April 27, 2021

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April 27, 2021

VTTV

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Talking heads: Virginia Tech TV offers students hands-on experience with broadcast media Virginia Tech’s only student-led television station is bringing new opportunities to students interested in all aspects of TV. ELISE MCCUE lifestyles staff writer

Among the myriad of campus organizations that offer students firsthand experience in their future careers is Virginia Tech Television (VTTV), Tech’s one and only student-operated television station. Aspiring reporters, anchors, producers and media creators alike have the opportunity to try their hand at broadcast journalism skills with state-of-the-art equipment and prem ier editing softwa re. VT TV produces th ree main shows and smaller side shows with new episodes weekly that cover all things Virginia Tech. Between news and commentary on Tech Tonight, the latest in Hokie sports on Tech Total Access, and the talk show Entertainment Tech, there is a show for anything and everything related to Virginia Tech and the local Blacksburg area.

VTTV has been giving students the opportunity to try their hand at television skills since the 1950s. Many students involved with VTTV have aspirations to work in television in the

future, but majors of the members of VTTV range from computer science to business to journalism.

“My senior year of high school, I got lost on Virginia Tech’s campus when I was at orientation,” Dempsey said. “I didn’t have

“(VTTV

encourages) members to gain as much experience as possible so they direct, produce, host, edit and advertise their own show.”

”

“(VTTV encourages) members to gain as much experience as possible so they direct, produce, host, edit and advertise their own show,” said Maddi Dempsey, a senior double majoring in sports media and analytics and marketing.

Dempsey, a member since her sophomore year, has had the opportunity to work as the station’s social media coordinator and hosted her own show, “Off the Record.” She is now graduating as the general manager.

When speaking on what drew her into joining VTTV, Dempsey said that it was purely by chance, but one of the best coincidences of her life.

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students, and there were cameras on every wall, lights in every direction, a sports class in session, and I told myself: ‘I don’t know what this room is or where I am but I want it.’

About three months later, I got into Virginia Tech as a multimedia journalism major and all of my professors recommended I join VTTV. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

Another student who had no trouble

MADDI DEMPSEY General Manager of VTTV

my phone and somehow ended up in Moss Arts Center with a group of Liberal Arts

continued on page 3

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jumping in early on is freshman multimedia journalism major Julia Monahan.

As someone who grew up knowing she wanted to be a reporter, joining VTTV was a no-brainer. With her love for sporting events and all they entail, being a VTTV reporter is just as much a hobby as it is a job.

“I’m a part of Tech Total Access, which is specifically sports,” Monahan said.

“We report at practically every Virginia Tech sporting event and get press passes for the games so we can be on the court and act as actual press reporting. With COVID-19 restrictions, that couldn’t happen this year, so that is something I’m looking forward to.”

Having joined toward the end of last

collegiatetimes.com semester, Monahan said that her experience thus far consists of two parts: observing and learning from current staffers during her first semester and learning on the job during her second semester.

“Our co-producers, Madelyn Mirek and Logan MacDonald, really have been taking on the producer roles towards the end of this semester since our current producer, Katie Leeper, is graduating in the spring and focusing on her career,” Monahan said. “It’s been so great learning from and working alongside these people.”

Staffers have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment, such as reporting and studio cameras, microphones and sound equipment used in professional settings. In addition to

learning how to use equipment, staffers also have Adobe Creative Cloud — the premier editing software — at their disposal. VTTV is anything but playpretend. Every day, VTTV’s work entails training students and preparing them for their futures in the news television industry. Even for those who aspire to shine on the screen, VTTV offers a unique training experience because it teaches students skills for on and off the camera. After recording interviews for the packages or show segments, students splice and edit their own videos. The final product is entirely independent and allows for each staffer’s individual style and flare to shine through.

The imperative word that describes exactly why VTTV is such a beneficial experience to future media creators is

April 27, 2021 PAGE 3

experience.

“For communication or journalism majors, experience is valued more than grades; experience is what really matters,” Monahan said. “Some jobs require a minimum of five years of experience, so starting right now in college is a great way to get up to four years under your belt while having fun.”

However, being part of VTTV is an extremely beneficial experience regardless of major.

For t hose consider i ng joi n i ng, Dempsey said, “(VTTV is) maximum exp er ienc e g u a r a nt e e d, m i n i mu m required!”

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COURTESY OF VTTV The Virginia Tech TV studio inside Squires Student Center, Nov. 12, 2019.

Silhouette

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‘Art isn’t about being good, it’s about expressing yourself’: Q&A with Silhouette’s editor-in-chief

Isa Diaz promotes art and creativity in the Virginia Tech community for students of all majors, skill sets and backgrounds.

TORI WALKER editor-in-chief

Silhouette’s outgoing Editor-in-Chief Isa Diaz discusses her organization’s mission of artistic inclusivity on Virginia Tech’s campus, the obstacles her staff has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, how she uses literary art to communicate to others, and her visions for the magazine’s digital future. As she prepares to pass the torch onto the next editor-in-chief and transition into her director of social events role, Diaz reflects on how Silhouette has helped her identify a leadership style that she can apply to planning community engagement events next year.

Collegiate Times (CT): What is your year, major and a career goal of yours?

Isa Diaz (ID): I’m a junior studying creative writing. I plan on adding a minor in cinema. It’s my career goal to write screenplays and maybe eventually come back to teach at a university.

CT: When did you get involved in Silhouette? Why did you choose to join in the first place?

ID: I got involved with Silhouette as a sophomore when I joined the team as a blogger. At the time, I was also a double major in journalism, and I really wanted to be a part of a student publication on campus.

I saw how involved Silhouette was with creative writing and the arts and decided I wanted to be a part of it.

CT: What positions have you held in the organization and what is your upcoming role?

ID: So far, I’ve only been a blogger before I was editor-in-chief this year. After I step down next year, I’ll become our director of social events.

CT: What are some of your goals you have for your upcoming position?

ID: I really want Silhouette to have

more of a presence on campus beyond just publishing our magazine. It was one of my goals for this year that kind of got sidelined due to COVID-19. In addition to planning engaging in-person meetings for our staff, I’d love for Silhouette to have some events, like readings or writing workshops. I’d also like to make sure our magazine launch parties are successful and draw people in.

CT: What is Silhouette’s purpose on the Virginia Tech campus?

ID: Silhouette’s aim is to bring our entire community together by fostering a shared love of art and creativity. Whether you’re a fine arts major or an engineer, you’re not only welcome but encouraged to submit.

We believe everyone should tap into their creative side. I don’t believe in the myth that you have to be a prodigy at something in order to love it and take it on as a hobby.

You can be a chemistry major and still have a passion for photography, or a BIT major who loves to write poems. If you love something, you should do it, instead of letting the fear that you won’t be good enough hold you back. Art isn’t about being good, it’s about expressing yourself. That’s the kind of attitude we want to encourage here on campus.

CT: How has 2020-21 challenged Silhouette as an organization?

ID: This year has been really difficult for us in terms of community engagement.

Silhouette is an organization that’s used to meeting in person and hashing out ideas, and being stuck with Zoom and email communications really put us in a kind of rut. I think people had this idea that the pandemic and all of the time we spent in isolation should have inspired more creativity, but I think for a lot of people, it actually stifled their ability to be creative and find inspiration. It made it really hard for us to bring in submissions and for us to stay on top of things as a staff.

We ended up having to push back magazine

production until next year.

CT: What positives have come out of the past year for your organization/staff?

ID: The main positive thing about this year for Silhouette was that it was a huge learning experience for us. I figured out the hard way what worked for us as an organization and what didn’t. I’m able to pass a lot on to my successor about the best ways to communicate with the staff, bring in submissions and schedule things throughout the semester in order to minimize stress. I was a little resentful at first about how difficult this year was for me in terms of managing the magazine, but I’m working on seeing it as a valuable experience that taught me a lot about my own leadership style and provided me with valuable advice to pass on to the next editor-in-chief.

CT: Tell me about your art and/or writing style.

ID: My personal writing style is very much drawn from the language itself and from my own internal dialogue. I’m the kind of person who thinks with a little voice in my head, so even if I’m not scribbling in a notebook or writing in a document, I’m really always writing in my head, taking what I see around me, and playing with the words.

I’m obsessed with the sounds of language and the way words create rhythm with each other. A lot of my poetry and prose contains repetition and alliteration and different ways I can play with the way the words sound. I always imagine what my writing would sound like if read out loud because that’s what it sounds like in my head.

CT: What does visual/written art mean to you?

ID: For me, art has always been about my own experiences and how I want to communicate them to others who might not understand them. I often use my ADHD as an example, because the way the inside of my brain works is sometimes difficult for

people to understand, even if they know all of the typical symptoms or understand it in a basic sense. Describing my experiences with my writing as the vehicle is a way for me to give people a little window into my mind and how it works. Even if I’m writing about something fictional or completely unrelated to my real life, pieces of my personality, my identity –– all of that is going to show up in whatever I write. When people read my writing, they see me as I want them to know me.

CT: How do you see Silhouette changing or evolving in the next year or so?

ID: Silhouette has been on the precipice of fully jumping headfirst into the age of digital publishing for the past few years, and I think we’re just about ready to finally take that leap and move a little ways away from just putting out a print product. We’ve been tossing around ideas about how we can modernize and make Silhouette a little more relevant on campus again without sacrificing the heart of the organization, and I’m excited to see some of those ideas come to fruition in the next few years.

CT: What is a fun fact about yourself?

ID: A fun fact about me is that one of my poems was actually an honorable mention in the Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prize this year.

I was lucky enough to have Nikki Giovanni as a professor in the fall, and she’s just about the coolest person I’ve ever met in my life, so getting to hear her read out my name at the Celebration of Poetry last month was definitely one of the highlights of my Virginia Tech career.

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April 27, 2021 PAGE 5

collegiatetimes.com

ARTIST CREDITS

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These Hands crafted on African land, sculpted the land of the free— free of charge.

Gyves shackle the neck of these palms with creases short and long.

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1. “Waves Crash on Distant Shores” by Tony Lin 2. “they will bury you” by Ashly Sypherd 3. “Full Steam Ahead” by Sean Stroud 4. “20/20” by Brandon Kong 5. “Burruss Chandelier” by Victoria Carter 6. “The Hallucinogenic Dalliance” by Grace Aulabaugh 7. “The Woman with Wavy Hair” by Kelsey Briggs 8. “These Hands” by Jon Kabongo

These hands, calloused on the lighter side, narrate stories of inhumane treatment.

These hands, durable as the buildings they built yet sensitive to touch, infect oppressors with guilt.

These hands, with the tips of their fingers that revolutionized the sounds that make us dance — never felt an equal chance.

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SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: silhouettemagazine Twitter: VT_Silhouette

These hands, with numerous lines that still don’t surpass the number of times the line was crossed — shake the other.

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The Bugle PAGE 6 April 27, 2021

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BUGLE

Preserving the Hokie tradition: how the Bugle still captures memories during COVID-19 E S T. 18 9 5

Virginia Tech’s historic yearbook continues to empower students and preserve campus events throughout a challenging year.

ABBY EVANS copy editor & assistant managing editor

In the back half of the media wing, tucked away in the upper corner of Squires, is the headquarters of Virginia Tech’s yearbook: The Bugle. The women leading it, just as their predecessors once did, have beaten the odds again.

“Putting together a book when things are not happening is definitely a different approach than the traditional yearbooks that are like a time capsule of events, because there aren’t really events,” said Molly Crews, the editor in chief of the Bugle. “If they’re happening, they’re on Zoom and getting a photo of Zoom is difficult.”

The Bugle has come out with an issue

every year since 1895, so the pressure was on. Fortunately, according to Crews, the Bugle was already headed in the direction of a coffee table book instead of a typical yearbook with portraits. This year’s Bugle shifted its focus from traditional events to more conceptual Zoom events and some sports events, while also maintaining its historical focus.

Speaking of the Black Lives Matter Movement as well as the ongoing pandemic, Crews said, “It’s been a good conversation to keep all of those things up and relevant. Our goal is to not necessarily convey opinions but to just be a history time stamp.”

The Educational Media Clubs at Virginia Tech (EMCVT) can often struggle to gain recognition at a largely STEM-based campus. During a pandemic when everyone

is distanced on Zoom and unsure of where to look to get involved, this can make growing an organization extremely difficult.

Between hours spent on virtual Gobblerfair or posting flyers around an empty campus, sometimes it can seem impossible. Kristen Lewellen, business manager of the Bugle, is determined to keep writers coming.

“I’m really working to get a lot more interest in the Bugle and just on campus overall,” Lewellen said. “Our campaign last year was, ‘Do you know we have a yearbook?’ We’ve been doing it (the yearbook) every year since 1895, so it’s really important that we have this reference book … of what went on that year. It’s the oldest Hokie tradition.”

Even though both Crews and Lewellen were new to their positions right when the COVID-19 pandemic

hit, they both were able to make the transition and keep the tradition alive with the help of the rest of the yearbook staff. Although the organizations on the EMCVT wing are often overlooked at Virginia Tech, the students behind them are truly driven and passionate Hokies. Long after they graduate, Crews and Lewellen will be able to look back at the copy of the Bugle they worked to produce and know that they preserved a piece of the Hokie tradition that is close to their hearts — even during a year when things seemed so distant.

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Social Media Instagram vtbugle Instagram: Facebook: Bugle, Virginia Facebook Tech’s yearbook Twitter: VT_Bugle Twitter COURTESY OF THE BUGLE Kristen Lewellen, the business manager for the Virginia Tech Bugle, gives an interview in the Bugle’s office, April 25, 2021.

WUVT

editor@collegiatetimes.com

April 27, 2021 PAGE 7

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WUVT’s spring Radiothon returns with fresh tunes and dynamic DJs

WUVT, Virginia Tech’s student-run radio station, is more creative than ever in its spring fundraising and awareness event.

The WUVT AM studio within Squires Student Center, April 21, 2021.

MOLLY DYE lifestyles editor

From March 29 - April 4, Virginia Tech’s WUVT station brought back a successful spring semester Radiothon filled with extraordinary shows ranging from Just Dance 4 songs to TikTokfamous tunes. “(Radiothon) really shows the diversity of music that we have here at WUVT so I’m really glad that we get to showcase that and also raise money,” said Justin Louie, the AM program director at the station.

Radiothon is a weeklong fundraising event that WUVT holds each semester to showcase themed shows put on by the station’s DJs. Being a nonprofit organization, Radiothon is one of the greatest opportunities to raise money for the station.

Despite restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WUVT’s staff pulled together unique themes that proved the event to be a sweet-sounding success.

“We had some really interesting shows this time,” said Katherine McArdle, business and sales manager of WUVT. “On Monday night during the 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. slot (the DJs) ended up playing Guitar Hero

over the air. Two of our staff heads who are DJs also ended up making their own music over the air.”

Moreover, McArdle described how she turned her regular Friday night show into a five-hour extravaganza with another DJ. “My show was Friday nights and it’s called ‘The Wave’ and my friend beforehand has a show called ‘The Sound,’ so we combined our shows and had a five-hour show called ‘The Soundwave,’” McArdle said. “It was all about music that talks about whispers, echos and that type of thing.”

McArdle and Louie said that the spring Radiothon is particularly special to the station because it falls on April 1, which is not only a perfect opportunity for DJs to curate April Fools’-themed shows, but is also the day that WUVT celebrates their 76th birthday, founded in 1945.

“When we have Radiothon in the spring, it’s always around April Fools’ Day so you’ll have your fair share of meme playlists,” Louie said.

Like any other fundraising event during the pandemic, Radiothon’s schedule of events didn’t look entirely the same as it did in past years. WUVT’s staff noted that they

ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES

came across a couple of challenges when it came to promoting the event and having fewer DJs than usual.

“We usually put posters out on campus and try to be on the center of campus, not just in Squires, but that has been challenging now,” McArdle said. “Since there aren’t as many people on campus, we were thinking: is it even worth going out and promoting?”

Additionally, Louie noted that the station hasn’t had as many DJs on air overall due to the pandemic.

“That’s something I’m looking to change in terms of recruitment post-pandemic,” Louie said. “We’re hoping to change that and recruit more as soon as next semester.”

Despite a few challenges and adjustments that came along with this semester’s event, both McArdle and Louie felt that Radiothon was a major success. McArdle described that DJs and staff heads were more enthusiastic about the event than ever.

Moreover, Radiothon raised $16,073.70, which was an increase from last semester.

“We had a really good bump this semester,” Louie said. “It was a total success.”

Though Radiothon raised a successful

amount of money to help support the radio station, McArdle emphasized the importance of donations to keep the station afloat as they are the primary source of funding that WUVT receives.

“There is a lot we have to pay for and it’s something we have to fight for a little bit more than other radio organizations,” McArdle said.

In terms of the future, WUVT hopes to focus on maintaining an open, creative and social space for anyone and everyone who enjoys music.

“Radiothon reminds me of why I joined this station to begin with; I’ve been involved since I was a freshman and I’m a junior now,” Louie said. “We’re trying to make the station a more social place and that’s the direction that we want to take this organization into. We want to emphasize that if you like music, you have a home here.”

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WUVT offers hands-on opportunities for aspiring sports broadcasters Our sports editor, Amber Williams, reflects on how her time in WUVT’s studio has helped her find a voice in sports journalism.

AMBER WILLIAMS sports editor

Halfway through my freshman year, I switched my major to sports media and analytics. I was excited to find a program that combined my passion for sports, writing and photography perfectly. After taking the required public speaking class for the major, I quickly discovered I enjoyed telling stories through speaking as well.

The Collegiate Times was the first organization I joined when I switched my major and through that, I developed stronger writing skills and learned how to conduct interviews. Now as an editor for the sports section, I have been able to practice more leadership responsibilities as well. The paper gave me a home when I was feeling unsure of my abilities in my new field of study and showed me I had chosen the right path.

After working with the Collegiate Times for a year, I realized I wanted to try a new way of storytelling and sought out other opportunities through EMCVT. I found WUVT and reached out to the staff members about joining. The only problem was that a global pandemic had just started and everything, especially in the world of sports, was at a standstill.

Eventually, when we were able to come back to school, I was able to go to the studio and meet the news director. The first thing that caught my eye with WUVT was the colorful door to the studio. I had passed it many times going to the Collegiate Times studio and was always intrigued. It is covered in an insane amount of stickers; imagine a college students laptop or water bottle, but to a much more intense extent.

I toured WUVT’s station, which is, by the way, super cool for anyone who has not

ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES Justin Louie, a WUVT DJ, browses WUVT’s music catalog, April 21, 2021.

been able to go inside. There are the comfiest couches for DJs to relax in during meetings and between song sets and rows upon rows of records and CDs heading to the recording studios. There is something new and interesting in every corner of the station. After seeing their setup and talking to the director, I was more than excited to be joining their team.

It took a couple of months before everything was finalized and I could start on air, and I was very excited to record my first Hokie Sports update. Due to COVID-19 protocols, I have been unable to be in the studio for recordings and conduct the updates on my phone using a voice recorder.

I now give the Hokie Sports update every Monday for WUVT and it has increased my knowledge of Virginia Tech athletics as I cover every sport that played a game from Friday through Sunday. As a fan of

all sports, it has been a mission of mine to ensure equal coverage of all athletic events, not just basketball and football. Through WUVT I have been able to ensure everyone gets the recognition they deserve.

Practicing my “on air” voice to prepare for a future in sports broadcasting has helped me learn more about the type of storyteller I am. Without WUVT I would not have been able to find my voice this early in my sports media career.

I am excited for the day I can go into the studio and start learning about radio equipment, but until then, WUVT still has supplied an excellent resource for me to grow and increase my skill set as a sports media and analytics student.

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ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES Justin Louie DJs for his show “The Louie Agenda” on WUVT, Virginia Tech’s studentrun radio station, April 21, 2021.

WUVT, RADIO FOR EVERYONE Instagram: wuvt Facebook: WUVT - FM 90.7 Blacksburg Twitter: WUVTFM