April 7, 2026

COLLEGIAT ETIMES

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

April 11th , 2026

E V E N T

VIRGINIA TECH HOSTS CAMPUS STUDENT EMPLOYMENT FAIR

Jacob Luckenbaugh | News Writer

Students can schedule through Handshake for a resume and elevator pitch review.

On Monday, April 6, the Virginia Tech Career and Professional Development office will host the Campus Student Employment Fair in Owens Ballroom from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event offers students from all grade levels and academic majors the opportunity to meet with on-campus employers to learn about potential jobs, internships and research opportunities.

Virginia Tech currently employs over 8,000 graduate and undergraduate students in positions throughout the university.

A variety of on-campus employers will attend the event, including student services providers like Virginia Tech Dining Services; Recreational Sports; the College of Architecture; Arts; Design; Marketing and

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To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news, but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy.

The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists’ role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and reveal only

Communications; and the College of Science Dean’s Office, which are aligned with academic departments.

“The Campus Student Employment Fair is an exciting chance for students to explore a wide variety of on-campus jobs and internships, along with opportunities in the community,” said Tatiana Balasenowich, program coordinator in the Office of Career and Professional Development, in an interview with VT News about the previous semester’s fair. “These positions are incredibly valuable as they offer flexible schedules that fit around classes, helping students maintain a healthy balance between school, work and life. These opportunities let students explore different areas and discover new interests.”

Students are encouraged to check in no later than 2:30 p.m. to allow sufficient time to speak with employers, as well as bring a copy of their resume to provide to representatives.

that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth.

When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.

Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com

All letters must include a name and phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. Other submissions must include city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.

Career and Professional Development also offers resume reviews and appointments to develop an elevator pitch, which are available to be scheduled through Handshake.

The Campus Student Employment Fair marks the final career fair of the school year, encouraging students to get involved on campus through employment.

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VIRGINIA TECH BOARD OF VISITORS TO DECIDE TUITION AND FEES FOR 2026-27 ACADEMIC YEAR

Abhigna Koochana | News Writer

In comparison to other in-state schools, Virginia Tech has the lowest fees.

The Board of Visitors will be meeting on April 14 to decide the tuition and fees for the 2026-2027 school year.

The university administration is considering an increase in tuition and additional fees of anywhere from 0% to 2.9%. According to Emma Roshioru, president of the Undergraduate Student Senate, the university’s budget is dependent on the Virginia General Assembly, and with budget cuts to higher education, the House and Senate’s proposed budget is lower than ideal.

Compared to the other colleges in the state, Virginia Tech has the lowest comprehensive fees, and the proposed budget is relatively lower.

Virginia Tech has many programs dedicated to supporting students financially.

The Virginia Tech Advantage program provides tuition support for families with incomes below $115,000, and any tuition increases will not affect these students.

The program offers scholarships and need-based financial aid. According to the website, one goal of this program is to double the amount of money put into the Presidential Scholarship Initiative, which is a competitive four-year scholarship for in-state students.

Another financial-aid program, Funds for the Future, covers tuition and fees for students whose families make below $115,000 annually.

There are still concerns about tuition and fee increases, especially as these programs do not necessarily benefit all students, according to Roshioru.

An opportunity for comment from the public was available on Thursday, April 2, where students could express their concerns and thoughts about potential tuition changes. Roshioru spoke during this event.

“The last thing students or their families need is the fear of tuition costs raised to an extent that is not feasible for them,” Roshioru said. “My comments during (the) public comment session aim to reflect what I call time poverty, in the sense that I hope to take the Board through what it means to be a student, pressed for time, in an increasingly inflationary world. I hope to represent the strain that any increase, no matter how ‘small’ it may seem, places on students, and I will encourage the Board to approve nothing more than a 0% tuition

LIFESTYLES

increase to best reflect students’ sentiments at large.”

Students can go to the Board of Visitors’ website to submit written comments, which will be received until Monday, April 6. The Board of Visitors meeting is at The Inn at Virginia Tech, 901 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, in the Latham Ballroom.

“It is my hope that through continued efforts by students and campus media like the Collegiate Times to raise awareness, more students will become involved in these processes,” Roshioru said.

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HOKIE FOCUS OFFERS ADMITTED STUDENTS A FIRST LOOK AT VIRGINIA TECH

Aleeza Ali | Lifestyles Writer

Prospective students explored Virginia Tech through Hokie Focus, experiencing a preview of campus life, from academics to community.

Admitted students got an early look at life at Virginia Tech during Hokie Focus on March 21 and 22, a two-day program designed to introduce them to academics, campus life and the Blacksburg community.

Virginia Tech has seen yearly increases in the number of applications received, according to University Data Commons. Out of the 57,756 students who applied to join the class of 2029, 31,515 were offered admission and 7,133 accepted.

Hokie Focus, hosted by New Students and Family Programs, brings together faculty, current students and campus resources to introduce admitted students to Virginia Tech’s academic and campus environment.

“Simply knowing that I have such caring and passionate professors the moment I walk onto campus is comforting,” said Taylor Helfer, a prospective environmental policy and planning major.

For many students, the opportunity to tour the campus in person helps ease the transition from high school to college. Walking through lecture rooms, dining areas and residence halls gives them a clearer picture of what their daily life could look like.

“I’m still pretty nervous about starting completely new, but I do feel more comfortable navigating campus,” Helfer said. “At first, I was overwhelmed by how big it is, but walking through both the

Students and their families have the chance to better understand the university before making their final college decision. Groups attend major-specific sessions led by faculty, explore campus through guided tours and connect with current students at resource fairs. These experiences allow admitted students to ask questions about academics, housing and student life while getting a firsthand look at the university environment.

residential and academic sides of campus was really helpful.”

In addition to student experiences, Hokie Ambassadors play a key role in ensuring the program runs smoothly.

“I believe the overall goal of Hokie Focus is to answer as many questions as we can for these future students,” said Hokie Ambassador Campbell Berry. “This is done through info sessions, tours of the campus and residential halls, and the resource fair.”

Ambassadors serve as a key connection between attendees and the university, offering insight from their own experiences and answering questions about student life. Their presence helps create a welcoming environment for students who may be visiting campus for the first time.

Hokie Focus stands out among campus events because of its timing. The program is held in early spring, when the weather is warming up, and more students are outside

enjoying the campus.

“Future students were able to see how fun the Drillfield could be with picnics or football. It makes it easier to imagine yourself on this campus when you see other students,” Berry said.

The goal of the program is for students to leave with a sense of belonging at Virginia Tech.

“I hope these students see how much Virginia Tech has to offer and even though the thought of college can be scary, Virginia Tech has so many resources to help it feel like home,” Berry said.

For many admitted students, Hokie Focus provides a sense of familiarity as they prepare to begin at Virginia Tech. By the end of the program, students leave with a better understanding of campus life and a clearer vision of their future as Hokies.

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INSIDE GOBBLER RACING: HOW A NEW CLUB IS BRINGING MOTORSPORTS TO CAMPUS

Emmy Rose | Lifestyles Contributor

Collegiate racing zooms to Virginia Tech, thanks to freshman Riley Haig.

What started as a childhood passion has become a collegiate competitive racing team. Freshman Riley Haig, founder of Gobbler Racing, is preparing to lead the team to its first competition in July.

“I’ve been around cars since I was 5 because of my dad,” Haig said. “He drove race cars when I was little, so I’ve always been around them, building them and racing them.” Before coming to Tech, Haig interned with the Collegiate Racing Series. He helped recruit members and colleges to CRS. It was his time here that gave him the knowledge and inspiration to build Gobbler Racing at Tech.

“It’s all about college education and getting students into motorsports and showing it to them in college, and I really wanted to bring that to VT when I got here,” Haig said.

Gobbler Racing is very open and has a wide variety of skills to learn. Through their membership with CRS, they have access to a curriculum, teaching club

members about driving a race car, mechanics, team management on race day, marketing and media strategies and business applications.

The club is still in its early stages of development. There are currently no dues, and anyone is welcome to stop by a meeting. Gobbler Racing posts updates and links to its GroupMe and Instagram account.

In the first six months of being on campus, Gobbler Racing gained 60 members, and this number is only climbing.

Currently, many of the members are developing their skills in simulated racing. Through their membership with CRS, they’re able to practice and compete in online simulator racing, enhancing their skills while connecting with other motorsport enthusiasts.

“Our students won two of the races this season, so that was a great accomplishment,” Haig said when speaking on

the success of their sim racing students.

Despite the club being fairly new, Gobbler Racing is already making headway in the collegiate motorsports industry.

“CRS recognized us as a top 12 team within the series. This news made me and the team ecstatic and excited to prove that Virginia Tech doesn’t just excel in academics but also college racing,” Haig said.

On July 31, Gobbler Racing is set to compete at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Atlanta, GA. There’s just one problem … they don’t have a car yet. In order to get a race car, Gobbler Racing needs a sponsor to donate funds to cover the cost.

At the moment, the club’s biggest collaborations are with Monster Energy Collegiate Division, NASA Racing League, Summit Point Motorsport Park, FARA Racing USA and Mazda Motorsports. These sponsors offer them products, track time and the ability to host events.

Competing in this upcoming event is contingent on them getting a funded sponsorship, but Haig is determined and hopeful to get his team behind the wheel. To prepare, the team is using sim racing as its way to practice. Haig stated how he sees the race in Atlanta as a trial run for the team, since there are plenty more to follow.

Gobbler Racing has grown exponentially over the past six months, and Haig only sees it expanding even more. With additional support from alumni, students and sponsors, opportunities are limitless.

“I would love to see this team become an actual accredited Virginia Tech sport,” Haig said. “You can look at football when it first started and how it has developed. My biggest goal is to see this become accredited at colleges all over the U.S. and have 30 to 40 thousand plus fans sitting at race tracks cheering on their college car, hoping to see them win a race.”

ELECTRONIC MUSIC: NOTABLE SELECTIONS FROM AN EVER-CHANGING GENRE

Benjamin Gozzi | Lifestyles Writer

Lifestyles staff writer Benjamin Gozzi suggests albums that highlight electronic music’s expansive sound.

Perhaps no other genre in the wide array of music and sounds has seen more development than electronic dance music. Characterized by heavy synthesizers, drumbeats and an oftentimes hypnotizing bassline, the style has persisted through time as a feel-good, get-on-your-feet medium that brings swarms of people to dance floors across the globe.

While the sounds of electronic music have become far more complex than Frankie Knuckles — a Bronx native who was widely considered to be the “Godfather of House Music” — could have ever imagined, one thing has stayed the same: EDM’s ever-changing foundation has led to several breakthroughs in musical production.

The next time you’re looking to nod your head and stomp your feet, throw on one of these electronic records and discover why the genre has earned such

global acclaim.

Voyager — Daft Punk

There’s arguably no other record that had more impact in popularizing the electronic music genre than French duo Daft Punk’s sophomore record, “Discovery.” Released on March 12, 2001, the 14-song compilation launched the genre — and more specifically, the house music scene — into pop culture infamy behind tracks like “One More Time” and “Voyager.”

Across the album, artists Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de HomemChristo masterfully utilize synthesizers, varying drum fills and a host of eclectic tempos to take listeners on an unforgettable audio journey. Combine this with the technicality and precision displayed on some tracks — such as “Face to Face,” which samples a staggering six songs to create a silky-smooth sound — and it’s easy to see why the record finds itself

near the top of most all-time rankings lists.

While the French house music titans called it quits in early 2021, Daft Punk’s catalogue continues to reverberate to this day. Bangalter, who wore a silver helmet with a visor-like front during his time in the group, most recently made an appearance alongside current house star Fred Again last month. The show, which took place at London’s Alexandra Palace, featured standout tracks from “Discovery,” including “Digital Love” and, of course, “One More Time.”

brat — Charli xcx

Charli xcx’s eighth studio album, “brat,” signified far more than just another collection of tracks for fans to tune into. Behind an attention-grabbing lime green cover adorned with the album title, the Cambridge-based singer-songwriter became a part of the hyperpop conversation almost instantly after the

record’s 2024 release.

Through 15 songs and a brisk 41 minutes, Charli xcx provides commentary on feelings of insecurity, abrasiveness, sadness, guilt and pain interwoven with uniquely complex electronic sounds. Songs like “Sympathy is a knife” provide a profound, often introspective look into the singer’s mental state, while “Talk talk” reflects on a budding love that is simply taking over the artist’s life.

What makes “brat” stand out in the long run is the record’s immediate inclusion into pop culture. “Brat summer” — coined in part from the album’s June release — swept across social media, inspiring marketing campaigns and trends that were associated with the album’s core themes of rejecting modern femininity and embracing one’s true self.

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Until Now — Swedish House Mafia Swedish electronic supergroup Swedish House Mafia — comprised of artists Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso — waste no time throwing audiences into the ring on their 2012 album, “Until Now.”The kick-drum on the album’s opening track,

“Greyhound,” immediately demands attention, grabbing a hold of listeners before revealing any secrets from the songs ahead.

“Until Now”is an unrelenting audio experience. Across the album’s 10 tracks, the group refuses to slow down the pace between songs, as tracks like “Calling (Lose My Mind)” and “One (Your Name)” reflect the fast-paced, almost hectic

nature of the record. Every minute of this album is a party — if you’re looking for an album that puts the pedal to the floor, “Until Now” is an excellent choice. These albums merely scratch the surface of the electronic music scene but provide a good foundation for further exploration. From the house music first born in the basements of Chicago to the hardstyle that swept Europe in the

1990s, EDM is a genre undefined by rules or guidelines. Explore for yourself how the genre can get you to groove the next time you open your playlists.

VIRGINIA TECH MAC AND CHEESE MATCH-OFF

Cleo Dobson and Annie O’Connell | Lifestyles Writers

From price to taste, lifestyles writers rank Virginia Tech’s many mac and cheese options.

Beyond Virginia Tech’s academics, sports and campus life, the dining halls are one of the best things Virginia Tech has to offer. With 47 different venues in 11 locations and a No. 2 ranking for “Best College Food in America,” Virginia Tech offers a diverse array of foods throughout the academic and residential sides of campus.

While there are a lot of options to choose from, there are some classic foods available throughout the campus. Most notably, the mac and cheese.

Macaroni and cheese is available in almost every dining hall at Virginia Tech, and which location offers the best mac and cheese on campus is a frequently debated topic.

We went on a mission to settle this debate once and for all. We ordered mac and cheese from almost every dining hall on campus and ranked them by cost, time and taste. As broke college students, we know getting the most bang for your buck is important. Long waits aren’t ideal either, and of course, taste remains the most important factor of any meal.

With our notes apps out and stomachs empty, we headed off to five of Virginia Tech’s dining halls; our first stop being the Squires Student Center.

Corner ‘24 in Squires Food Court

Warm and waiting for students at 11 a.m. in Squires Student Center, the mac and cheese recipe at Corner ‘24 has seen recent changes.

When the grab-and-go location first opened during fall 2024, a bright yellow cheese sauce enveloped traditional macaroni noodles. Occasionally, students could self-serve white cheddar mac and cheese. Sometime during the 2025-26 academic year, three cheese cavatappi entered the scene and has been a constant at Corner ‘24 ever since.

Whether students fill their cup to the

brim or only halfway, the mac and cheese is priced at $7.00. Corner ‘24 gets busier during class changes, but the line moves quickly.

The three cheese sauce has a strong flavor, but the noodles are a bit too big and slightly doughy. Corner ‘24’s mac and cheese gets scores 7/10 for cost, 10/10 for time and 7/10 for taste, totaling 24/30.

Leaf and Ladle in West End

Leaf and Ladle at West End was the next stop on our cheesy adventure. West End at Cochrane Hall is one of three dining halls on the residential side of campus and has six unique restaurants to choose from.

Leaf and Ladle offers a steady rotation of soups and noodle dishes, along with custom-made salads and Asian bowls.

The white cheddar mac and cheese at Leaf and Ladle does what Squire’s three cheese cavatappi fails to do. The sauce is rich, creamy and has a slight peppery taste that deepens the flavor. The noodles are small and avoid the doughy, grainy texture that the Squires cavatappi suffered from. Its price of $5.50 for seven ounces makes it slightly more expensive than Smoke’s mac and cheese, but to us, it’s worth it. The white cheddar mac and cheese receives an overall score of 7/10 for cost, 9/10 for time and 8/10 for taste, totaling 24/30.

Smoke in Perry Place

Next up was Smoke, the barbecue restaurant available on the second floor of Perry Place at Hitt Hall. Hitt Hall was built in 2021 to house the College of Engineering’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction and introduced nine new dining options for Virginia Tech students.

Smoke offers a unique twist on the classic mac and cheese through its addition of a not-so-secret ingredient: jalapeno.

The Smoked Jalapeno Mac and Cheese stands out from the rest with the diced

jalapeno peppered throughout, which introduces a light, earthy taste to the otherwise heavy dish. If you don’t like spice, don’t let the name scare you away from trying it — Smoke’s mac and cheese has little to no heat at all.

The one downside is that the jalapeno is the only thing that sets it apart. Aside from the jalapeno, the mac and cheese noodles and sauce are identical to the mac and cheese offered at Leaf and Ladle in West End.

Smoke’s mac and cheese is $5.20 for seven ounces, making it one of the more affordable options. Unfortunately, while the wait isn’t too bad, Hitt Hall is closed on the weekends, so it’s not as accessible as the other options.

All in all, Smoke’s smoked jalapeno mac and cheese gets a score of 8/10 for cost, 6/10 for time and 9/10 for taste, totaling 23/30.

Dish in Owen’s Food Court

Our next stop brought us to Dish, located in Owen’s dining hall. Owen’s Hall opened in 1940, but Dish wasn’t established until 1991. Known as the “classic Americana comfort food shop,” Dish serves staples like brisket pot roast, fried catfish, meatloaf, loaded baked potatoes and, of course, their mac and cheese.

Although the flavor wasn’t the most notable compared to other dining halls, the price and texture stood out to us. At just $2.75, students get a generous portion of warm, melty mac and cheese.

Unlike Squires, these noodles were cooked well, though the dish was less saucy than others we tried. While Dish’s mac and cheese may not pack a punch of flavor like Smoke or Leaf and Ladle, it hits the spot for a satisfying comfort food option.

Overall, Dish’s mac and cheese earned a record-breaking score of 11/10 for cost, a 9/10 for time and an 8.5/10 for taste,

totaling 28.5/30.

Chick-fil-A in Hokie Grill

Our final stop was just a few steps away from Dish. Connected to Owen’s, we made our way to Owen’s Hokie Grill. Established in 2003, the Hokie Grill remains one of the most popular places on campus, largely due to the presence of Chick-fil-A.

One caveat of that popularity is the wait time. Ordering a cup of mac and cheese took approximately 30 minutes, which may be a factor to consider depending on your schedule and your level of patience. In terms of taste, it stood out from other mac and cheese options on campus. Chickfil-A uses a special cheese blend: cheddar, parmesan, romano and Monterey Jack. The crispy, light-baked cheese on top added both texture and depth.

The portion size was solid, and priced at $4.29, it was one of the most affordable options we tried.

Overall, Chick-fil-A’s mac and cheese scored an 8/10 for cost, a 4/10 for time and a 7.5/10 for taste, totaling to a 19.5/30.

After five dining halls and two stuffed stomachs later, one winner came out on top: Dish. Still, each location offers something different, each one appealing to different students. So, the “best” choice is ultimately left up to the Hokies’ preferences.

SETTING IT STRAIGHT: THE ENGLISH MASTER’S PROGRAM ADMISSIONS SUSPENSION

Livia

Wenger | Opinions Columnist

Suspension of admissions to the English master’s program raised questions that went largely unanswered.

Since the news broke in August 2025 that the Virginia Tech English Master’s program was no longer accepting applications, it has been quite the struggle for students, such as myself, to figure out what happened. Left strictly to word of mouth to gain information, there were high levels of confusion left to simmer until March 2026, when the English Department hosted a Q&A session to address confusion and answer student questions.

There have been two previous articles regarding this topic published in the Collegiate Times, one in the opinions section and one in lifestyles. However, at the time of both article publications, there was still uncertainty and a noticeable lack of communication between university higher-ups and the student body. I have since had the opportunity to interview Kelly Pender, chair of the English Department, and Mark Owczarski, Chief Spokesperson of the university. Through these discussions, I believe I got the answers that I, and quite a few others, have been looking for.

So, what happened, exactly, to the English Master’s program here at Virginia Tech?

“Let’s get the vernacular correct, because the suspension of a program sounds like you canceled it … and we haven’t,” Owczarski said. “We’ve suspended admissions to the program. But we do not intend to close the program.”

This term, suspended admissions, is something he mentioned repeatedly throughout our conversation, and I came to understand it as this: The program has gone dormant until it can be revived, but the timeline for this is unknown. As federal funding fluctuates under the current administration, resources have to be reallocated at times to make up for this.

“The main reason that led to the

decision to suspend applications to the master’s in English (was) needing to use that resource in departments and for programs elsewhere in the college,” Pender said.

The Virginia Tech English Department had no say in this decision; it was made by higher-ups in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Other programs were affected as well throughout CLAHS because, at the end of the day, it came down to financial matters, and healthy programs had to be prioritized. Healthy being the admissions numbers, class sizes, graduation rates, among other factors, which led to a reallocation of resources, particularly GTA lines, which is full funding for graduate students in the program in exchange for instructing English 1105 and 1106 sections.

In summary, the program has gone dormant for the time being. Admissions, and therefore applications, have been suspended for the foreseeable future.

The timeline for when the program could be revived is unclear. However, the program is not technically terminated.

When the decision was made by the CLAHS, there was not much information to release, even to the faculty. However, it was an oversight in the sense that the internal interest in the program was underestimated, leading to frustration and confusion among students. Faculty were unable to answer our questions due to this lack of information and the subsequent inability to speak on behalf of CLAHS.

I surveyed with some simple questions to gauge student interest in the English master’s program, along with a space for students to tell me their thoughts on the recent ambiguous state of the program. Of the 37 responses received, here is the data: Six freshmen, eight sophomores, eight juniors and 15 seniors from various English majors responded.

Within this group, 35.1% were

interested, and 54.1% were not. Respondents heard about the program mostly through professors, emails, social media, peers, internet searches and talk of program admissions suspension. Overall, these results showed that in general, about a third of students were interested in the English master’s program, within the VT English Department, not to mention what it might be from outside programs across the country.

The faculty who run this wonderful program and the students who are both currently enrolled and who want to enroll matter. The Virginia Tech English Department is a community, and everyone in it is so welcoming and genuine. It matters because the faculty and staff involved cared so much about ensuring that, although small, the program had a large impact. So, now that more information is available, hopefully

those of us who were interested in the program can better understand what happened and why. It doesn’t take away the sting of losing this opportunity, but it does feel a little better knowing why. Virginia Tech’s motto is Ut Prosim, meaning “That I May Serve.” Students are expected to know and embody this motto as they progress through their programs at Virginia Tech and in their lives afterwards; however, it goes both ways. While we as students are expected to embody Ut Prosim, we in turn expect Virginia Tech to do the same for us. At the end of the day, VT is a business, and we are their customers. When something like this happens and we are given little information as to why, we are no longer being served by the university.

IS VIRGINIA TECH DINING STILL NUMBER 2?

Arnav Gupta | Opinions Columnist

Higher cost, less flexibility and limited options will downgrade the dining experience.

One of the first things I learned about Virginia Tech wasn’t where it was or that it was an engineering school. It was its dining, ranked #2 in the country by Niche. Coming in, I expected one of the best dining experiences in the nation. What many students and I got instead was an overpriced system that the university is now making even worse.

Dining plans at Virginia Tech currently operate essentially as a debit card with a declining balance system. Students receive 50% off at all dining locations and 67% off at D2. There are three tiers for on-campus students: Major Flex, Mega Flex and Premium Flex, with a Minor Flex option for off-campus students. Funds roll over from fall to spring semesters, but not across academic years, and students can add money during the semester, except on Minor Flex.

The Major Flex plan costs $2,934 but provides only $1,062 in flex dollars at a 50% discount. That translates to just $2,124 in actual purchasing power, meaning Virginia Tech effectively keeps $810 in “fees.” For what? The food is not meaningfully better than off-campus alternatives. A Tazon Bowl with chicken is $12.95 before tax, while a comparable Chipotle bowl costs $9.57 after tax, nearly 26% cheaper. The value simply isn’t there.

Proponents argue that Virginia Tech

Dining pays student workers competitively. This is true with its $16 an hour wage and a $15 meal voucher for each four-hour shift. A student working 10 hours a week earns $160 plus two meals. But that is not unique. Chipotle offers similar wages and a free meal per shift. With a reported 14.1% operating margin in Q4 2025, it’s hard to believe VT Dining, which charges similar prices and offers similar compensation, is struggling financially.

And yet, the administration’s new dining plan is worse.

The proposed system introduces three tiers: Unlimited, Maroon and Orange. Unlimited plans offer unlimited access to D2 and Owens, plus either a $225 or $600 declining balance. Maroon plans provide a $1,975 or $2,500 declining balance. Orange plans offer $550 or $900. Importantly, none of these plans include the 50% discount that students currently receive.

Freshmen living on campus are required to purchase the Unlimited plan. Upperclassmen living on campus can choose between Unlimited and Maroon. Off-campus students can access all three.

The Maroon plans most closely resemble current Major and Mega Flex plans, but are unavailable to the majority of on-campus students. The only plan that arguably improves value is the Orange plan for off-campus students, offering

a 10% bonus (pay $500, receive $550), slightly better than the current five percent discount students receive with Dining Dollars.

The administration can frame this change as addressing food insecurity. That argument does not hold. The Unlimited plan is projected to cost at least $3,400, $467 more than the current Major Flex plan. I do not see how charging more money for more food addresses food insecurity.

Some students, like those bulking, may benefit from unlimited swipes. But those students already have D2, where they can maximize value. And even then, I would consider D2 and Owens as the weakest dining options on campus. It’s not realistic to expect students to eat most of their meals at D2 or Owens without getting bored over a semester, much less an entire year. As a Hokie Ambassador, I tell prospective students to try the chocolate milk at D2, not because the dining is great, but because it’s the one reliably good thing there. Owens has better options, like Wan, but it’s already stretched thin. Lines at Tazon regularly take 20 to 30 minutes. Increased demand will only make that worse.

What made the current system tolerable was convenience and choice. The new system removes both.

During my freshman spring, I spent

SPORTS

most of my time on the academic side of campus, eating almost exclusively at Turner Place and Perry Place. Under the base Unlimited plan, I would burn through $225 in declining balance dollars in under 20 days, assuming $11 per meal. After that, I’d be forced to either add more money or disrupt my routine to eat at D2 or Owens.

Living in Cochrane Hall meant easy access to West End and places like Leaf and Ladle, one of my favorite spots freshman year. Under the new system, that convenience disappears. The same applies to cadets living in the Pearson Halls, where Turner and Perry are the closest options. VT Dining claims these changes promote “flexibility, affordability, value, and accessibility.” In reality, they do the opposite. Students are paying more for less flexibility, fewer choices and diminished convenience. The university can point to Cook Counseling, TimelyCare and other student services. But when it raises fees and limits how students can spend their own money, it’s hard to believe it’s truly acting in students’ best interests.

Virginia Tech dining, as I knew and loved it, is dead.

@COLLEGIATETIMES

BREAKING THE ICE: VIRGINIA TECH WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAPS FORWARD

Shelby Brann | Sports Writer

Virginia Tech’s athletic presence is expanding rapidly in women’s ice hockey.

Virginia Tech is well-known for a few specific categories — school spirit, food quality and, especially, football intensity and pride. One would be hard-pressed to find an undergraduate student who has never attended a Hokies football game, even with the less-than-optimal recent seasons. Virginia Tech, simply, is a football school — and with good reason, considering the team’s legendary past

and upward trajectory. However, it’s more than fair to say that Virginia Tech’s athletic presence is expanding rapidly, recently, to women’s ice hockey. Appalachia isn’t a hockey-centric

area of the country, much less in the town of Blacksburg, where football and basketball reign supreme. Hockey, additionally, is only recently becoming a continued on page 8

sport more open to women; the Professional Women’s Hockey League, the female counterpart to the National Hockey League, only began in 2024. In a state with little connection to hockey, and therefore a smaller opportunity for female participation, the presence of women’s ice hockey at Virginia Tech has been minimal. However, this has been changing in the past few years, and women’s ice hockey at Virginia Tech is growing.

Founded in 2020, the Women’s Ice Hockey Club at Virginia Tech recently concluded its sixth season of participation in the Women’s Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League, a Division II club league in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The team currently boasts a championship title from its inaugural year, and has repeatedly been successful in making it to the final round of the championship since. It’s also been triumphant, of course, in beating the University of Virginia’s team every year of competition — the true mark of success for any Virginia Tech athletic organization.

George Mason, George Washington, High Point, North Carolina and NC State. These colleges’ teams, also located in the Southeast, are fairly new to the women’s hockey landscape as well, providing an empowering and supportive environment for the league to grow.

Virginia Tech forward Sydney Haddox, who doubles as the team’s public relations manager, spoke with positivity and excitement about the relative novelty of many of the college teams and the league as a whole.

“It isn’t quite big yet. But that’s OK,” Haddox said. “We still have a lot of fun playing the teams that we do play. … We’re all growing.”

team of 10 travels in carpools.

“It’s a super fun way to get to know the rest of the girls and I really enjoy that part of getting to practice,” Haddox said.

The camaraderie and community of the team were evident in her voice; even just glancing at the team’s pictures on Instagram nods to the positive energy fostered as well as the competitive spirit.

expand the women’s hockey community. Now that the team has been active for five official years, its transition from a Virginia Tech registered student organization to a sport club can begin. This will present a new field of opportunity for the team to grow student body interest and potentially secure funding.

Other teams in the league include

Beyond the championship title and competitive success, the Women’s Ice Hockey Club is commendable for its players’ simple love of the game and their dedication to the sport. In addition to multiple independent workouts, the team practices twice a week through the months of September to February at the Berglund Center in Roanoke and the Lancerlot Sports Complex in Vinton — each a 45-minute drive from campus that the

When speaking to Haddox, the amount of effort and dedication that the players put into their game is more than apparent. Hockey is an expensive and time-consuming sport; the team’s commitment to the ice and each other must be appreciated, particularly when considering factors such as equipment expenses, travel time and a relatively small — though growing — environment in which to participate. In a sport widely dominated by men, and at a college located in central Appalachia, it requires sincere tenacity to grow a group like the Women’s Ice Hockey Club.

With their official season over, Haddox and the team are looking forward to next year with high hopes. Haddox was recently elected the team’s president and said she hopes to implement positive change to

“We’re at year five right now, so hopefully, this is going to be the entrance into club sports and that’s going to be a massive rebrand for us,” Haddox said, smiling.

The Women’s Ice Hockey Club will take to the ice with excitement again this fall in pursuit of another championship title. It won’t be long before the team blossoms into even more of a presence on campus. Virginia Tech may be a football school right now, but women’s hockey is surely growing with a competitive drive that one could argue is only seen in hockey players. This team is on the rise and the best is yet to come. continued from page 7

BASEBALL’S LATE RALLY COMES UP SHORT AS VIRGINIA TECH FALLS TO MIAMI, 8-6

Brody Bryan | Sports Writer

Tech scored four runs in the ninth and almost completed the comeback.

Entering the ninth inning on Saturday, Virginia Tech trailed Miami, 8-2.

Down to their final out, Hokies left fielder Nick Locurto singled to score shortstop Pete Daniel, who walked earlier in the frame. Then, second baseman Ethan Ball launched a three-run blast 420 feet to right to cut the deficit to two.

That was as close as the comeback got.

Right fielder Sam Grube struck out swinging to end the game as the Hokies (14-15, 5-9 ACC) fell to the Hurricanes (24-7, 6-5 ACC), 8-6, at Mark Light Field, moving Tech to 1-4 in ACC series this season.

Despite the late surge, the Hokies’ offense struggled for the majority of the evening. Hurricanes starting pitcher, right-hander Lazaro Collera, tossed six innings of one-run, five-hit baseball, striking out five and walking one.

The Hokies failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity in the top of the first; with one out and the bases loaded, designated hitter Hudson Lutterman lifted a fly

ball to left-center, but Locurto was tagged out at home plate to end the inning and keep Tech off the scoreboard.

Center fielder Sam Gates plated the game’s first run in the second after he and Daniel hit back-to-back doubles, giving the Hokies an early 1-0 lead.

Miami was ready to punch back in the bottom of the third. After a triple by Hurricanes third baseman Daniel Cuvet, catcher Alex Sosa lifted a sacrifice fly to left, bringing home Miami’s first run of the contest and leveling the score at one.

In the fourth, left fielder Max Galvin and shortstop Vance Sheahan knocked backto-back singles to set up center fielder Fabio Peralta, who singled to left with two outs to give the Hurricanes the lead.

Then, leadoff hitter and second baseman Jake Ogden cleared the bases with a triple, scoring two runs and stretching Miami’s lead to three. Ogden finished the night with a 4-for-5 clip, plus a run scored and three RBIs. He finished a

home run shy of the cycle.

Cuvet delivered the final blow of the inning, mashing the first pitch of his at-bat 385 feet to left field, scoring himself and Ogden to cap off a five-run fourth. It was the third time in this series that Tech had surrendered five or more runs in an inning.

Hokies starter Brett Renfrow, who tossed seven innings and struck out 12 in his last outing against Stanford, couldn’t find the same success against the ‘Canes. His day ended after the fifth, as Miami pushed another run across. He was tagged with the loss after allowing seven runs on nine hits, striking out six and walking two. Tech turned to right-hander Logan Eisenreich for the final three innings.

The Hokies plated their second run of the evening in the seventh off of Hurricanes right-hander Lyndon Glidewell. Willie Hurt, who started at third base, singled to center, followed by a Gates walk. Then, Hurt advanced to third on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Ethan

Gibson, and Locurto singled to center to score him.

The Hokies’ left fielder finished the night 3-for-5 with two RBIs. He was the only Tech player to tally more than one hit.

Any momentum was short-lived, as Ogden struck again for Miami in the eighth on a single to left-center, scoring Peralta.

The insurance for the Canes proved critical, putting the game just out of reach for the Hokies’ late rally, as Tech fell by two to drop its second consecutive ACC series. The Hokies have now lost four of their last five conference games, while the Hurricanes have won four of five.

The Hokies will look to avoid the sweep in Sunday’s series finale at 1 p.m. ET. Tech has not been swept since losing three straight at Pitt from May 2-4, 2025. @COLLEGIATETIMES