TECHNICIAN
tuesday january
7
2014
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Meal-plan costs rise due to new tax law Joseph Havey Staff Writer
Meal plans at N.C. State are more expensive now due to a new tax that went into effect early January. This tax is the result of a new law, passed by the North Carolina General Assembly this summer that forces North Carolina universities to charge sales taxes on all food, including meal plans. A sales tax of 6.75 percent is now being added to all meal plans. However, for students paying with cash or credit cards, the rates vary. Some items, such as bread at the C-stores, will only be taxed at 2 percent. Packaged goods, such as chips and Pop-Tarts, are taxed at 6.75 percent. Prepared foods, such as the “Wolfpack-To-Go” wraps, are taxed at 7.75 percent. According to Jennifer Gilmore, director of marketing communication at N.C. State, the tax rate for food on campus is also determined by your subtotal. “Let’s say you have a meal plan and you go to the atrium and buy a wrap,” Gilmore said. “If you stay under the $7 equivalency, then you don’t pay any more than
6.75 percent tax because you were already taxed when you bought your meal plan. But if you pay overage, or if you pay with dining dollars, that would be taxed at 7.75 percent. But packaged goods like Pop-Tarts are always 6.75 percent.” The Commuter Plan will be affected most by the law change. With this plan, students pay $750 to obtain dining dollars, which until this semester were used to buy untaxed food on campus. This semester, the advantage of this plan will be diminished
“It’s unfortunate that students are having to absorb additional costs ... ” Jennifer Gilmore, director of marketing communication for Campus Enterprises
substantially as dining dollars will now be taxed at the same rate as cash payments. Despite this, Gilmore said that there is currently no planned change to the Commuter Plan. Even though food prices are increasing, N.C. State
meal plans are still relatively inexpensive when compared with peer institutions, Gilmore said. In the fall 2013 semester, a Freedom Pass plan at N.C. State costs $1,600 a semester. Similar programs at UNCChapel Hill cost $2,010.25 per semester and $1,894.50 per semester at East Carolina University. “It’s unfortunate that students are having to absorb additional costs associated with going to college, but we are very proud of the fact that we already put value as a high priority with our meal plans,” Gilmore said. Gilmore said a high priority is given to both quality and value when developing meal plans and dining prices. “We want to provide the right levels of quality and value for our students,” Gilmore said. “Every student demographic is different. We know what we need to do to keep our student body satisfied with our program, and we work very hard to balance the quality and value of our food.” Similar tax increases will also hit other departments at N.C. State, including ARTS
TAX continued page 3
PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DREAM TEAM
Protestors gather outside Attorney General Roy Cooper’s office Wednesday. Advocacy groups have criticized Cooper for keeping his silence about access of higher education to all students.
Immigration advocacy groups seek in-state rate Ravi Chittilla Assistant News Editor
Member of an advocacy group said they hope the Attorney General will help them win in-state tuition for students of undocumented status. Members of NC DREAM Team said they are hoping for an answer from Attorney General Roy Cooper about his legal opinion on the matter of whether or not students who qualify under the Deferred Action Childhood Arrival policy should be entitled to in-state tuition at North Carolina’s public universities and community colleges. The Department of Homeland Security implemented DACA after President Barack Obama issued an executive order in June 2012 stating that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service would stop deporting certain people without documentation if they
Graduate-student commons opens in D.H. Hill Staff Report
The first graduate student commons opened in D.H. Hill Library Monday morning, complete with computers, group studies and work stations. The commons is located next to the D.H. Hill Learning Commons and is available only to graduate students by card access, according to Susan Nutter, vice provost and director of libraries at N.C. State. “[The graduate student commons] meets an unmet need in D.H. Hill,” Nutter said. The commons is missing some wall-mounted marker boards that should arrive within a few days, Nutter said. In the meantime the room will use markerboards on wheels until the mounted boards arrive.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NCSU LIBRARIES
Above: The graduate student commons opened Monday morning in D.H. Hill and includes work stations and group studies. Only graduate students will have access to the commons using their N.C. State I.D.
4 lounge chairs 10 seats in Seminar 14 seats in Group Studies (3 rooms) 16 seats at tables near main entrance 20 seats at Resolve workstations 4 seats at table in alcove on east wall 6 seats at tables along south wall SOURCE: NCSU.EDU
insidetechnician
DACA continued page 3
Political map makers take legislative district dispute to court Staff Report
SUMMARY OF NEW COMMONS:
• • • • • • •
immigrated illegally as children. Students gathered on New Year’s Day outside Cooper’s office to demand that he end his silence and issue a formal opinion. If Cooper addresses the issue, it won’t be the first time in recent months that he has set a legal precedent regarding the status of DACA residents in North Carolina. In January 2013, Cooper issued an opinion that those who qualified for DACA clearance could apply for a state driver’s license if they had the proper legal documentation. This opinion was issued after the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles threatened to cancel driver’s licenses issued to 13 residents who had entered the country illegally. Members of NC DREAM Team and other advocacy groups are hoping the Attorney General will interpret the law as those who qualify
Two North Carolina Supreme Court questioned attorneys Monday regarding the constitutionality of current congressional and legislative districts, The News and Observer reported. The justices’ questions regarding both arguments aligned with previous rulings concerning similar arguments about a case that will decide whether the state’s map from a 2011 redistricting session formed by the Republican-led General assembly will continue through 2020. Democratic voters and civil rights organizations challenging the redistricting of 2011 argue that the map was redesigned to weaken the influence of black voters in North Carolina. Members f rom t he s e groups have stated that the 2011 political map draftsmen attempted and were ultimately successful in putting black voters in districts where they had been successful in
FEATURES
FEATURES
SPORTS
Cast delivers Oscar-worthy performance
Burgerfi: classic burgers, classy vibes
ACC men’s basketball power rankings
See page 5.
See page 6.
See page 8.
electing their candidates of choice despite being the minority group. In the past, the courts have allowed parties to form districts for political disadvantage, but have prohibited gerrymandering. Republicans who support the 2011 map have said they did not break any laws when forming the districts. The U.S. Justice department found that the maps did not impair the ability of minorities to elect candidates of their choice and approved them under a procedure laid by the federal Voting Rights Act. A three-member panel of the N.C. Superior Court judges ruled in favor of the mapmakers in July and rejected many of the same arguments made before the state Supreme Court justices on Monday. According to The N&O, the justices offered no indication during the hearing of how or when they might rule.