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his semester has definitely not been uneventful, and as finals week has arrived, Technician takes a look back at some of the events that have affected campus. Seeing as none of these topics will be going anywhere any time soon, the Technician looks forward to bringing you up-to-date in-depth coverage on these topics and more next semester.
YES, THE ECONOMIC CRISIS WILL AFFECT STUDENTS TOO. OH, AND AMERICA IS IN A RECESSION. After dealing with rising gas prices and an increasing unemployment rate, with employers cutting 533,000 workers in Nov., according to the Labor Department, the U.S. is officially declared in the longest recession since 1982. President-elect Barack Obama now has the opportunity to deal with the aftermath of the United States being involved in two wars and a failing economy, but he and his advisers are working on a two-year stimulus plan to save 2.5 million jobs, according to Bloomberg.
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Rachel Sheffield, a freshman in arts applications, reads one of the posters decrying “hate speech� in the Free Expression Tunnel Nov. 5. “I hate that the whole tunnel had to be painted,� Sheffield said. “It upsets me that there had to be something like this at all to elicit such a drastic response.� DANIEL TANAKA /TECHNICIAN FILE PHOTO
Larry Nielsen, provost, runs down various scenarios of tuition increases and their their effects in front of the Tuition Advisory Committee in the 1911 building Sept. 25.
TUITION AND FEES ARE INCREASING AGAIN — HUGE SURPRISE. The Board of Trustees voted in favor of the recommendations of the Tuition Advisory Committee and the Fee Review Committee : a $140 increase in tuition for all students except out-of-state undergraduates who would face a $280 tuition increase, and a fee increase of $72.20 (out of a $73.78 maximum) for all students. Two years ago, the UNC Board of Governors put a cap of a 6.5 percent increase per year on all tuition and fees for UNC system schools for a four-year period. The Fee Review Committee also changed the way it votes on fees — campus groups recorded their presentations, available on the University’s YouTube channel for the committee and students to see why certain groups wanted fee
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Chanting “No Justice, no peace,� Jay Bettis, a senior in chemistry, marches with Charles Nichols, a graduate student in public administration, to the chancellor’s office to deliver a petition for workers’ rights.
STUDENT GROUPS CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR INTERESTS. Whether it was the pro-life banners showing what happens to aborted fetuses, or the Student Worker Alliance rallying together and then marching to the chancellor’s office for house keepers’ rights, the Brickyard has seen its fair share of student-led advocacy events this semester. Others include the Unity rally after the Free Expression Tunnel incident from Nov. 5 where students, staff and faculty gathered together to discuss the incident and the University’s response to the racism.
THE ISSUE OF RACE ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE. A toilet paper noose was found in Sullivan Shops in Nov. 2007. That same year, students were having a party and hung up a sign on their door, banning black students from entering. Someone chalked a message on the Brickyard announcing a KKK rally in Sept. 2008. And the day after President-elect Barack Obama was announced as the next president of the United States, four students painted the Free Expression Tunnel with a threat to the president-elect as well as the KKK symbol and a confederate flag. After each incident, students were angered and called for a policy on hate speech. The NAACP got involved in both the toilet paper noose incident and the Free Expression Tunnel incident. The Student Senate held meetings on the issue. The University created a task force to discuss regulations. Those caught had to face Student Conduct. Mandatory diversity courses were discussed. Some students said they felt unsafe on campus. Other students argued that the incident was blown out of proportion and painting over the messages was a violation of free speech. No matter what the conclusion, these continued events are just evidence that this issue is still on people’s minds.
THE ELECTION BROUGHT CANDIDATES CLOSE TO HOME. Ranging from a visit from now president-elect Barack Obama to Reynolds Coliseum to a speech by then-vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin at the State Fairgrounds, North Carolina’s status as a swing state attracted national attention. And these candidates didn’t visit only once or twice, but continued to make stops in Raleigh, Cary and surrounding areas throughout the campaign season in an effort to bring North Carolina voters to their side. Students and even candidates running for local offices campaigned in the Brickyard and all over campus, hoping to attract voters. Students for McCain and Students for Obama held events, almost weekly, and helped to push voter registration drives. Representatives from both organizations participated in a debate that the Technician sponsored. Students, staff and faculty had the opportunity to vote in Technician’s mock election, based on the Wake County ballot. Volunteers from England and Brazil came to N.C. State to campaign for Obama in a state that has voted red since 1976. PHOTOS BY PEGGY BOONE, TIM O’BRIEN, LUIS ZAPATA AND COURTESY JOHNMCCAIN.COM
Stress-relieving activities abound for exam week StressBusters events available for students exam week Daniel Ellis Deputy News Editor
Campus Activities will be offering a variety of events for students this week as part of its annual pre-exam StressBusters series. The events, which range from specialized meals at Fountain Dining Hall to free pizza in the Brickyard, are designed to provide students with a way to relieve added stress that comes from studying for exams, according to the Campus Activi-
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ties Web site. “It’s stressful when you have to study for your major classes and it’s really helpful to have these stress relievers to break away from your study time,� Cory Hefner, a sophomore in electrical engineering, said. Koki Faasii, a sophomore in nuclear engineering, said he typically takes breaks about every hour to relax from studying. Faasii is planning on attending Campus Recreation’s Exam Jam Tuesday night. “Exercise in general is very important to relieve stress,� Faasii said. “Instead of going to the gym or playing football like I usually do, I’ll be able to take part in some rock climbing to
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relax from exams.� Faasii said he believes that although strong study habits often ensure higher exams scores, the need for an occasional study break is very important. “It’s bad when students aren’t social and are so stressed out from working for so many hours straight,� he said. This year’s week of StressBusters will conclude with the first annual Jingle Bell Jog, a two-mile fun run for students and staff.. The non-competitive event will begin Friday at noon in front of Carmichael Recreation Center. Prizes will be awarded to participants for having creative costumes and the largest team.
Plans for Hillsborough Street to take shape in early months of 2009 Derek Medlin The crowd for the Hillsborough Hike Friday night did not reach the expectations of some businesses, but Alan Lovette, owner of Melvin’s Hamburgers, said the event was still a success. Lovette said the crowd Dec. 5 did not match the crowd on hand for the Haunted Hike on Halloween. “The hike went well and there were very few problems,� Lovette said. “It was an extremely cold night so it wasn’t as busy as Halloween, but all the businesses were extremely pleased.� Student Body President Jay Dawkins said he also noticed the difference in Friday’s hike and the Halloween event. “I thought it was pretty good,� Dawkins, a junior in civil engineering, said. “It wasn’t like Halloween, but it was pretty good. It was good to see seniors graduating in the fall get one last hoorah.� Caroline Bernet, a senior in accounting, said the crowd for Friday was definitely less than normal. “There wasn’t a lot of people but that made it better because you didn’t have to wait in line,� she said. “I went with a group of people, so it was still fun.� Lovette said he noticed that the weather had an impact on how many businesses students stopped at Friday. “I was standing on the sidewalk watching people and they were skipping establishments to get down the street faster,� he said. Bernet said she didn’t understand why the cold weather would have impacted turnout substantially. “It was cold, but I don’t know why people wouldn’t have gone because of that,� she said. “You have to bundle up before you go out there, and because the lines were shorter, you weren’t outside as long.� Construction to begin The plans for Hillsborough Street improvements, which have been in discussion for more than two years, will get underway during the spring semester, Dawkins said. Lovette said the future of events on Hillsborough Street like the hike will be critical for the success of the plans to improve the street overall. Three events planned for the spring, Lovette said, will offer students an opportunity to get involved. The Hillsborough Street Re HIKE
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A blueprint for finding the perfect holiday gifts. Technician’s holiday gift guide. See page 5. DANIEL TANAKA/TECHNICIAN
Zack Taylor, a senior in meteorology, works on an assignment for tropical meteorology at the library Monday of dead week. “It’s not dead at all — it’s pretty busy actually,� Taylor said, referring to the many projects and papers has due this last week before finals.
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Hike hurt by weather
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LOOKING BACK AT FALL SEMESTER T
Omar Hassan, a junior in psychology, and Sonya Zaghloul, a sophomore in biological sciences, laugh while waiting in line outside Best Buy at Crossroads Plaza on before Black Friday, which had a lower turnout than retailers hoped for.
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