TECHNICIAN MARC H 11, 2021
VOL . 101 | NO. 14
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL? NC STATE PLANS RETURN TO NORMALCY
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Contents
2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
IN THIS ISSUE: page
03
Students can now apply for CURE2 emergency grants
WHAT YOU MISSED:
NEWS
page
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It’s been a year of COVID-19
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A quick look at the headlines in and outside of NC State
Women’s basketball team wins ACC Tournament second year in a row
SOURCE: TECHNICIAN
University Police:
$1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress
SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES
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‘Back to back Pack’: women’s basketball wins ACC Championship
Editor-in-Chief Rachael Davis
323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online
Global study finds 1 in 3 women are victims of violence According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Women between 15 and 24 years of age have likely experienced violence from a partner by the time they are in their mid-20s, concluding that intimate partner violence is the most global form of abuse. In their largest study ever conducted, the WHO analyzed data from 161 countries between 2000 and 2018.
SOURCE: BBC NEWS
SPORTS
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technician-editor@ncsu.edu
technician-copydesk@ncsu.edu
Copy Desk Chief Sarah Newton
Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Abbie Davies-Cutting
Managing Editor Alicia Thomas
Marketing Manager Zahra Rangwala
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Multimedia Managing Editor Jaylan Harrington
News Editor Cassie Englund
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Social Media Co-Editors Ali Hurst Emma Rizzo
Assistant News Editors Caitlyn Mahoney Sam Overton
Social Media Analytics Manager Joey Rivenbark
Arts & Culture Editor Austin Dunlow
technician-features@ncsu.edu
Design Editor Ann Salman
Opinion Editor Caryl J. Espinoza Jaen
technician-opinion@ncsu.edu
Assistant Opinion Editor Shilpa Giri Sports Editor Camden Speight
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(919) 515-2423
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Women’s Center:
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Sexual Assault Helpline:
(919) 515-4444
SOURCE: THE NEWS & OBSERVER
Congress passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package March 10, providing another round of stimulus checks and more unemployment benefits for Americans, billions of dollars to distribute COVID-19 vaccines and relief for states, schools and small businesses. President Biden is expected to officially sign the bill into law March 12.
ARTS & CULTURE
(919) 515-2563
Counseling Center:
All North Carolina school districts may be required to have full-time and daily in-person classes for elementary, middle and high school students. Gov. Roy Cooper and state Republican leaders reached an agreement on the bill the morning of March 10, and it is expected to pass through the North Carolina General Assembly later that night.
Hillsborough Street at a Year: The pandemic’s toll on local businesses
Student Health Services:
On March 7, the NC State women’s basketball team won its second straight ACC Championship in a 5856 victory over the Louisville Cardinals in Greensboro, North Carolina. Graduate guard Raina Perez made the winning basket with 2.1 seconds remaining, and junior center Elissa Cunane was named the ACC Tournament MVP after scoring 70 points and grabbing 27 rebounds across three tournament wins.
North Carolina schools may reopen following agreement between Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican leaders
OPINION
KNOW YOUR RESOURCES:
Assistant Sports Editors Nicholas Schnittker Tristan Tucker Photo Editor Ryan Farischon
technician-photo@ncsu.edu
Assistant Photo Editor Marissa McHugh Video Editor Rachel Amponsah
technician-video@ncsu.edu
Assistant Video Editor Vasanth Ramdas
GLBT Center:
(919) 513-9742
Student Legal Services:
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Multicultural Student Affairs:
(919) 515-3835 COVER BY RYAN FARISCHON
Technician (USPS 455-050) is the largest student newspaper of NC State University and is published every Thursday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on the Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by Triangle Web Printing, Durham, NC, Copyright 2011 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
What role does freedom of speech play in the Seagraves investigation? Heidi Reid
Correspondent
&
Madison Foley Correspondent
In November 2020, NC State opened an investigation on Chadwick Seagraves, a desktop support manager in the Office of Information Technology due to allegations of Seagraves having connections to the Proud Boys, a white nationalist organization, and reports of offensive social media posts. The University closed their investigation on Jan. 11, concluding that there was no formal disciplinary action to be instituted against Seagraves. In the wake of the investigation, Student Government held a “freeze out” protest and signed Executive Order No. 5 in objection to the University’s response. However, the Seagraves investigation has raised a lot of questions about freedom of speech on campus and fireable offenses for government employees. According to Steven Greene, a political science professor at NC State, the Supreme Court defines freedom of speech as “anything short of incitement to imminent and lawless action.” “We have a long tradition of believing to a considerable degree that people are allowed to believe what they want because freedom of speech extends from freedom of belief and conscience, [and that] as long as it is not clearly, directly harming people that we should allow that as an essential element of freedom and liberty,” Greene said. Adam Newmark, a political science professor at Appalachian State University, said that the United States government generally protects people under freedom of speech, with very limited exceptions. “A lot of this goes back to Supreme Court
decisions, such as Schenck v. United States and Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire,” Newmark said. “Schenck v. United States established the clear and present danger doctrine. It’s the reason you can’t shout ‘fire’ in a movie theater because it could present a clear and present danger. Free speech rights are protected unless it would breach the peace and present a clear and present danger.” Both Greene and Newark said Seagraves’ status as a government employee complicates NC State’s ability to take disciplinary action against him, despite having values to uphold for the University as a whole. “This particular situation is different from most free speech cases,” Greene said. “Seagraves is a government employee, and as a general rule, it’s not the place of the government to censor speech, even if the speech is considered controversial.” According to Greene, individuals and groups with “radical” views have the right to speak and post controversial ideas without being prosecuted, as long as they don’t act on these ideas. “Let’s just say someone posts a controversial idea on a very basic level; the government does not have the power to punish them for that and, I would argue, nor should they,” Greene said. “But when you then get to organizations like private companies, they may want their employees to represent certain values. And then you get into a more tricky middle ground, where you have the University that says we have certain values and we want the people who work here to be reflective of those values.” Newmark said that it is difficult to restrict an individual’s speech within their private life, unless they are clearly inciting harm on others. “Generally speaking, it’s difficult to restrict people’s speech, particularly when their speech is part of their private life,” Newmark
said. “If someone works for a private company, that did not agree with your speech, that company may be able to terminate them based on the provisions in their employment contract, which are different from universities.” According to Greene, the debate about free speech becomes convoluted when determining at what point speech does actually inflict harm. Greene said he believes that societal norms surrounding free speech have changed in recent years. “But if you have a member of a community that is clearly causing harm to the community, that’s where we draw limits,” Greene said. “Some of the controversy around this has to do with redefining limits and what is harm because we don’t allow you to harm others.” Greene said he trusts the University’s investigation and does not think its findings of unsubstantiated allegations is reason to believe it supports Seagraves’ beliefs. “There is no reason to believe that NC State
is a university that is interested in promoting racism or violent overthrow of the government or sedition, or that they would be sympathetic towards protecting someone with these views,” Greene said. “The fact that they looked at it and took it seriously and could not substantiate the allegations is important to me. I don’t think you want someone losing their job over unsubstantiated allegations.” Greene said he believes that free speech guidelines should be more expansive in a university setting, in order to provide opportunities for scholarly debate. “If we can’t have free discussion of ideas in a university, where can we have them?” Greene said. “Everything in life is about balancing costs and benefits, and I would argue for making people uncomfortable with ideas to a certain degree in the interest of a free and full exchange. There is no simple right answer but I think it’s wise to lean towards more expansive speech.”
tions like NC State can create emergency grants that assist students who have been economically disadvantaged by COVID-19. Krista Ringler, the associate vice provost and director of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, said these grants are similar to the first round of grants from the CARES Act emergency grants. “With the CARES Act, NC State got $8.9 million to give to students to help them through the disruption,” Ringler said. “So
we gave all that money in the form of emergency grants to students, and now that this second stimulus has been approved — we received the money actually just a few weeks ago — and so we created another round of grants. This time, they’re called CURE grants rather than CARES grants, and it’s because they’re from a different bill, so we couldn’t call them the same thing.” Ringler said the eligibility requirements for the new CURE2 grants will be less strict
than the CARE grants, so students should apply sooner rather than later. “We got another $8.9 million this time and so it will go quick,” Ringler said. “It’s intended to support students who have financial difficulties or financial emergencies as a result of the pandemic. The rules are a little easier this time around. Last time, we had to tie your expenses to the campus
GRAPHIC BY CARYL ESPINOZA JAEN/TECHNICIAN
Students can now apply for CURE2 emergency grants, receive up to $1,200 Avery Davis Correspondent
Students can now apply for the CURE2 emergency grants, which are meant to help students manage education expenses or other emergency costs caused by COVID-19. The money for the grants is provided by the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which Congress passed in December 2020. As a result, higher education institu-
CURE2 continued page 4
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DASA plans to return to traditional, in-person classes in fall 2021 semester
AMANDA KARST/ARCHIVE
Caitlyn Mahoney Assistant News Editor
Announced on March 10 by Chancellor Randy Woodson, most classes for the fall 2021 semester will be face to face again after two and a half semesters of online instruction. However, there will still be distance education options available, according to the course catalog. Barry Olson, the associate vice chancellor for business administration in DASA, said that because of the stabilization of positive COVID-19 tests and the increase in availability of vaccines for faculty and students, DASA is currently planning to substantially increase the amount of in-person classes in the fall and decrease the amount of online classes. The exact schedule will not be finalized until closer to the start of the fall semester. JaeKouk Ko, a third-year studying political science and science, technology and society, says that he hopes that DASA will prioritize classes that require hands-on experience for
CURE2
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disruption. This time, it’s just that students need emergency support.” Matthew Denoncourt, a first-year studying computer engineering, received $250 from the grant. Denoncourt said he is lucky to not have been extremely financially burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic, but was still able to use the money for school expenses, like technology-related materials. Catherine Phillips, a first-year studying political science, received $600 from the grant and is very grateful for the help it will provide her and her family. “My mom is a teacher, so she’s been having a lot of money that she has had to spend outside of the classroom,” Phillips said. “That’s been different with her learn-
in-person sections. “I hear a lot of things right now on the news and stuff about a lot of new graduates who are not being able to get jobs,” Ko said. “Like companies are saying that they’re underqualified because they did a necessary lab online and don’t have the hands-on experiences.” Kalan Dixon, a first-year studying international studies, hopes that classes such as math and science will be in person as well. “People like me who are visual-kinesthetic learners have to see someone do it in front of them and then do it exactly like them,” Dixon said. “I think classes like math and science and stuff like that are super hard to learn online if you are that type of learner.” According to Olson, one thing to keep in mind while choosing classes is that there is a possibility that all in-person classes will still be subjected to COVID-19 community standards such as mask-wearing and social distancing. “Just because you are face to face doesn’t ing environment — having to spend money for that — and my dad lost his job pretty close to the beginning, probably during last summer. And so starting college freshman year, there’s been a lot of expenses that you have to go through with that, and so this was a really helpful thing, you know, just kind of making up for that lost time and lost money.” The application for the CURE2 grants can be found in the MyPack Portal under “Financial Aid.” The application process is short and requires students to select why they need the funds and write a short explanation. The maximum amount of each grant will be $1,200, and priority will be given to students with exceptional need. Students can find more information and learn how to apply for the CURE2 grants at the Student Services website.
necessarily mean that we wouldn’t have masking expectations,” Olson said. “That’s something that we just don’t know as a nation, or really as a world yet.” What to expect with in-person classes for the fall is heavily dependent upon mass vaccination rates and trends with COVID-19 testing. Dixon says that if the University continues to uphold the current community standards, then she would be more comfortable considering in-person classes. “I do think that people getting the COVID vaccine and stuff like that and NC State taking precautions like giving testing if people don’t have the COVID vaccine, and even if they do have the COVID vaccine, they should still wear their mask,” Dixon said. “I think that would influence me more to be on campus next semester and do in-person classes.” Olson says that DASA has learned a lot about communication and what students need during this past year and has applied those lessons to the fall 2021 course catalog. DASA also recognizes that students want to come back in person. Olson says that most of the staff have similar feelings and are doing everything they safely can to return to normalcy. “None of us joined this career and said, ‘We are so excited for the day when we have to go on 10 Zoom meetings in a day.’ None of us said that,” Olson said. “We want to actually experience life… seeing you in the dining hall, seeing you at Talley, doing programs in Witherspoon and doing all of those things. We want to be engaged in all of that, and so I guess that the final lesson is that we all value human contact as much as you do and we all want to get back to normalcy too.” One of the challenges in giving students a definitive answer about how classes will be delivered in the fall is that DASA is not the only sector in charge of deciding whether a class will be online, hybrid or in person. According to Olson, decisions about indi-
vidual class sections or specific classes within colleges are up to individual college leaders such as deans, associate deans and department heads.The goal is to give professors and individual colleges more flexibility in meeting the unique needs of their students. Olson warns students though that even if class deliverance is face to face next year, not all student-faculty interactions may be. “What you might find more commonly might be, while your class experience is expected to be face to face, you may have more flexibility and freedom with your faculty to do an online office hour if you need them,” Olson said. “You may find that some of our services, say in academic and student affairs, may continue to be more of an online option, you know, in terms of things [like] counseling options or telehealth.” Overall, the biggest challenge that Olson foresees encountering in trying to return to traditional classes are COVID-19 outbreaks on campus and NC State’s uncertainty of how severely the student body will be affected. “Coronavirus is still going to be there,” Olson said. “It’s going to affect people in very, very different ways. So if it affects us more like a seasonal cold, well then, we are going to be OK. If it affects us more like a harsh flu outbreak, you know, then we need to consider the quarantine and isolation concepts that we’ve had in place for the past year. If we had an outbreak of COVID that happened on a floor, what do we do with that? It all depends on how many people are vaccinated.” If a student has questions about whether or not a particular class will be in person, Olson recommends asking the class professor exercising patience. “Don’t expect that they know everything yet because they simply don’t; none of us do,” Olson said. “We are simply doing the best job that we can to forecast and to really try and get into the classroom.”
GRAPHIC BY KYLE HOWE/TECHNICIAN
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Opinion TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
It’s been a year of COVID-19, applaud yourself for all you’ve accomplished in the past year It has officially been a year since COVID-19 changed our lives in March 2020, and it is bizarre to think about how much has changed since then. Most college students were takEmily ing classes in person, just Cooney Staff Columnist like any other semester, and looking forward to the upcoming spring break. As we know, that spring break was extended, and school from then on changed in ways we never anticipated. Reflecting over the past year is important as we should recognize how much we have all accomplished as college students during this time. I feel like every conversation I have had about the fact that COVID-19 began a
year ago has been rather sad and negative, which is understandable, but instead, we should focus on our successes amidst the chaos. By altering our perspective on this, we can find some silver linings and lift our spirits. Many of us are still taking all of our classes online, meaning we are essentially earning our degrees entirely through our computers. This has come with challenges no college student has ever had to navigate before. Personally, this time last year, I had only taken a few online courses and only one during a full semester. I always thought doing an entire semester of classes online would be too difficult and require extreme time-management skills that I did not possess. And while I believe that online school is definitely harder in many ways compared to in-person
classes, I am now pleasantly surprised at how well I have been able to adapt and succeed in a completely online environment. Plus, the fact that we have all been able to continue pursuing our degrees while the world is undergoing a pandemic is honestly quite extraordinary when you think about it. Especially considering the alternative to online school would be having to pause our college education for an indefinite amount of time. I think reflecting on the past year and all we have overcome as students is important right now. I often find myself complaining about online classes and how unfair it is that the pandemic has changed my college experience. It can be so easy to get frustrated about Zoom connections not working, not being able to see professors or students face
We Gottem
Patrick Delaney, a fourth-year studying English
to face and just the fact that college doesn’t feel the same as it used to. But unfortunately, complaining usually only makes me more upset or stressed. Instead, if we tried to change our mindset to be more positive and look at what we have all been able to accomplish over the past year, we could make the situation better for ourselves. I, for one, never thought I would be doing group presentations, projects, clubs or even jobs fully online, but taking a moment to think about the fact that I have done so somehow successfully despite all the obstacles makes me feel proud of myself, as all of us should. So as we approach the year mark of social distancing, masks and everything in between, I want every NC State student to recognize and be proud of their resilience throughout this time.
Opinion
6 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
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Student debt cancellation needs to be taken more seriously by elected officials There are often platform issues that become associated with the two major political parties in our democracy. To a degree, these platform issues shape what individuals become associated with that Kristina Beek political party, but as a colStaff Columnist lective, people have a great deal of influence on what kind of issues become important to elected officials. For instance, some of the Democratic Party’s platform issues are climate change, free health care for all and raising the minimum wage to $15. One issue that has become popular among young voters is student loan forgiveness. While it’s unsurprising that there is substantial debate on this, I find that not many people understand how paramount an issue this is. For the graduating class of 2019, 69% of students took out student loans to help pay for school, and the average it amounted to was $29,900. In total, the U.S. student loan debt is $1.71 trillion, placing a burden on individuals who decided to go to college. Student loan debt has a debilitating effect on individuals in terms
of what they are able to do after graduation, such as what career they can pursue, where they can live and what lengths they will have to take to pay this money back. What makes student loan forgiveness a political conversation, and therefore a platform issue, is that it is largely associated with the Democratic Party, which often aims to address ways in which the government can help the people. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest ways to help individuals in the United States is in the form of financial assistance. The only reason so many students feel obligated to go to college is because it is seen as the standard requirement to go into the workforce, so you will get paid a living wage. This being said, a college education is incredibly expensive, even if you are going to a state university, whether or not you come from a line of college-educated individuals or are a first generation student. As students and citizens, our best bet in getting some form of substantial student debt forgiveness is by calling our representatives. Some of the biggest advocates for debt forgiveness from public servants are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, none of whom represent North
Carolina but have strong footholds within the Democratic Party and often have opinions that resonate with younger age cohorts of voters. President Biden recently said in a CNN town hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that he will not back the cancellation of $50,000 in student loan debt, saying, “I’m prepared to write off the $10,000 debt, but not $50,000. I don’t think I have the authority to do it by the sign of a pen.” U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez criticized the president, saying his argument for student debt cancellation is looking shaky in terms of what he is against, and she isn’t wrong. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been pushing for $50,000 cancellation with the help of Sen. Warren, and it seems that it is only President Biden who is holding back. We should address student loan debt as what it really is: A business that preys on those who went to college to meet the standard expectation. When people say that anyone who took out student loans should pay it back, they aren’t necessarily wrong. When they say that student debt forgiveness should be out of the question, they are out of touch with the reality of the American dream that says going to col-
lege is the minimum if you want a respectable, well-paying job. In the midst of a pandemic, and perhaps for a long time after, paying back these loans will be harder than ever. If you are in the opposition of student loan forgiveness, I encourage you to reflect on the basis of this reasoning. With this cancellation of debt, the burden of paying back an expensive but obligatory education will be lifted, which is seemingly never-ending due to interest rates, and people can finally consider what it is they want in life. They won’t be stuck at a job they don’t like, and they won’t put off buying a house or having children. In fact, they won’t put off their entire lives, which is what many do, solely so they can live day to day to pay off a degree that they were encouraged to get by the society around them. It must be recognized that your voice, the things that you want and the rest of your life should matter, not only to you but also to the individuals you elected into office. For now, this possible legislation is on shaky ground, but with continued support, it won’t always be. Until then, keep discussing and advocating for these platform issues that will shape the future, hopefully for better and not for worse.
Late Night Snackin’
Kiara Bush, a second-year studying design studies and statistics
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Arts & Culture TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Hillsborough Street at a Year: The pandemic’s toll on local businesses Maria Almeida
Correspondent
As spring slowly creeps onto campus, students may start to show renewed interest for healthy living and spending more time in the sun. Many students are spending a lot more time in their dorm rooms and trying to eat
Events to keep an eye on for the week of March 11
Friday, March 12, 2 p.m. HOLLADAY HALL Free
Join the Department of History for a guided tour of the history of white supremacy that is still enshrined on NC State’s campus. Guides will explain the NC State’s history of white supremacy and anti-racist work through locations on campus, including building names and the land they are on.
RESUME BUILDING AND DEVELOPING YOUR LINKEDIN PRESENCE Friday, March 12, 4 p.m. VIRTUAL EVENT Price info RYAN FARISCHON/TECHNICIAN
A customer walks down Hillsborough Street after picking up take out on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020.
food and beverage locations on Hillsborough Street is due to the availability of to-go options as well as other methods of business outside of sit-down services. “A lot of our food and beverage merchants really were already ready to set up for mobile transient student business, and so they were well positioned for to-go and pickup orders, as well as delivery, ” Murison said. “Allowing them to adapt pretty quickly and maintain a base of business.” One of the businesses on Hillsborough Street that has survived despite many hardships faced during the pandemic is The Reader’s Corner. Coats said there were difficulties at the beginning of the pandemic in maintaining his bookstore. “We were shut down for two months,” Coats said. “I have six employees that need to eat. We kept paying them, which is all right, but we weren’t making any money.” Just as the internet was an important aspect
in the success of food and beverage locations, it has been vital for other kinds of business, such as The Reader’s Corner. Coats said his business was able to go above breaking even during the pandemic once online orders took off. “Totally unexpected from me, our internet sales suddenly tripled,” Coats said. “We made enough money off of the internet to feed everybody, so we just kept going.” There is hope for a return to normalcy eventually and even a chance for better business once cases die down and recovery can begin. “The Raleigh economic market is very strong, and the University is a national leader,” Murison said. “And that creates a solid economic engine, and we are confident that once we get through recovery, the elements driving the Hillsborough Street economy will be just as strong if not stronger after the pandemic.”
Of Mugs and Microwaves: Healthier dorm cooking tips
Sally Parker
THE RADAR COMPLICATED LEGACIES WALKING TOUR
Correspondent
It has been around a year since COVID-19 disrupted the lives of many and took over normal routines. During typical times, Hillsborough Street would be packed with students, faculty and staff grabbing a bite to eat, walking around or attending school events. However, the pandemic has impacted Hillsborough Street in many ways due to the uncertainty of the future. Jeff Murison, president and CEO of the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation (HSCSC), and Irv Coats, owner of the used bookstore The Reader’s Corner, gave insight into the COVID-19’s effect on the businesses of Hillsborough Street. According to Murison, food and beverage sales have dropped since last March, and although they have improved somewhat, they are still significantly down from sales before the pandemic. Murison also said 13 businesses have closed since the beginning of COVID-19, while 11 businesses, so far, have opened on Hillsborough Street during this time. The shut down of some of the 13 businesses was not solely due to loss of sales. Some owners decided to retire early as a result of the uncertainty of the pandemic, while others’ leases were coming to an end at the beginning of the pandemic, leading them to close up shop. Murison said he believes there was success on the horizon for those businesses if they were certain of a prosperous future. “Those successful businesses open during the initial months of the shutdown were likely to have survived, if it weren’t for the fact that their lease was up,” Murison said. Although there were many difficulties for businesses during the pandemic, there was triumph as well. While many businesses have been struggling to survive throughout COVID-19, some have experienced more success than before due to the niche of the shop or the service they provide. Murison mentioned the success of many
THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
out less. In this unusual year on campus, we turn our focus to dorm room cooking and the simple, but healthy, meals students can create. Natalie Cooke, director of undergraduate programs for nutrition science, said cooking a meal during the day may benefit your mental health.
“If you spend a lot of time in front of the computer screen watching lectures for your classes, writing papers or attending meetings via Zoom, there’s something really relaxing about being able to chop up some vegetables for a stir-fry or make a pizza from scratch,” Cooke said. “You might even learn how to prepare a
The NC State Technical Student Association and English professor Huiling Ding will host a webinar featuring tips and tricks on building your resume and developing your online presence. Ding will discuss how artificial intelligence tools screen resumes and LinkedIn networking strategies.
STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT/ VICE PRESIDENT DEBATES Friday, March 12, 7 p.m. VIRTUAL EVENT Free
Technician and Nubian Message will host the annual debate between student body president candidates and their running mates. There are two tickets this year: Erin Foote/ Madissen Keys and McKenzy Heavlin/Natalie Bress. Any students are invited to attend. The Zoom meeting ID is 917 2918 9505.
OUR FUTURES WITH AY-JAYE Sunday, March 14, 5 p.m. VIRTUAL EVENT Free
Our Futures is a series being hosted by the GLBT Center in which LGBTQ+ identifying individuals throughout the Triangle area will talk with NC State students about life, careers, etc. Anthony “Ay-Jaye” Nelson is a dancer in the Triangle area who has worked with renowned choreographers.
healthier take on a familiar, comfort food or meal.” Cooke recognizes it can be difficult to find time every day to cook, but she believes it’s important to do so occasionally with friends or family.
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“The student wel l ness d ays that are built in throughout the continued from page 7 semester are a nice time to practice your cooking skills, when you have a little bit more time to be intentional about trying out a new recipe, whether that’s alone in your dorm or apartment or collaboratively with your roommates or family,” Cooke said. During this semester, especially, students can use all the help they can get to start cooking and build up a sense of confidence in the kitchen. Lauren Smith, director of nutrition and wellness for Campus Enterprises, talked about the variety of ways that nutrition education programs on campus are working to provide resources and information to students on campus. The health and wellness resources are only growing, like being able to meet with a nutritionist to discuss eating habits. Among some of the new resources offered that students may see in the future is a “teaching kitchen” that will allow students to follow along with cooking demonstrations. “It is not fully open yet, but we’ve been using it for demos,” Smith said. “We did a demo for Valentine’s Day with Parents & Family Services and showed them how to build a charcuterie board, to have fun and feel fancy. We are also working on moving towards the idea of meal kits. We have had a few kinks in the road, but we plan to eventually have something where students can follow along. They’ll be able to buy a kit with those ingredients and then follow
MUGS
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along with the cooking demo.” While students might see school-provided meal kits in the future, for now they often have to rely on the basics of dorm cooking: microwaves and mugs. For students hunting for a easy recipe, Smith recommended this omelette in a mug recipe for students:
Omelette in a Mug: 1 microwave-safe mug Cooking spray or oil 2 eggs 1 tablespoon milk 1 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon finely chopped bell pepper or veggies of choice 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives or green onion (optional) Pinch of salt and pepper Spray or oil your mug. Combine the eggs and milk in your mug and beat well with a fork. Mix in the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Microwave in increments of 20-30 seconds, stirring in between each increment. Continue for about two minutes until the omelette has set. Garnish with additional ground pepper, cheese or herbs if desired. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from Simplyrecipes.com
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN FARISCHON AND RACHAEL DAVIS/TECHNICIAN
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Wolfpack vs. Miami on Friday, March 5, 2021.
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‘Back to back Pack’: women’s basketball wins ACC Championship in thriller over Louisville Tristan Tucker
a chance to build on that with the NCAA Tournament on the horizon. “That girl has got a lot of confidence,” For the second year in a row, the NC Moore said. “She’ll keep coming at you. State women’s basketball team sits atop You may double her, you may force her the ACC, beating the Louisville Cardinals into a turnover, but you’d better keep 58-56 in the 2021 ACC Championship. playing because she’s going to bring it No player was more clutch than graduback. Again, she made some big plays ate guard Raina Perez, who, with two down the stretch today, especially getseconds remaining on the clock, hit the ting to the foul line and knocking down game-winning jumper. free throws.” “I was honestly looking for the pass,” In the end, Boyd and senior forward Perez said. “I hadn’t made a shot all secKayla Jones each had ond half, so I think hu ge moment s of f I was k ind of more second-chance points, in my head. But then w it h Jones ea rning they doubled on [Cu“one more year” chants nane], and I was wide from the crowd followopen. I had to take it, ing the game. and what do you know, After Cunane split a it went in.” pair of late free throws, In the f leeting moit was the grad transfer ments of t he ga me, out of Cal State FullerLouisville’s Dana Evans ton, Raina Perez, who got the last shot up with clinched the Pack’s title just over a second left with her late jumper. on the clock. Despite After forcing a last-secmaking 199 3-pointers ond miss by Louisville, over the last three seathe balloons and consons, Evans missed at fetti came down inside the perfect moment for Greensboro Coliseum the Wof lpack, clinchwhile the crowd went ing the win. wild. “This team is just so “I don’t know where resilient and they just we’ d be w it hout f ind a way to win,” Raina,” Moore said. said head coach Wes “For her to come in and Mo ore . “Obv iou s ly first of all be accepted dug an eight-point defi— you’ve got to give cit there in the fourth our players credit, too, period, and they didn’t blink an eye, just kept CONTRIBUTED BY SARA D. DAVIS/THE ACC for having open arms NC State is named the 2021 ACC Women’s Basketball Champions in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, March 7, 2020. and being excited, but battling.” a lot of that has to do Junior center Elissa Cunane took home the tournament’s Most then Elissa Cunane...Unbelievable, all of ville got right back into the thick of things with Raina, not only as a player, again, Valuable Player award after putting up them. They just find a way to get it done.” behind a 10-2 run boasted by a couple she works, she comes in and prepares like a pro, but she also is just an unbelievable After allowing Louisville to get out to buckets from Elizabeth Dixon. 20 points, nine rebounds and three asDespite beginning the game in a shoot- person off the court, great personality, fun sists, with nine of her points coming in a quick 5-0 lead in the first quarter, the Wolfpack fought back after Perez scored ing cold spell, Evans quickly made up for to be around, and so that’s why it worked. crunch time. “It’s amazing to win back to back,” or assisted on three of the team’s first four it late in the third, getting six points in It doesn’t always work that way, but Raina Cunane said. “It’s tough in this league. buckets. At the end of the first quarter, that period alone. Evans continued her made it work on the court and off, and Winning once was hard. Winning twice Cunane was up to six points, and the team hot streak into the final quarter, helping our team is whole lot better because of it.” NC State will next prepare for the was harder. Especially through this sea- was able to take advantage of some sloppy Louisville build an eight-point lead off a NCAA Tournament held in San Antoson with COVID and everything, it’s just Louisville play to get easy buckets from pull up 3-pointer with 8:58 remaining. The final quarter was the most intense nio that begins Sunday, March 21. The sophomore wing Jakia Brown-Turner and amazing to be able to be on top again.” cage fight NC State has engaged in all year selection show will take place on Monday, NC State trailed by as many as eight sophomore forward Jada Boyd. NC State’s second quarter allowed the long, with both teams putting everything March 15 at 7 p.m. on ESPN. points in the fourth quarter before go“I think it’s more about just the heart ing on a run, prompted by the heroics of team to take the lead into halftime amidst on the line in their bids to win the chamCunane, as she had done all tournament a hotly contested game that featured sev- pionship. Cunane’s best work once again of a champion if you want to call it that,” long. While Louisville’s Evans turned it en first-half lead changes. The team was came late in the fourth quarter, getting Moore said. “They just found a way to on in the fourth quarter, the Pack got sev- aided by Cunane’s facilitator role that saw two late crucial foul calls to maintain a make plays, and as Jim Valvano would say, Never give up. They just keep coming.” eral legendary offensive boards en route her dish out a team-leading three assists Wolfpack lead. Cunane’s 70 points in the ACC Tournathrough the second quarter, including a to cutting down the nets. Senior guard Kai Crutchfield joined fantastic sequence that gave Crutchfield ment is the stuff of legend, and she’ll have Assistant Sports Editor
Cunane in being named to the All-Tournament First Team after playing stellar defense on the two-time ACC Player of the Year in Evans. Before a strong fourth quarter, Evans was shooting 20% from the floor due largely in part to ‘Clutchfield.’ “Again, several of those players — yesterday Kai Crutchfield stepped up unbelievably in the fourth period, and that’s a senior leader for you,” Moore said. “Kayla Jones has done that several times, another senior. Raina Perez, graduate student, and
a 3-pointer in the corner to take a lead. Despite committing eight turnovers, the Pack was able to ride phenomenal defense from Crutchfield through the first half; Crutchfield held Evans to just 1-of-5 shooting in the half. The Wolfpack came out of the gates on fire in the third quarter, riding an 8-0 run to take a seven-point lead to begin the period. After a cold tournament, BrownTurner led the way on that stretch, going on a personal 5-0 run. However, Louis-
TECHNICIAN 11 Sports Baseball needs a bounce-back series against Blue Devils at Durham Bulls Athletic Park TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Ben Ellis Staff Writer
The NC State baseball team will hit the road for the first time this season as it travels to Durham to take on the Duke Blue Devils in a weekend series starting Friday, March 12 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5 ACC) is coming off a series loss to Miami this past weekend, in which it won its first ACC game in the first game of the series but then lost the next two games for the team’s second series loss. The team showed vast improvements last week from the week prior, when it gave up 16 runs in a loss to UNCG and was swept by Georgia Tech, but it is still searching for its first ACC series win. The Blue Devils (6-6, 3-3 ACC) are coming off an 11-5 midweek home loss to East Carolina, but before that, they won two out of three games in a series win against Pitt. Their only other series win came at the beginning of the season on the road against Coastal Carolina, and they lost two out of three games to Boston College in their only other conference series. Duke has been a good hitting team thus far this season, ranking tied for second in the ACC with 122 hits, fourth in batting average at .290 and first in the country in doubles with 37. A player to keep an eye on for the Blue Dev-
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ils is RJ Schreck, who leads the team in hits, RBIs and home runs and is second in batting average. Another is Erikson Nichols, who along with Schreck, is hitting above .400. The Blue Devils have a total of six players that are hitting at or above .300 with at least 30 at-bats. Likely to be Duke’s starting pitcher Friday is Cooper Stinson, who has two wins in three starts this season and an ERA of 3.38. The starter on Saturday will likely be Henry Williams, who has two wins in three starts this season with an ERA of 3.31. One of the keys for the Pack to win this series will be how it plays down the stretch of the games. In several of its losses this season, the Pack has given up leads in the latter half of games and allowed game-breaking innings to its opponents, including innings of seven and six runs against UNCG, an inning of five runs in one of the losses against Georgia Tech and another inning of five runs in the series finale against Miami. The NC State pitching staff showed general improvement this past week from the week prior, but the group has no easy task this weekend against a good hitting team in Duke. The Wolfpack bats have shown signs of promise at times this season, recently with a 14-run performance against Campbell and an 11-run outing in the series-opener against
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Junior outfielder Jonny Bulter celebrates at home plate after he hits a home run in the game versus the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday, March 7, 2021 in Doak Field at Dail Park. The Hurricanes beat the Wolfpack 6-4.
Miami. The Pack could be in for another fireworks show this weekend, as the Blue Devils recently gave up 11 runs to East Carolina and 10 runs in a loss to Boston College earlier in the season.
The action begins Friday at 4 p.m. and will continue Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All games will be broadcasted on the ACC Network Extra.
Dalton Feeney willing to take over whatever role is needed for Pack9 Will Thornhill Staff Writer
NC State baseball’s redshirt junior righthanded pitcher Dalton Feeney has been through a lot during his time in Raleigh. From missing the 2018 season due to injury to having COVID-19 cancel most of last season, Feeney is ready to take on the 2021 season. Thanks to an NCAA waiver that allows spring athletes to have another year of eligibility, Feeney is back for his fifth year in Raleigh. “I wanted to come back,” Feeney said at baseball media day Feb. 17. “I wanted to make another run at Omaha.” During his time at NC State, Feeney has seen different roles in head coach Elliott Avent’s pitching staff. He has started games, been a long reliever in the middle of games
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Redshirt sophomore pitcher, Dalton Feeney pitches the ball. Feeney pitched three innings and had three strikeouts in the Wolfpacks 8-7 win against the Virginia Cavaliers on Sunday, March 31, 2019 at Doak Field at Dail Park.
and also been a closer for the Wolfpack. With the season still young and NC State struggling to find an identity in the bullpen, Feeney is willing to take whatever role is needed to try to help his team get out of an early season slump. “I can fit in different roles,” Feeney said. “The thing that I look at is what can I do to help this team and that’s what I am here for.” Coming to NC State all the way from Bismarck, North Dakota, Feeney has been a staple in the NC State pitching staff during his time here. His best season was in 2019, where he had a 1.86 ERA in 23 appearances for a total of 29 innings pitched and picked up seven saves. With the long offseason due to the pandemic, Feeney did not take a break. Hoping his chance would come again to pitch at the Doak, he and other mem- FEENEY continued page 13
Sports 12 TECHNICIAN Wolfpack softball looks to ride momentum against ranked Virginia Tech Hokies squad THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021
Kat Peters Staff Writer
After going 3-1 in a weekend series against Georgia Tech, the NC State softball team will continue ACC play in a four-game series against No. 16 Virginia Tech beginning Friday, March 12. The Pack (11-3, 7-3 ACC) stayed consistent with a strong offense over the course of the series against Georgia Tech, only falling in the second game on Saturday, March 6 by two runs but collecting two of its three wins via walk-off. Virginia Tech (7-2, 4-2 ACC) has not been in play due to COVID-19 protocols since the last game of its series against Florida State. The Hokies went 2-1 in that series, losing only the first game 7-1. In their season-opening weekend, Virginia Tech swept nonconference opponent Kennesaw State, who has since gone 6-9 on the season. The Hokies prevented Kennesaw from scoring at all over those three games. The Hokies have also taken on No. 25 Clemson earlier this season and were able to secure two wins in three games, one of which left Clemson scoreless. Clemson currently sits second in the ACC, with its only two losses coming from this Virginia Tech team. This should be proof to NC State that Virginia Tech should be taken seriously as an opponent. What really stands out about this Virginia Tech team is its pitching staff. Pitcher Keely
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Rochard has a record of 5-1 this season with an ERA of 0.57 over 37 innings pitched. Her ERA is second in the ACC, and she is sixth in the conference with 42 batters struck out. Rochard was selected as the Wilson/NCFA Pitcher of the Week for the fourth time of her career on Feb. 23. Virginia Tech shows depth in its offense, starting with infielder Cameron Fagan leads Virginia Tech with a batting average of .387. Catcher Grace Chavez leads the team with four home runs this season and six other players have recorded one home run. Additionally, utility player Jayme Bailey has nine RBIs this season, followed by Fagan and infielder Meredith Slaw with seven. As the season progresses, the Wolfpack is consistently showing how dominant it is. Offensively, NC State has three batters that have recorded five home runs this season. With pitchers redshirt sophomore Sydney Nester and redshirt senior Abby Trahan on the mound, this defense has been able to help the powerful offense stay ahead. This series should bring some heat to the Pack as it continues ACC play. If NC State is able to correct mistakes seen against Georgia Tech, like allowing runs early in the game, Virginia Tech will have a harder time securing a win this weekend. The first game of four will be played Friday, March 12 at 5 p.m. at Dail Softball Stadium. It will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
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COMMENTARY: Which women’s teams should get a No. 1 seed
Sophomore outfielder Angie Rizzi sprints away from home plate towards first base at the NC State vs. Niagara softball match at Dail Softball Stadium on Friday, March 23, 2018. The Wolfpack won the match against the Eagles 9-1.
Kevin Sebastian Staff Writer
Determining which women’s basketball teams deserve to be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament is tough when there are so many good teams to consider. Each team has their own perceived strengths and weaknesses, but the one thing they all share is their ability to win games this season. It is so hard to differentiate skill levels between these teams, but the best criteria for this sort of measurement is to look at each team’s schedule or resume. Even if a team is considered “better” than another team battling for that top spot, if their schedule proves otherwise, the NCAA selection committee won’t make them a top seed. With that established, I will be following that same line of reasoning when determining which teams
deserve to be a No. 1. Connecticut: 24-1 Death, taxes and UConn basketball dominating For a team synonymous with women’s basketball, it’s jarring when you realize UConn hasn’t won an NCAA crown since 2016, a long drought by the Huskies’ standards. But make no mistake, this is still the same dominant UConn squad as your grandfather’s UConn teams, and it proved that in the regular season with just a single blemish on the resume. Twenty-four is a lot of anything, especially wins for a college basketball team, and that’s what gives UConn the No. 2 spot in the most recent NET rankings (through March 8). If you want to make the case for UConn to be a No. 1 seed in the tournament, you don’t have to; its schedule does it for you. The Huskies
have the fewest losses out of the teams considered for a No. 1, and the sheer dominance of the Huskies against their opponents makes them a lock. If by some fluke chance UConn doesn’t get a No. 1 seed, it’ll be because of strength of schedule. While the Huskies are second in the NET, a second loss to a weak Big East team could have sent them tumbling down the rankings. Its biggest success was a really good win against the vaunted South Carolina Gamecocks, but after that is a game against a then-No. 17 ranked DePaul team. UConn’s only other challenge this season was a road game against a ranked Arkansas Razorbacks squad, which was a loss. Still, there’s something to be said for having the fewest losses of all the best teams in the country, and if that doesn’t get you a No.
1 seed, what’s the point of having a regular season? Verdict: Yes, UConn will get a No. 1 seed. Stanford - 25-2 Not having Stanford as a one-seed would be a cardinal sin The only reason UConn hasn’t been named the presumptive favorite for the title, and why there’s a debate for which basketball team is the best in the country, is because of how great Stanford has played this season. Even with UConn in the field, there’s still an argument to be made for the best team in the country for the Stanford Cardinal. Stanford somehow earned more victories than the Huskies. Twenty-five wins in a good Pac-12 conference is nothing to sneeze at, and I’m sure the committee will take that into consideration. The NET rankings have already
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considered that, and that’s why Stanford holds the top spot there. And with all the debate over whether UConn’s strength of schedule merits a high ranking, there are no such arguments made against the Cardinal, with Stanford beating top-15 teams such as Arizona, UCLA and Oregon — and each of them twice. They have a bad loss to a mediocre Colorado team, but a 6-1 record proves Stanford belongs in the upper echelon of teams. The Cardinal has proved all year it deserves to be in the discussion for a No. 1 overall ranking, let alone a No. 1 seed in the tournament. So, if UConn is a virtual lock to be a No. 1, then Stanford being a No. 1 seed is a given. Verdict: Yes, Stanford will get a No. 1 seed. South Carolina - 22-4 The chances this team gets a No. 1 seed have gone south. The Gamecocks were on the short list of potential national champions going into this season, and they still are, but the criteria to be national champions and be a No. 1 seed are different. South Carolina figures to have a tough time getting one of those coveted one-seeds. Let’s start with the positives: The Gamecocks have seven wins against then-ranked opponents in the regular season. The four losses they have are all against ranked teams, and they managed to keep those games competitive. Finally, South Carolina won the SEC Tournament, and winning the conference championship goes a long way towards cementing No. 1 seed status. However, there are factors outside of South Carolina’s control that prevent it from getting a one-seed, namely the dominance of UConn and Stanford. The play of the Huskies and the Cardinal have virtually left only two spots for the rest of the field to compete for. South Carolina lost to one of the teams competing for those spots, NC State, and other teams like Baylor and Maryland have more impressive resumes. There’s a lot that needs to happen for South Carolina to be the top team in their bracket, specifically, both Baylor and Maryland not winning their conference tournaments, and that’s too high of a bar for me. Verdict: No, South Carolina will not earn a No. 1 seed. Louisville - 23-3, Texas A&M - 23-2 Misery loves company, and these two teams will have fun facing tough teams in the Elite Eight I grouped Louisville and Texas A&M together because I find their resumes to be similar. Both have a smattering of wins against ranked opponents, and both have the same fatal flaw which gives them both the same verdict. Louisville has a few wins against ranked opponents, and so does TAMU, though the Aggies have them in greater abundance and against better opponents. Regardless of the quality of their wins, both have bad losses on their resumes, Florida State in Louisville’s case and LSU in the case of TAMU. Both still might’ve been No. 1 seeds if not for one thing: They didn’t win their conference championships. Louisville came the closest, losing by two points to a great NC State team in the championship, so the Cardinals have an outside chance at getting a one-seed if both Baylor and Maryland implode. Still, not having a conference championship would diminish their resume when comparing the Cardinals to other teams like South Carolina.
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Head coach Wes Moore and sophomore center Elissa Cunane hug after winning the championship game of the 2020 ACC Women’s Tournament versus the Florida State Seminoles in the Greensboro Coliseum. This is the Wolfpack’s first ACC tournament victory since 1991. The Wolfpack beat the Seminoles 71-66.
In the case of TAMU, not even making the conference championship game ruined any chance of the Aggies getting a top spot. For that reason, I just don’t see either of these teams overtaking NC State, Maryland or Baylor at this stage. Verdict: Neither team will get a top spot. Maryland - 21-2 Slow and steady wins the race, and these turtles may have won the race for a one-seed The Terps are one of those teams that control their destiny but aren’t a lock for a No. 1 seed just yet. Maryland’s schedule hasn’t concluded yet, so it’s hard to know for sure, but there’s a strong argument to be made that if Maryland wins out and wins the Big 10 championship, they’ll be the highest seed in their side of the bracket. With a couple of wins against ranked teams, the Terrapins have the prototypical No. 1 resume. Even the losses Maryland suffered weren’t at all bad: A two-point loss to a top-20 Ohio State team didn’t affect the perception of Maryland as a good team, and an early loss to upstart Missouri State hasn’t been as detrimental as previously thought. The Big 10 Tournament provides a good opportunity to beat some good schools, including Ohio State and the Michigan Wolverines, who the Terps have already beat this season and have a high enough ranking to vault Maryland into the top four if they beat
them again. With an opportunity to pick up more wins in the conference tournament, it’s hard keeping the Terrapins from a one-seed. If they don’t, it provides room for a team like NC State to leapfrog them. Verdict: Yes, if they win their conference championship, which is highly likely, Maryland will be a No. 1 seed. If not, then no. NC State - 20-2 Made quite the State-ment with its rollercoaster play this season Along with Maryland and Baylor, NC State is one of those teams I believe has a real shot at competing for the one-seeds not occupied for Stanford or UConn. To its credit, the Wolfpack has done everything in its power to put itself in position for one of those No. 1 seeds: NC State won the ACC title over a really good Louisville squad and consistently beat its opponents for the most part. There’s one thing on NC State’s resume that sets them apart from the rest of the pack, however, and that’s two wins against No.1-ranked teams: the aforementioned Louisville Cardinals (the first of two NC State wins over the highly touted Cardinals) and the South Carolina Gamecocks. But alas, the committee not only uses quality wins when determining seeding but also the quality of their losses, and NC State dropped not only one but two stinkers to mediocre teams. At such a critical juncture, and with little room for error, losing to North Carolina
and Virginia Tech really pulled the Wolfpack back, even if they avenged those losses. Unlike South Carolina, NC State only needs one of either Baylor or Maryland to lose to guarantee a one-seed, but a one-seed is by no means set in stone for the Wolfpack. Verdict: Maybe — the path to a No. 1 seed for NC State exists, but as of now, I’m inclined to lean toward the Wolfpack not getting a oneseed. Baylor - 22-2 Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the chances of getting a one-seed The Baylor Lady Bears don’t necessarily have the strongest resume to warrant giving them a No. 1 seed. Instead, the still-technically reigning champions rested their laurels on a high preseason ranking to give them the aura of being a top team. Thus far this season, the Lady Bears have given the committee no indication they should think otherwise. Losses to a ranked Arkansas team and a decent Iowa State squad haven’t done enough to get rid of that aura of invincibility. The Lady Bears have registered just one win against a ranked opponent all season, but they have the chance to add a few more in the Big 12 Tournament. Like Maryland, Baylor will more than likely earn a No. 1 seed if it wins its conference championship. If they manage to come across West Virginia, Oklahoma State or Iowa State, good teams that boost Baylor’s reputation further, it’ll further solidify Baylor’s standing as a No. 1 seed. Verdict: Yes, if they win their conference championship, which is almost definite, Baylor will be a No. 1 seed. If no, then Maryland losing is necessary for the Lady Bears to make it in. Most Likely Scenario No. 1 seeds: Stanford, UConn, Baylor, Maryland No. 2 seeds: NC State, South Carolina, Louisville, Texas A&M bers of the NC State pitching staff went to continued from page 11 work. “ We j u s t went right to work, we tried to get one step ahead everyday,” Feeney said. “When we came back in the fall, everybody was clicking on all cylinders.” Listed at 6 feet, 3 inches and 226 pounds, Feeney is visually intimidating to opposing batters. However, to have success on the mound in the ACC, it takes more than just intimidation. So far in the 2021 season, things have not panned out the way Feeney would have imagined. In four appearances for a total of 2.1 innings pitched, Feeney has given up three earned runs, which has his ERA currently at 11.57. He has proven during his time at NC State that he can be a trustworthy option out of the bullpen. That being said, time is running out on his NC State career, and now would be the perfect time for him to get back to being the dominant force on the mound he has proven he can be. Feeney and his teammates will be back in action Friday, March 12 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to start a three-game set with Duke. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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