Technician - Sept. 24, 2014

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TECHNICIAN

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 

Raleigh, North Carolina

technicianonline.com

United Nations meets in New York to discuss climate change Katherine Kehoe News Editor

World Leaders met in New York Monday at the United Nations 2014 Climate Change Summit to debate the necessary steps that must be taken in order to drastically cut carbon emissions and reverse climate change. At the summit, President Barack Obama challenged China to join the USA in cutting carbon emissions. The USA and China are the world’s two largest economies, as well as the two largest polluters. The U.N. hopes to negotiate a global climate treaty by 2015, and experts say the USA and China’s participation and cooperation is necessary for other countries to accept the treaty and for it to be successful, according to the New York Times. Leaders from countries in all stages of economic development and areas of the world stated a desire to peak emissions of greenhouse gas before the year 2020, hoping to reduce climate emissions after that date and to eventually reach climate neutrality after 2050. European Union countries made a commitment to reduce carbon emissions to 40 percent below the levels they were at in 1990 by the year 2030. In preparation for the summit, people from across the country, including students from a few different groups at NC State, gathered in New York City for the People’s Climate March Sunday.

CLIMATE continued page 3

CAIDE WOOTEN/TECHNICIAN

As flu season approaches, the Student Health Center is gearing up to keep students protected against the annual virus. Beginning in October, several walk-in immunization clinics will be hosted around campus.

Health Center offers free flu shots for students, employees Coleen Kinen-Ferguson Staff Writer

Flu season is fast approaching in North Carolina, and NC State’s Student Health Center will soon begin offering free flu vaccinations to students, employees and family members of employees. “College students are probably at the highest risk for getting the f lu, because the virus can be spread so easily on a college campus,” said Dr. Letitia Hazel-Lindsay, medical

director of the Student Health Center. “If you prevent the flu, you can do better in your classes. Getting your flu shot will keep you healthy and keep you in class.” People infected with the flu virus often feel sick for up to two weeks, and it can cause students to fall behind on their course work. “This is the worst time to get sick,” Hazel-Lindsay said. “Flu season coincides with one of the busiest times of the semester when students are coming

up on midterms and projects.” According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine causes antibodies to develop in the body two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies help provide protection against viruses in the vaccination. “The vaccine stimulates your immune system and helps you fight disease,” Hazel-Lindsay said. “So if you are infected with the virus, your body has a better chance of handling it because it’s already familiar

Gates Foundation funds NCSU sweet potato research

with it.” The f lu shots are ordered from a medical company and then stored in the pharmacy at the Health Center. “We’re starting to see students come in with viruses and colds, and it’s good to get the vaccine in advance so you don’t get sick,” Hazel-Lindsay said. “It really makes a difference because anyone can get the flu. And when you do get it, you’re miserable. It takes a

FLU continued page 2

insidetechnician

OPINION Not paying attention will cost lives See page 4.

Deirdre An Correspondent

VIBHAVARI VEMPALA./TECHNICIAN

Patrick Narmi, a junior in communication, acts out a scene from the one act play “Bang Bang You’re Dead” written by William Mastrosimone, at the 4th annual Red, White & Banned event.

Red, White & Banned event targets censorship Juan Carlos Andrade Correspondent

Students gathered in Thompson Theatre Tuesday evening to celebrate the culmination of the Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of written works that have been banned in school systems throughout the country, in the fourth annual Red White & Banned event.

Banned Books Week stresses the importance of open access to information, bringing together librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers and readers alike. The Red White & Banned event featured performers as well as books and plays whose com-

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded NC State University $12.4 million to research and develop tools that will genetically improve the sweet potato crop for the next four years. Craig Yencho, a professor of horticulture science and the project’s leader for the grant, directs the team in developing a new set of next-generation breeding tools for sweet potato improvement. “Our focus is primarily on developing orange sweet potatoes for small farmers who are living in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Yencho said. “Our main target countries are Uganda, Kenya and Ghana, but there should be substantial spillover effects into other countries.” Sweet potatoes are a staple food source to many countries in SubSahara Africa. The most common sweet potato in America is a great source of Beta-Carotene, which is a carotenoid of vitamin A. Such Beta-Carotenes and vita-

mins are important for Africans of the Sub-Saharan area. “People, particularly small farmers, consume the crop daily whether it is for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in some cases more than one meal,” Yencho said. “Vitamin A deficiency is a very serious concern across the African continent, especially in pregnant women and children. Only 125 grams of the orange flesh sweet potato will provide the daily recommended amount of vitamin A for small children.” One of the problems currently facing the sweet potatoes being grown in Africa is that they lack vitamin A that American sweet potatoes contain. Cultural differences in taste have proven to be one of the factors for the lack of cultivation of the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes found in America. “Most Africans do not like sweet, sweet potatoes. We are working to develop a potato with a starchier flavor. The sweet pota-

POTATOE continued page 3

FEATURES NCSU Aerial Robotics club flies high over competitors See page 5.

FEATURES Savor the South: Tradition in the Kichen See page 6.

SPORTS Pack falls to Deacs, plays Duke, UNC this week See page 8.

University Dining works to satisfy vegetarian students’ needs Ryen Ormesher Correspondent

University Dining is currently working to promote vegetarian options for both vegetarian and nonvegetarian students on campus.

According to Lisa Eberhart, head dietitian of NC State, University Dining has worked in recent years to increase available vegetarian and vegan options around campus, particularly outside of the dining halls. “Our goal in the past years has

been to have vegan and vegetarian options available at every venue on campus,” Eberhart said. This year, University Dining added several new vegetarian options to the dining halls’ special services bars, including a hummus bar and

a vegetarian option in the Asian dumpling bar. University Dining also introduced several new vegetarian entrees, including spicy potato curry, edamame with red grain, roasted caulif lower steaks and Ethiopian

cabbage. “The dining halls usually have a wide variety of options,” said Anna-Claire Bousquet, a freshman in human biology and nutrition. “I’m

DINING continued page 3


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Technician - Sept. 24, 2014 by NC State Student Media - Issuu