TECHNICIAN
monday september
23 2013
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Course pack sales on the decline Jason Katz
Deputy News Editor
N.C. State recently acquired fully functioning printing center, allowing N.C. State Bookstores to print course packs on campus and sell them directly to students. Until recently, students were only able to purchase course packs, the inexpensive spiral bound course information supplements that instructors sometimes assign, at printing organizations, such as Sir Speedy, that were not part of N.C. State bookstores.
Anthony Sanders, the associate director of N.C. State Bookstores, said the University acquired what used to be University Graphics Copy Center. This allowed the University to make course packs of a high enough quality to compete with places like Sir Speedy. Philip Nye, the owner of Sir Speedy, said that the competition definitely affected sales, but instructors may still choose to purchase their course packs through his establishment. “It’s really up to the teacher if they want to print at the bookstore or
come here,” Nye said. Sanders said that N.C. State had no intention of taking any business away from other organizations, but it did want to keep money flowing into the University and, in turn, help save money for students. Sanders said selling course packs in the bookstore benefits students through low prices and scholarship funds created by N.C. State Bookstore profits. He also said that the University benefits by keeping students’ money on campus. Nye said there are many instructors who have been purchasing
course packs from Sir Speedy for years who continue to use the store. “We are still here and we are still getting orders,” Nye said. Although N.C. State and Sir Speedy are competitors, course pack sales are declining at both organizations. There may be a third party to blame—technology. “Over the past decade, the number of physical-print course packs that are produced has dramatically decreased as a lot of those materials have gone online or to digital versions,” Sanders said. Sanders said this semester 6,600
course pack units have been sold, down from 6,900 last fall. N.C. State now produces a maximum of 100 to 150 titles—about 50 percent less than what he saw at the beginning of his career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “At that time, over there, we were producing maybe 350 [course pack titles] per semester,” Sanders said. Sanders said the accessibility of technology is probably causing the decline in course pack sales. He said that many instructors are
PACKS continued page 3
Triangle Water Festival raises $22,100 for cancer research
N.C. State on track to meet graduate retention goal
Correspondent
Jacqueline Lee
Jacqueline Lee
Correspondent
Swim Across America, a Boston-based non-profit, hosted the Triangle Indoor Water Festival to Fight Cancer Saturday at Carmichael Gy mnasium. The event raised $22,100 to fund research for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Money raised at the event supports the cancer research of John Cavanagh, Professor of Biochemistry at N.C. State’s Cavanagh Lab. “We’re working on new chemotherapy drugs,” Cavanagh said. “Money raised at the event is going towards some very much needed funding for the future.” Event participation was open to anyone in the public who swims recreationally. Cavanagh swam for the event with several of his students to support the cause and get involved with the Swim Across America event. The N.C. State swim, dive, water polo and club swim-
JACQUELINE LEE/TECHNICIAN
Triangle residents took part in the Swim Across America Indoor Water Fesitval Saturday to raise money for cancer research.
ming teams all volunteered at the event. Members of the UNC women’s water polo team and Raleigh Swim Association were also present. The YMCA of the Triangle Area had a team swim at the event with a wide age group range. “We have had this event every year,” said senior Kait-
lin Mills, a psychology major on the swim team. “It is very important to us to help raise money to help people with cancer.” Olympians Susan Walsh, Ray Carey, Dane Velez and Craig Beardsley were also present because of their involvement with Swim Across America.
Former Olympian Craig Beardsley came from his home in New Jersey to attend. He has been involved with Swim Across America for 26 years. Beardsley held the world record for the 200 meter butterfly from 19801983.
WATER continued page3
N.C. State plans to reach its goal of graduating 80 percent of its students within four to six years by 2020. Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Services at N.C. State Louis Hunt said he is pushing for students to graduate in a timely manner. “We are spending a lot of time and effort to make sure you graduate within four– sometimes six years–so you don’t spend as much money for schooling and you get a job that pays money in the workforce,” Hunt said. According to N.C. State’s website, of the incoming freshmen in 2006, 71 percent of students graduated within six years. This number rose since 1994, during which the University graduated only 60 percent of its students within six years. According to N.C. State’s 2013 First Year Facts report
for the fall semester, the University received more than 21,000 undergraduate applications. Of these, 4,216 were accepted. Additionally, the average high school GPA for accepted students in 2013 was 4.43—a number that rose from 4.19 in 2009. In 2009 the average SAT score, combining critical reading and math for accepted students was 1,187— in 2013 the average score increased to 1,244. Hunt said the profile of the incoming class in indicative of the University’s graduation and retention rates. The number of students applying to N.C. State also rose since 2011—from 19,239 applicants to 20,269 in 2012. Hunt said that each year the number grows, and the selection becomes more competitive, which leads to better students in each incoming freshman class.
GRAD continued page 2
Financial pressure makes switching majors tougher
Professor discusses Lost Notebooks at Math Colloquium
Sasha Afanasieva
Taylor Grace O’Quinn
Staff Writer
Recent budget cuts and financial restrictions are contributing to the difficulty some students have when trying to transfer between colleges. N.C. State is composed of 10 large academic units, each called colleges. Within the colleges are departments, between which students can easily change majors. However, changing majors into another college can be more difficult. Some colleges can only accept a limited number of students, and many require a GPA of 3.0 or higher to apply. A report by Greek Life at N.C. State found that in the spring semester of 2013, the average N.C. State student GPA was a 3.045. This is up from 2.977 in the fall semester of 2009. Despite the GPA increase, many students still face challenges when trying to transfer between
colleges. Associate Dean K. Shannon Davis from the Poole College of Management explained why the GPA requirement was so restrictive. “The GPA is a 3.0 to be competitive to apply,” Davis said. “I can’t take everyone who has a 3.0 GPA. I can only take 250 students a year. There could be 450 students with a 3.0 GPA that want to get in and try to get in, but I can only accept 250.” According to Davis, Poole College of Management accepts only 750 people a year with the target numbers at 350 new freshmen, 250 on-campus transfers, and 150 off-campus transfers. Davis said that in the fall semester of 2013, a total owwwwf 2,446 newfreshmen applied to Poole and only 358
MAJOR continued page 2
“Almost a century after his death, his work is starting to be appreciated and studied more in depth,” Andrews said. “People are finally recognizing his genius.” According to Andrews, many mathematicians who lived during the twentieth century didn’t appreciate Ramanujan’s work. The Indian mathematician, who was kicked out of college twice, sent letters about his ideas to wellknown English mathematicians such as Ernest William Hobson and Alan Baker. Many of these letters were ignored. Ramanujan continued to mail various mathematicians until he reached Hardy, who invited him to England to collaborate with him. “Hardy had never seen any-
Staff Writer
George Andrews, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, spoke to students and faculty Friday about the Lost Notebooks of Srinivasa Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician who lived during the early twentieth century. Ramanujan, who died in 1920 at the age of 32, made large contributions to mathematical analysis and was considered a genius by G. H. Hardy, a British mathematician with whom Ramanujan worked. After decades of studying Ramanujan’s formulas, some physicists are putting his equations to use in calculating black holes, which Andrews said could lead to the re-writing of science textbooks.
thing like Ramanujan’s work before,” Andrews said. “He knew Ramanujan was onto to something ground-breaking.” Ramanujan spent about three years in England, from 1915-1918, but fell ill with what Andrews said is believed to be tuberculosis. He spent a year in England recovering until he was fit to return to his home country in India in 1919, where he became a national hero. His face appeared on a postage stamp in 1920. “Ramanujan is what we would call a child prodigy,” Andrews said. Three months before his death, Ramanujan wrote a final letter to Hardy about recent findings involving mock theta theory. How-
LOST continued page 3
insidetechnician FEATURES
FEATURES
SPORTS
Rodeo club wrangles national competiton
Aerial Robotics Club sets sights on sky, victory
Pack claims victory in weekend tourney
See page 5.
See page 6.
See page 8.
Pint Nights Mon & Wed
NEW! Baby Back Rib Nights Every Tue & Thurs 5pm-1:30am
NEW! Pizza Nights
Mon & Wed 5pm-1:30am
$11 Rack/ $6 Half-Rack 16” for $12 | 13” for $9 | 8” for $6 First Time Ever! (919) 755-3880 44¢ Wing & Buffalo Bite Night Mon, Wed, Fri 9pm-1:30am with Student or University ID
Over 65 LCD TVs Plenty of Parking
NEW! 44 Drafts on Tap!
WE CATER!
20% OFF Food Bill!
*
*Offer excludes buffalo wings and bites. Valid thru Sept. 24