September 2008 Archives
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Hokie Soccer Hangs On Against George Washington It wasn't always pretty, but Virginia Tech managed an important victory defeating George Washington 2-1 Tuesday night at the Virginia Tech Soccer Stadium and Thompson Field. The Hokies (3-5-1) were coming off a four-game losing streak that included three ACC losses. Virginia Tech broke through in the 43rd minute when newly converted forward Brendan Dunn found freshman forward Emmanuel Akogyeram who connected on his team-leading fourth goal of the season.
Homecoming 2008 Activites
Homecoming will offer a variety of events. Voting for Homecoming Court begins at 10 a.m., Tuesday and closes 7 p.m., Thursday. Those with a valid Tech PID and password may vote for the king and queen online at http://www.vthomecoming.org.vt.edu/votenow.html. PBTV: Friday Night: Party or Debate?
PBTV: Hokie Volleyball On The Right Track
PBTV: NCAA College Football 2009 Predicts Nebraska Game
A Lot On The Line In Lincoln (Video Included)
Lincoln is also the furthest west the Hokies have traveled for a regular season game since 1991, when they played Oklahoma. Pacino, De Niro Save Righteous Kill Director Jon Avnet follows up the notoriously unpopular 88 Minutes (which he also directed) with this vehicle starring two of Hollywood's greats - Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. De Niro (Turk) and Pacino (Rooster) are NYPD detectives and partners who are assigned to solve a series of murders. The caveat is that the victims are all criminals or accused criminals. All of them have checkered pasts and would serve society better behind bars. As the evidence mounts it becomes clear that a cop may have committed the murders - and that cop may be Turk, himself. Lady Hokies Sweep UVA In Volleyball ACC Opener The success of their first four tournaments must have been fresh in the minds of the Lady Hokies as they only needed three sets to knock off in-state and conference rival University of Virginia. The Lady Cavaliers fell behind early in the first set 5-1, but rallied to keep things close, matching Virginia Tech almost point for point in a set that went down to the wire. After gaining a close lead towards the end of the first set, UVA fell behind again to Tech, 26-25. Tech Soccer Loses 3-2 To Clemson In Extra Time The Virginia Tech men's soccer team lost in overtime to the Clemson Tigers 3-2 late Sunday. Tech began the first half with new goalie, Stefan Caulfield, receiving his first start. The regular starting keeper, Brendan Dunn, played on the field and totaled 3 shots and a goal. The game needed two extra periods since, after a grueling first period, the match was still tied 2-2. Late in second period, at the 102 minute-mark, Clemson ended the hard-fought battle with a goal by Hassan Ibrahim, his second of the game. Late Game Comeback Helps Hokies Top Heels, Earn Second Straight 20-17 Victory Virginia Tech headed to North Carolina looking to protect a perfect 17-0 record in conference road openers under Frank Beamer. That record looked to be in jeopardy late in the third quarter with the Hokies down 14 points. But just when it seemed the Hokies streak would come to an end, they posted 17 unanswered points to knock off the Tar Heels 20-17. Football Preview: Virginia Tech at UNC As the weekend approaches the Virginia Tech Hokies look towards another ACC game, this time against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Hokies enter the match-up with a 1-0 conference record after the hard-fought win over Georgia Tech, during which the Yellow Jackets outrushed the Hokies by nearly 80 yards. North Carolina comes into the game with a 2-0 record after beating McNeese State and Rutgers. This weekend's game, however, will be the Tar Heels first in-conference game of the season. Virginia Tech and UNC are both members of the Coastal Division of the ACC. In the preseason they were ranked Virginia Tech, first, and UNC, second, within the division. Upcoming 2008-2009 Season for the School of Performing Arts First up for the Theater Arts Season is A Skull in Connemara written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Gregory Justice showing Oct. 2-5, 7-9 and 13-18. A dark comedy set in a quaint Irish village, the play centers on Mick Dowd, a gravedigger who has to exhume old graves to make room for new ones. The grave he is currently working on: His wife's! Blown Coverage: Week Four Looks like this week is going to be feast or famine as we get a slate of several top notch games, and we get our fair share of garbage. Miami at Texas A&M - Miami whipped the Aggies 34-17 last year in Miami. This game will go a long way towards bringing some respect to the ACC. Notre Dame at Michigan State - I keep hearing that this game is interesting but I don't see it. Notre Dame should join a conference and get over itself. Opinion: Oprah's Un-invite Is Just Plain Classless To say that the media can be biased at times is like saying the Palestinians and the Jews have had a rocky past. It goes without saying. Networks are infamous for matching their headlines to their political agendas, and celebrities have made liberalism the popular thing for the younger generation. But how far is too far? When should the media set aside their personal views and responsibly report both sides of the story? Weekend Women's Soccer Roundup Tech Women's Soccer upsets Cal State Fullerton - Goalkeeper Carden, Records Assist Four Different Hokies Score for a 5-1 Win Over Charlotte - Jukich Scores Team-Leading 5th Goal of Season Evans and Crew Run Past Georgia Tech for Another Home Win (Video Included)
"I think as the running game gets better," Evans said of his team's effort, "then the passing game gets better, because the defenses become keen on the run." PBTV: NCAA Football 2009 Predicts Georgia Tech Game
Uneven Brideshead Revisited Still Worth A Look Set in the 1920's between two world wars, Brideshead Revisited, in the spirit of last year's Atonement, takes us on a sweeping journey of decades full of conflicts of class, religion and desire. The film, directed by Julian Jarrold (Becoming Jane), focuses on young Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode), a middle-class Londoner and aspiring artist, and his growing friendship with Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw), a wealthy aristocrat. Sebastian is clearly a homosexual and in love with Charles but Charles just seems to dabble in the glow of the power, money and beauty of the entire Flyte family and their homestead at Brideshead. Charles spends a summer at Brideshead where his friendship with Sebastian blossoms into something far more ambiguous but is complicated by Charles' attraction to Sebastian's sister, Julia (Hayley Atwell). A love triangle ensues and the wreckage is inevitable. Patriot Day 2008 Blown Coverage: Week 3 Well, what should have been a dream week of 22-0 turned into 21-1 nightmare. I let my affection for Pat White blind me to the threat that was East Carolina. The eight-point spread was as subtle as a punch in the face, but somehow I still managed to miss the hint that maybe Las Vegas thought the Mountaineers were ready for a fall. While we're on the topic of overrated teams, let's take a walk down Wall Street to find out which teams are over and undervalued. "Dear Zoe" Book Review Bruins Roll in Bluefield for Second Straight, Start Season 2-0 One week after beating up on Giles at home, the Blacksburg Bruins football team headed west, looking to knock off Graham in what looked to be a tough road game. For the first half, it was just that, as the G-Men jumped out to a 10-7 lead in front of their home crowd. That lead did not last long, as the Bruins came out to post a 28-point effort in the second half, 21 of which came in the fourth quarter. For the second straight week, senior quarterback Trey Gresh proved to be steady behind center, throwing for 116 yards and a touchdown. The star of the game, however, was Bruin’s running back Jonathan Jennings. Jennings rushed for 180 yards on just 7 carries, including a 91-yard touchdown. After Slow Start Tech Finds Rhythm, Beats Furman 24-7 (Video Included) After last week’s disappointing loss to East Carolina University, the “white-out” in Lane Stadium this week marked a time of redemption for Virginia Tech. The Hokies won 24-7, but the game was not the walk in the park that some may have expected. In fact, the first half left the Hokies ahead of the Paladins by only a field goal, the lowest first half point total for the Tech since being shut out in the first half against LSU (the 2008 NCAA National Champions) last year. Hokie Soccer Falls To The Pride, 4-1 The Hokie men’s soccer team played about as off and on as the rainfall during the first night of the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational. The team started off strong but faltered in the second half, giving up four goals en route to a 4-1 defeat and the hands of the Hofstra Pride. Gobblerfest Kicks Off Big Virginia Tech vs. Furman: Game Preview After a disappointing and surprising 27-22 lost to East Carolina University last weekend, the Virginia Tech football team will approach its game against Furman Saturday with a different perspective and a change in line-up. Coach Frank Beamer revealed at the weekly pre-game press conference on Tuesday that sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s redshirt would once again be lifted. This means that senior quarterback, Sean Glennon, and Taylor will, for the second year in a row, be sharing the snaps. The addition of Taylor to the line-up comes after Glennon’s shaky performance against the Pirates, which included two interceptions and a 60.9 completion percentage. In light of last week’s loss Beamer said the team will face the upcoming game against the Furman Paladins with the mindset of seeing “what’s real”. Blacksburg's Wal-Mart Fight Continues |
Movie Review: The Women It is difficult to imagine a film that can make even Annette Bening look bad, but The Women is that film. Writer and director Diane English sought to re-make George Cukor's 1939 classic of the same name. Having not seen the original, I can only speak to the tedious, dull disaster that is the second one. Meet Mary Haines (Meg Ryan), a talented fashion designer who has settled for working for her father's company making sketches instead of following her own dreams, but seems quite happy to do it until her father fires her. Things change too when Saks manicurist (Debi Mazar) gossips to Mary's best friend Sylvie (Annette Bening) about Mary's husband Steven and his affair with perfume spritzer-girl Crystal (Eva Mendes). PBTV: Weekly News Wrap-Up
Hokie Volleyball Sweeps Yellow Jackets At Home The Virginia Tech Lady Hokies squared off against the Georgia Tech Lady Yellow Jackets in front of a rowdy crowd in Cassel Colliseum, Saturday. Over the past two matches, 878 fans have supported the Hokies in their efforts to push their conference record to 3-0. "The crowd being into the game is really nice, and we can rally off their energy," said Justine Record, freshman outside hitter. The Wackness Is Anything But With the summer almost over it's nice timing to see The Wackness help ease the transition into autumn. Wackness is the story of a lonely teenager's quest to answer questions he has about himself. Set against the tortuous summer of '94 in NYC, the teenager receives a few life lessons that he may not be able to handle. Newcomer Josh Peck plays the leading role of Luke Shapiro, a hip-hop lovin' high school graduate preparing for his eventual departure for college. In spite of this career path, Luke has no real direction or goals. He also has no friends and thus spends his summer selling pot. One of his clients is maligned psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Oscar winner Ben Kingsley - in a strong performance). In exchange for marijuana, Squires sees Luke as a patient (just how maligned is that?). Volleyball Extends Success With Second Conference Win Unlike in its match against the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech did not run away with a 2-0 set lead against the University of Clemson, who proved to be a very tough challenge very early in the match. The Lady Tigers came out hot against the Lady Hokies and took a 5-0 point lead en route to winning the first set. Tech would rally, taking the next three to improve its record to 2-0 in the ACC. "This was one of the best matches that we played this season," said Chris Riley, coach of the Hokies. "I think the great crowd and the facility helped us and carried us through the second game." MAMMA MIA! Delights How can you pay homage to groovy ABBA tunes without resorting to the cheesy musical review that no one younger than 30 will pay any attention to? Ask producer Judy Craymer because she's laughing all the way to the bank, as are director Phyllida Lloyd and book-writer Catherine Johnson. The triumvirate behind the hit stage show of the same title, which opened at London's Prince Edward Theater in 1999, brought it to cinematic life this past summer where it has grossed close to $150 million at the box office and over $2 billion, and counting, on Broadway. Blown Coverage: Week 5 This season has been fairly straightforward with the contenders winning the games they were supposed to win and a few overrated teams being exposed (Clemson, WVU). This week we are going to look at a few coaches that seem to have one foot in the grave when it comes to their current employment. Tommy Bowden (Clemson) - The Tigers did it again, coming out as flat a possible against Alabama in the season opener. There was pre-season hype about Clemson in the National Championship, but now even their appearance in the ACC Championship could be in question. Unless the Tigers wear the ACC crown this year, Tommy's job could be in danger. Just in Case You Missed it...90210 Annie, as Adrianna's understudy, and Ty rehearse for the school musical and things get a little "heated," to say the least. Drama teacher and former West Beverly alum, Brenda Walsh, actually utters the phrase, "Ty and Annie are about to have sex on stage" to stage manager, Silver. Naomi's mother, Tracy, can't get out of bed as she wallows in pathetic misery over Charles, her cheating-at-their-beach househusband. Naomi calls her dad to tell him what a mess her mom is. When Charles arrives, Tracy is up and around and looking like her gorgeous, well-dressed, in-control self. She smacks him a couple times and they end up in bed. Big surprise! Silent Auction Makes Noise In Blacksburg Blacksburg community members showed support for the Koriko Moyie Women's Group in Kenya's Ngeta Village by attending the African benefit, silent auction and dinner held at Gillie's on Sunday. The money raised will go toward funding the "Corn Mills for Kenya" campaign. The campaign sponsors the women of the Ngeta Village who encounter obstacles such as providing for their families and witnessing the effects of AIDS in their community.
Virginia Tech Cross Country Finishes Second Two weeks after a first place finish from the women of Virginia Tech's cross country team, the Hokies turned in another successful performance. Both the men's and women's squads finished second overall in Friday's Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. This time around, Tech competed against Florida State, Wake Forest, the College of Charleston, King College and Concord University. Despite having the fastest finisher on the day, the women's team would not place first in its 4.6k race this week. Bragging Rights - PB Staff Picks the Top 25: Week 4 Another week of college football down, and still plenty more weeks of football insanity to go. With close games coming down to the wire, and blowouts that were over in the first half, this past week was full of absolutes and uncertainties yet again. The USC Trojans are dominating any team that crosses their path, and Ohio State once again shows its true colors in a big game. UCLA was not only owned by BYU, but was shut out through 60 minutes of football. Alabama squeezed out a win in boring fashion, and ECU played Tulane down to the wire and came away 3-0. What does this week hold in store for teams and fans nationwide? We can only wait until Saturday to find that one out, folks! College: It's All About Class Each year in America, the arrival of the autumn months brings about a return to school for most young people. As students abandon their familiar stomping grounds and home-cooked meals, they return to a world wrought with credit hours, due dates and roommate squabbles. All the while, students are buoyed by the promise of yet another college football season. Who hasn't buckled down during the week to get their work done early so they can enjoy the big game on Saturday? Upcoming Season for the University Chamber Music Series & NRV Symphony UNIVERSITY CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES All concerts are held in Squires Recital Salon except for the Nov. 3 concert, which will be held at the Lyric Theater in Blacksburg.
Flute, Cello, and Piano Trios by Haydn, Farrenc and Liebermann
Locals Support Village in Kenya The Women's Center at Virginia Tech and the International Women in Need (IWiN), a student-run non-profit organization at Virginia Tech, have teamed up to sponsor an African benefit dinner and silent auction. The event will take place at Gillie's, in downtown Blacksburg, on Sunday, Sept. 21. Proceeds from the dinner and auction will go to the "Corn Mills for Kenya" campaign, which sponsors the Koriko Moyie Women's Group in Kenya's Ngeta Village. Kathy Lokale, program coordinator of the Women's Center, said, "We were approached by their community" for help First Half Burst Gives Bruins Another Win; Start Season 3-0 In a game that many expected to be watching in the confines of a brand new facility, Bruins fans certainly did not seem disappointed walking out of the old Bill Brown Stadium on Friday night. In a contest that was expected to be close, Blacksburg made it anything but, as it rolled over the Liberty Minutemen by a score of 28-13. Tech soccer falls to Duke in ACC opener, 3-1 In the opening game of Virginia Tech's ACC season, the Duke Blue Devils came into Blacksburg and controlled the tempo from start to finish, coming away with a 3-1 victory. Duke's first goal came in the 12th minute when freshman Temi Molinar got loose on the sideline and sent a cross in to fellow freshman Kyle Bethel who put the ball in the back of the net for his third goal of the season. ACC Opener Preview: VT vs. GT On Saturday "it" begins for Virginia Tech. It is the game that can give a team hope for the season or leave it fighting an uphill battle for legitimacy. It is the start to games that cannot be written off as "mishaps" or discounted as "off days". Saturday signals the beginning of conference play for the Hokies, and though every game on the schedule counts, this is the first one the truly matters in their quest for another ACC title. Bragging Rights: PB Staff Picks the Top 25- Week 3 Madness! The college football season thus far can only be described as complete madness. Who would have thought that East Carolina would upset then eighth-ranked West Virginia? Who would have thought that Ohio State would struggle with Ohio at home? This season has all the makings of becoming one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. And it doesn't look like it will slow down as Week 3 rolls in and we see which teams will fall victim to the upset bug and which will prevail in their quests to the National Championship. Fall Focus 2008 Virginia Tech....It's Not Just For Techies; Check Out What's Coming To The Theater Department Volunteering at the YMCA PBTV: Subway's Jared Visits Campus
After Slow Start, Hokies Soccer Fights Back To Beat Xavier 2-1 On the last day of the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational the Hokies beat the Xavier Musketeers 2-1 with a late goal by senior midfielder Scott Dillie. Tech dominated the stat lines, outshooting Xavier 22-9. The Hokies started off the game sluggish, making several mental mistakes that eventually led to a Xavier goal by sophomore forward Andy Dimbi in the 10th minute. Virginia Tech's Queen: An interview with Queen Harrison The 400-meter final for the Virginia Tech Cross Country Relay ran smoothly until a competitor fell in the way of another competing athlete. The fallen runner was Miriam Barnes, who fell in the path of Queen Harrison, a rising junior at Virginia Tech. Instinct drove Harrison to sidestep her opponent and finish the race, qualifing for the Olympics. Harrison attributed her quick reflexes to hard work and technique learned by running for Virginia Tech and Hermitage High School. She said when she ran at Hermitage in Richmond, she used to fall and trip but has since worked to improve herself. Women Take 1st In 2008 Cross-Country Debut Virginia Tech’s cross-country track teams kicked off the season by competing in the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitation against Liberty, Virginia Commonwealth University, Radford and East Tennessee State. Tech’s women placed first in the overall scores. Liberty came in second with Radford taking third, VCU fourth and East Tennessee State fifth. Blown Coverage: Picking the Top 25 – Week 2 This week, I thought I would take a look at the top Heisman hopefuls looking to snag a trip to New York: Tim Tebow, FLORIDA (5-2): The odds-on favorite to win again this year and to become only the second player in history to win the award twice. Urban Meyer has said he doesn’t plan on running Tebow into the ground like last year, as evidenced by Tim only contributing one out of the eight touchdowns the Gators ran up on Hawaii last week. The media exposure will be there this year, but it will be nearly impossible for him to match last year’s numbers. PBTV: White Out Game
Bragging Rights: PB Staff Predicts The Top 25 If last week was any indication of things to come this season then picking games is once again going to be a harder job than ever. With Bowling Green taking out Pittsburgh and ECU taking out Virginia Tech, there has already been more change in the polls than after an Obama speech. Parity is becoming more widespread in the college ranks and now every team feels they can win on any given day. With that let's get on to the picks and our games of the week. NFL Hokie Draft Class Looking To Impress PBTV: Tyrod Burns Redshirt
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Hokies will don maroon and orange in celebration of Virginia Tech's 2008 Homecoming throughout this week, culminating when the football team faces Western Kentucky.
Ryan Call turns to the NCAA College Football 2009 video game to predict the Hokies' football game against Nebraska on Saturday. While ESPN's Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit picked Virginia Tech to lose, the simulator has a different plan.
If Saturday's football game against Georgia Tech unfolds anything like it does in EA Sports's NCAA Football 2009 video game, the Hokies are in for trouble. Ryan Call plays out the simulation to get an idea of Saturday's outcome.
Planet Blacksburg's news team gives you recent news plus fills you in on upcoming events. Watch to find out about Virginia Tech homecoming events, the latest in Virginia Tech sports, recent presidential election news, and a great showcase of entertainment available in Blacksburg.
After last week's upset against ECU, the question was brought up about whether it was a good decision to redshirt Tyrod Taylor. Coach Beamer was expected to make an announcement regarding the decision today and announced that both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor will be playing this weekend against Furman.