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VT Kicker competes to bring attention to a personal cause

**Blacksburg, Va., April 24-** **KICKING IT:** Junior Joey Slye (center) poses with participants at his Help Joey Kick Cancer event. Photo: Blayne Fink

by Blayne Fink–

Joey Slye is no stranger to being nominated for and winning awards. The Virginia Tech football team’s junior kicker was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2016, awarded to the nation’s top placekicker, while also earning a spot on ESPN.com’s all-bowl team in 2015 and being named one of the team’s two Hard Hat Champions for 2017. However, no award may mean more to Slye than that of being named the 2017 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year for Virginia, an award that will be presented this May.

Slye, who lost his brother to Leukemia in February of 2014, was approached in December about running for the Virginia Chapter Man of the Year. According to the Virginia Man and Woman of the Year website, earning the title is based on dynamic and passionate individuals raising funds for blood cancer research.

Slye explains that being named this year’s LLS Man of the Year would have an even deeper meaning, as much of LLS’ research is being aimed at Acute Myeloid Leukemia, the cancer that claimed his brother’s life.

“Honestly, it’s crazy that I’m running this year when LLS’ main focus is going straight to AML,” said Slye. “He’s gone, but it’s kind of cool to know that every cent I make right now would have gone directly to him or someone else’s A.J.”

In order to claim rights to the title of Man of the Year, a candidate must out-fundraise the competing candidates. In an attempt to raise money for his campaign, Slye hosted the fundraiser “Help Joey Kick Cancer” on Sunday, April 23, in the Indoor Practice Facility. The event, which also played host to the Be The Match campaign, an initiative that swabs potential donors and places them on the bone marrow registry, was successful in raising over $6,000 and swabbed over 350 participants.

While Slye’s competitive spirit most certainly applies to the Man of the Year competition, he ultimately just wants to continue to bring attention to a personal cause.

“It’s fundraising money and spreading awareness in good competition with other people,” said Slye. “I mean yes, we want to win, but at the same time, we know as a collective group we are fundraising money that is going directly towards cancer research.”

VT Thrift gives back

Blacksburg, Va., April 6, 2017 – Founder of VT Thrift: Junior Virginia Tech student Carter Davis holding up one of his vintage thrift store Reebok jackets, which he sells on his Instagram page, @vt.thrift. Photo: Kameron Kopecky

by Kameron Kopecky–

Thrift store shopping, or “thrifting,” has become much more than a way for individuals to save money on clothing. Over the past decade, thrifting has turned into what many would consider a “fad” or “trend.” Individuals, mostly teens and young adults, head to thrift stores in search of vintage finds and retro threads at bargain prices. However, one Virginia Tech student is taking it all a step further.

Carter Davis, a junior at Virginia Tech, has started a small business called VT Thrift. Entirely operated through the social media photo sharing app Instagram, Davis uploads all of his thrift store finds to his profile and his followers can direct message him if they are interested in making a purchase.

The majority of purchases on VT Thrift come from Virginia Tech students. However, he has sent clothes to buyers from Tennessee, New Jersey, and even Texas. One offer even came from a follower in Germany.

A big reason Davis started VT Thrift was to give back. He is a member of an organization at Virginia Tech called Out of the Darkness, which works with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, or AFSP, to help spread awareness of depression and prevent suicide. The organization holds an annual Out of the Darkness Walk where individual walkers and teams walk around the Drillfield to raise money for the AFSP. This year, Davis used a percentage of VT Thrift’s earnings to put towards his donation to the Out of the Darkness walk.

“I wanted to show that I didn’t care so much about the money. I figured why not donate some of it to AFSP,” said Davis.

Davis donated $100 of VT Thrift’s earnings to the Out of the Darkness Walk and plans on donating a percentage of his earnings to a charity chosen every month by the VT Thrift followers.

Cadets honor April 16th victims with Memorial Guard

Blacksburg, Va., Apr. 12 – April 16th Memorial Guard: As the 10th anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings approaches, cadets have already started preparing for their role of guarding the memorial during the candle lighting on the night of April 16th. Photo: David Jones

by David Jones–

Spring is a time for change and a time of renewing what was lost into something beautiful again. Even Virginia Tech knows exactly what it’s like to have lost and to become whole again.

April 16, 2017, marks the 10th anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings in which 32 Hokies lost their lives. Every year the university does, in many ways, its part to honor the memory of those who were taken too soon. This year will have a very special tribute in store, as members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets have prepared to do their part during this emotional time.

The Corps found a way to honor the deceased. The candle lighting, which took place at midnight on April 16, 2017, was conducted in a ceremony featuring 32 cadets who were tasked with guarding each of the 32 stones that surround the front of the April 16th memorial which is located on the Drillfield.

Each cadet who held this privilege volunteered out of their love for the university and in memory of the individuals they’ll be guarding.

Noel Schaeffer, a senior member of the Corps, led the cadets’ role in the ceremonies. “Our presence that day will help ease someone’s feelings, might make some people feel certain ways but ultimately cadets are a part of the Hokie community as well and having such a prominent role in these ceremonies really helps to integrate every part of the community.”

“Our presence that day will help ease someone’s feelings, might make some people feel certain ways but ultimately cadets are a part of the Hokie community as well and having such a prominent role in these ceremonies really helps to integrate every part of the community,” Schaeffer said.

Virginia Tech’s healing through sports

Image #3 — BLACKBURG, Va. Apr. 11 – Head Coach Charles “Chugger” Adair talks to his team during practice held inside Virginia Tech’s Indoor Practice Facility. The team wore black arm-bands to honor those lost on April 16th. Photo: Conor Doherty

by Conor Doherty–

In the hours and days following April 16, many weren’t certain how Virginia Tech and the community could begin down the long road of healing and regain some semblance of normalcy. When tragedy strikes, people turn to the things they are familiar with and for the members of Hokie Nation, sports was that familiarity.

The baseball team hosted the Miami Hurricanes and while the Hokies lost, the healing process had begun. Now ten years later, the team gets to show their respects again this upcoming Saturday against the University of Virginia. On First Responder Appreciation Day, the Hokies will take the field with special decals on their uniforms and helmets to honor the ten year anniversary.

However, the baseball team isn’t the only sports team at this school that will continue to honor the memories of those lost on April 16.

When playing in-season and during practice, the women’s soccer team wear black armbands as a symbol of the losses suffered that day. All of the players weren’t even in high school when the shooting occurred but they know that it is important to never forget about the past. Although the players were not even in high school yet, they know that it is important to never forget about the past.

“They’ve worn it [arm bands] for years, and its something that they have passed from team to team and its part of our culture that they kind of do it as they go,” head coach Charles “Chugger,” Adair explained. “I think for the players, it’s subtle, but yet, empowering that they have that and they can remember, kind of what Virginia Tech is about and about the previous people that have been here and been a part of the university and part of the culture. It’s empowering to them to see that and understand that it’s more than just them as a soccer team and more than a student body.”

While wearing arm-bands and decals show how impactful April 16 was on the campus, it also shows the resilient spirit of this community and university. The school and its sports teams won’t ever be able to fully get out from under the shadow April 16 casts upon this campus, but these teams can lessen that shadow. Through their hard work, dedication and love for their teammates, their school and all of Hokie Nation, they can ensure that Hokie Spirit will continue to live on.

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 11 – Members of the Virginia Tech women’s soccer team practice while wearing black arm bands in honor of the ten year anniversary of April 16th. Photo: Conor Doherty

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 11 – A member of the women’s soccer team waits for a practice drill to begin. Photo: Conor Doherty

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 11 – Head Coach Charles “Chugger’ Adair watches his team practice as he walks towards them. Photo: Conor Doherty

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 12 – One of the catchers for the Hokies baseball team prepares to receive a pitch during practice at English Field. Photo: Conor Doherty

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 12 – A pitcher with the Hokies’ baseball team throws int he bullpen during practice at English Field. Photo: Conor Doherty

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 12 – A member of the baseball flips the ball behind his back to second during fielding practice at English Field. Photo: Conor Doherty

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 11 – A member of the women’s soccer team prepares to receive a pass during a drill. Photo: Conor Doherty

BLACKSBURG, Va., Apr. 11 – A member of the women’s soccer team watches as her teammates take part in a drill during practice. Photo: Conor Doherty

3.2 for 32 run preparations

Blacksburg, Va., April 12 – Run to Remember: Signs and flyers for the 3.2 run can be found throughout Virginia Tech’s campus. The race starts outside of War Memorial Hall and ends at Burruss Hall. Photo: Haven Lewis

by Haven Lewis–

On the morning of April 15, Hokies and supporters laced up their running shoes and took to Virginia Tech’s campus for the 9th annual Run in Remembrance.

The run was designed as a memorial event for the victims of the mass shooting that took place on campus on April 16, 2007. The 3.2 miles represent the 32 students and faculty who lost their lives.

Alison Cross, the director of Recreational Sports at Virginia Tech, along with the department, created the event as a way to bring the community together in a positive setting.

According to Huffington Post, there are 13 mental health benefits of running which include alleviated depression and anxiety and increased happiness.

It’s not only current Virginia Tech students and Blacksburg residents that attend the run. Alumni travel from all over the country – California, Arizona and Florida.

Krista Gwilliam, Fitness Coordinator of Rec Sports, says that planning begins in November with the implementation team’s weekly meetings.

The event has a leadership team for each area – registration, route marshals, route set up, marketing.

The marketing staff includes 11 Virginia Tech students who design t-shirts, hang posters throughout campus, manage social media and do all they can to get the word out.

Additionally, five different fitness student staff members make up a leadership team that handle different aspects of the race on the day of the event.

The Big Event: A bridge between Blacksburg, Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Va., April 8 — Students give back: The Big Event is held each April, giving students an opportunity to say “thanks” to the Blacksburg community. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

by McKenzie Pavacich-

The Big Event is held each year in April, serving as an opportunity for Virginia Tech students to live out Ut Prosim. The Virginia Tech motto, translating to “that I may serve,” is brought to life on an enormous scale each year, as students trade in their textbooks for tools to give back to the community.

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: Erin Stenger and her husband, both graduates of Virginia Tech, have signed up to work with the Big Event for 5 years. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

According to the Big Event’s website, over 8,200 student volunteers completed nearly 1,200 projects across the Blacksburg community.

Although the Big Event is fueled by students, what makes this event truly special is the town of Blacksburg’s perspective and appreciation for the tradition.

“When I was a student I think it was probably the first or second year… It felt really nice to give back to the community,” said Virginia Tech alumna Erin Stenger. “Being on the other side, I can’t tell you how much we appreciate having all of these extra hands to do big projects that would take a whole weekend, done in a few hours.”

The Stengers, both graduates of Virginia Tech who participated in the early years of the Big Event, requested help with basic landscaping tasks. A project that would’ve taken weeks for the couple took just three hours with the help of eight extra hands.

The experience goes well beyond yard work. The Big Event gives students a chance to make connections with members of the Blacksburg community, further strengthening the relationship between the town and university. Often community members will take their volunteers to lunch after the culmination of a project, just to learn more about the students themselves.

Blacksburg embraces many of Virginia Tech’s rich traditions, regardless of the impact it can have on the community at times. The Big Event, however, is a tradition that every member of the Blacksburg community can get behind.

“I think it’s fantastic that it’s still going on, and that it’s gotten bigger. It’s amazing that there’s so many people who are willing to just go and help the community. It’s neat to meet other people and see the culture and service still being cultivated within the university,” Stenger said.

The student-run event has successfully kept the tradition of Ut Prosim alive and relevant in the Blacksburg community for sixteen years, with no signs of slowing down.

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event : Students arrive in the morning to an assigned site where they will complete requested services. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: Assignments can range from small landscaping tasks, to building fences, and even farmwork. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: The residents of Blacksburg and students at Virginia Tech have been participating for 16 years. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: This Virginia Tech tradition allows students to live out the school’s motto, Ut Prosim (“that I may serve”). Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: It also serves as a reminder for many students that Virginia Tech and Blacksburg are not two separate entities, rather a well-oiled machine. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: Students form their own groups and sign up online to participate. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: Volunteers work anywhere from 3-5 hours on their assignments. Photo: McKenzie Pavacich

Blacksburg, Va., April 8– The Big Event: This is a tradition that the Blacksburg and Virginia Tech communities can enjoy together.

G.A.M.E.R. lab offers new research route for students

by Katt Carter–

51297787215__6F2FFDAB-64F4-486E-8D5D-FFC0A5C4C3B8 — Blacksburg, Va., April 2– A Virginia Tech student plays a life simulator game, a popular genre that can impact players differently. Photo: Katt Carter

Communication majors at Virginia Tech are required to take a Capstone course in order to graduate, one of these courses focuses on research with media and video games.

The course was started by Dr. James Ivory, an associate professor at Virginia Tech who wanted to look at video games in terms of their social dimensions. The research he headed made way for the G.A.M.E.R. lab at Virginia Tech, researching content in video games, as well as the effect on players.

The lab also focuses on television research, looking into how topics in media are handled and how that impacts viewers’ perceptions of the world.

Visibility at such a large research-oriented university can be difficult to achieve, and the G.A.M.E.R lab is significantly smaller than other operations at Virginia Tech.

James Zogran-Werness is a senior in multimedia journalism who took the course in hopes to have an interesting capstone and further his insight on gaming and if genre impacts levels of violence in players. He said he feels that “Virginia Tech doesn’t have a prominent focus on this type of research and that may be due to how new it is as a field.”

The Guardian published an article last year discussing how despite the popularity of video games, they get little media attention or coverage. The article went on to mention that this may be due to the stereotype of gamers being lonely teenage boys which could lead people to ignore the social impact that games can make.

While video game research is still considered young by industry standards, Virginia Tech is making headway by incorporating it as a capstone course to encourage interest. In the years to come the lab is hoping to expand and grow as student interest increases.

FullSizeRender-7 — Blacksburg, Va., April 2- Dr. James Ivory discussing a research topic during class. Photo: Katt Carter

“Town” of Blacksburg Under Consideration

by Clare Rigney–

The Town of Blacksburg is bringing an idea off the back-burner that could greatly affect local businesses and the community. The Blacksburg Town Council is considering changing their status to a city.

According to the Roanoke Times, the idea has reappeared after being shelved years ago due to Blacksburg’s inability to buy back the former Blacksburg High School from the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. When the county offered a bid of $3 million, an appraisal with which Blacksburg officials disagreed, Blacksburg mayor Ron Rordam brought it up once more.

“We’re a public entity, so we can’t afford commercial pricing for land,” said John Bush, who is in his third term as a member of Blacksburg Town Council.

Town Manager Marc Verniel will be responsible for presenting what steps Blacksburg would have to go through to make the conversion.

There are greater responsibilities that come with city status. According to the Washington Post, cities must have “schools, courts and jail, and constitutional officers such as a sheriff, prosecutor and Circuit Court clerk.”

A change such as this would potentially require Blacksburg to increase the real estate tax rate, but the people would no longer pay county real estate taxes. Bush also says that the town and county share responsibility for a lot of services, such as rescue and emergency services.

“Being a city would afford us some autonomy,” said Bush, “On the other hand, it might be quite trying for our schools who may be affected by the split.”

Something to consider is whether or not Blacksburg will be able to generate the necessary revenue from its population.

The prospect of becoming a city is an enticing one for many Blacksburg citizens, but Bush says that the “likelihood of that is small.”

“Unfortunately, there is some bad blood in the past between the county and the town but I don’t think it has to remain that way … There’s no sense in just continuing to hold grudges and not try to move forward because, at the end of the day, we’re bound by location. We’re neighbors,” Bush said.

BLACKSBURG, Va. Town Council member John Bush. Photo credit: blacksburg.gov

From fashion truck to Main Street boutique

Blacksburg, Va., April 3 – Things Come Together: Ashleigh Garnes, owner of Sundee Best, poses in front of the store’s newly organized clothes racks. Photo: Haven Lewis

by Haven Lewis–

Sundee Best, a local retail business, is taking over the previous location of Clothes Rack on Main Street in Blacksburg, Va. The boutique is set to open its doors April 8.

The business began as an online store in April 2015. By the end of that following summer, Sundee Best launched their fashion truck.

According to Stacey Jischke-Steffe, co-founder and president of American Mobile Retail Association, the industry is growing significantly with nearly 1,000 fashion trucks nation wide.

“A lot of it’s been blood, sweat and tears,” says owner, Ashleigh Garnes. “We refurbished the truck ourselves. It took us all summer but it was paid with love and hugs and free dinner.”

Sundee Best’s fashion truck has traveled to numerous festivals and fairs within a two-hour radius. It’s made additional appearances on Virginia Tech’s Drillfield and Radford University’s campus.

Despite the opening of the boutique, the fashion truck will still be an integral part of the business.

Garnes says it was her goal to open a store within 3-5 years of her online launch, but she wasn’t looking for a spot at all when she heard about the Main Street location.

“It’s meant to be because of the way that it fell into place and all of the things that have happened to lead up to this point,” says Garnes.

The property’s “for rent” sign went up at the end of January. Garnes toured the site and thought it was the perfect size – not too big, not too small. Everything was finalized by February 1 and she was given the keys on the second week of March.

Garnes is enthusiastic about the future of her business. She says that she wants Sundee Best to be known not only for great clothes, but for great customer service.

An in-store celebration is planned for April 29 with new arrivals and surprises.

Blacksburg, Va., April 3 – Passion for People: Ashleigh Garnes says that she doesn’t necessarily have a passion for fashion, rather, she’s passionate about people, especially those in the Blacksburg community. Photo: Haven Lewis

Kindergarten to College

**Blacksburg, Va. Mar. 31- ALL EYES ON ME:** Student athlete and senior Brandon Fiala speaks to students from Carver and East Salem Elementary School during a Kindergarten to College tour.

by Blayne Fink–

Given the success and campus-wide involvement of Virginia Tech’s Kindergarten to College program, otherwise known as K2C, it might come as a surprise to some that it actually began as a simple favor to a friend.

Susan Magliaro, the director of the program and professor emerita at Virginia Tech, received a call from a principal in Prince William County asking if she could bring her fifth-graders to campus for the day. Eight years later, K2C welcomes roughly 1,000 fifth graders from over ten different Title I schools to campus each spring semester.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, a Title I school is a school that receives particular financial assistance due to the school’s high percentage of children from low-income families. For Magliaro, being a Title I school is a key prerequisite for engaging in the program.

“We only work with Title I schools because we are trying to target kids who may not actually envision themselves being able to get to college,” said Magliaro. “So we wanted to give them that opportunity.”

Although the name might suggest otherwise, the program provides a day in the life experience of a college student to fifth graders from across the Commonwealth. As the program has expanded over the years, Magliaro has worked to incorporate nearly every aspect of Virginia Tech into the students few hours spent on campus.

The day begins with a short seminar about Virginia Tech, career opportunities that come with a college degree, and the questions that many students have about college life, including where they sleep and who does their laundry.

Following the introduction, the students, who are placed into specific color groups of roughly 10 to 15 kids prior to arrival, bounce around between buildings such as, Derring, the New Classroom Building, the WARE lab, and Goodwin Hall, engaging in a number of activities during the morning hours. For the most part, these STEM based activities are put on by undergraduate or graduate students.

Once their time in various classrooms across campus comes to an end, the students then enjoy an a la carte style lunch from the D-2 dining hall. Here, every single color group has an opportunity to engage with members of the Corps of Cadets, who eat lunch with the students. The day then concludes with a tour of Cassell Coliseum and Lane Stadium, as well as a short question and answer session with student athletes prior to departure.

Because the program is currently in its eighth year of operation, the impact of Kindergarten to College can now be quantified through data, something Magliaro is excited to explore in the coming years.

“We are just starting to see if those kids [from the first year] are going to college and where they go, if they do go anywhere,” said Magliaro. “So we are starting to collect that data.”

While it would be much easier in regards to gathering such statistics if all of the K2C participants ended up at Virginia Tech, Magliaro explains that the goal of the program is ultimately to spark the planning stages of a future that includes going to college.

“While we would love to have them come to Tech, the major message is to stay in and finish high school and go to college.”

kindergarten-to_21422412_f6db2f812f0088c81824ae104763d0f454535fbe — Click the infographic for more information.