Drillfield Paths Committee experiments with fourteen new surfaces

Originally published by the Collegiate Times. 
Published in print edition, front page, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015. 

Between September 14 and September 25, students can share feedback about 14 materials being tested on Drillfield paths for permanent installation. The decision is scheduled to be announced announced December 2015.

Students can share feedback via Twitter (@drillfieldpaths), online and by scanning QR codes posted on signs adjacent to the materials on the Drillfield. Feedback from community members will be collected in the winter and spring. The original Drillfield did not feature any planned paths, but years of students trekking across the field to and from class created natural “desire paths.” 

These student-made paths led to maintenance issues, primarily mud being carried into academic buildings. The main paths currently in use were first paved in the 1970s, with smaller asphalt paths added in summer 2014 as a temporary fix until a permanent solution is decided upon.

@VTSandsman @drillfieldpaths solar paths! http://t.co/8cRe242S25

— JACOB CHERIATHUNDAM (@JCHERIAT) September 3, 2015

Tested materials include the existing asphalt, stabilized turf, synthetic turf and a combination of concrete, gravel and pavers chosen by the university Drillfield Paths Committee. The committee identifies, tests and evaluates materials to be weather-durable and in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act.

Maintaining a greenspace aesthetic and the Drillfield’s multipurpose use are two goals of the larger initiative supported by the Board of Visitors.

“The Drillfield is the iconic outdoor recreation and transition space in the heart of the Virginia Tech campus,” stated the Virginia Tech facilities request proposal. “A comprehensive master plan is currently being developed for the Drillfield… the pedestrian pathways across the Drillfield are a key component to this master plan.”

The Drillfield Paths Committee, created in spring 2015, is comprised of students, faculty and staff and will provide a recommendation to university officials at the end of the 2015-2016 academic year.

“We brought together experts from our faculty, with those that maintain the Drillfield, and those that use it on a daily basis,” said Sherwood Wilson, vice president for administration. “They have the expertise and they have a thorough understanding of what the Drillfield means to a university community.”

The University is requesting faculty proposals until September 15 for a path material with the selection announced in December 2015. The proposal will be selected by the Drillfield Paths Committee and receives a $30,000 stipend for research, development, testing and evaluation to be shared between the vice president for administration and the vice president for research and innovation. Field testing will begin in the 2016-2017 academic year.

“I hope to accurately represent the graduate student body and be an advocate for a sustainable all-weather solution,” said Devita McCullough, a student member of the committee majoring in industrial and systems engineering. “I bring a pretty unique perspective and educational background.”

The Drillfield Master Plan will address changes in the pathways, field turf, seating, crosswalks, lighting, landscaping and amenities such as Wi-Fi. Seemingly in a constant state of construction, Virginia Tech continues to improve and invent the future.

Center for the Arts prepares for 2015-16 season

Originally published by the Collegiate Times as Lifestyles.
Published in print edition, front page centerspread, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015.

According to NPR, 90 percent of the music we listen to is music we’ve heard before, due to repeating riffs in similar tunes. The remaining 10 percent is what the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech strives to explore through a variety of musical, physical and visual performances.

“How do we expand that 10 percent?” asks Ruth Waalkes, executive director of the Center for the Arts. “That’s where you really learn. Maybe you’ve never heard of an artist, but that doesn’t mean it might not be interesting or something that expands your thinking.”

Set for its third fall season, packed with visits from musicians, dancers, painters and even puppeteers, The Center for the Arts designed its events to challenge students. Among this year’s performers are Los Angeles, New York and London-based artists, deliberately unique in their shared theme of storytelling through multimedia.

With a total of 27 different programs this year, one of the first anticipated events is “STREB,” a company that blends dance with athletics, rodeo, circus and athletics, performing on Oct. 2.

“Elizabeth Streb is kind of a force of nature all on her own,” Waalkes said. “It’s these death-defying things they’re doing onstage, but it’s really because she’s interested in pushing the human body and seeing how far it can go.”

As a part of STREB’s visit, they will host a talk with the choreographer, Elizabeth Streb, and a documentary screening at the Lyric Theatre. Other opportunities to work with and learn from visiting artists are planned, including a jam session with the St. Laurence String Quartet on Oct. 25 and workshops with Diavolo, which combines architecture and dance.

Based in Los Angeles, Diavolo was one of the first performers at Moss Arts Center and will be returning by popular demand on May 6.

“One of the things that struck me, aside from just the beauty of the work, was that Diavolo really had a strong commitment to education and doing things off the stage, as well,” Waalkes said. “That’s really interesting to us, when artists want to come here and they’re interested in engaging somehow with students and the community.”

On Feb. 20, “Vocalosity” performs a cappella, featuring two (yet to be determined) cast members from “Pitch Perfect 2” and directed by Deke Sharon, the vocal producer for “Pitch Perfect” and NBC’s “The Sing-Off.” One on-campus a cappella group will be chosen to open the show.

The cast of L.A. Theatre Works will also grace the stage with familiar faces from television and cinema as they present “Dracula” on Oct. 30, in time for Halloween.

On April 14, 15 and 16, Teatro Hugo and Ines, a Peruvian couple, transform puppetry into art and poetry in the Cube inside the center.

“They put little eyes on their hands or they are somewhere she will sit on the floor and she puts a nose on her knee and drapes fabric, and all of a sudden, her knee becomes this face, this puppet,” Waalkes said. “It’s hard to describe, but it’s really, really beautiful work that’s very small and intimate.”

This season’s artists are no strangers to stages around the nation, with some performances anticipating full capacity months prior to opening, such as the United States Marine Band on Sept. 17. The Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, which stages most shows, seats more than 1,000 and is equipped with state-of-the-art acoustics, which was prioritized during construction.

“The quality of the space itself is amazing,” Waalkes said. “You can have the quietest moment with a string quartet or a violin and there’s really not a bad seat in the house.”

Student tickets are available now to all shows and for all seats for $10. Subscriptions comprise one third of attendance and allow flexibility in show choices to encourage exploration of diversity. Last-minute rush tickets are also available two hours in advance of shows if seats remain and can be claimed via text notifications (sign up by texting “arts” to 31996).

“We absolutely want to fill the theatre, and if we have capacity, we’d much rather have those free tickets to hand to students,” Waalkes said. “I think once students come in and have an experience here and see the theatre, they realize it’s an incredible place to hear music and see these highly visual projects we’re bringing in and they’re much more likely to come back.”

Shows attract a diversity of majors and ages, even from surrounding counties. Placed as a front door to campus from downtown Blacksburg and an arguable equivalent to the Kennedy Center for the New River Valley region (without the traffic or expense), the center prioritizes access and hospitality for its students, faculty and community members. As a part of outreach, matinees with artists who extend their appeal to primary school students are scheduled, with classroom involvement for younger students, as well.

“There really is a great interest and need for arts programming that some in our region just don’t have access to,” Waalkes said. “This is here for everyone.”

The center collaborates closely with the School of Performing Arts, the School of Visual Arts and the Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology (ICAT). Since the Center’s conception, Waalkes has noticed changes in the university, such as an increase in music majors, potentially due to the increased visibility of arts on campus.

“We’re deliberately reaching out to different colleges and departments,” Waalkes said. “We’re seeing a lot of cross-pollination happening and people are really excited about that. All of us see arts as a creative practice and process that’s important for students, regardless of what you’re studying.”

To further encourage conversation, the website features an “Explorer’s Guide,” with multimedia, information and questions for audience members. Students are invited to enter a contest to win a trip for four to Busch Gardens by attending five events.

Plans for next year’s lineup have already started, with hopes of bringing artists from even farther parts of the world, including East Africa and Cambodia. As the Center for the Arts continues to entertain and excite, their commitment to learning and connecting remains as they challenge students to expand their minds past that 10 percent.

For a complete calendar of this year’s events, visit the Moss Arts Center or their website.

Tech football honors fallen journalists in first game of the season

Originally published by the Collegiate Times as News.
Published in print edition, page 6, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2015.

Virginia Tech athletics will honor two television journalists killed last Wednesday, August 26, with special helmet stickers during the football season opener on Labor Day versus Ohio State.

“It’s extremely important that the families and loved ones of Alison Parker, Adam Ward and WDBJ-TV know that we stand united with them through this painful time,” said Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer in an interview with Roanoke CBS affiliate WDBJ7. “My heart is absolutely broken for the Parker and Ward families, and my prayer is that they gain strength and peace through the support and love of this community.”

Alison Parker, a 2012 graduate of James Madison University, and Adam Ward, a 2011 graduate of Virginia Tech, were shot during a live broadcast for WDBJ7 at Smith Mountain Lake.

The memorial stickers were announced Sunday and feature the number seven, representing the station, and teal and maroon ribbons symbolizing Parker’s favorite color and Ward as a Virginia Tech graduate. Athletic events this past weekend also paid tribute, with teal and maroon ribbons distributed before the start of each event and a moment of silence during volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer.

“It just breaks your heart to hear these things. We want them to know how much we’re thinking about them,” Beamer said. “They’re not going to be forgotten.”

The first helmet sticker honoring Alison & Adam from @WDBJ7 has been applied by @VTEquipment #StrongTogether pic.twitter.com/BdBJEutrGt

— VT Football (@VT_Football) August 31, 2015

Scholarships have been founded in both victims’ names. The Alison B. Parker Memorial Fund is established through James Madison University. Parker is also a 2009 graduate of Patrick Henry Community College, which has established the Alison Bailey Parker Memorial Scholarship with the PHCC Foundation.

“Alison was a great example of what dedication and motivation can do in someone’s life,” said PHCC executive director Chris Parker (no relation). “As a product of PHCC and Martinsville, she made us all proud of her achievements and the way she carried herself through that success in life.”

The Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association announced a scholarship in memory of Ward, a 2007 graduate of Salem High School, will benefit a Salem graduate who plans to pursue a career in journalism or photojournalism at Virginia Tech.

WELCOME BACK: Fall 2015 event preview

Originally published by the Collegiate Times as Lifestyles.

For freshmen and older Hokies alike, fall semester can get overwhelming fast, with move-in, syllabus week, club meetings and scouring the web to see if it’s possible to maybe get that $600 textbook just a little bit cheaper. To balance the weight of academia and socialization (looking at you, new roommate), here are some events to distract, de-stress and delight. It’s no wonder why Hokies have been recently been named the second happiest group of students around by the Princeton Review.

 For students living on campus and moving in on August 20, sit back and relax with a movie, sponsored by Virginia Tech’s New Student and Family Programs and hosted by the Black Student Alliance and the Virginia Tech Union. Starting at 9 p.m., “Pitch Perfect 2” will be playing in Burruss Hall (moved from the Drillfield due to expected storms); come socialize with new hallmates and old friends.

The three organizations have also planned a visit by veteran hypnotist Doug MacCraw and his comedy show on August 21 at 7 p.m. in Burruss Auditorium. MacCraw’s experience across corporate gigs, theme parks, cruise ships and college campuses makes his first appearance at Virginia Tech one that should not be missed -- especially with complimentary popcorn and cotton candy.

“Our biggest goal is to provide quality educational and social entertainment that represents the diverse culture of Virginia Tech’s students and its community,” Hannah Thomas, president of VTU, said. “I hope that we are able to connect with even more students. We strive to do this every year and I hope that this year is a great year for entertainment for our student body and community.”

A joint effort between the Residence Hall Foundation (RHF) and Recreational Sports, Kickoff, or Beach Bash, is on August 22 on Dietrick Lawn and inside McComas Hall. With free food, free shirts, performances and games, this event is a great way to start off the semester and get back into Hokie Spirit (Lines can get long, so get there early!) The event runs 6 to 9 p.m.

 Walk through Hokie tradition into Lane Stadium for the Hokie Hi Welcome Picnic on August 23 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Stand - you can sit when you graduate - for this event as you get pumped up with coaches and players from the basketball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling and, of course, football teams. Also adding to the spirit are the Virginia Tech cheerleaders, HighTechs and Marching Virginians. Don’t miss out on food and spirit and be sure to bring your on-campus room key for admission.

The first concert of the years is provided by Class Programs, which is supervised by the Alumni Association and handles everything related to do with the class ring and tradition. Following tradition, this year’s third year Class of 2017 will sponsor the Kickoff concert on Friday August 28 outside of Squires Student Center. DJ TMMPO will open, followed by The Band Concord. Delta Rae, a rock band hailing from North Carolina, will be headlining the event.

“Junior year is such a big year for us as Tech students because we have established ourselves as Hokies and also get our class rings,” said Pat Finn, president of the Class of 2017.

One of the biggest gatherings of the year, Gobblerfest draws in more than 20,000, packing the Drillfield with booths from businesses, organizations, clubs and rides, offering information and t-shirts. Don’t miss it on Friday, September 4 for performances, prizes and free stuff.

This is the time and place to get involved in something new and to be entertained, and there are performances by student dance groups, including Bamboom and DOP (Dancing’s Our Poison). Professional organizations, fraternities, volunteer societies and religious organizations are only a few types of student organizations available. From the Four Square Club to Bronies, there are opportunities for everyone. Explore the entire list at the Gobblerfest website.

Just a few days later, Grammy Award-winning country artist Brad Paisley will be playing a free concert in the Cassell Coliseum Lot. This show kicks off Paisley's "Country Nation College Tour presented by Zaxby's," during which he'll play for other schools like Baylor University and the University of Arkansas. The concert begins at 8 p.m. with headliner Eric Paslay.

Another big event for the upcoming semester is a concert from The Avett Brothers, a popular folk-indie-bluegrass rock band, whom VTU has scheduled to play Thursday, September 11 in Burruss. Tickets are available online at a discounted student rate of $30 and to the general public for $45. In the past, VTU has brought performers such as Aziz Ansari, Jason Mraz and Chance the Rapper, to name a few.

The Black Student Alliance at Virginia Tech, another major campus programming board, has previously brought performers like Kevin Hart and J. Cole, but they were unavailable to comment on their plans for this semester.

However, the Hokie spirit doesn’t stop -- if you’re not quite ready for the spirit and enthusiasm of the start of the school year to end, then you don’t have to be. Smaller and more frequent than the annual Gobblerfest, Gobblernights are hosted every couple of months throughout the year inside of Squires. The first of the year is Friday, September 25. Students can print personalized street signs, listen to a local DJ, learn how to salsa dance and have late-night cravings satisfied. All Gobblernights are free of charge and are hosted on Friday evenings with unique themes.

The anticipated Class of 2017 ring premiere will be at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6 in Burruss Hall. The ring will be available for viewing for the first time and free shirts will also be available.

With these opportunities and endless spirit, new and returning Hokies will have no trouble feeling back at home in Blacksburg.

Pledging Allegiance to One Flag Only

NPR and the local radios have been taking callers expressing their opinions about the Charleston tragedy, which has sparked larger controversy over the Confederate flag. Working for my high school newspaper in northern Virginia, I contemplated the topic during a piece dealing with race, in which I interviewed a diversity of students. Not one of the students whom I spoke with believed that the Confederate flag was an acceptable motif or symbol. One of my peers even explained his misconception about the flag’s history, seeing it only as a way of displaying Southern pride (until he came to understand its associations and context). 

Erected as a symbol of the South, its declared President and the values it fought for, the Confederate flag brings to mind the Civil War era: the most divisive time period in American history. The Civil War, inspired by and fought for for more reasons than one, is undeniably marked by the brutality of slavery. While listening to the radio, many claimed that the Confederate flag stands for southern pride or for their ancestors who were veterans of the Confederation. Obviously the Confederate lost to the Union and thankfully, all fifty states are under one United States of America, one president and one flag. Pride in one’s ancestors or home is understandable and should go without need for justification, regardless of disagreement to fundamental principles they may have believed in. However, the flag is a widespread symbol tainted by the very principles the Confederacy stood for. 

The Confederate flag may not stand to instigate, but the context from which it was born should not be forgotten or replaced. The Confederate flag should not fly in fronts of government buildings (or at all, in my opinion). This is not an encroachment of privacy or upon individual rights — this is a decision founded upon a consensus that the larger connotations of the flag — slavery, divisiveness, secession — overshadow personal meaning and should not stand at the forefront of American foundations or values, but inside of a museum where its meaning will be preserved with other memories of the past.  

As is the choice to fly the flag and believe in its continuity, the choice for companies, such as Amazon and Walmart, to discontinue its sale is completely within their rights. Reddit, an online news/social media forum, has taken steps to shut down communities deemed to encourage hatred or condemning of certain groups of people. In response to an idea heard on the radio: their choice to discontinue Confederate flag merchandise is completely unlike discontinuing the sale of LGBTQ merchandise. The LGBTQ flag symbolizes peoples’ pride and encourages their own self and societal acceptance. Fundamentally, it promotes love, not hatred. If there were a flag symbolizing hatred toward the LGBTQ community, that one would be unacceptable in accordance with Amazon’s policies. The Confederate flag is like its opposition; while it may promote unity amongst people of the American South, it also draws a division between America and within a community that once stood as a force against the other half. 

To address fears over encroachment on rights and freedoms of speech, worries over whether other motifs, such as the cross, should not be had. The Confederate flag is more than a symbol of unity: it is a symbol of hatred and a statement of one side against the other. To compare a flag of racial supremacy can be compared only to the Nazi flag (not churches, or anything else). 

The swastika, originally a Sanskrit motif meaning “well-being" (which has since been tarnished), was taken and used by the Nazis, who conducted one of the largest genocides in history, targeting multiple groups of peoples they superficially perceived as beneath them: most famously, people of Jewish faith. Nazi Germany and the Confederate States of America existed as vastly different bodies in their actions, intentions and contexts. Yet the Nazi flag is now banned in Germany, France (with the exception of historical purpose) and Hungary. This opinion is not unpopular; actress Whoopi Goldberg stated, “It would be like having the swastika flag flying on your next-door neighbor. If it continues to fly, the statement that’s being made is that ‘We miss this really crappy part of history.'” 

The fact that church shooter Dylan Roof used the Confederate flag to declare his twisted belief in white supremacy and in some eyes, to reignite a race war, is not illogical. The flag stands for exactly this, despite additional meanings it may take on by individuals. The weight of history is not one that can be replaced.

On the topic of the race war, I would like to highlight another point on the radio concerning race and whether it matters: one caller stated that if racism existed, then Rachel Dolezal could never have gained power. Thankfully, the radio host proceeded to almost immediately thank and dismiss her. This does not prove that racism does not exist because an African American person can gain political influence; it has proved a widespread agreement that one’s race and ethnic background is not a choice, but an unchangeable part of oneself that is fundamental to being and pertinent to perspective and consequently, societal perception and experience. 

Racism will not simply cease to exist with the banning of the flag and the events of the Civil War will not fade to fiction. For those who fight that the flag is not racist, is it as easy to deny the fact that the Confederacy existed to divide and separate? Honor of individuals should not be stuck to a flag, but should exist in memories of people who should be able to place meaning in people as they are instead of causes they stand for. Was Roof’s usage of the Confederate flag so far manipulated that its meaning was indecipherable? Was it so far off from its roots that his donning was illogical? 

Southern society may be decorated with Confederate-themed paraphernalia and a single flag’s removal may seem insignificant in terms of its extensiveness, but the larger statement that its removal will make will echo hope for the future of America. Just because change may be hard to make or peoples’ ways of thinking may be ingrained or unchangeable, it should not discourage a belief in change. South Carolina state Sen. Lee Bright stated, “These are honorable men who fought for their homes, their home state; to disgrace them in the name of political correctness is just wrong. They’re not here to defend themselves.” 

The removal of the flag is not a disgrace to their honor and the sacrifices they made will be forever remembered; but the flag has been a longtime symbol of Confederate values, which are outdated and no longer have a place in American society. The honor of the soldiers will remain, but alone, and without need for support by the flag. At the cornerstone of the flag are beliefs in separation, resistance and supremacy. By removing the flag, we are not removing the existence of these soldiers or their individual lives; we are removing the side for which they fought: one that exists no longer, losing to a unification that is the strength at the core of the United States of America. 

While memories and honor of Confederate soldiers are not up to us to judge to remain, the flag as a symbolic cause should not. By removing the flag, we are taking a step to remove a way of thinking. We are not working backwards; we are working for a stronger future based upon unity and acceptance and without any semblances of separation or hints of supremacy. 

The unforgiving history that flies with the Confederate flag is one that cannot be buried or denied — it is one that will ring with reminders of slavery, divisiveness and a history of hatred and discrimination, and should be lowered from its staff and laid to rest. 

Take down the #ConfederateFlag at the SC Capitol. To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred. Remove it now to honor #Charleston victims.

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) June 20, 2015

Good point, Mitt. https://t.co/Ryusfp8Xbh

— President Obama (@POTUS) June 21, 2015