TECHNICIAN
thursday may
26 2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Legislature A soldier’s guaranteed job, his undetermined future discusses state budget After four years of training, 34 new officers will join the nation’s armed forces. Mark Herring
Battles over budget may leave education worse off. John Wall Staff Writer
The North Carolina Senate proposed cuts to the state’s public education system, and Governor Bev Purdue has vowed to veto the budget if it is left unchanged. The state Senate released a budget proposal Tuesday, making multiple changes to the House’s submitted budget. The Senate Appropriations Committee met Wednesday morning to discuss the issue, according to Jo Ann Norris, president and executive director of North Carolina Teaching Fellows—one of the several programs on the chopping block. Norris, who serves as the Teaching Fellows’ Legislative and Commission Liaison, said she believes the Senate will accept the bill. The budget approval process works as follows: first, the Governor proposes a budget; second, the House creates its own budget after reviewing the Governor’s; third, the House’s budget is sent to the Senate, but the Senate makes its own budget; fourth, the budget is sent back down to the House, and a joint committee is formed to hash out differences between the House and Senate’s budgets; finally, the joint budget is sent to the Governor for approval. Currently, Republicans dominate the state Senate with a ratio of 31 to 19. The House is also controlled by Republicans, who outnumber Democrats 67 to 52. Regardless of who controls the legislature, Perdue said she won’t accept a budget that will deal a severe blow to public education. “This state was built on providing a quality education for all North Carolinians. Let me be clear: it’s a core part of who we are and what we value as a people,” Purdue said. “By the time they come together, they need to send me a budget that protects our schools, community colleges and universities. If they pass a budget that undermines our schools and fails to protect the quality of our education system, then I will have no choice but to veto it,” Purdue said. If Purdue vetoed the budget, named House Bill 200, then the House would need to muster two-thirds of the vote in order to pass the bill. Although most of the proposed cuts are raising many concerns, the cut to the Teaching Fellows Program will directly affect students coming into the UNC system in particular. The program, a state-funded program providing students with a four-year scholarship, provides high school students with aspirations to teach a chance to get extensive hands-on experience teaching. “Teaching Fellows begin their teacher preparation as soon as they arrive on the 17 campuses in their freshmen year,” Norris said. “Most folks who are preparing to be teachers do not enter teacher education, officially, until their junior year in college.” If the budget is accepted, the program will be phased out over the coming years. Incoming college freshmen and current Fellows would be unaffected financially, but beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year, no more applicants would be accepted. According to Norris, while the program is nationally renowned, she thinks the legislature “is willing to let that go by the wayside.” Nelson Blair, senior in middle grades language arts and social studies education and Teaching Fellow, said he is disappointed with the state Senate’s refusal to support public education. “Obviously the economic situation that we are in makes budget cuts
BUDGET continued page 6
Features Editor
Unlike 3,394 of his undergraduate colleagues who turned their tassels this May, Brooks Robinson knows exactly where he’ll be within a year. The recently commissioned second lieutenant in the Army will be in Afghanistan, while his former classmates will still be searching for a job. The end of college brings forth a world of uncertainty to many graduates looking for jobs, but 34 graduates from the ROTC programs have a certain course to follow after leavingN.C. State. This future, however, presents uncertainty to young officers making the transition from students to soldiers. Army 2nd Lt. Brooks Robinson, a recent graduate, will soon start active duty service in an intelligence assignment at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Although Robinson was not willing to comment on his feelings about deployment, he said he sees it as an opportunity to serve his country, however uncertain that opportunity may be. Brooks said his assignment “The assignment is a little unclear, but they will brief and train me along the way,” Brooks said. Lt. Col. Chris Froeschner, commander of an Air Force ROTC detachment, said a commission in the military represents more than moving on to a new job.
PATRICK EASTERS/TECHNICIAN
Justin White, a graduating senior in history, looks into the crowd at the RBC Center before commencement. White said he will definitely remember his commissioning ceremony held the night before and looks forward to serving in the Air Force.
“The commission is important because it is a step towards a new life of service,” Froeschner said. “It’s a graduation in a totally different sense; it’s an edict issued to the new officers by the president.” The commissioning ceremonies for the four branches took place the day before graduation on May 13. According to Froeschner, the ceremonies had separate oaths, but they all share the same principle.
“They have their respective nuances, but they all include the pledge to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Froeschner said. “It’s officially giving them the power as a leader and officer to serve.” The commissioning ceremony represents the culmination of four years of training. “It was four years of hard work,” said 2nd Lt. Andrew Chambers, for-
mer Army ROTC cadet. “It’s a lot more than graduation. It’s better.” Chambers, who will go on active duty Nov. 13 and will train at Fort Rucker, Ala., as a helicopter pilot, said he was glad to look back at everything he has accomplished. “It’s great to see how all the hours of work and the leadership test got me here,” Chambers said.
ROTC continued page 6
Wildfires burn across eastern North Carolina Fires spread through Dare County in eastern North Carolina as a result of natural sources. Fritz Barnewolt Senior Staff Writer
The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and its surrounding areas in eastern North Carolina have been under air pollution advisories for the past three weeks stemming from a wildfire that has been burning and expanding since its ignition May 5. In only five days, the fire consumed over 20,000 acres of wildlife, affecting air quality in Raleigh. The refuge is meant to protect the wildlife and unique wetland environment in the Alligator River, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy. It is also the main area in which the red wolf is being re-established in the wild. The wildfire threatens everything in the refuge and it is a priority to quench the flames, according to Tom Crews, fire management of-
ficer for the refuge. state of North Carolina made the deciInitially, the fire was believed to be a sion to cut their costs and rid themresult of arson. Crews said there were selves of the expensive aircraft. three fires in a single location, “and “If we’d had the CL215, we’d have that is suspicious.” been able to stop this fire by now, However, arson suspicions quickly there’s no doubt in my mind,” Crews proved to be incorrect when a fire said. “It’s a real workhorse. It can drop investigator found a tree was clearly more than three times as much water struck by lightning. The tree smol- as any other plane.” dered for a while and Wit h no ot her later fully ignited, back-up specialized causing the wildfire, aircraf t, helicopters were deployed according to Crews. to dump buckets of Usually when a water onto the inwildfire breaks out, ferno while about 75 amphibious aircraft people cleared brush are used to put out and trees out of the the flames. But, last Alligator River Fire path of the fire, Crew month, the state Management OFficer of North Carolina said. auctioned off their Hampered supCL215 “Super Scooper” plane on eBay. port and loss of the CL 215 plane They purchased the aircraft in 1998 have allowed the wildfires to continue for $4 million but was sold for only burning weeks after the initial flare$445,000 this year. up, and as of May 19, the fires were still The plane’s upkeep cost was up to burning uncontrollably and putting $1.2 million per year, which is more residents near the area at a health risk. than 30 percent of the Division of ForNearly all of northeastern North est Resources’ budget. The necessary Carolina is under an air pollution repairs for the craft were estimated to advisory. The conditions are Code be worth about $1.5 million. Thus, the Orange in Camden, Currituck, Dare,
“If we’d had the CL215, we’d have been able to stop this fire by now...”
SCOTTY MCCREERY WINS AMERICAN IDOL
Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Tyrell counties. Smoke has reached as far as Wake County and N.C. State’s campus. Morning conditions tend to be slightly foggy, but the air seems to be fine. Ross Ledford, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, said he has felt some physical effects of the smoky conditions. “Occasionally, when I’m walking in the mornings, I’ll find myself short of breath,” Ledford said. Barry Goldfarb, professor and head of the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Academic Research at N.C. State, said the fire has continued and will continue to burn for quite a while due to soil composition in Dare County. “Some of the soils [in the refuge] are very unusual; they are made up of a lot of organic matter rather than minerals,” Goldfarb said. “Thus, the fire will continue to burn for quite a while unless there is a heavy rainfall.”
insidetechnician
Teal bids farewell to Wolfpack Memories will be cherished following Brooks Teal’s departure. See page 8.
Learning the ropes
Canopy class teaches basics of researching the treetops. See page 5.
viewpoint features classifieds sports LUIS ZAPATA/TECHNICIAN
Jennifer Evans, a senior in nutrion science, goes crazy with her friends and family in the RBC Center after finding out that Scotty McCreery won this season’s American Idol. “Scotty seems more like like ‘one of us’ maybe because of Gardner and N.C. State,” Evans said. Fox cut to the RBC Center to show all of Scotty’s fans after the winner was revealed.
Students complete community Quad garden
After overcoming logistical problems, the garden is ready for planting. See page 3.
Wolf Xpress Print & Copy Services - Now Open!
On the upper level outside of NC State Bookstores next to the C-Store Black & White Copies Color Copies Posters & Banners 8.5” x 11” - $.06 ea 8.5” x 11” - $.35 ea Laminating & Mounting 11” x 17” - $.10 ea 11” x 17” - $.69 ea Thesis, Course Packs & More!
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