Originally published by the Collegiate Times as Lifestyles.
Soon-to-be alumni (and Hokies of all years) are preparing both mentally and academically to leave Blacksburg for the workforce, meaning resume revisions and overflowing email outboxes.
A crucial, often overlooked aspect of the job hunt is to clean up social media outlets to seem employable, and with the Business Horizons Career Fair coming up, this week is the prime time for cleaning and suiting up.
Apply Magic Sauce, a prediction engine developed by the University of Cambridge Psychometrics Centre, is a prediction API (application program interface) that analyzes your digital footprint into a psychological profile using Facebook data. Storing personal data, Apply Magic Sauce utilizes likes, statuses, tweets, browsing data and open text to provide statistics on personality traits, intelligence, life satisfaction, political and religious views, sexuality and profession.
“Students have to be very careful on what you post on Facebook and how you are perceived,” said Bonnie Gilbert, assistant director of alumni relations at the Pamplin College of Business. “It’s fine to put some information up, and it’s important to be out there on Facebook to keep up with trends and where people are, and sometimes it’s the only way to find people.”
Available for research, business and personal use, the app asked for consent to access my Facebook digital footprint. Based purely on Facebook data, which limits the reach of analysis severely to those who are active users, caused feedback to be insufficient. My results were disappointing, often not matching up to my actual preferences or identifications.
My initial confidence in the application was quickly replaced by disappointment, starting with its lack of accuracy in major areas that might be obvious to another human user as opposed to an algorithm. However, this discrepancy could also provide insight into how my actual Facebook profile does not reflect myself.
“I wouldn’t mind using the application, not because I would be sketched out by it but because I don’t really care if they have my information,” said Esther Yi, a third-year engineering student. “A lot of people use apps like, ‘Who should you room with?’ and that takes their information, or they log into things using Facebook. I don’t really put any information out there.”
Though Apply Magic Sauce’s age guestimate was almost ten years off, and its political and religious orientations were also inaccurate, the analysis was interesting to see. Nevertheless, Gilbert advises students to avoid consenting personal data unless necessary.
“Only if you’re trying to project a certain image on Facebook and you need to know what you’re projecting from an outside source,” Gilbert said. “Employers do go out and look at your information, and that could be a deciding factor of whether you’re offered a position at their company or not.”
Despite the source, even if it is academic, such as the University of Cambridge, Gilbert advises to absolutely avoid applications of this nature.
The verdict: The information was brief and some parts even complimentary (I was told I was “more intelligent than 89 percent of the population”), but the site proved to be just another place for more of my personal information to be stored somewhere online with little return.
10.9.15
Tech alumna to debut designs at New York Couture Fashion Week
Originally published by the Collegiate Times as Lifestyles.
Published in print edition, page 7, Friday, Sept. 11, 2015.
Mixing cultural inspiration with timeless style, DiDomenico Designs draws inspiration from around the world into unique, handcrafted designs. Kelsy Dominick, the founder of the brand, graduated from Virginia Tech in 2013 with a degree in Apparel, Housing and Resource Management.
From her freshman to senior year, she worked at a tailor shop and her designs were featured in school and community fashion shows. They started to sell at 310 Rosemont in downtown Blacksburg and other local boutiques.
Now they will be debuting for the first time in one of the fashion capitals of the world: at New York Couture Fashion Week.
Eight of Dominick’s dresses will grace the runway at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square. A product of six months of preparation, the theme of her collection is a virtuous woman, inspired by her Christian faith. Most of the dresses are silk and decorated with hand-beaded embellishments and stitching work.
“As crazy as the concepts might be, they are still very elegant,” Dominick said. “They transcend through different trends. It’s different, and it’s different in a tasteful way.”
Since 2009, Dominick has been building her brand, which specializes in eveningwear and custom-wear and designed for women 25 to 35 years. The pieces to be featured on the runway are couture and are available in ready-to-wear versions. Her designs are no stranger to runways, but when a friend encouraged her to apply to New York Fashion Week, she went for it.
“When I got the email from them, I was kind of like ‘Wait, now what?’” Dominick said.
Sleep-deprived, nervous, but most of all prepared, Dominick anticipates the networking opportunities to meet and collaborate with other designers. “It’s an overflow of emotions,” Dominick said. “I know once it’s all done and once it’s all out there, I will appreciate the nights I sacrificed, not sleeping, to get to this point.”
During Fashion Week, Dominick hopes to raise awareness of her brand and to inspire others to share her perception of beauty: that fashion is not confined to any look. As part of her efforts to showcase diversity, DiDomenico Designs features models of different ethnicities on the website. She also explores diversity through photography, as a part of her photo series of her in exotic places with a rustic sewing machine.
“When I first posted the #SewingTheWorld photos, I was like, ‘People think I’m crazy.” Dominick said. “But the more you inspire other people, the more they inspire you.”
A self-proclaimed travel addict, Dominick’s travels first began after she quit her day job to backpack through Southeast Asia for two months.
“When I came back and still continued to travel, I was like, ‘How can I merge the two together? How can I put fashion with travel?’” Dominick said. “A lot of people who like one like or are inspired by the other or they can appreciate both at the same time.”
The photos are part of her brand, showcasing cultural influences. Dominick’s first trip featuring the sewing machine was to the Middle East, with one of the places she photographed being Petra, the Lost City of Stone in Jordan. Now she researches and plans ahead of time.
“I know every time I go somewhere now, I have to bring my stuff with me,” Dominick said. “This week, when I go to Fashion Week, I have a photographer lined up who’s going to shoot me sewing something on a rooftop with New York in the background.”
Dominick hopes to entertain and to provide a story for her audience to follow.
“If I find an opportunity or someone who will go with me, I usually drop everything and go,” Dominick said. “Life is short. It’s inspiring because the people you meet are sometimes more interesting than the people you meet on the runway or in your line of work because they have such a different perspective.”
The name “DiDomenico” finds roots in culture as her family’s original surname before being Americanized by her grandmother. Half Italian and half African American, her family and culture is reflected in her brand. The logo was also inspired by her grandmother’s signature. Italian in origin, DiDomenico means “day of God,” which serves as a subtle reminder of her faith.
Dominick expresses gratitude towards her parents for supporting her and allowing her to major in a creative field. Her mother, who was also an entrepreneur, inspired her to believe anything is possible and to never stop learning.
“It’s not just about making pretty dresses – it’s about everything business-savvy and everything you have to learn in order to be successful in every aspect,” Dominick said.
After graduating, transitioning out of school and into a nine-to-five job was difficult and left little time and energy for anything else. It was her commitment to her passion that set her apart.
"It is wonderful seeing our program graduates thriving in the fashion industry and Kelsy is an excellent example of a young entrepreneur who has risen to the challenges of creating her own product line,” said Dr. LuAnn Gaskill, Professor in the Apparel Program at Virginia Tech in a recent press release. “Kelsy identified her career goals early and is making great gains in living her dream through her drive, tenacity, and creativity. She is clearing an inspiration to those who know her."
Simultaneously working and pursuing her passion into building a business forced Dominick to make compromises, but her persistence and consistency kept her going.
“It’s so easy to say, ‘I’m really passionate about something,’ and have life take you over and you don’t practice it anymore or you’re not good at it anymore,” Dominick said. “You have to be consistent and stick with it and do it every single day, and you will see some type of change or difference.”
With eight years of business experience, Dominick’s team has grown with added seamstresses and employees. All products are handmade, despite volume increase and consequent expansion. From making dresses on the side after coming home from work to becoming a designer brand, the fear Dominick once had has become ambition and curiosity.
“Sometimes you’re just afraid to tell people you want to build a business because they might laugh at it,” Dominick said. “It’s being embarrassed to be ambitious. You have to believe in yourself first and that’s the hardest part.”
In the future, Dominick hopes to become a larger e-commerce business with her own warehouse and assembly team. She also wants to ease custom ordering with the added option of made-to-measurement clothing, to allow all women to wear the designs. Despite challenges, Dominick continues to work and to learn as she pursues her passion and keeps high standards.
“I could have stopped and been like, ‘This is good enough,’” Dominick said. “But I want someone to be moved by what I put out there. Not like, ‘Oh, it’s kind of nice.’ I want to speak to people through designs; I don’t want to have to say anything.”
Of the entire process, Dominick considers the most rewarding part to be connecting with people who are passionate about what they do. She believes the more passionate people you meet, the more likely you are to succeed.
“Whether it’s abroad or it’s here, I think everybody has a story to tell,” Dominick said.
Published in print edition, page 7, Friday, Sept. 11, 2015.
Mixing cultural inspiration with timeless style, DiDomenico Designs draws inspiration from around the world into unique, handcrafted designs. Kelsy Dominick, the founder of the brand, graduated from Virginia Tech in 2013 with a degree in Apparel, Housing and Resource Management.
From her freshman to senior year, she worked at a tailor shop and her designs were featured in school and community fashion shows. They started to sell at 310 Rosemont in downtown Blacksburg and other local boutiques.
Now they will be debuting for the first time in one of the fashion capitals of the world: at New York Couture Fashion Week.
Eight of Dominick’s dresses will grace the runway at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square. A product of six months of preparation, the theme of her collection is a virtuous woman, inspired by her Christian faith. Most of the dresses are silk and decorated with hand-beaded embellishments and stitching work.
“As crazy as the concepts might be, they are still very elegant,” Dominick said. “They transcend through different trends. It’s different, and it’s different in a tasteful way.”
Since 2009, Dominick has been building her brand, which specializes in eveningwear and custom-wear and designed for women 25 to 35 years. The pieces to be featured on the runway are couture and are available in ready-to-wear versions. Her designs are no stranger to runways, but when a friend encouraged her to apply to New York Fashion Week, she went for it.
“When I got the email from them, I was kind of like ‘Wait, now what?’” Dominick said.
Sleep-deprived, nervous, but most of all prepared, Dominick anticipates the networking opportunities to meet and collaborate with other designers. “It’s an overflow of emotions,” Dominick said. “I know once it’s all done and once it’s all out there, I will appreciate the nights I sacrificed, not sleeping, to get to this point.”
During Fashion Week, Dominick hopes to raise awareness of her brand and to inspire others to share her perception of beauty: that fashion is not confined to any look. As part of her efforts to showcase diversity, DiDomenico Designs features models of different ethnicities on the website. She also explores diversity through photography, as a part of her photo series of her in exotic places with a rustic sewing machine.
“When I first posted the #SewingTheWorld photos, I was like, ‘People think I’m crazy.” Dominick said. “But the more you inspire other people, the more they inspire you.”
A self-proclaimed travel addict, Dominick’s travels first began after she quit her day job to backpack through Southeast Asia for two months.
“When I came back and still continued to travel, I was like, ‘How can I merge the two together? How can I put fashion with travel?’” Dominick said. “A lot of people who like one like or are inspired by the other or they can appreciate both at the same time.”
The photos are part of her brand, showcasing cultural influences. Dominick’s first trip featuring the sewing machine was to the Middle East, with one of the places she photographed being Petra, the Lost City of Stone in Jordan. Now she researches and plans ahead of time.
“I know every time I go somewhere now, I have to bring my stuff with me,” Dominick said. “This week, when I go to Fashion Week, I have a photographer lined up who’s going to shoot me sewing something on a rooftop with New York in the background.”
Dominick hopes to entertain and to provide a story for her audience to follow.
“If I find an opportunity or someone who will go with me, I usually drop everything and go,” Dominick said. “Life is short. It’s inspiring because the people you meet are sometimes more interesting than the people you meet on the runway or in your line of work because they have such a different perspective.”
The name “DiDomenico” finds roots in culture as her family’s original surname before being Americanized by her grandmother. Half Italian and half African American, her family and culture is reflected in her brand. The logo was also inspired by her grandmother’s signature. Italian in origin, DiDomenico means “day of God,” which serves as a subtle reminder of her faith.
Dominick expresses gratitude towards her parents for supporting her and allowing her to major in a creative field. Her mother, who was also an entrepreneur, inspired her to believe anything is possible and to never stop learning.
“It’s not just about making pretty dresses – it’s about everything business-savvy and everything you have to learn in order to be successful in every aspect,” Dominick said.
After graduating, transitioning out of school and into a nine-to-five job was difficult and left little time and energy for anything else. It was her commitment to her passion that set her apart.
"It is wonderful seeing our program graduates thriving in the fashion industry and Kelsy is an excellent example of a young entrepreneur who has risen to the challenges of creating her own product line,” said Dr. LuAnn Gaskill, Professor in the Apparel Program at Virginia Tech in a recent press release. “Kelsy identified her career goals early and is making great gains in living her dream through her drive, tenacity, and creativity. She is clearing an inspiration to those who know her."
Simultaneously working and pursuing her passion into building a business forced Dominick to make compromises, but her persistence and consistency kept her going.
“It’s so easy to say, ‘I’m really passionate about something,’ and have life take you over and you don’t practice it anymore or you’re not good at it anymore,” Dominick said. “You have to be consistent and stick with it and do it every single day, and you will see some type of change or difference.”
With eight years of business experience, Dominick’s team has grown with added seamstresses and employees. All products are handmade, despite volume increase and consequent expansion. From making dresses on the side after coming home from work to becoming a designer brand, the fear Dominick once had has become ambition and curiosity.
“Sometimes you’re just afraid to tell people you want to build a business because they might laugh at it,” Dominick said. “It’s being embarrassed to be ambitious. You have to believe in yourself first and that’s the hardest part.”
In the future, Dominick hopes to become a larger e-commerce business with her own warehouse and assembly team. She also wants to ease custom ordering with the added option of made-to-measurement clothing, to allow all women to wear the designs. Despite challenges, Dominick continues to work and to learn as she pursues her passion and keeps high standards.
“I could have stopped and been like, ‘This is good enough,’” Dominick said. “But I want someone to be moved by what I put out there. Not like, ‘Oh, it’s kind of nice.’ I want to speak to people through designs; I don’t want to have to say anything.”
Of the entire process, Dominick considers the most rewarding part to be connecting with people who are passionate about what they do. She believes the more passionate people you meet, the more likely you are to succeed.
“Whether it’s abroad or it’s here, I think everybody has a story to tell,” Dominick said.
7.9.15
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.
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.
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.
— 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.
5.9.15
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.
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.
3.9.15
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.”
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.
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.
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