Collegiate Times

compiled by Emma Goddard

After several festivals and parades to celebrate the Easter holiday, Blacksburg is taking this weekend to slow things down a bit. Take the time to relax and enjoy some local music at a restaurant or bar in the area.

Thursday, April 12

6:00 p.m. – The Inn at Virginia Tech – Live music with Blake Parker

6:00 p.m. – Due South BBQ – Live music with Jason Byrd & Friends

8:00 p.m. – The Lyric Theatre – Live music with Nanci Griffith, a Grammy award-winning Texan singer-songwriter

Friday, April 13

6:00 p.m. – Gillie’s – Live music with Justin Craig

7:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. – The Lyric Theatre – First screening of “A Separation”

8:00 p.m. – Castle’s Kettle Pub – Live music with Mist on the Mountain

Saturday, April 14

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Price House, Wharton St. SE – SEEDS Center nature activities learning about birds with volunteers from Virginia Tech Biological Sciences

6:00 p.m. – 217 West College Avenue – Live music with Melodime

7:30 p.m. – 11.30 p.m. – GLC Multipurpose Room – Ballroom Dance at Virginia Tech is holding their annual Spring Fling

by Patrick Murphy

For avid fans of the USA show “Psych,” anticipation is already high for tonight’s season finale. However, even non-watchers may have a reason to tune in.

Ashley Hall, a 2006 Tech grad and current post production coordinator for “Psych,” promises the finale will contain a reference to Virginia Tech.

“I can’t completely give up the reference, but I can tell you that it’s in our season finale, and it’s a scene that involves Woody the Coroner, Shawn and Gus,” Hall said.

Tune into the finale tonight at 10 p.m. on the USA Network to find out exactly what the Hokie reference is and also find out if Shawn, Gus and Henry can crack the 20-year-old case of Veronica Towne’s murder.

by Patrick Murphy

Social media giant Facebook acquired Instagram, a photography application for smartphones, for an astounding $1 billion. This is the most expensive acquisition for Facebook, as well as the single greatest intake of users.

Instagram, which is available for both iPhone and Android, allows users to snap a photo and using filters add special visual effects. Photos are then shared with anyone on Instagram, unless the profile is set to private. Users can also follow their friends, much like Twitter, to collate photos from other users.

So what does this purchase mean for the more than 30 million Instagram users? So far there’s isn’t a definitive answer, but Intagram founders tell their users not to worry.

“It’s important to be clear that Instagram is not going away,” Instagram’s founders stated on the company’s blog. “We’ll continue to add new features to the product and find new ways to create a better mobile photos experience.”

Instagram was recently valued at $500 million, yet Facebook snatched them up for double that to ensure that other competitors couldn’t beat them to the punch. So far, there is no distinct plan for what to do with Instagram, but one can only imagine Facebook will be looking at ways to turn a profit off their investment.

Currently, Instagram is completely free to download and all of its features are free as well. The founders said they intended to start with everything being free, then after building up a sizable base, would start looking at ways to really start cashing in. Facebook solved that problem for them with the $1 billion purchase.

As Instagram’s future may now seem a bit uncertain, especially as Facebook is in the process of going public, the 30 million Instagram users, myself included, will be crossing their fingers that everything they love about the photo-sharing app will remain intact and still be free.

review by Madeleine Gordon

Everyone’s favorite guilty pleasure (“Jersey Shore”) may be on a brief hiatus, but fans can still get a taste with cast member Pauly DelVecchio’s new show, “The Pauly D Project.”

The “Jersey Shore” spinoff follows Pauly D as he pursues his dreams of being a celebrity DJ. The series focuses on a different side of Pauly, one that showcases his Rhode Island roots and his life before the Shore.

In the premiere, we are introduced to his entourage, which is mainly made up of his hometown friends. There are a bunch of new characters including “Big Jerry,” Pauly D’s bodyguard, Ryan Labbe, his “social director,” and “Biggie,” Pauly’s road manager and mentor.

“The Pauly D Project” is a pretty big departure from “Jersey Shore.” Viewers will supposedly see a more serious side of Pauly and his love of music. That’s right- there is more to Pauly D than GTLing and searching for girls who are DTF. However, fans of Jersey Shore might not transition well to this new take on Pauly D.

Pauly D is easily the funniest and most laid-back cast member on Jersey Shore. His catch phrases like “cabs are here!” and “yeah, buddy!” are well known in today’s culture. Always down for a good prank, Pauly D brings the hilarity to the Jersey Shore. So when I heard he had a new show, I was expecting all of his hilarious antics to be on display. This was not the case during the premiere.

Although it premiered to 2.9 million viewers, the spinoff brought very few laughs and very little drama compared to “Shore.” During the premiere, I kept asking myself why they made this a show. It was very obvious that there wasn’t much going on. The most dramatic event was when Pauly D’s sound system stopped working before a gig. Watching a bunch of people try to fix the equipment was very drawn out and over dramatized.

The laughs weren’t much better. Pauly D’s sense of humor was not on display. Instead, everything felt contrived and perhaps scripted. In a ridiculous scene, Big Jerry tried to interrupt Ryan’s date by joining the couple in the hot tub, complete with a shower cap. What was supposed to be funny ended up feeling uncomfortable and weird.

The show focused too much on introducing his entourage. Viewers barely got a chance to see the playful Pauly D we all know and love. Hopefully as the season progresses, we will see more of Pauly and things will get more interesting. As for now, MTV needs to focus on making this show more exciting. At the conclusion of the first episode, I was keenly aware that I had just watched a show about nothing.

For “The Pauly D Project” to really take off, it needs to center more on Pauly and become less contrived. Maybe it was bad editing or maybe Pauly doesn’t really have much going on, but the first episode did not leave me wanting more. However, Pauly D does have a large fan base so the show will no doubt get a second and maybe even a third chance in the coming Thursdays.

by Katie White

Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton hosted this year’s Country Music Awards. The show started off with a boot-stomping rendition of Carrie Underwood’s latest hit, the fiery “Good Girl,” and continued to focus heavily on performances for the rest of the night.

There were 24 performances in all, ranging from the awesome, like Brad Paisley’s redneck anthem “Camouflage,” to the awkward, such as Carrot Top’s appearance with Toby Keith on “Red Solo Cup.”

But believe it or not, Carrot Top was not the most random guest at the ceremony, as Ashton Kutcher and KISS both introduced awards over the course of the evening.

The show also included a live wedding between a real couple, while Martina McBride and Pat Monahan of Train sang “Marry Me” in front of them.

Two great guest appearances were Lionel Ritchie and Steve Martin. Ritchie’s new album is influenced by country music, as shown in his duet with Shelton. Martin, an accomplished banjo player, joined the Zac Brown Band for the song “Banjo,” which made an otherwise somewhat dull performance highly watchable.

When it came to the awards, there were fewer surprises. Miranda Lambert won Top Female Vocalist for the third straight year and Taylor Swift repeated as Entertainer of the Year, giving a predictable speech about how shocked, surprised and honored she was.

Blake Shelton, however, did win Top Male Vocalist for the first time, breaking Brad Paisley’s five-year streak. Thompson Square also had a surprise win for Top Vocal Duo.

Other winners include Lady Antebellum for Vocal Group of the Year, the Eli Young Band for “Crazy Girl” as Song of the Year, “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery for Top New Artist, and Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” for Video of the Year. Miranda Lambert also once again won Album of the Year with her “Four the Record.”

by Patrick Murphy

The blood and nudity-ridden series “Spartacus” will close this season’s “Vengeance” chapter this Friday on Starz at 10:00 p.m as it undoubtedly ends with the long-awaited showdown between the rebel gladiators and the Romans that oppressed them.

All season long, Spartacus, now played by Liam McIntyre, has been collecting stray slaves, former gladiators and others who are adamantly anti-Roman. There have been numerous bloody showdowns throughout this season already, yet the ultimate battle is staged for the finale.

When we last left our band of brave, muscular stock, they were being forced to retreat from their stronghold due to the Romans’ attacks. Spartacus instructed his troops to head up the mountain, which antagonist Claudius Glaber noted was an unwise choice, planning to let them starve and suffer before finishing them off.

Fans of “Spartacus” need not fret too much over the doom and gloom portrayed on the show’s penultimate episode. Starz renewed the series for a third season and has some big things already in the works. When it comes to ancient Rome, nothing comes to mind more than Julius Caesar, right? Expect to see a lot of him, as well as successful general Marcus Crassus.

Australian actor Todd Lasance (“Crownies”) will play a young Caesar, as he rises to power and attempts to crush the slave rebellion. Crassus will be played by British actor Simon Merrells (“The Wolfman,” “Family Affairs”).

While the future of the show may look promising, this season’s finale is still likely to be a bloodbath. The show has never shied away from killing off fairly major characters at the drop of a hat. (Batiatus, Seppia, Varro or Barca, anyone?)

Certainly Spartacus will survive, but the fates of his comrades are less certain. My guess is that Crixus, Doctore, Gannicus and definitely Lucretia will be fine. But Glabor? He seems an easy bet in the death pool. I’d also bet that Agron, his lover Nasir, Spartacus’ now ex-flame Mira, or Crixus’ main squeeze Naevia will bite the dust, because if this show has taught us anything, it’s that love never prevails and is always tragically ripped away to die a gruesome “300″-esque death.

Take some time off this weekend to enjoy a movie at The Lyric or a night of music performed by Blacksburg locals.

Thursday, March 29

7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. – The Lyric Theatre – Last day to see the screening of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

7:00 p.m. – Gillie’s – Live music with Scott Barkan

9:00 p.m. – The Cellar – Live music with The Dirty Hairies

9:30 p.m. – Frank’s Bar – Live music with PolyChrome

7:00 p.m. – Drillfield (Wesley Foundation if raining) – Take Back the Night Rally and March

9:00 p.m. – BreakZONE Recreation Center – Cosmic Bowling, $20 to reserve a lane

Friday, March 30

Midnight – The Lyric Theatre – First screening of Battle Royale

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Gourmet Pantry – Class on how to make sushi, $55/person

6:00 p.m. – India Garden – Live music with Leslie Brooks

10:00 p.m. – Gillie’s – Live music with Toy Soldiers

8:00 p.m. – Colonial Hall – First screening of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, $2/student with ID and $3/public

Saturday, March 31

7:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. – The Lyric Theatre – First screening of A Dangerous Method

6:00 p.m. – Gillie’s – Live music with Justin Craig

7:00 p.m. Gillie’s – Live music with Kevin Jones

by Jenn Bates

This week students will scavenge campus in hopes of finding clothes and accessories.

The American Eagle Student Union of Virginia Tech will sponsor a break into spring Campus Hunt March 26-30.

In this event, clues will be posted on the group’s Facebook page about where gifts are hidden on campus. Students will then scour campus hoping to find them.

The American Eagle Student Union will give away seven gifts each day of the hunt.  Clues are currently being posted periodically and will continue to be posted until 5 p.m. this Friday.

Students must “like” the American Eagle Student Union’s Facebook page in order to receive clues about the location of the gifts. Clues will be posted as status updates.

Lauren Montross, a sophomore marketing and communication major, said she plans on checking her Facebook periodically so that she does not miss any clues.

‘There was a really cute purse that I saw they had for the hunt, so I’m going to definitely go after that,” said Montross.

According to the event’s Facebook page, American Eagle will give away 34 gifts including women’s fashion scarves, men’s pop-top flip flops, women’s bags, men’s hats, and women’s and men’s shirts. Additionally, five students will also find a $50 gift card along with their clothing item.

“(Campus Hunt) is a gift from AE. These are good quality gifts. It’s stuff that girls and guys on campus will love,” said Brand Ambassador Cat Goergen.

Fellow Brand Ambassador, Leah Gay, said that she hopes the upcoming campus hunt will get students excited about the new summer products that American Eagle will launch.

“(The gifts) are good things to give away. They’re legitimate stuff that AE sells in their stores; they’re worth it and you get them for free,” said Gay.

The clues from the group’s Facebook page should be rather straightforward, according to Goergen.

“We do try to hide the gifts, but it’s not supposed to be a struggle,” said Goergen.

Students who do find a gift are encouraged to write on the group’s Facebook wall telling what they have found, according to Gay.

The American Eagle Student Union first came to campus in the fall of 2011. Last semester they put on a holiday campus hunt and also did an Aerie grand giveaway for Valentine’s Day.

The group believes these events and others have helped the organization gain awareness on campus. At the beginning of the semester, the organization’s Facebook page had 320 “likes” and now have 454.

“It’s always a struggle to make a name for yourself the first year of doing something,” Goergen said. “We have a lot of really fun events and great opportunities to get gifts from AE.”

The organization does eight events on campus per semester, according to Goergen. The American Eagle Student Union is a national organization; it exists at 48 other universities including Texas A&M, University of Connecticut, Texas State University, Washington State University and the University of Louisville.

From a major festival to an extremely hyped-up movie, a lot is in store for this upcoming weekend. Venture out to one of these local events for a nice change of pace.

Thursday, March 22

As anticipated by many, “The Hunger Games” will be making its debut this weekend. Many of the screenings are already sold out so be sure to get tickets soon.

5:00 p.m. – The Inn at Virginia Tech – Live music, Blake Parker

7:00 p.m. – Gillie’s – Live music, Fort Vause

9:00 p.m. – The Cellar – Live music, The Dirty Hairies

Friday, March 23

6:00 p.m. – Gillie’s – Live music, Justin Craig

6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. – Blacksburg Music and Arts Festival on Main Street and College Avenue – Rock the Blocks presents a showcase of multiple different visual artists, performers and musicians. $20 festival wristbands are currently available. Wristbands will be $30 the weekend of the event.

7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – The Lyric Theatre – Premiere of “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

Saturday, March 24

11:32 a.m. – Market Square Park – Cash Mob, giving back to the community by being a patron to a business around Blacksburg

2:00 p.m. – The Lyric Theatre – Celebration of Caregivers which will present a day with stories and songs

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Gourmet Pantry – New Product Demonstration Day

Compiled by Emma Goddard

by Patrick Murphy

While it’s only March, it still seems a safe bet to say that “The Hunger Games” is and will be one of the most widely anticipated films of the year.

The adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel will premiere this Friday, March 23, though many super fans will attend the midnight premiere on Thursday night. In fact, the midnight showings at the Christiansburg theater have already sold out.

“The Hunger Games” features a gruesome tale that takes place in the fictional country of Panem, made up of 12 districts, which are all located in what used to be the U.S. Each year, two citizens from each district aged 12-18 are selected at random draw to compete in the Hunger Games, which is a duel to the death that is broadcast across the entire nation.

Among the competitors, called tributes, are Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who are pictured above and represent District 12. The cast is actually stacked with other big names, including musician Lenny Kravitz, who play Cinna, a stylist for District 12′s tributes. Liam Hemsworth (“The Last Song”) plays Katniss’ friend Gale. Donald Sutherland plays the President and Woody Harrelson plays Haymitch, the coach and adviser for the District 12 tributes. Other well-known celebs in the cast include Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks.

With the film already receiving so much attention, Lionsgate, the film’s producer, is already banking on it being a success. “The Hunger Games” is a trilogy, and the second installment, “Catching Fire,” has already received the green light. It is currently expected to hit theaters in November of 2013. Most of the lead cast has already signed on to complete the entire series, which could include up to four films, as there has been talk of splitting the last book into two parts, a la “Harry Potter” and “Twilight.

Check out a preview for the much-hyped film.