Opinions
Letter: Fostering a welcoming environment
by Letter to the editor
Thursday, December 4, 2008; 10:41 PM
On Sunday night as students were gearing up for finals week, hopefully sated by a week-long break and more turkey than is probably healthy, we received an e-mail from the university's vice president for equity and inclusion.
Column: In the race to settle down, we leave ourselves behind
by Lauren Rowe, guest columnist
Thursday, December 4, 2008; 10:38 PM
There comes a time during senior year of college when people realize they only have a year left to figure out what to do with their lives before entering the "real world."
Editorial: Tech's taking positive steps to offer more convenient daycare
by CT Editorial Board
Thursday, December 4, 2008; 10:36 PM
When working to attract the best faculty and staff to the university, Virginia Tech must take responsibility to provide both affordable and convenient childcare for those employed by the school.
Letter: Celebrate the holidays however you see fit
by Letter to the editor
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 9:37 PM
After reading the letter "Tech should not try and influence the way we celebrate this holiday season" (CT, Dec. 1), I had an opinion of my own. Look beyond that, Virginia Tech says to foster "a welcoming environment during the holiday season" and focus on what we actually do about it. There's not a huge menorah being lit in Rockefeller Center by Britney Spears, nor do we hear songs from Burl Ives about Umoja, Kujichagulia or Ujima (Principles of Kwanzaa) playing non-stop from November onward.
Letter: Redistribute tickets to most deserving fans
by Letter to the editor
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 9:19 PM
The Cassell doesn't rock for basketball games these days because the seats are always half empty.
Column: Keep an eye on Obama's promises once he takes office
by Erika Encinas, CT regular columnist
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 9:14 PM
Well it's been one month since the "historic" election of Barack Obama to the executive office, and I can now safely pen those words without wanting to cry, throw up, punch a wall, mope and drown my sorrows in a bottle of Jack Daniels finest. OK, OK -- I only cried once, I was only sick once (which honestly was a touch of the flu), and I didn't spend my life savings at the ABC store. Still, I think fellow voters who threw in for John McCain will agree with me that it has been a rough month, especially at first. First it was the media, who couldn't seem to focus on anything but Obama's election and the historic moment of our time (P.S. media folks -- I have three dates that far outrank Nov. 4, 2008, as historic moments for me -- but I'm sure I must be the only one), then we had to endure the launching of "change.gov," listen as pundits praise staff picks, and now I'm watching commercials on television offering me the opportunity to pay money so that I can document this historic event for posterity (see note above).
Column: Be careful not to expect too much from Obama
by Chad Van Alstin, CT regular columnist
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 9:12 PM
Walking through campus over the past few weeks since this historic 2008 election has filled me with a sense of dread. I'm not necessarily upset with the outcome of this awful election; I honestly couldn't care less which of the giant government parties reigns over me for the next few years. Yet, the way people seem to be treating this election, especially post election, is greatly disturbing to me. I cannot count how many students I passed on my walks through campus with Obama's face plastered on a T-shirt. His holy likeness is usually accompanied by a silly printed slogan such as: "Victory!" "From Rosa Parks to Obama," and last but not least: "Yes We Can!" The Obama love is everywhere.
Editorial: During finals week, remember why you're in college
by CT Editorial Board
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 9:10 PM
We are now in the midst of the busiest period in the semester with final projects soon due, final exams to be taken and the stress of academic success mounting. While hopefully at least some of us are motivated to these tasks by the prospect of knowledge accumulation, we are all motivated by the grades that we will receive for our labors. Ideally these two incentives are tied closely together so that succeeding with respect to one will ensure success with respect to the other, but, unfortunately, this is not always the case. Under these sorts of conditions, educational purists would argue that we should care more about gaining knowledge than garnering a good grade, but it seems safe to assume that many of us would view this as purely foolish.
Protect your personal information from rising tide of techology
by Editorial Board
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 12:00 AM
With the pressure to gain admittance into top universities, competition has gotten fiercer than ever.
Considering what music is actually worth the wait
by Tom Minogue, CT regular columnist
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 12:00 AM
Guns N' Roses began and ended in a hailstorm of prescription pills, booze and a plethora of righteously sweet riffs.
Column: Black Friday deals should not come at the cost of human life
by Jeremy Baker, CT regular columnist
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; 12:00 AM
Happily, my Thanksgiving break was relatively quiet. By which I mean I wasn't trampled to death by a bargain-crazed human tidal wave at a Wal-Mart.
Column: Professional athletes need to serve as positive example
by Ben Woody, regular columnist
Monday, December 1, 2008; 9:47 PM
The New York Giants took on the Washington Redskins Sunday afternoon on the first anniversary of late Redskin Sean Taylor's death. The Skins weren't the only team with a conspicuous absence.
Letter: Tech should not try and influence the way we celebrate this holiday season
by Letter to the editor
Monday, December 1, 2008; 9:46 PM
Recently I received an e-mail from the Virginia Tech news listserv. The subject of the e-mail was, "Fostering a welcoming environment during holiday season." The e-mail went on to explain how the Tech campus is a very diverse community and that certain holiday celebrations lead some students to have feelings of exclusion.
Letter: Steger handled the situation responsibly
by Letter to the editor
Monday, December 1, 2008; 9:43 PM
The author of the letter to the editor, "Steger's response was unacceptable," (CT, Nov. 17) needs to get off his high horse up there in Woodbridge. He obviously still has quite a grudge held over from a year and a half ago, and jumped on Thursday's incident to voice his vendetta. It is also apparent that he is completely ignoring the following facts:
Column: Veganism not required for living a long, happy life
by Burke Thomas, regular columnist
Monday, December 1, 2008; 9:41 PM
In this column I will explore some of the shocking claims about eating meat that I have seen. As a complement to Paige Pinkston's cogent "Beef: It's what's going to destroy the environment" (CT, Sept. 19) I will examine the health effects of eating animal products as described in "The Food Revolution." In the book, John Robbins, the son of the ice cream magnate, recommends a vegan diet as the best path to long-term health. In criticizing his work we should examine the evidence.
Editorial: Learn about other cultures and religions this season
by CT Staff
Monday, December 1, 2008; 9:39 PM
With the holiday season upon us there is nothing wrong with expressing a little holiday cheer. A diverse population of students calls Tech their home, each with a variety of cultural backgrounds and religious differences. In an e-mail addressed to the Virginia Tech community, university officials attempted to remind us the importance of planning holiday activities that "create a sense of welcome for everyone." The e-mail itself had little merit, and was more of an unnecessary feel-good holiday reminder than anything else. People don't go out of their way to foster a welcoming environment based on a friendly reminder from the university.
Letter: Southwestern Virginia can stop "Opium Brides"
by Letter to the editor
Thursday, November 20, 2008; 9:57 PM
A 9-year-old girl was recently sold as a bride in order to pay off a debt to Afghani drug traffickers with ties to the Taliban. This comes as a result of U.S. "Drug War's" efforts to eradicate poppies, the plant from which opium and heroin are derived.
Column: Multimedia provides look into daily newsroom life
by Cate Summers, Public Editor
Thursday, November 20, 2008; 9:43 PM
I've written a few times this semester about the logistics and nuances of how the newsroom operates. To recap, section editors give out story ideas, reporters pick them up and compile articles, copy editors read them for grammar, style and punctuation (the hardest and most thankless job in my opinion), editors place them on the page, they get another once-over, and are then sent to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, located in Bluefield, W.Va., to be printed.
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Friday, December 5, 2008, 10:34 a.m.
