Technician
tuesday august
30 2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Students scammed across campus and CO2 included. All students had to pay for were paintballs. Michael Jensen, a junior in animal science, purchased one of the vouchers while taking a physics class in Riddick Hall. He said the two perpetrators looked students in the eye and spoke John Wall confidently, which led him to believe News Editor they were legitimate. “I didn’t notice them as being nerFraudulent activity across campus robbed students of cash and credit vous at all. They weren’t twiddling their fingers or shaking. It was a shock card information. Two males, who have yet to be to me when my professor emailed me identified, entered large classrooms letting me know what was going on,” last week promoting paintball out- Jensen said. Jensen paid $10 cash for a ticket ing vouchers. They pushed the fake vouchers onto students who had two advertising for Extreme Paintball in payment options — to either pay Durham, N.C. He had yet to check whether the card cash or have their is wor t h anycredit card inthing, but he said formation either he was skeptical. written down or “I looked it copied using caro v e r, a n d i t bon paper. looked legit. I Described as haven’t ca l led calm and conto check, but I v i nc i ng , t he y didn’t think it made presentawas forged. $10 tions at the beginning or end of Michael Jensen, junior in animal science for a $50 ticket seemed like classes with proa prett y good fessor consent. Both professors and students did not deal,” Jensen said. Student Body President Chandler think their presentations out of the ordinary as student groups present in Thompson has been on top of the situation. front of classes on a daily basis. She learned about the scam via Students were offered $50 coupons for $10. The coupons were redeemable Facebook, and notified Provost Warfor all-day paintball with masks, guns wick Arden and other high-ranking
Unknown subjects advertising paintball vouchers rob students of cash and credit card information.
“It was a shock to me when my professor emailed me letting me know what was going on.”
University administrators. During the first Student Government cabinet meeting of the year, Thompson brought up the incident. She said five S.G. representatives raised their hands when asked whether they had been in a class visited by the alleged con artists. “For as many people in the [cabinet meeting] to have heard the presentation, I figured that a good number of students were presented to by these people. [Cabinet members] made it seem like a lot of students paid for these tickets,” Thompson said. Collin March, a junior in political science, was one of the Student Government members in the cabinet meeting who raised his hand. He was in a large beekeeping class when he heard the presentation. “I have known organizations will do a quick reminder [about their organization’s events] before class, but I have never had anyone try to sell me anything,” March said. People who present in classes are generally required to have a permit. The two individuals gave their presentation in Donald Ellison’s physics
Facilities loses staff
insidetechnician
class. Ellison, a professor in physics, said he learned through Campus Police a day later the people who entered his class were frauds. Jensen was in Ellison’s class that day. “I did not suspect there was anything wrong. I had no reason to believe that there was fraud involved,” Ellison said. Ellison sent out an email to students in his class notifying them to contact Campus Police if they had given the fraudsters cash or credit card informa-
tion. He has not seen the perpetrators since. Ellison has been a professor for 25 years, and has never before heard of anything similar to this incident. He described the event as a shock. “I would guess a maximum of five people [gave them money]. I have about 100 people in my class,” Ellison said. Photo illustration by taylor cashdan
Forecasting for the future
Facilities operations eliminates nearly 50 positions as it deals with another round of cuts.
Pack defeats Tigers in rainy weather See page 8.
Rugby seeks legitimacy See page 8.
Services will undoubtedly be diminished. “It’s clear that we’re not going to be doing the same sorts of service levels that we used to do in the past,” Colby said. John Wall Melissa Benner, a second year stuNews Editor dent in agricultural business, said she Facilities management was dealt was satisfied with the overall state of yet another blow this year as the on-campus cleanliness. She does not University continues to deal with live on campus, but she spends a good budget cuts. Although the cuts deal of time going to classes. “Everything seems clean. The bighave not been handed down every year, they have received budgetary gest thing about anywhere you go is reductions over the majority of the keeping the bathroom up, but other past six years. Given inflation, the than that, everything is on par,” BenUniversity also has a yearly built-in ner said. Kiara Harvey, a senior in zoology, reduction due to the falling value also said the campus is tidy. of money. “I spend most of my time on-camFacilities management took losspus in the library. It is usually clean, es in particular areas. “A number of maintenance po- but if these cuts result in the library being dirty, I would sitions, including certainly spend less building maintetime on campus,” na nce, houseHarvey said. keeping and Katie Strickland, grounds, were a sophomore in ellost. And then we ementar y educalost a lot of budtion, does mainteget that normally nance work for the would have gone Jack Colby, assistant vice facilities operations for replacement chancellor for facilities department in Withof materials and operations erspoon St udent supplies,” Jack Center. She has been Colby, assistant vice chancellor for facilities op- doing the work for “over a year.” “I have seen more deadlines recenterations, said. All of the positions lost were un- ly. There are projects that have to be done in a certain amount of time. I filled, though. “All told, there have probably believe it has something to do with all been 45 positions or so that have of the construction going on around been attributed to the cuts,” Colby campus, but it could be due to budget said. “All of those were either va- cuts,” Strickland said. Facilities operations is also responcancies or positions that had not sible for maintaining air temperature been created.” Vital services have been pre- across campus, according to Strickland. Besides checking thermostats, served, according to Colby. “We think we have done a good she spends her time painting rooms job of looking at maintaining im- in the student center. “I haven’t noticed anything in parportant services for the campus, but you can’t take these types of ticular that would indicate we have a reductions year after year with- smaller budget. We keep a record of out expecting to see some of the how much we spend,” Strickland said. Strickland said she does not usuimpacts begin to show up. It’s not short-term — we don’t anticipate ally keep track of spending herself, getting any of these moneys re- and therefore could not comment on stored, so we are having to look at how much spending goes into Withnew ways of doing things,” Colby erspoon in particular. said.
“A number of maintenance positions were lost.”
Major League Gaming changes prove successful See page 3.
The future impresses in Deus Ex See page 5.
arts & entertainment viewpoint classifieds sports
3 4 7 8
photo By Kimberly Rochester
B
ryce Tyner, a graduate student in marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, works in his office in Jordan Hall Monday. “I’m verifying the National Weather Service’s forecasts for wind speeds and wind gusts during hurricane Irene,” Tyner said. “I’m using observations from the [Hurricane Research Division]. It looks like the National Weather Service was pretty accurate on the coast line, but not so much inland. It’s part of my Ph.D work to make wind forecasts for landfall and hurricanes more accurate. Having such a recent hurricane gives pretty good data.”
NOW OPEN LATER! Sept 1-3 10a-3p
Mon - Thurs 8am to 8pm Friday 8am to 6pm Saturday 10am to 4pm