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May 7, 2019
COLLEGIATETIMES
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES
University Commencement Ceremony, May 11, 2018.
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Despite promises of safety and community, the university tolerates racism, sexism and bigotry, leaving minorities feeling unwelcome.
The Walkout for Survivors of Sexual Assault rally was in part a response to a Virginia Tech student’s experience with Title IX.
For my entire life, I just knew Virginia Tech was home,” junior Juan Pacheco described his family’s long history with Virginia Tech, stating that his mom and most of her sisters are all Hokies. “As long as I’ve had an understanding of words, I knew I was a Hokie and I knew I was going to go here.” It’s what brought him f rom Columbia, South Carolina, to study psychology with a minor in diversity and community engagement. “Ever y home ha s dysfunction,” Pacheco said, “but most homes don’t cause anxiety, worry, fear or an environment that is not conducive to growth.” It was during his freshman year that he realized that “This Is Home” doesn’t apply to a wide swath of Virginia Tech students, including himself. Pacheco described the moment during his freshman year in 2016, as the only Latino student on his hall, where someone posted a photo of Donald Trump on his door. He reminded me that the fall of 2016 was a scary time for minority students on campus, where a number of targeted attacks against ma rginalized students increased as the nation prepared for Trump to assume the Oval Office. Pacheco added, “I remember that students were being called slurs out of pickup trucks and I remember getting sexual assault email after sexual assault email.” “This Is Home,” the marketing ploy enticing students to come to Virginia
MACKENZIE WILLIAMS news staff writer
For marginalized groups, Community marches for Virginia Tech is not home sexual assault survivors
“
Tech, is a genius move. Many prospective college students are nervous about leaving the life they knew behind to begin a journey elsewhere without proximity to parents, longstanding friends and the comforts of the place they called home for years. The security of knowing that there is a home to be found here in the New River Valley is reassuring for many students. “Virginia Tech isn’t the place we all thought it was at one point,” Pacheco added. For an alarming number of us, we face experiences that bring the realization that this place is not, has never been, and will never feel like home for us. Twitter recently erupted with stories of women, racia l a nd rel igious minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities sharing experiences where they first realized that Virginia Tech was not home for them. Their stories were moving, heartbreaking and reaffirming. In all the emotions I felt reading these stories, after my four years here at Tech, surprise was certainly not among them. “It wouldn’t have been as devastating to me if Virginia Tech didn’t go out of its way to create the facade that it was a more accepting place than it is,” Pacheco said. Virginia Tech was founded as an all-male, all-military institution and holds firmly onto this tradition. Tech admitted its first female students in 1921 as civilians who were only permitted to take
day classes, meaning they did not live on campus. In 1964, enrollment in the Corps became optional and although the civilian population skyrocketed, the university remained predominantly male and predominantly white. As this remains true to this day, a lack of substantial change to the institution’s decision-making structures and the lackluster efforts to increase diversity without substantive initiatives to make the university more inclusive and supportive to its women, students of color, LGBTQ+ students, religious minorities and students with disabilities has reinforced the university’s role as a haven for some, but a constant struggle reinforced by consistently delivered traumas for others. Tech is proud to be the first predominantly white institution in the former Confederacy to admit black students. The university is also proud to host the first Corps of Cadets in the nation to admit women, even beating out the prestigious service academies. But the university only pays lip service to ideas of diversity and inclusion, and while many students feel comfortable calling this place home, others are quite uncomfortable simply crossing the street on the way to class based on how they look, worship, dress or otherwise present. Students from many different backgrounds spoke about being called racial slurs, homophobic HOME / page 2
Hundreds of students chanted “Title IX excuses crime” throughout Virginia Tech’s campus during the Walkout for Survivors Against Sexual Assault on April 30, where protestors asked for reform on sexual assault proceedings and new Title IX at Virginia Tech. Testimonies of sexual assault survivors — some of which were spoken about for the first time at the walkout — revealed students’ personal interaction with the Title IX office, Cook Counseling Center and other nearby resources. Students voiced concern over university tools and policies like Schiffert Health Center not being able to conduct a Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) exams. Rachel Bailey, a sophomo r e m aj o r i ng in
international business and applied economics and management, and a student advocate against sexual violence, noted that the walkout intended to raise students’ voices as a whole to further change the Title IX process at the rally. On April 23, Bailey tweeted, “Shoutout to Virginia Tech for finding my rapist not guilty and for putting me on deferred suspension for Self Defense. I’ve never been more disappointed to be a Hokie,” creating a viral message that gained the attention of Juan Pacheco, a junior majoring in psychology, and one of the co-organizers of the walkout. Pacheco acknowledged there was a “culmination of things” for the walkout taking place with Bailey’s tweet being the catalyst of the movement. According to the Virginia Tech Office for Equity and Accessibility, there were
214 reports of genderbased violence and sexual ha ra ssment i nvolvi ng students in the 2017-2018 academic year. Of the 214 reports filed, 83 incidents occurred on campus and 51 occurred specifically in residence halls. Gender-based harassments consisted of 70 reports while 88 reports were sexual assault. Predominant challenges victims face in finding their alleged assailant guilty is little or insufficient physical evidence during the trials. Additionally, many cases do not proceed following questioning based on the discretion of the Title IX Advisory Group arranged by the Title IX coordinator. These cases are referred to as inquiry-only resolutions which consist of the 23% of reports received in 20172018. Long durations of time and demanding hours WALKOUT / page 3
CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students, community members and Virginia Tech faculty march from War Memorial Chapel to the North End Center, April 30, 2019.
PAGE 2 May 7, 2019
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HOME: When Hokie Nation no longer seems like home from page 1
insults or worse. When I had originally read these stories, I was saddened, but grateful that I hadn’t experienced that kind of blatant vitriol lobbed out of a pickup truck — until it happened to me on Main Street four days later. Many people believe that racism disappeared in this country after segregation was outlawed in the 1960s, but that assertion is completely untrue. Many applaud Virginia Tech for being the first white college in the South to graduate a black student, Charlie Yates, in 1958. However, the story of Irving Peddrew, the university’s first black student admitted in 1953 who ultimately left after his third year, raises doubts about Tech’s lauded progressivity. Peddrew claimed that during his time at Tech in the 1950s, he felt psychologically isolated. Although that was 66 years ago and some progress may have been made since, his sentiments do still resonate with students today. “Here I was in a racist town in Southwest Virginia and for the first year I was by myself,” he recalled. He was not permitted to live on-campus and thus rented a room in town from a black woman. He couldn’t eat in the dining hall on campus. In town, he wasn’t allowed to hang out with white students at the soda fountain. Nevertheless, he told his hometown newspaper, the Daily Press, that he never ran into anyone on campus that he perceived as bigoted, was never called names and that no Tech student had “said anything ugly to him.” However, many minority students at Virginia Tech today cannot say that they came here and left unscathed by moments marked with racial epithets or outwa rd discr im ination. While Peddrew’s description of his time at Tech doesn’t sound like the stories of the Little Rock Nine, who had to be escorted to school by members of the U.S. National Guard through virulent crowds who literally spat at them, he ultimately left the university after his junior year. In December 2014, popular anonymous app Yik Yak hosted some incredibly racist and incendiary content targeting black students. In March 2017, more than 100 leaflets bearing swastikas were left scattered across the lawn of the Chabad Librescu Jewish Student Center. The leaflets were littered there during a Saturday afternoon worship service, where Jewish students ultimately found the hateful leaflets upon leaving the service. In Fall 2017, a self-described white supremacist TA thrusted Virginia Tech into national news after the university failed to take proper action in
response to the TA’s threats against student Tori Coan. After Coan sought to bring attention to the TA’s proud white supremacist and anti-semitic views, the TA posted Coan’s personal contact information on the internet, imploring his followers to “f*** her up” and “destroy her.” President Tim Sands, a fervent preacher of Tech’s Principles of Community, used his platform in response to that situation to affirm the Principles and defend free speech in the same breath. In response to the Jewish Student Center incident, Sands claimed that the university has the ability to take action through the student code of conduct and other principles that we live by which “have teeth in them.” However, the Principles of Community in practice are completely unenforceable; they are about as useful as a toothbrush in a surgical operating room during open-heart surgery. The university seemed more concer ned with
nothing for me. I felt we were treated badly and it was a very hard place to live.” Kelly detailed a targeted attack where a passenger in a vehicle on Drillfield Drive lobbed a brick at her, sped off, then got out of the car to chase her. She evaded her attackers by hiding behind a bush — for hours. Beyond the attacks from students, there were no allies in upper administration. Kelly discussed the moment when she was reprimanded by the Dean of Students, James Dean, in response to organizing Denim Day: “You have embarrassed our university throughout the state. I want to be very clear. You will never do this again.” She recalled in a recent interview with Joe Forte of Special Collections that many gay and lesbian students had similar experiences with targeted attacks and lack of support, though no one even felt comfortable speaking up. “There was no one to tell. No forms to fill out. You wouldn’t go to the police. You wouldn’t go to anyone
“Many students believe
that Blacksburg is this mountain paradise far removed from issues like rape culture, anti-semitism and racism. avoiding a lawsuit than protecting students’ safety on campus. It pains me to say that Coan wasn’t the only woman on campus who the university failed to protect. The black student experience wasn’t what began the discussion on Twitter. The discussion began after student Rachel Bailey tweeted: “shoutout to Virginia Tech for finding my rapist not guilty and for putting ME on deferred suspension for SELF DEFENSE. i’ve never been more disappointed to be a hokie.” Women were demonized when they first came to campus in the 1920s as day students. The 1922 edition of The Bugle includes a poem written by some of our very own Techmen and dare I say, it’s about as unseasoned as Owens Hall’s lauded chicken parmesan. The poem announces the arrival of women, claiming that they have “caused a wretched condition” and that women should be extradited or else they will “murder our very tradition.” We could only hope those 10 women would murder the tradition of misogyny, since Tech seemed to be roaring with it. “I was terrified, I felt hunted,” stated Virginia Tech alumna Nancy Kelly, one of the organizers of the original Denim Day in 1979. Reflecting on why she hadn’t returned to Blacksburg in nearly 40 years, Kelly stated: “Blacksburg held
”
because you would be subject to more (attacks).” The Title IX 2017-2018 Annual Report claims that the university has seen a 14% increase in reporting from the year prior. An increase in reporting shows that victims are more willing than before to seek support after their experiences with sexual and genderbased violence, though the university should be moving forward to aggressively reduce the number of actual cases of sexual violence and harassment to zero. The report states that the office received 214 reports last academic year, with 88 of them categorized as sexual assault. Of the 37 cases of misconduct referred by Title IX to the office for student conduct, 19 students were found to be responsible for conduct violations, 16 were found not responsible, and 4 cases from the 2017-2018 academic year were still pending in January 2019 — eight months after the end of the academic year. There were so many brave and incredible students at the Walk Out for Victims of Sexual Assault on April 30 who spoke about their incredibly dismaying experiences with the Title IX office after reporting their sexual assaults. It’s this culture of inactivity and inadequacy that excuses sexual assault and reinforces the many reasons 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses don’t come forward. To those students who are
Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times. All letters must include a name and phone number. Students 365 Squires Student Center must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include Blacksburg, VA, 24061 position and department. Other submissions must include city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.
ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES Rabbi Zvi Zwiebel (right) speaks with President Timothy Sands before the start of the solidarity event organized to confront the leaflets with swastikas drawn on them found over the weekend at the Chabad house, March 20, 2017.
told that coming forward will ruin the perpetrator’s life and future, as if their lives have no comparative value; to those students who are re-traumatized after proceedings drag out longer than a year; to the students who face their assailants on campus and know that they will one day graduate after committing the most heinous crimes: Tech is not home. Tech reinforces old structures and continues to fail its students. The institutional theory of political science attempts to define what is impossible by using the structure of the institution to explain its constraints and failures. Virginia Tech senior administration officials rely on the university’s limitations in order to tell students why they can’t make this university safer for them. Events like the Walk Out are a reminder that students and others have a voice that they are willing and ready to use, but so many of us have already been doing the hard work of trying to make change and our pleas for a better university fall on deaf ears, repeating the same tune without substantive action. “I miss being ignorant,” Pacheco said. “I miss being able to believe that my school was above all else. I remember when that was a core belief of mine. I knew that my school wasn’t 100% perfect, but I thought it was damn near close … I didn’t know how many times I was going to have my heart broken again before I finally realized that that can’t be a belief of mine anymore. “That’s what so many marginalized students have to go through. A lot of us are jealous of our peers, we want
to be able to be ignorant, we want to be able to go out and have a good time (without the added pressures caused by marginalized identities),” Pacheco said. Ma ny bel ieve t hat Blacksburg is this mountain paradise far removed from issues like rape culture, anti-semitism and racism. However, biased incidents happen here too. For many students outside of the marginalized community, witnessing these moments shatters their perceptions of what this place is and who is welcome here and who is not. While students in the majority may dismiss these concerns, instances of sexual assault, racial profiling, religious bias and lack of accommodation for students with disabilities significantly impact students’ mental well-being and introduce significant barriers to graduation. “Making your support system other students that go through the same thing so much to the point that they themselves have burnout or forcing an abysmal amount of minority faculty to respond to the problems of hundreds of students is woefully inadequate,” Pacheco said. The university “(forces) a small amount of people to existentialize off of the byproducts of white supremacy. “Where you create a pseudo-culture where anything remotely (negative) said about Virginia Tech hurts people to the point that their whole core belief is off, they get so angry.” Nothing is worth loving beyond critique, and many people are blind to the problems faced by students here. “I felt the same way once, but I didn’t have the
pleasure of being able to fight it because of what I experienced,” Pacheco said. But many students will never have the pleasure of shaking the feeling of isolation they experience while here in the valley. “It doesn’t feel like home for me because to me it’s hard not to feel isolated at Tech,” Wall said. “Home is not what I would call it, it’s just a place for my degree,” Wall said. Virginia Tech students deserve a university that intentionally strives to create a place where all students are welcome, accepted and celebrated. That’s a process that starts before students get here on campus and it doesn’t end. Invoking a quote from Virginia Tech alumnus George Spurlock first published in The Virginia Tech (the Collegiate Times’ former name): “I’m proud of my Blackness and the sooner you understand what it means, the better established we will both be.” Wall implores the university, especially the student body, to do better to reach a point of understanding with students across varied experiences, “think about how we can make it home for everybody else.” Pacheco recalled a conversation with Kimberly Williams, assistant director of the Black Cultural Center: “This is your valley too.”
JARRODD DAVIS • opinions columnist • senior, public and urban affairs
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WALKOUT: Students demand Title IX reforms at Tech
from page 1
required for dealing with cases of sexual violence drain alleged victims. Many of them take months before a resolution is reached. “We can’t be desensitized to this because the more we become desensitized the more the epidemic is going to spread silently,” Pacheco said. A paper trail marked the walkout’s path exposing campus-wide emails of reported sexual assault. Students began the march from War Memorial Chapel and concluded at North End Center where the Office for Equity and Accessibility, which houses the Title IX
programs, is located. A list of demands were directed toward the Title IX office on behalf of Pacheco and his co-organizer Sabrina Ahmad, a sophomore majoring in psychology and neuroscience. These demands included eliminating all pu n ish ment, d r i n k i ng education courses and reflective essays for individuals reporting a sexual assault; providing Title IX faculty and staff with better training; conducting an independent investigative review of Title IX and Student Conduct; publishing said independent investigative reviews; holding a sexual assault education information session for
all incoming freshman at summer orientation; and denying of delay of case hearings for later times. Virginia Tech President Tim Sands made a statement that read, “while we are making progress in some areas, we continue to be concerned that only a small fraction of sexual assault cases are reported, and the maze of regulations and legal restrictions is becoming more complicated and difficult for survivors to navigate.”
@CollegiateTimes
TROY CLARK / COLLEGIATE TIMES Sabrina Ahmad shakes the hand of Kelly Oaks, vice president for equity and accessibility at Virginia Tech, as Virginia Tech Chief of Police Kevin Foust looks on. The march gathered in front of North End Center to deliver the list demands, April 30, 2019.
CAT PIPER / COLLEGIATE TIMES Protestors gather outside of the North End Center after walking from War Memorial Chapel, April 30, 2019.
ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES Juan Pacheco leads the march around the academic side of campus as they make their way to North End Center, April 30, 2019.
PAGE 4 May 7, 2019
editor@collegiatetimes.com
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CT SENIORS BID FAREWELL In our final issue of the 2018–19 school year, the seniors of the Collegiate Times say their final goodbye to Virginia Tech and the newspaper. MEG CONNORS social media editor
MEG CONNORS
I’ll never forget the first time I ever saw the Collegiate Times newsroom. Being a freshman at Virginia Tech can undoubtedly be intimidating at first before you find your place among all of the other people clad in maroon and orange. On a mission to find my place, I walked past the newsroom one evening early in the fall of 2015 after attending an interest meeting for another organization. As I looked into the newsroom, I was instantly hooked. The energy that was pulsing throughout the room was invigorating, and I could tell from a quick glance that important work was happening there. I had to become part of it. I came to Tech without absolutely any experience in journalism or any plans to become involved with the student newspaper. After trying out a section meeting, my friend Jessica Brady (who is now the outgoing editor in chief) got in touch with Melissa, who was copy editor at the time, and we began learning how to edit stories. A month or two later, and we were settling in as assistant copy editors. No one knew either my name or Jessica’s name for months, but once people beyond Melissa began to address us by name, it started to feel like home. Which leads me to my first piece of advice: Always learn people’s names. As I continued going to production (which is when we make the paper), I learned more and more about copy editing and how newspapers function, and attribute so much of what I know now to the people who took the time to teach me everything. One of my absolute favorite things about the Collegiate Times is that you can join without essentially any experience, and if you work hard and have good mentors, you can grow so much. Lewis Millholland, who was news editor at the time and eventually became managing editor, especially cared about mentoring people in the newsroom, and I can thank him for being one of the most influential mentors I’ve ever had. Which brings me to my next piece of advice: If you know stuff, teach it to other people. If you don’t know stuff, ask knowledgeable people to teach it to you. As people began to get to know Jessica and me more in the newsroom and learned our names, we started getting invited to some of the CT’s social gatherings, where we eventually became good friends with other editors. So here’s another piece of advice: If your organization has social events, go to them. If your organization doesn’t have social events, you should organize some. Bonding with your team is not only essential for feeling like a part of the organization but also for succeeding as a team.
social media editor
Over the years, I got to play roles beyond assistant copy editor including copy editor, managing editor and social media editor. But I know that I never could have been capable of succeeding in any of the roles without learning people’s names, having good mentors and mentoring others, and bonding with my coworkers outside of the office. Now that I’ve shared some advice that absolutely no one asked for, I want to thank some of the people at the Collegiate Times who taught me important lessons over the years, in the hopes that maybe some of these lessons can help you, the reader, too. Jessica Brady taught me that if you try, you can truly make the best out of any situation — and even face better outcomes than you ever anticipated. She also taught me that fostering a fun work environment is not only a good time but also a powerful way to produce great work. Melissa Fairfax taught me the beast that is AP style and the importance of making the newsroom a place for everyone. Zack Wajsgras taught me how to defend my decisions, which is an exceptionally important skill in both the CT newsroom and the real world. Andrea Pappas taught me that quieter leadership is oftentimes more effective. Matt Jones taught me some important skills, but perhaps the single most important was how to download Google fonts and upload them to Microsoft. My resume has looked so much better since. L ewis M i l l hol la nd also taught me a lot, but most of all, he taught me that someone is always check ing your work after you, so you should really try to not make any mistakes. Sam Smith and Katelyn Meade taught me the importance of being a sister to the other ladies in the newsroom. Izzy Rossi and Emily Hannah later carried this on, and the newsroom is better because of it. Sajanee Chithranjan taught me the value of investing your time in cross-disciplinary work. John Battiston taught me that taking an extra minute to be kind is always worth it. Anna Davis taught me to seek the hidden creativity that exists in every job. And Ashley Long, the incoming editor in chief, taught me that being 100% committed to all that you do is the quickest, most sure-fire way to succeed. Ashley, you’re going to do an amazing job next year with Izzy and Emily. So many other people have taught me so much over the years, and looking back at my time at the Collegiate Times, I can’t believe that such a formative part of my life was dependent on the mere fact that I happened to walk past the newsroom during production. Which brings me to one
ALEX NAGELI / COLLEGIATE TIMES Meg Connors is a graduating senior at Tech. She joined the Collegiate Times as a freshman, and has held roles including assistant copy editor, copy editor, managing editor and social media editor, April 27, 2019.
last piece of unsolicited advice: embrace serendipity. Stumbling upon the Collegiate Times that
warm August evening is without a doubt one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
@Meg_Connors7
H O W D O YO U
HOKIE There are infinite ways to ExperienceVT, and your journey from orientation to graduation is uniquely your own.
We’re here to help you: Ask questions Discover your passions Build relationships Take chances Give back To make the most of your years at Virginia Tech visit: students.vt.edu/experiencevt
editor@collegiatetimes.com
SAJANEE CHITHRANJAN design editor
2,534,400 minutes. That’s how much time has elapsed since I first stepped foot at Virginia Tech four years ago. Out of that time 40,320 minutes have been spent in Squires 365. Over the past two years the Collegiate Times has become a significant part of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Most of you probably don’t know who I am since this is my first time as a writer for the newspaper. Instead, I have had the privilege to serve as design editor for the Collegiate Times for the past two years, dedicating my time and energy to produce the best print paper possible every week. It’s hard to imagine my college career without being a part of the CT. During my first two years at Tech I always felt something was missing, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Luckily, my best friend, current Editor in Chief Jessica Brady, reached out to me before my junior year asking if I would be interested in joining the staff as a design editor. I applied, interviewed and was given the position. I came in that Sunday before school started, for production, and I was so overwhelmed. Thankfully, I had my Co-Design Editor Ashley Long, who made the first few weeks feel less daunting. I quickly got to know the rest of the staff and began to look forward to Sunday
SAJANEE CHITHRANJAN design editor
May 7, 2019 PAGE 5
collegiatetimes.com productions. The CT has not only helped me find another home at Virginia Tech, but has also made me feel like I am a part of something bigger than myself. As a person who works for a newspaper, I see firsthand how student journalism is dwindling across the country as people find their news sources from social media. I am so grateful and honored to have played a role in keeping a part of history alive. CT has also helped me find voice on our campus by participating in rallies to fight for change. Recently, I joined hundreds of students this past Tuesday to demand changes be made to Virginia Tech’s Title IX policy. It was empowering to see so many familiar faces taking a stand for what we believe in. I have made some of my fondest memories at Virginia Tech in this room and as I sit in the infamous Mill Mountain coffee shop trying to put my thoughts to paper, I find it hard to sum up my time with the Collegiate Times. With time slipping through my fingers, I cannot believe in just a couple of days I will be graduating from a place I called home for four years. From blasting ABBA in the newsroom to making lip dub videos, I love our quirky nerdy family. I have always said that even though we are all different in our own ways, we all hold ourselves to extremely high standards, which is why we are all so passionate about what we do. Every time I have entered that room I have learned something new,
whether it was a sportsball fact or some random fact about Virginia Tech. I have grown and become a better person knowing each and everyone of you. I now want to take the time to thank some of the people I have met during my times at the Collegiate Times. Jess, 10 years of friendship later and I am glad you brought me to the CT two years ago. You have been a fantastic editor in chief and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish at William & Mary next year. Ashley, thanks for being my car buddy for the past two years back to NOVA. Your love for the CT and drive are going to make you go so far in life. Meg Connors, you are the sweetest human on this planet and never fail to brighten my day when you walk into the newsroom. Can’t wait to see you running the next presidential campaign (mark my words). C el i n a, you h ave impressed me so much this past year. Joining the CT as a freshman is no small feat. If I give one piece of advice, it is to enjoy your time here and make every second count. Roberto, I am glad I had you so we can obsess over Nike shoes. Thank you for countless ABP and Burger 37 meals. Looking forward to your reign as design editor and become a fearless leader. Emily Hannah, I am still looking forward to our knitting session and I will miss gassing each other up and your airpods. Izzy Rossi, your Spotify
COURTESY OF LAURA NICAISE Sajanee Chithranjan is a graduating senior at Tech. She joined the Collegiate Times as a junior and has been design editor for the past two years.
playlists give me life and thank you for loving Wes Anderson as much as I do. Among the current staff, I’d like to thank incoming Design Editors Roberto and Celina. I look forward to see where you take the newspaper and I am sure you will not need your fearless leader next year. Ashley, your passion for the CT shows and I can’t wait to see all you accomplish as
editor in chief next year. To all the new editors, y’all got this, and make sure you write long headlines! I am sad to give up my position as design editor but I know I have left it in even better hands. Squires 365, you will be missed greatly.
@Sajmahalll
study break MEET THE CT Ashley Long incoming editor in chief
FOR RELEASE MAY 7, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Part of an urban fleet 4 Recipe amt. 8 Eva of “Green Acres” 13 Tire filler 14 Part of a Basque ball game name 15 Deli counter staple 16 *Privates’ training site 18 Very cold 19 Soothing succulent 20 Forever, it seems 22 Aptly named autopilot in “Airplane!” 23 Similar to 24 Oscar winner Winslet of “The Reader” 25 Chum 26 Fourth quarter mo. 28 Big brass 30 MPG-testing org. 33 Surprise attack 36 “__ Brockovich” 37 Swindle 38 Framed in the darkroom for artistic effect 40 Nearly obsolete golf club 42 Word after trail or party 43 On the rocks 45 Diamond-shaped pattern 46 “Outta here!” PC key 47 Kitchen gadget brand 48 Campaigned 49 Throw in 51 Courtroom fig. 53 Santa Anita data 57 Prefix for half of Earth 59 Acid used in cooking oil 60 Hilarious routine 61 Removed the pull tab from 63 Apparent setting for a two-letter comic strip suggested by the answers to starred clues 65 Calm 66 Ye __ Shoppe
5/7/19
By Mark McClain
67 Hoops net holder 68 Mail-order pioneer 69 Have to have 70 “I did it!” DOWN 1 Conspiratorial group 2 Garlicky sauce 3 Trout’s home 4 Tic-__-toe 5 *Unlimited budget, figuratively 6 Popular Girl Scout cookie 7 Lab tube 8 Narrow, bony fish 9 Metal industry giant 10 *Uris WWII novel 11 Drop from a list 12 Puerto __ 15 Down in the dumps 17 Prepared to drive, in golf 21 Prefix with surgery 25 Bakery-café chain 27 Spotted 29 *System with only ones and zeros
Monday’s Solved PreviousPuzzle Puzzle Solved
HEATHER TROBRIDGE / COLLEGIATE TIMES
Ashley Long walking back to the newsroom after ordering dumplings at the International Street Fair, April 28, 2019.
Who is the fourth person on your missed calls? A spam number from Radford.
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If you could make up your own byline, what would it be? Ashley Long, redhead with an obsession for Diet Coke and true crime. That’d be my official byline. What is your biggest pet peeve? Oh my God. My biggest pet peeve is when people say things incorrectly. When they say “plus four to seven, minus six from five.” You don’t minus anything, you subtract. Also, when people try to pronounce “nuclear” and they say “nuculer.” People need to sharpen up.
If you could have your own sitcom, what would it be called? “Going Nowhere Fast.” My mom got me a shirt that says that because in my family, I am the slowest to do anything. Getting out of the car, that’s the number one thing. I don’t know why I’m so slow at that but I am.
What Harry Potter house are you in? I took the quiz. I got the main one, what is that? Gryffindor.
@AshleyEL26
PAGE 6 May 7, 2019
captions, but never an article. I always intended to write as well as shoot, but somehow never found the time. So, welcome to my first and last story in the Collegiate Times. I joined the Collegiate Times when I was a sophomore and looking to make
friends and find a creative outlet from all the math in my life — a hazard of being a physics major. I had always liked photography and had turned into a news junkie in the past year, so the photo section seemed like a perfect fit. Armahn Rassuli, then the
MIKE LIU KAILA NATHANIEL photo editor
I have been part of the Collegiate Times for three years and have never written a single article. How is that possible? I’m the photo editor. I’ve written plenty of photo
JOHN BATTISTON
AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES Outgoing photo editor Kaila Nathaniel. Kaila is a graduating senior in physics and has been with the CT for three years, April 21, 2019.
lifestyles editor
JOHN BATTISTON lifestyles editor
Switching my major two years into college meant essentially starting over. Most of the 30-plus credits I had earned toward an architecture degree would, thankfully, still count as electives, but if I wanted to graduate on time with a bachelors in multimedia journalism, I had to get serious. And, in part, getting serious meant creating a name for myself as a journalist. But my story with the Collegiate Times is not really about taking the steps necessary to get me up-tospeed in my new career path. Rather, it’s about finding the beautiful family I never knew I had in an unexpected place. I felt like a complete fish out of water the first time I attended Sunday production as assistant lifestyles editor under the wonderful Katelyn Meade. Many of the people in the newsroom had been involved with the CT for nearly as long as they’d been at Virginia Tech, and I only knew one person on editorial
staff: Matt Jones, editor in chief at the time. I was worried that I had jumped into my commitment to the CT far too quickly — I had no prior experience editing for a student-run publication, much less writing for one — and felt that I would struggle to prove myself, be taken seriously and make friends. The Collegiate Times proved me triply wrong. When you’re part of something as big and diverse as the Collegiate Times, you find something in common with — or at the very least, something to love about — just about everyone. Before long, I felt more accepted and at home than I expected I would, and found myself laughing, relating and bonding with just about everyone on staff over something. During the next two years, I would grow close to Mike and Meg over our struggles in Dr. Hopkins’ comm law class; with Izzy over Donald Glover and our predictions about the next Marvel movie; with Neha and Ashley over “New Girl”; with Emily
Mike Liu, outgoing news editor, Oct. 1, 2017.
AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES
course, quitting the CT would have made my life easier, but that would make me a coward. If Jessica Brady can do it, I can do it too. Jessica will be attending William & Mary Law School in the fall. She also did an amazing job as the editor in chief for the CT. I will be attending Wake Forest Law School in the fall. The challenge did not kill us. It only gave us the right to hold our heads up and tell ourselves that we are amazing. The same goes for the rest of the members at the CT. We struggled. We cried. We
doubted ourselves, but at the end of the day, we laughed. There were so many memorable moments that made us stronger. We covered the David Eisenhauer trial. We hosted the Senate Forum. We published the Title IX article. We did all we could to make the paper great and I am honored to be part of the CT. I am honored to sit in that small newsroom and struggle with headlines. I am honored to laugh with all the other editors. Because I would never be the same without the CT. Whenever you are down or
photo editor, showed me the ropes and off I went to cover protests, concerts, lectures and more. I liked taking pictures and never thought I’d take a leadership role — it seemed like a lot of time and work. However, by fall I was the head editor of the photo section and loving it. The Collegiate Times has given me incredible opportunities I could never have found elsewhere. I’ve shot concerts in the pit in Burruss, laid between the lines of cadets jumping to Enter Sandman on gameday and covered Virginia gubernatorial candidates. I’ve spent two years with my Sundays in the newsroom, putting together a paper between ABP runs with my fellow editors. This paper is only possible because of the people that love it and believe in it, and it has been an honor to work with the photojournalists at this paper. From Tahreem Alam, who has been successfully balancing working in both news and photo since 2017, to Ahmed Mustafa, who spends countless weekends driving all over the East Coast to cover
football and basketball away games, their drive and determination know no bounds. I would not have been able to run this section without my fellow editor, Anthony Wu, who has saved me in so many ways over the past year and a half, including when I was away for nearly three weeks total for graduate school visits. The Collegiate Times has been one of the biggest parts of my college experience, and I will never forget the people that made it home. While I am sad to leave the Collegiate Times, the photo section will be left in the capable hands of Alex Nageli and Ethan Candelario, who I have watched grow from newsroom newbies to some of the most dedicated people I know. I can’t wait to see what the next year holds for the Collegiate Times and my beloved photo section, but I already know it will be brilliant.
sad, just laugh. That’s another lesson the CT taught me. There are always haters out there. There are always going to be people who dislike you. There are always going to be people who are jealous of your accomplishments. But you don’t have to prove anything to them. This is your life and you should not go out of your way to entertain others. Don’t be mad or sad, just laugh at their hurtful words, because then they will know they cannot break you. @Zelia_Liu
KAILA NATHANIEL
I joined the Collegiate Times (CT) during the first month of my freshman year. I started as a news writer. I became a news reporter during my sophomore year. I picked up the Student Government Association (SGA) beat when I was a junior. Then I was promoted to assistant news editor the second semester of my junior year. Finally, I became the news editor my senior year. I never thought that CT would be such a big part of my college life. Honestly, I thought about quitting more than once. I wanted to quit when the old news editor Lewis Millholland was promoted to managing editor and was no longer in charge of the news section. I wanted to quit when I found out that all of the writers that joined with me during freshman year quit. I wanted to quit when I applied for the assistant news editor position and someone who had less experience than me got the job instead of me. I wanted to quit when my good friend Aly De Angelus decided to leave the CT. There were so many moments that I thought quitting CT would be a better thing for my life, but I am glad I didn’t because I would never be the same person if I didn’t stay.
Never take the easy route. That is the most important lesson I learned with the CT. Don’t make your life easy because it’s not supposed to be easy. The easy route is always going to be crowded because everyone likes it. Take the hard route. Face the challenges. Make your life harder. Do something to push yourself to the edge because the challenges will only make your stronger. Don’t rush it. Take it slow. You will get there. CT is never just a student newspaper. It is an experience. It is a group of students that, for some reason, think it’s a good idea to spend a large amount of time every week just to keep people informed. CT is a group of passionate people that would change your mindset and make you want to become a better person. I was preparing for the LSAT during the first semester of my senior year. I had just become the only news editor because the person who was supposed to become co-editor with me got promoted to the managing editor position. I thought about quitting because I felt overwhelmed, but then there was Jessica Brady, the editor in chief at the time. She was also preparing for the LSAT and her responsibility as the editor in chief for the CT is much greater than mine. Of
MIKE LIU
news editor
news editor
editor@collegiatetimes.com
collegiatetimes.com
@SpaceKaila
photo editor
COURTESY OF ADAM URBINA John Battiston is a graduating senior at Tech. He joined the Collegiate Times as a sophomore and has held roles including assistant lifestyles editor and lifestyles editor, May 4, 2019.
during belly-laugh-filled headline writing sessions; with Justin and Robby over a love for movies; and with Jess over being the dads of our respective relationships. And for all of those little joys I’ve gotten to share with the rest of staff, above all I appreciate the one huge joy
we share as a CT family: a love for telling stories, for sharing ideas and for the Hokie community. My time with and love for the Collegiate Times has even led me to pursue a postgraduate career as a newspaper reporter, so that ought to say something. I am a better man, journalist
and friend because of my time as your lifestyles editor. God bless the Collegiate Times, God bless Virginia Tech, and God bless Ot Prosim.
@JB3writes
editor@collegiatetimes.com
collegiatetimes.com
May 7, 2019 PAGE 7
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editor@collegiatetimes.com
collegiatetimes.com JESSICA BRADY editor in chief
JESSICA BRADY
I have been part of the Collegiate Times for four years. I’m not sure that the reality has even set in yet that it’s actually over. I started at the CT as an assistant copy editor. The newsroom looked different then. It was full of different faces, and the furniture was organized differently. But no matter how the landscape has changed, my feelings about the CT have remained the same. St udent jou r na l ism is important. It provides training for students before they enter the field. I can honestly say, and I am sure that many people on the staff would agree with me, that being a part of the Collegiate Times has taught me more than my classes ever have been able to. So many important skills — problem solving, critical thinking, ethical decision m a k i n g, l e a d e r s h i p, teamwork — can only be learned through experience. I f you k now me personally, you know I am a very sensitive person. Sure, I am tough. I’m not afraid to stand up for myself, and I am outspoken, but I also take things very personally. That has been the hardest part of being editor in chief — balancing being in charge with a strong desire to be liked. My skin has thickened a good few inches over the last year. Someone once tweeted at me “Do your job,” and people have called for my resignation. That’s been really hard to deal with — especially if it’s over an opinion piece with which I didn’t even agree. I once called my dad crying about an opinion piece that I hated, but still felt it was my duty to publish it. He said, “You’re a better paper for publishing it.” And he is right. At the Collegiate Times, we want to be your source of Virginia Tech and Blacksburg news. That means that our opinion section also reflects the diversity of views held by the student body. Diversity is a good thing, even if it makes you angry. It can be really hard to read something with which you wholeheartedly disagree. But the fact of the matter is that those views are not only out there, but held by your classmates. Read ideas with which you disagree because they can help you understand the other side of the discussion, can lead to productive conversations and can strengthen or change your views. As student journalists, we make mistakes. There’s no way around that. We haven’t been working in the field for 20 years; we don’t always know what the right thing to do is, but we try our best to write the truth and act ethically. Even still, student journalists can make powerful and meaningful contributions to the community. Over the past four years, my friends at the paper have constantly impressed me with the detail and depth of their reporting. T he work of t he Collegiate Times depends also on its readers. Student journalism needs your support. Read articles. Pick up the print paper. Share stories. Engage with the content. (Nicely) let the paper know if there is a mistake. Write letters to the editor. I have been so inspired
editor in chief
ALEX NAGELI / COLLEGIATE TIMES Jessica Brady, editor in chief of the Collegiate Times, sits at her desk in the newsroom, April 27, 2019.
and impressed by Virginia Tech students’ passion for improving Title IX at Virginia Tech. At the walkout, I was moved by the stories I heard and people I saw. Do not let your passion diminish until you see the changes you want to see. Do not forget that the CT can be an avenue for having your voice heard. I am so grateful to the CT for so many reasons, and one of them is that I have learned so much about Virginia Tech and Blacksburg and heard so many of the community’s stories. I am also grateful to the CT for all of the wonderful people I have met. It has been so amazing working with the many intelligent, funny and kind people that I am lucky enough to call some of my best friends. One of the best parts of being part of the staff is working with people who are fun, but who also care about what’s going on in the world. Just last night we discussed higher education in the United States over margs at El Rod’s. As I already mentioned, I joined the CT as a freshman. I joined with my friend Meg Connors. Meg, it has been amazing and humbling to work by your side these last four years. You are going to kill the game next year and I am so excited to see all that you do and accomplish. I know that we are friends for life. Going through this phase with you has been such a pleasure, and I am so excited for us to take on the next phase of our lives together. Melissa Fa i r fa x, Zack Wajsgras, Lewis Millholland and Andrea Pappas, I wouldn’t have loved the CT so deeply if it weren’t for encouragement and kindness in welcoming me to the newsroom. You all taught me so much and got me to drink the journalism Kool-Aid. Sam Smith, you are the perfect combination of fun and intelligence. I am so grateful for our continued friendship and so glad that the CT brought us together. I look up to you so much and we always have a blast together. Let’s brunch soon. Katelyn Meade, I don’t know what I would do without you. I still remember the first time that we met. I went home and told Meg, “I just met a really cool person named Katelyn.” Little did I know that many wine and cheese nights later, we would be friends forever. I can’t wait to see you soon.
Sajanee Chithranjan, I am so glad you joined the CT. As many people know, Saj and I went to middle and high school together and were and are very close. It has been so wonderful to share this passion with you throughout our time at Tech. Mike Liu, I have loved going through the law school application process with you. We have had ups and downs, but I always knew that if I came to the newsroom, we could talk it over. Sharing the last four years in the newsroom with you has been so fantastic. John Battiston, you bring such a light to the newsroom. Your puns, kindness, and inclusivity, make the newsroom a better
place. You are going to do so awesome next year in the real world. Emily Hannah, your positivity and happiness are so contagious. I am so glad we have been able to work together over the last year. I am so excited to see where you help lead the CT next year. Izzy Rossi, getting to know you over the last few years has been such a blast. We share so many interests in common, and it has been so fun sharing that in the newsroom. You are so sweet and newsy, and I know that when you graduate, you are going to take the journalism world by storm. Ashley Long, I am not nervous at all about leaving the CT in your hands. You
work so hard and care so much. I am so excited to follow along next year — I know you have great things planned. I am also lucky enough to call you one of my best friends. To everyone I have worked with on the staff, you all impress me so much, and I cherish each of our relationships. Join the CT. You will be part of some of the most important conversations on campus and will also meet some of the best people in the world.
@TheJessicaBrady
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JUSTIN REDMAN
assistant opinions editor
A friend once told me that I pee more than anyone he’s ever known, but that’s just because I like to stay hydrated — taking frequent trips to the bathroom is a small price to pay. Maybe that’s why I have so much energy and he’s always tired verging on grumpy, though perhaps we’ll never know for sure. There’s something uniquely refreshing about a public fountain, even if I can’t pinpoint a reason why. But if it tastes good, it’s probably best not to overthink it. One day at the water fountain, I bumped into Matt Jones, who was then the CT’s editor in chief. During our beginningof-the-year hall meeting, he said that if there were any aspiring writers and journalists in the room, we should let him know. I hadn’t to that point, though — Matt was an interesting kind of guy. I can’t say he was unapproachable, but he was wired differently. He seemed like one of those people who had it all figured out, who was mature beyond his years. I wasn’t on his level — at least not yet. Though everyone — even those on a higher plane — drinks from the water fountain; water is essential, after all. But since we were both there, I figured that if I wanted to join the CT, it was now or never. We got to talking about my background, the paper and what sections I was interested in — opinions, I told him, partially because my mom told me it’d be a good fit — apparently, I have a lot to say — but mostly because I couldn’t make the other meeting times. After talking a little bit more, I gave him my email and joined on the spot. The first few meetings were dry — no one really knew each other. The editor, Neha, who has since become a dear friend of mine, even seemed a bit … intimidating — to this day she’s given me grief for thinking that. It took awhile for everyone to gel, but eventually we became great friends — our section meetings became a highlight of my weeks. Often, we’d finish pitching our stories in the first 10 minutes, and let the conversation spin off into oblivion for the remainder of our time together. Whether it be placing moneyline bets on the presidential candidates or talking about Donya’s crazy friends,
JUSTIN REDMAN opinions editor
editor@collegiatetimes.com
collegiatetimes.com nothing was off limits and everything was welcomed. Some people merely came and went, but for those of us who stayed, the section was like an amazing, tight-knit, slightly dysfunctional family. In other words, even if it wasn’t “perfect,” it was still perfect. When I finally became an editor, I fell right into the role — I was editing pieces left and right. I even handled Triple Ds — our weekly progress editors meeting — alone, when I didn’t even know what the “Ds” stood for — they’re done, doing and difficulties, for reference. I enjoyed being busy, though. I loved the grind. At this year’s interest meeting, Neha — quite the introvert — made me pitch our section to the 50-some people in attendance. I don’t remember my exact words, but I think they went something like this: “If you join the opinions section, and I hope you do, you’ll be able to spread your creative wings. As a columnist, you have more agency over your writing than anyone else on the staff. You can push boundaries, play around with different styles and, most importantly, just write, without constraints.” It probably wasn’t that eloquent — Neha gave me very short notice — but you get the idea. Afterward, I talked to many of the people in attendance, telling them how fun our section was and pleading with them to join us — I must’ve spoken to at least 30 people one-on-one. At our next meeting, it felt like nearly all of them showed up, ready to write something new and unique, just like I said they would. I remember sitting with Neha in front of everyone looking back at us and thinking, “Wow, this is going to be a great year.” But there were times where — even when we produced great content — we felt like we had targets on our backs. If people were angry at the CT, it was often because of the opinions section, and because we had the most content freedom, we also had the most room to change. If the paper was having trouble, we were often singled out. Just a few weeks ago, we had a meeting to discuss how to better the paper next year, and sure enough, opinion content was brought up. That feeling wears on you, to put it lightly — especially when we’ve been so committed to our columnists, pushing them to write on topics they’re
COURTESY OF JUSTIN REDMAN Justin Redman is a graduating senior at Tech. He joined the Collegiate Times as a sophomore and became assistant opinions editor his junior year, May 5, 2019.
most passionate about. Our section, where writers were meant to be rulebreakers, didn’t always feel that free. When I first came up with the idea for this piece, I wasn’t sure how I’d pen my experience. There were times when I thought I’d write a love letter to student journalism. Other times I thought I might be more critical toward the organization. I even considered writing about my time at the CT as a breakfast food analogy — a Waffle House cheesesteak melt and peppered hash browns, to be exact. I cycled through so many ideas, because there was so much to say — both good and bad. Getting to the heart of my time here was no easy feat. Towards the end of April, we had our end-of-the-year celebration, where all the seniors received their paper plate awards and gave final speeches in front of the staff. As I listened to everyone speak, I remembered my first Sunday production as an editor. I woke up to my phone ringing and saw a number I didn’t recognize — it was Jess, our current editor in chief, congratulating me on my new editorial position, and asking me to come into the newsroom in 45 minutes. My March for Our Lives piece was going in print that week, and for my first taste of CT production, Jess wanted me to have some input on the final cut. When I arrived, I quietly walked past everyone and found a seat close to the back of the room, not knowing when I should introduce myself, let alone assert myself — I barely knew anyone there. Then, perhaps sensing I wasn’t at ease, Jess came up to
me to see if I was alright. From that point on, even if I didn’t always enjoy being in the newsroom, I was comfortable there. I loved the people, even if I didn’t always like working with them. In that moment, watching my friends give their goodbye speeches, I realized that when you work with people, and you spend most of your time with them, it’s easy to take them for granted. To sum it all up: I’ve fallen in love with the CT these past two years, but love isn’t always easy. There are trials and tribulations. It’s never perfect, no matter how bad you want it to be. It’s complicated, but that’s okay — life is always complicated. Parting “Shots” I remember when I watched the “Uncle Drew” Pepsi commercials for the first time, I related to them on an almost-spiritual level — beyond just my love for basketball. “I’m telling y’all,” Drew said in a piece for The Players Tribune. “The fundamentals will set you free. It’s like the jazz records my pops used to play on Sunday afternoons. First you master the fundamentals. Then you get to forget about ‘em. You’re improvising. That’s why I always say: streetball is an art form. “You feel me, youngbloods? I need to see more jazz in your game.” He lamented today’s hoop culture, concerning itself with appearances more than just “getting buckets.” A billion dollar move means nothing with a $0.50 finish. It’s not about the shoes you wear, it’s just about the ball going into the hoop — it’s about two
points, and nothing else. But once you’re there — and you’re a real baller, then you can improvise. You can add in some handles, a little step back, even a spin-move. You can craft your game around your personality, around the idea of the player you want to be. But — and I can’t stress this enough — you’ve got to get buckets first. I suppose I don’t have much more to say. Finality is strange — even when you’re excited for the next phase of life, to grow up and move on to new challenges, there’s this inescapable longing for more time in the present. But even though I’m getting older — and I won’t be part of the CT anymore — that won’t stop me from continuing to write, to push creative boundaries. So, in that spirit, from Uncle Drew himself, I’ll leave you with this: “Now that I’m an old man, people ask me when I’m gonna hang it up. This is what I tell ‘em: You don’t stop playing because you get old. You get old because you stop playing. “Look at it this way — I’ve been driving the same van since 1968. It’s beat up. The paint job’s fading. But you know what? That van still purrs like a cat. It’s what’s under the hood that matters. “So, please. I’ll quit the day you can check me. “But until then, youngbloods … Get Buckets.”
@Young_Jred
editor@collegiatetimes.com
ANNA DAVIS social media editor
May 7, 2019 PAGE 11
collegiatetimes.com ANNA DAVIS
social media editor
I joined the Collegiate Times in August 2015, the very first month of my freshman year. I was right out of high school and dead set on becoming to the next hotshot, hard-hitting journalist. I was going to be both Woodward and Bernstein, and write thought-provoking exposes that would change life as we knew it. So I joined the news team and became a reporter. The role allowed me to meet a lot of interesting people and have some interesting conversations, but I came to realize that reporting wasn’t always as glamorous and exciting as I thought it would be. Sometimes it involved hour-and-a-half long conversations with VDOT, filled with traffic and construction lingo that went over my head. And that was followed by transcribing the interview and pulling quotes for the story — another arduous process. I wasn’t cut out for it. I then decided to transition to social media editor, thinking that it would be
a fun way to stay involved with the paper. And it has been a lot of fun. But it has also been so much more than that. Being social media editor has been an absolute privilege. The role has taught me the impact that audience engagement and digital journalism can have on a local community. It showed me a different side of the Hokie Nation and allowed me to gain a better sense of where students and alumni stand on key issues affecting the university. Above all else, it pushed me to grow creatively and I learned invaluable lessons that I couldn’t have gained anywhere else. I have become especially partial to the Collegiate Times Facebook page, where I’ve written nearly every post since April 2017. I’ve loved tracking our engagement rates and seeing what performs well and what gets overlooked. I know our most active followers’ names by heart and I’ve looked forward to reading their comments everyday, no matter how scathing they might sometimes be. The page has been
COURTESY OF PATTY VITSUPAKORN Anna Davis is a graduating senior on the Collegiate Times staff. She has been a part of the CT for four years, serving as a staff writer, news reporter and social media editor.
my favorite corner of the internet for the past two years and I get sentimental when I think about logging off. I’m also sad to leave our amazing staff. The Collegiate Times is made up of an incredibly dedicated group of people. We hail from different majors
and backgrounds, but are all passionate about the principles of journalism and making the paper the best it can be. I’ve loved getting to know all of you and I’m so glad we all somehow found our way to 365 Squires. The Collegiate Times has played a pivotal role in shaping my time at Virginia
Tech and I couldn’t be more grateful. Thanks for everything, CT.
@AnnnaDavis
lifestyles collegiatetimes.com/lifestyles
BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Students watch as Marc A. Edwards and Mona Hanna-Attisha deliver their graduation address to the Class of 2016 at the university commencement in Lane Stadium May 13, 2016.
‘Pomp and circumstance’ cinema: movies to watch before graduating
Screen these three essential films about senior year, graduating and growing up to prepare you for walking across the stage. EMILY CARTER lifestyles editor
Congratulations seniors! You’ve finally made it to graduation. Whether you’re counting down the days until you hear “Pomp and Circumstance” or you’re dreading what the future will hold, chances are you’ll be reflecting on your college experience before you walk across the stage on May 17. Since the graduating seniors won’t have that much to do between finals, you’re going to have a lot of time on your hands; might I suggest watching a movie or two? Here are some movies to hype you up for graduation or just straight-up put you in your feels while you wait for your college careers to end. “Legally Blonde” This is the perfect college movie in my eyes. For those of you who haven’t seen the iconic, quotable movie, Elle Woods is dumped by her boyfriend because she’s too “blonde.” With the help of her sorority sisters, Elle gets into Harvard Law School to try to win her boyfriend back. While at Harvard, Elle rises to the top of her class and helps one of her role models on trial. “Legally Blonde” touches on a lot of things that a quite a bit of students face while in college. “Legally Blonde” shows the ups and downs of college and life experiences college students often live through like breakups and competitions between classmates to get internships and
jobs in and after college. Elle Woods finds out what she excels at while in college and becomes even more of a strong and confident woman. This movie is the perfect motivation when applying to grad school, working on a group project with your peers or going through life in general. “Accepted” “Accepted” is an underrated movie about a high school senior who gets rejected from all of the colleges he applies to, so he decides to “invent” a college for himself and all of his friends who all get rejected. He then tries to fool his parents and other college students into thinking that the South Harmon Institute of Technology is a legitimate institution. “Accepted” may remind you of all the times you and your friends did some dumb and possibly illegal things during your college careers. This movie shows the camaraderie between best friends and the sacrifices that friends are willing to make for each other. Gather all of your friends for a final hurrah by laughing and crying while watching “Accepted.” It’ll remind you of all of the friends you made while at college and possibly make you emotional that they won’t be living close to you anymore. “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” Okay bear with me for this movie. “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”
is a movie from our childhoods that we all know and love. Troy, Gabriella and the rest of the gang are deciding on what colleges to go to while preparing for their final musical. Romance and impromptu singing ensues. The last “High School Musical” movie is a college movie in the sense that people you have known and have made connections with for four years are going their separate ways and trying to make decisions about their lives while trying to keep in touch with the people that will soon be in your past. This movie can make you remember how far you’ve come since high school and how much you have accomplished since being at Virginia Tech. Whether or not you decide to watch these movies by yourself or with a group of friends, it’s important to remember how far you’ve come since graduating high school. If you’re going into the workforce or struggling to find a job after Virginia Tech, don’t stress; these movies can help you relax and realize that you are graduating in a week with several thousand of your closest friends.
@Emilynic_12
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