TECHNICIAN
technicianonline.com
Raleigh, North Carolina
Donations help project progress Contributions serve as seed money, help produce shirts Preston Boyles Deputy News Editor
TIM O’BRIEN/TECHNICIAN
Ryan Thomson, a junior in political science, speaks at the “Bail Out Students, Not Banks” protest in downtown Raleigh Friday. Thomson is a member of Students for Social Progress. “We’re trying to freeze tuition and lower students interest rates,” Thomson said.
Few show for protest Low turnout leads to disappointing outcome for organizers
people were protesting and said she didn’t even know there was a protest going on. Ryan Thomson, a junior in political science and one of the James Cox organizers of the protest, said Senior staff writer later in the weekend there wasn’t much more he could have done Thirty-one of the expected to get the message out. 75 students from across North “We tried to make ourselves Carolina gathered outside Prog- heard and what happened hapress Energy in downtown Ra- pened,” he said. leigh Friday to protest Bank of When the protesters arrived at America before marching to the the legislature, three police offiWachovia building and then on cers were standing guard directly to the state legislature to protest in front of the building and more the current solution to the eco- were in the vicinity. The protestnomic crisis. ers continued their chants. The students gathered outside As the protest was wrapping Progress Energy because of the up, one protester yelled out, construction going on in front “Were we heard today?” and of Bank of America. received such a small response After the speeches outside from the crowd, it could barely Progress Energy directed at be heard from across the street. Bank of America, the protesters After Thomson gave his speech marched up Fayetteville Street to outside Progress Energy, he had the Wachovia building chanting to look around at the crowd to to support their cause. get a response. Chants such as “Bail out the Even Thomson was hesitant to people not the banks,” “foreclose say their voices were heard. the war, not our homes,” “no jus“I like to think we were, but tice, no peace,” and “fight for jobs I don’t think anything will and education, not for banks and change,” he said. “Well, we corporations,” could be heard as tried.” the protesters marched. One of the police officers outThe protesters picketed outside side the legislature said the only the Wachovia building for about people in the building were 30 minutes before marching to cops and the representatives left the legislature. Thursday night. Security ofThe protest ficers mostly also started 30 filled the buildminutes late ing, with a few to allow the workers watchpeople f rom ing the protest. Rocky Mount Everyone in the and Charlotte, lobby had their who ultimately employers failed to artell them not rive, accordto talk to the ing to ThomRyan Thomson, junior in press. Howson. Madeline political science ever, a security Miller, a senior officer in the at Durha m building said the protesters could Academy, said she didn’t think do whatever they wished outside it numbed the protest’s message. because they don’t have jurisdic“We made a necessary time tion outside, but the protesters change,” she said. could not enter the building. Miller also acknoweldged the After the protesters left the protest wouldn’t get to the legisfront of the building, workers lature building until after 5 p.m. emerged from the building. but insisted picketing outside an One woman asked what the empty building wouldn’t be for
“We tried to make ourselves heard and what happened happened.”
Freemasons from Raleigh and surrounding lodges contributed $2,000 to Matt Robbins, a graduate student in architecture, to aid in the completion of the Bell Tower by adding bells to the structure. Robbins spoke to members and administrative officers April 1, asking them to serve as the cornerstone of the project. “Everybody was very attentive and interested with what Matt was saying,” Sam Frink, a sophomore in engineering said. “Overall, there was a great response and they were all really supportive of the idea.” Robbins said he presented a history lesson to them because they were involved with the Bell Tower at such an early time, when it was first constructed. He also said the meeting was a great time and opportunity to reiterate that the original design can be accomplished if they [students and Masons] work together. “The only other time when enough students are gathered for the purpose of doing something as one accord together is when we are all yelling at Carter Finley,” he said. “That’s a great symbol of Wolfpack pride but this is an attempt to reinvent the sense of ownership of the Univer-
insidetechnician
FINISH THE BELL TOWER BY THE NUMBERS: Price of t-shirts $5 Matt Robbins spoke to 10 Mason members for 10 minutes
1,000
Number of shirts to be
$2500
Estimated price of
$5000
Money received if all
printed printing the shirts
shirts are sold
SOURCE: MATT ROBBINS, BELL TOWER PROJECT HEAD
sity and create the same sense of unity.” When the meeting came to a close, Robbins said one of the leaders of the Grand Lodge approached him and said this [project] is exactly what the Masons needed. He handed Robbins a check for $1,000 and other members presented Robbins with checks as well. “This is seed money,” Robbins said. “It’s money that will grow in turn. The seed money they have so graciously given gets put into the shirts, which all support the cause.” Robbins said he was overwhelmed at the Mason’s response and the amount of support blew him away. “It wasn’t that I expected a certain amount because I didn’t want to chastise my mind,” he said. “I always expect big things from them [Masons], but I didn’t know exactly what it was going TOWER continued page 3
Students participate in a busy weekend. See page 6.
viewpoint features classifieds sports
4 5 7 8
Step show returns Alpha Phi Alpha wins despite fire alarm TIM O’BRIEN/TECHNICIAN
Ryan Thomson, a junior in political science, marches through downtown Raleigh with UNC student Daniel Gunnell at the “Bail Out Students, Not Banks” protest Friday.
BAILOUT STUDENTS, NOT BANKS RUNDOWN: Who: Coalition members and Endorsers include Black Workers for Justice
youth, Fight Imperialism Stand Together (FIST), UNC-CH Student Action with Workers, NCSU Student Worker Alliance, United Students Against Sweatshops, NCSU Students for Social Progress, UNC-Chapel Hill Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Charlotte Action Center for Justice, UNC-CH Feminist Students United!, Raleigh Anarchist Solidarity Collective
What: A protest to bail out the students, not the banks When: Friday, April 3, at 4 p.m. Where: Progress Energy, marching to Wachovia, ending at NC Legislature SOURCE: RYAN THOMSON, ONE OF THE PROTEST ORGANIZERS
just symbolism but to build support for their cause. As for the low turnout, Thomson said it’s hard to have a certain number of people present, but the potential could have been much higher if more people had shown up.
He also said he was disappointed that hundreds of N.C. State students didn’t show up. “It shows [N.C. State] students aren’t connected with their tuition and that their parents are paying for it,” Thomson said. “Out of sight, out of mind.”
sounded, and was forced out of the building while the alarm was reset. Ty Johnson “Everyone was outside for 10 News Editor or 15 minutes or so,” Gillis said. “Then everybody was able to go The National Pan-Hellenic back in and [Alpha Phi Alpha Council’s Pan-Afrikan Step was] able to perform again at Show Friday night in Stewart the end.” Theatre featured step teams Gillis said the use of fog and from four fraternities and smoke machines during routines two sororities, but was not may have led to the alarm, but free from incident. there were allegations that the Alpha Phi Alpha won the alarm was pulled in an effort to fraternity give the perportion of the forming step show, but had team a fresh its rout i ne start later in interrupted the program. when a fire Gillis felt the alarm soundalarm was just ed, leading a coincidence. to a required “Whether evacuation. the fire alarm Colleen Gilhappened or lis, a senior they just did i n appl ie d their routine, Colleen Gillis, a senior in sociology it wou ld n’t applied sociology and member h ave m atof the Delta tered,” Gillis Sigma Theta step team, was backstage when the alarm STEP SHOW continued page 3
Red means go.
2 for $20 @ NC State Bookstores
“Whether the fire alarm happened or they just did their routine, it wouldn’t have mattered.”