Technician
friday march
16 2012
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Brickyard celebration honors N.C. State history A carnival-themed party in the Brickyard educates students about the birth of N.C. State. Elise Heglar News Editor
Students had a unique way to spend time between classes at a carnivalstyle celebration yesterday afternoon in honor of the University’s 125th anniversary. Bouncy houses, carnival style games, popcorn and cotton candy stands could be seen spread throughout the Brickyard during the event, which was held from 11 a.m. 4 p.m. Everything was completely free for students. W hen students arrived, they checked into the event by swiping their ID at booths set up by Student Government officials. By swiping their ID, students were automatically entered into a drawing to win an iPad 2. The winner of the drawing will be announced at another celebration for the 125th anniversary, held on April 2 in Reynolds Coliseum. Ethan Harrelson, Student Senate president and the main organizer for the event, said the carnival theme was chosen because it was fun and lighthearted. This celebration was the first of many, according to Harrelson. There are plans for various types of celebration throughout the year, including the April 2 event in Reynolds Coliseum. The event in April will be a large birthday celebration with cake and videos of students explaining how they feel about N.C. State. The best videos will receive a choice of prizes. “The top three videos win either 50-yard line football tickets for the season, a $500 gift card or a parking pass for a year on campus,” Harrelson said. Next semester the celebrations will continue, Harrelson said. There are currently plans being discussed for Homecoming celebrations. The funding for the event came from several sources, according to Harrelson. The Union Activities
Board, the GLBT Center, Student Government and t he 125t h Planning Committee were some of the donators to the cause. “Luckily the 125th Planning Committee donated enough to pay for a lot of the items used today, so that really helped,” Harrelson said. While Harrelson was the head of the plans for yesterday’s event, he said he could not have done it without the help of so many oncampus organizations, such as the UAB and the GLBT Center. “Because this process involves so many groups on campus, none of these were just my decisions. Everyone had input,” Harrelson said. Emily Holder, a student leader in UAB who worked the event, said she was excited to see so many students turn out to honor the inception of our University. “Things like this breed more loyalty to N.C. State. It breeds more tradition,” Holder said. Levon Keusseyan, senior in nuclear engineering, said he was most interested in participating in the station that allowed students to fight one another with inflatable batons. “[The celebration] is exciting and I want to hit someone with one of those mallets,” Keusseyan said. According to Holder, student reception to the event was extremely positive. “It’s all been pretty positive. It’s something fun to do on a break from class,” Holder said. Keusseyan said he considered the event a success because it educated people about the birth of N.C. State in a fun and interesting way. “I’m glad it’s being celebrated. I didn’t even know anything about it before, but now after seeing all this, I do,” Keusseyan said.
jordan moore/Technician
Ben Elling, a UNC-Chapel Hill student in political science, marches in protest of Amendment One, Thursday. Elling was one of many students that showed up at the Bell tower at 11 a.m. to show their protest for the amendment which would legally ban gay marriage in North Carolina.
Students march for equality Ides of March event brings students and people of Raleigh together against Amendment One. Will Brooks Deputy News Editor
Students, alumni and Raleigh residents marched from the Bell Tower to Halifax Mall in protest of an upcoming amendment to North Carolina’s Constitution, which will be on the ballot May 8. The event, called the Ides of March, took place yesterday afternoon. Amendment One would define marriage as being between one man and one woman. Protesters are working to raise awareness to North Carolinians who have the chance to vote on the Amendment. David Hook, graduate student in engineering, volunteered at the event through Honesty N.C. because he feels
passionate about the gay marriage issue. “The point was to show people across the state and maybe people across the country that there is a body of North Carolinians that do not feel the way that legislature appears to feel,” Hook said. Hook said the amendment inaccurately represents North Carolinians on several levels and should not be put in the N.C. Constitution. “It does not need to be in a document that supports itself as what North Carolina was founded on,” Hook said. Hook said the amendment represents problems similar to that of the civil rights movement half a century ago. “The definition of separate but equal very neatly fits into that definition [of gay marriage],” Hook said. “I thought that we agreed years ago that separate but equal was bad; that’s reason one.” Ian O’Keefe, deputy director for Campus Coalition to protect all North
Carolina Families, participated in the protest with his organization. “This was an event advocating for love and advocating against Amendment One,” O’Keefe said. O’Keefe explained that the amendment is particularly harmful because it solidifies a law that is already in place. “The amendment was originally designed to make homosexual marriage illegal, but homosexual marriage is already illegal in North Carolina,” O’Keefe said. “This makes it so there can never be any civil unions, no domestic partnerships... and domestic partnerships are available in North Carolina in nine municipalities.” The amendment would take away the rights that some North Carolinians already have, specifically those who are part of a domestic partnership.
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Drag event educates about diversity The Heroes and Villains drag show event will teach students about GLBT rights.
Byrd, it is an art form that is comparable to theatre. In fact, the term drag originally was a code in Shakespearian theatre as DR.aG – an actor who would “dress as girl” – because females were not allowed on stage, Lauren Vanderveen Byrd added. Staff Writer “In my undergrad, I became inThe newly opened drag school chap- volved in the GLBT student group ter at N.C. State, House of Electra, is and learned about drag performers presenting a Heroes and Villains drag from there,” Byrd said. “It is so much show event to highlight the art of drag more complex than just wearing a and educate about GLBT rights. Ad- dress and having your best girlfriend mission is free to all students but is paint you up. There are meticulous details you have to on a first come, first be aware of and techserve basis. Along niques to learn.” At with North Bragaw’s Friday’s event, KarResident Advisers ma Electra, a femaleand Bragaw’s Hall impersonator who Council, a group relocated from Holof North Carolina’s lywood and opened Finest Female Imthe House of Electra personators -- The drag school at N.C. Raleigh Chapter of State, and other drag the House of Elecqueens will demontra -- and the GLBT strate drag types in Center sponsored performance style the event. and in stage makeup. Samuel Byrd, resiSamuel Byrd, RD for the North “I know many of my dent director for the Bragaw Residence Hall friends who idolize North Bragaw Residrag queens by how dence Hall, utilized the event to support the West campus comfortable they are in their own initiative to promote multi-cultural bodies or because of their natural ability to get a crowd going,” Byrd said. competence. “The motivation for this event is to Information about Amendment One educate students about drag culture will also be discussed at the event by and issues facing the GLBT commu- a GLBT speaker, according to Haylee McLean, resident adviser in Bragaw nity,” Byrd said. Drag culture itself has been por- Hall. “We will encourage the students to trayed in many f ilms, such as Madea, Mrs. Doubtfire and White become educated about this amendChicks, and in television shows like ment and to do their civic duty and RuPaul’s Drag Race. According to vote in May,” Byrd said.
“The motivation for this event is to educate students about drag culture and issues facing the GLBT community.”
Drag Facts - King Henry III of France dressed as a woman and had his courtier refer to him as her majesty. - Stonewall Riots in New York City were initiated by black and Latino drag queens after police attacks on gay bars Source: Samuel Byrd
There are University policies in place that protect students and staff from being discriminated against based on sexual orientation, Amy Circosta, assistant vice provost for Equal Opportunity and Equity, said. Despite these policies, hate crimes have still been committed on campus, as seen when the GLBT Center was vandalized in October. “Diversity is what we’re really trying to promote because a lot of students can be un-welcoming, like we saw with the GLBT Center, so we wanted to do something with them,” McLean said. Treating everyone with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, should be encouraged, Circosta said. Students who attend have the chance to win prizes for Best Male and Female Hero, as well as Best Male and Female Villain. The Grand Champion also receives an iPod Nano, Byrd added. A party will follow the show, which will include music by DJ SugarKane and a mocktail bar. The event will be held in the Bragaw activity room on March 16.
ryan parry/Technician
Shooting a jumper, sophomore Kody Burke leaps over the High Point University defenders Thursday, March 15, 2012. The Wolfpack hosted High Point in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament at Reynolds Colliseum.
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