Technician - October 1, 2013

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TECHNICIAN

Looking to leave a legacy THREE YEARS AFTER ARRIVING AT N.C. STATE, WOODSON APPROACHES $1 BILLION ENDOWMENT GOAL

Joseph Havey Deputy News Editor

One of Chancellor Randy Woodson’s main goals has been to increase N.C. State’s endowment. Since arriving in 2010, he has since been on track.

dowment. Laurie Reinhardt-Plotnik, associate vice chancellor for development at N.C. State, said building N.C. State’s endowment is a chief institutional priority. “As state and federal funding for public higher education decreases, private support must increase,”

Reinhardt-Plotnik said. “A large endowment is key, because this provides a regular source of financial support for the university.” Woodson also highlighted the importance of a large endowment. “During this challenging eco-

ENDOWMENT continued page 3

New enrollment phase of Affordable Care Act starts today, some students to benefit Staff Report

Enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010 begins today. People who sign up for insurance will begin receiving coverage Jan. 1, 2014. Dr. Elizabeth Miller, medical director at Student Health Services, said the changes implemented today are unlikely to significantly affect most students at N.C. State because of the previously implemented requirement that full-time students purchase health insurance. However, Miller said that it could affect part-time students who aren’t eligible for the University-sponsored

insurance. “It will allow [part-time students] to purchase reduced cost insurance,” Miller said. Miller said there are a few specific benefits to students. For example, parents can now keep their children on their insurance until age 26, students with pre-existing conditions will not be denied coverage, and insurance companies will not be able to drop patients with expensive illnesses. According to Healthcare. gov, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 15 preventative services will be available

Correspondent

N.C. State met its admissions goals this fall, while more than three-fourths of all public universities had difficulty filling their classrooms. The annual Survey of College and University Admission Directors reported that about 77 percent of public colleges and 59 percent of private colleges were unable to fill their enrollment goals for freshman. Conversely, Thomas Griffin, the director of undergraduate admissions at N.C. State, said the freshman enrollment goals at N.C. State are being adequately met. “We’re right on target for fall of 2013. Out of our target of 4,200, the preliminary census figure was 4,187, so we’re within 1 percent of our target with freshman,” Griffin said. Griffin said that most colleges should be within a similar one percent margin. “When you set a goal, you want to

free of charge, regardless of whether or not a patient has already met his or her deductible. These include depression screening, diet counseling, alcohol misuse screening and immunizations for Influenza, Meningitis and Human Papillomavirus. Healthcare.gov also lists 22 preventative services specifically to women, which will also be free of charge. This includes Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods, an item still hotly debated by Congress. According to the U.S.

Staff Report

A new law goes into effect today that expands the list of locations where concealed carry permit holders are allowed to carry guns. This list now includes restaurants, bars, schools and university campuses. The bill, signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory, allows permit holders to bring guns into restaurants where alcohol is served as long as they do not consume alcohol. The bill also lets permit holders transport their weapon in locked vehicles while on school campuses. Jack Moorman, the N.C. State chief of police, said that he and some of the other police chiefs in the UNC-System were concerned about the impact this legislation would have on university campuses. Moorman said that, now that the bill has passed, Campus Police will try to educate students about the law. “We want to make sure that everyone understands that only concealed carry permit holders can have their handguns in their vehicles.,” Moorman said in an email. “It is a violation of the law for any-

2013

one who is not a concealed weapon permit holder to have their handgun in their vehicle on campus.” According to Moorman, the law does not allow anyone other than concealed carry permit holders to carry guns on campus. He also said that the law applies only to handguns, not to rifles or shotguns. “[The law] does not allow individuals to carry concealed weapons on campus, other than to allow individuals who have concealed carry permits to leave their handguns in a closed container in a locked vehicle while they are on campus,” Moorman said. Moorman said that there is an Active Shooter Training video available on the Campus Police Moodle site. There is a link to the video on the University police’s website: www.ncsu.edu/police. Campus Police still encourages students to pay attention to weapon sightings on campus regardless of the new law. “Our Campus Community should know that if they see anyone with a weapon on campus, they should still contact campus police immediately,” Moorman said.

BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL SEE PAGE 6

GRANT GOLDEN/TECHNICIAN

The Del McCoury Band performs at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual awards show at the Lincoln Theatre on Cabarrus Street last Thursday. The band performed alongside the Gibson Brothers, and Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers.

HEALTH continued page 3

be close to that goal, you don’t want to go over because if you enroll hundreds of students beyond what you expected you’ll run into problems with course availability and housing,” Griffin said. Griffin said that a college should not be significantly less than its target goal for enrollment because having a lower amount of students could also cause additional setbacks. According to Griffin, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions works with the University to recruit students. Its mission is to encourage students to apply and to be welcoming to potential applicants. “We also have to adapt to the current pool of applicants, to try to reach them through various types of communication channels,” Griffin said. “We’ve also been fairly stable here in our administrative and recruiting areas, which add to our ability to meet our goals.” Griffin said that N.C. State helps students by giving them assistance with financial difficulties, and that also helps

attract new applicants. At Wake Technical Community College, admission rates are rapidly increasing according to Laurie Clowers, the college’s director of public relations. Clowers said that Wake Tech enrollment rates have increased by 50 percent during the last five years, and that the college is expecting them to increase by another 50 percent during the next five years. “We’re growing because we are located in a growing county, so we need to grow to meet the needs of the community,” Clowers said. “The other reason we’re growing is because of the economic downturn, so a lot more people are coming to community colleges to learn skills for jobs.” According to Griffin, many of the colleges that do not meet their enrollment goals may not be employing the proper strategies. “One reason that these colleges may not be meeting their enrollment goals is

ENROLLMENT continued page 3

insidetechnician

Department of justice to sue N.C. due to controversial voter ID law Staff Report

The Department of Justice announced Monday it is suing North Carolina regarding the state’s new voting law, which Gov. Pat McCrory signed in August. According to The News & Observer, the lawsuit will take aim at the provisions that shorten early voting periods and require a government-issued photo ID. The DOJ alleges that this is an illegal form of discrimination against minorities. McCrory said the lawsuit was an overreach and was without merit in a press conference held Monday afternoon.

FEATURES

SPORTS

SPORTS

Flying blind, broadening horizons

Men’s basketball prepares for season of new expectations

Wolfpack shows signs of improvement

See page 5.

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New concealed carry law takes effect today

NCSU defies national declining enrollment trend ... barely Jess Thomas

october

Raleigh, North Carolina

technicianonline.com

In 2010, Chancellor Randy Woodson announced one of his goals for N.C. State was to raise the endowment to $1 billion. Since then, he has stayed on track to meet that goal. According to Mary PeloquinDodd, associate vice chancellor for finance and business, in three years since the chancellor arrived at N.C. State, the endowment has increased from less than $400 million to $764.9 million, as of June 30, 2013. Friday’s massive $50 million grant from the Park Foundation should only increase that number. “Through its exceptional generosity, the Park Foundation has demonstrated its passion for higher education, ensuring that the life-changing gift of an N.C. State education will be available to promising young men and women now and well into the future,” Chancellor Randy Woodson said in a press release Friday. Last year, donors added a recordbreaking $129.6 million to the en-

tuesday

See page 7.

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“I firmly believe we’ve done the right thing,” McCrory said. “I believe this is a good law, and I strongly disagree with the action that the attorney general has taken.” Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, a Republican from Rockingham County, and House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican from Mecklenburg County, issued a joint statement on Monday. “The Obama Justice Department’s baseless claims about North Carolina’s election reform law are nothing more than an obvious attempt to quash the will of the

VOTER continued page 3


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