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October 27, 2020
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Fraternities and sororities adjust to virtual recruitment, strive for safety in the pandemic The Interfraternity Council says it can “no longer in good conscience” hold in-person events this fall while the Panhellenic Community anticipates virtual recruitment in January. BEN WALLS news editor
Greek life on campus has changed recruitment methods as COVID-19 has changed university life. After the Virginia Tech Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Community made announcements on social media discouraging in-person events, campus fraternities and sororities continue to recruit safely, but not without facing challenges. “For us, in-person events are simply the best way to gauge a person and get a vibe from him,” said junior accounting and finance student Alex Hilt. “The screen loses a lot of the personality, so finding ways to fill that has been the challenge.” Hilt, who serves as the Sigma Nu-Theta Xi chapter recruitment chair, believes virtual recruitment is possible, though in-person events like playing sports, going downtown for meals and attending Saturday game day events are staples in the recruitment process. Sigma Nu has had limited in-person contact, and the fraternity adapted to playing cross-platform games online, utilizing its social media platforms and holding Zoom interviews. “I personally agree with the switch,” Hilt said. “I think allowing college males running organizations that focus on social interaction to continue to recruit more people for their social interaction group is asking for trouble. I think we all would have been fine waiting a semester, if it meant we could go back to normal in the spring, but that’s a sacrifice everyone needs to make.” Sophomore Mitchell Keaney, a marketing management student who serves as Phi Kappa Tau’s recruitment chair, said this year’s
recruitment process was “very different than in the past,” as the previous chairs coordinated events outside on the Prairie Quad and in the Breakzone before the virus hit. Despite having internet connection issues from their Oak Lane house, Keaney and recruitment co-chair Nick Tamburo adapted by scheduling for the brothers and new potential members to play “Among Us” and participate in a trivia night with Amazon gift card prizes. “Looking at it from a potential new member’s standpoint, I can’t even imagine how unnatural it was for them to have to sit in a room on their computer screen, wait to talk to the brothers, and try to make a good impression over the computer,” Keaney said. The only in-person events Phi Kappa Tau scheduled were two-on-one interviews, where Keaney and Tamburo spoke to one potential new member. The three socially distanced, and Keaney and Tamburo routinely took temperature checks and sanitized seating areas during the interview process. “I wish we were able to do in-person, but I also understand the public health risks, as well as the nature of COVID at this time,” Keaney said. “Hopefully in the spring, stuff will be back to the point where we can do in-person events again. I have full confidence in my recruitment staff and brothers, considering that me and my co-chair have been the only people that have come in contact with a potential new member. I’m confident there won’t be any COVID outbreaks due to a rush event.” The virtual format this fall helped both fraternities financially as Sigma Nu spent “a record low zero dollars” on events this recruitment cycle. The fraternity plans to make upgrades to its Progress Street house. Phi Kappa Tau, also with unused funds,
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hopes to maintain the price of dues and add more support to its philanthropic donations to SeriousFun Children’s Network. “We have heard of other fraternities spending their entire budget as normal, but, honestly, I don’t know where that money could be spent,” Hilt said. “We planned on buying (personal protection equipment) like masks and sanitizing wipes for the events, but now we don’t need to.” After the Interfraternity Council made the September announcement requiring its 24 chapters to coordinate recruitment events virtually, Hilt and Keaney both said the announcement was unexpected, and they had difficulties restructuring events that were already organized from the summer months. “Our previous plan to hold limited in-person recruitment was based on the
expectation that our cases would have started to decline and therefore, with significant precautions, we could safely hold outdoor, socially-distanced recruitment events,” said IFC President Spencer Hamilton. “In our current situation, we can no longer in good conscience support any in-person gatherings and risk exacerbating the recent spike.” Almost simultaneously, the number of coronavirus cases in Montgomery County peaked between 60 and 70 cases per week in early September. Hilt, who described the changes as last minute, criticized the timeliness of the decision, but gave credit to the university in unprecedented times. Along with the decision, he had difficulties managing GREEK LIFE / page 5
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lifestyles
PAGE 4 October 27, 2020
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Students respond and adapt to Virginia Tech’s rapidly evolving plans for the spring 2021 semester From modifications to spring break to cancellations of study abroad programs, the spring semester continues to change. KYLE BASSETT lifestyles staff writer
On Monday, Oct. 19, following the recent decisions made by other academic institutions across the state including George Mason and the University of Virginia, university officials at Virginia Tech formally announced that this upcoming spring 2021 semester will not be having a traditional week-long spring break. Concerned with worsening the impact that this pandemic has had on the Virginia Tech community, officials cited a desire to keep members safe based on the existing information at hand.
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“The decisions we are making are based on past experiences and current information and data, but with the recognition that should circumstances change, our community will be able to adapt as needed. Our hope is that circumstances will improve and that restrictions, over time, can be eased or lifted, but that time will come only if we remain vigilant and adhere to public health guidelines,” said Tim Sands, President of Virginia Tech. In lieu of a weeklong break, the university has announced an alternative plan of giving students and faculty a break this spring in the form of five separate days throughout the
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semester where classes will not be held. “I think it’s absolutely useless because we’re going to be doing work over those days anyways. They don’t take into account that professors assign work over one day breaks,” said Alexis Whitfield, a junior at Virginia Tech studying political science and Spanish. “I didn’t have set plans for spring break, but was tossing around ideas of taking my friends home with me if COVID was better.” While some students have expressed discontent with the university’s plans to forgo a week-long spring break celebration, other students have viewed the overall planning for the forthcoming semester with optimism. “I believe that, aside from the plan for spring break, (that) the university’s plans for the spring semester are very reflective of the fall semester, which has been surprisingly effective,” said Michael Deitch, a junior at Virginia Tech studying aerospace engineering. “The testing plan and gradual move in combined with primarily online courses worked well to slow the spread of the virus.” In addition to the announcement of spring break being modified, officials also announced that classes this spring will begin Tuesday, Jan. 19, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as they traditionally would with an effort to allow for students to return to campus in a pandemic-minded manner similar to the fall semester move-in this past August. A change to this Spring semester’s start is that, for the first week of classes, all instruction will take place virtually, with the following weeks being up to the discretion of the instructors. Similar to this fall semester, the spring 2021 academic semester is set to be a mix of in-person, virtual and hybrid courses. As for graduation this spring, the university has not yet announced whether it will be virtual or held in person. Dates for the university’s graduation-related ceremonies are tentatively scheduled for now, but are noted to be subject to change as things move forward.
Spring 2020 to now has seen all study abroad trips either be cut short or outright canceled, but Virginia Tech is allowing for the possible return of trips this spring semester. Citing a contingency upon “program-specific reviews and compliance with public health and safety guidelines,” the Virginia Tech Global Travel Oversight Committee is allowing for individual study abroad programs to evaluate the circumstances regarding their travel plans, telling program directors to make their decisions on a case-by-case basis. In regards to dining plans, the university announced that dining halls will resume operation on Saturday, Jan. 16, for the spring semester, but has not announced whether or not those who live off campus will be able to purchase off-campus dining plans that would allow them to eat on campus this spring. While this semester only allowed those who live on campus in residence halls and those who had rollover dining money in their accounts from the spring 2020 semester to eat in dining halls, it is yet to be known if this upcoming spring semester will be different. Many aspects of these announcements are subject to change due to the dynamic nature of this pandemic, but it can be assumed that much of what has been announced will be the minimum standard for operations moving forward. If circumstances should change for the better, perhaps we may see aspects of normalcy return in some ways, but for now, all that can be done is to practice proper health risk management procedures for the sake of contributing positively to this pandemic by not testing positive.
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October 27, 2020 PAGE 5
GREEK LIFE: Pandemic forces shift to virtual operations from page 3
classes as he had to create the new events and guidelines on the fly. “I think (Virginia Tech) could have done better in a lot of places, but I also think they made a lot of hard decisions and put guidelines in place as fast, and as well, as they could with the situation at hand,” Hilt said. Keaney mentioned that he and his recruitment committee put in long nights while restructuring virtual events. “I had to shift our recruitment plans on a dime because (the IFC) dropped it on us about a week before recruitment started,” Keaney said. “We had to find creative ways to recruit over Zoom.”
Meanwhile, Karen Buynak, a senior studying human nutrition, foods and exercise who serves as the Panhellenic Community’s vice president of recruitment, says sororities are monitoring COVID-19 and weighing different options for when their recruitment begins in January. “Every panhellenic at every school is governed by the National Panhellenic Conference throughout the United States and Canada, so they have guidelines for COVID that we have to follow,” Buynak said. “They would like us to use a virtual option.” In August, NPC President Carole Jones commented on monitoring COVID-19 saying, “We recognize a return to ‘business as usual’ is not acceptable, and we understand the role
fraternities and sororities can play in setting the tone for on-and off-campus social life and helping to maintain healthy campus communities. “By following local health guidelines and adopting safer behaviors, NPC members and chapters can help reduce the likelihood of outbreaks and help shape the actions of the broader campus community.” The Panhellenic Community is looking at three different options for recruitment in 2021, according to Buynak: all virtual, the most likely option; a hybrid model; and all in-person, a “very unlikely” option. “I think everyone’s safety is our priority,” Buynak said. “As much as we want to meet these women in person and have them hang out
sports
with our sorority sisters, I don’t think it’s worth (having in-person events).” Buynak has also met with other recruitment executives at other large universities like Arizona State University, the University of Alabama and the University of Virginia, who all have an agreement to keep a positive image on Greek life in the pandemic. “I know the chapters will want to have Bid Day in person, but I’m really not okay with that,” Buynak said. “We care about safety.”
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Virginia Tech falls to Wake Forest, 16-23 The Hokies struggled against the Demon Deacons. GLEN RORIE sports staff writer
The Virginia Tech Hokies struggled mightily in a Saturday night upset loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, ending in a final score of 16-23. The Hokies’ offense put up more yards (433-346) and even had more first downs than Wake Forest (28-18), but stats only tell half the story. The Virginia Tech offense struggled to really get the ball into the end zone as it committed three costly turnovers. Wake Forest also shut down running back Khalil Herbert, holding him to only 64 rushing yards, far under his average of 131.2 yards per game. The Hokies did not look sharp in the first quarter as the team went scoreless and allowed the Demon Deacons to score 10. The Hokies did manage to pick up some momentum in the second quarter with kicker Brian Johnson hitting a 28-yard field goal and a 39-yard passing touchdown from quarterback Hendon
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Hooker to tight end James Mitchell, which tied the game at 10 apiece with 8:40 left in the second quarter. The Hokies looked to score at the end of the half with only 1:26 left on the clock, but Hooker was intercepted by defensive back Nick Andersen. Andersen was the recipient of all three of Hooker’s interceptions. Defensive lineman Jarrod Hewitt got ejected early in the third quarter as he was penalized for a targeting foul against Wake Forest’s quarterback Sam Hartman. He also was charged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after his ejection which may potentially lead to further consequences. The Virginia Tech defense could not hold its own against the run as the unit gave up 236 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, which ultimately led to the loss. Hooker put up 223 passing yards on 17/33 completions, with one passing touchdown
and 98 rushing yards, making him the leading rusher for the Hokies this game. However, Hooker threw three interceptions and took three sacks which stunted the Hokies’ offensive momentum. Hooker typically does not throw many interceptions as he only threw two all of last season, but today was a completely different story. Virginia Tech will look to get back on track as it will play the 2-4 Louisville Cardinals next Saturday at 4 p.m. at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Cardinals are coming off a 48-16 blowout win against the Florida State Seminoles. These two teams have not matched up since 2006 when the Hokies beat the Cardinals 35-24.
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Healthy versus fast food options on campus: There is more than just a difference in nutritional value
I
To address food security, both college-wide and national changes must be implemented by institutions.
f you ask Hokies why they chose Virginia Tech, chances are one of them will reference the food. Over the past few years, Virginia Tech has consistently been ranked among the best college campuses for food and dining. From all-you-can-eat dining at D2 to grab-and-go items for busy students, there is a wide variety of dining options available on campus. In fact, one of the highlights of my day is browsing the Grubhub app to appease my growling stomach. “Do I want a burger and fries,” I asked myself one day, “or should I be healthy for once and order a fruit bowl?” It was during this moment that I noticed another significant difference between these two options: the price. An order of french fries from the DXpress on campus costs $2.05 ($1.51 with a flex plan) compared to a fresh fruit bowl from Deet’s Place which costs $4.95 ($2.96 with a plan). It may seem easy to blame the cost difference on the idea that fresh and healthier food is simply more expensive, but much more goes into this decision making process. Dr. Courtney Thomas, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech, specializes in research within food politics. Continuing with the fruit bowl example, one of the biggest reasons why it is more expensive is because that food “can go bad quickly” according to Thomas. A fruit bowl from Deet’s consists of fresh strawberries, grapes, pineapple, honeydew and cantaloupe. Because it is fresh and does not contain preservatives, it is likely to spoil faster than a potato, which Thomas says has a longer shelf life.
“Fruit is not long-term shelf stable, and there is a very tight window where it can be prepared, packaged and sold to consumer convenience of the grab-and-go, which increases prices,” Thomas said. Brian Grove, senior associate director of Dining Services, explains how Virginia Tech specifically determines food prices. “Each year, dining goes through a priceand-portion process,” Grove said. “(We) review and look at the product to make sure everything is included in the cost.” Everything from the cost of packaging and labor to the availability of produce in each season determines prices. “The fruit bowl container costs about 12 cents compared to the paper bag for fries that’s six cents,” Grove said. “That’s already double the cost just in paper goods.” Therefore, the difference in the cost of packaging between the two items will be reflected in the overall cost. Food prices are also heavily impacted by the ever-changing seasons. “In the summertime, fruit is cheap, compared to February when the fruit is not the most cost-effective product,” Grove said. Melon, which is found in the fruit bowls on campus, is in-season during the summer months and will therefore be much cheaper at that time than in the winter months when it is not in peak growth. In addition to availability and packaging, students are one of the biggest influences on food prices. “They’re going to set the price based on what sells,” Thomas said. “So if you’re willing to pay five bucks for a fruit cup, they’re going to charge you five bucks for a fruit cup.”
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This may explain why french fries are much cheaper than fruit bowls because of their popularity among students. It also comes down to convenience. College students are busy, which makes it hard to find the time to plan meals. If you’re on the go and willing to pay for convenience, the price will reflect that. While trends do have the power to determine what is being sold and can influence prices, there is not evidence that the relationship works vice versa. “No trend indicates product pricing is a factor on the purchasing habits,” Grove said. “Dining finds that most students are not as influenced by pricing as they are by variety.” However, Thomas argues otherwise. “Lower income families and students are far more likely to be food insecure, which limits their food choices,” Thomas said. “They often have no choice but to prioritize short-term needs.” These needs may often be money, time and convenience. Though it may appear that the “healthier” options are more expensive, it is because the prices are a reflection of their costs. “Overall, there is no difference in prices in what we consider to be ‘healthy’ versus traditional menu items,” Grove said. This is because once the costs of packaging, labor and food are added together, the prices are in fact comparable despite the numerical difference. While some students living on campus may not worry about price, this cannot be said of the rest of society. It is not impossible to cook healthy meals on a budget, but not everyone has the luxury. “Most American families don’t have the time, knowledge and the equipment to do it. The problem only gets worse at the lower ends of the socioeconomic spectrum,” Thomas said. Lower income families are less likely to have the income and time to support a diet based on fresh, healthy food. This is where our society needs to place a greater emphasis on food education.
“People need opportunities to learn to shop for and prepare healthy meals,” Thomas said. A universal minimum wage can also help ensure that everyone has access to healthier options, as well as a complete overhaul of school lunch programs. “School lunch programs need to be completely overhauled in order to provide a healthy variety of foods to young students whose tastes are often ‘set’ on prepackaged, frozen, reheated convenience foods such as chicken nuggets, hot dogs, hamburger patties, canned fruits in heavy syrup and processed snack foods,” Thomas said. Thomas also argues that more can be done on college campuses to make healthier food options more accessible. “Colleges and universities can help by making healthy options in their dining halls price competitive with ‘fast food options’ and by providing surplus foods to food insecure students at no charge,” Thomas said. There are so many ways our society can address food security. Only when this overhaul is achieved will there be equal access to healthy food for all both on campus and throughout the country.
OLIVIA NELSON • freshman • biochemistry
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therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and reveal only that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth. When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.
Today’s birthday horoscope (Oct. 27): Express and share your message this year. Strengthen connections through consistent communications and project discipline. Resolve family financial challenges this winter, taking advantage of an income rise. Summer changes affect your income sources, before your collaboration hits pay dirt. Creative work energizes, satisfies and inspires. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
ACROSS 1 Analyze grammatically 6 Comic Silverman 11 Atlanta-to-Miami dir. 14 At full speed 15 Actress De La Garza 16 “Buffy” airer after The WB 17 Breakfast dish that sounds spoiled? 19 Part of LGBTQ 20 Ashtabula’s lake 21 Fruity drinks 22 Master, in Swahili 24 Earthquakes 26 Cold one at a bar 27 Snack cake brand named for a four-year-old 33 Split up 36 Aired again 37 Immigrants’ subj. 38 Gunk 39 Helen who sang “I Am Woman” 40 In good health 41 Post-apartheid ruling party: Abbr. 42 With “en,” hot, in sports slang 43 Spoils, with “on” 44 Two-level bus 47 __ center: exact middle 48 Unaffiliated film studios 52 Artist’s flat hat 54 Poker Flat chronicler Harte 57 __-dieu: kneeler 58 Antipollution org. 59 Postpone an article’s essential points ... and a hint to 17-, 27and 44-Across 62 Ready-fire link 63 Correct, as text 64 Like Olympic pools 65 __ Victor: record label 66 Broad valleys 67 Mike who voiced Shrek DOWN 1 Treasure map word 2 Love, in Rome 3 Pie cuts, geometrically
By Paul Coulter
4 Lateral skid 5 Big picture?: Abbr. 6 Anti-DWI gp. 7 On the safer side, at sea 8 Cleaning cloths 9 Oscar winner Lee 10 Washed-up star 11 Sucrose-rich root veggie 12 Bridge 13 Irish New Ager 18 Steinbeck’s “__ of Eden” 23 World Wide __ 25 Sch. near Harvard 26 Time for cake with candles, informally 28 Cornered on a limb 29 Flowerpot spot 30 MD meeting an ambulance 31 “Cast Away” setting 32 Building additions 33 “Good grief!” 34 It’s forbidden 35 Semifictional film genre 39 Felt bad about
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40 2006 film about crosswords 42 Open-bodied truck 43 Animal house 45 Buzzing flier 46 Friends and neighbors 49 “Flashdance... What a Feeling” singer Cara 50 Down-yielding duck
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51 Plants-to-be 52 Den denizen 53 “Beowulf,” e.g. 54 Belgian composer Jacques 55 Hall of Famer Sandberg 56 Approx. takeoff hours 60 Actress Thurman 61 “Slippery” tree
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lifestyles Collegiate Living collegiatetimes.com
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Living-Learning Communities on campus give students an opportunity to make friends and create memories Interested in engineering or adore art? No matter your major or interests, there’s an LLC for you. MARIEL GOMEZ lifestyles staff writer
The first year in college can be stressful. Questions that a lot of new students ask themselves are about their living situation. Where should I live? Who am I going to room with? Will I make a lot of friends? The dorm you live in can impact your freshman year in a major way. In a few of the dorms on campus, you will find programs called Living-Learning Communities (LLCs). The LLCs focus on integrating certain areas of interest with where you live. They allow students with
required courses that the residents need to take their first year of college. All of the LLCs are located in different dorms throughout the residential side of campus. Prices of being a part of these programs vary depending on which building it is located in, but each LLC has a $50 per semester program fee that funds all the programs and activities offered. The spaces that are picked out for these communities include community kitchens, libraries, studios, maker spaces and classrooms, keeping group living and learning in mind. There are also three residential colleges that make up the Learning Living Programs with
“The friendships I developed during the
events, mentor meetings and from living side by side with my friends provided a great breather from classes and helped me enjoy my freshman year so much more.
”
similar interests to live and study together. The topics that are covered by these LLCs are: Arts and Creativity - Studio 72, Culture and Identity - Ujima, Engineering - Galileo and Hypatia, Entrepreneurship - Innovate, Honors - Hillcrest, Languages and Global Learning - Mozaiko, Major Exploration VIA, Personal Growth - Thrive, Sciences - Orion, Transfer Students - Transfer Experience, Well-Being - Meraki and the Corps of Cadets. Weekly meetings are held in the communities where residents are asked to participate in active discussions, activities and listen to guest speakers. Virginia Tech states that first-year LLC students have higher GPAs than non-LLC students, show fewer conduct referrals than non-LLC residence halls and report higher rates of mentorship of students by faculty. Galileo, Hypatia, Orion, Innovate, VIA and Meraki all have
Nicholas Hoang sophomore, electrical engineering
the LLCs. The community for the first-year engineering students is split up into two sections called Galileo and Hypatia, which are for men and women respectively. Nicholas Hoang, who is a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering, has been a resident of Galileo since the first semester of his freshman year. It is located on the seventh, sixth and half of the fifth floor of Hoge Hall. Hypatia makes up the other half of the fifth floor, and all of the third and fourth floors. Last semester he became a mentor for the students in Hypatia. “I was originally introduced in the program after learning about LLCs while applying,” Hoang said. “But I then kept hearing about it from the other students who I had connected with who were also majoring in engineering. The friendships I developed during the events, mentor meetings and from living side by side with my friends provided
a great breather from classes and helped me enjoy my freshman year so much more.” Some students follow what Hoang did and take up a leadership role in their second year of being an on-campus resident. He is currently a mentor and a committee member for the LLC’s board. Many students who stay state that living there helped them transition into college and that they want to continue doing that for other students. It is a rare opportunity that students can have in the dorms to implement changes that they believe will make the living experiences better and more enjoyable for their peers. Virginia Tech states that the LLCs will
“change the way you think about living on campus by integrating what you study, where you live, who you live with, and how you think about the world.” Students can apply to these LLCs through the StarRez Portal when a housing contract is made available for interested and eligible students.
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Hokie house hunters: Advice for freshmen moving off campus Hokies share their tips and tricks for apartment hunting that they’ve learned over the years.
OLIVIA FERRARE lifestyles staff writer
The phenomenon can be likened to a continental shift, a mad dash that can be felt throughout all of Blacksburg. The mass exodus of freshmen scrambling to find off-campus living occurs from September until the beginning of spring semester. The eventual transition from dorm living to the “real world” is one that can be intimidating, and the extra pressure of scrambling to decide whether to live in a house or an apartment, how many people to live with and who will make the cut on the lease never helps. Barely a month on campus and freshmen must juggle their first college courses with extensive research on the plethora of options in the area. Upperclassmen are used to it at this point, as most will renew their leases because of the convenience. Where should a newly minted Hokie even begin? A couple off-campus residents share their tips and tricks to surviving the leasing process and ending up in a place you love.
Just like any good chemistry lab or book report, research is the first step. Figuring out what options are available (in an acceptable price range and location) requires thought and care. “Don’t discount the value of other people’s input; you never know what might be useful,” said Miles Guth, a sophomore biological sciences major living in an off-campus apartment. Some helpful resources include parent Facebook pages, junior/senior Facebook pages, and the Virginia Tech Off-Campus Housing Office (VTOCH). They can provide resources on roommate agreements, housing fairs and even apartment guides. Guth and others further removed from “dorm sweet dorm” living have followed a process in picking their first adult living situation. First, try to figure out how many people will be living together, as this will narrow down the search and potentially set a budget. “Usually, students living off-campus for the first time will live in apartment
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complexes because they often include furnished apartments, have amenities and allow the student to live closer to fellow students,” said Sammy Schroen, a student helper at VTOCH. “These large complexes are the most similar option to living in the residence halls. It is important to do extensive research before signing a lease so that you can determine what your needs are and what housing options will be able to fit those needs.” Even if the exact roster might not be set, the team can at least plan to play the game. VTOCH student-worker Kaycie Ludwig gives this tip: “A great option for finding a roommate is using a roommate matching service that many different apartment complexes offer. If you find an apartment complex that you want to sign a lease with that offers this service, they will be able to match you with roommates after you sign a lease.” Next, distinguishing a budget and standard of living between the roommates helps establish similar expectations between every resident. Does the monthly rent include amenities, and how will the rent/ other costs be split? Unfortunately, the fine print on a lease should not be swiped through like Apple’s terms and conditions, as some units do not include facilities usage or utilities in monthly rent. Finally, take a page out of any real estate agent’s book and consider the importance of location. How far away from campus is too
ANTHONY WU / COLLEGIATE TIMES
far, and the presence of a car (or lack thereof) should be a factor when considering housing options. While the Blacksburg Transit system is far-reaching and very reliable, it is not always convenient for every complex or house. “Spend some time now driving around, familiarizing yourself with the surrounding area, and creating a ‘mental map’ of where you might want to live here in Blacksburg,” Guth said, as even differentiating between where the Krogers are located can be a challenge sometimes. Understanding where the ideal home is in town is key to narrowing down the search as well. Above all else, stay calm. With enough research and conversation, the process will eventually work out. In just a little less than a year, a new group of sophomores (ready to finally use a bathroom without shower shoes) will descend upon the town, ready to take on another year in the great town of Blacksburg.
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October 27, 2020 PAGE 11
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Moving soon? First know your rights as a tenant
The New River Tenants Union is on your side when it comes to disagreements between you and your landlord. ELIA CHAVES lifestyles staff writer
As the fall semester flies by and plans for the future are being made, there is one thing on students’ minds for next year: Where am I going to live? Whether you are considering re-signing the lease on your apartment, obsessively cruising Craigslist for housing listings or calling up various leasing companies in the area for properties, it can be tough to find the right place. But what happens when you find that perfect place? It is too often that tenants sign leases without reading and understanding the lease themselves. Most students are not equipped with the knowledge of the law to understand their rights as renters. This misinformation makes it easier for landlords to prey upon their tenants. Have no fear – there are resources to prevent hoodwinking, like the New River Tenants Union. NRTU has taken initiative in creating a supportive organization that aims to protect tenants against unlawful housing practices, even helping those in need of legal aid. They believe in the importance of any tenant knowing their legal rights. Adam Ryan, one of the founding members of the NRTU, recognizes university students as a target group for landlords to take advantage of. “They’re a transient population – most students aren’t from here and it’s very easy for them to get away with things like taking away people’s security deposits and not giving it back,” Ryan said. “And that’s partly why students and tenants need to know their own rights. Because if you don’t know the entire process from moving in to moving out as a tenant, it’s very easy for them. It becomes your word against theirs.” Thoroughly read your lease It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a move and quickly sign a lease without thoroughly understanding its parameters. As a tenant, it is your responsibility to know what you are agreeing to, like how much the monthly rent is, what repairs you might liable for and where to pay utility bills to. If you find any red flags on the lease, it might be helpful to talk about them with your renter. After signing the lease, you are legally binded to follow its rules, so sign mindfully. Take pictures of everything Upon moving into your new pad, it’s wise to inspect the space and take note of its
condition. Snap pictures of each room and record all sorts of details like carpet stains, wall scratches, etc. Compile a list of everything you see, save a copy for yourself and give one to the landlord. This ensures that you have proof of the original condition of the place. “It’s very easy for landlords to manipulate things, take folks’ security deposits, deny repairs, use the threat of eviction to keep a tenant from speaking out or trying to get some sort maintenance or remediation,” Ryan said. Hopefully your space is damage-free and ready to go. If not, know that it is absolutely within your rights to notify your landlord and have them rectify the situation. When it comes time to move out, you and your landlord will know what sort of damage you may have caused versus what was already there. You can even be there for the move-out inspection to ensure that the report is accurate. This allows you to get as much of your security deposit back as possible. Know your rights for repairs Under Virginia State Law, landlords must keep your house or apartment in a safe and habitable condition, appropriately following housing codes. If this code is not met, you as a tenant have a right to complain. For example, if there is mold in the house or if there is a problem with the plumbing, water, heating, etc., your landlord should be able to take care of this within reasonable time. If your landlord disputes or refuses to take care of the issues promptly, you have a right to take your landlord to court and even withhold your rent until these repairs are made. This may only be necessary for very severe cases, and not many college students have time to dispute these sorts of issues. Alas, it is important to know that it is an option, and there are unions out there to support you. The New River Tenants Union has a comprehensive Tenants Defense Guide that is a reference that gives in depth information on tenant rights.
ETHAN CANDELARIO / COLLEGIATE TIMES The Chasewood Downs apartment complex, Sept. 26, 2019.
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