March 5, 2019
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AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Forward Ahmed Hill (13) attempts to dunk the ball on a fast break against Duke. The Hokies would upset the third ranked Blue Devils 77–72 at Cassel Coliseum, Feb. 26, 2019.
RENOVATION AT OWENS HALL SET TO BEGIN DURING SPRING BREAK
Associate Director for Dining Services Brian Grove assured that Owens will still be “open for business” during the construction. MACKENZIE WILLIAMS
news staff writer
Owens Food Cour t at Owens Hall is being remodeled for the first time since 1992. The renovation will provide a new layout for the food court while adding more items to the menu. According to Associate Director for Dining Services Brian Grove and Assistant Director for Owens Dining Center Lauren Snelson, construction is expected to start on March 9 and will extend into the summer. The tentative completion date will be shortly before the fall semester of 2019. However, Grove assured Owens will still be “open for business” during the construction. A majority of restaurants will still be available to students, including Sweet Temptations, Farms and Fields Project, the Garden, Philly City, Frank’s Deli and Freshens. Owens’ more
popular places like the Carvery, Bowl Dynasty, Lotsa Pasta, La Cantina and Flip’s will be temporarily closed. However, popular menu items such as General Tso’s orange chicken and Carvery’s mac-n-cheese will still be available for purchase as grab-n-go items. Grove said that Owens can still maintain services by keeping some shops like Philly City, Frank’s Deli, Sweet Temptations and Freshens open along with their grab-n-go menu for students’ convenience. Grove emphasizes that Owens will try to keep all of its popular menu items in it’s grab-n-go section. Other popular dishes like Lotsa Pasta chicken parmesan and La Cantina quesadillas will be available for pick up. Owens will mark the start of renovation with a construction wall from La Cantina to Carvery. The addition will close off
GABRIELA RIVERA / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Owens Food Court at Owens Hall, Feb. 27, 2019.
the functioning kitchen behind the serving stations and move equipment in front to allow customers to actually see their meal being cooked before them. This eye-to-dish concept helps
create an inclusive atmosphere shared by both cooks and customers. The project will also include aesthetic changes, such as new tile being placed along the wall.
According to Grove and Snelson, the highly anticipated project has been well-received among the dining administration and student focus groups. They hope their excitement will
spread across campus as this renovation will improve both the cosmetics and flavor options of the dining hall.
OWENS / page 3
Former professor found Magarity, Emery stand guilty of conspiring fraud out in senior night victory Yiheng Percival Zhang was a professor in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, but resigned due to charges in 2017. JULIA VAUGHN news contributer
Yiheng Percival Zhang, a former Virginia Tech biological systems engineering professor, was found guilty of conspiring to commit federal grant fraud, making false statements and obstruction on Feb. 26, 2019. The official charges against Zhang after his 2017 indictment were, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Virginia, “one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, three counts of making false statements within the jurisdiction of the United States, and three count of making false claims to the United States.” In November of 2017, Zhang was indicted for several felony charges due to his mismanagement and misuse of federal funding for his Blacksburg biotech business, Cell-Free Bioinnovations Inc. (CFB). Due to the financial potential of his research, the once lauded professor received funding from the
Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grant programs of the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. The situation reached its crucial point when an FBI special agent accused Zhang and CFB’s chief technology officer and principal investigator, Zhiguang Zhu, of breaching the grant funding regulations. The regulations require grant recipients to abide by the agreed upon purpose of the project, allocate shared funds with the institutions they are partnered with and be responsible for accurate budgeting. The charges resulted in Zhang’s resignation from his position as a professor and faculty member at Virginia Tech. Z h a n g ’s judicial proceedings were held in Roanoke federal court, presiding over by U.S. District Court Judge Michael Urbanski. The ex-professor received a bench trial, where instead of a jury, a judge is solely responsible in
determining the findings of the case. The managing assistant U. S. at tor ney, Ra ndy Ramseyer, was responsible for leading the prosecution of Zhang for the many charges brought against him, including conspiracy to defraud the government. Zhang and his attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, adamantly deny the charges brought against him and maintain his innoence. The decision took Justice Urbanski a predetermined seven-week per iod to conclude. According to The Roanoke Times, Urbanski remarked to lawyers about the delayed judgement, “I need to deliberate with myself.” A sentencing date has not been released yet.
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Regan Magarity finished with a double-double, combining with Taylor Emery for 37 points during their last home contest. DILLON CAMPBELL assistant sports editor
On the wo m e n’s basketball team’s Senior Day in Cassell Coliseum and its final game of the regular season, the Virginia Tech Hokies (18-10, 5-10), led by seniors Taylor Emery and Regan Maga r ity, exorcise the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (10-18, 1-14) 69–57, notching their sixth ACC win and securing the 10th seed in the ACC Tournament. “It’s always a special day when it’s Senior Day,” said Virginia Tech forward Regan Magarity. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of a team and a group that are very close, and for the seniors it’s a very special day. Being able to get a win definitely topped it off.” Despite leading for nearly the entirety of the first quarter, Virginia Tech surrendered the lead after an 8-0 Wake Forest run put the Demon Deacons up 25–22 with 7:04 left in the first half, a lead which they
would carry into the half. After shooting just a little over 37 percent in the opening half, the Hokies came out the locker rooms scorching hot, roaring out to a 10-0 run behind 4-4 shooting from the field and taking a 41–32 lead over Wake Forest, an advantage which they would not relinquish. The Hokies started 2-3 from beyond the arc, but finished the first half 3-15 from long range, including eight straight misses. However, Virginia Tech would get back on track as it went 6-6 from downtown in the fourth quarter. “We shot the ball horribly in the first half,” said Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks. “I think we were 3-15 from the three. We got good looks. We pretty much got the same looks that we got in the second half. We just knocked down a couple more.” Emery was electric in the opening quarter, dropping nine points, hitting everything from 3-pointers to
acrobatic layups as she got the Hokies’ offense rolling in a flow early. In spite of battling foul trouble in the second and third quarters, the Tampa Bay, Florida, native closed the game out with 10 points in the final quarter, ending the game with 20 points. “(She) has rewritten record books in two years,” Brooks said. “Not only has she really helped the foundation of our program grow on the court, but she’s done it off the court with the things she’s been able to accomplish, so I’m really proud of her.” Regan Magarity was absolutely sensational, nearly registering a doubledouble by halftime with 10 points and nine rebounds in the first half of action. The ACC’s top rebounder finished the game with 17 points and 15 rebounds on a remarkable 6-7 shooting from the field “It’s workman-like,” Brooks said. “It doesn’t even
SENIORS / page 4
Career Fair Guide STANDING OUT Sometimes, to get the upper hand at a job fair, you’ve got to go hard.
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WACKY JOBS Leave paper-pushing behind and design a skate park.
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