Technician
monday march
26 2012
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Hunt Library gives enhanced accommodations
Political groups
New technology, study rooms to improve the library experience.
plan for elections
Sarah Dashow
Political organizations on campus prepare for 2012 election.
Staff Writer
This fall, the new James B. Hunt Jr. Library will open. The library is located in the Oval on Centennial Campus, overlooking Lake Raleigh. While the budget for the project started at $126 million, it was reduced by $10.7 million during the 2009 budget crisis, according to the library website. With the completion of the library, students will be able to access many new work spaces and new technologies. N.C. State is currently below the 20 percent library seating requirement; its libraries are able to seat less than 5 percent of patrons. The new library will double this space. “It’s state-of-the-art in terms of providing students with access to information and also a mecca for people to come to and learn about science,” Chancellor Randy Woodson said at a 2010 Q&A session in Asheville, North Carolina. “We have one of the strongest research libraries, and the Jim Hunt library will only elevate our reputation and our stature,” One of these innovations is the BookBot, an automated book delivery system. This will not only allow the library to store more books, but it will given students quick and easy access to the books they need. The new library will contain up to two million volumes. “There’s going to be an immersion theater, a space for a small group with a very large curved video well,” Patrick Deaton, associate director of learning spaces and capital management administration, said. “There’s going to be a gaming lab. We have a gaming space at D.H.
Lindsey Rosenbaum Staff Writer
Tiim O’Brien/Technician
The new Hunt Library on Centennial Campus, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012, houses state of the art robotic technology, which fetches hard copies of books for the reader, allowing them to never have to search shelves again.
Hill, but this is an actual glass room with another large video display,” Deaton said. “We will have almost 100 study rooms, work rooms and focus rooms. We have about 15 at D.H. Hill.” Even though the library will be located on Centennial Campus and aimed at engineering, textiles and veterinary students, Deaton predicts that students from all over campus will find something at Hunt Library. “Because of its location on Centennial, we expect a lot of engineering students will be using the building, especially during the day,” Deaton said. “We also think that since parking is easier over there later in the day, it will attract students from all parts of the University.” Deaton said that permanent student accommodations will be avail-
able as well, with easier access to the Hunt Library. “There is also new student housing being built across the street from the library, so we expect students moving over there to be using the library a lot,” Deaton said. Kim Pigford, first year graduate student in science education, is excited about the new study space. “With the new spaces available, I’m sure I’ll find myself using [The Hunt Library] when D.H. Hill gets too loud or crowded around exam time,” Pigford said. Pigford said she expects the library will alleviate crowding, making for a better study environment on campus. “When I was an undergrad here, I couldn’t always get a study space booked at D.H. Hill when I want-
ed one. I’d gladly take the trip down to Centennial if it means I can get a quiet place to study with friends,” Pigford said. One major impact of Hunt Library’s construction is it will bring changes to D.H. Hill. “It’s important to keep in mind that once Hunt opens, and we are able to free up some space in D.H. Hill, that it is our intent to try to renovate some spaces in D.H. Hill as funds are available, so that D.H. Hill will start to have the same kinds of spaces,” Deaton said. While the opening ceremony is scheduled for October 2012, a date for when the library will open to the public has not been announced.
Students help out their community during Service Raleigh Service Raleigh celebrated its 15th anniversary this year while giving back to the local community. Shawn Thompson Staff Writer
This past Saturday, the 15th annual Service Raleigh was held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Despite the rainy weather, hundreds of volunteers gathered at Harris Field to continue the annual tradition of giving back to their community. Service Raleigh is an annual service event bringing together North Carolina State University and the surrounding community, in the spirit of helping others. “With the help of our five committees, we matched 2000 volunteers with over 70 local non-profits, schools and organizations,” Mary Hale, Service Raleigh co-chair and Park Scholar, said. “Our volunteers consist of N.C. State students as well as Raleigh locals, both children and adults.” NCSU and community volunteers serve an estimated 100 schools, organizations and non-profits around Raleigh. The event is funded by the Park Foundation, NCSU’s Student Government and other local donors. Fifteen years later, Service Raleigh continues to be the largest student-run service organization in the Triangle, making a positive impact through each volunteer and the hours they commit. “I think this is a great way for everyone to get involved, especially students. We’re making a differ-
Katherine Hoke/Technician
Greg Woo, sophomore in biochemistry, helps revamp the special needs ministry room at Brooks Avenue Church of Christ on Saturday. Woo came to help out at the Brooks Avenue site after he finished a project with Gamma Beta Phi at Willow Springs Elementary School earlier in the day.
ence while having fun at the same lege, said. “This year, Service Raleigh time, and meeting new people,” Ian Brown, junior in design stud- worked with Trees Across Raleigh, Raleigh Parks and Recreation, Inies, said. terAct, the N.C. Volunteers set out Museum of Natuto fulfill one misral History and the sion, ‘to address the Society for the Preneeds of their comvention of Cruelty munity, to foster a to Animals, among sense of community dozens of other lospirit and to inspire cal organizations,” volunteers to a lifeIan Brown, junior in Hale said. time of involvement design studies T housa nd s of in public service’. hours have been “This will be my first year volunteering with Service given to past projects ranging Raleigh. I think it will be really re- from working in homeless shelwarding, and I’m making a small ters, site restoration, distributing difference in my community,” Sam fliers for multiple sclerosis societHarris, freshman in First Year Col- ies, landscaping, and much more.
“I think this is a great way for everyone to get involved.”
Volunteers are only required to do two things: “wear weatherappropriate clothing and bring a good attitude.” Students plan and execute the entire Service Raleigh event, managing more than 2,000 volunteers. Being one of the University’s fastest growing service organizations, doubling in size since the first Service Raleigh event in 1998. “We were grateful to all of our volunteers who came out to serve, despite the rain—I think it shows how committed N.C. State students are to serving and engaging with the Raleigh community,” Hale said.
The new iPad
With the stunning Retina display, 5MP iSight camera and ultrafast 4G LTE
With the presidential elections drawing ever closer, student political groups on campus have begun to rally around their candidate, or in some cases, candidates, in the hope to promote voter turnout. For some groups, like the College Democrats and Youth for Ron Paul, knowing exactly who their candidate is has allowed them to hit the ground running. Most students have become accustomed to seeing the Youth for Ron Paul information table out on the Brickyard. “[The information table] has been successful,” Derek Spicer, senior in history and political science, said. “Every volunteer counts to get the vote out and help with voter identification.” All three organizations, the College Democrats, the College Republicans and the Youth for Ron Paul group, agree that voter registration and identification is their number one priority. “All voter registration done is non-partisan,” Anne Marie Fristoe, sophomore in political science and vice president of the College Democrats, said. “We’ve been registering voters all year, and I [estimate] that about 80 percent of the students registered as Democrats.” Fristoe asserts that support for College Democrats is strong on campus, and she expects it to surge during the upcoming fall semester. While the College Democrats and Youth for Ron Paul are currently backing candidates, the College Republicans are sticking to their mission statement. “[The College Republicans]’s main objective is to promote conservative ideas on campus, host speakers, have meetings and support conservative candidates,” Aaron Dancy, senior in chemical engineering and president of the College Republicans, said. “We don’t endorse any specific candidate from the primaries, we let individual student groups handle that. We are more of an umbrella group,” Dancy said. During the 2008 election, the College Republicans campaigned on the Brickyard every day, informing students about John McCain and his policies, canvassing, and registering voters, Dancy said. Youth For Ron Paul is a more cohesive organization than in 2008. “In 2008, it was a smaller students for Ron Paul group, less organized and informal,” Spicer said. Spicer said the organization plans on tabling up until the election. College Republicans affirm that, come fall semester, as the presidential elections get closer, they will be more visible on campus. “[We plan to] get out the conservative message, present counter-argument against Obama’s big government, big spending, crazy policies, and advance conservatism in the state of North Carolina,” Dancy said. North Carolina’s status as a swing state has been having a great effect on the student political groups. “Students always say their vote doesn’t count,” Fristoe said. “Obama won North Carolina by 14,177 votes in 2008, that’s less than half of all of the students on campus. Students’ votes do count, and this University has a lot of power during an election.”