December 7, 2021

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December 7, 2021

Lifestyles

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Collegiate Times’ declassified finals survival guide Need to reset during a crazy finals week? Check out our tips and tricks for crushing stress and having success.

LEENA ALSAYAB lifestyles contributor

It’s that time of the year again. Finals can be one of the most grueling and tiring experiences college students have. Let the Collegiate Times help you out with your one and only Finals Survival Guide.

Make a study plan: Writing out what you’re going to study and how you’re going to study can actually help you overcome some of the stress that comes with finals. Seeing how far apart your exams are can help you plan what days you’ll focus on specific subjects.

Personally, I like to write down all my exams on a calendar so I can see when I have to start studying and which days I can give myself a lesser load. Maybe devote some of your time to destress. Adding time for yourself into your study schedule can help you feel less overwhelmed.

Study spots: After a while, studying at your apartment, dorm or dinner table can feel repetitive and downright boring. Thankfully, Virginia Tech is home to some of the best places to study.

For a studious atmosphere, try Torgersen Bridge. The maroon walls and warm lighting

OUR CORE VALUES I mpa r t ia l it y me a ns r ep or t i ng, editing and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively and without opinion or bias.

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All letters must include a name and phone number. Students 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.

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make this area one of the most comfortable spots to set your books down and get straight to work. It is a quiet area to help students focus on their work and get less distracted than they would be in other places. One thing to look out for is how crowded Torgersen Bridge can get during this time of year, so try and get there as early as you can.

Looking for something a little more sociable? Not only does Blacksburg house some of the best coffee in Virginia, but there are numerous coffee shops to choose from.

These places can give you the motivation to finish that essay you’ve been putting off, as well as fuel your caffeine addiction. Better yet, coffee shops are a great place to have a study date with some of your friends.

Ways to destress: It’s undoubtedly one of the most stressful times of the year. Here are a few tips for how you can beat the stress before and after your exams: Go on a walk. Physical exercise is shown to increase your serotonin levels, which is

very useful during this time of year. Even as the weather can make it difficult to be active, walking around the library or your apartment or even going to the gym can help improve your brain function and give you a break from the stress.

Watch your favorite movie. After a long day of studying, sometimes all you want to do is sit down and watch your favorite movie or show. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Go and take some time to yourself and watch the movie or show that makes you laugh your butt off. It’s better to end your nights on a positive note and get your head in the right place for the next day.

Eat your favorite food. Sometimes after a hard exam or day working, you need to treat yourself to some good food. The New River Valley has a

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multitude of food options that can satisfy your every need. Even eating your favorite snacks can help create a better atmosphere for you to go back to studying to ace those exams.

Some “final” tips: Now that we got through all the

collegiatetimes.com essentials, here are some of my favorite ways to prepare for finals.

I like to listen to some lofi hip hop beats or cafe jazz when studying so that at least I have some upbeat music to keep me calm. If you’re not a huge fan of lofi or jazz, find some music that isn’t too distracting but still keeps you entertained while focusing.

I also love to paint. Painting is such

a fun way to take your stress out. If you’re feeling mad, you can paint it. If you want to paint a self-portrait of you crying, you can do that too. It isn’t an activity I have to put too much of my brain power into and makes for a good study break.

Lastly, go to Target. Target has some of the most random and fun items that can brighten your day. A little shopping

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(usually) never hurts anyone, and can help you take your mind off whatever is bothering you.

Happy finals and good luck, Hokies.

@CollegiateTimes

Ut ‘Paw’sim: How therapy dog Derek serves the student body Derek comforts patients, supports faculty and staff, and provides a helping hand to the Virginia Tech community.

ANNE DEEGAN lifestyles contributor

Derek, a two-year-old Labrador Retriever and therapy dog for the Cook Counseling Center, enthusiastically “runs ahead, goes to the car, (and) jumps right in” when it’s time to go to work, according to his handler and owner, Trent Davis. Although not all of us can be as excited as Derek to go to class or work, we can surely appreciate his high spirits and comforting temperament during the last stretch of this semester.

In November, I spoke with Davis, the counselor and coordinator for animal-assisted therapy, and his companion Derek to get a glimpse into the inspiring and busy life of a Virginia Tech therapy dog. I not only exper ienced Derek’s lively, caring and outgoing personality, but I also witnessed his profound impact firsthand.

As you might imagine, Derek’s day starts when he puts on his signature orange bandana.

Derek and Davis’ workday begins at either the Cook Counseling Center on Oak Lane or at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veter ina r y Medicine.

Because the “bread and butter” of their day, as Davis put it, is the individual or group therapy, most of their day consists of counseling sessions with the undergraduate, graduate and professional population at Virginia Tech.

Then, outside of counseling, Derek participates in roughly four events each week, whether it be as adventurous as ax throwing with Frank Beamer or as festive as attending fellow therapy dog Josie’s third birthday party. Even with Derek’s packed schedule, he still finds

unstructured time to rest, play fetch or go for long walks on not-so-hot days.

As Davis said, although “dogs are more alike than different,” Derek has a few notable qualities that set him apart.

After all, Derek was bred and trained to be a service dog. First, Derek, according to Davis, is “environmentally sound,” so he is comfortable in almost any environment, whether it be a plane, bus, elevator, escalator, you name it. Derek is also reliable and safe in all situations and around all people and animals. And lastly, Derek is “equipped to work at a higher workload without getting exhausted or overwhelmed emotionally or physically,” Davis said. In other words, Derek is able to pace himself by resting between activities.

As Davis and Derek go about their day, their strong bond, both as family and as coworkers, shines through as the driver and facilitator of their work.

Together full time, their relationship is the foundation of their valuable and effective partnership. According to Davis, not only does Derek individually provide a “therapeutic grounding” to clients, but Davis and Derek’s illustrative interactions encourage trust and assurance within counseling sessions.

In fact, a goal of animal-assisted therapy at Virginia Tech, according to Davis, is to provide a gateway to less stigmatized mental health care. A therapy dog such as Derek can offer a gentle introduction to therapy that hopefully encourages students to seek needed help or support.

Derek’s impact is evident both biologically and emotionally. As Davis described Derek’s calming disposition, he emphasized

COURTESY OF VTTHERAPYDOGS Derek, one of Virginia Tech’s therapy dogs, on an autumn morning, Oct. 22, 2021.

that “there is a biological response to petting an animal (as) it releases oxytocin and it reduces cortisol.” So, while that goes on behind the scenes, it’s impossible to miss the smiles and excitement on the faces of people who encounter Derek. He describes the happiness that Derek creates as “remarkable” and “as magical as the first time (he) saw it.” And, trust me, I saw it too.

Derek was truly born to serve. As we go about our day, Derek can be our reminder of Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim.

Come visit the therapy dogs during finals week: Keep an eye out for updates on therapy

dogs, Derek, Josie and Wagner’s, Instagram @vttherapydogs, and check out Derek’s schedule during finals week in the online version of this article at collegiatetimes.com.

@CollegiateTimes

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‘Love Hard’: The resurgence of the classic holiday rom-com

Netflix’s new Christmas romantic comedy tries to break stereotypes, but falls flat on character chemistry and creative storylines.

MIRULA PRASAD lifestyles contributor

The holidays are approaching quickly, and it’s the season of joy, love and subpar Christmas rom-com movies. It was hard to feel enthusiastic about “Love Hard,” Netflix’s new holiday movie release, when its predecessors — “The Princess Switch” and “A Christmas Prince” — have been so disappointing and cliche.

However, “Love Hard” is refreshingly simple and chronicles the dating life of Natalie Bauer, a Los Angeles-based columnist. Natalie has had a slew of bad experiences with men she has met on dating apps, and she’s frustrated with her love life until she matches with Josh Lin, an attractive man who is a self-described outdoorsman.

This chance match spirals, and they start talking on the phone and click

instantly. Natalie eventually decides to surprise Josh during Christmas and flies out to his hometown in New York where she realizes that she’s been catfished by Josh. While Natalie is originally angered, she comes up with an agreement with Josh where he sets her up with the real man in the pictures on the dating app, but she has to pretend to be his girlfriend to impress his family.

The plotline contains many classic rom-com tropes like fake dating, catfishing and complicated family dynamics during the holidays. It’s not an original movie by any means and relies too much on these facets of the genre.

Everything is completely predictable, and you can guess the ending by minute 10 of the movie. The simplicity, however, is appreciated in this subgenre where movies try to come up with a plot twist that makes everything incomprehensible

and convoluted. This is a perfect example of a holiday rom-com that practices simplicity and directness.

Additionally, this movie simply oozes Christmas. The atmosphere feels like a warm hug and envelops you in the Christmas spirit. Josh’s home is a rugged Christmas dream decorated with green garlands, twinkling lights and soft flannel.

Every shot is a visual treat that transports you into a world of Christmas and gives you warm, fuzzy feelings. I also appreciate the family dynamic between Josh’s family, who are endlessly supportive and excited for their two sons.

This movie also fills the need for more Asian American representation in romantic comedies, specifically as the romantic lead. It is not shoehorned in and is a natural and accurate portrayal that does not pander to the audience. We need more of this in traditional media, and

“Love Hard” should be applauded for it.

One thing that could have been improved is the relationship between Natalie and Josh. I didn’t feel there was much chemistry between the two, and their relationship felt like more of a platonic friendship. More moments could have been manufactured to emphasize their feelings for each other as people.

The lessons the love interests learn along the way include the value of honesty, family and unapologetically being yourself. All in all, this is a cute and simple movie that you can mindlessly watch next to a roaring fire with a cup of hot chocolate this Christmas.

@CollegiateTimes

Goodbye Grads: Learning to listen to myself

Lifestyles senior Matthew Harris shares advice on juggling academics and passion projects and discovering ourselves in the process.

MATTHEW HARRIS lifestyles staff writer

I like to think I’m a good listener.

I always pay attention in class, am a great contributor to group projects and have friends with whom I have shared countless engaging conversations. But there is someone I’ve never lent my ear to until recently — myself.

Entering college after many rejections from more “prestigious” universities, I couldn’t help but feel reluctant starting this new phase of my life. I attributed my failure to get into any of my dream schools to a lack of talents outside of the classroom.

Naturally, this led me to believe my only talent was in academics. If my market price coming out of college was going to be dictated by my grades, then I decided I was going to be the most expensive product in the store.

This raw, spiteful drive propelled me through my first year and a half on campus. The library became a home away from home. I had become a cold, efficient

mechanism whose primary objective was to graduate as the best computer scientist it could be.

At least, that’s what I thought I had become. Occasionally, there was an irrational, useless voice in my head driving me away from the most important part of my life. It got me to spend time with my friends, explore my new community and join my first club, the Super Smash Bros Club. Eventually, I conceded a night a week and sometimes the weekend to these base desires to see my friends, compete and let some stress out.

By the spring of my freshman year, I began to lose control of this voice. It got louder and more convincing, prompting me to sometimes spend whole days away from work. I eventually became president of the Super Smash Bros Club, prompting me to spend more time working on something outside of academia. My grades slipped to less than perfect that spring, and I was disappointed with myself for it.

This internal war continued for a while, with this unnamed voice gaining more ammunition as I discovered more about myself. As I

ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES Graduating lifestyles columnist Matt Harris, Dec. 5, 2021.

continued to grow into my leadership position, I felt a sense of accomplishment seeing the community expand. As the weeks went on, I felt more confident talking to the club and running events each week. I continued to shed my stonefaced, studious persona, and I began to like this new side of myself even more.

These positive feelings continued even as

we had to move online due to quarantine. I kept running events and even added new ones. As I found myself staying up until the early morning talking with

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this new community, I realized what had changed. I was doing something major not because I was qualified or because it would build my resume — I was doing it because it made me happy.

That voice I had been ignoring for so long certainly wasn’t productive in the traditional sense. I had to juggle my commitments a bit more to make up for the extra time I was putting into this new passion. But this voice had my best interests in mind. I could unabashedly connect with the passionate, fun-loving, human part of myself I’d held back for so long. I was finally listening to the part of myself that was more than what I deemed “important.”

Now that I was listening to myself again, I began to remember some of the passions I pursued earlier in my life. I

began to intentionally try things that I had never considered important before purely out of interest. One of the first places this led me to was the Collegiate Times, since I used to love to write.

The CT was incredibly welcoming, even for a less-experienced writer like myself.

Despite joining as a junior and majoring in computer science, I was quickly given the go-ahead to write. After getting my first story published about a month later, I felt a sense of accomplishment unlike anything I had felt in a long time. I had rekindled my passion for writing.

That feeling of genuine accomplishment continued as I wrote more for the CT. These stories, mostly written during quarantine, made me feel more connected to the community than when I could freely explore it. It was amazing to be able to talk to so many different people in the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg

communities and explore the many different avenues of life people pursue.

My work at the CT even helped shape my final semester once I could explore this community again, pushing me to do things I never did before, like go out to football games or do intramural sports with my friends. These stories truly helped me reconnect to the world after my self-imposed isolation.

For anyone continuing their journey in Blacksburg past this semester, I have two pieces of advice.

First: Learn to respect yourself. Even if you might feel down on yourself, you know what’s best for you at the end of the day. Listen to yourself and respect your wants and needs. Stifling those desires will only leave you feeling hollow in the long run. Make sure to always be actively listening to yourself like you would anyone else.

Second: Intentionally pursue anything you love. Even if you might not think it’s important, exploring what piques your interest could help you realize aspects of yourself you didn’t even know existed.

Trying new things regularly and with intentionality is what keeps life interesting. This community has so many ways to express your interests, so take some time to look around and find what fits you.

My love for writing is what drew me to the CT. To be given the opportunity to display my amateur skill in a real newspaper is something I’ll remember for my whole life. My work with the CT helped me develop as a person, and for that, I’m extremely grateful.

@CollegiateTimes

Goodbye Grads: Hardship and happiness, four years in Blacksburg Senior opinions columnist Marcus Lewis reflects on his four years spent at Virginia Tech.

MARCUS LEWIS opinions columnist

I can still remember the day; It was a sunny afternoon in the spring of 2018. I was sitting on the bus with 30 of my teammates on the way to a lacrosse game about 30 minutes away. I frantically refreshed my email, and waited for it to come. Finally I saw it: Decisions for Virginia Tech were out. I logged onto my guest account to view the results.

“I got into Tech,” I proclaimed to my teammates. My coach clapped and a few congratulations followed, but at that moment, I thought nothing of it. I had always wanted to go to a different school. Tech was where I applied as a safety net. “The backup option,” I told myself constantly. The thought of seriously going to Virginia Tech was never really an option for me. I hadn’t even visited the campus yet.

The following months were filled with both acceptance and rejection letters.

These led me to rethink my preconceived notions about the school I was going to attend and what I was going to study. The first time I visited Virginia Tech, it was dreary and cold. Mountain fog hung over the campus, and I can remember feeling both anxious and excited. I toured the campus with my sister and her friend who went here and showed me around. The Hokie Stone glistened from the day’s cold

rain, and slowly, my anxiety settled.

“So, where do you want to go?” asked my sister on the four-hour car ride back home.

“I loved it there,” I responded. “I want to go to Tech.”

I came back, and at school the next week I told my friends my decision. The rest of senior year went smoothly. I graduated, spent time with my hometown friends and waited excitedly for freshman year to start.

I wish it went as smoothly as I thought it would. My introduction to college was, in many ways, tumultuous. The transition from high school to college was one of the most trying times of my young life.

I drifted away from my friends here for a time, not sure who I was or what I wanted to be. I wrote to former mentors for advice.

I just wanted to hear that it was going to be fine, but their advice was different: stay the course, they assured me, it would get better. It was a hard time, filled with a nearly indescribable loneliness that I wish to never experience again. I went so far as to complete transfer paperwork to another college, but thankfully, I did not go through with it.

In the time since, I’ve made the best friends of my entire life and memories I will cherish forever: from Center Street

tailgates to movie nights, from late-night parties to walking the Drillfield at 3 a.m.

Writing for the Collegiate Times was not on my radar when I got here. I’ve never been interested in journalism; however, I had opinions and I needed a club to join.

So I did, and here I found a community that was welcoming and pushed me. It goes without saying that I’m an exponentially better writer now than when I began. My articles ranged from writing about masculinity to nuclear power and everything in between. Even the small disagreements with editors about the best way to convey the message of an article.

This school, this newspaper and this town are special.

My experience at Virginia Tech has been a multitude of things: unique, sad and even hard. Regardless, in my time here I found an undefinable joy and a love for the mundane and the little moments that make life special.

I now go out into the world scared and anxious, but with an undying optimism for what may come. I can only say that when I was 18, I was happy because I was convinced I had the world figured out. Now at 22, I’m content because I’m aware of everything I don’t know. I can say that I’m filled with exceptional gratitude for my time here, and I am even more grateful for the people that made my journey worthwhile.

I could never thank them enough for their

COURTESY OF MARCUS LEWIS Graduating opinions columnist Marcus Lewis, Dec. 5, 2021.

contributions to my life, only hope that they are here forever.

I will miss Virginia Tech and my friends, but now, I have memories to cherish forever.

I’ve dreaded writing this final goodbye since freshman year. What would I include in it?

What could encompass all my experiences?

The truth is, nothing can. But for now, I leave you with this: Cherish this time. Cherish the small moments. Take this time to breathe the air, stare at the sunset, eat good food and pass the time with good friends. One day, it will all simply be memories. @CollegiateTimes

Opinions

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Hokies must consider biking for climatefriendly commuting Biking is not only environmentally friendly, but also more efficient for students.

T

ransportation has evolved to become one of the most important aspects of everyday life. Our society wouldn’t be possible without effective transportation, but over the last few decades, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, statistics verify how detrimental automobiles can be to the environment. People need to start making efforts to lessen their carbon footprint by limiting their automobile usage.

Driving has undoubtedly been a convenient way of getting from point A to point B, but our society has been conditioned to believe it’s the only way. Whether traveling to the grocery store or a friend’s house, students tend to choose driving over walking or biking. These decisions add up and become habitual, but the entire idea of reducing our carbon footprints is to make conscious efforts to not play a part in the depletion of our planet.

The average travel radius for Virginia Tech students living in Blacksburg is no more than 5 miles. While driving seems efficient and effortless, people must find other ways to travel whenever they can for the sake of the environment and to reduce traffic. In the Blacksburg community, biking is the best option. Biking is not only environmentally friendly but can be quicker than most car trips due to all of the available bike lanes throughout the city, which often move faster than traffic.

When classes are in session and everyone takes the bus or drives to campus, there is significant road congestion that could be avoided if more students choose to ride their bikes to class.

Gregory Tew, an associate professor of architecture, spoke about his experiences using public transportation during his time living in New York City.

“The subways were fine but often off-schedule, not the most reliable and it only gets you so far,” Tew said. “The station was a 10-minute walk from my apartment but when I arrived at the other end, I might have another five- to 10-minute walk to get to where I was going.”

People are creatures of habit, and students often travel with nothing more than a backpack. While it can be argued that bikes lack the storage found in automobiles, students are still perfectly capable of biking with a backpack on.

Environmental ethics aside, it doesn’t make sense to drive through six minutes of traffic when biking can be a lot quicker in most cases. Biking has many benefits — it’s quick, fun and, most importantly, amazing for physical and mental wellbeing. In a January 2020 Healthline article, author Emily Cronkleton touches on all of the pros, cons and tips of riding a bike.

“I feel sure that even going from Brooklyn to Manhattan, I could’ve gotten there as fast or even faster on a bicycle, probably faster,” Tew said.

Going back to the impact that automobiles have on global warming, it’s important to note why cars can be harmful.

Cars produce a significant amount of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides and overall are heavy carbon dioxide emitters and air polluters, as evidenced in an article by The World Counts. Similar to many other environmental issues, this can be avoided, or at the very least reduced, with the power of conscious decisions in everyday life, such as choosing to bike the five minutes to Kroger rather than driving. In a real-time data story by The World Counts, statistics show alarming numbers contributing to the depletion of our atmosphere.

AHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES A Virginia Tech student riding their bike across the Drillfield, Oct. 1, 2019.

“Driving is the number one cause for climate change,” Tew said. “We just aren’t going to be able to make progress with those climate issues if we don’t completely rethink transportation.”

Many people in the United States have become so accustomed to driving without giving thought to different alternatives.

Biking is the most reasonable and effective method of transportation in Blacksburg, but there are still reasons why it isn’t ideal for some. Having to decide between a bike and a car in less-than-ideal weather can be tough, but comfort can’t always be our No. 1 priority. As the British author Alfred Wainwright once said, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

Hannah Pajewski, a master’s student in urban and regional planning, said biking has worked well for her as a Virginia Tech student.

“I commute on my bike to class and work because bus routes to my apartment complex are limited and campus parking

passes are expensive,” Pajewski said.

Virginia Tech stands by the motto “Ut Prosim,” which translates to “That I May Serve.” This does not mean an immediate action, but more so an ultimate goal to serve the greater good. As residents of the Blacksburg community and the Earth, people must consider different eco-friendly transportation alternatives to do their part in combating the climate crisis.

LILYA FENJIRO • senior • multimedia journalism

Sports

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BRENT PRY TO BECOME HOKIES’ NEW HEAD FOOTBALL COACH Virginia Tech finds the leader for the next era of Hokie football.

EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN sports staff writer

Virginia Tech hired Penn State Defensive Coordinator Brent Pry as the head coach for Hokie football.

Pry will replace former head coach Justin Fuente, who was let go on Nov. 16.

COURTESY OF HOKIESPORTS

The Hokies have a brief past with Pry, as he worked as a defensive graduate assistant for legendary coach Frank Beamer from 1995 to 1997.

Pry has spent the last eight seasons at Penn State, and has spent the last five seasons as the defensive coordinator. Penn State has

finished in the top 25 in total defense four times in Pry’s tenure.

Pry’s defenses have specialized in getting to the quarterback. In his five-year span as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, Penn State has placed third in the nation in quarterback hurries and fourth in sacks.

Pry will have a lot on his hands as he looks

to turn around the Hokies, who finished the regular season 6–6. The Hokies also currently rank 73rd in total defense and 89th in total offense, which brings up the question of who will make up Pry’s staff.

@CTSportsTalk

COLLEGIATE TIMES / ETHAN CANDELARIO

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A TOUGH GAME OF CATCH-UP IN CASSELL Virginia Tech men’s basketball struggled against Wake Forest on Saturday.

MARGARET ALLOCCA sports staff writer

HAMAD ALHENDI / COLLEGIATE TIMES Storm Murphy (5) going for the lay-up, Dec. 4, 2021.

The Virginia Tech Hokies (6–3, 0–1 ACC) took on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8–1, 1–0 ACC) on Saturday, Dec. 4, for the ACC season opener.

Wake Forest opened the game up by sinking a three-pointer as the student section sang the opening lyrics to “Enter Sandman.” Keve Aluma had back-to-back 3-pointers to cut Wake Forest’s lead at the start. Wake Forest’s man defense worked for it throughout the first period. After going scoreless for a few minutes halfway into the first period, the Hokies were able to tighten their defense and have a few momentum points to cut the Demon Deacons’ lead to four points.

The Hokies mainly performed well deep inside the paint and on the 3-point line.

Aluma was the anchor of the team for points in the first period, where he had 18 of the 34 points. The game went into halftime at 38–34 with Wake Forest leading.

The second half of the game had tighter defending from the Hokies; however, the Demon Deacons continued to carry their lead throughout the second period. As tension increased between the two teams,

so did the defensive play. Virginia Tech struggled from the start of the game to come back from being down against Wake Forest and lost 80–61. Aluma and Justyn Mutts notably scored 38 of the 61 total points.

“They just played better than we did,” said Storm Murphy about Wake Forest’s performance. “It felt like we were playing catch-up.”

Head coach Mike Young followed up Murphy afterwards and also described the struggle of being down all game.

“I thought we were playing catch-up all night and not catching up in terms of scoreboard, catching up in terms of guarding them,” Young said.

While Virginia Tech battled against Wake Forest, they were unable to tie the game and gain a lead. The Hokies will face off against Cornell in Cassell Coliseum at 9 p.m.

@CTSportsTalk

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL LOSES WIN STREAK The Hokies lost a close match to the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers.

AMBER WILLIAMS sports editor

The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team (7–2) ended its two-game win streak after a nail-biting 64–58 loss to No. 11 Tennessee (8–0) in Cassell Coliseum on Dec. 5. Despite being underdogs, the Hokies kept pace with the Volunteers throughout the entire game until the very last minutes when Aisha Sheppard missed a huge 3-point attempt that solidified the Tech loss.

“I think that it’s a positive that we were able to stay with the No. 11 team in the nation,” Sheppard said. “Obviously when we get into ACC play it’s a gauntlet, there are multiple Tennessees.”

The lead changed seven times during the matchup and the teams tied twice. Much of the Hokies’ success on the court was due to Sheppard, who accounted for over half of Tech’s points with a season high of 30 points. Sheppard completed this with seven 3-pointers.The Hokies started to falter towards the latter end of the game and were unable to attain the win. Elizabeth Kitley, who played the most minutes for the Hokies, struggled shooting 1–12 on field goals and was 0–1 in the 3-pointer category.

Kitley tried to help in other ways, having a team-high nine rebounds, but her lack of scoring was noticeable in a game which was neck and neck. Tennessee had Jordan Walker, Sara Puckett and Tamari Key, who

were key elements for its victory. Walker and Puckett led the scoring with 17 and 15 points, respectively. This was a season high for Walker and her ability in the 3-pointer category, going 4 of 4 on attempts, was a huge contribution to this. Key had 11 points, but she mainly shined in the rebounds category with 12 total rebounds. The Hokies’ defense was decent during the first three quarters, but the team lost it in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t handle the last five, six minutes correctly,” said head coach Kenny Brooks.

“We didn’t have that physical toughness that we needed down the stretch.”

Where Tech struggled the most was defending the Volunteers in the paint and capitalizing on scoring opportunities within

it. The Volunteers scored 38 of their 64 points in this zone. The loss had nothing to do with a lack of effort from the Hokies, but the Volunteers are ranked in the top 25 for a reason.

“It’s a good matchup for us,” Brooks said. “Throughout the game I thought we competed to the point where we gave ourselves the shot to win. (I) didn’t like the way we finished the game.”

The closeness of this competition is not unusual for this program. The last time the two faced off, on Nov. 27, 2016, resulted in a 67–63 win for the Hokies. Unfortunately for Tech, the roles were reversed this season.

Tech has a quick turnaround, as it will play Liberty next on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.