond to multiple requests for comment for comment. According to Housing and Residence Life, the failures, however, do not pose a safety concern to students. “We secure-locked ... Some places might choose to, when the system fails, to unlock. We choose to fail in the lock mode. When that happens, we have to go to our backup physical key system ... We enacted the protocols for our staff very similar for if a power outage happened and our battery backups failed,” Belcher said. “We have a backup of a backup of a backup.” Hokie Passport Services and Housing and Residence Life have plans in place in the case of incidents such as these. “We have established procedures with large departments like housing for these types of situations,” Griffitts said. “There’s manual processes in place. A nytime an incident happens like this, we take a look at those procedures again and we enhance them or refine them as needed.”

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PAGE 4 April 3, 2018

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NIGHT: Marchers hope to leave lasting impression

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Summer jobs for the inexperienced student

from page 1

It can be difficult for underclassmen to find a summer job relevant to their career goals. Our writer has some ideas to keep you from waitressing or delivering pizzas. EMILY HANNAH

lifestyles staff writer

With the spring semester slowly coming to a close, students everywhere are scrambling to find summer work. Whether it’s a paid internship or working in a restaurant, students of all ages at Virginia Tech are trying to make some money this summer. For some, this summer will be the first time they’ve ever had to work before. For others, they’ll just go back to the same local shop they’ve worked at for years. All around, students are scrounging for jobs so they’ll have something to do this summer. Upperclassmen at Virginia Tech will most likely be searching for or returning to internships in their career field. Underclassmen may find a few internships to apply to, but most companies or organizations won’t hire a student without much experience in their field. What are students who are too inexperienced for internships supposed to do during the summer? Whether it’s their first job or their 10th, here are some entry-level jobs that inexperienced underclassmen can do while still feeling productive in their field of study. These jobs are a step out of the box, steering away from the traditional waitress or pizza

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delivery job and focusing more on the career field of interest. Camp counselor Working as a camp counselor is a great way to gain experience in your field of work, and another great way to interact with kids. If you like science, find a science camp to work for. There are countless types of camps: music, cooking, art, dance — you name it. Working as a camp counselor provides great experience, not to mention an awesome resume builder. National park employee If working outside is your thing, don’t fret. Working for a national park is a great idea for all nature lovers, especially those studying in the

College of Natural Resources and Environment. Working for a national park can entail anything from a desk job inside to leading a group hike through the scenery of the park. Zoo employee Another option for people in the College of Natural Resources and Environment is working for a zoo as a zookeeper. This job can involve cleaning animal cages, leading tours and, with the right training, feeding the animals. This job is also great experience for those interested in pre-veterinary studies. Library or bookstore If your interests include reading, or perhaps you’re majoring in English, working

study break

in a library or bookstore could benefit you most this summer. Many libraries also hold summer reading contests for kids to participate in. Volunteering to lead that project is a good way to gain leadership skills in your workplace, while surrounding yourself with what you enjoy doing. Tour guide This summer job is for anyone who is staying in Blacksburg over summer break. Over the summer, tour guides give tours of the campus to groups of people interested in applying to Virginia Tech. This is also an option if your hometown is a tourist hotspot. JOBS / page 5

violence. Participants in the rally were asked not to record or take pictures of students who shared their experiences in order to respect their privacy. After the conclusion of the rally portion of the event, participants marched around the Virginia Tech campus and downtown Blacksburg saying chants such as “no more silence, stop the violence, we’ll fight back” and “people unite, take back the night.” Organizers of the march and rally hope that this yearly event will leave a lasting impression on the Virginia Tech community. “I hope (participants) see that this is real, and I hope that they want to also take action. I want them to be advocates like I am,” said Ryea Young, a freshman human development major and a coordinator of the event. “I hope more people are willing to share their story, this empowers victims and survivors to stand up and share their story so that instead of being oppressed they’re able to be themselves.” At the end of the march, organizers shared ways that students can help fight gender-based violence in their daily life. “This Take Back the Night has a couple of purposes, one to raise awareness about gender-based violence and share resources that are available in our community. The second thing we’re trying to do besides educate people

about gender-based violence is to get them energized, to want to do something about it,” Anderson said “(There are) small things like saying that sexist joke isn’t funny, and that may sound like that’s not going to change anything, but you might have just stopped that person from telling that joke. It’s easier to hit an object than it is to hit a human being, and so if people stop telling those kind of jokes it’ll help people start thinking maybe we shouldn’t do that kind of behavior and it can have a real ripple effect.” However, orga n izers also realize that this march and rally will not solve all problems and hope students and members of the community will do more to help stop gender-based violence. “Wel l, gender-based violence is a huge problem all over the world and even though we have a wonderful community and a fairly safe community, we’ve got wonderful residents, a wonderful police force, violence still happens here,” Anderson said. “Just coming to a Take Back the Night isn’t going to stop violence, but lots of people coming to Take Back the Night and then carrying those messages away will create this huge wave and lessen violence in our community.”

@Sansskriti

Today’s Birthday Horoscope (April 3): Make careful plans for an especially profitable year. Imagine the position of your dreams. Professional discipline pays off. Home additions this summer inspire blossoming love, family sweetness and romance. Team challenges lead to a career breakthrough next winter. Follow your heart.

FOR RELEASE APRIL 3, 2018

Spring in Blacksburg

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

ACROSS 1 Sound from Rover 4 Quite anxious 11 Canada’s most populous prov. 14 Corporate VIP 15 Pudding choice 16 Canada’s least populous prov. 17 Mess up 18 *Sci-fi energy ray that grabs ships 20 Set of guidelines, as for grading papers 22 Big stretch of time 23 Pay to play 24 Tattle 25 Cheer on 27 __ Moines 28 Hailed car 30 Sign before Virgo 31 “Then what happened?” 33 Sang 29-Down 35 Tattle 38 “Joltin’” DiMaggio 39 Puts in new film 40 “Dawg!” 41 Columnist Landers 42 Sees right through 43 Salt Lake City athlete 44 Family cat, e.g. 46 In medias __ 47 “Big Brother” channel 49 Soda can feature 52 Yacht spot 55 Word of lament for “poor Yorick” 56 __-pitch softball 58 The “U” in “MVEMJSUN” 59 Small, influential group ... and a hint to the word hidden in each answer to a starred clue 62 Suffix with ranch 63 “Norma __”: Sally Field film 64 Witty remarks 65 ID on a W-9 form 66 Concorde, e.g., briefly 67 Martyred bishop of Paris 68 “Ha! Told ya!”

4/3/18

By Evan Mahnken

DOWN 1 Taiwanese laptops 2 Syndicated sitcom, say 3 *Sci-fi classic featuring Robby the Robot 4 Top stories 5 Durable wood 6 Mental health org. 7 Beans go-with 8 *Vessels pulling water-skiers 9 Budget, in product names 10 Patriotic women’s org. 11 *Sign outside a new store 12 “That’s awesome!” 13 Sometimes egg-shaped kitchen gadget 19 Diminish 21 Numbered rd. 26 Auto pioneer 28 *Unable to tell red from green, say 29 Without company 31 “How to Get Away With Murder” actress __ Naomi King

Monday’s Solved Previous Puzzle Puzzle Solved

M D

W D

M O

W F

W P

M A

W S

W I

W Y

W W C

W U

M Q

M Y

M Z

M L

M M A

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Hiking Flowers Hammocks

Bliss by Harry Bliss

Frisbee Bees Hot

Sweat Pollen Allergies

Where you go, we go. collegiatetimes.com

32 “Smoking or __?” 33 French “his” 34 Tokyo, once 36 Word after op or pop 37 Foot part 39 “Hud” director Martin 45 Ultimatum word 47 Tender touch 48 Sports __ 49 Socks from the dryer, hopefully

4/3/18

50 Radii neighbors 51 Fancy neckwear 52 Vitamin prefix 53 Rehab center staffer 54 Synchronously 57 “It’s her __”: relationship ultimatum 60 NFL playmakers 61 Cheat

editor@collegiatetimes.com

April 3, 2018 PAGE 5

collegiatetimes.com

JOBS: Summer plans fit for every future career path

lifestyles collegiatetimes.com/lifestyles

from page 4

VENUES: From Floyd to Marion, music locations to meet all your concert needs from page 1

At one point a man in a luchador mask tossed T-shirts and fried chicken into the audience, a standard occurrence for Southern Culture on the Skids. Afterward, I had the privilege of speaking to the head of the volunteers who run the Harvester, who told me about the venue’s history. The venue itself came about because Rocky Mount had wanted a performance hall to bring revenue and entertainment to the town. The building was, at various times, an outlet mall, a karate dojo and a Universal Harvester hardware store franchise, hence the name. The venue opened its doors on April 11, 2011, and it has since hosted upwards of 175 shows per year. The venue isn’t huge, but there’s plenty of space and standing is an option. In fact, there are concessions available all throughout every show. There are no seat numbers: You sit or stand wherever you feel like it. One thing to be wary of is the limited parking: There is a parking lot next to the venue, but for busier shows like the Blackberry Smoke performance, where the line

stretched halfway down the block, getting to the venue early will benefit you in the long run. The second place I wanted to mention is a little closer to home, at least for me: the Floyd Country Store, located in, you guessed it, Floyd. The store is something of a combination of a restaurant, performance venue, community center and general store. It plays host to a range of music acts playing bluegrass, folk, old-time, sometimes even rock and jazz acts. The store has different events on different days, but students here at Tech would likely be most interested in the Americana Afternoons shows held on Saturdays. These events usually feature two or three sets by artists from all over the world. You’re not likely to recognize any of the acts performing here, but I prefer to not even look at the roster and just see who’s there whenever I show up. One group I saw a couple times, The Rough & Tumble, is a folk act with a number of songs about, of all things, lesser-known holidays. It has songs about International Respect for Chickens Day, World Whale Day and even a song about working the front desk at a Holiday Inn.

Another musician I saw, Jared Minnix, just recently released a single entitled “Virginia Rose.” Of course, I can’t talk about the Floyd Country Store without talking about the food. The store offers a vast menu of lunch and dinner items, as well as desserts such as pie, cake and ice cream. I personally recommend the tomato soup and the Brunswick stew. There are also barrels of candy, CDs from bluegrass acts and a selection of apparel available for purchase. If you’re in Floyd and are having trouble finding this place, just look for the building with the giant banjo hanging above the door — it’s hard to miss. Finally, I’d like to tell you about the Lincoln Theatre in Marion. This theater is the home of the “Song of the Mountains” PBS program, the premier showcase for blueg rass, A mer ica na, Celtic and gospel music in Appalachia. Presented by its ever charismatic host, Tim White, the program features three or four acts every Saturday night beginning at 7 p.m. While watching it at home is great on its own, actually going and sitting in the beautiful performance hall of the Lincoln Theatre

adds an entire new dimension to the performances. The theater is designed in a style meant to evoke ancient Aztec palaces, and the walls display huge paintings depicting numerous battles from the Civil War. All three of these venues are part of what’s referred to as the Crooked Road, a loosely defined string of concert venues that specialize in old-fashioned music. I’ve picked these three specific ones based on my own personal experiences attending shows at them, and I strongly encourage you to take a gander at these venues, just to see if anything catches your eye. Live music is one of the most powerful social phenomena in human history. There’s a reason why one of the defining moments in American culture is a 1969 music festival attended mostly by potheads and teenagers: The greatest power of music is its power to bring us together, and to make us realize that we might just have more in common with people we’ve never met than we might think.

@CollegiateTimes

Tech support If your major is computer science or you just enjoy working with computers and devices, working in tech support of a store like Best Buy or Verizon could be an option for a summer job. Of course, this job requires more experience considering you’d be fixing customers’ devices. Working as a sales representative at Verizon or another cell phone provider is also good experience if you’re looking to enter the computer science field. Museum employee There is also a job option for history buffs and those who appreciate arts. Working in a local history or art museum not only gives you a chance to share what you know with museumgoers, but also gives you the chance to continue your learning experience throughout the summer. Having a job in a museum can entail anything from giving tours throughout the museum to working at the information desk or gift shop. This is a great way to share the information you’ve learned at school while learning continuously throughout the summer. Lawn care services Having a job with a lawn care service is one way to get your foot in the door of your future landscaping career. If you love to work outside and appreciate landscaping, this job may be beneficial for you.

This job can range anywhere from raking leaves to shaping bushes to mowing lawns. The lawn care service can give you a chance to network after you have some experience with the service, or can give you a starting point to begin your own small business. Nannying Working as a full-time nanny over the summer is one difficult job that is overlooked by many. This kind of work over the summer is especially beneficial for those who are studying human development or pre-education. Overall, the job is harder than it sounds, but it gives the nanny a chance to name their own rate when it comes to being paid. Music instructor Working as a part-time music instructor is one way to keep up with a hobby or practice an instrument. Advertising music lessons for kids or adults trying to learn an instrument is a good way to make money while working with what you love. Of course, there are countless other job opportunities for those looking for an entry-level job related to their field of interest. These jobs can range anywhere from teaching swim lessons to helping someone repair a computer. All it takes to find one of those is a little research and a lot of patience. @CollegiateTimes

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Travel with Peacework, a global non-profit based out of Blacksburg, to teach life-skills, job-skills and social support workshops to those aging out of the Girl's Orphanage in Thailand, as well as explore the wonderful country of Thailand! I ndividual Expenses for this project are about $1,500 + airfare. Help young women gain self-reliance, independence, and become less vulnerable to the threat of human trafficking in their area!

sports

PAGE 6 April 3, 2018

collegiatetimes.com/sports

Virginia Tech women’s hoops falls in WNIT final The Hokies, led by Taylor Emery, fell to the Hoosiers in front of 13,000 people in Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. STEPHEN NEWMAN social media editor

On Saturday, Virginia Tech played in its first ever WNIT Championship. The Hokies struggled to score out of the gate, then found their shots in the third quarter, but were unable to close the gap, as they fell to Indiana 65–57. The Hokies struggled mightily to make shots for much of the first quarter. They took an early two-point lead, but Indiana went on a 7–0 run to go up by five six minutes into the game. The shot discrepancy began to even out, but the Hoosiers still led 17–13 after the first quarter. Alexis Jean hit a threepointer a minute into the second quarter, bringing Virginia Tech within one. However, that’s as close as the team got, as the period was much the same as the first for both sides. Taylor Emery had a game-high 11 points at the half, but the team made just over one-third of its shots, while the Hoosiers converted on close to 45 percent of theirs and led 36–27 at the break. The Hokies made the game much more interesting in the third quarter, although it was largely aided by poor shooting from

COURTESY OF HOKIESPORTS

Indiana. A layup from Kym Royster gave the Hoosiers an 11-point lead 2:10 into the period, but Virginia Tech went on a 15–3 run the rest of the way to take a one-point lead, 44–43. Jean led the attack with six points, while the home team made just three shots in the quarter. Bendu Yeaney made consecutive, much needed, layups to start the fourth, sparking a 14–4 run for Indiana. The Hokies came within five points, following a layup from Emery with 1:54 to go, but couldn’t claw any closer, falling by eight. Emery put the team on her back down the stretch, as has become customary, scoring seven points in the last five minutes. However, Tech as a whole was unable to find the back of the net. Emery made three field goals in the fourth, but the

editor@collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com

rest of the team had only one successful shot, as the Hokies were outscored by nine in the final stanza. Four Hoosiers scored in double figures, led by Tyra Buss with 16 points, as they secured a WNIT banner on their home floor. Buss was also awarded as the tournament’s MVP. On the losing end, Emery had a game-high 23 points, while Regan Magarity secured 15 boards, setting the program’s record for most career rebounds. Both players earned All-WNIT honors. The Hokies end the season with a 23–14 record. They will look to ride the momentum that they’ve created down the stretch into next season.

@Stephen_Newman1

Virginia Tech takes 1 of 3 against No. 6 NC State Tech knocked off the ACC foe in game one, but lost the rest. STEPHEN NEWMAN social media editor

Coming off an extra-inning loss to Liberty, Virginia Tech began a three-game set against No. 6 NC State at English Field. The Hokies struck early en route to an impressive win on Thursday, but the Wolfpack bounced back in the next two contests, escaping with a series win. Game one Connor Coward took the mound on Thursday and had a stellar outing. The ace was also the beneficiary of an offensive outpouring, and the Hokies earned a statement win. The Wolfpack jumped out ahead in the first inning. The top two batters in the order reached base. A fielding error allowed Stephen Pitarra to score. A bunt single brought another man home, giving the visitors a 2–0 lead. Michael Bienlien threw two scoreless innings to start the game, but things began to quickly unravel in the third. The Hokies kicked it off with three straight hits, including a two-run double from Luke Horanski. “When we have hitters on base like that, it’s a heck of a lot easier to hit, and we all get to see better pitches to hit,” Horanski said. By the end of the inning, Tech had taken a commanding 8–2 lead. All the while, Coward was in the middle of a dominant run, in which he retired 19 out of the 20 batters he faced. “My changeup was really

working early, down and inside, and then later in the game, I was just throwing fastballs inside, looking for jam shots,” Coward said. Hits from Joe Freiday Jr. brought runners home in both the fourth and eighth inning, and Graham Seitz retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, securing a resounding 10–2 victory in the opener. Game two The Wolfpack offense was too much for Luke Scherzer and the Tech pitching staff to handle on Friday, and Johnny Piedmonte threw seven innings of two-hit ball, leading NC State to a 14–2 rebound victory. Will Wilson hit a three-run homer in the top of the first, and the Wolfpack never looked back. By the seventh inning, they led 11–0. After Tom Stoffel and Horanski led off the bottom of the seventh with singles, JD Mundy drew a walk, loading the bases. The next batter, Sam Fragale, finally put the Hokies on the board with a sac fly to right field. The Wolfpack brought home three more runs in the eighth, including a leadoff long ball from Brock Deatherage. Stoffel came up with an RBI single with men on the corners in the bottom half, but Evan Justice shut the Hokies down the rest of the way, securing a 14–2 victory. Despite the team’s poor outcome, Horanski extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

was a pitcher’s duel between Ian Seymour and Brian Brown. It took until the eighth inning for a run to come home, but that was all NC State needed. Seymour and Brown matched each other blow for blow through the first six innings. Both pitchers surrendered four hits and two walks, while holding the opposing offenses scoreless. Unlike Brown, Seymour remained in the game to start the seventh frame. However, a two-out hit drove him out of the game. Andrew McDonald righted the ship, though, striking out Dillon Cooper. Reid Johnston escaped the bottom of the inning relatively unscathed. The same could not be said for McDonald in the next half frame. Pitarra was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Brett Kinneman also drew a one-out walk, forcing McDonald out of the game. Seitz forced a flyout, but Pitarra advanced to third. Then Evan Edwards singled down the right field line, driving him home. Kent Klyman got five outs for the Wolfpack, but left with a man on second, after Nick Menken doubled. With two outs, Freiday worked Joe O’Donnell into a full count. However, the pitcher won the battle, giving NC State the narrow 1–0 win. After this series, Virginia Tech stands at 11–15 (5–7), next it faces Dayton on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at English Field.

Game three Saturday’s rubber match

@Stephen_Newman1

It pays to have COVA HealthAware! You can save up to 90% on your monthly premiums from the traditional PPO plan by selecting the COVA HealthAware Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) plan Commonwealth of Virginia Employee Health Benefits Program Open Enrollment is May 1-15, 2018 Visit www.covahealthaware.com/collegiatetimes to see how COVA HealthAware can work for you!