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COLLEGIATETIMESAn independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

112th YEAR, ISSUE 178 September 15, 2016collegiatetimes.com

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CAT PIPER

Insomnia cookies launched in Blacksburg to compete with the long-standing cookie shop Campus Cookies.

Campus vs. Insomnia: Who’s your cookie?

For the longest time, Campus Cookies had a monopoly on the Blacksburg cookie market. With

Insomnia Cookies now on the scene, that’s no longer the case. See who came out on top.

Over the years, college students have evolved from frightened freshmen into self-discovering, argumentative individuals. The common scoff, “That’s debatable,” follows naturally after conver-sations concerning Chipotle vs. Qdoba, McComas vs. War — and more recently, Insomnia Cookies vs. Campus Cookies.

New to the streets of Blacksburg, Insomnia Cookies arrived on the scene just this past summer. Known for its large presence in other college towns across the nation, Blacksburg’s new Insomnia Cookies currently resides on North Main Street — as does Blacksburg’s previously domi-nating cookie store, Campus Cookies.

Depending on the

timeframe one has to order cookies, Insomnia may be the better choice. Something to be considered when ordering cookies is the time it takes for them to arrive.

From the time I ordered, to the time I had the hot, card-board box in my hands, it took 15 minutes. I ordered a batch of 12 cookies through Insomnia’s website at 6:14 p.m., and the cookies arrived in Squires Student Center at 6:29 p.m.

While ordering from Campus Cookies online, the website crashed; so, instead we called in our order. We ordered the cookies at 6:23 p.m. However, it wasn’t until 6:52 p.m. that I received a text stating that my order had been, “Just prepared by Andrew,” and was on its way with a different driver. The order arrived by car at Squires Student Center at 7:03 p.m., coming to a grand

total of 40 minutes separating me from my cookies. The driver told me over the phone he was not allowed to enter any building, so I met him outside on the front steps.

Just as a point of locational reference, Insomnia Cookies is located approximately 5–6 minutes away from Squires Student Center by car, and Campus Cookies is located approximately 7–8 minutes away from Squires Student Center by car. Both can be found on North Main Street in Blacksburg, Virginia.

The total difference in time? Campus Cookies took 25 minutes longer than Insomnia to arrive at Squires Student Center, and when Campus Cookies arrived, it did not meet us inside the building.

The one-dozen batch of Campus Cookies carried more heft and flavor than most of the

Insomnia cookies; however, the Campus Cookies hardened within the hour. Insomnia’s cookies stayed moist and chewy throughout the night. Though the flavors were slightly less complex, the dozen disappeared quickly.

Two cookies that made the spotlight? Campus Cookies’ “Premium Chaos Cookie” and Insomnia’s classic sugar cookie.

C a m p u s C o o k i e s’ “Premium Chaos Cookie” is exactly what it sounds like, a conglomeration of sweets and chocolates. The premium cookies will run an customers and understandable $2.75 a pop. The “Premium Chaos Cookie” towered in comparison to the other $1.25, single-flavor cookies. Inside the 4.5-ounce chaos cookie are

EMILY MCCAULassistant lifestyles editor

see REVIEW / page 6

Dining Services looks to fi ll over 200 positions

Only a year after Virginia Tech’s Dining Services faced unprecedented staffing shortages, the fall semester has once again brought with it a limited number of dining employees. More than 200 positions remain to be filled, leaving locations under-manned and customers waiting.

The challenges posed to Dining Services and its director, Ted Faulkner, mirror 2015’s situation — the difference, however, is the scale of the shortage. By mid-September of last year, over 800 positions were unfilled, a deficit four times greater than the one impeding Dining Services today.

The crux of the staffing shortages, Faulkner said, lies in the lack of applicants. Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 14 of 2015, Dining Services received just 655 applica-tions. To prepare for the 2016–2017 academic year,

Dining Services introduced the online hiring program WyckWyre to ease the appli-cation process.

WyckWyre replaced an older university-created hir ing program that, according to Faulkner, may have discouraged potential applicants. Since Aug. 1, 1,071 students have applied for dining jobs through WyckWyre, an increase that has pleased Dining Services.

Of the 2,200 dining employees on campus, 1,600 are students. The starting student wage begins at $9.00 and increases 25 cents every semester. Employees are also provided a dining voucher worth $8.50 after at least four hours of work.

Frank Liu, a sophomore computer engineer ing major who started working in Owens Food Court last spring, said the staffing shortages have meant that he must take on extra responsibilities.

RICHARD CHUMNEYnews editor

see DINING / page 6

For decades, Apple ha s been a leading

company in advanced technology. Most of the people I know use Apple products, and we look forward to Apple’s reveal of a new concept or upgraded and better products every September. Often times, most of these advance-ments are welcomed by the marketplace. This year, the company has done it again with the unveiling of the newly designed iPhone 7.

It’s official. The new iPhone 7 comes with both good and bad elements. For one, it is now water and dust resistant. On the other hand, it does not have our beloved 3.5mm auxiliary

port cable input, more commonly known as the headphone jack. The reality now is that we can spill water on the phone, but can no longer charge the phone and listen to music at once.

Apple’s Worldwide Ma rket ing Sen ior Vice President Phil Schiller used the word, “Courage” to describe the demise of the head-phone jack. Yet, to some people, the decision could be better char-acterized by words like, “Hubris” and, “Arrogance,” given the fact that the company has killed one of the most successful and wide-spread audio standards.

iPhone change risky, not

courageous

column

Demise of the iPhone 7’s headphone

jack unwelcomed by Apple customers

as company seeks to innovate.

see IPHONE / page 2

Both soccer teams ranked for the fi rst time since the 2008 seasonFor the women’s team, the NCAA top 25 is familiar territory. Head coach Mike Brizendine and the

rest of the men’s team are hoping they can stay there.

For the first time since 2008, both the Virginia Tech women’s and men’s soccer teams are ranked nationally. The NCAA currently ranks the women,

led by head coach Chugger Adair, the No. 13 team in the country.

The top-25 poll is familiar territory for Adair, who has been the head coach since 2011. He was the associate head coach from 2006 to 2009. Adair

and his team have been ranked nationally for at least two weeks in each of his seasons as head coach. Adair’s first season was his least successful campaign in terms of rankings, as the Hokies were only ranked 25th for two weeks and dropped out of the polls after a double-overtime loss to Nebraska.

However, the Hokies eventual ly reached a No. 4 ranking in 2013, their highest ranking in school history. Led by All-American forward Jazmine Reeves, the Hokies made it all the way to the Collegiate Cup — soccer’s version of the Final Four — before losing to ACC rival and No. 3 team Florida State. The Hokies have made the NCAA tour-nament every season since 2008, back before Adair was the head coach.

This season, the women’s team looks like it’s on its way to a ninth straight tournament berth. A big factor for determining NCAA rankings is strength

of schedule, and while the Hokies have yet to play a truly tough team, their ACC schedule will most certainly be a test. Excluding the Hokies, there are presently six teams in the top 25 that are in Tech’s conference. Four of them are in the top 10. The Hokies begin ACC play tomorrow when they travel to Charlottesville, Virginia, to play the fourth-ranked Virginia Cavaliers.

After that, the Hokies play North Carolina, Duke and Clemson, who are ranked 15th, sixth and 10th, respectively. If they do wellAHMED MUSTAFA / COLLEGIATE TIMES

The Hokies huddle up before kickoff Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, at Thompson Field.

KYLE COOKEassistant sports editor

see RANKED / page 5COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

“This season, the

women’s team looks

like it’s on its way

to a ninth straight

tournament berth.”

EXTRAPOINTTHE Virginia Tech

vs. Boston College

@collegiatetimes

collegiatetimes.com/opinion

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

To others, this decision is greedy because Apple is selling a pair of AirPods, the newly presented Apple Bluetooth earphones, at $159. To me, it is nonsense that customers need to purchase special accessories like Belkin’s Lighting Audio and Charge Rockstar ($40) to charge and listen to music at the same time, something that has been simple and less expensive to do for decades.

For a moment, let’s recall the past. It is certainly not the first time Apple has made such a bold move. Do you remember the 2015 MacBook? The new, extremely thin MacBook had only a single USB Type-C port, making it inconvenient to operate.

The port is what computer operation depends on; charging, transferring data from a USB or even displaying your movie onto a TV screen via HDMI all require the use of the same port. Consider the Type-C port as an intermediary. It connects the laptop to the outside world through an adapter. And, of course, the multi-port adapter is not free. If you want to utilize all these functions that a less sleek-looking laptop can do, you have to purchase extra accessories.

Thinking logically, you might see Apple as taking one step forward, two steps back. I see its motive as aiming for a wireless future. But, perhaps this is not the right time to execute such an

innovative notion.First, listening to music through a

wireless pair of headphones has never been better in quality. Second, the new iPhone 7 is not completely wireless as it does not support Powermat wireless charging. Obviously, it is not better for all of us.

From a manufacturing standpoint, the company had conducted surveys across selected customers that best represent its target market. However, if Apple is seeking a better future for all customers, why did it not extend the poll to satisfy even the pickiest ones?

After all, Apple is doing business. It has to do what a firm is supposed to do — sell products. A tech product will not get any sales if it is the same as the older model. Even small upgrades will count, let alone this year’s major change.

There are also rumors that Apple is causing all of this noise for a purpose. Consumers are likely to have different opinions. Then, with both love and hate, we will all be looking forward to next year, when Apple will be revealing its anniversary model to celebrate 10 years since the first-generation iPhone, but that is a matter for next year. From now until September 2017, its old mantra, “It just works,” might not work out for everyone.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that more than 29 million

Americans have some form of diabetes, making up more than 9 percent of the coun-try’s population. Many of these patients have Type 1 diabetes and, without occa-sional insulin injections, will die. The price for a milliliter of insulin was $4.34 in 2002 and climbed to $12.92 by 2013, rising 197 percent in price.

So, why are these lifesaving medicines that we have had for more than 90 years rising so steadily in price?

In the 1920s, researchers in Toronto began trials of using cow insulin to treat people with diabetes. It worked, but people needed many injections every day and the treatment resulted in side effects.

Researchers soon innovated new insulin that was more effective and had fewer side effects, but it was much more expensive to produce.

“When a new medicine comes out and it has theoretical advantages, we buy into that and think newer is better,” said Dr. Kevin Riggs, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins in an interview with NPR.

At first glance, the innovations seemed great as the number of options would be expected to rise for people to choose insulin based on economic need. However, doctors and pharmacies in the United States

abandoned producing the cheaper insulin thinking it would not be profitable. And while the innovations are significant, in the end, both older drugs and newer drugs saved lives with or without slight improvements.

According to Dr. Fugh-Berman of Georgetown University, government-funded studies comparing old and new drugs often show that the older drugs are similar or better-performing than newer drugs.

It’s not a Big Pharma conspiracy that is trying to increase the price of insulin, even if it might have paid off some small companies to not create products when patents ended in the past.

This problem is because of the tradi-tional capitalist mindset that newer will always be better and thus create more profit. There needs a new market of cheaper insulin products that will save lives, even if not as effective or less prone to side effects to save Americans with tighter budgets.

The government, insurance companies, drug wholesalers, drug companies and pharmacies all need to agree to build a more competitive market for insulin, creating cheaper, lifesaving costs for consumers while keeping profits high.

Republican nominee Donald Trump has lacked support among minority groups due to

his outspoken verbal aggression toward them. After sinking in the polls among black Americans, Trump has started driving his campaign to appeal to the black community. However, his new attempt to win votes seems to have driven those voters away rather than attract them.

The Democratic Party typically wins the majority of the black votes because of its social and economic platforms. With this election, the black vote could be crucial in states such as Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, where blacks make up about 12 to 22 percent of those states’ populations.

According to the Washington Times, Trump receives less than one percent of the black vote when compared with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. His polling among the Hispanic population is even doing better than that — at about 19 percent — despite his plans for large deportations and the infamous wall at the Mexico border.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll last month revealed that only about 6 percent of black voters favor Trump. According to a FiveThirtyEight analysis this month, Trump is polling behind every Republican nominee since 1948 in terms of black support.

Throughout Trump’s campaign this past year, he has never attempted to reach toward minority, specifically black, popu-lations. His consistent negative state-ments toward non-white Americans, women, Muslims and other minorities serve to explain why he lacks votes from the black community. Now, his new appealjust seems to be an empty pull for more votes.

Trump has previously turned down opportunities to address the African-American audiences. These past few weeks, however, he has been trying to prove his credentials as a candidate for black voters. He made appearances at

black churches in Detroit, Michigan; Phi ladelphia, Pennsylvania; and Greenville, North Carolina.

“I’m here today to learn so that we can together remedy injustice in any form, and so that we can also remedy economics so that the African-American community can benefit economically through jobs and income and so many other different ways,” Trump said.

In his speeches made at the black churches, he mentioned the general issues regarding education and poverty. However, he did not mention how he was going to accomplish anything he proposed. It seems as if the speeches were done to just get a few pictures.

Despite his multiple remarks toward minority groups, he ironically called Clinton a, “Bigot” while accusing Democrats of political duplicity toward blacks, saying that Democratic policies, “Hurt African Americans.”

It is highly unlikely that voters who have previously not supported him because they see him as a bigot are going to change their votes because of a few public appearances at black churches. His empty gestures are minimal, and he can’t seem to maintain tolerance for even a day.

“To the African Americans in poverty I say, give Donald Trump a chance. What do you have to lose?”

Trump’s sudden appeal to black Americans is perceived as simplistic. Trump’s indifference toward racial progress has created a sentiment in the country that is threatening to reverse the progress we have made in terms of diversity.

With the election quickly approaching, Trump’s attempt to win black votes seems to be rushed and disingenuous. It can easily be seen, and this may end with him losing votes instead of winning them.

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Researchers should reevaluate drug pricing

Trump’s appeal to black voters lacks substance

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NGUYEN PHAN• regular columnist

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opinion

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PAGE 2 September 15, 2016 editor@collegiatetimes.comcollegiatetimes.com

iPHONE: Apple’s decision thoughtless, not brave

Donald Trump’s sudden outreach toward minority voters is largely empty

and will likely repel even more voters as the election approaches.

from page 1

COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

September 15, 2016 PAGE 3editor@collegiatetimes.com collegiatetimes.com

BILLY CLARKE / COLLEGIATE TIMES

The Perry Street Parking Garage sign stating a fully open parking garage for students and faculty members registered to park, Sept. 11, 2016.

Club works on developing new mobile app for parking

The Parking Mobile App Club is trying to solve the parking problem at Virginia Tech by devel-oping an app that can help people with the parking problems on campus.

The Parking Mobile App Club was originally a team comprised of only five people when it was formed last semester.

The team reached out to the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) department and Virginia Tech professors. It became a club this semester in order to get club rights, such as reserving a room on campus.

“It’s a club ... It’s not just a team put together. This product we are making, what we are going to produce, is something that’s going to outlast,” said Eric Bianchi, a senior civil engineering major and the president of the club.

The club is divided into three teams: the web team, mobile team and quality assurance team.

According to Bianchi, there are three phases in this project.

During phase one, the team will program the app to show available parking locations based on the user’s role with the university.

The club has developed a prototype app which can

achieve these functions, but the app has not yet been released.

Phase two requires more information about the parking lots at Virginia Tech. The app will be able to show whether the parking lots are full or not once phase two is completed.

After the two phases are done, the club will show its product to the university, and apply for a grant. It plans to use this grant to place sensors and cameras in the parking lots.

With those devices, the app will be able to detect real-time parking and provide real-time feedback to the users.

“I don’t think it will ever be complete, because parking’s going to keep changing. We are going to keep adding new features. Right now, we have a very solid foundation,” said Kelly Ervin, a sophomore majoring in computer

science and the temporary secretary for the club.

More than 50 people signed up to join the club at this year’s Gobblerfest. Bianchi claimed that about 50 people came to the club’s section to ask about the progress of the app. He believes that parking is a real issue at Virginia Tech, and this is the right time to finish building the app.

“It’s a good oppor-tunity for the school to have something new. It’s going to save a lot of time for students,” said Avanish Mishra, a senior majoring in computer engi-neering and the director of programming of the club.

The club is focusing on management right now. There are about 20 people in the club, including the original five people who started it.

“I feel like the success of this app is if we have the most people from different areas working together, because we want to build a touch-and-reach to as many people as (quickly) as possible,” Bianchi said. “We are looking for marketing majors, business majors, people that can help us with those things that we have never even thought of.”

MIKE LIUnews staff writer

@CollegiateTimes

When you were in bed, she was on the way to Bristol

On the morning of Saturday, Sept. 10, while most of the Hokie Nation was just getting out of bed, the entire regiment of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets had been awake for hours. A small legion of buses was parked near Lane Stadium. Those buses were the signal that we were finally about to begin our commute to the long awaited Battle at Bristol.

We boarded in full uniform, at least 50 cadets per bus. It was a long ride, but even after we fought our way through game-day traffic, the excitement could be seen in every-one’s eyes as we looked out the windows. “The Last Great Colosseum” — Bristol Motor Speedway — could be seen on the horizon. Pictures do not do the venue justice. It towered above the trees and hills where it had been built, and it was completely surrounded by a sea of cars, trucks, buses, and thousands of maroon and orange tents where people were already settled in, waiting for the game that wasn’t starting

for hours.When we got off the

buses, we formed up to take accountability. Nearby our parking lot was a helicopter pad that would remain active for the rest of the day. We watched people being flown in one at a time until we were released to explore.

In small groups, the Corps of Cadets dispersed among the tailgates and events being held around the speedway. We mingled with Hokies and Vols alike. It was an endless sea of people. We moved with the tide between the live concert, ferris wheel and the many booths that covered the hot asphalt until it was time to form up.

Marching into Bristol Speedway was an expe-rience I will remember for a long time. Hokies and Vols alike lined up on either side to cheer us on as we entered. With the Highty Tighties leading the way and the racetrack swooping up at a steep bank on the side, we did a full lap around the field. Then, it was game time.

If I got anything out of going to the Battle at Bristol, it was a new appreciation for the

Hokie Nation. The stands vibrated beneath our feet as we cheered on our team. Even when the Vols fell quiet during plays, we Hokies continued to support our players with the many chants we have all memorized by heart. The roar was deafening, especially during the first quarter.

The Corps, however, is not a group of fair weather fans. When our team was on the field, we were standing up. Even when the game seemed lost, we still lost our voices trying to encourage our players to keep fighting. Rain or shine, at home or miles away, we always wait eagerly for a touchdown when Skipper will fire and we do push-ups in honor of every hard earned point.

We got back to the dorms by four in the morning after nearly 24 hours in uniform.

Virginia Tech may have lost the game in Bristol, but the Hokie Nation is still strong. We are loyal fans of our team and the Corps of Cadets will always be there to support it.

While most of Hokie Nation was tailgating or pouring into Bristol Motor

Speedway, this cadet was marching her way into the arena.

ZACK WAJSGRAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Members of the Skipper Crew clean the Skipper cannon inside the Bristol Motor Speedway before the start of the Battle at Bristol between Virginia Tech and Tennessee, Sept. 10, 2016.

@CollegiateTimes

LEEANN JONESlifestyles contributer

This semester, Squires Student Center hosted the opening of the Hispanic Latino Cultural Center, the LGBTQ+ Cultural Center and the American Indian and Indigenous Cultural Center.

Each of the individual chairs of the cultural centers are excited to promote cultural diversity.

The cultural centers partic-ipated in a kick-off event on Aug. 25, during which 12 spaces were reserved in Squires for the Cultural Centers to meet. There, inter-ested students, faculty and staff met and discussed the future of the centers and other cultural communities offered through the Intercultural Engagement Center.

“It was great being able to meet with the students and members of the community, and for the second part of the event, the different cultural centers were able to meet together and really come together,” said Kristen Houston, assistant director for the Multicultural Center.

The Hispanic Latino Cultural Center has had its fair share of hurdles to jump through in order to fully open, but things are looking up for Veronica Montes, its assistant director, and the rest of the staff as they get ready to cele-brate Heritage Month starting on Sept. 15. During this time, the center will host a number of events such as open mics

and guest speakers to promote Heritage Month.

“There has been a lot of support not only from students but from many other depar tments and the university in general,” Montes said. “We are still in the process to open, (but) everyone knows we are here, and it’s a reservable space for students, faculty, staff, for any purpose.”

The new cultural center aims to be a valuable resource not just for the members of the Latino community, but for all those interested in broadening their cultural knowledge.

Montes compares the center to the Black Cultural Center, which has been around for 25 years and hopes to live up to the success of the BCC, but with an emphasis on learning about Latino culture.

In addition to the Hispanic Latino Cultural Center, the LGBTQ+ Cultural Center will be the first of its kind at Virginia Tech.

“I want (the LGBTQ+ Center) to be a space of community, where folks who are part of the community and those who are allies can come together, talk and even collab-orate on projects,” said Luis Garay, assistant director for the center.

The LGBTQ+ Center was also part of the Community Kick-off event in the beginning of the month, and the staff had a chance to see the size of the community and just how many people are excited for the opening of the

Cultural Center.The third and final

new cultural center is the Amer ican Indian and Indigenous Cultural Center. Houston is the advocate for the community and has been working to get the word out about the center and the resources it has to offer.

“We’ve had the space for about a month now, but the most exciting part has been providing this space for the community. The room is available for reservations after 5 p.m. every day of the week,” Houston said. “We’re

currently in the process of acquiring artwork and resources in order to make the space into an informative one and be a resource center.”

Serendipitously, Virginia Tech’s location in the New River Valley means it is built on what was once Tutelo and Monacan land.

“You’re consuming the land, water and air that origi-nally belonged to these tribes, and I hope the American Indian and Indigenous Cultural Center can, not only provide space, but promote a respectful and learning

culture,” Houston said.The American Indian

and Indigenous Community Center hopes to attract more students of Native American ethnicity and establish itself as a true community space. The center has already hosted multiple organizations’ meetings such as Native@VT, a mentoring program and faculty meetings. Houston is working to host the mentoring program and a series of lectures through the center indented to promote Native American Heritage Month, which runs from Oct. 15 to

Nov. 15.All of the cultural centers

have been planning for future events. Latino Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and the Hispanic Latino Cultural Center has already planned a plethora of community events. More information can be found by visiting the Multicultural Engagement Center on the first floor of Squires in Room 140.

Three new cultural centers strive to foster inclusivitySquires’ new Hispanic Latino, LGBTQ+, and American Indian and Indigenous Cultural Centers aim to foster inclusive initiatives and discussion.

SARP ERDIKBASnews staff writer

@TheRealSarp

LOREN SKINKER / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Veronica Montes poses for a portrait in the Hispanic Latino Cultural Center in Squires, Sept. 14, 2016.

The new Parking Mobile App Club brings together people from different

majors to create an app that makes parking on campus less painful.

“We are looking for

marketing majors,

business majors,

people that can help

us with those things

that we have never

even thought of.”Eric Bianchi

president, Parking Mobile App Club

Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Your personal infl uence

expands this year, proving especially profi table. Use

your talents to further a passion. Grow your family

nest egg. Change directions with a partnership later

this month. Balance old responsibilities with new.

Springtime brings peaceful retrospection and planning,

before a romantic relationship fl owers. Let your heart

lead.

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! by Tim Rickard

PAGE 4 September 15, 2016 editor@collegiatetimes.comcollegiatetimes.com

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Freshmen entering Virginia Tech have a number of online modules they must take within the first few weeks of school. There is AlcoholEdu, which covers alcohol misuse and strategies to stay safe. There is Haven, which covers sexual assault and harassment.

Now there is DiversityEdu, an online module that teaches about acceptance and diversity on campus.

“Each of those modules is about the expectations that we have as an institution and the responsi-bility we have for ensuring that our climate is one where all students can succeed academically,” said Menah Pratt-Clarke, vice provost for inclusion and diversity and vice president for strategic affairs. “It requires an environment that is conducive to their success, whether it’s safe drinking practices, safe sex or understanding how to be in a community with differences around gender, religion, gender identity, race, ethnicity, ability or disability.”

The new program, developed by a private company and used by

universities across the country, has simultaneously garnered praise and controversy. Many believe that the program’s goals of promoting diversity and acceptance are laudable. However, some have argued that a required course isnot the way to accomplish this goal.

DiversityEdu is part of an initiative known as InclusiveVT. The movement, star ted by President Tim Sands, includes programs, offices and committees that promote diversity and inclusion throughout Virginia Tech.

“(Students) come from different countries. They come from rural backgrounds, urban backgrounds; some come from very homoge-neous backgrounds, others come from more diverse backgrounds. But we’re all coming into a community at Virginia Tech that we consider a family for many,” Pratt-Clarke said.

Pratt-Clarke, who has helped lead the initiative since starting her job in February, says that DiversityEdu is one of the ways the university does this.

“I would say for me it’s been an absolute privilege to collaborate

with a community that has been extremely supportive of the modules and supportive of DiversityEdu,” Prat t-Clarke said. “The opportunity to create more freshmen coming into our community that demonstrate our commitment, that this is an envi-ronment where everyone can succeed and be successful.”

The course is hosted on Canvas, one of Virginia Tech’s online learning sites, starting on July 28. As part of the course, students completed multiple-choice ques-tions, type-in questions and inter-active activities related to diversity. Additionally, they completed anonymous surveys before and after the course.

Incoming freshmen were required to complete the course by Sept. 5, 2016, after the deadline for completion was extended from Aug. 18. If they failed to do so, they risked receiving a registration hold on their university account preventing them from registering for classes in spring.

However, the course has encoun-tered some resistance. Stories circulated on various websites earlier this year criticizing the requirement. A piece written by

Ashley Thorne, executive director of the National Association of Scholars, on Aug. 26 and published by PJ Media called DiversityEdu, “At best expensive fluff.”

Some are not opposed to the course content as much as the method of delivery.

“I think the awareness is good, but the way it’s specifically set up now I think isn’t very well done,” said Zach Etter, chairman of College Republicans at Virginia Tech and a resident advisor in

O’Shaughnessy Hall. “Most college students, they have work, they have classes. They have other stuff going on. They don’t want to sit down and watch a 45-minute video of something that their (minds are) pretty much made up on.”

Young Americans for Freedom, a national conservative organi-zation with a chapter at Virginia Tech, has published blog posts opposing the requirement. Lauren McCue, the founder of Tech’s chapter, wrote a post on Aug. 10 denouncing threats to finestudents who do not complete the course.

Etter sees the problem mostly in the design of the course, not the mandatory nature of the course.

“(Virginia Tech wants) to do everything by the book, but I’d say all this stuff that’s by the book isn’t very realistic in application,” Etter said. “I watch other people interact with one another, and all this stuff you get as a freshman coming in — most people don’t even really pay attention to it.”

@jones_mattryan

MATT JONESassistant news editor

DiversityEdu requirement creates controversy on campusThe new module covers topics related to diversity and inclusion, but some oppose its inclusion as part of the modules new freshmen must take.

“I would say for me

it’s been an absolute

privilege to collaborate

with a community that

has been extremely

supportive of the

modules and supportive

of DiversityEdu.”

Menah Pratt-Clarkevice provost for inclusion and

diversity and vice presidient for strategic affairs

September 15, 2016 PAGE 5editor@collegiatetimes.com collegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com/sports

sportsRANKED: Men’s and women’s soccer climb the polls

down that stretch, they might be able to climb back into the top 10.

As successful as Adair has been at the helm, he has had his fair share of struggles against ranked teams. In 44 games against ranked opponents, the Hokies have just 15 wins under Adair. However, they have excelled against dangerous conference opp osi t ion, wi n n i ngalmost 60 percent of their games.

The men’s journey won’t be any easier, as the ACC is one of the best confer-ences in the country for soccer, if not the best. The ACC has six teams in the top 15 for men’s soccer. Pitt, Louisville, Miami and NC State are the only men’s teams in the ACC that aren’t

ranked in the top 25. And compared to Adair and the women’s team, the men’s team has really struggled to maintain a position in the national spotlight. This season is the first time the men have been ranked since 2008, which predatesh e a d c o a ch M i ke Brizendine’s tenure with the program.

Under Brizendine, the Hokies are an abysmal 6–32–6 against ranked teams. This season, however, has been a different story for the Hokies. Whereas the women have had a rela-tively easy schedule so far, the men have faced some of their more chal-lenging opponents early in the season, and they have held their own. They beat the No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes 1–0 in a thrilling double overtime victory,

and after defeating No. 24 Georgetown two weeks later, the Hokies bounced all the way up to a No. 15 ranking. That was their highest ranking since reaching No. 4 in 2007. After a loss to No. 1 Notre Dame, however, the Hokies fell to No. 23.

The men’s team will continue with ACC play tomorrow at Thompson Field against the NC State Wolfpack. The Wolfpack has just one win this season, and if the Hokies defeat them, they’ll be able to get back on track with in-conference play and maybe climb further up the polls.

@KCboomstick23

Next Level Hokies: Robert Owen makes U.S. swim team

Virginia Tech senior Robert Owen was named to the 2016–2017 USA Swimming National Team Friday, Sept. 9. As the first Hokie swimmer ever selected, Owen will not be joining the team alone — current Hokies’ head coach Ned Skinner will also join as a 2016–2017 National Team coach.

For Owen, excelling at the 200-meter backstroke was a

driving factor to him joining the national team. He first competed in the 200 backstroke, as well as the 400 individual medley (IM), in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012. Owen then came back to the U.S. Trials in 2016 much improved. The senior saw a 200-meter back-stroke time of 1:56.79 at the 2016 U.S. Open and a sixth best 1:57.48 time in the finals of 2016 Olympic Swim Trials.

Before these meets and even before he came to Tech, the Hokies star swimmer had seen a great

deal of success in high school in Bridgewater at Coyle and Cassidy.

Coming to Blacksburg, Owen was Massachusetts’ top-ranked swimmer of 2013. The Bridgewater native had set records in many different events in high school including the 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter IM, 200-meter freestyle and 500-meter freestyle and looked to do the same at Virginia Tech.

In 2013–2014, Owen set the Virginia Tech record for the 400 IM with 3:45.24 time, while also

competing in the 2014 NCAA Championships in the 200-meter backstroke and 400 IM.

The Bridgewater native’s next season saw even more records shattered. Owen broke Virginia Tech’s 400 IM best with a 3:41.79 time that also brought him his first individual ACC title. At the ACC Championships, the swimmer would also come in fourth in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:41.21, before going on to set the world’s seventh fastest time in the 200 backstroke long course meters

(LCM) with a time of 1:58.58 in the offseason.

All of this success resulted in Owen earning the Gobbler Awards’ Breakout Performer of the Year.

Now entering his senior season, and having earned a spot on the national team, Owen will look to do more of the same: keep improving and keep setting records.

DREW DAVISsports staff writer

@CTSportsTalk

CHRISTIAN STERLING / COLLEGIATE TIMES

James Kasak (8) dribbles the ball in the midfi eld against Longwood University.

from page 1

Virginia Tech swimmer Robert Owen and head coach Ned Skinner join the USA men’s national team. Owen is in his senior year for the Hokies.

PAGE 6 September 15, 2016 editor@collegiatetimes.comcollegiatetimes.com

collegiatetimes.com/lifestyle

lifestyleREVIEW: Insomnia Cookies vs. Campus Cookies

bits of Oreo crumbles, pretzels, peanut-butter chips, pecans, potato chips and choc-olate chips — an incredible mix of sweet and savory.

Insomnia’s sugar cookies carried the perfect consis-tency. Instead of falling flat, the Insomnia sugar cookies

remained full and fluffy, fostering perfectly predictable flavors with an extra tinge of sweetness. Though at $15.50 a dozen, before delivery fees, one could only hope for a delectable cookie.

Also worth mentioning are the companies’ hours of operation. Insomnia Cookies operates from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. every weekday — meaning

yes, you can order cookies for breakfast. Insomnia opens a bit later on the weekends at 11 a.m., though again, doors stay open until 3 a.m.

Campus Cookies’ hours are a tad more limited in comparison — the shop begins operating at 6 p.m. every day. You won’t be ordering cinnamon buns before dinner here; though the shop stays open until 1 a.m.

Sunday through Tuesday, 2 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Overall, it appears that prices between the two companies are virtually the same, save for a few of the premium cookie options offered at Campus Cookies. When it comes to communication and delivery time, Insomnia made the expe-rience far more simple and

efficient.The cookies from both

shops were enjoyable; however, Campus Cookies did up the game with some of its premium options — the Oreo Cookie was crafted with care, packed more heft and proved to be deli-ciously intricate.

Though again, the compe-tition is steep when it comes to options and diversity of

products: Campus Cookies and Insomnia both offer multiple f lavors, deluxe/premium options, seasonal deals, care packages and ice cream as well.

While both prove to specialize in different areas, each Hokie’s decision is based on personal preference.

@emccaullll

from page 1

Spotluck: Spin the wheel and get some sweet deals

Spotluck is a new app that lets students get deals depending on

factors such as time, day, weather and customer traffi c.

Six surprising albums to spice up this September

This is the first installment of a weekly column from our Lifestyles editor that will include albums from various genres that have either been released during the month or will be released before the end of the month.

We all went through that awkward pre-teen to teenage phase that we don’t talk about. For me, I was a purple-haired high school freshman and dead-set on the idea that it was me against the world. I was kind of the definition of teen angst, with bands like “A Day to Remember” and “Of Mice & Men” as my daily soundtrack when walking through the halls.

Now, it’s September of my junior year. If you told me that those same bands along with other pop-punk bands of the 2000s were all putting out albums in the same month, I would say that you have the wrong year.

Much to my delight, it’s not the wrong year. Get ready for a blast from the past with the best albums of September:

A Day to RememberKnown for its unique combi-

nation of metal and pop-punk, the band has been around since 2003 and has released six albums. Its newest album is titled “Bad Vibrations” and was released on Sept. 2 by Epitaph Records.

I have yet to listen to the album in its entirety, but it’s pretty reminiscent of its album “Homesick,” which I loved.

The album received an 81 out of 100 on Metacritic and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S.

GrouploveFormed in 2009, Grouplove

is known for its indie-rock sound and became famous from its singles “Colours” and “Tongue Tied,” both released in 2011. Its newest album is “Big Mess,” which was released on Sept. 9 from Canvasback and Atlantic Records.

I haven’t had the chance to listen to the album yet, but according to Rolling Stone Australia it’s worthy of three and a half out of four stars. The band has also started a world tour which began in August but is not ranked on Billboard charts.

Of Mice & MenThe follow-up to OM&M’s

third studio album — “Cold World” — was released on Sept. 9 from Rise Records and is famous for their metalcore style. It got its start in 2009 when it was formed by lead vocalist Austin Carlile and bassist Jaxin Hall.

The album is not yet listed on Billboard, but according to a review from Loud Wire, it does a great job of transitioning from metalcore to mainstream rock.

Against Me!Formed in 1997 by singer

and guitarist Laura Jane Grace, the band is notorious for its punk-rock sound and is most known for its album “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” in 2014, which reached No. 23 on Billboard charts.

The band’s newest album — “Shape Shift with Me” — is set

to officially release on Sept. 16 from Total Treble Music, but was available for streaming in its entirety on Sept. 8. According to NPR, the album, “Hits both the brain and the body, simultaneously without an apology.”

Taking Back SundayThe rock band was formed in

1999 in Long Island by guitarist Eddie Reyes, and has a new album — “Tidal Wave” — to be released on Sept. 16. Taking Back Sunday is traditionally known for its pop-punk style as well as its album “Where You Want to Be,” which was released in 2004 and was No. 3 and “Louder Now” which was No. 2 in 2006 on the Billboard 200 chart.

YellowcardWe all know the lyrics to

“Ocean Avenue,” whether we want to or not. Yellowcard was created in 1997 in Los Angeles. Its new album will be released in full on Sept. 30, but two songs were already released — “Rest in Peace” and “The Hurt is Gone.”

Its newest album hasn’t been reviewed yet since its release isn’t until later this month, but its last album “Lights and Sounds” ranked No. 5 on the Billboard 200 list. Unfortunately for you diehard-Yellowcard fans out there, the band is set to break up following its world tour, starting this October in San Antonio.

When it comes to discounts on food, college students are certain to take advantage of them. Maybe you have heard of the Hooked app for deals or relied on Yelp to decide where to eat. Now, there is an app that combines these two aspects — meet Spotluck, the No. 1 dining app on the App Store, helping the indecisive make decisions without hurting their wallets.

The premise is simple — just spin the virtual wheel once a day to receive a deal. This discount is specific to local restaurants in whatever neighborhood you are in, whether it is Blacksburg, Georgetown, Harrisonburg or any of its other numerous hubs. With over 600 restaurants offering discounts, students are bound to find a good deal.

Don’t be fooled, these discounts are not random — they are strategically calcu-lated to draw customers in.

“We patented a software that changes discounts in restaurants based on the day, time and weather,” said Cherian Thomas, CEO of Spotluck. “So Mondays are going to have higher discounts than Fridays, and when it’s raining the discounts are higher.”

Users can also get a

loyalty discount of 10 percent even if they do not land on a certain spot when spinning.

“The reason we started the company about two and a half years ago is that prices in a restaurant on a Wednesday when it’s raining at 2 p.m. really shouldn’t be the same as a Friday night at 6 when it’s beautiful out,” Thomas said. “And restaurants agree. All these businesses are getting smarter because consumers are getting smarter.”

What started as a capstone project at Georgetown University for Thomas and co-founder Brad Sayler, quickly grew into an app with a full-f ledged network of restaurants.

“We both ended up quitting our jobs to do something we believed in,” Thomas said.

He pointed out that there is more to running a restaurant than keeping fresh food. There are times and empty seats to worry about.

The app is loaded with features — many you cannot discover until setting foot in a participating restaurant. Using GPS technology, you can lock in your discount by physically visiting the spot.

Users can view previous customers’ ratings, direc-tions to restaurants and use a tip calculator based on the cost of the meal.

T homas’ per sona l

favorite part of the app mirrors that of the busi-nesses participating.

“Outside of solving the dining dilemma and saving a marriage, (my favorite part) is probably the GPS-verified reviews,” Thomas said. “That’s one of the biggest values we bring to the restaurants. They like to know that these reviews are real.”

For Matt Chew, assistant manager of Green’s Grill & Sushi Bar, his favorite feature of the app is that it allows customers to review their servers. According to Chew, if an employee gets five good reviews, that employee receives a bonus.

Spotluck not only encourages people to try different restaurants but also rewards exceptional service, not to mention that customers earn points in the app for better discounts by writing reviews.

“It’s like a roulette to decide where you want to go,” said Jonathan Sabin, manager of Next Door Bake Shop. Sabin noted its simi-larity to the Hooked app in that it provides incen-tives with the discounts constantly changing.

However, Spot luck differs from Hooked in that it only partners with locally owned restaurants. Chain restaurants cannot partic-ipate. Spotluck also boasts the interactive spinning wheel for added charm.

“Not many people know about it yet, but I can see it catching on,” Sabin said.

“We go to (the restau-rants) personally, but they also call us,” Thomas said. “We’ve had entire cities call us and say, ‘Will you bring the app here?’”

So, what is next for Spotluck? The app is destined for Baltimore next month and New York City in November or December.

“We rea l ly want Blacksburg to shine so we can do other college towns,” Thomas said. “You guys are at the forefront.”

GRAPHIC BY JINA RO

@smith992_CT

SAMANTHA SMITHlifestyles editor

@KatieRice_CT,

@madatink

“We need six people. In the morning, they only have like two people,” Liu said. “I worked in the La Cantina. I have to go there to help them, otherwise they’d be so overwhelmed.”

According to Liu, managers will devote their time to completing tasks normally reserved for student employees.

“Last semester they just managed people instead of actually doing stuff in the shops,” Liu said. “They’ll either work as a cashier or they’ll come to the shops and deal with customers.”

Junior industrial and systems engineering major Olivia Devina, who started

working at Qdoba in August, said the lack of a full staff means the line seemingly never ends.

“The first time I could see the end of the line was Friday last week,” Devina said. “We sometimes don’t have enough people to (work), we have to open just one line because there are four people serving the line and four people doing the grilling and getting the food. So we can never open another one.”

According to Faulkner, Dining Services relies on student employees, who are paid less than full-time employees, to keep costs down. Hiring more full-time staff could lead to higher menu prices.

“We could be fully staffed and make everybody

salaried, but then you add in retirement and benefits,” Faulkner said. “The costs associated with that are proportionally much higher than a student (employee).”

Faulkner added that students gain valuable expe-rience and leadership oppor-tunities as campus workers. In 2015, Dining Services paid out $4.3 million to student employees.

Faulkner said the increase in new applications could be the result of a gener-ational shift. Younger students, he proposed, may have an intrinsic desire for employment that previous students did not posses.

“We’ve seen an uptick — from last year to this year we’ve seen a bigger shift than ever before with

applications. Maybe it’s that Gen Z coming in and the millennials kind of transi-tioning out,” Faulkner said. “The Gen Z seems to be more willing to work.”

As student move-in dates are scheduled earlier, dining locations must open the week before classes begin, creating new challenges.

“Day one, when you open up the doors, it’s crazy busy in Dietrick because that’s the comfort zone,” Faulkner said. “Dietrick eventually, as the year progresses, you’ll see a decline in headcount where everybody learns where else to eat.”

High yearly staff turnover presents Dining Services with challenges at the start of fall semesters. New employees and managers

often use the first weeks of the semester to get acquainted with their responsibilities.

“Traditionally — if you ask the boots on the ground: management, staff, student general manager — we can’t wait until about the second or third week in

October,” Faulkner said. “That’s usually our leveling off phase. I think we may get there a little bit sooner this year.”

ARMAHN RASSULI / COLLEGIATE TIMES

Students line up for food at Burger 37, Sept. 14, 2016.

COURTESY OF CHERIAN THOMAS

DINING: Yearly staff turnover results in sluggish start

@RichChumney

from page 1

AMANDA TINKLEMAN & KATIE RICE

lifestyles staff writers