TECHNICIAN
wednesday september
10 2014
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Hofmann Forest deal changed Staff Report
NC State has altered its plan to sell the 79,000-acre Hofmann Forest and will instead sell about 70 percent of the forest to an Alabamabased investment company, The News & Observer reported. The Resource Management Service will buy 56,000 acres of the land, while Hofmann Forest LLC, the original buyer, will purchase the
remaining 23,000 acres, university officials told The N&O. The university decided to slash the original $150 million by $19 million, but could gain another $9 million if Hofmann LLC and RMS decide to sell training rights to the forest to the U.S. Marine Corps. RMS is a Timber Investment Management Organization that pulls together high-profile investors who want to purchase assets alterna-
tive to stocks or bonds. TIMOs purchase large tracts of timberland, and go on to manage it by continuing to use tree farms, Ed Sweeten, RMS’ executive vicepresident told The N&O. RMS, which already manages about 230,000 acres of timber in North Carolina and 2.6 million acres in the Southeast, already has a working relationship with NC State. This new deal was signed Sept.
2, and university officials hope to finalize the deal on or before Nov. 17, The N&O reported. Chancellor Randy Woodson told The N&O although the university would make a smaller profit, he believed some assurance the forest would remain a “working forest” and continue to be available for university research is the correct way for the school to proceed. “We and the buyer have been
pushing to work to identify patterns that can bring to bear sustainable forestry practices, and the idea is to keep as much of the property as possible in forestry production,” Woodson said. Ron Sutherland of the Wildlands Network said RMS has had a good relationship with conservationists in the past, the deal is far from perfect, and there is still no legal protection for the forest in the sale.
Eduroam to replace current wireless network at NCSU Emily Duckett Correspondent
NC State is now a participating institution in eduroam, a global wireless network designed for research and education communities. Because the service is relatively new to NC State, many students have not heard of it yet. “I just read an email about it yesterday,” said Nitin Sharma, a first year master’s student in computer science. “I haven’t actually used it much, so I don’t know what it does.” Eduroam, which gets its name from education roaming, is a secure wireless network that can be used at any participating education and research community worldwide. These communities include not only college and university campuses, but also elementary, middle
and high schools, according to eduroam’s website. Eduroam started in Europe, but has since grown to include 69 locations. According to the eduroam website, the service was designed to make it easier to access the Internet when traveling to different educational campuses. Many students like the idea of a more convenient wireless system. “It’s so aggravating having to put in my login every time I come to campus,” said Lateesha Mordecai, a junior in psychology. “If it would just automatically connect, that would be awesome.” The biggest advantages of this system are security and the ability to log in anywhere, according to Greg James, associate director of Data Networking. Users will not have to worry about
the guest login credentials typically required to connect when visiting a campus and instead will able to connect to the wireless Internet automatically when at participating locations, James said. Institutions won’t have to waste time and energy connecting visitors to the wireless Internet since the connection should be automatic, according to James. In order to enroll in the service, users need to only login with their Unity ID and password on the NC State Office of Information and Technology website. The service is already up and running, James said. After becoming enrolled, users are able to automatically connect to the wireless Internet at partici-
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COURTESY OF TORI HUFFMAN
As part of its class gift, the Park Scholar Class of 2015 hopes to leave behind a legacy of sustainability with its solar flora in front of Hunt.
Park Scholars build a legacy of sustainability with solar flora at Hunt Ian Grice Correspondent
Members of the Park Scholarship Legacy Committee are building a Solar Flora, a sculptural solar power system, in front of Hunt Library. The 16-foot tall, 11-foot wide Solar Flora contains six solar panel “petals” that will operate independently from the electrical grid to power a four-outlet charging station and area lighting. Solar Flora is a symbol of the sustainability at NC State and will be used to promote other sustainable initiatives on campus, according to Tori Huffman, a senior in biological sciences and co-chair of the 2015 Legacy Committee. It is slated to be running by the spring, and the university has alPeople of all ages come to view and participate in SPARKcon events in Downtown Raleigh.
SPARKcon, a festival that promotes creativity, art and design, will take place from September 11-14 in Downtown Raleigh. Produced by Visual Art Exchange, a nonprofit incubator that fosters creativity, the festival is held annually, according to SPARKcon’s website. There are many sub-sections within SPARKcon, each with a theme that appeals to a different audience such as artSPARK, comedySPARK, musicSPARK, poet-
rySPARK and fashionSPARK. The purpose of SPARKcon is to showcase and celebrate creative talent as well as diversity. The festival also provides support and exposure for artists in the area, according to SPARKcon’s website. Last year, according to The News & Observer, there were more than 200 displays, acts and shows. SPARKcon attracts 2,000 artists and takes a “for the people, by the people” approach encouraging everyone to participate, according to SPARKcon’s website. SPARKcon relies on the creativity
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SOURCE: FLICKR
SPARKcon showcases creativity Staff Report
ready expressed a desire to install four more, according to Huffman. The Solar Flora will have tables and seats for students to use while charging their devices. By uploading a QR code, students can see how much energy the installation is producing, Huffman said. “The Solar Flora is not all about generating energy, but is more about generating ideas about sustainable energy,” said Nathan Pedder, a senior in mechanical engineering and a member of the Legacy Committee. “The proximity to Hunt Library will help to accrue visibility from students and visitors.” Student Body President Rusty Mau said the Solar Flora is art that functions as an energy provider.
and dedication of volunteers and participants, and all of the events are free to attend, according to its website. SPARKcon is supported by the City of Raleigh, the United Arts Council and Wake County, as well as the North Carolina Arts Council, according to SPARKcon’s website. Parking will also be available downtown for the events. SPARKcon was founded by Aly and Beth Khalifa in 2006, according to SPARKcon’s website.
Eric Schlosser speaks about new book, weapon safety Jess Thomas Staff Writer
Eric Schlosser, journalist and best-selling author of Fast Food Nation, spoke Tuesday night at Hunt Library about his new book Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident and the Illusion of Safety. Quail Ridge Books & Music and the NCSU Friends of the Library presented the event. The book was a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in History, and was also praised by numerous critics.
Schlosser outlined the efforts of the United States government to control nuclear weapons, specifically, how to ensure the weapons would not detonate accidentally, be stolen, or abused without the permission of the president of the U.S. “We’re much better at creating complex technological systems than we are at controlling them, and especially than we are at knowing what to do when one of them goes wrong,” Schlosser said. The fact that nuclear weapons are
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On Wednesdays, we promote health See page 5.
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From Iraq, to Jordan, to Hillsborough street See page 6.
SPORTS Club Baseball looks forward to fall season See page 8.