OPINIONS
POWWOW DAYS SHOULD BE CELEBRATED BY EVERYONE
Arnav Gupta | opinions contributor
Powwows are a crucial opportunity to learn about and appreciate Native American cultures.
Powwow, a celebration of Native American culture, deserves far more appreciation than it currently gets. But in broader American culture, including at Virginia Tech, powwows often get overlooked. At a time when history is being rewritten, cultural celebrations like powwows are more important than ever.
As described by Britannica, powwows are “a celebration of American Indian culture in which people from diverse indigenous nations gather (to) dance, sing and honor the traditions of their ancestors.” Powwows often feature competitive dances, singing contests, honoring ceremonies, and traditional songs like the Honor Song, as well as giveaway ceremonies, parades, and hand games.
Despite being a hallmark of Native American culture, powwows often fly under the radar. Unlike holidays like Christmas that fall on the
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same day every year, powwows are held by Native communities throughout the year on different dates, making them easier to miss and harder to generate awareness for. Before writing this piece, I’ll admit — I had never heard of them, and assumed it was just another name for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The truth is, they are not the same, and that misunderstanding is part of a larger problem. At Virginia Tech, powwows receive far less attention than other cultural celebrations. Virginia Tech enthusiastically celebrates events like Diwali. In 2024, for example, Diwali was celebrated on the Drillfield, right in the heart of campus. In contrast, powwows, despite their cultural significance, were held in 2025 on a much smaller scale at Solitude-Fraction, a quieter part of campus.
That said, I don’t blame Virginia Tech. The
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Native American student population here is small compared to other cultural groups, such as the South Asian community, which explain why events like Holi have more visibility and staff behind them. According to Virginia Tech’s official facts and figures, as of fall 2024, only 28 Native American students were enrolled out of more than 31,000 undergraduates. This makes it all the more important for the overall community to step up and be a part of this cultural tradition.
You don’t have to be Native American to participate in powwows; as long as you show up with openness, curiosity and respect, you’re welcome. It is important to see that as much as powwows are an opportunity to celebrate Native American culture, they are an opportunity to learn, to ask questions and to experience something different from your own culture. In a country that tried for centuries to erase Native voices, from the Trail of Tears to the Indian Removal Act a century later, simply showing up and acknowledging Native American culture can make a difference.
In today’s political climate, that matters more than ever. Big tech companies like Google have removed events and holidays from
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their calendar, such as Black History Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pride Month and Indigenous People’s Day — claiming it was not “sustainable.” However, it’s not difficult to see this for what it is: a thinly veiled attempt to align with the Trump Administration’s broader effort to rewrite history and remove any references to diversity, equity and inclusion.
At Virginia Tech, the 2025 Spring Powwow was hosted by the Indigenous Community Center in partnership with the Native at VT student organization. This year’s powwow took place on Saturday, April 19, at SolitudeFraction. If you missed this year’s powwow and you’re interested in experiencing one, you can attend next year’s event. You can also check if any powwows are being hosted in communities near you, as many Native American groups hold them throughout the year. Powwows are a fantastic opportunity to experience Native American culture and see the unique ways different tribes celebrate their traditions.
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DESPITE ITS FLAWS, “A MINECRAFT MOVIE” REVIVES THE JOY OF WATCHING MOVIES
Sarah Leberknight | opinions columnist
Movies do not always need to be taken seriously; it’s okay to have fun.
“A Minecraft Movie” hit theaters April 4, 2025, with smashing success, dominating the box offices by making more than $160 million on opening weekend and earning an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Stats aside, social media has been filled with videos of rowdy, gleeful theatergoers packing cinemas, quoting lines made famous by the trailers and going wild at the cameos. The reaction was almost unreal, but I went on opening day, and my theater, filled almost exclusively with Gen Z — the age group that grew up in the heyday of Minecraft — clapped, cheered and laughed. It was utterly surreal. And you know what? I had a great time. The movie is by no means a masterpiece, but the quality of the movie itself doesn’t matter.
“A Minecraft Movie” captures something that we’ve lost in movie watching: having a good time.
Now, that isn’t to say that all the behavior of moviegoers for “A Minecraft Movie” is acceptable. Making a mess at theaters by throwing popcorn and being disruptive to the point where the movie is unwatchable is obviously rude and inconsiderate. Don’t add work for the employees, and don’t turn the theater into your own personal party. It’s one thing to be excited and cheer a couple times throughout the movie. It’s another to trash or bring chickens into the theater.
That said, there’s a spirit about the crowds that’s genuinely great. People are having a great time watching Jack Black spew ridiculous one-liners and the zany antics that ensue on the big screen, and there’s a joy in the fact that audiences are having a blast watching this movie. In fact, while the movie has an overall 6/10 on IMDB, 34.2% of reviewers gave it a 10/10, and 60.5% of reviewers gave it a score at or above 7/10.
This is likely due to a number of things, most prominently nostalgia for a lot of viewers. Minecraft came out in 2011, meaning that it hit during the childhood of Gen Z, who are now older but want to see their childhoods represented in a movie. I can’t even tell you how many people I knew were going to see the movie opening weekend, but it was a lot. Also, the movie’s
trailers generated a lot of controversial thoughts, including outrage over it being live-action, criticism of the CGI and the acting. But the trailer also produced a goldmine of internet jokes that convinced people to see the movie in droves.
What people get wrong is that movies don’t have to be masterful works of art to grant you a good time, and “A Minecraft Movie” actively demonstrates that. The movie has its highs and lows. The plot is very vanilla, the dialogue is poorly written at points and the musical parts — yes, Black sings — are laughably cringe-inducing. But amidst all of that, the movie, which I would like to point out is technically a children’s movie, is charming. There are parts that are genuinely enjoyable, and there are parts that are appealing because they’re bad, but it’s all entertaining. It’s wild and wacky and most importantly, it knows it.
The movie itself isn’t trying to be serious and that’s one of the key reasons why it works. “A Minecraft Movie” is just having fun, messing around in the vast universe that is Minecraft, and it is inviting you to do the same.
“A Minecraft Movie” isn’t a technical masterpiece, nor is it trying to be. Critics and movie snobs tend to focus on the technical mastery of films and how they stun in the cerebral department through deep messages buried underneath metaphors and visual symbols. Hence why the movies that win at the Oscars are not the movies the general population favors. But the obsession with technical mastery neglects what should be the most important thing about watching movies — enjoying yourself and being entertained. You are allowed to watch movies just for the sake of being entertained and having a good time. “A Minecraft Movie” is a People’s Choice Awards kind of movie, not an Academy award-winning kind of movie, and that’s not a bad thing.
Movies don’t have to be technically masterful to entertain, and “A Minecraft Movie” takes that idea to heart. It presents this outlandish silliness that you can’t help but laugh at, whether it’s Black and Jason Momoa flying on top of each other with an elytra in midair, Momoa fighting the
chicken jockey or Jennifer Coolidge and a villager falling in love. Yes, Black looks incredibly ridiculous in the diamond armor at the end of the movie, but that’s OK because it’s amusing and not meant to be serious. Which, truth be told, is very much in the spirit of the game itself. Minecraft is not a serious game, so it would make no sense for its movie adaptation to be any different.
The quality of the movie may not be an A-plus, but the quality of the spirit behind the movie and the delight of the audience is golden. The energy in the theater was electric because people were having a good time, whether they were there for the memes, the nostalgia or the movie itself. It doesn’t matter. “A Minecraft Movie” does the exact job it set out to do — delight by bringing Minecraft to the big screen, making people laugh and roll their eyes and just give people an hour and 40 minutes to lose themselves in a world of fun ridiculousness. The actors and the director, Jonathan Hess, have been open about having a ton of fun and going wild on set and the movie reflects that. We could seriously use more “just for fun” entertainment in the world, especially these days.
We have to stop being so focused on the seriousness of movies because it’s taking away the ability to just sit down and watch a movie and have a great time. There are certainly times for deep, meaningful films, but we don’t need to, nor should we, force every movie to fit into that box. Some movies are just here to bring us a dopamine rush and there’s nothing wrong with that. “A Minecraft Movie” embraces silliness and invites viewers to let loose and sink into the pure joy of watching a movie.
LIFESTYLES THE STRENGTH IN ART: A CLOSER LOOK INTO VDR’S FASHION SHOW
Shreya
Munjeti | lifestyles contributor Lifestyles contributor Shreya Munjeti brings a behind-the-scenes take on the April 1 streetwear show.
Virginia Tech, known for its STEM based programs, is more than it titularly proclaims to be. The arts are thriving more than ever at Tech, evident through Vetement De Rue’s annual fashion show.
A closer look backstage presents students from a myriad of backgrounds, not all belonging to the arts. Admin and model Bryanna Taylor is a criminology and psychology major. Though she says her major is “very different” from her duties at VDR, she finds her gained understanding of modeling helps her with her major.
“Being able to convey emotion and understand emotion is honestly a huge part of modeling,” Taylor said.
The skills she uses to help the models pose and remain confident in their skill are also ones that align with her major.
Additionally, many models found VDR to provoke parts of them they weren’t able to explore through their set studies.
“I’m like 5-foot 3, so modeling was never something I considered (before VDR),” model Paige Clayton said. “I’m not sure what comes over me but sometimes when I’m walking on the treadmill at War Memorial, I practice my model walk.”
Art is a cross-disciplinary force. It’s persistent in our interactions elsewhere, even in the STEMbased majors Tech is so reputed for. Though students interested in the arts may not always pursue it as their career, there is a consistent demand for artists on campus. For many of the members of VDR, art is more than just an extracurricular. It’s their expression, release or community.
It’s clear how uplifting the VDR community is, many models uplifting and praising their fellow designers and vice versa.
“The fact that it’s all designed by students, modeled by students, run by students, it’s just really cool to see,” Clayton said.
VDR members spent months putting the show together, with models and designers spending upwards of five hours a week preparing and the executive team spending closer to 14. Though their faces remained confident backstage, it was clear how much was at stake before the show.
“Everyone may seem put together but trust me they are freaking out on the inside,” model Ishaanvi Saini said.
The VDR show proved that art is solidarity. Family and friends of models, designers and administrators showed up for their loved ones.
It was clear that not everyone necessarily had an interest in fashion but regardless, they were present, forming a community.
This sense of community expanded beyond the people present in the room. At the end of the extensive show featuring remarkable talent, a few designers in particular raised awareness for the genocide occurring in Gaza. This exhibition evoked a roar of applause and a standing ovation. Using their skills, these artists were able to show their support for a community in need.
Increasingly, more art-based establishments and clubs are emerging in Blacksburg. The Milk Parlor, Oui The Village, “Elevate Magazine” and the keystone of this article, VDR, have all been
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gaining traction since their recent inceptions. It’s no coincidence that these establishments surfaced in succession. As one artistic endeavor succeeds, galvanized by the last, another finds strength to emerge.
The strength in art lies in its community. It allows individuals to feel empowered to express themselves and bond over these expressions. By conveying the dire state of the current situation in Gaza, VDR was able to raise awareness for a community in need beyond the bounds of Blacksburg. Through this expression, the artists were able to connect the audience to the terrors occurring in the obscured distance. They inspired others to understand, care and take action.
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MOTHERHOOD AS A MUSE: SQUIRE’S PERSPECTIVE GALLERY BEGINS A CONTEMPORARY CONVERSATION
Emma Duncan and Cat Pizzarello | lifestyles editor and assistant editor M(other)ing art exhibit creates space to honor the many phases of womanhood.
The first few seconds of life bring a stark transition from comfort and warmth to fear and newness, but then a returning sense of familiarity and love enters the scene: a mother. Her presence, dedication and sacrifice provide the building blocks of who we become, but no one can truly understand what it takes to be a mother until the role chooses them. The Perspective Gallery in the Squires Student Center is trying to change this by sparking curious conversations through their spring exhibition, M(other)ing.
“The gallery provides a space for active learning about art and provides a conduit to explore themes on local and world issues. We provide a contemplative space for these ideas to flourish and for groups to gather together and learn,” said Robin Scully, Virginia Tech art program director. “Although most of the students visiting this show are not mothers, the concept of being mothered (or not) is something most humans can connect with. This show is meant to give voice to mothers of all kinds and build empathy towards the struggles, joys, fears and challenges inherent to being a mother.”
Scully; Meaghan Dee, associate professor of graphic design; and Bree McMahon, assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Arkansas; began creating the gallery in the fall of 2022. They encouraged artists across the world to send in their art and received over 70 submissions.
Dee explained the three weren’t trying to cut any submissions when curating but instead ensured the gallery would be cohesive and well-rounded, discussing the beauty of childbirth and motherhood, but also the struggles of infertility, loss and menstrual cycles. The gallery officially opened on March 18.
“Through multiple meetings and discussions, views of artwork received, we refined the exhibit to its current level. Installing the show took 5 days with 6 people working to get everything in place,” Scully said. “The
gallery employs 13 students staff members and each of them were trained to oversee the show as well as talk about the work in it to visiting patrons.”
The Perspective Gallery is meant to inspire active learning by exploring world issues.
Before M(other)ing, the gallery hosted artist Chrissy Shammas and her photographic pieces that expressed the importance of dark skies to wildlife.
When guests walk into the M(other) ing exhibit, they’ll be met with collages, photographs, fiber art pieces and other art mediums hung upon the walls and displayed on pedestals. There are many interactive elements, such as zines, booklets and brochures for the audience to browse and take with them after viewing the exhibit. Many pieces also have QR codes in their descriptions that connect the viewer with the artist’s website and pieces.
Among these pieces is “Clock Watching: Mothers in Academia,” a film contributed by Jasmijn Toffano. Toffano is a UK-based artist who heard about the opportunity from her professors after completing her bachelor of arts in graphic communication design at the University of the Arts London (UAL).
This wasn’t Toffano’s first time having her art featured in an exhibition with themes of parenthood. Before applying to the M(other) ing exhibit, Toffano spearheaded a creation of her own.
“With a fellow student mother, Ruby Gamman, we worked closely with the university to help improve institutional policies, from creating designated breastfeeding spaces to co-curating the exhibition Baby Change-Making: Stories and Experiences of Parenting at UAL, which featured over 20 parenting testimonies and visual stories. That exhibition was a breakthrough moment,” Toffano said. “So it felt like a natural progression to submit my final-year project, Clock Watching: Mothers
in Academia, to the M(other)ing exhibition at Virginia Tech University.”
Toffano’s film explores the lived experiences of women simultaneously earning their degrees and raising children. The film draws attention to themes of resilience, invisibility and exhaustion, the often-ignored struggles of motherhood.
Attempting to normalize these silenced topics, Toffano displays up close the hardships of mothering, specifically in academia. The film has scenes that unveil the complications of breastfeeding at work or school and the sleepless nights when parenting and studying cannot seem to coexist. At the same time, the film also demonstrates how powerful it is for a child to watch their mother learn, grow and succeed; the mother grows alongside her children, creating a unique bond.
“Film is about presence. It allows you to feel someone’s words, pauses and expressions. It brings their story to life. I chose film because I wanted people to not only read about student parents but also see us, hear our voices and experience the emotion and reality of what we’re going through,” Toffano said. “There’s something about film that makes stories stay with you. It’s accessible, human and powerful. It crosses borders and opens hearts. That’s what I needed this story to do.”
The inspiration for this film came from Toffano’s own experience with motherhood. Midway through her schooling at Camberwell College, Toffano discovered that she was pregnant. When she graduated college, she walked across the stage with her three children by her side.
“I never considered dropping out, but the reactions from others shocked me. I was told not to apply to Central Saint Martins because ‘it was too competitive for someone about to have a baby,’” Toffano said. “That lit a fire in me. I applied anyway, got in, and graduated 3 years later with first honours.”
McMahon’s story is similar to Toffano’s,
also finding out she was pregnant during her most crucial schooling years. A couple of years after her first pregnancy and midway through planning the M(other)ing gallery, McMahon had her second, surprise baby.
“I was doing this work with Meaghan at the same time, and I started to feel really positive about (my pregnancy). I had such a good pregnancy experience and birth experience,” McMahon said. “Having my second child just felt like, oh, this is the way it’s supposed to go. It allowed me to find a lot of joy in motherhood.”
McMahon began working on a piece of her own for the M(other)ing exhibit, drawing inspiration from her grandmother, the only other person in her family to receive a college degree. With an idea in mind, McMahon created her piece titled “*with child”, a collage-style piece featuring pictures from her motherhood and that of her grandmother.
“(My grandmother) went to summer school for like 30 years straight to get her degree, and then at her college graduation, she had four kids with her,” McMahon said. “I want to remember this time having my babies. I wanted to bring it all together on one piece of paper.”
Dee also published work in the gallery in the form of a visual essay documenting her first miscarriage. “I am so sorry” sheds light on the hushed subject of losing a child through a raw story of Dee’s miscarriage during the pandemic.
“I also personally had experienced a miscarriage before I had my daughter,” Dee said. “It was such an isolating experience, but after I had started sharing about some, I realized how many people had gone through it and had just never said anything.”
This is where the meaning of the work became apparent to Dee and McMahon. They both wanted a space to speak about the
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unspeakable. They wanted to create a community where motherhood and academia coexist without skepticism, so M(other)ing was born.
“(Motherhood) really can be this othering, ostracizing experience, but by actually talking about things that people sometimes don’t talk about, it is a way of making you feel more connected and that there’s more of a community behind this,” Dee said.
Anyone is welcome to visit the Perspective Gallery to experience
M(other)ing, not just students. Visit the Perspective Gallery website for their hours of operation.
“If we questioned where this work belonged, let’s just create a space where it belongs,” McMahon said. “The purpose of the exhibition was to create space to share things that you’re normally afraid to share.”
The exhibit will be on display at Virginia Tech until May 16; over the summer, it will be transported to James Madison University and is set to open in the fall of 2025.
“The more universities this work reaches, the more visibility it brings to this
population of students and academics,” Toffano said. “I’m thrilled that ‘Clock Watching: Mothers in Academia’ will be shown at James Madison University, and I’m excited about future exhibitions. Every showing is a chance to connect, advocate and plant seeds for real change. There’s likely someone in your community who needs to see it. So I ask everyone: please share this story, talk about it, show the film, visit the Mothers in Academia website and join our community. Let’s build systems that reflect the realities of students with caring responsibilities.”
M(other)ing is more than an exhibition;
it is a conversation-starter, a safe space and an acknowledgement of the silenced perspective of motherhood. Through art and vulnerability, this exhibit shows that motherhood is not a singular role, but a deep human experience that can mean more than just pregnancy. As M(other)ing reaches new audiences, its message will remain clear: a mother is so much more than a parent.
FOR THE LOVE OF THEATRE: “LITTLE WOMEN” AND VIRGINIA TECH’S THEATRE DEPARTMENT
Ella Winterling | lifestyles assistant editor
A reimagining of the timeless classic “Little Women” will show at the Moss Arts Center from April 23-26.
Virginia Tech is a big school with a wide variety of majors. From engineering to communication, the options are almost endless. One department, the School of Performing Arts, composed of Virginia Tech’s music, cinema and theatre programs, creates an academic space for the arts on campus. Whether watching from the seats or performing on stage, Theatre Arts at Virginia Tech gives students the opportunity to experience the art form up close.
The theatre department at Virginia Tech puts on two shows a semester, giving a wide range of performances from classic and recognizable stories to modern comedies.
Virginia Tech’s upcoming production, an adaptation of “Little Women,” will be performed at the Moss Arts Center.
Taylor Berenbaum, a sophomore double majoring in theatre performance and multimedia journalism, will be playing the role of Meg March in the upcoming show. “Little Women” is her first show at Virginia Tech, but her love of theater has been growing for years.
“I started (theatre) when I was five,” Berenbaum said. “I would run to theatre class, then be dropped off at cheerleading — just a mix match of all different extracurriculars that I tried, but theatre performance was always one that stuck with me.”
Berenbaum originally started at Virginia Tech as a multimedia journalism major, but after taking a theatre class her freshman year, she decided to add a double major in theatre arts. After taking more classes and auditioning for shows, she got the role of
Meg March and has since been rehearsing for the upcoming performances of “Little Women.”
“Rehearsal is my favorite part of my day, everyday,” Berenbaum said. “We are in rehearsals from 6 to 10 pm every night, 24 hours a week. It’s a huge time commitment, but there is nothing else that I’d rather be doing.”
The upcoming performances of “Little Women” will take place in the Moss Arts Center on Virginia Tech’s campus. The venue allows for new production and design elements for the performers and audiences alike to experience.
“It’s very exciting for us to be producing a show at the Moss Arts Center,” said Amanda Nelson, Ph.D., director of “Little Women” and an associate professor of theater and the program director for the MFA graduate theatre program at Virginia Tech. “It is a large space with a lot of technical capabilities that give us a chance to try some new things. This play uses both traditional theater techniques and then brings in some new technology.”
The performance at Moss Arts Center is an adaptation of Lousia May Allcott’s classic novel. Written by Kate Hamill, the adaptation is a relatable take on the story audiences know and love.
“It feels fresh and new,” Nelson said. “There’s a strong connection between the feelings and experiences of the characters on stage to feelings and experiences that many people in our audience will be able to relate to.”
“We’re excited and we’re ready,” Berenbaum said. “I’m looking forward to performing and having an audience out there ... and seeing how audiences react to the comedic moments and the not so comedic moments.”
While “Little Women” is the theatre department’s most recent show, the School of Performing Arts offers many opportunities for those looking to get involved in theater or the arts.
“We are a very welcoming community,” Nelson said. “People are invited to audition for all of our shows, and they are invited to take our classes. You can major, you can minor, you can take electives. There are so many ways to get involved.”
Virginia Tech’s theatre department not only offers the opportunity to get involved in the arts, but it has given its students and faculty a sense of community.
“It really has changed my college experience,” Berenbaum said. “Being able to share that commonality with a lot of other people in the department —it’s amazing.”
“I hope that the theater program can continue to thrive and continue to reach people who are very interested and passionate about theater,” Nelson said. “Also (to) serve the larger campus community through classes and performances ... just to bring a little bit of that sense of community, camaraderie and that special thing that the arts just has.”
“Little Women” performances are April 23-26, with two shows on Saturday, April 26. The Friday, April 25 performance is sold
out. The show takes place in the Moss Arts Center in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre within the Street and Davis Performance Hall. The performance will last approximately two hours with one 15-minute intermission. Tickets are available online on the Moss Arts Center website.
“This process, being in “Little Women,” it speaks to so much of why I love the department,” Berenbaum said. “(The show) just supplies me with more and more reasons of why I’m so passionate about performing and why I’m so passionate about doing it here in Blacksburg.”
“SABLE, FABLE”: A BON IVER ALBUM REVIEW
Emelia Delaporte | lifestyles editor
Justin Vernon released a new Bon Iver album on April 11, 2025.
Knowing what to make of Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver has always been a tough question to answer. Each album is different, proven related to one another only by a characteristic blurry sound and a distinct voice that evokes the idea of a sun coming out from the darkness. Since “For Emma, Forever Ago” came out in 2007, people have been enraptured by his unusual musical stylings and his ongoing hunt for meaning in his independent tracks.
While a good deal of his post-aughts fame derives from his partnerships with Taylor Swift and Ye, Bon Iver has always stood out as a unique band with something to say. The “SABLE, fABLE” album that was released on April 11, 2025, is no exception to this rule. Even the physical design of the album is laden with meaning — a 13-track album does not typically necessitate two CDs, but this
one does for the sake of symbolic separation. The first disc is the same four tracks as the EP “SABLE,” that was released in October 2024. The second disc is therefore “fABLE” and, in keeping with making it different, all of the titles are stylized in typical capitalization while “SABLE,” has titles only in all caps.
The opening track of “SABLE,” is a 12-second tone designed to erase all noise around a listener. Once the auditory palate has been cleansed, Vernon hands listeners “THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS” — this simplistic tune can be misunderstood given its plain lyricism and lack of complex musicality, but for the intrepid analyst, the meaning behind the easily digestible words is the value of the album. This theme continues through the other two tracks on disc one — “S P E Y S I D E”
and “AWARDS SEASON.” Vernon speaks and sings sweetly about insecurity, imposter syndrome, lost love and the joy of having had it in the first place. “AWARDS SEASON” ends with almost 30 seconds of silence, letting “SABLE,” sink in before listeners reach “fABLE.”
The second disc moves away from the sound of Bon Iver’s earliest days and into the technological experimentation that has characterized and influenced much of his later work. “Short Story” has that sunrise feel, befitting the beginning of something new, and flows seamlessly into “Everything Is Peaceful Love.”
Listeners receive elements of rap, pop, electronica, country, orchestral music and everything in between from these first two songs and the following tracks, from “Walk
SPORTS
Home” to “There’s A Rhythm.” Gospel influences are also prominent throughout the second disc.
“Au Revoir” closes out disc two and the album as a whole. This track functions independently in style of the rest of the second disc, a peaceful two-minute closer after the five-minute build of “There’s A Rhythm.” Twinkly piano and soothing electronic backing lead into silence, and then nothing.
A Bon Iver release usually carries something unexpected and thought-provoking. “SABLE, fABLE” is no different than its predecessors in those regards.
I give “SABLE, fABLE” a 7/10.
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HOKIES’ HOMERS NOT ENOUGH IN SERIESOPENING LOSS TO NO. 12 NORTH CAROLINA
Virginia Tech baseball launched three homers but couldn’t topple No. 12 North Carolina, falling 9-6 in Friday’s opener and extending its ACC losing streak to four.
Though right fielder Sam Tackett, designated hitter David McCann and third baseman Hudson Lutterman all went yard, the Hokies (24-14, 9-10 ACC) couldn’t outdo a nine-run performance from the Tar Heels (30-8, 12-7) and fell below .500 in conference play.
Carolina starter Jake Knapp (8-0) wasn’t perfect, but he was steady. The righty went 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven and working around traffic long enough to hand the ball to closer Walker McDuffie, who slammed the door in the final three frames.
Knapp threw 101 pitches, including 64 for strikes, and bent but never broke. Neither did McDuffie, whose 66-pitch save spanned 3 2/3 frames and included six strikeouts. For the Hokies, the arms couldn’t hold up. Tech starter Brett Renfrow struck out eight Tar Heels but allowed a season-high five
Thomas Hughes | sports staff writer
Tech fails to find enough offense against the Tar Heels.
earned runs, including two homers. The first was a fourth-inning solo shot to catcher Luke Stevenson and the second, a two-RBI bomb to first baseman Hunter Stokely in the sixth.
The Hokies had answers early. After Stevenson lifted a sacrifice fly in the first to give Carolina a 1-0 lead, Tackett responded in the third with a quick solo shot to right field to knot the game at one. Since the senior’s last homer, which was on March 22 against Louisville, Tackett had been on a 7-for-47 (.149) slump at the dish.
But every Hokie haymaker came with a Carolina counter and Tech’s volatile bullpen couldn’t keep the Tar Heels quiet. Stevenson struck back with one of his own to open the fourth, and the Tar Heels kept piling on — grinding out at-bats, scoring in five separate frames and cracking open Tech’s bullpen by the sixth.
That’s when it unraveled.
With two outs, third baseman Gavin Gallaher worked a full-count walk off Renfrow. On the next pitch, Stokely went
yard over the left-field wall to push the Tar Heels’ lead to 5-1.
Tech briefly answered when Lutterman ignited a rally in the bottom half of the inning with a three-run homer off McDuffie that sent the crowd of 2,288 into a frenzy. The shot cut the deficit to one, 5-4.
It looked like a lifeline. Maybe a catalyst. For a moment, the Hokies had momentum back on their side.
And then Carolina took it right back.
Center fielder Kane Kepley tripled in the seventh, second baseman Jackson Van De Brake drove him in with a single and then Gallaher added another RBI to stretch the Tar Heels’ lead to 7-4. By the ninth, the Hokies were staring at a four-run deficit after two straight bases-loaded walks made it 9-5.
McCann’s solo homer in the bottom half, his seventh of the season, was a final flicker. But it was too little, too late for Tech.
The Hokies left eight on base and struck out 13 times, including five punch outs with
runners in scoring position. Tackett finished 2-for-5 with a homer and double, while McCann went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. Lutterman added three RBIs, all on his towering sixth-inning shot.
On the flip side, North Carolina saw nine different hitters reach base. Van De Brake was a pest all night, knocking 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs. Stevenson knocked two RBI and a homer, while Stokely delivered the sixth-inning bomb.
The loss pushes Tech below .500 in ACC play, with two more chances this weekend to salvage the series. Saturday’s game looms large, representing the Hokies’ shot to avoid both a fifth straight ACC loss and a second consecutive series defeat.
Tech’s series against the Tar Heels continues on Saturday, April 19 at 3 p.m., before finishing on Sunday at 1 p.m.
BASEBALL CLAIMS ELECTRIC GAME 2 AGAINST NO. 12 NORTH CAROLINA
Thomas Hughes | sports staff writer Tech notched four early home runs to speed past the Tar Heels.
In a game that saw 16 runs, 22 hits, five Hokies home runs and four ejections — including both head coaches — Virginia Tech (25-14, 10-10 ACC) baseball got hot early and held on late, defeating No. 12 North Carolina, 10-6, on Saturday for its seventh ranked win of the season.
“That was huge,” left fielder Ben Watson said. “We needed to win like that. We kept saying we needed to play really good to beat really good teams. And today, we did that.”
The win came despite two verbal altercations in the span of mere minutes. First, pinch hitter Jared Davis was thrown for celebrating towards the visiting dugout. Then, after a yelling match, both Tech head coach John Szefc and Tar Heels (30-9, 12-8) head coach Scott Forbes, as well as Hokies first baseman Anderson French, were tossed.
“This game’s played with emotion,” Hokies associate head coach Kurt Elbin said of the scuffle. “You got two teams that are trying hard and after the benches were warmed, and they throw (Jared Davis) out. Then you have (Anderson French), I think he felt like (UNC arm Folger Boaz) was
throwing at him. These are just 18 to 22-year-olds playing with emotion. Obviously got out of hand, but it’s settled.
“Now, you don’t like to see that kind of stuff, but you know, it is what it is.”
Contrary to Friday, the Hokies’ firepower shined early. With a man on first, catcher Henry Cooke went yard to left field on a two-run shot that brought around himself andFrench. Two batters later, right fielder Sam Tackett cranked a two-RBI bomb of his own to left field, plating himself and Watson.
What finished as a first-inning ambush for the Hokies sent Tar Heels starter Aidan Haugh’s ERA rocketing from 1.86 to 3.06 by the time he trudged off the mound midway through the second.
After a homer from designated hitter David McCann, Watson struck again — this time, on the opposite side of the field. After North Carolina center fielder Kane Kepley knocked a three-RBI double to vacate the bases, he stole third to set up a possible fourth Tar Heel run.
But with two outs, Watson snagged the ball just
before Carolina second baseman Jackson Van De Brake’s shot could climb over the left-field wall. It sent a crowd of 2,581 — the largest at English Field in two seasons — into a frenzy.
“He just got back to a good spot, knowing that the ball was traveling to the left, and I think he found a wall that really allowed him to get up and go get it,” Elbin said. “And that was big, man. So there’s a momentum shifter, and yeah, that ball goes over. It’s a little different, but it was good to see him do that.”
Watson again shined, cranking a shot over the center-field wall to bring himself and Cooke around in the second. But the Tar Heels weren’t done yet, with Stevenson drilling a solo shot in the fourth and Van De Brake lifting a sacrifice fly in the seventh that brought them within two runs.
The two teams then exchanged runs, with Tackett and Carolina shortstop Alex Madera each adding RBI singles. Then, in the bottom of the eighth, Davis drilled a two-run homer that gave the Hokies a four-run lead that would hold the rest of the way. It also caused him to be ejected after a
boisterous celebration.
After Tackett’s home run in the first, the dugouts were warned when the center fielder flipped the bat and watched the ball exit the field. As such, Davis’ celebration was Tech’s second offense. But the theatrics didn’t end there.
Following Davis’ ejection, Szefc, Forbes and French were also tossed after the final out of the eighth, a French groundout.
In the ninth, Hokies reliever Grant Manning took care of business by striking out the side, doing so to the final batter after being down 3-0 in the count. The win snapped Tech’s four-game ACC losing streak.
The rubber match in this series comes on Sunday, April 20 at 1 p.m. After that, the Hokies will travel to Durham, N.C. to play Duke. The Blue Devils (28-14, 12-9) sit a spot above Tech in the Massey Ratings, slotting in at No. 34. The Hokies’ series against Duke begins on Friday, April 25 at 6 p.m.
LACROSSE DROPS REGULAR SEASON FINALE IN BLOWOUT LOSS TO NO. 7 VIRGINIA
Thomas Hughes | sports staff writer
The Hokies followed their highest-ranked win under Skiera with a loss to their in-state rival.
Four days after earning its highest-ranked win under head coach Kristen Skiera — a gritty 14–11 upset of then-No. 11 Syracuse — Virginia Tech lacrosse stumbled in its regular season finale, falling in a lopsided 19-9 loss to No. 7 Virginia on Wednesday.
ACC Network’s Dana Boyle summed up the Hokies’ offensive woes during Wednesday’s broadcast in one phrase: “one-way traffic.” Aside from attacker Sophia Trahan, who notched a pair of goals in the final frame, fellow attacker Lauren Render was the only other Hokie (9-8, 3-6 ACC) to tally a multi-goal outing. Render eclipsed the 50-goal mark on Wednesday, becoming the tenth Hokie to hit the single-season milestone.
Tech started strong, grabbing a 2-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Midfielder Mia Pozzi opened the scoring off a feed from Render, who tallied a goal of her own less than a minute later. However, that momentum quickly vanished. The Cavaliers (11-5, 5-4) responded with six uninterrupted goals to close the opening frame. Attacker Addi Foster ignited Virginia’s offense
with a pair of unassisted goals and midfielder Kate Galica added a pair of her own. Foster, a Charlottesville native and St. Anne’s-Belfield alumni, went to high school just three minutes from Virginia’s Klockner Stadium.
In familiar territory, Foster tallied four goals, but she wasn’t the only Cavalier to get hot against the Hokies; six of Virginia’s players put up multi-score outings. Galica was one of those six and she did her damage both from the eight-meter and from the draw. The midfielder tallied three goals and 17 draw controls, setting both the single-game and single-season program records.
While Galica was double-teamed often, she found spaces to dish it off to her teammates thanks to the Cavaliers’ zone offense, and the second quarter took the same tone for Virginia.
Attacker Madison Alaimo notched three of her game-high six assists in the frame, orchestrating a Cavalier offense that outscored the Hokies 5-1 in the period. Tech’s lone goal came from Render with just over a minute left, which stopped a 15-minute scoring drought for the Hokies.
Draw controls proved to be the biggest swing stat of the night. Virginia held a commanding 21–10 edge, repeatedly stealing momentum after Tech scores and stringing together multi-goal bursts.
The Hokies also committed 30 fouls — 11 in the second quarter alone — and went just 1-for-8 on free-position shots, compared to Virginia’s 5-for-8 mark. It was a night where small opportunities became big problems.
That was most evident in the third quarter when the Cavaliers pulled away with a dominant 7-1 frame. It was the antithesis of Virginia’s previous game, a match that it dropped to No. 2 Boston College (14-1, 7-1) on Saturday. The Cavaliers were cold, calculated and efficient, with all but five of their 29 shots being on goal.
In net, it just wasn’t keeper Aaliyah Jones’s day; the Stony Brook transfer, who entered Wednesday ranked No. 6 in the country in saves (145), finished with five stops and 16 goals allowed. Jones was briefly pulled in the third quarter for backup Jody Chu, but after Chu surrendered three goals in
under six minutes, Jones closed out the game. In the final frame, the Cavaliers held steady, riding their existing advantage en route to a 10-goal thrashing. The Hokies edged the final quarter 3-2, but the late surge came largely against Virginia’s reserves.
With the Commonwealth Clash in the rearview, a more personal challenge awaits. The Hokies will kick off the ACC Tournament as the eighth and final seed in the tourney, drawing top-ranked North Carolina (14-0, 8-0) — who features three former Hokies, including Olivia Vergano and Sarah Gresham, who transferred after last season — on Wednesday, April 23 at 11 a.m.
It’s a daunting draw for any team, let alone a Tech squad still chasing its first-ever win over North Carolina. The Hokies are 0-for-34 all-time against the Tar Heels. For now, Tech leaves Charlottesville humbled — and still searching for answers that have slipped through its grasp all season.