TECHNICIAN
“When we meet on campus in the early fall, we will have as many as 1,200 students come out.”
11 2013
BREAKDOWN OF RELIGIOUS STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS O th Isl er 2% am 2%
Clubs don’t reflect religious diversity Of the 46 religious and spiritual provides non-theistic students with groups listed on N.C. State’s web- a unique niche in campus life. site, 90 percent of the groups are Nicholas Freeman, a senior in Christian-affiliated. However, the aerospace engineering and president Muslim Students Association, Hil- of the Secular Student Alliance lel, Art of Living Club, Buddhist Phi- at N.C. State, said the group losophies and other clubs stand as “promotes scientific and exceptions to a Christian-dominat- critical inquiry, democed landscape. racy, secularism and Though there are few organiza- human-based ethics.” tions representing the University’s Freeman said he bediversity, the minority is working lieves one of the main hard to provide belonging for all. functions of the SSA Zainab Baloch, a senior in psy- is to provide a comchology and student on the Shura munit y for nonCouncil for the Muslim Students religiously affiliated Association, said the group par- students. He said that ticipates in member socials, service many of the group’s projects and various outreach and members identify as interfaith events throughout the atheist, non-theist or year. agnostic. “Most of our members are very “Many students at N.C. active,” Baloch said. State find community in their According to Baloch, the MSA churches or other on-campus reliholds general body meetings every gious groups, and it’s very easy for other Thursday, and 80 to 100 mem- the non-religious to feel left out or bers show up every time. feel that they don’t have a voice on “February is Islamic Awareness campus,” Freeman said. Month,” Baloch said, “so we’ve had The SSA periodically hosts dequite a few events bates and guest for everyone.” speakers, according Aaron Sugar, a to Freeman. There junior in environare weekly meetmenta l sciences ings in which group and president of members discuss a Hillel at N.C. State, wide range of topics said the group is including history, “the center for Jewph i losophy a nd ish life on campus.” current events in Sugar said the science and politics. 80-member club Fre e m a n s a id Todd Smith, senior field staff has programs every members of the SSA member of Cru other week, which want to “increase focus on religious the visibility of the services, philanthropic activities secular community on campus” and social gatherings. by placing tables on the Brickyard The Secular Student Alliance with information about the group group lists itself under the sup- and literature about popular secular port and outreach category and culture.
march
Raleigh, North Carolina
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STORY BY ALDEN EARLEY | GRAPHIC BY RUSS SMITH
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EDITOR’SNOTE: This pie graph is not to scale. The figures included in this graphic are approximate and based on the number of organizations listed on the NCSU student organization website.
2%
2% sm i % a m 2 s t d i is e Ju dh th d A u / B lar u c Se RELIGIOUS STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Christianity 90%
“Anyone is welcome to join as a member, regardless of religious affiliation, as long they support our main principles of critical inquiry and the separation of church and state,” Freeman said. The 42 Christian-affiliated organizations are broken down by denomination : Adventist, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Nondenominational, Presbyterian and Quaker. Several churches in the Triangle area have an on-campus presence to draw students into a greater Christian community. Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is one of the more prominent Christian outreach groups at N.C. State. Hundreds of students are involved with the campus ministry and
many of them participate in smaller, discipleship groups supervised by staff or upperclassmen leaders. The group is active in recruiting younger students and plans a variety of social events throughout the year to create a sense of community within the organization. Todd Smith, a Senior Field Staff member with Cru said “We host a lot of large, fun events during the school year that anyone can come to.” Smith said the group has grown in numbers over the years and a lot of that is “by word of mouth” from siblings and others who were involved with Cru while at State. “When we meet on campus in the early fall, we will have as many as 1,200 students come out,” Smith said. Students who are interested in learning more about a particular group should consult the N.C. State student organizations website.
Antioch College Ministry @ NCSU Agape Campus Ministry Charisma Campus Ministry Deer Park Campus Fellowship GOODLIFE U: The College Ministry of World Overcomers Christian Church Grace Christian Life East Triangle Church Campus Ministry Hope Campus Fellowship Millennium Revival Center @ NC State PEACE- Peers Entering Acceptance towards Christ Eternally Presbyterian Campus Ministry Providence Campus Ministry Radiant U: Live A Radiant Life! Adventist Christian Fellowship Brooks Campus Ministry Campus Christian Fellowship Campus Outreach Raleigh Catch the Fire State Catholic Campus Ministry Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship Christian Mentoring Association Christians On Campus Cru Every Nation Campus Ministry Friends Campus Ministry-Raleigh God First Campus Ministry Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Intervarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship Greek Intervarsity Life Changer’s College Ministry Raleigh Area Baptist Campus Ministry Raleigh Wesley Foundation Reformed University Fellowship The Grind- Northpark Campus Ministry The Impact Movement The Navigators Uninhibited Praise University Bible Fellowship Young Life Beta Upsilon Chi Sigma Alpha Omega Knights of Columbus Buddhist Philosophies Hillel Muslim Students Association Secular Student Alliance at NC State University Art of Living Club
Despite unemployment, job availability improves SINCE THE GREAT RECESSION, JOB PROSPECTS FOR STUDENTS HAVEN’T LOOKED THIS GOOD, BUT STUDENTS MUST STILL PROACTIVELY SEEK EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Taylor O’Quinn Staff Writer
Glide years, graduate school and going straight into the workforce are all options students have following graduation, but the real obstacle they face is getting there. For many seniors, graduating isn’t just about finally receiving a degree, it’s about the start of a career. Seniors graduating in May and December have a difficult job market to face in North Carolina. Unemployment in the state reached 19.6 percent for people between the ages of 20 and 24 in 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor. This level of young adult unemployment is the highest since World War II, accord-
ing to youth activism think tank Generation Opportunity. Deciding which path to take after graduation is important to the development of a student’s future career, according to Woody Catoe, associate director of Student Career Services at the Career Development Center. “Your career is never defined until the day you quit,” Catoe said.
The N.C. job market and its future Michael Walden, a distinguished professor of economics, said despite high unemployment, the job market is improving in North Carolina. Walden said the unemployment rate is still high, but 85,000 to 90,000
jobs have been created recently. “I’m projecting that the economy will continue to grow over the next two to three years,” Walden said. Engineering, business, computer science and technical majors are currently the most likely to get jobs after graduation, Walden said. Arts and humanities majors are going to experience more trouble finding jobs in the current state’s economy, Walden said. “A business major with a minor in statistics can pretty much write their own ticket for jobs right now,” Walden said. North Carolina is shifting away from the manufacturing and agriculture sectors — gone are the days of big textiles and tobacco — and
the state is moving more toward the construction, technology, tourism and financial sectors, according to Walden.
Start planning now Catoe and Leslie Rand-Pickett, assistant director for the employer relations team at the Career Development Center, assist students in helping them decide which career path is right for them. The center helps students become more than “just a resume” to potential employees, Rand-Pickett said. “Career’s don’t magically begin after graduation,” Catoe said. “We help students get in the door to build their career.” Rand-Pickett said she wants to en-
courage students to take advantage of the career fairs because they are open to any major. Students need to “probe” companies at the career fairs to see if attending companies have any jobs in their field available, Catoe said. Job fairs, in essence, aren’t just open houses, but also opportunities for students to make a strong first impression.
Be mindful of the glide year Rand-Pickett defines a gap year as the time off between high school and college a glide year, as is the year after college before attending graduate school. Catoe said a glide year is acceptable if the student can justify
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