WEATHER
Editor-in-Chief
The ensemble stands around Owen Durso, a first year engineering student, who performs as Cat in the Hat during a performance of “Seussical” in Stewart Theatre on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. “Seussical” runs from Feb. 21-23. The performance is based on various works by Dr. Seuss and is directed by Mia Self, assistant director of acting and directing at University Theatre.
USAID stop-work order leads University to halt select international programs
The Trump Administration’s decision to stop all work at the US Agency for International Development — the organization dedicated to providing international aid — is having ripple effects at NC State.
The University has performed work to support developing countries with USAID, including the Hilando Oportunidades, or Spinning Opportunities, program in Honduras, designed to support workforce development and training in the textile industry. Funding impacting international research and food security, including agricultural research labs in Kenya, has also been affected by the work stoppage.
Jose Cisneros, director of the College of Agriculture and Life Science International Programs, said the work stoppage has caused these USAID-funded programs to completely halt all work.
Cisneros highlighted the case of a Kenyan student, whose tuition was funded by USAID, who has now had to return to Kenya due to the lack of funding.
“Suddenly you have a student that had to go back to their country,” Cisneros said. “They cannot complete a degree, so a year of investment, sacrifice, leaving family, leaving her country, dedicated to study for a year. Suddenly, ‘You know what, you have to go back home,’ and so all that sacrifice for nothing.”
For CALS, international programs allow the University to compete internationally and have access to crops not
commonly found in the U.S., as well as foster positive international trade relationships. Cisneros said the funding cuts will hurt the University’s and United States’ ability to compete.
“You need to know your competition in order to compete,” Cisneros said. “The crops of the future are out there, and we need to have friends there.”
Sid Thakur, executive director of the
CRIME ON CAMPUS
NC State’s weekly log of major incidents across campus.
ARREST
Dan Allen Dr./Western Boulevard Feb. 23, 2025 at 11:14 a.m.
A subject was found to be in violation of a trespass warning and charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of marijuana up to one-half ounce, possession of burglary tools, carrying a concealed weapon, weapon on educational property and second-degree trespass.
BURGLARY
Carter-Finley Stadium Feb. 20, 2025 at 10:05 a.m.
Two unidentified males entered Carter Finley Stadium and Towne Bank Center while the facilities were closed.
Global One Health Academy, outlined how the funding cut could affect North Carolina. Thakur said USAID has invested around $194 million in the state of North Carolina to purchase food for distribution internationally.
“It impacts both ways, not just in the countries where USAID was working, but also back home in the US,” Thakur said.
Cisneros said the work-stop order
could lead to economic problems, food insecurity and even political instability.
“These economies are fragile because of very limited resources,” Cisneros said. “That small amount of money has a very strong effect.”
Cisneros added that the cuts could have a domino effect.
“Part of the incentive of sending your kids to school instead of going to work is school meals, so then you will lose that as well,” Cisneros said. “So there is a shortterm effect, there’s a long-term effect.”
Thakur also mentioned other potential funding sources, including philanthropy and foundations, as ways to replace the funding provided by USAID. But that funding could be difficult to replace, due to the sheer scale of the gap.
Cisneros echoed these claims, adding that the University is looking at all available options to replace the funding.
“It’s not like a couple of million dollars, we are talking billions of dollars,” Thakur said. “To be honest, it’s just a big gap to be filled very quickly. It will take some time. It will definitely have a big impact.”
Thakur said the lack of funding for international programs may cause the University and Global One Health to reorient and focus more on North Carolina-based initiatives and less on the international community.
“We are not just global health, but we are Global One Health,” Thakur said. “So yes, there is an impact in terms of things we can do outside the U.S. But global health, local health — they’re all connected to each other.”
CAMPUS PARTNER REFERRAL MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT
1509 College View Ave. Feb. 22, 2025 at 4:28 p.m.
A subject was referred to Student Conduct after Raleigh Police issued a civil citation for a nuisance party.
North Residence Hall Feb. 18, 2025 at 11:52 a.m.
An unknown suspect took a silver 2012 Hyundai Elantra from the North Hall parking lot and left the area in an unknown direction. There is no information regarding the suspect(s) description at this time.
CONTRIBUTED BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Jackson Davenport Correspondent
Carreno and Gordon: Candidates for student body president, vice president
Isaac Carreno, a third-year studying political science and social work and current student body vice president, is running for student body president in the 105th session of NC State’s Student Government. His running mate is Anil Gordon, a graduate student in public administration and current executive chief of staff.
In the student body president election debate, the two established themselves as a pair seeking tangible change within the current student body government and promoting advocacy through their years of experience in governmental offices.
Carreno said his platform is based on tangible change as he seeks to improve the student experience. He plans to seek out student organizations to ensure they understand their importance to student government while fostering a mutually beneficial relationship through advocacy.
“Anil and I, during this campaign, we go out to student organizations and we ask them, ‘What do you know about student government?’” Carreno said. “And a lot of the time, the answer is, ‘I don’t know much.’ It’s not because the organization isn’t doing good work, but it’s just because some of the work isn’t always the most forward-facing, the work that they can see and feel in their campus experience. So what I’m calling on is to bring about some of this change.”
If elected, Carreno will continue to lead the pack forward by setting the tone from day one starting with the new chancellor. Aside from establishing strong relationships, Carreno said his experience in and outside of student government has given him insight into how to strategically use advocacy to be a voice for all students.
“Anil and I have a wealth of experience in government to understand that challenges emerge when there’s disagreements over legislation with their disagreements over policy,” Carreno said. “The solution is collective advocacy and strategic advocacy. The solution is building relationships. The solution is drawing upon our experiences, our knowledge of how to accomplish change and working on that. As student body president, I will never stop being your tireless advocate in the most external-facing role in this organization.”
Amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, Carreno emphasized his comfortability in standing in opposition to anti-DEI policies during the student body president and vice president debate.
“I am not ashamed to make sure that I say proudly: I stand for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Carreno said. “It matters for academic freedom. It matters for opportunity and it matters for students here. And through my professional experience in legislative and government office, and through my personal experience here in student government, I will use those opportunities to advocate to those that have the influence to make the decision.”
Gordon said to be a stern advocate for DEI, there is a difference between advocating and doing.
“Let’s come up with solutions and get them done,” Gordon said. “Things like Respect The Pack — let’s expand that, make it a bigger event, things that promote and support the inclusivity and equity of this campus. Let’s get it done, and let’s do it right through solution-based initiatives.”
Carreno said legislation is a tool for advocacy, but real change requires real action. He said the student body president and vice president must take an externalfacing role, building relationships with administrators to ensure resolutions lead to meaningful results rather than being overlooked.
“But resolutions aren’t enough,” Carreno said. “Putting forth legislation and saying that you did it at the Association of Student Governments and all the other UNC systems didn’t — wonderful, amazing. I’m glad we have a unified approach. Get it done. Get it done. Advocate, strategically. Advocate, that’s what I’ll do.” Student Government has faced several
controversial pieces of legislation during the 104th session. Resolution 29 called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war but failed to fast-track in early April of last year after Taquan Dewberry, a secondyear studying education and the other candidate for student body president, held an undisclosed meeting with other senators to discuss the legislation.
Carreno said an erosion of trust occurred not only within the Student Government but also within the student body. He said his past experience as student body vice president will lead him to navigate with transparency.
“We’re leading with integrity,” Carreno said. “We’re leading with ethics at the front of everything we do. We’re ensuring that if anything like this ever comes again … I have the experience, and I know how to navigate it. If anything like this comes up again, it’s being transparent, utilizing the office of the student body president to connect with Student Media, connect with these stakeholders.”
As one of his campaign’s first actions, Carreno said he plans to connect with local congressmen, leveraging his years of experience and connection through working at the White House and other governmental offices outside of NC State. He stressed the importance of acknowledging Pack Essentials’ efforts to end the 30% food insecurity rate on campus and implementing safety percussions to halt sexual assault cases.
Gordon said on day one of their administration, they will sign an executive order to establish the Commission on
Student Support. He said through constituent casework advocacy students will be empowered to bring issues on campus directly to this commission to develop solutions. The commission will also leverage the Student Government Leadership Enhancement Fund to support leadership programs.
Gordon also emphasized the need for better student feedback channels to improve accessibility and highlighted graduate student concerns, such as tuition, fees and housing insecurity, stressing the need for policy solutions.
Carreno and Gordon said if their opponent Dewberry were to win, they would be worried about how much achievable change would come from their platform. “I think that’s the real differentiation, right?” Gordon said. “Achievable, real change, or these big, lofty goals that you throw out there because you think it sounds good for students or like they might be true initiatives for you. But you’re not being realistic in the deadline that you’re given, which is the time you step in the door a student body president and a year later.”
Carreno also raised concerns about Dewberry’s campaign team. During the debate, he said several members of Dewberry’s campaign voted against legislation in favor of protecting DEI and argued that having diverse voices is important but crucial to take a stand and prioritize values surrounding DEI.
Conclusively, Carreno displayed the election as a choice between the treatment of serving students.
“My vision calls for reforming Student Government to ensure that it is serving students effectively,” Carreno said. “My vision calls to empower students to succeed. My vision calls for Student Government to be a hub of opportunity and resources. Student Government should no longer have this public perception on campus that it’s an ivory tower of political science nerds. What we should be doing is working to advocate for students day-in and day-out at the high levels, and providing those resources personally to students, when it comes to casework, when it comes to scholarships, when it comes to direct feedback channels and all the other elements upon which my platform calls upon to create real, tangible change that you can see and feel in your campus experience.”
Voting for the general election is open March 3 and 4. To vote, head to getinvolved.ncsu.edu.
COURTESY OF CARRENO-GORDON CAMPAIGN
Ally Tennant News Editor
Dewberry and Womble: Candidates for student body president, vice president
Taquan Dewberry, a second-year studying computer science and philosophy and current student senate president pro tempore, is running for student body president for the 105th session of NC State’s Student Government. His running mate is Adam Womble, a third-year studying civil engineering and current director of the Student Government Department of Campus Services.
In the student body president election debate on Monday, the pair positioned themselves as outsiders ready to shake up the status quo — as the last three student body presidents have previously been vice presidents — and deliver tangible results for students.
Dewberry said Student Government finds itself in a perpetual cycle of presidents with similar platforms, with nothing to show for years of effort.
“We have the opportunity to do a lot better in Student Government,” Dewberry said. “And for the last four years, we’ve had, in my opinion, a repeat of the same vision over and over. This time, we have the opportunity to bring an outside perspective and to bring a new vision to NC State, to bring a new approach to student leadership and to let students realize that their voices do matter and that they are being heard again.”
If elected, Dewberry will be the first student body president to work alongside NC State’s next chancellor, and as a member of the Board of Trustees, Dewberry will be responsible for establishing the relationship between Student Government and the new chancellor. Dewberry said he will establish a relationship where Student Government isn’t expected to “placate” and always agree with University administration.
“I think far too often in Student Government, we’ve seen us take a stance in neutrality when it comes to chancellor and administrative relationships,” Dewberry said. “That does not have to be the case. If you look at our organization’s history, it was built on strong, dedicated advocacy. It was built on us taking a stand. A stronger and greater relationship with the chancellor does not mean neutrality. It’s time for our students to take a stand and let the administration know that we can disagree and still work cooperatively together.”
Despite the uncertainty of higher education and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the current political and educational environment, Dewberry stressed the importance of proactive measures.
“We can do something right now,” Dewberry said. “We don’t just have to advocate to them to change it. While we can do that, and we will do that, we can start doing things
right now to protect the resources that all of us have. We can band together and make sure that we are taking a collective approach to protecting DEI within our campus, protecting what rights we do have left as students, staff, faculty, administrators — however many. We want to make sure that we are using that voice.”
Womble said the core tenet of the ticket’s plan to protect DEI is to strengthen and stand by organizations that promote DEI practices on campus and empower them to thrive in a potential scenario without University or federal support.
“What we want to do, and what we recognize is the importance of organizations like that, specifically the grassroots formulas … and supporting those from the ground up,” Womble said. “For example, if the high federal situation were happening where [Women and Minority Engineering Programs] were to lose funding, which has been a major concern by those students … at the end of the day, those organizations are supported by student government and by the representatives. And supporting that way, from the grassroots, is our backup plan.”
As a first-year senator, Dewberry initially voted against the fast-track of Resolution 29,
which called for a ceasefire in the Israel and Hamas war. Dewberry held a controversial undisclosed meeting in secret with other senators, where the group allegedly planned to strike down the fast-track of R29.
In the next session, however, Dewberry voted in favor of R29 during its second reading and then voted to overturn Student Body President Allison Markert’s veto of the bill.
“I reflected on what happened,” Dewberry said. “And frankly, at the time, what had happened was I acted with all the information I had possible in my role as pro tempore — and the truth is, people in higher student government leadership had more information that I did not have at that time — and when I went back and reviewed everything, reviewed the facts, reviewed what was happening and reviewed what could and couldn’t happen with our administrative relationships, you see that I changed my stance.”
Dewberry said he continues to prioritize transparency.
“The role of the student body president in transparency is to be the most transparent person in the institution to let people know what’s happening,” Dewberry said. “If you’re going to be the most forward-facing person in Student Government, you need to be
the most transparent and open and honest person in Student Government, and that’s exactly what I prioritize on day one of the administration.”
In one of the campaign’s first actions, Womble said he plans to leverage his position as director of the Department of Campus Services and past conversations he’s had with NC State dining to put a Senate resolution into motion to voice student support for establishing a C-Store on Centennial Campus, with hopes of providing more accessible dining options to engineering students.
Womble said the ticket will also launch a campaign against sexual assault on campus starting on its first day in office. He stressed collaboration with the Markert administration to create a program that better advertises resources and addresses the issues regarding sexual assault on campus and the work SG is doing to curb them, as well as looking into installing more security cameras around campus.
Dewberry said if his opponent, Isaac Carreno, a third-year studying political science and social work and the current student body vice president, were to win the election, he worries about a lack of action. He said Carreno hasn’t used his current office as effectively as previous student body presidents Timothy Reid and Allison Markert have, in which they established relationships with University Police and the Raleigh City Council.
“The truth is, I think Student Government talks a big game a lot of the time,” Dewberry said. “We’ve talked about making changes on the campus, and for the last couple of years, we’ve heard that from people who have won the election, who have already had the opportunity to make that change. Isaac was the vice president, and as vice president, he has the opportunity to start certain personal projects that he could keep track of. The truth is, we haven’t seen it.”
Ultimately, Dewberry framed the election as a choice between experience and a proven track record of achievement.
“My point is, it doesn’t matter how long you served in the positions,” Dewberry said. “It doesn’t matter how many positions you’ve held. It matters what you do with them. And the truth is, per position that Adam and I have had, we’ve done more. We’ve gotten more done for our student body. We’ve gotten more tangible things accomplished for our student body. We represent student voices at a greater level, provide a strong advocacy and we’ve done it not only in our positions, but through just being representatives on campus. And that’s something we plan to continue to do as student body president and vice president.”
Voting for the election is open March 3 and 4. To vote, head to getinvolved.ncsu.edu.
COURTESY OF DEWBERRY-WOMBLE CAMPAIGN
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
Library resources for students to reflect on marginalized histories
NC State University Libraries houses several original documents and artifacts in its Special Collections, many of which warrant analysis and lend deeper meaning to unheard student experiences throughout marginalized communities.
Special Collections gathers items relating to almost every aspect of NC State but specializes in those that relate to agriculture, architecture, design and engineering. Artifacts can range from T-shirts and flyers to letters and voice recordings.
Special Collections also collaborates with different campus departments, classes and student organizations to bring original documents to students.
Shima Hosseininasab, the instructional and outreach librarian for Special Collections and NC State alumnus with a Ph.D. in public history, said archives are a mode to preserve campus history.
“The role of archives within the University just goes beyond being mere storage,” Hosseininasab said. “It’s essential for understanding and preserving the unique narrative of our institution. The Special Collections act as a repository of collective memory that reflects individuals’ experiences and contributions across time.”
Virginia Ferris is a lead librarian for outreach and engagement for Special Collections at NC State University Libraries, where she promotes collections and works with other librarians on research. She often works with classes to showcase relevant aspects of the archives.
When it comes to historical archives, there are often gaps or silences within the contents. If the content was collected by one sort of person, Ferris said, it only reflects the experience of one kind of person.
“What has made it to the archives has largely reflected the dominant population in positions of power at the University,” Ferris said. “That’s almost exclusively white men until later in the 20th century.”
Ferris said it is important to look into silences and analyze them as evidence in themselves because it presents an opportunity to question why marginalized voices weren’t seen as valuable at the time or why there are no records of them today.
Ellen McGuire is the first recorded African American woman on campus who was mentioned in Technician articles. She was born into slavery and started her 50year career at NC State in 1889. There are
no records of her personal experience at the University.
Another example of a notable silence is the existence of Justina Williams, NC State’s first Black faculty member, who joined the genetics department in the 1950s. There is one photograph of Williams working in her lab and a few mentions of her in departmental reports. Besides that, there is very little known about her time at NC State.
Ferris said this is not uncommon. A lot of modern archival work includes attempts at filling in the gaps in recorded history left by previous generations.
“And then [we ask], ‘How can we repair that?’” Ferris said. “How can we look at ways to recover voices from the past, folks who may have records now, who may have memories. Some of these people who may still be living that we could talk to and interview.”
Another effort in archives today is Reparative Archival Description, where they address harmful language within collections. In older artifacts, there is often offensive language. When this is the case, the librarians do not alter the artifact but add an annotation noting the nature of the language.
Ferris said language is always evolving. It is important to preserve the items as a reflection of their time but also to recognize how things have changed.
“What we’re kind of dealing with today is trying to create a more inclusive and comprehensive, diverse record of the University’s history, its past and its present,
going forward for future generations to learn from,” Ferris said.
A similar instance of an archival silence is a historical African American community on the same land as the current-day campus. Still under-researched, the town of Lincolnville is in records from early African American newspapers, located where Patterson Hall currently stands and extending further east and south.
Todd Kosmerick, a University archivist who works at the Library Special Collections Research Center, has worked on research regarding Lincolnville. He estimated the Black community was made up of about a dozen houses and around 50 people.
The land was acquired by the University so they could build an agricultural center close to the State Fair, which was located just across Hillsborough Street at the time. Most of the records relating to the sale are from the University’s perspective, where they called the town Beef Hill or Cooks Hill.
“We do have some slight evidence that maybe some of that property was acquired in a manner that was not as much of a positive outcome for the people of the community as it was for the University,” Kosmerick said.
It is unclear what the origins of the community were, how old it was or what happened to the residents afterwards. There is further research to be done to answer more questions, but it’s an example of Black histories being underrepresented in current records.
“If something happened so long ago that nobody’s alive that participated in that, really all you have is this documentation as your evidence,” Kosmerick said.
There is always hope to discover more, Kosmerick said. Not only does research often reveal more truths, but historical documents show up all the time in people’s basements and attics. The way they are being analyzed and interpreted is also advancing.
“The historical profession is evolving too, and there’s always kind of new methods of going back to the same old evidence and thinking about it in a different way and kind of teasing more information out,” Kosmerick said.
The goal of the archives is to collect as much information as possible to preserve the truth of experiences on campus, past and present, so recovering these untold stories is a part of the archival staff’s mission.
“There’s no one student experience in the history of NC State,” Kosmerick said. “Every student has a different experience, and every community on campus has a different experience.”
A vast majority of the University archives are available online, having been digitized over the past few decades. Any student or staff member can look into any specific aspect of NC State history, and digitization has transformed how people can access historical materials.
“I think these types of engagement transcend the traditional educational boundaries and provide a more accessible experience for all our students and faculty members,” Hosseininasab said.
Digitized archives also include living documents which are constantly being updated by additional community input. One resource is a series of timelines outlining the history of marginalized communities’ experiences on campus.
“It can be a really important tool for students to look at the timelines and the digital collections and see what is the history that [they] personally connect to most here on campus,” Ferris said.
Ferris said archiving history is a constantly ongoing process, in which students are the most powerful agents.
“We are always actively collecting and seeking to bring in more records and voices to have as part of our history moving forward,” Ferris said. “Students who are here today, you’re part of that history going on.”
KAELA BELINGON/TECHNICIAN
Students study in D.H. Hill Library on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. The NC State Special Collections Research Center houses archived materials within the library.
Dae Reed Staff Writer
Code Black, LA/CSC create space for Black, Latinx computer science students
NC State’s Code Black club started as an idea in fall 2022 to provide a space for Black students in computer science. By November, the club solidified its membership with Tim MacNeil, lab coordinator and the staff sponsor for both Code Black and LA/CSC, helping to recruit members by sending a mass email to marginalized communities within the computer science major.
Before coming to NC State, MacNeil had worked at a community college tutoring center with a large demographic of Black and Latino students. Upon arriving at NC State, MacNeil said he noticed the absence of a similar space and was compelled to create one.
“So I kind of spent a semester or so kind of realizing, ‘Well, how could we go about doing this?’” MacNeil said. “Eventually I got in touch with one of the people for admissions for the computer science department, and they told me that they could share student information to find the Black and Latino students. So we thought, ‘Hey, just, let’s just email every single one and see who is interested.’”
Alexandra Jones, a fourth-year studying computer science and president and founder of Code Black, said she helped create the organization to establish a space for the Black community to share a similar experience.
“I really didn’t know anybody else who looked like me who was wanting to do computer science or an adjacent field” Jones said. “It was kind of isolating. … I’m a very extroverted person. I definitely have a lot of friends, but it’s still isolating to not have anybody who has shared similar experiences to you.”
The Latino Association for Computer Science, or LA/CSC, serves as the Latino counterpart of Code Black. Joining officially in summer 2024, they share a similar mission — to create a supportive network for students.
Code Black and LA/CSC hosts several outreach events throughout the school year like their annual hackathon, ePartner talks, career fairs and volunteering with STARS, an organization focused on teaching K-12 students interested in computer science.
This year’s hackathon was titled Decode Black Connect where topics of culture, history and aspects of computer science joined together. Jones said the hackathon was a great opportunity to learn about different perspectives.
“It might be the preservation of culture,” Jones said. “It might have something to do,
like with history, something always related to that realm, that topic. I know from participants, I’ll talk to them throughout or during or after, and they always say, ‘Oh, this is a great opportunity to learn, especially if the participant is not Black.’”
Code Black and LA/CSC are supported by companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, LexisNexis, Labcorp, NetApp, Fidelity, SAS, Pendo, Deutsche Bank, Volvo, Google, Lowe’s and Microsoft. MacNeil said funding for the two clubs was encouraged.
“There’s also situations that are unique for the computer science department when it comes to funding towards this thing called the ePartners Program, where essentially, companies give us money upfront,” MacNeil said. “So it’s something that ePartners, for a while, had been wanting to give money towards. So once the groups were formed, there was a lot of funding for them already.”
Besides creating a community, Code Black and LA/CSC share a common interest in mentoring their members in academics and career-based fields. Mordecai Mengesteab, a first-year studying computer science and vice president of Code Black, said helping their members establishes the first step to personal connections.
“How do I talk to people?” Mengesteab said. “Who do I talk to? It’s a really hard first step to do, and I think that’s a big part
of what our club does, getting us in touch with people in the triangle, our ePartners, directly, some of them just being personal connections — just using all of our own abilities to stand on each other’s shoulders.”
Along with several club events, Code Black and LA/CSC hold celebrations to celebrate their community within the field of computer science. Code Black hosted Code Black Connect in early February to kick off their Black History Month celebration, creating a space for networking.
LA/CSC also hosted their annual Latinx Heritage celebration in October. Victor Hermida, a fourth-year studying computer science and president of LA/CSC, said the event harbored mentorship and community within their club and with Code Black.
“It’s like just making sure that we feel like a familia, being able to have each other’s backs and being there for one another,” Hermida said. “We also share the same experiences with Code Black, since they’re also underrepresented. … We do a lot of joint events where we both provide the same resources we want for each other’s clubs.”
Hermida said the two clubs are aiming to gather resources that they are not seeing from the University, such as advocacy for their membership or community.
“Our club is pretty much trying our best to bring the resources that we’re not seeing
in the department, or maybe we feel like we need in the department, into our club,” Hermida said. “[It’s about] being able to do what we can to make them successful in their fields and also academically.”
Jones said advocacy for their clubs would help greatly in their membership. She expressed hope for professors to advertise their clubs throughout the entire semester. Amid recent diversity, equity and inclusion impacts affecting higher education, Jones said it can be discouraging at times to not have answers but remains hopeful.
“It can be disheartening at times when looking at how things outside of the University are changing, and sometimes even other things within the University,” Jones said. “Luckily, as a student-run club, we’re able to keep doing what we’re doing, but it’s still really bizarre.”
Mengesteab also emphasized the importance of community during times of uncertainty.
“There is a lot of feelings that permeate our culture, sometimes around what’s going on, but I think the sense of community that we create here, hopefully is able to transcend that a lot of the time,” Mengesteab said.
Code Black and LA/CSC are currently welcoming new members. For more information, visit their website.
COURTESY OF MORDECAI MENGESTEAB
Ally Tennant News Editor
Why do people hate Taylor Swift?
Rose Amburose Correspondent
Among the many lingering Super Bowl LIX memories — the Chiefs floundering, a Trump cameo and “Say Drake!” — one seemingly unrelated cultural moment stands out: Taylor Swift getting booed on camera by live stadium attendees.
This moment, a perfect caricature of the internet’s response to Swift’s heightened superstardom, paves the way for an important cultural conversation: Why do people hate Taylor Swift?
Perhaps it’s her domineering popularity, massive wealth and award-winning songwriting talent. After all, the world does seem to hate successful women. Or perhaps, it’s lies about her humble beginnings, appropriation of the LGBTQ+ community and cherry-picked political activism. There’s two sides to every coin, and fortunately for us, the internet provides no shortage of evidence.
A good introduction to Taylor Swift criticism is the “r/travisandtaylor” subreddit, which is a self-proclaimed “snark sub” filled with critical commentary. Topics of frequent discussion include annoyances posed by Swift paraphernalia in grocery stores, comparisons between Swift’s dating partners and plastic surgery rumors.
Recently, Swift faced scrutiny over her overexposure at NFL events she attends to support her boyfriend, and Kansas City Chiefs’ player, Travis Kelce. However, Brianna Bernhardt, a second-year studying communications, raised an important counterpoint: Swift doesn’t control how frequently she’s televised by NFL media.
“It’s the NFL that’s making football about Taylor Swift,” Bernhardt said. “Taylor Swift is just there to support the person she loves and the NFL is taking that and running with it in terms of marketing, and that’s not necessarily something she has control over.”
Subreddit members also frequently criticize her songwriting for its repetitive themes
of love and heartbreak, and her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” performed rather poorly with this crowd.
Contrary to popular belief, Anne Auten, assistant director of the University Honors Program, said love is not the only topic Swift sings about. Auten teaches HON 398: Taylor Swift: Through the Eras and said underlying the songwriting criticism is a deeper, misogynistic criticism of Swift’s love life.
“All that said, I, unfortunately, think that there is a whole lot of misogyny happening,” Auten said. “We do not criticize similar artists, similar male artists in particular, who write about the same material, who write about relationships, who write about them very bluntly and openly.”
By far, what draws most people to Taylor Swift is her relatability and honesty; longtime fans often describe their experience as “growing up” with Swift, from navigating teen romances to forming a sense of identity in adulthood alongside her songs.
“I would say I relate to her lyrics in the same way that I relate to the confessional poets in the 20th century,” Auten said. “I see her as just a different kind of Anne Sexton or Sylvia Plath.”
However, is Taylor Swift actually relatable, or is this a manufactured persona and brand? It helps to trace back to her early career, when she was marketed heavily as a teen country singer-songwriter.
Although Taylor Swift’s camp presents her early successes as deserved opportunities that sought her out, a seven-page email from Swift’s father, Scott Swift, tells a different story. In this email, Scott Swift took responsibility for getting Taylor Swift many of her early performance opportunities, using his banking connections and various board memberships to promote his daughter and acquire specific contracts.
He even detailed exchanges of favors to get Taylor Swift some of her major gigs. The email is fascinating and strangely neurotic and it’s worth taking a look yourself.
In a society that heavily criticizes ‘nepo babies’ and ‘industry plants’ it is worth questioning just how genuine the artists we ascribe genuineness to actually are. If so much of her early career was a strategic business, who’s to say that isn’t true of her present brand as well?
Additionally, Swift has also received criticism for appropriating the LGBTQ+ com-
munity during the “Lover” era, only to abandon her advocacy in recent years. During the album’s promotion, Swift incorporated LGBTQ+ celebrities, parades and symbols directly into music videos, song lyrics and marketing materials.
In her 2020 documentary “Miss Americana,” Swift provided context for her new interest in politics. She explained that her management strictly discouraged political involvement, but after personal experiences with sexual assault, she chose to speak up.
“I need to be on the right side of history,” Swift said.
Swift’s grand entrance to advocacy involved performances at the Stonewall Inn, attendance at pride events and direct calls to political action on music videos. Speculations about her own sexuality even stacked up after she released her single “ME!” on Lesbian Visibility Day.
Now, years later, there’s crickets. In the past two years, Taylor Swift has not commented on recent waves of anti-LGBTQ legislation, despite several leading LGBTQ+ organizations declaring it a humanitarian crisis.
It would be inaccurate to say that she isn’t political at all as she did endorse Harris-Walz during the 2024 Presidential Election, but she has certainly distanced herself from politics in recent years.
Whether it was achieving billionaire status or receiving backlash for private jet usage and its environmental impact, something has caused Taylor Swift to no longer be interested in active political engagement. This is perhaps the biggest source of criticism for the singer.
Whatever your opinions on Taylor Swift may be, remember to think critically about celebrities and their brands and question whether you hold other artists to the same expectations.
“I think, at the end of the day, that if you’re going to have one critical perspective on a specific celebrity, then you need to hold that same level of criticism and skepticism for all, ” Bernhardt said.
Dreamville Fest’s final bow
Since its inception, Dreamville Fest has stood as a beacon of Black excellence, celebrating the resilience and rich traditions of the Black community through the universal language of music. While it remains a vibrant hub for Black culture, the festival embraces inclusivity, welcoming all to experience its dynamic energy and artistry.
On Dec. 10, 2024, it was announced that this year’s Dreamville Fest would be the fifth and final festival.
Held at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, Dreamville Fest was founded by North Carolina native J. Cole, first gracing the city
in 2018. The festival is named after Cole’s record label, Dreamville Records, founded in 2007. The label, much like the festival, features a roster of rising and seasoned artists including JID, Omen, EarthGang and Ari Lennox.
In Dreamville Fest’s Instagram post announcing the final fest, they shared, “From the very beginning, the idea behind the fest was creating a place where our fans, the Dreamville community, could spend time together, a place where they could see themselves reflected, a place to share in experiences.”
Some speculate the festival is coming to
an end due to rumors of J. Cole’s retirement, with his next album perhaps symbolically titled “The Fall Off”. Additionally, in his new single “cLOUDs” released on Feb. 20, Cole raps “Gray hairs, I’m aging, quicker than I thought I’d be.” Others believe the festival’s end is simply due to a contract coming to an end.
Regardless, the festival’s close and J. Cole’s potential retirement is a tragic loss to the rap game. Cole has introduced an undeniably unique blend of humility, raw emotion and honest storytelling to hip-hop — qualities that have become increasingly rare with the rise of drill and trap music.
Immediately following his headlining performance at the 2019 Dreamville Festival, J. Cole sat down for an interview with TIDAL and discussed the conception of the festival.
“So then we started looking at Raleigh and looking around like, ‘Yo its a void here. It’s a void in Carolina period for this type of thing,’” Cole said. He was right.
Dreamville Fest has had an incredible impact on North Carolina’s economy, specifically in Raleigh. The City of Raleigh reported that Dreamville Fest brought in $145.9 million in total economic impact,
GRAPHIC BY ANGEL CHEN
Cate Humphreys
Photo Editor
Culture
Tompkins Hall: NC State’s most enduring building
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
Known for its tall windows and abundance of bricks, most NC State students have passed through Tompkins Hall for English 101 at the absolute minimum. From its origins resembling a textile mill to its destruction from a devastating fire and its current role as the home of the English department, the building has been a silent narrator of the University’s evolving history.
Tompkins Hall was originally built in 1902 and was simply known as the “Textile Building” for its first decade and a half on campus. The building was originally funded by $10,000 from the North Carolina General Assembly which was lobbied for by Daniel Augustus Tompkins, who designed the building and did similar work for Clemson University.
Tim Peeler, a writer and editor for University Communications, said the building was originally designed to look like a cotton mill.
The need for such a facility arose in 1899 when the textiles program became an official part of the University. Peeler said Richard Stanhope Pullen, who donated the initial land for NC State, required that a cotton gin be built on any land he gifted, “because textiles were the way of the first industrial complex in North Carolina’s history.”
The building’s tall, wide windows, especially on the upper floors, were designed to dry dyes and provide ventilation for the $25,000 worth of machinery donated by textile companies.
“Because machinery is very hot and you just had to have some sort of ventilation in a time long before air conditioning was invented,” Peeler said.
The original building included a tower on which graduating class numbers, baseball and football scores were painted on.
However, Tompkins Hall’s early history was marked by tragedy. A fire almost entirely destroyed the building in the early hours of March 25, 1914. The origin of the fire remains undetermined.
alongside the creation of about 1327 jobs in 2023.
Although the loss of the festival will no doubt hurt Raleigh, the City of Raleigh issued the following statement to WRAL.
“We are continuing our discussions with producers for the current Dreamville festival to bring future versions of this bigname, high energy, international event to Dix Park. … We believe Raleigh’s reputation as a music destination will continue to grow in 2026 and for years to come,” said Julia Milstead, City of Raleigh public information officer.
If you have seen me around the Technician office, I have likely been wearing my 2024 Dreamville Fest black hoodie — it was $100, you better believe I’m wearing it every day. I had the privilege of attending day one of the festival last year as a photographer.
The News & Observer reported that students aided in attempting to put the fire out, using three lines of hose and a college water tank.
“In bathrobes and bedroom slippers they manned hose lines and crept up within the breath of the flames and turned on what feeble streams were at the command of the depleted mains,” the News & Observer reported. “The other students looked on with an expression almost heartrending.”
The News & Observer described the incident as an “awe inspiring spectacle.”
“With the tall tower, a mass of red tongues to its very top, standing like a beacon over the campus, the sight was indeed a spectacular one,” the News & Observer reported.
The burning caused the University to suffer $85,000 in losses according to the News & Observer, which equates to approximately $2.7 million today.
The University quickly responded to rebuild the Textiles Building, with the first wing receiving funding in 1915. In 1918, it was named Tompkins Hall for Daniel Augustus Tompkins’ contributions to the department. However, Tompkins was known for pushing negative views of Black people and their integration into the workforce.
“It would seem impossible to work a force of mixed white and black labor where white women and negro men would be … co-workers,” Tompkins wrote in the 1899 “Cotton Mill, Commercial Features” textbook. Tompkins continued that it was “doubtful whether [African Americans] can ever be successfully used as cotton mill operatives … except in the more menial occupations.”
Following the building’s reconstruction, the Textile Department returned, remaining until 1938 when it moved to Nelson Hall. Afterward, from 1939 to 1980, the building housed a variety of departments, including education, mathematics, liberal arts, politics and speech.
“Technician offices were in Tompkins at one time, a whole lot of different things,” Peeler said.
HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN
CATE
SZA performs during the Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday, April 6, 2024. SZA was the main headliner of the first day. SZA’s album SOS (2022) held the number one position on the Billboard 200 for a total of ten weeks, setting a new record for the highest streaming week for an R&B album in the United States.
The most significant transformation from this period occurred in 1981 when the English Department moved into Tompkins Hall following a $5 million renovation. This renovation also included the construction of a link between Tompkins and Winston Halls, aptly named “Link” at the time, but was eventually renamed Caldwell Hall after Chancellor John Tyler Caldwell.
Peeler said the construction of Caldwell Hall aimed to create a more cohesive and aesthetically pleasing campus environment in an area where buildings were planned and built decades apart — as Winston Hall and Tompkins Hall aren’t level with each other.
“Caldwell was built to expand the programs,” Peeler said. “And the buildings don’t exactly match up, so that’s why it’s so oddly shaped and there’s the ramps and the stairs and all the things in between. It is because they were not originally built to be linked in that way.”
Tom Stafford, a former vice chancellor of student affairs who attended NC State’s graduate school in the 1960s, said Tompkins is generally underappreciated for its location on Hillsborough Street and for most students
Immediately entering the festival grounds, I took in an expansive view of what felt like an aesthetically pleasing state fair.
Holding two stages, a Ferris wheel, countless food trucks and even some brandsponsored lounges, it’s safe to say Dreamville Fest can meet all your festival dreams. Impressively, the festival had its own app, featuring an interactive map of the grounds highlighting key spots like restrooms and medical tents. As my first festival experience, it did not disappoint. When I wasn’t taking photos, I was listening to Teezo Touchdown on a picnic blanket, or holding back tears during SZA’s nautical-inspired performance.
The lineup for 2025 has yet to be announced, but I am predicting and praying these artists will headline the stages on April 5 and 6: Kendrick Lamar, Megan
using the building’s less scenic back entrance.
“Unfortunately, it is located in a place on the campus that lots of people go through, go up and down the front of it, and they go up and down the back side of the building,” Stafford said. “… They hardly ever get a good view of what it looks like because it’s sort of hidden, almost even though it was right on the edge of Hillsborough Street.”
One aspect of Tompkins Hall’s enduring legacy is its universality — not only to humanities majors but to all students.
“I would say that at one point or another, most likely in the freshman year, every incoming freshman at NC State goes in and out of that building,” Stafford said. “So on that point alone, you can say it’s a really ubiquitous building.”
Having stood over a century, Tompkins Hall is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s a living, breathing piece of NC State’s story. Whether it be an English major dissecting Shakespeare or an engineering student fulfilling a core English requirement, Tompkins Hall connects students to generations of students who have come before.
Thee Stallion, Tyler, The Creator, Doechii and BigXthaPlug. Smaller artists I hope to make an appearance are Young Nudy, BossMan Dlow, Monaleo, Rich The Kid, PinkPantheress, JT, TiaCorine and Jay Critch. Despite the festival’s tragic ending, Dreamville Fest will be remembered for what it is — a lively and vivid center in the heart of North Carolina, celebrating community, culture and the richness of Black identity.
GRAPHIC BY RORY MOON
10 TECHNICIAN
The most influential Black students, faculty in NC State history
Lucy OsbornGraphics Editor
AUGUSTUS M. WITHERSPOON
Witherspoon was the second Black student to earn a Ph.D. at NC State. Alongside teaching botany, Witherspoon assisted in establishing the African American Cultural Center and served as assistant dean of the graduate school, associate provost and coordinator of African American Affairs.
In 1995, the University board of directors unanimously voted to change the name of the Student Center Annex to Augustus Melver Witherspoon Student Center following Witherspoon’s death in 1994 — making Augustus Witherspoon the first Black person to have a building named after them
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC.
The Mu Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., NC State’s first AfricanAmerican sorority, was officially recognized in 1975, despite being formed in 1972.
KEVIN HOWELL
NC State’s first Black student body president, Kevin Howell served from 1987-1988.
Howell also served as NC State’s assistant to the chancellor for external affairs from 2006 to 2016 and vice chancellor for external affairs, partnerships and economic development from 2018-2024. He now serves as Chief External Affairs Officer for UNC Health.
IRWIN HOLMES
MARCUS MARTIN
In 1967, Martin became the first Black player to join NC State’s varsity football team, though he quit two years later due to “disagreements with the coaching staff.”
Martin was a founding member of the University’s Board of Visitors and recognized as the NC State College of Natural Resources’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2020.
Martin served as Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity and Equity at the University of Virginia from 2011 until his retirement in 2019.
MARY PORTERFIELD
A Technician staff writer, Mary Porterfield was the first Black woman at NC State to be crowned as homecoming queen, Miss Wolfpack, in 1970. After her coronation, however, Porterfield told Technician, “I think State is three years behind in the trend … [of] selecting Black homecoming queens. One of my white girl friends said, ‘Do you realize you made history?’ And I said yes, but not an emphatic yes that you would equate with the question.”
ELLEN MCGUIRE
As the first Black student at NC State to not only graduate with a bachelor’s degree, but play for Wolfpack Athletics and be named captain of a varsity sport at a southern college or university, Irwin Holmes left a legacy at the University. Holmes Hall, formerly known as University College Commons, was renamed in his honor in 2018. Holmes was inducted into the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020.
TONY “X” WILLIAMSON
Founding editor-in-chief of The Nubian Message in 1992, Williamson aimed to “represent the African American community at NCSU totally, truthfully and faithfully.” Williamson tragically died in 1994 at the age of 22 while on vacation.
DWUAN JUNE
June became the first Black editor-in-chief at Technician in 1989. Prior to his role, he served as assistant news editor in 1986, assistant managing editor in 1987 and managing editor in 1988. June is currently the art director at The Washington Post.
McGuire was one of NC State’s first Black female employees, though most students and alumni affectionately referred to her as Aunt Ellen. She started working for the University in 1889 in Pullen Hall as a dining worker before transferring to the College Infirmary in 1908 and ultimately retiring in 1939.
JUSTINA HARRIS WILLIAMS
The first Black person to be hired as academic staff and the first Black person to be hired above the level of custodial staff at NC State in 1958, Williams worked in the Department of Genetics for over 30 years. Williams died in 2003.
Opinion
X-Men is the unknown allegory for civil rights
Jordaan Birkner Staff Writer
During the 1960s, Americans discriminated against others for reasons beyond their control due to fear and hatred.
In response, two groups emerged seeking acceptance with very different approaches. One side believed in a future of peace with those oppressing them, while others wanted to address violence with violence.
To be clear, I am discussing the plot of the X-Men comics. If you mistook me for discussing the American Civil Rights Movement, you understand everything these characters were made to represent.
Just as George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” uses farm animals in place of humans to portray political corruption within Russian communism, the X-Men act as an allegory about the consequences of racial discrimination in America.
In a 2000 interview with the “Guardian,” Stan Lee, the creator of the X-Men comics, said the storyline was a great metaphor for what was occurring in the United States with the Civil Rights Movement at the time.
Lee said the civil rights metaphor came to him when he conceived the idea of the comics, and that “it made the stories more than just a good guy fighting a bad guy.”
In the comics, people born with the XGene, known as “mutants” in the Marvel universe, develop abnormalities that cause non-mutants to become afraid of these differences, “othering” them in the same way that Black Americans have been othered by white supremacists.
A common misconception is that Magneto is a villainous foe of the heroic X-Men
led by Charles Xavier. While each man leads a group of mutants that often end up in conflict with each other, calling them enemies is wildly inaccurate. This perceived rivalry is similar to one claimed between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. King was famously misquoted as stating Malcolm “has done himself and our people a great disservice.”
In actuality, the goal of each leader is rooted in the same ideals.
Talia Flood, a first-year studying mechanical engineering and fan of the comics, said Xavier and Magneto started off very similar.
“They wanted what’s best for mutantkind and they wanted to, you know, protect mutants,” Flood said. “However, [Xavier] wants mutants to be accepted so badly that he continuously goes against his own people.”
Throughout the comics, the X-Men are put into dangerous situations in order to appease those seeking to harm them. He has also created mental blockers within mutants that reduce the expression of their abilities.
“[Xavier] dampens mutants down so that they’re more palatable to humans, which, I feel is kind of like hair relaxers and skin bleaching and all of those really terrible practices,” Flood said.
Just as Xavier is more socially acceptable in the comics, King’s approach is more palatable for white America. Both King and Malcolm X were notable leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, but lasting perceptions are much more favorable of King.
Malcolm X was painted as a violent radical when I was first taught about civil rights in school. This view minimizes his legacy and significant impact on the empowerment of Black Americans. Malcolm X’s approach was what he believed to be the best avenue for maintaining Black dignity and identity.
Similarly, there is no way that Magneto’s mutant character can be easily labeled as a villain.
“He’s deeply traumatized, and I think he has good intentions and they’ve just gotten away from him to where his good intentions
become bad actions,” Flood said. “He really exacerbates [human] fear. … It’s mostly the fear of the unknown and the fear that they won’t be able to compete.”
Colorism is also symbolized within the comics, as a group called Morlocks are outcasts who often have significant physical differences. They are shown to be resentful of the way others with more favorable mutations can blend into society.
Alongside internal conflicts between mutants, artificially intelligent robots known as Sentinels often pose a grave danger to all mutantkind. They were created by humans to hunt all with the mutant gene, regardless of their age or power. Marvel has clarified that Sentinels could be reprogrammed by extremist hate groups to target any group of people based on race or sexual orientation. Other social concerns are paralleled in the X-Men universe as humans channel fear toward young people with characteristics out of their control.
“We see a lot of white people who were accosting Ruby Bridges, and a lot of the young children who were the first to integrate schools,” Flood said. “… There’s huge mobs, and they’re throwing rocks and they’re yelling at the little girls. Then we have Kitty Pryde [in the X-Men], who is a big focus, because she is a young girl that they are afraid of.”
It’s clear that Black history and the X-Men stories are deeply intertwined.
Racism does not have an easy solution, but as the X-Men mutants show, a battle for acceptance will remain ongoing as long as people remain oppressed. But any satisfying ending to the comics themselves will be first found in our own society’s approach to inclusion.
‘Make America Great’ is anything but true to its origins
Crawford Opinion Editor
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, our nation inaugurated a man who is the antithesis of every ideal King stood for. Still, in President Donald Trump’s inaugural address, he invoked Dr. King’s spirit, promising to “strive together to make his dream a reality.” What’s so abhorrent about this invocation is not the president’s despicably racist history — it’s the fact that he does not know where his words
originated, nor does he seem to care.
This is yet another example of Trumpism fostering societal regression for people of color, debasing the principles upon which my predecessors acted.
King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which Trump called on, was directly influenced by the language of Langston Hughes’s poem “I Dream a World.” Hughes writes, “I dream a world where man / No other man will scorn” and where “Black or white, / Whatever race you be, / Will share the bounties of the earth / And every man is free.”
Additionally, on April 4, 1967, King gave a national speech, recorded live in New York City’s Riverside Church, in which he condemned the war in Vietnam and brought in lines from Hughes’s poem “Let America Be America Again” — “Oh yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, and yet I swear this oath America will be!”
According to Jason Miller, distinguished professor and public scholar in NC State’s English department, King started including Hughes’s language in his work because it made him less of an academic and more
accessible to the average Black American. Hughes was the poet of the people, and King knew this.
Miller began his research on Hughes by focusing on his poetry about American lynchings, hoping to see what additional areas of American culture Hughes’s legacy could be felt. That legacy is clearer than ever today, but the bastardization of Hughes’s poem and ideals began in 1980.
GRAPHIC BY LUCY OSBORN
Skye
12 TECHNICIAN
Recognizing Black English as a dialect — not a deficit — in academic settings
Jacob Smith Staff Writer
Imagine being told the way you speak — the language you use within your household, family or culture — is “wrong.” For many Black Americans, this hypothetical situation is a daily reality that plagues classrooms and workplaces.
Rather than dismissing the mannerisms of Black English, what if we embraced it, recognizing it as what it is — a legitimate dialect deserving the same respect as any other dialect within educational and professional realms?
Black English is often referred to as African American Vernacular English. It is a distinct dialect that has evolved over centuries, with roots tracing back to the forced migration of enslaved Africans to the Americas.
People from diverse linguistic backgrounds had to develop a common means of communication during this time. This led to the beginnings of Black English, a dialect influenced by West African languages, English creole dialects and Southern American English.
Black English evolved beyond a means for survival over time, eventually becoming a key part of Black identity and cultural expression. The dialect flourished within the poetic lyricism of the Harlem Renaissance all the way to the verbal artistry of hip-hop today.
Despite its deep and rich history, Black English is often the subject of unhealthy stigma and
rhetoric and is seen as broken English rather than a legitimate system of language.
This misconception leads to discrimination in schools and workplaces, reinforcing systemic barriers for Black speakers in academic settings. Many schools assume our standard understanding of American English is the only acceptable form of communication. This leads to the devaluation of Black English and those who speak it, creating bias where students may be penalized for using their natural dialect in essays, assignments and class participation.
It also extends to classroom interactions where Black students who express themselves in their dialect may be viewed as less intelligent, even as they possess the same academic skills as their peers. This can lessen confidence, limit in-class participation and create a cycle where Black students feel removed from academia rather than empowered by it.
Looking beyond the experiences of the individual, the systemic rejection of Black English in academia perpetuates a broader erasure of the rich culture the dialect fosters.
When schools fail to recognize Black English as a valid dialect, they dismiss a crucial element of Black history and identity. This exclusion further reinforces the idea that academic success is tied to assimilation to existing norms rather than hard work and academic prowess.
To accommodate Black English as a legitimate dialect in academia, educators must shift their mindset from one of correction to one of inclusion.
Universities can offer linguistics courses on Black English, recognizing its historical significance and structure. By shifting policies and attitudes, academia can empower Black students to express themselves authentically while also developing the linguistic tools necessary to navigate different spaces.
Currently, NC State offers one course specifically emphasizing the linguistic intricacies of Black English in ENG 730: Ethnolinguistic Variation.
This course is a great start but is available only to graduate-level English students. In the future, it would be beneficial to open more similar courses or modules within courses that are accessible to undergraduate students.
While there may not be many linguistics courses available to undergraduate students, the First-Year Writing Program, which the majority of students in any undergraduate pathway will encounter during their first year at NC State, is working to expand the linguistic horizons of enrolled students.
Zachary Beare, an associate professor and director of the First-Year Writing Program in the English Department at NC State, spoke on the program’s continued investment in linguistic diversity by promoting the study of non-traditional English literature.
“The program itself has been very invested in attending to linguistic diversity, into valuing various Englishes that are spoken and written,” Beare said. “We’ve done that through a variety of different things; by having workshops and
reading groups on linguistic diversity and, specifically, Black linguistic justice.”
The Language and Life Project at NC State has created a series of documentaries on Black English, detailing its roots and the impacts the dialect has had on Black culture. Their most recent documentary, “Talking Black in America — Social Justice,” explains the impacts the stigmatization of Black English has on its speakers, specifically in education.
This documentary posits that we see Black English as a source of strength and a creator of solidarity against linguistic oppression.
Beare also mentioned the importance of awareness in the battle against linguistic oppression and stigmatization.
“[Students] need to be introduced to that sort of range and diversity of dialects, and they also need to be introduced to the fact that there is significant linguistic discrimination that takes place in this country,” Beare said.
Black English is not a flaw to be corrected but a dialect to be respected, especially in academia. It exists as a linguistic indicator of a rich history, culture and identity in America. Academia has a choice: It can continue reinforcing linguistic discrimination within their institutions, or embrace the richness Black English can bring to the education of many.
It’s time to move beyond our outdated biases and ask ourselves what kind of education system we want — one that silences voices or one that amplifies them?
Support Black Artists Jordan Ramsey, Staff Cartoonist
A fourth-year studying art and design
Drawing of a Painting of a Picture
Evie Dallmann, Staff Cartoonist A third-year in arts studies
Extreme metal music deserves a serious listen
In the diverse landscape of music, few genres face as much unwarranted dismissal as extreme metal.
As a passionate metalhead since middle school, it’s frustrating to witness people laugh off my playlist without giving the music a fair chance. If more listeners took the time to truly engage with metal, they’d discover an incredibly versatile and complex genre that’s worth their attention.
Contrary to popular belief, extreme metal is not just a cacophony of noise or mindless screaming about violence.
One of the most common misconceptions about metal is that it all sounds the same. In reality, metal is an incredibly diverse genre with numerous subgenres, each with its own unique characteristics — one that everyone is bound to find some sort of liking in.
There is a stereotype among metalheads that they’re elitist and only listen to bands with 50 monthly listeners for clout; but in my experience, that’s simply not the truth. Believe it or not, there are popular bands in death metal, such as Cannibal Corpse, Necrophagist and the aptly named Death. But where the fun comes in is knowing
MAKE AMERICA GREAT
continued from page 11
“Now, what becomes absolutely startling is that ‘Make America Great’ then crops up in the 1980 Ronald Reagan campaign,” Miller said. “Buttons were printed out that said ‘Let’s Make America Great Again.’ It continues to have a life of its own when President Clinton in the 1990s actually starts his campaign.”
When Rick Santorum ran for president in 2012, his campaign team put together another riff on Hughes’s poem, claiming his platform would fight to ‘make America America again.’
“The very next day, [Santorum] turned up at a press conference, and he was interrogated,” Miller explained. “People said, ‘Why would you take the words of a communist, anti-American subversive poet and use it as
smaller bands who offer a fun spin on the genre or are local.
Here are some extreme metal bands for fans of other musical genres.
For electronic music enthusiasts, The Zenith Passage offers a unique blend of technical death metal and synthesizers, exploring themes of blind faith and the impact of technology and social media on society. Song recommendation: “Deletion Cult.”
Tomb Mold appeals to indie and shoegaze fans with atmospheric death metal invoking a guttural narrator who explores existential themes about belonging, the human search for meaning, truth and emotional struggle. Song recommendation: “Will of Whispers.”
Archspire showcases Oli Peter’s rapid-fire, rap-like vocal technique, delivering complex lyrics about identity loss and free will at breakneck speeds. Song recommendation: “Involuntary Doppelganger.”
Classical music aficionados often find parallels in extreme metal. Revocation, led by Berklee-educated Dave Davidson, and Obscura exemplify this connection. Song recommendations: “Blood Atonement” by Revocation and “Forsaken” by Obscura.
Jazz lovers should explore Gorod, a French band combining tight guitar work with Latin jazz influences and mythological lyrics. Song recommendation: “We Are the
Sun Gods.”
Extreme metal has historically been used as a vehicle for advocacy, often using its platforms to critique societal problems. Its hard-hitting and serious nature is naturally an appropriate environment to tackle topics such as political corruption, war, social injustice and environmental issues.
Grammy award-winning band Gojira is well-known for its environmental themes and initiatives in fundraising for environmental causes and native tribes in the Amazon. “Flying Whales” from its 2005 album “From Mars to Sirius” uses the metaphor of flying whales to address the urgent need for environmental awareness and humanity’s connection to nature.
Research has shown that the metal community has evolved since its inception in the late 1960s. Today, women compose on average one-third of concert-goers, and many older adults, families, individuals with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people participate around the world, according to University College London.
Not only do women have a place at metal concerts — they also have a place on the stage. Among the most decorated vocalists in metal music is Tatiana Shmayluk, frontwoman of the Ukrainian band Jinjer. She characteristically switches from the gnarli-
est, most brutal vocals to the cleanest, most beautiful singing seconds apart in her songs and her quality doesn’t diminish live. Her lyrics touch on the Russia-Ukraine war, substance abuse and feminism.
Another band prolific for its female leadership is Arch Enemy, which has both a frontwoman and female band manager.
On top of these points, Raleigh hosts a vibrant, tight-knit and authentic metal community, with several venues regularly hosting shows across the Triangle area. While Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro and The Pour House and Neptune’s in Raleigh are established spots, Chapel of Bones stands out as a unique, designated hub for metalheads. The Venue, just ten minutes from main campus, serves as both an alternative cafe and a venue for both moderately popular bands and obscure, local acts.
For those willing to listen with an open mind, extreme metal offers a rewarding journey of musical discovery. It’s a genre that demands attention, rewards creativity and ultimately proves that beneath its intimidating exterior lies a world of artistic depth, technical prowess and genuine human connection.
your conservative, right-wing slogan?’”
This is exactly what is happening with Trumpism. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan is a degrading representation of the intentions that Hughes and King had when dispersing this language to the American public.
Miller states that “origins are always inextricably tied to purposes, and so when we understand how things started, we can also understand how it’s being used.”
“What is startling to so many intelligent thinkers [about] the way that [Hughes’ work] it’s invoked in the context of white supremacy, and Donald Trump’s campaigns of cruelty is that we’re back to where we started with this voice calling for an America that never was,” Miller said.
Hughes’ and King’s dream was not to make America great again because it never was great for my people.
Hughes writes, “Let America be America again / Let it be the dream it used to be / Let it be the pioneer on the plain / Seeking a home where he himself is free.” Then, Hughes inserts parenthetical commentary, saying “America never was America to me.”
and “There’s never been equality for me / Nor freedom in this ‘homeland of the free.’”
“People like Hughes [are] talking about underrepresented people who’ve never had that America, who have always been shackled, who have always been under the subject of lynching and other cruelties, sometimes not so overtly named,” Miller said.
Hughes is still a poet of the people for Black America, and Trump not actively acknowledging where his own slogan comes from demonstrates yet another instance of appropriated Black language to advance white supremacy and systemic oppression.
The transformation of “Let America Be America Again” to “Make America Great Again” is dangerous because Hughes’ poem is a dialogue between two ideas, an attempt to reconcile the ideals of America with its reality for Black people; but Trump’s slogan makes the idea of an idealized America monologic, only giving white Americans a place in the conversation.
“Anytime you get a monologic statement, one person declaring things without dialogue — that’s when you lose all the ambiguity, the depth, the cultural history and, most
frighteningly, the ability to listen to other people that have different perspectives than you on what America has been and can be,” Miller said.
Too often, white America silences people of color and refuses to acknowledge the reality of their experiences with racial injustice. It’s why we are seeing attacks by the Trump administration against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. It’s why Trump and his MAGA cult believe white people are discriminated against.
Trump and white supremacy are actively silencing the experiences of people of color, and we will not stand for it. We will not listen to a fascist manipulate, however unknowingly, the words of Civil Rights figures to advance a narrative that protects white America once again.
I implore any individual reading this, especially white Americans, to embrace the origins of our current political language. To fight alongside people of color for what “Make America Great Again” should really mean: uncovering the true ideals of America and making it great for once, for everyone.
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
EDITORIAL:
Our endorsements for the 2025 Student Government elections
The 105th session of NC State’s Student Government is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent years. The next session will establish the Student Government’s relationship with the new chancellor and set the course for how organizations supporting diversity, equity and inclusion on campus will survive President Donald Trump’s dismantling of DEI initiatives.
It is with these key issues in mind that Technician’s editorial board endorses Taquan Dewberry and Adam Womble for the 2025-2026 student body president and vice president.
To begin, Dewberry and Womble’s platform is more specific in establishing an unwavering commitment to NC State students regarding interactions with University administration.
During the Student Government debates on Monday and in their administration’s platform, the pair proposed feasible methods to navigate a potential loss of funding for DEI-related organizations on campus. With these programs and resources being stripped by the federal government, Technician respects Dewberry’s commitment to allocating additional funding for student organizations impacted by such attacks.
In contrast, Carreno was adamant during the debate that he would approach DEI issues by adhering to a philosophy of “strategic advocacy” for students, suggesting he was more qualified to do so due to his experience in the General Assembly and White House. We find this response to be an empty solution to the student body’s genuine concerns.
In the end, Carreno’s platform was generic and failed to distinguish himself from his predecessor and former running mate — current student body president Allison Markert — or her predecessor and former running mate — former student body president Timothy Reid — whom we feel have both been disappointing leaders of NC State’s student body.
Carreno represents another link in this long line of Student Government leadership that has failed to properly represent and support the student body. So though we are not ecstatic to endorse Dewber-
ry, he represents a clear departure from years of ineffective and artificial leadership.
In the debate, Dewberry also advocated for student progress by stating that Student Government has too often taken a stance of neutrality with its relationship to the chancellor.
With a new chancellor on the horizon, the Student Government’s relationship with the new leader of our University must be one in which our representatives can take a stand on the student body’s behalf. Given that the student body president works directly with the chancellor in many ways, including sitting on the Board of Trustees, we value a SBP who will uplift and promote the student voice unapologetically, and Dewberry demonstrates that potential.
In the debate, Dewberry stated that making sure “the will of the student body is the will of the Student Government” would be his mindset should he encounter a controversy similar to Markert’s veto of Resolution 29, a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and a divestment of University funds from Israel.
As such, we believe the DewberryWomble administration would be committed to prioritizing student voices in a promising way Carreno’s platform does not make room for.
We acknowledge the ethical concerns surrounding Dewberry’s undisclosed meeting regarding the R29 bill — an issue we still struggle to overlook. While we do not condone the actions taken by Dewberry, we recognize his remorse and his eventual votes in favor of the resolution and in favor of overriding Markert’s veto. Additionally, we recognize Dewberry took these actions during his first year in Student Government, and inexperience undoubtedly leads to missteps.
However, we have concerns regarding both tickets’ promotion of a transactional relationship between Student Government and Student Media. In a
post-debate interview with Technician, Dewberry recognized Student Media’s capacity to hold Student Government accountable; however, he still seems to misunderstand the dynamics between the two organizations.
“I think what we need to do is strengthen Student Media and utilize Student Media as the resource that it is to promote what we’re doing to our student body,” Dewberry said.
We are an independent organization and can’t be “utilized” by Student Government. We don’t “promote” the actions of Student Government, we report on them, and we will continue to do so regardless of which candidates are elected. Dewberry’s platform calls for a “mutually-beneficial relationship” between Student Government and Student Media. We find this phrasing naive, at best, as Technician doesn’t plan to be an ally but a separate entity with the same goal of prioritizing and representing student voices through accurate, responsible journalism.
We take issue with both campaigns’ discussion of sexual assault, deeming each ill-informed and incapable of acknowledging the realities of survivors — who are not just women. Their comments appeared to be more about merely checking a box by mentioning women in their respective platforms rather than addressing the real issues that impact them or even seeking to understand what those issues are at all.
We are disappointed by the insistence of both candidates to act like a politician due to some misguided conceptualization that it makes them appear more like leaders. We are all students and would be best represented by someone who acted like a regular person, not someone auditioning for a post-grad internship in D.C. This would have eased concerns about both candidates’ commitment to transparency and the sincerity of their messages, and have made our decision much easier.
The editorial board deliberated extensively before reaching a consensus on its endorsement for student body president, but our choice for student senate president was much clearer.
Naila Din earns our enthusiastic endorsement for student senate president given her longstanding commitment to transparency and track record of introducing, supporting and fighting for legislation that supports and uplifts students. Din spoke with Technician regarding Dewberry’s undisclosed meeting preceding R29’s failed fast-track. This action showcased her dedication to keeping the student body informed and holding Student Government members accountable — a rarity from NC State’s elected students in recent years.
Her potential involvement in this role would ease our reservations about Dewberry’s track record with transparency if he prevails in the election.
Lance Williams is our clear choice for student body treasurer. A crucial aspect of the student body treasurer debate was the need for increased funding for student organizations. Williams is the only candidate who offered tangible solutions in making minimal yet impactful increases in student fees by less than a dollar and streamlining the application process. Bring home the bacon, Lance. As a student publication with the responsibility of informing the student body through journalism as a public service, we do not take our decisions on endorsements lightly.
Our student body is currently experiencing an unprecedented attack on higher education and, at the same time, we are introducing a new chancellor. The approach our student representatives take will define how DEI values are supported on our campus and construct the student body’s relationship with the new chancellor, and we encourage students to consider these issues when casting their votes.
Voting for the election is open March 3 and 4. To vote, head to getinvolved. ncsu.edu.
The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the members of Technician’s editorial board, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief.
COLUMN
NIL isn’t holding back NC State men’s basketball — Keatts is
Following NC State men’s basketball blowout 97-73 loss against UNC-Chapel Hill last Wednesday, head coach Kevin Keatts pointed fingers at poor NIL funding as a reason for NC State’s tumultuous season a year after making the Final Four.
“Does NIL have something to do with it? Absolutely,” Keatts said. “You take a look at the top five teams in the league and look at their numbers, and it’ll tell you a story.”
Let’s break that down by looking at the top five teams in the AP Poll and their estimated NIL standings from the 2023-24 season. No. 1 Auburn ranks ninth in the SEC for NIL collective funding with $11.6 million for the season. No. 3 Florida ranks sixth in the same conference with $15.8 million. No. 4 Houston ranks 15th best in the Big 12 with just $2.1 million per year and No. 5 Tennessee ranks No. 8 in the SEC with $11.6 million per year. No. 2 Duke’s data is currently unavailable.
Note Houston’s success — the Cougars have the lowest NIL funding in its conference, which seems contradictory to Keatts’ assertion. Further, NC State’s reported $5.9 million in NIL collective funds places them in the middle of the ACC, outpacing programs like California with $3.9 million and Georgia Tech with $4.3 million, both of which have better records than the Wolfpack this season.
Miami and Florida State further exemplify the disconnect between NIL resources and on-court success. Despite being ranked fifth and seventh respectively in national NIL program rankings published in August 2024, Miami’s men’s basketball is set to finish last in the ACC, while Florida State has had a mediocre season and just had an atrocious past season of football with a 2-10 record.
Keatts also lamented the lack of individual star power on his roster for why his team is near the bottom of the ACC.
“This team doesn’t have superstars,” Keatts said. “There’s no Jarkel Joiner, Terquavion Smith or DJ Horne or Burns — guys that can go out and average 18 points a game.”
This year, according to 247Sports rankings, NC State has three former five-star, seven four-star, one three-star and four unrated members on its roster. This beats last year’s ACC Championship-winning roster of two former five-star, six four-star, two three-star and six unrated players.
No. 25 Louisville, who gave NC State its largest margin of defeat this season, has only one former five-star, three four-star, one three-star and twelve unrated players on its team.
At this point, it should be clear that NIL funding and player ratings don’t always coincide with successful teams. On top of being inaccurate, this claim is a slap in the face to his players while shifting the blame away from the coach.
What Keatts seems to have forgotten is that coaches are the ones who recruit and build teams.
Last year’s Final Four run gave NC State unprecedented national attention. It should’ve been a better time than any for Keatts to ride the momentum and draw in his “superstars” from the portal, but he failed to capitalize on this now seemingly once-in-a-career opportunity.
Keatts didn’t seem to have any problems recruiting his “superstars” in past years with what now are probably fewer resources than are available now, following last year’s breakthrough NCAA Tournament run. He also evaluated talent poorly. The intended “superstars” he did shell out on, such as senior guard Marcus Hill and senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, have limited skill sets, and when they are given minutes, it’s unclear how Keatts intends to utilize their skills.
Aside from that, NC State has effective scorers on its roster who are being given minuscule minutes.
Saturday’s game against Wake Forest gave us a taste of what we’ve been missing all season — freshman guard Paul McNeil, leading the team with 24 points in 28 minutes. This is the best show of the consistent scoring efficiency he’s offered all season in the games he’s had significant minutes in, with 12 points against Louisville in 14 minutes, shooting 71.4% from the field and 66.7% from 3. Against UNC last Wednes-
day, he scored 14 points in 14 minutes. His consistency begs the question of why Keatts hasn’t consistently played this “superstar.”
In the three games that freshman guard Trey Parker has played 20 minutes or more, he was among the team’s top scorers. In the most recent match-ups against Duke, Stanford and Louisville, he scored 15, 19 and 13 points, respectively.
With the season now essentially lost, what is the harm in playing these promising young players more? With the time they’re being given and their capacity to succeed in a program, it shouldn’t be surprising if they decide to take their talents elsewhere after the season.
Limping into its final stretch of the season, the Wolfpack carries but a shell of the excitement surrounding the program nearly a year ago. Although last year’s regular season wasn’t pretty, the team found a way to win a conference title and automatically advance to the NCAA Tournament. Now, the reigning champs likely won’t even have the chance to defend their ACC Championship. Coach Keatts, how much in NIL funds will be enough to have a successful season? And at what point are you going to be able to recruit “superstars” again? Are we, a founding member and current reigning champions, really going to miss the ACC Tournament?
CHARLIE OTTO LILIENTHAL/TECHNICIAN
Head coach Kevin Keatts shouts at his bench during the game against UNC-Chapel Hill in the Dean E. Smith Center on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. NC State lost the game 97-73.
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
COLUMN
NC State women’s basketball is the only remedy for a disastrous athletics year
As a student at NC State and naturally a fan of its athletics programs, I, like most, was ecstatic for this year’s sports seasons after what transpired last year. I mean, who wouldn’t be after we were graced with two Final Four runs and a College World Series appearance on top of five ACC championships?
Saying that my expectations haven’t been met would be an understatement, to say the least. After enduring a 6-7 football season that included a 41-point dismantling to Tennessee, a 59-35 loss to Clemson and a disappointing, last-minute Military Bowl loss to East Carolina, my hopes were high for both of our Final Four teams to take the court once again.
While men’s basketball failed to capitalize on last year’s run and head coach Kevin Keatts has seemingly spent more time complaining about NIL funding than coaching his team to signature victories, women’s basketball head coach Wes Moore has his team once again in the AP Top 10 on the cusp of yet another NCAA Tournament run.
With the disappointment that a majority of our revenue sports has brought Wolfpack Nation this year, it goes without saying that women’s basketball needs to be NC State athletics’ savior this year — which has been littered with underwhelming performances.
Wolfpack women’s basketball began the season at No. 9 and anticipated to build off its high level of success from the previous year. Returning one of the most dynamic backcourts in the country in senior guards Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James, the addition of graduate forward Caitlin Weimar and the return of many of its starters, there was legitimate hype surrounding the Pack this year.
With early season losses to then-No. 1 South Carolina, unranked TCU and No. 7 LSU, plus the news that Weimar would be out for the season — leaving a question mark at the five spot — it seemed like NC State would be in for an underwhelming year.
“I wish we played a little better, but it’s something that this early in the year, we can go back, learn from, get better,” Moore said after the team’s loss to South Carolina. And getting better is exactly what NC State did.
Entering February, NC State knew that it would face its most difficult test of the
season with five ranked ACC matchups. Not only did the Pack figure out its glaring problem underneath the post through a combination of freshman center Lorena Awou and freshman forward Tilda Trygger, but it cemented itself as one of the best teams in the country.
NC State dominated the so-called “difficult” stretch of its schedule, going on an impressive 4-1 streak capped by a double overtime victory against then-No. 1 Notre Dame.
This is it. These women must be the defining players for NC State’s overall disappointing athletic year. With all the hype surrounding them followed by signature win after signature win, Moore and his team are the saviors that NC State fans have been waiting for all year.
With an ugly fall at Carter-Finley Stadium authored by head coach Dave Doeren and a tumultuous winter in the Lenovo Center thanks to Keatts, Reynolds Coliseum has become the place where Wolfpack Nation’s hopes and dreams have been resuscitated and must be the next home of the women’s basketball national championship trophy.
NC State baseball only seems to be adding to the notion that women’s basketball must carry the athletic department.
The Pack9 is off to a slow 3-5 start, with five straight losses to unranked teams, including a four-run blow save to Liberty. NC State fans are already bracing for yet another team to fail to meet expectations this year after blowing them out of the water the year prior.
It’s safe to say that we as NC State fans were spoiled by win after win and deep tournament run after deep tournament run last season, and it goes without saying that this year has been what some might call a dumpster fire.
So, Moore, James, Rivers and everyone else that makes women’s basketball at NC State what it is, I, on behalf of every NC State fan, ask that you save us from what has been some of the worst sports performances of our lives and be the heroes we’ve been waiting for all year.
We certainly know that you have the star power to do so and hope to be celebrating a national championship later this year in Reynolds Coliseum.
GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN
Head coach Wes Moore talks to senior guard Aziaha James during the game against Notre Dame in Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. James scored 20 points, recorded five rebounds and two assists. The Wolfpack beat the number one ranked Fighting Irish 10495 in double overtime.
Jakob Halbur
Assistant Video Editor
Grit, guts and glory: No. 9 NC State women’s basketball’s relentless pursuit of greatness
Connor VanDerMark Assistant Sports Editor
No. 9 NC State women’s basketball is no stranger to adversity. It’s always done things the hard way, through grit, determination and perseverance. But three weeks ago, the Wolfpack looked at its upcoming schedule just one month before the ACC and NCAA Tournaments and recognized a formidable uphill battle.
“February is brutal,” said head coach Wes Moore. “Five out of six games against ranked teams, three of them on the road and, oh boy, the two at home are Duke and Notre Dame. Two top-10 teams. Gotta look at the schedule, folks. Road games are tough every night in the ACC, but now you’re going to three ranked ones. We still got a whole lot of speed bumps ahead of us.”
At the time, NC State had already fought through much just three months into the season. After being ranked No. 9 in the preseason, the Wolfpack lost three of its first seven games. Though the three losses were all away games against teams currently in the top 10, the Pack’s only wins came against non-Power Four teams. The tough stretch dropped the Red-and-White to No. 22.
Fans thought last season’s magic dissipated, and the Wolfpack would simply get lost in the crowd of the ACC. But NC State fought, going on a seven-game win streak with an average margin of victory of 18 points. However, AP voters still weren’t convinced — the Pack only moved up one spot to No. 21.
To make matters worse, the Wolfpack fell in an away match to then-No. 24 California. It simply couldn’t defeat ranked teams on the road — a bad omen for a tournamenthopeful team.
Nonetheless, NC State continued to battle, producing a six-game win streak with an average margin of victory of 13. Now, the Pack had to get through five ranked teams in the next six games, each presenting a new challenge for it to deal with.
Hosting then-No. 10 Duke, the red-andwhite scored a whopping 89 points on the second-best defense in the ACC behind senior guard Aziaha James’ career-high 36 points, securing its best win of the season. It then had to do something it had failed to do all season — win a ranked game on the road. Traveling to Tallahassee, Florida, the Pack prepared to face then-No. 22 Florida State and one of the best scorers in the nation, guard Ta’Niya Latson.
NC State not only defeated the Seminoles,
but it steamrolled them in a 97-74 masterclass, handing Florida State its largest loss of the season. After previously going 0-3 in ranked road games, the Red-and-White emphatically solved its problem.
The Wolfpack was slated to have an easier game against unranked Miami in Reynolds Coliseum, but the Hurricanes reminded everyone that no win is free in the ACC. NC State barely squeaked by in a 76-74 victory but learned the value of never underestimating the opponent.
It finally stumbled in Chapel Hill against then-No. 12 UNC, largely due to a four-point second quarter. But look outside of that second quarter. NC State outrebounded, outassisted and had a better shooting percentage than the Tar Heels. It simply killed any chances at a win with one 10-minute frame. However, the Pack rebounded in a 15-point victory over then-No. 20 Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
“It just shows the heart we have,” said sophomore guard Zoe Brooks. “We didn’t stand down against anybody. We weren’t scared of anybody. We fell short one time, but we just kept fighting.”
Finally, the Wolfpack had reached its toughest challenge yet. It was so close to defeating its demanding ranked schedule, but one team stood in its way. With College GameDay in town, under the brightest of lights and on the biggest of stages, then-No. 13 NC State hosted then-No. 1 Notre Dame, which was riding a 19-game win streak. There was no bigger challenge than the best team in the nation — the same
team that defeated the Pack in the 2024 ACC Championship.
Led by guard Hannah Hidalgo’s 26 points, Notre Dame gave NC State a run for its money. After struggling in the fourth quarter, the Fighting Irish hit a miracle 3-pointer to force overtime. But two extra periods later, the Wolfpack came out on top. It took 10 extra minutes, but NC State hit triple digits for the first time this season in its 104-95 victory, handing Notre Dame its first loss since November and becoming the first team this century to score 100 points against an AP No. 1 team in women’s basketball.
But what many may not have known is that Notre Dame would have clinched the regular season title with a victory. The trophy was in the building and would have been presented to the blue-and-gold on Kay Yow Court had it emerged with a win. But NC State got its revenge for last year’s ACC Championship.
“[Moore] mentioned us being party crashers last year,” said senior guard Saniya Rivers. “I guess we’re party crashers again, and we’re here to stay. We’re here to fight and we’re hoping to cut down some nets this season.”
On Monday, NC State completed the climb back to glory, reaching No. 9 on the AP Poll — the same spot it had been ranked in the preseason. But it’s no longer that timid and lost team that it was in early November. That team was ice-cold. This team is scorching hot. This team took down five ranked teams and played against 11 Quad 1
teams — a triumph only a handful of teams can boast.
More than anything, this team has chemistry that it lacked earlier in the season. There was already clear chemistry between James, Rivers, Brooks and graduate guard Madison Hayes — the veterans who were a key part of last year’s Final Four run and the heart of the team. However, there was trouble integrating the new freshmen into the lineup. Because of graduate forward Caitlin Weimar’s season-ending injury, freshman forward Tilda Trygger and freshman center Lorena Awou were thrust into the spotlight of a collegiate sport that they weren’t fully prepared for. Freshman guard Zamareya Jones was forced to come off the bench after being the number one option on her high school basketball team just a year earlier. But as Trygger and Awou garnered realgame experience in conference play, their game grew exponentially. Trygger adapted to the American style of basketball while Awou learned to control herself and shake off those rookie mistakes. Jones embraced her role as an off-the-bench scorer that could give the Wolfpack offense new life. As the freshmen settled into the team, the wins began to pile up.
“At the beginning of the season, some people felt like they had to do it on their own,” Rivers said. “But we have so many pieces and we’re so versatile. When we play together, get out in transition, do what we’re supposed to do, we’re gonna win. When we play together like that, we’re gonna win every game.”
NC State is now just two games away from the postseason and has already guaranteed itself a double bye in the ACC Tournament, holding tiebreakers over Duke, Louisville and Florida State. The Wolfpack can even win the ACC regular season title, but it doesn’t have full control of its destiny. In addition to winning its final two games, NC State needs Notre Dame to lose one of its last two games, either against Florida State or Louisville. Since it holds the tiebreaker over the Fighting Irish, the Pack would become ACC regular season champions — a title it hasn’t held since the 2021-22 season.
No matter what the outcome of the regular season title is, one thing is certain — NC State has become one of the most formidable teams in the country. Behind its veteran leadership and rising young stars, the postseason titles seem as attainable as ever.
GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN
The NC State Women’s basketball team lines up for the playing of the national anthem before the game against Notre Dame in Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. The Wolfpack beat the top ranked Fighting Irish in double overtime 104-95.
The story behind NC State’s Black History Month basketball jerseys
Colby Trotter
Sports Editor
Both NC State men’s and women’s basketball were a part of 18 schools that recently donned Adidas’ annual Black History Month jerseys. This year, the design featured the team’s logo on the top left corner of the uniform with the number in the middle off to the right and quilting patterns down the side of the jersey and shorts.
At first glance, it may seem like a simple design, but every detail is intentional. The layout tells a deeper story that reflects history, culture and most importantly, Black excellence.
“If you don’t know the storytelling and the history behind it, or you don’t care to do the research, then a lot of it could go over your head, especially the layout and everything of the jersey, that being really deliberate, not just a design element,” said Alex Taylor, the creative director and storyteller behind the uniforms.
Quilting has been a cornerstone of the African American experience as a powerful medium for cultural expression and storytelling. It was important for Taylor to highlight this aspect of Black culture in her design.
In the United States, quilting originated in Gee’s Bend, Alabama where enslaved women in the 1800s crafted them to keep warm in unheated shacks. Over time, these quilts took on a deeper purpose as they were designed to help those in the Underground Railroad.
“People who were sewing these things would sew clues, would sew maps, would sew all of these different signifiers into these quilts to be able to share with other people but in a really covert way,” Taylor said.
Unintentionally, the enslaved women of Gee’s Bend created abstract designs with scraps of fabric and clothing that eventually became a distinct American art form. Gee’s Bend quilts have been exhibited in museums across the country, and the U.S. Postal Service has issued commemorative stamps with images of these quilts. Inspired by the patterns that originated in Gee’s Bend, Taylor incorporated similar quilting motifs to pay homage to the women of the small town in Alabama.
“The collection is a celebration of Black history, and the quilted patterns, in particular, are meant to highlight that and shed light on the powerful medium of cultural expression that has emerged from African American culture, one of the many art
forms that have emerged from African American culture,” Taylor said.
The front layout of the uniform with the offset logos and numbers is meant to replicate the jersey Lusia Harris wore at Delta State University. Harris won three consecutive national titles at the university and is the only woman to have been officially drafted into the NBA. She was also a member of Team USA’s first women’s basketball squad and became the first female Olympian to score a basket. After her career, Harris became the first Black woman to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“She was a woman in a man’s world,” Taylor said. “She has an incredible legacy because she really was someone who spearheaded the game for so many women. The WNBA would not exist without her story
and her pioneering in the beginning.”
For Taylor, honoring Harris is especially meaningful. Taylor is the founder of Hoop York City, a brand and collective that’s created a safe space and community for women to play basketball without having to worry about getting overrun by men in New York City.
“I think that what I represent and my values and what I’ve created with Hoop York City, this is the perfect representation that sort of brings my culture and my background in design and my love of sport, sort of all to the forefront,” Taylor said. “To be able to have this one project that really commemorates all of those different elements, different pillars in my life and career, it’s invaluable.”
Once the players learned about the thoughtful design and cultural elements
of the uniforms, it resonated deeply when they put them on.
“As we wear this jersey we not only honor the past but commit to empowering the future, uniting the Black community in basketball and beyond,” said Washington women’s basketball player Sayvia Sellers.
Going forward, Taylor wants to continue to implement storytelling in her designs and this project has her “wheels turning” on how she could do that next. She believes it’s imperative for brands to tell the history of the United States, especially Black history to ensure stories like Harris’ and the origins of quilting are not forgotten.
“I think that brands as big as Adidas should always prioritize these moments and the storytelling,” Taylor said. “It’s so important, especially now, to keep those memories and commemorate the history.”
EMILY PEEDIN/TECHNICIAN
Senior guard Jayden Taylor navigates around an opponent during the game against Boston College in the Lenovo Center on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. Taylor made three rebounds and four steals, on top of leading the Wolfpack with 19 points. NC State won the game 70-62.
NC State baseball takeaways from the Jax College Baseball Classic
Noah Teague Staff Writer
After suffering a weekend sweep at the Jax Baseball Classic, NC State baseball showed it has plenty of work to do. With arguably one of the most disappointing starts in college baseball this season, the Wolfpack simply doesn’t have a clear identity or strength to lean on. Here are the biggest takeaways from NC State’s performance in the Jax Baseball Classic.
Ice cold at the plate
Among NC State’s struggles this season, the inability to score runs is the most damaging. While hitters typically improve as the season progresses and the weather warms up, the Pack lagged behind its opponents at the plate. At the Jax Baseball Classic, the Pack scored six runs across three games — by far the worst in the field. For comparison, the next lowest-scoring team was Coastal Carolina, which scored 22 runs. Across the Wolfpack’s three games in Jacksonville, the team posted an abysmal .138 batting average. No player recorded more than two hits across the weekend and only senior shortstop Justin DeCriscio hit a homerun. Meanwhile, the Pack struggled
with strikeouts, racking up 24 Ks throughout the weekend. With seemingly no real impact hitters in its lineup, NC State is in major trouble if it doesn’t turn things around quickly at the plate.
Fritton struggles in primetime
Junior left-handed pitcher Dominic Fritton earned the start on the mound in the Wolfpack’s game against Ohio State. While poor fielding certainly didn’t help the lefty, Fritton struggled against the Buckeyes in the Pack’s 8-3 Friday night loss. Walking six batters in just 4.2 innings, Fritton couldn’t find the strike zone, giving away free bases. With star pitchers Sam Highfill and Logan Whitaker departing after last season, the Wolfpack must find a Friday night starter. In his third year with the program, Fritton has the opportunity to grow into the role this season but has to improve. With sophomore righty Heath Andrews performing, sophomore left-handed pitcher Ryan Marohn being more than serviceable and graduate righty Matt Willadsen working back into form, the Wolfpack has options if Fritton cannot step up to the challenge of being a Friday night starter.
Inconsistent bullpen
Entering the season, many projected the Pack’s bullpen to be its biggest strength. However, the group had an up-and-down performance in Jacksonville. Sophomore righty Jaxon Lucas appeared to have taken another step in a solid outing against a dangerous Buckeyes lineup. The reliever allowed just one hit while striking out three batters. Meanwhile, senior right-handed pitcher Carson Kelly — in limited action against Coastal Carolina — impressed by working out of a jam without allowing any damage.
Unfortunately for NC State, the bullpen took its lumps at times. Sophomore righthanded pitcher Jacob Dudan still hasn’t reached his freshman form, struggling against the Chanticleers. Facing five batters, Dudan recorded two walks, a wild pitch and gave up a double. Dudan certainly has the talent to be an elite reliever, but has failed to provide early in the season. Sophomore lefty Cooper Consiglio stepped in and gave up three walks and a home run. For NC State to bounce back, it needs its top relievers to perform much better.
Fielding struggles
The story of the Wolfpack’s game against Ohio State was fielding struggles. Officially, NC State made three errors — it struggled to make infield throws and was unable to secure a fly ball in the outfield. The Wolfpack bounced back well against Alabama in an error-free performance after making multiple changes to its starters. However, another critical error came against Coastal Carolina on an infield ground ball by DeCriscio, giving the Chanticleers momentum. While the fielding improved over the weekend, there’s plenty of work to do still.
Iron sharpening iron
While early season losses are never fun, there’s a benefit to playing tough competition early. Unlike teams that load up on cupcakes early, the Wolfpack knows from the jump what it needs to work on before conference play. NC State will be better off for playing in the Jax Baseball Classic. Now the challenge is for the Wolfpack to improve enough to make some noise in the postseason.
JERMAINE HUDSON/TECHNICIAN
Sophomore Cooper Consiglio throws the ball to first base during the baseball game against Liberty on Doak Field at Dail Park on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. Consiglio pitched for 1.2 innings, allowed three hits and allowed no earned runs. NC State lost to Liberty 9-8.
“EMPTY OUT THE TANK.”