TECHNICIAN
thursday august
29 2013
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Protesters move ‘Forward Together’ Jason Katz Staff Writer
Hours af ter President Obama spoke at a Washington rally to help mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “March on Washington,” the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held 13 rallies throughout the state of North Carolina. The Raleigh event was led by the Rev. Portia Rochelle, president of the Raleigh and Apex branches of the NAACP. The rally, called the Forward Together Movement, brought a crowd of people who wanted to remember King for his contributions and show their disapproval of North Carolina’s Republicanled government. Although no official attendance estimates were available, police officers on the scene estimated around 250 people were in attendance. Although the crowd at this event was not in the thousands, as several of the Moral Monday crowds had been, MaryBe McMillan,
CHRIS RUPERT/TECHNICIAN
Christopher Hill, director of the N.C. Justice Center speaks at the Forward Together Movement Rally Aug. 28, 2013 outside the Wake County Courthouse.
secretary-treasurer of the North Carolina State AFLCIO and a speaker at the rally, said she was impressed with the showing. “When you take into account that there’s a rally in Chapel Hill and in 13 other places, it’s a good crowd,” McMillan said. McMillan said that that people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds were
banding together because they were unhappy with their leaders in the government. “We see all these attacks on workers in this state–cutting unemployment benefits, denying Medicaid, attacking workers right to organize and our voting rights—and it’s very important that all of us stand together, because that’s the only way we can affect change here,” McMillan said.
The For wa rd Tog t her Movement gave supporters of the Moral Monday demonstrations another chance to voice their concerns about the slew of law changes and bills introduced since Gov. Pat McCrory took office. Although McMillan was upset about the government’s recent decisions, she said she
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CHRIS RUPERT/TECHNICIAN
A protester holds a sign at the rally. The event was coordinated by the NAACP and celebrated the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
NCSU home to Graduate students at risk of two NSF labs dropping out, study shows Sarah Ray
Danielle Cullen
Correspondent
Correspondent
The National Science Foundation is currently funding 20 percent of collegiate research across the United States, according to the NSF website. N.C. State, however, is the only university or college in the nation to maintain two active NSF Engineering Research Centers. Each university interested in initiating such a facility must apply for the funding, but only the most competitive institutions receive the National Science Foundation’s approval. Launched in 2008, the center for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) led by Alex Q. Huang has done most of its work in advancing renewable energy sources. “The green energy hub [FREEDM has developed] is now operational,” Huang said. “Our roof is 40,000 kilowatts of solar generation. Currently it is powering about one third of the Keystone Research Center’s electrical usage.” Once completed, the one-megawatt energy hub will be able to power the entire facility, and FREEDM will be one step
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Most students on campus know someone who has dropped out of college, but how many know someone who withdrew from their chosen graduate or doctoral program? Demetrius Richmond, the new director of graduate student mentoring and success for the College of Education, outlined some contributing factors as to why such students don’t complete their programs, and emphasized how students at the graduate and doctoral levels can successfully complete their program by creating a support networks for themselves. “There is a huge move across higher education administration. The top 25 schools figured out that you have to have just as much support for your graduate
students as for your undergraduates,” Richmond said. This statement may come as a shock to undergraduates who may be contemplating furthering their education and those unfamiliar with graduate and doctoral programs. Graduate students are usually older and working for several years in the field they are currently studying, Carter said citing recent research. There also is a greater emphasis at the graduate and doctoral levels on independence and being a self-starter than there is for undergraduates. Students often forget that faculty learn just as much from them and that support from each other is ongoing, even after graduation. “I can learn from [students] as well. The least I can do is work with them,” said Richmond. Graduate students are more likely to
live off campus, have families and be more removed from the action of oncampus activities than they were as undergraduates. These factors have also been proven to add stress to incoming graduate or doctoral students. Richmond said that for students going through stressful times, social support, socialization and building relationships–what’s happening in real life–are key. “[Have] a mentor who understands what you’re going through and [is] able to help create a support system or point you in the direction of valuable resources,” Richmond said. “[This] is vital to not only surviving, but thriving while pursuing higher education.” Mike Carter, associate dean of the N.C. State Graduate School said graduate
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Bike rental service opens Joseph Havey Deputy News Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF BENJAMIN MARKOCH
Carlos Vega, a senior in civil engineering and Brian Iezzi, a junior in textile and material science engineering cut the ribbon at the QuadBikes opening. Vega and Iezzi started the program due to problems with the WolfWheels program. The two students entered last year’s Think Outside the Brick competition and won second place. They starting working on the project after they surveyed students in the Honors Village and found 80 percent of them were interested.
The Wolf Wheels QuadBikes Pilot Program officially launched Wednesday evening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the N.C. State Honors Village. More than 40 students attended to celebrate the new bike share program. The QuadBikes program is the brainchild of Carlos Vega, a senior in civil engineering, and Brian Iezzi, a junior in textile and material science engineering. Vega and Iezzi initially thought up the idea after suffering personal bike mishaps—Vega nearly crashed into a student on a bike with no brakes and Iez-
zi’s bike was stolen. sity Transportation. Vega “[Our bike troubles] just and Iezzi surveyed students got the conversation start- who lived in the Honors Viled,” Vega said in an opening lage—where they both live— speech before the ribbon- and found that approximately cutting. “We already have a 80 percent of students were bike rental interested in program on a bike-sharcampus, but ing program when we based right started talkoutside their ing about it, dorms. we star ted T he pa i r finding there then enDavid Crye, were incontered last WolfWheels director veniences to year’s Think the program Outside the that needed to be addressed.” Brick competition and won This prompted conversa- second place. The $500 prize tions with representatives formed the basis of the Quadfrom the offices of Univer- Bikes program. David Crye, sity Recreation and Univer-
“This campus is getting more bike-friendly every year.”
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