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October 15, 2019
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
PHOTOS BY ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES
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opinions
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LTE: ‘Lame Stadium’ and the current state of the Virginia Tech student section
T
hese are challenging times in the realm of Hokie football, but as observers, the reasons behind those challenges are far beyond our control. That being said, as Hokies, we do have our place in the stands. It might come as news to some of you, but there are some unwritten obligations that
evidently have not been properly communicated to the current student body. Allow me to assist. Lane Stadium is definitely not the place it was when I was a student. Fifteen years ago, there was no real debate over the best atmosphere in college football. Everyone knew the answer: Lane Stadium. Today, it’s just plain sad.
Where the North End Zone was the most raucous place in the United States half a dozen or so times each year and you couldn’t find a place to stand, today it’s a relative ghost town — and people are noticing. I found myself at the 50 yard line of the West Stands today, and for the fourth time this year, I heard the same
observation: “Man, the students really don’t hang around anymore do they?” There were a number of colorful responses, and I’ll share some of the descriptions that they involved: Disappointing. Lame. Embarrassing. Pathetic. “Not True Hokies.” Current Hokies, when you attend a game, you have a responsibility. Your responsibility isn’t to pose for Instagram and walk out right after “Enter Sandman.” Your responsibility isn’t to see if today’s the day that your paper airplane actually makes it to the field. Your responsibility is to support your classmates on the field no matter what. Those of us who no longer get student section tickets, we’re
the ones that gave Lane Stadium its reputation — not you. You’re ruining it. I get it. It’s difficult to get fired up for a weak opponent on a drizzly Saturday afternoon, but your fellow Hokies on the field deserve your support. I also understand that Virginia Tech football isn’t where it used to be right now, but you know what? Who cares. We had dreadfully boring games against the Furmans and Rhode Islands of the world when I was a student, too. Get to your seat before “Enter Sandman” and don’t leave it until the final whistle blows. And that’s it. Show up, support your team and don’t leave until it’s time. I don’t think that’s too much
to ask. PS: Class of 2021. You just put a statue of Frank Beamer on your class ring. He has given more than three decades of his life to Virginia Tech football. You think maybe you could at least make it to four quarters?
CHARELS NOLAN Virginia Tech Class of 2010, mining engineering
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ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES Lane Stadium on a cold October morning, Oct. 27, 2018. 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 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.
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Construction underway on Patrick Henry Drive Community members express their opinions on Green Valley Builders constructing apartments in their neighborhood. KEVIN SANDLER news reporter
Construction has begun for an apartment complex along Patrick Henry Drive after an extensive battle between Shenandoah neighborhood residents and Green Valley Builders, a local Blacksburg construction company responsible for the development. “We’re full blown under construction,” said Justin Boyle, Green Valley Builders’ chief financial officer. “Everything is going really well.” Since the proposal of this project in 2018, Shenandoah neighborhood residents, who live in the area where the buildings are being constructed, have been fighting against the development of this housing. Blacksburg Mayor Leslie HagerSmith described the rezoning process, commenting that the request of Green Valley Builders to change the usage of this land was approved in 2018. Blacksburg Town Council granted the rezoning of the land outside of the Shenandoah neighborhood to be used for apartment homes. “Green Valley Builders was rezoning the area for bigger housing,” HagerSmith said, reflecting on the meeting in February 2019 in which the town council made a decision about whether or not the rezoning approval should be renewed. At the town council meeting Feb. 12, 2019, 26 Blacksburg citizens provided their opinions on the possible rezoning. Eighteen were against the passing of the ordinance and eight were supportive of it, with the majority of the citizens being residents of the Shenandoah neighborhood. At the conclusion of public comments, Hager-Smith said, “When I first came to town here in 1982, I lived in the Shenandoah Townhouses, and your houses weren’t there. I felt sad when they were built. I remember it being an empty field.” Additionally, Hager-Smith urged the citizens of the town to understand this pivotal moment in Blacksburg history, noting the expected growth of Virginia Tech in the upcoming years and
commenting, “I believe this is an opportunity to demonstrate our professed values and to help prevent sprawl.” After calling the role, the rezoning was passed with four town council members in support and three against. Eight months later, relations between the residents of that area and the builders have improved significantly according to Green Valley Builders. “We’re working together, and everything has been good,” Boyle said, noting how they have been working on an adjustment point to the trail located behind the prospective building. “We’re expected to open in August 2020.” However, John McQuail, head of the Homeowner’s Association for the Shenandoah neighborhood, describes how many of the residents are unhappy about the decision, and that the majority of them lost hope in the battle against it. “I listed my house for sale the day after their decision,” McQuail said, discussing his disappointment in the approval of the construction of these apartments. “In order for me to sell my house I had to reduce the price by $50,000. Several other neighbors had the same disappointing selling experience.” “It was a baffling decision on the part of four of the town council members,” McQuail said. “I didn’t feel that I could continue to live in Blacksburg when the town council is more interested in fueling the runaway growth of Virginia Tech versus preserving the quality of life of its citizens.”
@Kev_Sandler
COURTESY OF TOWN OF BLACKSBURG A project proposed for Patrick Henry Drive.
PAGE 4 October 15, 2019
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Game Ball bonanza: The history behind the annual tradition Aquaint yourself with the iconic tradition of cadets running around campus, just in time for homecoming. HEATHER TROBRIDGE design editor
You hear it once a week, year after year. Echoing through the halls of Newman Library, bellowing across the Drillfield, the sound ripples across campus. It’s hard to miss the voices of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Ranger Company as they run across campus during the week of the homecoming game, promoting school spirit and Hokie pride. It’s Game Ball season and every Hokie wants to get their hands on the action. It’s a hard sight to miss: cadets running back and forth across campus, throwing the homecoming football around to each other, all while encouraging students, faculty and staff to touch the football to add a little bit of luck to it. By the time the game rolls around that Saturday, Ranger Company has run 100 miles
across campus — an incredible homage to cadets who had done it long before. The ball is presented to the football team by the top three from Ranger Company: the commander, the commander’s assistant and the first sergeant. But this tradition goes way back; Ranger Company has been running the Game Ball since 1972, when the old rivalry between Virginia Military Institute Keydets (VMI) was incredibly strong. When the opposing football teams would play at Victory Stadium in Roanoke, Virginia, Ranger Company Hokies would run the football to the site of the game –– Taylor Lacroix, a senior majoring in construction engineering and management explained that each member of the company would take turns running 10-12 miles. Followed by a van full of water, the Virginia Tech cadets carried on this tradition until the colleges stopped playing each other.
The company’s most successful feat was in 1982; the Hokies completed a 290-mile relay style run to Norfolk, Virginia, for the Oyster Bowl against the Keydets. Lacroix even mentioned that the rivalry was so intense that VMI Keydets once tried to intercept and steal the ball but were unsuccessful, of course. Lacroix and Luke Specht, a junior majoring in national security and foreign affairs, have both had the honor to run with the ball over their time at Virginia Tech. Both can agree that homecoming brings everyone together. “It kinda creates a better connection between the cadets and civilians,” Specht said. “They don’t really know what we do necessarily, and I think that’s (the) cool part of it.” While big names like former head football coach Frank Beamer and University President Tim Sands have
gotten in on the fun, it’s the support of the students that keeps Ranger Company running. “It’s really cool to see the hype around it,” Lacroix said. “Everyone’s looking forward to it.” Don’t be alarmed when you see a herd of cadets barreling toward you this week or if someone’s poking you in the back with a football while you’re studying. Get in on the fun, get in on the homecoming tradition and get a hand on the Game Ball.
@Heather__Tro
Drone Racing Team maintains high hopes for competition Members build their own drones and fly them to prepare for the national tournament held in the spring.
ALLEN MURFEE lifestyles contributor
The Virginia Tech Drone Racing Team (DRT), formed in 2016, is a nationally recognized team aiming to qualify for the Collegiate Drone Racing Association national competition again in spring 2020. Fifteen members make up the DRT, and they come from primarily engineering backgrounds of all class levels. The team practices once a week and hosted an introductory workshop Sunday for potential members interested in the sport. “People really think it’s super nerdy,” said Cason Kerrick, a freshman majoring in general engineering, who is on track to study aerospace engineering. “If you can’t tell, most of us are just normal kids that like flight. There’s so many different outlets for drones. I’ve been looking into it and that’s the next thing — like NASA and Boeing.” Each member builds their own “quad,”
ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES The drone cage is located behind the Duck Pond along Oak Lane, June 25, 2018.
short for quadcopter, and chooses their respective motors, batteries, receivers, flight transmitters, goggles, software,
flight controller and more. According to Kerrick, drones often reach speeds of over 70 mph.
Racers use special goggles connected to a camera on their respective quads, allowing them to see what the drone is “seeing.” Because of the rapid drone speeds, entry in the drone cage is not allowed when racers are flying. Team members also use the lab next to the drone park to make repairs and modifications as needed, such as soldering various components together. Sean Vredevoogd, a freshman majoring in general engineering on track to study aerospace engineering, worked in the lab to repair his drone during practice Sunday along with other students. Alex Scheck, a team captain on the DRT and a junior majoring in electrical engineering, led the workshop Sunday for students interested in joining the team. He went over various options for parts of a drone and the cost associated with each. According to Scheck, quality drone parts DRONES / page 5
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from page 4
can cost upwards of $1,000, but if on a budget, all parts can be purchased for around $400. The Collegiate Drone Racing Association puts out a monthly drone course on its website, which teams around the country use in an attempt to qualify for nationals. According to Michael Zerr, a junior majoring in computer engineering, a different school hosts nationals each year. “One of our goals is to get big enough and funded enough to be able to host a national race,” Zerr said. On Sunday, Sept. 29, the DRT set up the monthly course for October, placing gates and flags at specific distances provided by the CDRA. Depending on the course, racers must also fly drones in distinguished patterns that involve maneuvering through certain gates, around flags or combinations of the two. Gates are similar to hoops and are not allowed to be more than 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide, according to the CDRA. Flags are required to be at least 5 feet tall and
can be any material that comes straight out of the ground. More drone requirements can be found on the CDRA website. For each monthly course, DRT members record their fastest three consecutive lap times and submit them to CDRA. In October, the top three teams with the fastest times qualify for nationals. The DRT hosted a drone race Sept. 21 with MultiGP, a drone racing league with over 500 active chapters. “It was open to the public, so the team was racing against a few people from around New River Valley,” Zerr said. “We had a lot of spectators come watch so it was great exposure for us. We were basically competing against each other, not against another school.” Virginia Tech’s drone park is 36,000 square feet and 85 feet tall, making it the highest drone cage in the United States. The DRT aims to qualify for nationals again this year.
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October 15, 2019 PAGE 5
FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 15, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Bloke 5 Tie, in chess 9 Rival of Elle 14 Punjabi prince 15 Personal energy field, some say 16 Black key wood, traditionally 17 Banned apple spray 18 Electric fan noise 19 Fix, as a loose shoelace knot 20 “Hell’s Kitchen” chef 23 Special or covert strategies 24 Trucker’s unit 25 Owns 28 Lorelei’s river 31 Risky low-lying area to build on 34 Long, long time 35 Post-WWI art movement 37 Affixed with a hammer 38 Unknown Doe 40 “Gymnopédies” composer 42 High-grade cotton 43 Barely make, as a living 45 Boots the ball 47 Serious no-no 48 Not someone an amateur should play poker with 50 Adidas alternatives 52 Everyday article 53 Second-tallest living bird 54 Burger holder 55 Narrative device that peeks at the future ... and a hint to the start of 20-, 31-, and 48-Across 61 Camper’s craft 64 “English breakfast” drinks 65 Bear’s warning 66 Assumed name 67 Colored eye part 68 Prefix for objectors 69 Where to get dates 70 __ a one: none 71 Barely a sound DOWN 1 Rugged cliff 2 Angelic ring
10/15/19
By Michael A. Macdonald
3 Cracked open, say 4 Formal forgiveness 5 Occurs to, with “on” 6 German coal valley 7 La Scala number 8 Become fond of 9 Porch with a roof, usually 10 Give heed to 11 Obtained 12 Institute of higher learning, to Brits 13 Look at intently 21 Opinion piece 22 Oklahoma athlete 25 “Total patient” philosophy 26 Low-hemoglobin condition 27 Many taxis 28 Not accept 29 Pipe smoked in trendy bars 30 “Where are you?” response from a nearby room 31 Govt. regulator of dietary supplements 32 “I don’t have time right now”
Monday’s Puzzle Solved
©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
33 Nada 36 Inhaler user’s malady 39 Nonverbal okay 41 Really bug 44 Having no purpose 46 Cowboy boot attachment 49 “Keep __ Weird”: Texas city slogan 51 Open for Christmas
10/15/19
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PAGE 6 October 15, 2019
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TOWN HALL CHRIS HURST with 12th district Delegate
hosted by the Collegiate Times in partnership with the Young Democrats and College Republicans at Virginia Tech
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WHEN
Tuesday, October 15 5:00p.m.-6:30p.m.
WHERE
Old Dominion Ballroom Squires Student Center
Both the Hurst Campaign and Hite Campaign were invited to participate in this event.
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October 15, 2019 PAGE 7
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No. 22 Tech stunned by Pittsburgh in second half ambush, lose 3–1 The Panthers scored three consecutive goals in three minutes to upset Virginia Tech at Ambrose Urbanic Field. NICHOLAS HATCH sports staff writer
The Virginia Tech Hokies made the trek into foreign territory Friday night to battle division rival Pittsburgh. The Panthers, entering the matchup with a 5–4–2 record, looked to upset their ACC coastal rival Hokies who would be coming off of a 0–0 tie to an established No. 5 Clemson team. The match would not progress as expected for the Hokies, though, as they were able to get next to nothing going on the offensive side of the ball in the first half, with only two shots to show for their
effort. Their defensive poise kept them in contention for much of the game as both teams headed into the second half knotted up at zero a piece. Stopping the Hokies from jumping out to a 1–0 would be Panther goaltender Arie Ammann who stopped an incredible shot from inside the box by freshman Daniel Pereira in the 56th minute. The score would remain at zero for much of the second half as possession alternated between the two teams until the Panthers virtually ambushed the Hokies for three back-to-back goals which would eventually put an end to Virginia Tech’s
The men’s soccer team in a huddle.
aspirations to escape the Steel City with a win. Tech would maintain its dignity, though, and make one final push to reenact the magic that the Panthers had just displayed when junior Jacob Labovitz would put the ball in the back of the net on an assist by James Kasak, his fourth of the season. This assist ultimately led to Kasak being named to Man of the Match honors. It would end in a 3–1 loss with the Hokies on the losing end as they were outshot by the Panthers 18–12 and frankly stunned by a Panther offensive attack of three straight goals. The loss to Pittsburgh eliminated Tech’s
COURTESY OF HOKIESPORTS
hope of carrying its streak of two straight shutouts through this game to make it a third, but more importantly it creates quite the uphill battle for the Hokies to climb the ACC Coastal standings as they are looking to overcome five other teams with Virginia, UNC and Notre Dame being the three toughest opponents. Virginia Tech will look forward to returning home Oct. 18 to face a versatile and resilient Notre Dame team.
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column
Hooker proves he belongs on the field during commanding performance versus Rhode Island In his second career start, Hooker displayed poise in the pocket and played turnover-free football for all four quarters. ROBBY FLETCHER sports editor
In the second start of his collegiate career, his first at Lane Stadium, Hendon Hooker came out with something to prove in front of the home crowd. After last week’s impressive performance on the road against Miami where he threw for 180 yards and scored four total touchdowns in a 42–35 shootout, Hooker had an even better performance this week against Rhode Island. While he played a safer brand of football in his debut, he made it a point to show off his arm this week, completing five passes of 20 yards or more and testing the Rams’ secondary all afternoon. His 261-yard performance topped off by three touchdowns was enough to prove that Hooker’s arrival has given life to a Tech offense that for much of the season was all hype and little production.
While it’s easy to point to the competition he was up against as a way to make his performance feel insignificant, it was the way he played against Rhode Island that makes it feel like this Tech offense is playing up to the high expectations that surrounded them at the beginning of the season. The fact of the matter is the game was close for the majority of the second half, with Tech’s lead going as low as just three points in the third quarter. Hooker responded with a 10-play, 93-yard drive capped off by an easy red zone score to Dalton Keene that gave Tech a two-score lead. This wasn’t the only extended drive for the offense. The offense scored on six of its nine drives in the game, with only two drives fewer than six plays long. It was the kind of outing that makes it feel like this offense is finally hitting its stride just as the team faces five more division rivals to close out the season. From a technical standpoint, Hooker
showed poise with clean pocket and consistently hit receivers in stride, especially on the deep ball. His mobility was also on display, mostly in the form of designed runs, as he finished the game with 43 yards on the ground off 15 rushing attempts. The most important aspect of his first two starts is the lack of turnovers. Hooker has yet to throw an interception, and that alone has been crucial for the Hokies, who hadn’t had a game without an interception since their victory over Old Dominion on Sept. 7. This is a far cry from incumbent starter Ryan Willis, who had five interceptions in four starts this season, something coach Fuente made sure to point out after the game. “The biggest thing is that he’s taking care of the football,” Fuente said. “He continues to understand what we’re asking him to do and continue to put the ball where we’d like to, and then he obviously is at times a weapon with the ball in his hands.”
Hooker mentioned after the game that the game plan was relatively the same from last week, which helps him not force any throws that aren’t there. “We come out with the same mindset every week, and whatever [the defense] is giving us we’re going to take,” Hooker said. By protecting the football, Hooker never gave Rhode Island a chance at a short field or an easy score, and that might be the most important reason to believe in Hooker. With a tough matchup against North Carolina coming up next Saturday, the last thing this team needed was a lack of identity at the most important position on the offense. Hooker’s performance the last two games has erased those worries, and the season feels alive again because of it, especially with the Coastal Division in complete disarray. @CTSportsTalk
PAGE 8 October 15, 2019
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Offensive line proves its worth in 34–17 victory over FCS school Rhode Island in Lane Stadium Keshawn King, Deshawn McClease and Damon Hazelton stand out for the Hokies with running game and receptions. CLAIRE CASTAGNO assistant sports editor
Virginia Tech interrupted its ACC schedule to play FCS school Rhode Island in Lane Stadium on Oct. 12. Coming off a big win against Miami last weekend, the Hokies kept the energy up for a 34–17 defeat of the Rams and advance to 3–2 on the season. “I think games like this, when we’re playing a FCS opponent, you have to be a little bit more focused just because of the stigma: ‘they’re not a Power Five’,” wide receiver Damon Hazelton said. It was quarterback Hendon Hooker’s first start in Lane Stadium and he was able to expand his passing range compared to what fans have seen from him in previous games. Hooker was able to expand his passing range compared to what fans have seen from him in previous games and passed for 261 yards and three touchdowns. “Today we had a few slip ups but we’re going to correct them tomorrow,” linebacker Alan Tisdale said regarding the game as a whole. To start the game, Virginia Tech moved the ball quickly down the field on its first
possession for an early three points. On the drive, Keshawn King caught a 40-yard pass from Hooker to mark his longest career catch. Hazelton scored the first touchdown of the game for the Hokies off a 9-yard sideline pass from Hooker. Dalton Keene, Tavyion Robinson, and Deshawn McClease contributed significant rushing plays. Rhode Island’s offense could not accomplish much in the first quarter as it came up with 13 yards of total offense to Tech’s 152. They opened strong in the second though, with Isaiah Coulter picking up 51 yards to quickly move the ball to Virginia Tech’s 33-yard line. CJ Carrick put the Rams on the scoreboard after a made 41-yard field goal attempt. The Hokies answered immediately with another touchdown from Hazelton with a 37-yard reception in the endzone. King came up with another big run on the drive to gain 17 yards. Rhode Island managed to make it to Tech’s 3-yard line, but a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty set it back and Carrick made another field goal to make the score 17–6 with 3:29 left in the first half.
ALEXYS RIVERS / COLLEGIATE TIMES Hokies’ running back Deshawn McLease (33) springs toward the end zone. Oct. 12, 2019.
To start the second half, the Rams found themselves in the same position. In the red zone, but was pushed back from penalties. Quarterback Vito Priore was able to find a receiver in the end zone for Rhode Island’s first touchdown of the game. A successful 2-point conversion cut its deficit to only three. On the next drive, Virginia Tech moved the ball down the field relatively slow until a 27-yard pass received by James Mitchell set the Hokies up in the red zone. Hooker connected with Keene for another touchdown. Once the Rams had the ball back, Hokie defense made numerous big stops. However, a pass interference call on Caleb Farley gave Rhode Island a first down and the drive was extended. The defense continued to bring the pressure and Norell Pollard and Jarrod Hewitt were credited with quarterback hurries and Rhode Island settled for a field goal. The Hokies answered with a touchdown from McClease after he ran it in from the 1-yard line. This extended the lead to two touchdowns and gave Tech a little bit of breathing room early in the fourth quarter.
Rhode Island set itself up at Virginia Tech’s 5-yard line after Reggie Floyd was ejected for targeting and the Rams were granted an automatic first down. But, Rhode Island was pushed back 14 yards after a tackle for loss from Chamarri Conner and Priore could not connect with Caleb Warren in the end zone. The Hokies took over on the 19-yard line. With just over two minutes to play, Brian Johnson kicked another field goal to increase Tech’s lead to 17. The drive was backed by big rushing plays from McClease and freshman Tahj Gary, who’s gain was lost after a team fumble recovered by Hooker. ACC play resumes for Virginia Tech as it prepares to take on North Carolina next weekend on Oct. 19. “There’s an expectation around here; to play at a high level all the time,” defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. “We got to continue with this group. Our practice habits need to continue to be at a high level. We expect them to practice like they play.”
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ALEXYS RIVERS / COLLEGIATE TIMES Quarterback Hendon Hooker (2) sets to catch snap, Oct. 12, 2019.