Technician - 07122012

TECHNICIAN          

thursday july

12 2012

Raleigh, North Carolina

technicianonline.com

Federal student loan rates to stay low Congress reached an agreement keeping subsidized loan interest rates at 3.4 percent.

Laura Wilkinson Deputy News Editor

Federal subsidized student loan interest rates will stay at 3.4 percent instead of increasing to 6.8 percent for another year after Congress voted Friday, June 29. The rate was set to end July 1, but will now continue through 2013.

The decision, which was made just hours before the deadline, will affect 7.4 million students around the country, including students at N.C. State. According to Krista Domnick,

Local students die after outdoor accidents

director of the Office of Scholarships Loans that currently enrolled and Financial Aid, approximately 45 students borrowed in prior years percent of enrolled undergraduate would not be impacted, according students utilized student loans in to Domnick, but had the rate not the 2011-2012 acabeen kept at the demic year. current level, any “The interest rate new subsidized was scheduled to loans issued after double for subsiJuly 1 would have dized—need-based– been issued with -loa n s . Un subsithe new interest dized—non-needrate attached. based—loans were Domnick said already accruing inf ina ncia l a id terest at 6.8 percent counselors would and are not impacted have continued Krista Domnick, Financial Aid by the recent legislato offer student tion to keep the subsidized rate at loans as a resource to cover educa3.4 percent,” Domnick said. tional expenses.

“The interest rate was scheduled to double... loans were already accruing interest.”

“While the loan would be more expensive in repayment, most traditionally-aged college students do not have other alternatives to gain access to credit to obtain other forms of loan assistance,” Domnick said. “N.C. State financial aid staff will continue to advise students to borrow wisely and only borrow the minimum amount necessary regardless of the interest rate.”

Congressional Rep. David Price, whose district includes the University, spoke on campus Monday, June 25 to talk about the issue.

“At a time when Americans owe more on their student loans than on their credit cards—and that’s saying something—it means an additional

Talley construction continues on schedule, story on page 2

Two local students killed while enjoying recreational sports.

$1,000 every year on the average of interest costs, about $127 million per year in total for those North Carolina students,” Price said.

North Carolina is ranked 10th in the nation on FAFSA loan dependency, and more than 160,000 students from the state receive federal aid to fund their education.

Domnick said the University has seen about a 5 percent increase in student loan borrowing from the 2010-11 year to the 2011-12 year and the average per-undergraduate borrower cumulative principal borrowed through federal loans of N.C. State students graduating in 2011

RATES continued page 2

Outreach benefits museum and students Students engage with N.C. history via a campus summer program.

Jessie Halpern

Sam DeGrave

News Editor

Deputy News Editor

Technician was there.

You can be too.

The Technician staff is always looking for new members to write, design or take photos.

Visit www.ncsu.edu/sma for more information.

CHARLIE HARLESS/TECHNICIAN

Despite this weeks consistent rain showers, construction on the new Talley student center continues. The first wall the future west side of north Talley is now nearly complete. This wall will eventually support dining, senate chambers, and art center.

Art: far from extinct Campus MovieFest and “The Strong One” prove there is still and audience for art.

Young Lee Associate Features Editor

Tim Reavis, an alum with a bachelor’s in psychology, watched a video of his life flash before his eyes Feb. 20 at the digital media lab in the D.H. Hill Library. Reavis has relived these moments many times before, through introspective poetic reflection and spoken word performances, but for the first time he saw the rendition of his life from an outside perspective.

With the cinematographic help of business alum Josh Bielick and Nick Sailer, a senior in industrial design, Reavis retold his childhood struggles in a five-minute film, The Strong One, and it has gained international attention.

With only a week of film production allotted this past February, the trio traveled between Raleigh and Durham creating a short film for the 2012 Campus MovieFest. Reavis wrote the script, Bielick was the cinematographer and Sailer directed.

During the early morning hours of Feb. 20, the team finished a rough cut.

FIND US ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF HARRELSON HALL UNTIL THE NEW TALLEY STUDENT CENTER OPENS IN 2014 ncsu.edu/bookstore | bookstore@ncsu.edu | 919.515.2161

CHARLIE HARLESS/TECHNICIAN

the Strong One, which won best picture at this years N.C. State Campus Movie Fest, received Best Picture and Best Director awards at the 2012 Campus MovieFest (CMF) Hollywood on June 23.

The final product, The Strong One, won Campus MovieFest’s Audience Choice Award and the inter-

national award for best picture and best director.

Last Friday students in the Juntos Summer Summit program partnered with the North Carolina Museum of History to help make their exhibits more accessible to the state’s growing Latino population.

Andrew Behnke and Cintia Aguilar started the Juntos Summer Summit in 2007, within the Department of 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences of CALS to provide information resources to Latino youths and their parents. The program offers students between the eighth and twelfth grades a taste of college, bringing them to N.C. State’s campus for a six-week summer session.

The museum turned to the 92 students participating in this summer’s Juntos Summit to participate in its Latino Outreach Initiative, a program that aims to increase Latino influence in cultural and historical exhibits at the museum.

Diana Bell-Kite, associate curator of the N.C. Museum of History, said the Latino Outreach Initiative plays and important role.

“We recognized that we really needed to do a better job of showing how being a North Carolinian has changed over the years,” BellKite said.

The students of the Juntos Summit were able to help the Museum staff overcome the problem addressed by Bell-Kite through their input on the Museum’s largest exhibit, The Story of North Carolina.

Working in six separate groups, students evaluated the exhibit in order to determine what they felt to be its most important features. The student evaluations will be examined, and the aspects they deemed most interesting will appear in a guide, written in Spanish, that will be available to all visitors.

“The students’ feedback about The Story of North Carolina was crucial to the development of the guide,” Bell-Kite said. “Without their help highlighting what they thought was important about the exhibit, the guide would have been as long as a New York City Phone-

STRONG continued page 7

COMPARE TEXTBOOK CHOICES RENTALS NEW USED EBOOKS LAPTOPS SOFTWARE APPAREL MORE

LATINO continued page 2

SCAN HERE

Many students wouldn’t think twice about going for a bike ride or trying out rock climbing, but for Rebecca Rosenfeld and Eric Metcalf, both students at Triangle area universities, these recreational activities brought their promising lives to an abrupt end.

The News & Observer reported Sunday that Rebecca Rosenfeld, junior in mechanical engineering, passed away after a biking accident.

According to Rosenfeld’s Facebook profile, she was a lover of outdoor activities.

“Love to read and write. I love huge thunderstorms. I ski, mountain bike, row…”

Rosenfeld’s profile showed a diverse interest in music, movies, and books.

Rosenfeld was vacationing in Canada with her father, who was with her at the time of the accident.

According to the News & Observer, Rosenfeld lost control of her bicycle and swerved into the course of a truck on Highway 7 near Calgary.

The accident occurred on Wed., July 4. Nearly one week later, another local student met a similar fate while rock climbing.

The Technician was unable to reach the Rosenfeld family for this story.

Eric Metcalf, sophomore math major at UNC-Chapel Hill, passed away on Tuesday of this week while trying to rappel down Moore’s Wall, where he had climbed several times according to the News & Observer.

Metcalf ’s mother, Kim Berthiaume, told the News & Observer her son had a full life ahead of him.

“He was extraordinary, he was phenomenal,” Berthiaume said. “He was a beautiful son. The world will be at a loss, because I think he had so, so much more to offer.”

Over the past week, both students’ Facebook pages have been flooded with messages of sadness and shock.

News

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 • PAGE 2

Talley construction takes a turn for the better Jessie Halpern News Editor

This week marked the first major move toward the construction of the new Talley— a welcome change from the deconstruction of its previous structure.

Students and faculty on campus this summer will notice the placement of columns on the Talley site. According to TJ Willis, assistant director for the University student center, next week will be an exciting one in the project’s development.

“Not only will we have some walls poured, but this next week we should also see some columns poured,” Willis wrote in a release.

The schedule for the rest of summer construction involves a lot of concrete and foundational work, but there is some exciting news coming up, according to Student Body President Andy Walsh.

“There’s going to be an unveiling in fall of the dining venues, it’s going to be really cool,” Walsh said. “There are going to be a lot more visuals coming up on the horizon.”

Walsh returned from Chicago three weeks ago, where he and seven others went to NeoCon, a furniture exhibit.

“We were looking at furniture for today and for tomorrow,” Walsh said. “We really wanted top notch stuff because there’s so much money going into the facility.”

Walsh speaks at new student orientations every other day, and emphasized the role Talley will play in the student experience of the University’s incoming class.

“This is going to change

WEATHER WISE TODAY on campus FRI

SAT

SUN

the student life and experience on campus, and that’s not something I can say about Talley for me,” Walsh said. “I keep telling them that this place is going to be somewhere where they spend most of their time.”

To give students an opportunity to engage in the construction, Wolfpack Welcome Week will include a steel signing event on Aug. 16 for students to literally leave their mark on the new Talley.

“Walking past the construction site, it’s really great to see all the changes,” Walsh said. “You can’t not be excited.”

For the curious who are not on campus, Willis recommends the live online feed of the construction process at http://go.ncsu. edu/talleywebcam.

To get an idea of what Talley will look like in its completed state, the University has made a virtual tour available at http:// web.ncsu.edu/campusenterprises/talley/images. html.

The nine-minute-andfifteen-second tour takes viewers from Talley’s entrance through its levels and rooms. Though it’s hard to get a feel for what the building will be like once filled with students and food vendors, Walsh is confident it will be a pleasant surprise.

THROUGH CHARLIE’S LENS

Giving Hillsborough Street more than a facelift

C

MON

80°

TUE

WED

86° 88° 90° 92° 92° 99° 70° 70° 70° 70° 70° 54° SOURCE: WUNDERGROUND.COM

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS Send all clarifications and corrections to Editor-in-Chief Mark Herring at editor@technicianonline.com

Believers Community ncbelieverscommunity.tripod.com

Do you want to organize a 1 time Single Christian Event with your own idea?

We will send out 1300 emails...expect a 2% response Individuals only and planned budgets less than $25

PHOTO BY CHARLIE HARLESS

onstruction workers begin tearing down the old panels that front the bowling alley on Hillsborough Street. Allen Lovette is the owner of Melvin’s and Five O’Clock Sports Bar and is heading up the construction efforts. The plan is to aesthetically update the front of the building and move both restaurants into the space on the second floor. Lovette said he is hoping to get students excited about Hillsborough Street again when the return for the fall semester.

STUDENT CONNECTIONS

Sudanese protests display rare forms of activism Editors note: This is a new section connecting N.C. State students to students outside North Carolina and the struggles they face.

Students lick their elbows in defiance of an unpopular regime.

H: 85° L : 70°

TECHNICIAN

St ude nt prot e s ters have taken to the streets of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum in response Sudanese government announcement about a new round of austerity measures to sla sh fuel subsidies and decrease public spending.

Noah Rouse The SuCorrespondent danese government fiercely responded and deployed security forces to the slums to pacify the revolt, which began as a student protest against the cuts on June 18 at the University of Khartoum, and quickly spread to other schools in the city.

These events broke tradition from other student led protests when commoners and other members of the working class joined in to a united call for the end of President Omar al-Bashir’s authoritarian regime and the creation of a democratic government.

The cuts stem from the recent succession of

RATES

continued from page 1

was $18,126.

Kimo Peddy, a senior in biological sciences and outof-state student, currently receives federal loan assistance to help pay for college and is glad the interest rate did not double.

South Sudan last July. perienced a revolt in the Before the succession, western border region the Sudanese economy of Darfur. Unable to had a monopoly on the fight a two front war, oil, extracted it from Bashir cut a deal with the marshy regions to the South in 2005 to the south and pumped end hostilities as long through the desert to as it remained an authe north where it was tonomous zone. refined. From there, The deal resulted in the refined oil along the infamous 2003with a few staple crops 2009 war in Darfur and was sold to t he 2 011 countries “These events succession like Chiof S out h na in ex- broke tradition Sudan. Suchange for dan lost 70 from other weapons. percent of What was its oil restudent led not spent serves overon defense protests when night, but was used k new t he to shower commoners... South Sudan’s would still joined in.” largest citrely on ies with low Noah Rouse, correspondant Northern food and refineries fuel prices, for producestablishing a broad tion. As the South drifts base of support when further towards the the have-nots in the economies of East Afcountryside revolted. rica, Khartoum finds its This model has dic- economy increasingly tated the social struc- imperiled, with no end ture of Sudan since its to the protests in sight. independence in 1956.

A key component to While leadership has the demonstrations, as changed hands sev- it was to other uprisings eral times over the in the region, has beeof years from Marxists social media. #Sudanto Islamists, the sole Revolts along with purpose of every re- other twitter feeds have gime was to keep the called for a “Sudanese immense country, the Summer,” with the goal size of Western Europe, of ending Bashir’s rule. intact. That was until The success of these the early 2000s, when online groups culmithe Bashir regime, still nated in “Sandstorm engulfed in the most Friday” demonstrations devastating war in Af- June 22, in reference to rican history with what the fear and crippling is now South Sudan, ex- power a sandstorm

brings to even the largest cities.

The day saw the largest turnout for a protest up until that point, spreading far outside the boundaries of any university and included people from all walks of life, instead of the select liberals and student activists who previously dominated the voice of the opposition. It was here that the protests turned from calls against austerity to calls for the end of the Bashir regime. State security forces quickly retaliated and dispersed the protestors through a combination of violence and mass arrests.

The act of civil disobedience provoked a response from Omar himself, who made clear in a speech to the national assembly that anyone who dared to challenge his rule must “first lick their elbows before trying to challenge the government.”

Less than a week after Bashir’s intimidating speech, protestors again took to the streets on June 29 elbows raised and tongues out with high hopes for the future.

“I’m not sure how my family would have paid for my college education without the loans, though I am a little worried about what will happen after I graduate and have to start paying them back,” Peddy said.

Unlike many students, Peddy said he plans to join a different type of workforce post-graduation – the mili-

Both federal and state financial aid assistance have seen a decrease, but financial aid counselors are available to students during regular business hours in 2016 Harris Hall to help students through the process.

tary. He hopes the military will help him pay off part of his loans through its Student Loan Repayment Program.

“I have a lot of friends that are going to graduate with a lot of debt after this year, and the bad job market is not going to help. It just seems impossible to graduate without owing people money these days,” Peddy said.

News

TECHNICIAN

LATINO

continued from page 1

book.”

However the Museum will not be the only party to benefit from this collaboration according to Diana Urieta, director of the Juntos 4-H Summer Summit Program.

Urieta believes that in addition to laying the foundation for an important long-term partnership with Museum, the work the students did was able to raise their excitement about higher education.

“It was really interesting to walk around with the kids and see them recognize that

they had a responsibility to the citizens of North Carolina to give good feedback,” Urieta said. “They saw that their input had an impact on anyone who visited the Museum.”

Josue Molina, sophomore in the college of Management and first generation LatinoAmerican, commended the work of the Juntos Summit.

“Being a first generation Latino-American, I think that what that program is doing is really important,” Molina said. “ I think a big part of reason why Latinos have the highest high school dropout rate is because the kids aren’t excited about learning and their parents don’t under-

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 • PAGE 3

stand the American education system.”

The Juntos Summit grown dramatically adding about 60 students in the past two years and will continue to grow as it works to combat apathy in students and misconceptions about the education system among parents Urieta said.

Whether working at the N.C. Museum of History or working in classrooms on the campus of N.C. State the students of the Juntos 4-H Summer Summit Program will continue to benefit from the help of all of those who are involved in what Urieta says is “a program built on volunteerism.”

online at

wknc.org listen live on

88.1 FM

NORTH CAROLINA THEATRE - ONE EAST SOUTH STREET RALEIGH, NC 27601 - 919-831-6941 X6944

NOW LEASING for Fall 2012

WHAT IS THE U RALEIGH? Formerly University Village

RATES STARTING AT

$375

recommended by students

look & lease today and receive $200!

Currently waiving all fees!

$1 MILLION + IN RENOVATIONS

2, 3 or 4 Bedrooms with PRIVATE BATHROOMS Sharing bathrooms is not cool.

available Utility Packages (One Rent Check Pays It All)

Why waste time on utilities, when you could waste it on something else?

upgraded Luxury Pool (With Cabanas & Lounge Areas) No need to go to the Shore.

upgraded 24-Hour Fitness Center,

Free Tanning, Washer & Dryer In Each Unit

GTL – Gym. Tan. Laundry. The only way to live.

upgraded 24-Hour Game Room Game on.

upgraded Faster Cable & Internet Facebook & Twitter just can’t wait.

So, what is The U Raleigh?

A place all about U! (and your friends too)

U Raleigh The Technician Ad v4.indd 1

919.754.9131 | TheURaleigh.com Facebook.com/TheURaleigh 3333 Melrose Club Blvd.

HOME OF

(on the corner of Trailwood and Lineberry)

6/11/12 10:51 AM

BLISS

Viewpoint

PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, JULY12, 2012

C

{ AHMED’S VIEW } American party culture: A learning experience

ollege parties are always romanticized either in movies or in the daydreams of incoming undergrads. The quintessential college party is freedom personified. Many see American party culture as a departure from classiness—something not foreseen by past generations, but I somewhat disagree. No, today’s parties aren’t exactly classy affairs.

But they do mean something, even if they do seem shallow on the surface.

Even our founding fathers would contend that these Ahmed college parties are Amer an embodiment of Viewpoint Editor American ideals like freedom, liberating oneself from the oppression of authority and, in this case, textbooks.

I would bet that Benjamin Franklin himself would be doing keg-stand after keg-stand. And before he hunted vampires, Lincoln probably chased after women.

I’m not much of a partier, nor will I ever be, and it’s mainly due to the fact that I don’t drink. I never really understood why my peers seemed so excited when they talked about their drinking plans for the weekend. I’d

{

IN YOUR WORDS

}

What are your favorite art events on campus or in downtown Raleigh?

BY CHARLIE HARLESS

“Art2Wear is fun because it brings together students, faculty, Raleigh, and the greater fashion industry. It is very collaborative and is an amazing showcase of one of our most unique and talented colleges.”

Vincent Feucht, alumnus-current communications assistant for the Cancellor’s office

“I love going downtown for First Friday. There are always all kinds of open galleries doing cool stuff. They also showcase senior collections too, which is always awesome.”

Andy Steele, senior in philosophy

“The N.C. State wind ensemble concert. I think it’s a great expression of the music culture here at State.”

Aaron Shaw, junior in accounting

“Art2Wear because it is just so interesting to see what our student body comes up with so quickly. Its amazingly creative.”

Kenny Hertling, senior in polical science

much rather be in bed watching a documentary or at a café with a good friend—not with 30 other sweaty drunk people (probably all dudes) whom I know nothing about. Normally, I politely turn down Facebook invitations to parties at downtown clubs that promise a 7-to-1 female-tomale ratio. Although, that’s not surprising considering my religion—we Muslim men cannot accept anything less that a 72-to-1 ratio. However, I saw the occasion of a friend’s 21st birthday as an exception to that rule.

One of the most sacred aspects of A merica n pa r t y culture is the pregaming ritual. I wanted to make sure I was in top physical condition for that night, so I started my pre-game routine with a one-hour nap, followed by a documentary—Freakonomics. That may not have been the best idea—I found myself trying to discuss the economic side in what was previously a conversation based purely on pop culture.

Be it needlessly said, women wanted me…to leave them alone.

After a series of failed conversations, I began to feel a little frustrated. I started to wonder why I had even

“Be it needlessly said, women wanted me…to leave them alone.”

hunched over table schematics and calculations of the trajectories ping-pong balls in an effort to invent the next big drinking game.

I started to get over myself. I felt guilty for placing myself above people who were doing nothing other than having fun. Instead of bridging a cultural gap, I had instead placed myself on a pedestal, and it was time to come down.

After becoming more open to the experience, I found myself not only tolerating the party, but I was actually having fun. I joined in on a card game, but like any other game at the party, this one had its rules. Simply put: you’re going to end up drinking. The players invited me in knowing I had no intention of drinking, but they did make me pantomime the act of taking shot after shot.

By the end of the night I had deep discussions about which DJ remixes were the best and what I thought about the Egyptian revolution with people I had just met. All it took was openness to experience.

What is this?

Hey everyone, welcome to the new Howler section. The friendly staff at Technician values you, the reader; so naturally we value your opinion. This section will allow you to interact with us. We want to see what you have to say about anything. Is there something on campus you’d like to complain about? Have a missed connection? Or do you just want to get something off of your chest. Tweet it at our handle. Viewpoint will also be asking you to weigh in on certain issues.

How does it work?

You know how Twitter works, we don’t need to tell you.

Just follow @TechnicianView, and let the fun begin. We’ll be picking the best and most entertaining tweets to publish in Howler.

HOW TO SUBMIT Follow and tweet at our handle @technicianview to have your tweets published here.

{OUR VIEW} More than Math and Science

T

he big engineering and agriculture programs often become the defining features of N.C. State, and that has led to our characterization as a narrow-thinking tech school.

What many people don’t know is that N.C. State students are just as—if not more—forward thinking as students at liberal arts universities, like our peer institutions down I-40.

Stories and interviews on many news sites are just one way to prove that this university is home to some of the most brilliant creative minds in the state and the nation.

State was one of many campuses that played host to the world’s largest student film festival, Campus MovieFest. Student teams are given one week to produce a short film that competes with the other films on campus. Out of those films, a small number get to advance to the national stage where their films are again judged and compete for national honors in Hollywood, CA. The Strong One, a short by Josh Bielick, Nicholas Sailer and Tim Reavis, took home the honor this year, moving to the next level.

The Strong One tells the story of a Durham boy who escaped a childhood full of adversity with the help of his powerful imagination and a lifesized brontosaurus. The story is based on a poem by recent graduate Tim Reavis, whose poetry has earned him a following on campus and has appeared in Windhover, Student Media’s literary magazine.

The trio’s film won best picture and best director in the campus-wide CMF contest before going on to win best picture in Hollywood in June.

323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online

come in the first place. Everyone was only there to drink and find someone to hook up with—it was haram, and I wanted no part in it. I was ready to leave. Not to mention the awful music, which raises the question: Does anyone listen to dubstep at a reasonable volume? Maybe I still had a chance to catch the last bit of ABC Family’s Harry Potter weekend marathon.

My friends convinced me to stay, I sat on a futon in the corner and pretended to be interested in a nearby game of beer pong. This game was different though, quite innovative I must admit.

Instead of facing your opponent and trying to score in their cup, you face your teammate at opposite corners of the table and bounce the ball to their chest and into the cups on their side. I could see yet another original and fast-paced game at another table. This one involved counting change—a mix between quarters and flip-cup; I think I was more impressed by the sight of drunk students doing math.

There’s no way these games could be created in a drunken state. I laughed to myself, imagining students

{#HOWLER}

515.2411 515.2029 515.5133 technicianonline.com

This wasn’t the first time N.C. State students won big, creatively speaking. Another trio, self-dubbed the Balloon Boys, entered a contest to have their artwork displayed in a very big way. Design students Jordan Deva, Joe Lawson and Justin Phillips created awe-inspiring artwork for a 20,000 square foot canvas. The larger-than-life work can be seen on the side of a parking deck at the corner of McDowell and Davie streets downtown. Their artwork, titled The Fantastic Sky Race, has inspired a contest hosted

by Wake County’s public libraries in which writers submit poems and story ideas based on the monumental work. The final product will be a children’s storybook.

Yes, N.C. State has massive engineering and agriculture programs that receive a lot of funding. Yes, there are by far more computer engineers here than film studies students. But that does not mean that N.C. State students are doomed to colorless, binary lives composed of only numbers and charts. Events like Art2Wear, theater productions and Campus MovieFest, which celebrate the arts, are a testament to the brilliant creative minds here on campus.

Our peers down I-40 have bestowed upon us the endearing nickname “Moo-U,” poking fun at State’s agricultural background while implying that students here are a bit backward and closedminded. However, students here respectfully disagree.

The grand local and national honors N.C. State students are receiving for their work prove that the arts are as important as the sciences in the eyes of State students.

Submit your responses to viewpoint@technicianonline. com

A Southern democrat, a Southern republican, and a fried chicken vendor. Can you tell who’s who?

Noah Rouse, Correspondent

{BRIAN’S VIEW } This week in Tech All Hail Kim Dotcom Last week we talked about K i m Dotcom, founder of MegaUpload, and the cult of personality surrounding his court case.

I mentioned a New Zealand judge’s ruling that t h e w a rrants used in the raid Brian Anderson o f D o t Staff Columnist com’s mansion were invalid. Since then, his extradition hearing has been postponed until March 2013. He should feel as jolly as ever knowing this is nothing but the government’s way of evading its inevitable loss.

I strongly believe all of the government’s current evidence will be deemed inadmissible in court and it’ll be forced to use someone else as the piracy boogeyman. One day after the announcement of the new date, Dotcom proposed an alternative plan to the FBI: unfreeze his funds for living and legal expenses, and he’ll turn himself over.

Good times with the pirates. Good times.

Bureaucratic Creepin’ Twitter made a good move earlier this month

Editor-in-Chief Laura Wilkinson

News Editor Elise Heglar

Sports Editor Josh Hyatt

Design Editor

editor@technicianonline.com

news@technicianonline.com

sports@technicianonline.com

design@technicianonline.com

Managing Editor Taylor Cashdan

Features Editor Mark Herring

Viewpoint Editor Trey Ferguson

managingeditor@technician online.com

features@technicianonline.com

viewpoint@technicianonline.com

by releasing its first Transparency Report, which lists government requests for user information, government requests to withhold content and of course copyright holders’ ubiquitous DMCA takedown notices. The disturbing part is the fact that the government requested user data 679 times in the past half-year alone. About 75 percent of the requests were at least partially granted, but it’s difficult to say whether this is passive compliance on Twitter’s behalf because it’s been openly forced to provide such information in the past.

On a similar note, Representative Ed Markey (D-MA) revealed that federal, state and local police made 1.3 million demands for user cell phone data in the past single year. God only knows why they need so much information, but with their bloated salaries and infinite spare time to screw around, I’m really not surprised.

Porn and Trolls and Stuff Jennifer Barker of Louisville, KY just wanted to look at some porn. But now she’s being extorted by a company who didn’t like the fact that she downloaded one of their movies online. The basic premise of the court case is “Pay up or everyone will know you watch porn.”

Unfortunately the company doesn’t realize that watching

Advertising Manager Ronilyn Osborne advertising@sma.ncsu.edu

Photo Editor Alex Sanchez photo@technicianonline.com

porn is more of an open secret than anything else, and its role-play as a copyright troll will end soon enough.

In Soviet Russia, Internet Search You On Tuesday Russian-language websites participated in a SOPA-era blackout in protest of the “DumaBill 89417-6.” The legislation is one of those “protect the children” schemes so often veiled over attempts at internet censorship. Seeing how more people voted in the last Russian election than exist in general, I’d say it’s not too far-fetched to guess why the government would want to keep information away from voters.

Did You Lose Internet?

Monday was our generation’s Y2K moment. We were warned that millions and millions of people were going to be shut out of the internet due to Malware created by those damn Estonians (and one token Russian guy).

What ended up happening: not much. And, considering how many warnings we were given about the possibility of computer infection, the process was really just an international IQ test.

If you lost internet connection Monday, you lost in life.

Technician (USPS 455-050) is the official student newspaper of N.C. State University and is published every Monday through Friday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Copyright 2011 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.

Features

TECHNICIAN

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 • PAGE 5

AFTER AN EXTENDED ABSENCE, SPIDER-MAN HAS RETURNED TO THE SILVER SCREEN THIS SUMMER. JOINED BY A NEW VIDEO GAME, THERE’S PLENTY TO GET EXCITED ABOUT IN A SUMMER FULL OF SPIDER-MAN. STORY BY JORDAN ALSAQA | DESIGN BY BRADLEY GUIDRY

The Story One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Kahn, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb. The screenplay is by James Vanderbiilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves from a story by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Ma is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance—leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

The Movie The Amazing Spider-Man Movie

 DIRECTOR Marc Webb CAST Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans RATED PG-13 With a great deal of behind-the-scenes turmoil and a five-year gap since the release of Spider-Man 3, many wondered how the franchise reboot, the Amazing Spider-Man, would stack up.

Thanks to a more realistic take on the character and a strong cast of talented actors, The Amazing Spider-Man manages to not only be a great summer

thrill ride, but also the best Spider-Man film yet.

As a reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man shares a lot in common with the first Spider-Man film released in 2002. Peter Parker, played by Andrew Garfield, is a high school student living with his aunt and uncle.

While sneaking around the labs of Oscorp, Peter is bitten by a geneticallyaltered spider, causing him to develop his iconic superpowers.

Even though the origin is familiar, the new plot points do a lot to bring the old tale to life.

Peter spends much of the film interacting with Dr. Curt Connors, played

by Rhys Ifans, reimag-

ined here as a genetic research partner of Peter’s dead father. The mystery surrounding Peter’s parents is a major new element to the series, and is set to be continued in future installments.

The increased focus on the scientific side of things also serves to better ground the film in reality. The film provides more explanation on the science behind the creation of both SpiderMan and the villainous Lizard and a closer look into the development of the various pieces of equipment used in the film, like Spidey’s web shooters.

The film’s real shining point, however, is in its portrayal of Spider-

Man himself. Garfield sells the awkward and introverted nature of Peter Parker during the high-school and homelife scenes. The relationships Peter shares with his Uncle Ben, played by Martin Sheen, and love interest Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, are particular highlights.

Even better is Garf ield ’s per for ma nce w h i le we a r i ng t he mask. Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man was serviceable, but never quite managed to match the joking, carefree persona seen in the comics. With a wide array of quips and a sense of wonder at his new powers, the reboot’s Spidey feels as

if he swung right from the comic page.

So much work s in The Amazing SpiderMan that the few times it stumbles really stand out. For one, the CGI for the Lizard is serviceable, but certainly could’ve used a bit more work.

Also, a moment in the climax is so unbelievable that it’s easily the cheesiest moment in the entire franchise.

St i l l, Spider-Ma n has managed to hit the ground sprinting with this reboot. Anyone with a fondness for the character owes it to him or herself to check out The Amazing SpiderMan and see one of the best interpretations of the character available.

The Game The Amazing Spider-Man Video Game

 DEVELOPER Beenox

Though Spider-Man has been absent from the big screen for half a decade, the web slinger has enjoyed

CONTRIBUTED BY BEENOX

a healthy number of appearances on the video game front. For the past few years, the task has fallen to developer Beenox.

Following two strong titles, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time , t he question remained whether Beenox could shake the movie game curse and provide another great Spider-Man game with The Amazing Spider-Man. Instead of being a direct adaption of the film, Beenox’s latest SpiderMan game is actually set after the conclusion of the movie. As a result, the game contains a number of spoilers and should only be played after seeing the new film.

The game follows Spider-Man as he continues to adjust to his new role as a superhero. Things quickly become complicated when a lab accident at Oscorp unleashes a horde of mutant creatures in New York, leaving it to Spidey to save the day.

The plot in The Amazing Spider-Man is easily its

weakest point. The idea of a deadly mutation spreading through New York isn’t just unoriginal, it’s already been used as the basis of a SpiderMan game, 2008’s Web of Shadows.

Weak story aside, The Amazing Spider-Man manages to provide a modest amount of fun in its tenhour campaign. If that seems like weak praise, it’s only because Beenox has taken a few steps back from the strengths of their first two Spider-Man games.

For one, the combat system has been simplified a great deal from the previous entry. Fights against basic enemies tend to come down to mindless buttonmashing. There are also some limited stealth elements, but a lack of variety leads to a lot of tedious repetition.

Additionally, the interior environments in the game tend to be difficult to navigate, with wall crawling in particular leading to frequent moments of disorientation. Whether in the sewers or the halls of Oscorp, be prepared to lose track of

your path on multiple occasions.

For its faults, The Amazing Spider-Man does have plenty to like. For the first time, Beenox has made a sandbox Spider-Man game. As such, a scaleddown version of Manhattan is provided for players to swing around in. Petty crimes, challenge missions and collectible comic pages litter the city, leaving plenty of content for the dedicated gamer to complete.

While combat can be dull, the boss fights are all great fun, a step up from last year’s Edge of Time.

Though it’s not Beenox’s finest outing, The Amazing Spider-Man is a solid Spidey title, one that fans of the character should give a try.

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 • PAGE 6

Features

TECHNICIAN

INSPIRES INNOVATION The CityCamp events provide Raleigh locals with the opportunity to get involved.

Nikki Stoudt Deputy Features Editor

With logistical changes and developments happening in Raleigh everyday, more students are finding ways to get involved in local affairs.

Major technological advances allow both international and local communities to explore

ways to connect with their citizens, and the team at CityCamp Raleigh has done just that.

The “unconference” is a hands-on, problem-solving workshop with a twist. Teams propose and execute ideas in order to compete to win a prize of $5,000.

Part of an international unconference series, CityCamp Raleigh brings citizens, city government and businesses to responsively innovate and increase the quality of life by means of technology.

Jason Hibbets, a project manager at Red Hat, first heard about the CityCamp movement via Twitter.

“The idea of putting on the first CityCamp Raleigh started [on Twitter] shortly after I posted an article exploring how Raleigh could be the open source hub of the world,” Hibbets said.

Open source refers to the Red Hat technology development model but also serves as an outlet for knowledge, creativity, innovation and purpose.

Raleigh isn’t the place that CityCamp can call home.

“Any city around the word can host a CityCamp,” Hibbets said. “I’ve had the opportunity to attend CityCamps in Colorado, Honolulu and Kansas City.”

Since its inception three years ago, CityCamps have

been held in about 20 locations worldwide including Canada, Great Britain and Russia. They also boast Web presence in Argentina and Guatemala and hope to establish CityCamps there in the near future.

As for involvement, participation is open to anyone interested in developing Raleigh’s appeal as a residence and workplace. Passion for Raleigh and the well being of its citizens are key, according to Hibbets.

Most participants can get involved by joining the CityCamp Raleigh Google Group.

From there, you can participate in conversations about open government, technology and other topics.

“We have a recent thread about the cities’ open data policy, where CityCampers are providing input to City IT staff,” Hibbets said.

The easiest way to get involved is by coming to the event or joining a planning committee. Those who come to the events arrive with great ideas or come because they want to help. From these volunteers comes an organic marketing ploy. Word of mouth allows CityCamp to reach those who are most interested in their mission.

“This year, we were able to connect with Benjamin Watson, a professor at N.C. State teaching a design graphics lab

course,” Hibbets said. “This year’s winning team had students from the DGL course walk away with the $5,000 cash prize.”

As an N.C. State alum, Hibbets said he hopes CityCamp will cultivate more connections like this with both the academic and research communities.

Valuable relationships and partnerships such as these have resulted in sponsorships from Alfresco, Go Triangle, Red Hat, WRAL and Salesforce.com. These sponsorships fund the unconference, provide money for the cash prize awarded to the winning team and support CityCamp Raleigh throughout the year.

This year’s winning team was “R Greenway,” which presented a greenway mobile app that allows users to locate their position on the greenway and how to connect to other trails. Using open data provided by Raleigh’s GeoPortal, the roadmap includes integration with SeeClickFix, weather and other useful pieces that users of the greenway might need.

To Hibbets and his peers, CityCamp Raleigh is more than just an unconference.

It’s a catalyst for innovation, knowledge, change and, most importantly, togetherness.

Splash Into The Retreat Cottages Are Still Available RETREATRALEIGH.COM LIVE THE COTTAGE 2416 Hillsborough St

Raleigh NC 27607

919.755.7877

Features

TECHNICIAN

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 • PAGE 7

Own a piece of

history.

Remember this year with an Agromeck.

CHARLIE HARLESS/TECHNICIAN

Josh Bielick, cinematographer, Nicholas Sailer, director, and Tim Reavis, writer, traveled to Hollywood this June to attend the 11th annual red carpet CMF Hollywood Awards held at the Globe Theatre at Universal Studios on Saturday, June 23. Their short film, the Strong One, was awarded Best Picture and Best Director at 2012 international awards.

STRONG

continued from page 1

Reavis said some of the most rewarding comments harp on the honesty of the poetry and the presentation of common childhood struggles., On the surface, The Strong One is about a boy who wanted to ride a brontosaurus through Durham, while the deeper meaning addresses difficult events Reavis experienced in his childhood.

“Eventually, the dinosaur came to be a re-visitation of some scenes in my past in

growing up... it kind of became a way for me to reconcile those situations,” Reavis said.

In the film, a young Reavis deals with a childhood crush, sketchy neighborhoods and his parents’ divorce. These were all events Reavis experienced as a boy. “[The film] is about revisiting those scenes that make you feel weak or make you feel inadequate as a kid or make you feel scared,” Reavis said. “It was cathartic for me, and it was therapeutic for me. I think that that’s all that anyone who does any creative

POLICY

The Technician will not be held responsible for damages or losses due to fraudulent advertisements. However, we make every effort to prevent false or misleading advertising from appearing in our publication.

DEADLINES

Our business hours are Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Line ads must be placed by noon the previous day.

endeavor can ask for—to be if you are being completely able to take some of the bad open,” Bielick said. “Otherthings that have happened wise it’s going to be invented to you and see something and people are going to be beautiful like, ‘this is come out of pretentious. it, something I can’t cont hat helps ne c t w i t h others.” it because I According k now you to Bielick, didn’t conReavis’s honne c t w i t h est writing is it.’”

Tim Reavis, psychology alum what helps Dan Costa, audiences relate to the char- a founder and president of acter and is what elevated to Campus MovieFest, said the film to the work of art that success of The Strong One exearned national recognition. emplifies what Campus Mov“It can only truly be art ieFest is all about.

“It was cathartic for me, and it was therapeutic for me.”

Classifieds

www.ncsu.edu/agromeck “Our goal, since day one, has been to provide the opportunity for students to share their stories with the world,” Costa said. “We think The Strong One is an amazing story, backed by really fantastic filmmaking.”

Bielick said he is happy there is still an audience for films like The Strong One. “I think it’s a beautiful story of how art still has relevance to people,” Bielick said. “I’ve seen some stuff like locally about some scholarships and funds for those who want to achieve something artistic are no longer available and I just

VIEWMORE

THESTRONGONEFILM.COM To view the actual video and learn more about the cast, visit the trio’s website.

get in the dumps... I think seeing people respond to [the film], emotionally responding and financially responding, it just shows that there is art to be appreciated and that people still value it a lot.

There is an opportunity for people to create and there is an opportunity for people to support creators.”

RATES

For students, line ads start at $5 for up to 25 words. For non-students, line ads start at $8 for up to 25 words. For detailed rate information, visit ­technicianonline.com/classifieds. All line ads must be prepaid.

To place a classified ad, call 919.515.2411, fax 919.515.5133 or visit technicianonline.com/classifieds

Child Care Needed

EmploymEnt

After school nanny for our

Help Wanted

ApArtments For rent

daughters, age 13 and 9. Pickup

Homes For rent

Condos For rent

Real estate

and transporation to home and after

3 BEDROOM CONDO, each bedroom

FABULOUS IN GROUND SWIMMING

has private bath. Shared common

POOL-4 B/R

Announcements

Around CAmpus

living/kitchen - all appliances. $400 per

GREAT HOUSE WITH 4 BEDROOMS

school activities plus some help with

3bd apt, new washer & dryer,

bedroom per month. Off Avent Ferry

AND 2 BATHS...BRAND NEW DECK OFF

Technician classifieds are a great

Earn $20-$35/hr. in a recessionproof

homework. Reliable car and clean

microwave 2 full baths, new carpet

Road. 20/20 Rental Management

KITCHEN OVERLOOKING POOL AREA..

way to find out about jobs, campus

job. 1 or 2 week classes & weekend

driving record a must.

, 1225sq ft located in a quiet

Call: 919-410-1193 / 919-861-4671

VERY LARGE FENCED IN BACKYARD...

information and new places to live.

Position begins August 13 with the

neighborhood. $1050 (919)851-5190

Email: debrayoung@nc.rr.com

LARGE LIVING/DINING/DEN..WASHER

Remember students can place ads for

following hours:

or (919)612-9222 or

EHO

/DRYER STAYS...PERFECT LOCATION

free on our site.

Aug 13-15: 9:00am - 6:00pm

bettyjo@bellsouth.net

TO NCSU, MEREDITH, INTERSTATE 40,

technicianonline.com/classifieds

BARTENDERS ARE IN DEMAND!

classes. 100% job placement assistance. Raleigh’s Bartending School.

HAVE FUN! MAKE MONEY! MEET PEOPLE! CALL NOW!! 919-676-0774

Aug 16-24: NCSU classes begin (will

BELTLINE...POOL HAS A NEW LINER...

www.cocktailmixer.com/ncsstate.html

work around your class schedule)

SEPARATE OUTSIDE STORAGE AREA...

Like us on facebook - www.facebook.

Aug 27- :

PLENTY OF PARKING...PERFECT

com/RaleighsBartendingSchool

Sudoku

Pays $12/hour

COLLEGE RENTAL PAST 13 YEARS!

Email bob.henes@gmail.com

EMAIL BSMALLMAN@MINDSPRING.

Phone 919.523.3251

COM

Sudoku

By The Mepham Group

Level:

By The Mepham Group FOR RELEASE JANUARY 9, 2009

1 2 3 4

THE Daily Crossword

LEVEL 2

1 2 3 4

LEVEL 1

Level:

3:30pm - 6:00pm M-F

Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle

12/24/08

Solution to Monday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

Apartments

Trinity Properties Proudly Manages

Kensington Park & Gorman Crossings

© 2008 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

Please call 919.851.8309

1/13/09

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

© 2009 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

www.trinityprop.com

On the Wolfline, 4 Stops

ACROSS 1 Scale with no sharps or flats 7 Some MDs 10 Piquancy 14 Sumptuous 15 Fashion designer Kawakubo 16 Savvy about 17 Oscar winner in 37D 19 Norse VIP 20 Make a bubbling sound 21 Slip-on slipper 22 Second shortest serving U.S. president 26 Merciful 27 Essen article 28 2005 baseball MVP 29 Pond problem 32 I.M., the architect 35 "Catcher in the Rye" character 39 Exist 40 Throw out of bed 41 Small silvery swimmer 42 Knight's title 43 Airline to Madrid 45 "The Wayward Bus" co-star 51 Part of the eye 52 Actress Silverstone 53 Pianist Thelonious 54 Baseball position...or this puzzle's theme 59 Small snack 60 Sound of delight 61 Pressed 62 Some poems 63 Approx.

64 Least nuts?

1 2 3 4

DOWN Today's LPs __ culpa The works Ind. Day mo.

Edited by Wayne Robert Williams

!"!#$%&'$() 5 Water part 6 Trash 7 Shorthand system 8 Macedonian capital of old 9 Of stars 10 Get a close-up 11 Provide (with) 12 Yet 13 Firmed up 18 Nest-egg $ 22 One of a court dozen 23 Soap plant 24 Safety grp.

25 Feudal estate 26 Merry sounds 29 Puncture starter?

30 Vegas opening?

31 Large belly 32 Wisdom unit?

33 Heston title role 34 New thought 36 NY canal 37 Movie starring 17A 38 34D in Paris

!"#$#%&'(")*+"%#+,' "*+,-./0%1213450

-+$,#$.%)$'(/"0 1' 2)"3/$'4"),,#$.,' ".4154061..07879:;89:<=7 >>>9?*@2@?/A*+A96+B C20?D40E+.F@24G0H0(?+A5 42 Kraits and boas 43 Should that be the case 44 Nigerian Civil War side 45 Economy-size 46 Steer clear of 47 "Fiddler on the Roof" role

48 49 50 55

Fake handle Dark time SMU or MSU Charged particle 56 Wind dir.

57 French article 58 Letters of a taboo spray

Sports

COUNTDOWN

• 52 days until football’s first game against Tennessee.

PAGE 8 • THURSDAY, JULY12, 2012

NEXT WEEK

• Check out Technician’s interview with distance-running star Ryan Hill.

TECHNICIAN

COMMENTARY

Turner and Rodon lead Team USA over Cuba N.C. State’s Trea Turner and Carlos Rodon helped USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team wrap up its trip with a 5-4 win over Cuba, Monday.

Rodon started and pitched six innings, completing a whirlwind week that saw him travel to New York for the Golden Spikes Award ceremony before rejoining the national team in Havana.

The Holly Springs, N.C. native struck out four and gave up three runs to the team of Cuban professionals for a no decision.

Turner started at second base and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in the win.

The freshman singled in the seventh, an inning that saw USA strand three runners, and drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch during USA’s rally in the eighth.

Team USA returns to action July 14 against Japan at the Honkbal-Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands.

Faith and destiny help former Pack swimmer reach prominence

TECHNICIAN FILE PHOTO

Cullen Jones, Olympic gold medalist and class of ‘06 alumn, will go on to London this summer to compete in the freestyle sprint events .

SOURCE: N.C. STATE ATHLETICS

Ryan Hill breaks school record N.C. State All-American Ryan Hill has taken his talents to an international audience.

Hill and former teammate Sandy Roberts traveled with Wolfpack volunteer assistant Stephen Furst overseas last week for a 35-day offseason European vacation.

Hill didn’t disappoint, improving on the school record he set for the men’s 1,500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June. He won his section of the main draw of the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden, the Netherlands, on Saturday night with a time of 3:38.36.

SOURCE: N.C. STATE ATHLETICS

Amerson and Glennon appear on watch lists The Maxwell Football Club announced its watch lists Monday for the 76th annual Maxwell Award and the 18th annual Bednarik Award. N.C. State cornerback David Amerson represented the Wolfpack on the Bednarik Award List, while quarterback Mike Glennon’s name appeared on the Maxwell Award List.

Last season, Amerson set the ACC and N.C. State single-season record for interceptions with 13 that mark ties for second in FBS history. He was named a Walter Camp and ESPN first-team AllAmerican, was the winner of the Jack Tatum Award, and one of three finalists for the Thorpe Award.

In his first season as the Pack’s starting quarterback last season, Glennon threw for 31 touchdowns on the season, that mark ties as the second-highest mark in school history. He ranked fourth in the ACC in passing yards per game, second in touchdown throws.

Author of Cullen Jones book talks about swimmer’s life outside the swimming pool.

Sean Fairholm Sports Editor

After winning a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games, former N.C. State swimmer Cullen Jones will once again compete on the biggest stage of all later this summer in London, England. The 28-year-old Raleigh resident was a 2006 NCAA Champion and a four-time ACC Champion during his time at State, but few people on campus know who Jones is when he is not in the swimming pool. One of the individuals who has many insights on Jones is Natalie Davis Miller, author of the book Speed to Glory: The Cullen Jones Story. While Jones prepares for more accomplishments in the 2012 games, Technician sat down with Miller to discuss her newly released book and the unique path Jones traveled to reach the grandest of arenas.

Technician: Almost every student at N.C. State knows the name Cullen Jones, but few know the person. After writing the book, how would you describe him?

Miller: He is very nice and

polite—a gracious person. He gives credit to his parents on that, of course, because that’s just his personality. His mother Deborah is a wonderful woman and his father Ronald has passed, but he was brought up very well, and you can tell that when you are talking to him. He’s very easy going, he laughs and he enjoyed telling funny stories when I was interviewing him for the book. I think he is happy and enjoys life.

T: A lot of people do not know that he nearly drowned as a young child in what ended up being a very ironic episode now that he has gone on to be an Olympian swimmer. What impact do you think that had on his life?

M: It was really all about the effect it had on his parents. As a parent myself, [losing your child] is the worst thing that can happen to you. The incident was traumatic enough that his mother said, “OK, we’re putting you in swimming lessons next week.” Once he got into swimming lessons at age 5, he just took off from there. He’s a natural in the water; he’s like 6’5” and a lot of times he is mistaken for a basketball player, but no—he’s a swimmer.

T: Faith is imperative to Jones both in and out of the pool, despite living in a time when faith can be easy for athletes to overlook. How

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIE DAVIS MILLER

Natalie Davis Miller’s Speed to Glory: The Cullen jones Story highlights the life and accomplishments of the fomer N.C. State student-athlete

does that presence inf luence the kind of person he is?

M: Again it goes back to how you’re raised. His faith is not put on the back-burner because it is a foundation that is engrained in him. One of the things he said is that when he is out traveling on the road and he’s not at his home church, his mother will send him recordings of the sermon. In that respect, it helps him stay connected.

T: What is the coolest part of having the opportunity to write a book like this where the message is very inspirational?

M: I am an African-American woman, and I know what he is talk-

ing about with his “Make a Splash with Cullen Jones” campaign. My mother doesn’t swim, and she is afraid of the water. He’s out there trying to reach minority kids and trying to tell them that they need to swim so that they can be safe.

That’s such an inspirational message, and I think that is really cool that he is doing that. It’s so cool to see somebody out there and doing it in a sport where you don’t see a lot of African-Americans. It sort of erases stereotypes when he is out there, so on that note, I am particularly proud of him.

Shawn Rychcik named head softball coach

SOURCE: N.C. STATE ATHLETICS

Hill claims first professional victory Matt Hill outlasted former PGA TOUR member Will Strickler in a playoff to become the first Canadian-born winner of the Dakota Dunes Casino Open Sunday. Hill, a former NCAA Individual Champion and the 2009 Jack Nicklaus award winner at NC State, made birdie on the fourth extra hole to clinch his first victory as a professional and take home $24,000.

Hill’s win came just one week after losing in a four-hole playoff to Victoria, BC’s Cory Renfrew at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON in Fort McMurray. With the victory Hill climbs to the top of the Order of Merit with $43,300 in earnings and is one step closer to claiming one of the two exemptions into the RBC Canadian Open that are afforded to the top two Canadian Tour members on the Order of Merit following next week’s Players Cup in Winnipeg.

SOURCE: N.C. STATE ATHLETICS

DID YOU KNOW? Cullen Jones is the first AfricanAmerican to break a swimming world record in an Olympic contested event.�

New coach eager to get the Pack back on track Jonathan Stout Staff Writer

Head softball coach Shawn Rychcik left his 8-year tenure as coach at Boston University, replacing outgoing coach Lisa Navas.

“I was very happy to get the call, and I’m very excited about coming down there,” Rychcik said. “Hopefully, from what I hear, the girls are excited about me coming in— they’re eager to do something different and they want to win, and so do I.” Winning is something Rychcik is very familiar with, completing an impressive record at BU. Rychcik seems primed to bring his winning ways to the Wolfpack.

During his time at BU, Rychcik compiled a record of 271-159 and became the coach with the most wins in BU’s softball program

MEAL PLANS

history. He led the program to four regular season titles and three conference tournament championships.

“I was out in Boulder, Colorado recruiting, and I got a phone call from Debbie Yow,” Rychcik said. “I agreed to come down for an interview and the rest is history.”

Following an unacceptable final record of 23-31(5-15, ACC), Rychcik knows he’s in for a challenge, but said he’s willing to put in the work to make the Wolfpack relevant in the conference play.

“I know there is a challenge ahead of me, but I don’t see why we can’t make some improvements and get to the postseason, the goal this year is to try and find a way to get there,” Rychcik said. “My expectation every year is to win, regardless if I’m taking over this program, or any other program.”

Rychcik’s softball career began as a 16-year-old playing fast pitch softball. He then went on to play for the U.S. men’s national team from 1994-2002.

His first coaching stint at coaching

began when he was playing in Illinois and was asked to help out with the local Division III team.

“I helped out and it was then when I realized this is some place I could take all this softball knowledge that I’ve accumulated over the years of playing and actually turn into a career,” Rychcik said.

After serving as an assistant at Millikin University and St. Bonaventure, Rychcik began his career at BU in the same role, in 2002. Two years later, he was promoted to BU’s head coach.

Among the many factors that played a part of Rychcik deciding to accept the offer from Debbie Yow, recruiting, and having the opportunity to coach in a larger conference played a significant role.

“We have a bigger recruiting base, it’s a great school and there are some special people here,” Rychcik said.

“Everyone I’ve talked to on the team sounds excited, and recruits coming in sound excited.”

Rychcik’s wife and two children will accompany him during the

transition from Massachusetts to North Carolina.

“I thought it would be a great place to raise my family,” Rychcik said.

“It’s a great place to live and I think it’s a perfect fit.”

Lisa Navas at N.C. State: •Overall record- 273-196 •2006 ACC Coach of the Year •2006 NFCA Southeastern Regional Coaching Staff of the Year

Shawn Rychcik at Boston University: •Overall record- 271-159 •Four regular season titles •Three America East championships

SIGN UP NOW: go.ncsu.edu/eat