collegiatetimes.com Monday, June 22, 2015 COLLEGIATETIMES Tech Fundamentals A Collegiate Times surivival guide fffull of tips and advice ffor fi rst-year Tech students CHRISTIAN STERLING / COLLEGIATE TIMES COLLEGIATE TIMES Drillfi eld construction will allow for two-way traffi c NEWSROOM . 231-9865 summer is temporary in Editor in Chief: Ricky LaBlue (editor@ The frustration of not nature — we are working on collegiatetimes.com) having two-way lanes on a long-term solution,” said Managing Editors: Samantha Hill, Gautam Rao Drillfield Drive is nothing new Jason Soileau, the assistant Design Editors: Andrea Pappas, Jina Ro [email protected] to students. Administrative vice president of the Office of Copy Editors: Melissa Fairfax, Erin Fischer discussion of the problem goes University Planning back in Multimedia Editor: Leslie McCrea back decades. August 2014. News Editors: Lewis Millholland, Emelia Hughes “The question has been Soileau is also involved Lifestyles Editors: Payton Knobeloch, Megan Vasquez around since the ‘80s or ‘90s,” in the ongoing renovations Wilson said. “It’s been a long, to make part of Drillfield Sports Editors: Faizan Hasnany, Sierra Huckfeldt long problem that took the right Drive two-way, but he was not Opinions Editors: Nicholas Work, Taylor Lewis question to the right person.” available to comment on this Photo Editor: Zack Wajsgras story. Assistant Photo Editor: Catie Carreras The new road scheme will Have a news tip? debut at the end of summer The Drillfield received its [email protected] 2015. current name in 1926, named BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES for its use by the Corps of BUSINESS STAFF . 231-9860 The construction project will connect Stanger St. and Kent St. There are also remodeling Cadets to practice military Business Manager: De’Lis Marshall (business@ plans for the Drillfield itself. drills. Nowadays, it is a hub for collegemedia.com) LEWIS MILLHOLLAND Last summer, the university student travel and recreation. news editor off the Drillfield and to realign paved several student-made COLLEGE MEDIA SOLUTIONS . pedestrian crossing to increase “desire paths,” which was met “The Drillfield serves 231-9860 The Drillfield is one of the safety,” said Sherwood Wilson, with a mixed reception. Some as the playground of the Ad Director: Cameron Taylor (ad.director@ most commonly seen — and vice president of administration students complained that the campus,” Wilson said. “It is collegemedia.com) traveled — features on campus. at Virginia Tech. Wilson earned added pavement cut down on one of Virginia Tech’s iconic Account Executives: Hansol Kim, Mitchell Moss, Students can be found on the his master of science in archi- the space available for sports, spaces — but it doesn’t look David Nichols, Kevin Reilly, Brandon Riffe, Drillfield every day playing tecture/building construction while others were happy to iconic.” Ashley Battle football and Frisbee, waging from Virginia Tech in 1993 and have more walking options on Inside Sales Manager: Rachel Biltz massive civilian versus cadet returned to the university in his rainy days when the ground According to Wilson, the Inside Sales Associates: Lauren Bracket, Thomas snowball fights in the winter, current administrative role in turned muddy. Drillfield master plan will Deverin, Haley Keen, Darienne Hammer, Kassie handing out flyers or candy, July 2007. be rolled out over the next Ruprecht reading, sunbathing or walking The university stated the few years. The plan includes Creative Director: Wayne Veldsman to and from classes. “The project is on schedule, pavement was not to stay. some for m of trailheads where Creative Assistant Director: Hannah Murray it’s on budget,” Wilson said. each path starts, as well as the collegiatetimes.com collegiatetimes.com Creative Staff: Casey Phillips, Richie Parks Traffic on Drillfield Drive, the He confirmed that the project “The paving done this inclusion of amenities such as road surrounding the Drillfield, should be completed by the time electricity and Wi-Fi. solutions.collegemedia.com has notoriously been one-way. students return in the fall. [email protected] Commuters traveling through campus are forced to circumnav- Recently, the university has The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational igate the entire field rather than taken the initiative to invest in Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established cutting through directly. improving entrances to campus. in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Southgate Drive is receiving a Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Near the end of the last major overhaul where it connects Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except academic year, the Virginia Tech to the highway, a new building during exams and vacations. The first copy of the Board of Visitors approved a is being built by Perry Street Collegiate Times is free, any copy of the paper redesign to allow two-way traffic and this change to Drillfield after that is 50 cents. To order a reprint of a on the part of Drillfield Drive Drive will directly impact traffic photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit connecting Stanger Street to coming from the Alumni Mall reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times Kent Street. The plan also calls entrance. is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with for renovating the islands in that a mission to provide educational experience portion of the road with side- “Coming in from Alumni in business and production of mass media for walks for safer and easier pedes- Mall, you will be able to turn left Virginia Tech students. trian travel. and go to the bookstore,” Wilson © Collegiate Times, 2015. All rights reserved. said. “Before, you had to go Material published in the Collegiate Times is the “The whole reason we’re doing around the whole circle to come CATIE CARRERAS / COLLEGIATE TIMES property thereof, and may not be reprinted without this is to get vehicular traffic back.” The sign on Alumni Mall details the closed areas and the express written consent of the Collegiate streets during the project. Times. Monday, June 22, 2015 PAGE 2 Tech travel tips: how to avoid the orange envelope [email protected] JOY NYSTROM Tech Police suggest getting your bike regis- lifestyles staff writer tered, in case it is stolen. Whether you travel by foot or on wheels, Being a biker in Blacksburg means you here are a few Blacksburg travel hacks to should learn how to use hand signals on the make your freshman year easier. road. The necessary gear for riding a bike is a helmet, bike lock and front and rear lights, If you like to drive, there is only one which are required by law if you are biking thing you need to know: driving a car in at night. Reflective gear is also recom- Blacksburg revolves around 5:00 p.m. Try mended when biking at night. not to drive your car on campus at 5 p.m., unless you enjoy taking 20 minutes to get If you don’t have your own set of wheels, from McComas Hall to Newman Library. you can ride Blacksburg Transit’s (BT) buses, as you pay for it in your tuition. Every BEN WEIDLICH / COLLEGIATE TIMES Parking on Virginia Tech’s campus student and faculty member can ride BT by There are dozens of buses heading to and from campus during the day. requires a permit Monday through Friday showing the bus driver their Hokie Passport. 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., except for the Drillfield, If you happen to forget your Hokie Passport, Each route has two time checks where campus, the Hokie Express is fare which requires a Faculty/Staff permit until the fare is 50 cents. the bus cannot leave that particular location free and travels around campus and 8 p.m. on weekdays. Downtown Blacksburg until the designated time for that stop. downtown Blacksburg at night. has 1,000 parking spots, most of which “If you have questions, we are here to This keeps the buses from running under are metered. Meters are enforced Monday help,” said Fiona Rhodes, Blacksburg schedule or over schedule. Don’t worry if you still can’t figure out through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Transit’s communications and customer the transit system or parking. Walking support specialist. “We know bus schedules Typically there is a time check on campus is easy around Blacksburg; cars are Parking on campus can be tricky. If are not easy to understand, that is why we at Burruss Hall, Torgeson Hall and Newman required to yield to pedestrians. you have an 8 a.m. class, most parking lots developed the BT4U mobile app, and we Library, and the second time check tends to will have many available spaces. Traffic have staff that know the routes inside and be halfway through the route. These stops Even though navigating a n entire town in parking lots tends to get heavy around out.” generally have a high volume of traffic, but can be more difficult than navigating the collegiatetimes.com 11 a.m. Try to get to your parking lot 10 they tend to be the easiest places to catch a halls of your high school, there are plenty minutes before the hour or five minutes The BT4U mobile app is an app that has bus. of resources available to help out. If you after the hour. These are generally the times every feature you may need when planning are still lost, just ask a fellow Hokie. that most classes are getting out, and you a trip on the bus. You can use your current If you want to ride in style around should be able to get a parking spot.