TECHNICIAN
tuesday january
22 2013
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Financial aid offers opportunities for misuse and abuse Tim Gorski Staff Writer
Many students who plan to live off campus next year may not receive the financial aid award they are excepting to pay off their leases. Conversely, many students who violate the terms and agreements specified in their loan disclosure statements could be left with more funds than intended.
It is about that time of year when many students start making arrangements to live off campus next school year, and as they select roommates and neighborhoods, most have to consider their finances. Students often anticipate that the cost of living will be covered entirely by their financial aid. However, many students who have been left with excess funds in the past may not necessarily be entitled to the
same refunds as before. Students who are unaware of this fact may end up overstepping their financial endowments and potentially defaulting on their leases. Morgan Middleton, assistant director for the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, is a seasoned veteran in troubleshooting lease complications, and as recent as Thursday, Middleton encountered a student who had to take out a short-
term loan for his rent to make sure he would not be evicted. There are steps students can take to avoid such unfavorable circumstances, Middleton said. The first is to make sure that students file their Free Applications for Federal Student Aid and all other documents required by the financial aid office as soon as they possibly can. Middleton said this ensures student awareness of how much
aid they will be receiving, which can better help them assess affordable living arrangements. Proper FAFSA filing also eliminates the possibility of unnecessary delays in dispersal of aid, which could be troublesome for students who have impending financial deadlines. Middleton also recom-
AID continued page 3
Obama addresses student interests Students remember MLK through service project
challenge is to help people find their answer to that most urgent and esStaff Writer sential question [of working toward social justice],” said Alex Parker, a For many around the national, member of the Service Leadership Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a Team. “CSLEPS is always trying to day of rest, but for some students find ways to incorporate members at N.C. State, it is a day of service. of the N.C. State community with The Service Leadership Team of acts of service to benefit the comthe Center for Student Leader- munity around us and help develop ship, Ethics and Public Service those who are participating in the is holding a day of community service. The Martin Luther King Jr. out reach to Service Challenge commemorate provides students King’s legacy. with a chance to Volunteers develop themselves will meet Satand others through urday, Jan. 26, service.” five days after It has been 45 t he n at ion a l years since MLK holiday, because passed away, and CSLEPS leaders 50 years since his speculated that “I have a dream” students would speech, yet his Alex Parker, sophomore in Spanish education be going home memory and legacy for the three day still lives on today, weekend. Event organizers said Parker said. they anticipate 125 participants “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was will attend to learn about King’s a servant leader,” Parker said. “He message of service and work to- was a servant at heart and cared for ward social justice. his family, congregation and comStudents from Ligon Middle munity. It was because he was so School will join N.C. State stu- servant-hearted that led him to lead. dents in the service project, That is the exemplary leader: one which will be held at the Talley who serves first. I draw inspiration Student Center. from him and I am reminded that I The Service Leadership Team need to serve my community, espeleaders said they hope the event cially the Wolfpack Nation. This is a creates relationships between time that we honor Dr. Martin Lucollege and middle school stu- ther King Jr. by instilling the same dents in the name of service and form of leadership and service that collaboration. he represented in our students and “The main mission of the service community.”
Brittany Bynum
PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITEHOUSE.GOV
President Barack Obama gets sworn in on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. During his inaugural speech, he addressed student issues along with pressing national matters.
Mark Herring Editor-in-Chief
As President Barack Obama addressed the nation in his second inaugural speech Monday, calling for cooperative civic action and bipartisanship, he addressed students across the country and the world, encouraging them to pursue higher education in the United States. “Our [national] journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity — until bright
young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country,” Obama said. “Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.” The president’s call for immigration reform to keep immigrant students in the U.S. workforce has been a grievance of research universities recently. In July, 140 university presidents and chancellors, includ-
Two dorms add 24-hour visitation privileges Elizabeth Moomey Staff Writer
After deliberation by Syme and Bowen residence councils, residents will be allowed to accept guests 24 hours a day in those dorms, effective Fall 2013. Five residence halls were added to the 24-hour list as of Fall 2012, and Syme and Bowen have continued that trend, making 75 percent of residence halls at N.C. State accessible by visitors 24 hours a day. The University Housing website states limited-visitation residence halls are allowed visitors from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday to Saturday. Residents of these halls may permit a visitor of the same sex to remain in the hall as an overnight guest pend-
insidetechnician
ing roommate approval. The expansion of 24-hour visitation came after a survey conducted by the InterResidence Council stating 90 percent of residences without 24-hour visitation would approve; 73 percent of the respondents said visitation hours were a factor in deciding what dorm to live in. Brad Templeman, freshman in computer engineering, said the 24-hour visitation policy had an impact on where he decided to live this academic year, stating he liked giving visitors a place to “crash” at his dorm in Carroll Hall. Last academic year, Carroll did not allow 24-hour visitation, but
HOURS continued page 2
Coffee shop teases Bible Belt customers See page 5.
ing the chancellors of the Triangle’s Big Three, teamed with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Partnership for a New American Economy to write a memorandum that called on the president to reform immigration for foreign students studying at American universities. “They are taking all their American ingenuity and know-how we generate here at the universities and going to other countries that are recruiting them,” Chancellor
OBAMA continued page 2
“[King] was a servant at heart and cared for his family, congregation and community.”
Wild animals: a campus problem Emily Weaver Correspondent
Wandering around class buildings, through the Brickyard and campus roads, animals have a continuing presence on campus dealt with by several local organizations. Animal sightings by students range from domestic animals to wild animals, but often create dangerous situations on the roads and threaten personal safety. Tracey Alford, supervisor of the Animal Control Unit of Raleigh, explained the animals’ presence in the city causes problems not only to students, but also to the animals. “Students are advised to call the Raleigh Animal Control [if they see an animal] so no one gets hurt,” Alford said. “It is common for animals to be hurt in cities with a high population like Raleigh.”
Alford said the Animal Control Alford said student calls are not unit of Raleigh frequently receives limited to deer on the roads and ofcalls from campus and the sur- ten concern animals in dormitories rounding areas. and within campus. “The N.C. Wildlife [Resources “We get calls about anything from Commission] tells deer in the roads to us how to handle bats in the dorms. situations. It isn’t Not only are we really uncommon concerned w it h for us to get calls the safety of the from students and animals, but also facu lt y,” A l ford we are concerned said. with the safety of St udent s have people bec au se also shown concern these anima ls for the animals’ could be dangerSusan Finch, sophomore safety. ous,” Alford said. in fashion and textile managment “I have a lot of Anima ls reclasses on Cententrieved by the Aninial and always see deer. I feel like mal Control Unit are normally euI am going to accidentally hit them thanized if dangerous or taken to one day,” Ann Miller Finch, sopho- Wake Country animal shelters like more in fashion and textile management, said. ANIMALS continued page 3
“It is dangerous for the animals to be around the busy roads on campus.”
Pack outlasts Clemson See page 8.
viewpoint features classifieds sports
4 5 7 8