Women Lead the Pack — Technician 3/25/21

TECHNICIAN MARC H 25, 2021

VOL . 101 | NO. 15

Women Lead the Pack

Celebrating NC State women’s history See Page 9

Contents

2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

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WHAT YOU MISSED:

IN THIS ISSUE: page

04

The Women’s Center presents Women’s HERstory Month 2021

A quick look at the headlines in and outside of NC State

Village Green fire displaces 97 residents A massive fire at the Village Green apartment complex off of Lake Wheeler Road rendered 24 units inhabitable on Monday morning. The cause of the fire is unknown as 77 NC State students and 20 additional residents have been displaced. According to the Raleigh Police Department, all residents were evacuated safely and only one individual was reported to have minor injuries.

NEWS

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NC State must stand against Asian American hate

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NC State Jenkins MBA student on Forbes 30 Under 30 list

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In a nationwide attempt to get Americans vaccinated, Krispy Kreme is offering a free original glazed donut to any person who presents their valid vaccination card at the counter. Vaccinated individuals can go back every day in 2021 for a free donut, if they so choose.

(919) 515-2563

Counseling Center:

(919) 515-2423

(919) 515-3000

Women’s Center:

(919) 515-2012

Sexual Assault Helpline:

(919) 515-4444

GLBT Center:

(919) 513-9742

Student Legal Services:

SOURCE: CBS

India places a temporary hold on Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine exports As India faces a surge in COVID-19 cases, they have halted all exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, affecting 190 countries in the Covax initiative. Domestic demand has taken precedence over global demand as the country hopes to vaccinate 600 million doses within seven months. The decision comes as SII, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has put a hold on Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipments to the U.K., Brazil and more.

SPORTS

(919 )515-7091

Multicultural Student Affairs:

(919) 515-3835 COVER BY NOAH WEAVER

SOURCE: BBC NEWS Editor-in-Chief Rachael Davis

323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online

Gov. Roy Cooper loosens COVID-19 restrictions statewide

Krispy Kreme offers free donuts to vaccinated individuals

Ally Henson bringing positivity, confidence in second year with Pack track and field

Student Health Services:

University Police:

SOURCE: THE NEWS & OBSERVER

ARTS & CULTURE

page

SOURCE: TECHNICIAN

Due to the statewide decline in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday that some restrictions would be eased. Although the mask mandate has not lifted, retail stores and salons are allowed to operate at 100% capacity, and the alcohol curfew has been lifted.

Among other highlights, restaurants, breweries and gyms will reopen at 75% capacity, and the gathering size limit will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

OPINION

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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 25, 2021

Village Green apartments residents displaced after massive fire renders 24 units uninhabitable Caitlyn Mahoney Assistant News Editor

&

Cassie Englund News Editor

On March 22, a massive fire destroyed part of the roof of an apartment building at Village Green apartments, displacing 97 current NC State students and 20 other residents, according to Justine Hollingshead, assistant vice chancellor of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA). The fire started between 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. at 2110 Thesis Circle off of Lake Wheeler Road, according to the Raleigh Police Department.

According to Hollingshead, Village Green made the decision to cancel all contracts for residents affected by the fire, contradicting a previous announcement that Village Green would relocate students either within the complex or at sister properties.

James Pearce, a chief fire investigator for the Raleigh Fire Department, said units were first dispatched to the scene around 9:24 a.m. and arrived around 9:29 a.m.

Pearce says that the fire was marked as “under control” at 11 a.m.

Justin Lin, a fourth-year studying business administration, said he first found out about the fire between 10 and 10:30 a.m.

“My roommate texted me and was like ‘Hey, our apartment is apparently on fire,’” Lin said. “You know, at first...I literally scrolled down on my phone to check the date because I thought it was an April Fool’s joke.”

Everyone who was at the apartment at the time of the fire was evacuated safely, according to Pearce; however, one resident was reported to have minor injuries. Pearce did not have an exact head count as to how many of the 97 registered residents were there when the fire began.

Dani Carter, a third-year studying animal science, talked about what it was like for residents in the building when the fire began.

“I was actually asleep in bed when it was happening,” Carter said. “I woke up to the sirens because the fire alarms didn’t go off at first, and I looked out my window and there were a bunch of people staring at my building and I was like ‘Oh, that’s weird.’

Then, the fire alarm started to go off, so obviously, I grabbed my cat and my phone, no shoes, and I looked to my right, and the whole building was just engulfed in flames.”

Raleigh police originally reported the fire began on a second floor balcony of the apartment. It then caught on the vinyl exterior walls and worked its way up where it

CONTRIBUTED BY DANI CARTER

burned through the roof and severely damaged a large portion of the third floor units.

The fire rendered the entire building and its 24 units uninhabitable, according to Pearce. Twelve of the units, mostly on the top floor, were deemed uninhabitable due to severe damage caused by the fire directly.

The remaining 12 units were uninhabitable due to fire-related damage, such as water damage from the sprinkler system, the firefighters’ suppression efforts and damage from debris from the collapsed roof.

“The fire sprinkler system does its job inside, which is to try and conserve property and save lives,” Pearce said. “But when the fire originates on the exterior and…burns up and out and then gets on the roof, that sprinkler system, it will still save lives and some property, but then...you have to do suppression efforts, which in turn causes a lot of water to get into the building.”

Pearce said his investigation revealed that the fire was started by accidental means not related to smoking mechanisms, such as cigarettes. He could not give the exact cause of the fire due to North Carolina policies.

Carter said the fire itself was not the most shocking part. For her, the aftermath was extremely difficult because that’s when the shock began to wear off.

“It had started to settle in a little bit, like ‘Wow, I might not have a place to live anymore. I might not be able to live with my roommates anymore,’” Carter said. “My whole world was just turned upside down.”

Carter said Village Green has been working with the residents to schedule times to safely collect belongings from the salvageable rooms. Lin, however, was unable to collect his things due to the severity of the fire.

“Walking up the stairs and just seeing all the debris and the ash and stuff, and then walking into my room and seeing that there was no ceiling.” Lin said. “Half the ceiling was on my desk crushing my TV. Half my furniture was on my bed, and everything was covered in ash and water. Just seeing all of that and seeing all of my stuff just destroyed, that was kind of when I was just like ‘Oh, yeah, I really just have to start over now.’”

Although Lin believed he was one of the more unlucky residents, he was incredibly thankful to have received support from the community to help move him forward after the fire.

“As soon as my friends found out that my apartment burned down, actually about seven or eight of them messaged me and were like ‘Hey, dude, do you have, like, a

place to stay? Like bro, my house is open, my apartment is open,’” Lin said. “Even a bunch of random people asked if I had a place to say... Just for me, that means a lot.”

Carter also shared similar experiences of community after the fire and recounted how people stepped up and helped out while the fire was being put out.

“While we were sitting outside, waiting for the fire... I think I had about five people that were like, ‘Do you want a sweatshirt?

Do you want a jacket? Do you want me to run back into my room and grab shoes?’”

Carter said. “I think that was a very important part. Like, so many people were offering to help pure strangers they had never seen in their life, which I really appreciated because it was obviously a very stressful situation for us.”

According to Carter, multiple organizations, such as NC State’s Pack Essentials and the American Red Cross, came to the residents’ aid that day.

Even with the resources being offered by NC State, residents still have the financial burden of purchasing everything they lost in the fire. For Lin, this includes his school computer. His fraternity brothers created a

VILLAGE GREEN continued page 5

News

4 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

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GRAPHIC BY KYLE HOWE/TECHNICIAN

The Women’s Center presents Women’s HERstory Month 2021: Our Voices, Our Bodies, Our Stories: The Revolution Within Us Amber Detwiler Staff Writer

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Women’s Center presented “Women’s HERstory Month 2021: Our Voices, Our Bodies, Our Stories: The Revolution Within Us.” Lisa LaBarberaMascote, director of the Women’s Center, said it hosted multiple events this March to explore the relationships between women’s history and personal experiences.

According to LaBarbera-Mascote, the goal of the month-long event is to explore how different environments shape women and how these experiences can be used to spark change and build a sustainable revolution.

“We started the month off with a collaborative keynote with Multicultural [Student] Affairs and the African American Cultural Center, which was an emergent conversation that featured Yaba Blay, Natalie Bullock Brown, Kali Fillhart, as well as Joanay Tann from the Cultural Center,” LaBarbera-Mascote said. “That was a really big jump off to the month and collaboration from not only thinking about the

themes from Black History Month but also weaving into Women’s HERstory Month as well.”

In addition to being a part of the keynote, Kali Fillhart, a fourth-year studying anthropology and a programming intern at the Women’s Center, hosted an event called “Untangling Our Roots.”

“The theme for Women’s History Month this year is really about learning our histories, learning our contexts, all of that to move forward and in a revolution that is genuine and sustainable,” Fillhart said. “[Untangling Our Roots] was to help us really get grounded in our context. We spent an hour and a half doing some light research about our cultural contexts, our personal context... We went through like the [NC State University] Libraries and looked at timelines regarding different identities on campus, like women on campus, African Americans on campus.”

There are two remaining events students can participate in, including a research presentation on Friday, March 26 called “Exploiting Inequity: A Pandemic’s Gendered and Racial Toll on the Women and

Families in North Carolina.” According to LaBarbera-Macoste, the event is based on qualitative research by the North Carolina Department of Administration’s Council for Women Advisory Board.

“They talked to a number of people in the state to get firsthand perspectives on the impacts of COVID,” LaBarbera-Mascote said. “We’ll be talking about what this research and information means for us in North Carolina, specifically, within our roles at NC State. We have this information, so what can we do to impact and make some change?”

Elizabeth Moran, a graduate assistant for the Women’s Center, will host the final event, “Honoring Ourselves as History: A Journaling Workshop” on Wednesday, March 31.

“The focus of it is honoring our history as we are moving forward in the revolution and in our own personal revolutions,” Moran said. “So how we are using our words and tapping into that particular outlet of self-expression to enhance our ability to think about where we’ve come from and everything that has informed who we are

right now as people...that includes identities as a woman or as a nonbinary individual, as a student, as a parent, or friend, or sister, all those different roles that people play.”

LaBarbera-Mascote said Women’s HERstory Month events have benefitted from the collaborations between various campus entities, including Campus Community Centers and the NC State Council on the Status of Women, among others.

“Most of the time, you don’t get to see how much work women and femmes have put into the world,” Fillhart said. “It’s super important because we get to learn where we come from. That’s really what my event last week was about is understanding the timelines and understanding that we’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re really just harvesting the information from people who’ve been doing this work for centuries and centuries... That’s so powerful for people who often feel alone or feel like they’re the only ones doing this work.”

Anyone is welcome to register for the remaining Women’s HERstory Month events on the Women’s Center website.

News

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

NC State begins offering free COVID-19 vaccinations at Student Health Center Caitlyn Mahoney Assistant News Editor

&

Cassie Englund News Editor

Starting Wednesday, March 24, NC State will begin vaccinating people who have preregistered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m in Talley Student Union. NC State will first vaccinate students and staff who are at least 65 years old, have medical conditions and are classified as group one under the University’s “Return to Campus/Spring Refresh” plans.

The vaccines are free and available to all students and staff.

Students and staff can register through a link provided by NC State, where they will enter their health information. This information determines what group a person belongs to and when they can be scheduled for their vaccine appointment. After a person has received their shot, they will be monitored for 15 minutes to detect any severe reactions.

According to Student Health Interim Pharmacy Manager Lauren Watkins, approximately 12,000 people preregistered for vaccine appointments. As of Monday, March 22, Dr. Julie Casani, director of Student Health, said the University hopes to vaccinate up to 300 people per day.

“We are excited about that number, a little overwhelming, but we’re excited about it,” Casani said.

Watkins said she has been working on a team within Student Health, along with Casani, to bring vaccine distribution to campus since late December.

“Basically, my job has been to help behind the scenes, kind of pull things together, figure out the vaccine preparation side of things,” Watkins said. “So, the pharmacy is taking a large part in the storage and preparation of the vaccine, and we’re kind of working together as a university to do the registrations and make sure everybody gets the vaccine appropriately.”

According to Watkins, members of the team went to the UNC-Chapel Hill Friday Center last month to learn about the inner workings of large-scale vaccination locations. Currently, Student Health receives a different number of allocated first doses from the state each week. According

NC State is creating a plan to ensure all students will be fully vaccinated before the semester ends.

According to Watkins, accessibility is another main goal of offering vaccinations on campus, so they will be available to those in student housing or nearby.

“I feel like the hope of everyone who’s been involved in this is just to offer accessible vaccination in a very centralized location that is accessible to our entire campus community, whether that’s students, faculty, staff,” Watkins said. “I feel like, regardless of who we’re talking about, our goal is to offer accessible care for the campus community and to do it in an area that is very convenient for them to get to on our campus.”

Certain counties have experienced a surplus of vaccinations. While Casani doesn’t believe NC State will experience a surplus, she acknowledges the possibility of people canceling or not showing up for their appointments.

Since vaccines have to be used by a certain date, they would call people on a list or ask people outside of Talley Student Union to receive their shots.

Casani said NC State received a grant of between $350,000 - $500,000 from the federal program to vaccinate students and staff. Since NC State received the vaccines for free, the money will be spent on supplies and personnel.

Students and staff can preregister for vaccine appointments here. Further information about the vaccine plan can be found at Protect The Pack’s KYLE HOWE/TECHNICIAN FAQ.

to Watkins, the University received 600 first-dose vaccines this week. Second doses automatically ship from the manufacturer after first doses, so they are not included in varying weekly allocations.

Casani said the University can confirm a person’s age or employment status, but they do not require someone to show proof of a medical condition.

“We’re trusting that people will tell the truth,” Casani said. “Ultimately, we’re getting everyone vaccinated, so I don’t think that people need to push ahead.”

cines both require two doses and provide around 90% protection against COVID-19, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires one dosage and provides between 70%-80% coverage. Despite the difference in coverage, Casani said all vaccines provide strong protection against severe symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the Pfizer vaccine can only be taken by those 16 and older and people must wait three weeks before receiving the second dose. The CDC also

Medical conditions that would put a person in the priority group include diseases and chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease and other immunocompromised illnesses.

Casani said that NC State will be receiving the Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine. However, she said students and staff will not be able to choose what type of vaccine they will receive.

“The reason is because we want people to get vaccinated with whatever vaccine we have, and we are allocated by the state,” Dr. Casani said. “We don’t have a choice of what vaccines we get allocated to us.”

Watkins agreed with Casani, saying vaccination is important in the process to reopen campus and the world as a whole.

“Quite frankly, … the best way for us to get back to some sense of normalcy is to get whichever vaccine’s available,” Watkins said. “The trials have been good.”

Casani said the Moderna and Pfizer vac-

states the Moderna vaccine can be taken by people 18 or older and those with their first dose must wait four weeks to receive their second dose. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also administered to people 18 years old and above.

After getting the vaccine, some people may experience some symptoms including chills, soreness and tiredness. However, it is possible for a person to not experience any symptoms.

While the vaccine is not mandatory for students and staff to return to campus, Casani said she highly recommends receiving it to create herd immunity, even if a person has already been infected. According to Casani, about 80% of people need to either have natural immunity or have been vaccinated to create this herd immunity.

Casani said NC State is aware some students are worried they won’t be near campus to receive their second dosage of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Casani said

GoFundMe

VILLAGE GREEN page to help

cover some of the essentials. According to Lin, the last time he had checked it, they had raised $1,200 of the $5,000 goal.

“Honestly, I am shocked we even got that much,” Lin said. “Everybody that has donated and just all the support I have gotten is just overwhelming, honestly.”

All of the residents of Village Green will have a long recovery process. Both Carter and Lin expressed deep gratitude towards the community, NC State and their friends and family for helping them during this time.

For more information about resources available to Village Green residents, visit the Pack Essentials website. To connect with a trained professional to talk about the incident, visit the NC State Counseling Center website.

continued from page 3

Opinion

6 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

NC State must stand against Asian American hate { EDITORIAL }

themselves on Asian, Asian On March 22, Multicultural American and Pacific Islander Student Affairs hosted a virtual The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the members of communities. These communivigil for the victims of the AtTechnician’s lanta spa shootings on March editorial board, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief. ties have been dangerously misrepresented and stereotyped for 16. Six of these victims, Daoytoo long, and in order to comou Feng, Delaina Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, body, and we cannot continue watching bat hate, we must be able to recognize all forms of it.

Xiaojie Tan and Yong A. Yue, were Asian this problem fester from the sidelines.

We also encourage students, staff and It is even more disappointing to hear no women, highlighting the disturbing rise in anti-Asian and Pacific Islander bigotry official statement from the University re- faculty affected by the recent events to over the past year. The virtual vigil was garding the attack on the virtual vigil. NC prioritize their health and utilize the variinstantly bombarded by racist attacks State has already disappointed us time ous resources compiled by the Counseland disturbing imagery, which included and time again with their response to rac- ing Center. We must also not forget to a swastika, from various unidentified at- ism and discrimination on campus, and check in on our Asian American and tendees, which resulted in the vigil lock- we cannot let the University once again Pacific Islander student organizations ing down. Following the coordinated slide on their commitment to diversity and communities, as these communities attack, no attendees voluntarily used the and equity. If the University truly cares are the ones facing the harshest blowback voice feature during the vigil and, as of about its Asian and Pacific Islander stu- from the recent, painful events.

Hate cannot be allowed both on and off right now, no report on the incident has dents, staff and faculty, it must not only condemn the attack on the virtual vigil, our campus, whether miles away or right been filed to university police.

It is obvious from the attack on the vir- but hold the harassers accountable and in front of our Zoom screens. As members tual vigil that even our own communities ensure this does not happen again. The of the NC State community, we must acat NC State are not immune to the rise in University must also be transparent with tively work towards a fair and equitable racism experienced throughout the pan- their process on who these people were society, and that includes our peers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. demic. As students, we cannot allow anti- and how they will punish them.

We encourage students, staff and facAsian and Pacific Islander sentiments to continue spreading within the student ulty to educate and continue educating

Talking Hands Against Hate

Sunshine Chang, a fourth-year studying Design Studies

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Head back to the classroom with zeal Enrollment for classes this fall is approaching, and with the recent update about the fall semester returning to normal operations, there are a lot of changes coming our way. This can be an exciting Emily and anxious time for many Cooney students, as we have not had Staff Columnist a normal semester since the COVID-19 pandemic turned our lives upside down.

When I went to plan out my fall classes and saw that they were all going to be in person, it was an odd feeling. We have been in online classes for so long that I assumed at least most of my classes would still be online.

Personally, my initial reaction was that I was concerned about the idea of having all inperson classes again, especially since I have finally gotten used to online school. Like many, I tried taking some in-person classes in the fall semester of 2020, and to be honest, I was relieved when they transitioned classes to be all online. I was not happy about having to do online classes again, but I was happy I did not have to deal with the fear and awkwardness of going to in-person classes during a pandemic.

Plus, in that same semester, students were already having to miss class due to testing positive for the virus or being in contact with someone who tested positive. At least for me, this definitely left me feeling nervous about going back to in-person classes.

Having said all of this, I am excited about being back to a non-condensed semester and in-person classes this coming fall because I am hopeful that we are moving into the right direction with vaccination and testing plans for a safe semester. I think it’s going to be great to be able to be on campus more and have things somewhat back to normal.

However, it can be difficult to keep this positive mindset right now.

It is important to realize that if we try to look on the bright side during this crazy time and be grateful for the opportunity to be back in in-person classes, we can enjoy it. Especially if you have taken any in-person classes during the pandemic thus far and did not care for it, we must remember that we have made progress and are going to be safer this time around.

By the time the fall semester arrives, a lot could change for the better in terms of where we stand in the pandemic. Now, with many people and students already vaccinated or planning on it, we will be able to enjoy the semester more with peace of mind. So I encourage others to try to walk into in-person classes in the fall with gratefulness.

TECHNICIAN 7

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

How to fix our littering problem NC State must implement stronger waste initiative programs to combat trash on campus

With all the heartbreak that’s been dealt in the past year, and with all the unprecedented issues arising from extended shutdowns across the country during the Isabella Schoonover pandemic, littering has been the last thing on Correspondent my mind. This changed, however, when I received a wake-up call in the form of a headline about how 2 million pounds of trash were collected from North Carolina roads within the first two months of 2021. This number is alarming and confusing when you consider how the number of people on the roads is much lower than usual.

What’s more, survey data on garbage found around campus — which was collected by Roland Kays, an NC State professor in the forestry and environmental resources department, and his students in FW 221: Conservation of Natural Resources — shows that NC State has a serious littering problem as well. Considering the school’s

extensive efforts to reduce waste, this data came as a shock. So what’s not working?

WCNC Charlotte attributes the increase in litter along roadways to a lull in trash pickup gatherings that occur in the effort to abide by COVID-19 guidelines. No more pickup crews means the trash has largely been left to accumulate over the past year.

As for the problem of garbage accumulation on campus, it’s really a question of why people are inclined to litter in the first place.

Thanks to the historic “Keep America Beautiful” campaign, littering has become taboo due to heightened awareness for how it impacts the environment. I refuse to believe people litter because they don’t care enough about social taboo or the environment to dispose of their trash properly, and the good thing is I don’t have to.

Research done by Wesley Schultz, a social psychologist at California State University, San Marcos, shows how the idea that people litter because they don’t care is a huge misconception.

The truth is, while most people care about the environment, they care more about con-

venience. If it is inconvenient for someone to dispose of their waste properly, chances are they won’t. The likelihood of littering is then further increased by the presence of existing litter. In other words, littering begets littering.

So what about those 5,000+ landfill and recycling bins scattered about campus for our convenience? Is that not enough for the Wolfpack community to take a hint? Apparently not. Schultz’s research also shows it’s not just the quantity of receptacles present that affects how people dispose of their trash, but the location of them as well.

Trash bins need to be near and plenty for us humans to take the initiative on waste management in our communities.

It would be easy, then, for me to suggest that NC State find some better placement for garbage stations, but the truth is that I think they’ve already done just that. Whenever I’m on campus getting food or buying something from the C-Store, I can trust that those trash and recycling bins will always be lurking around every corner in pairs. It’s one of the things that attracted me to NC

State’s campus in the first place.

If, at the end of the day, all the researchbacked solutions still fail to eliminate littering altogether, then it’s time to team up to manage the accumulation of garbage ourselves. It could make a difference in the long run.

As I mentioned before, littering begets littering. It’s as if all the loose trash is saying, “It’s OK, you can litter here too.” But, maybe, by working together to keep our campus clean through organized trash pickups, we could get rid of that precedent and hopefully prevent others from following suit. With the use of masks, gloves and social distancing, it could also be well within present COVID-19 guidelines to carry out.

Through current initiatives, NC State already diverts 54% of campus waste. That’s impressive, but we can do better. With Earth Month at NC State around the corner, we’ll all have the chance to reflect on our relationship with our environment and try our best to keep it healthy. Think of it as returning the favor.

Jeff Grabill, Think and Do better The United States is going through one of the most politically tumultuous times in recent history; citizens are angry, and divisions run deep. The division our republic currently falls victim to is not the fault of everyday Americans. It is the fault of those that only find error in the other side.

Chase As a junior in the Gaines College of HumaniGuest Columnist ties and Social Sciences (CHASS) at NC State, I received an email from NC State University Human Resources regarding the finalists of the job search for the dean of CHASS. The resumes of these individuals spoke for themselves. With decades of educational experience and high merits across the board, the qualifications of the finalists are undeniable. It was only when I came upon a post from Jeff Grabill, an associate provost at Michigan State University and finalist for the dean of CHASS, that my confidence was degraded.

In 2017, Grabill wrote via Facebook that “Republicans are now a clear threat to our fragile democracy.” Incoming students at

NC State are held to a high standard when they apply to enter our campus. We should expect the same from our leadership at our public institution, no matter where they stand on the political spectrum It’s important that we remember how we got here. Just a little over a year ago, our university faced a similar situation with former Vice Chancellor and Dean for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs Mike Mullen, who had posted numerous remarks alienating conservative students.

That situation resulted in his resignation.

My intention in writing this is not to “cancel” Grabill, but to simply make sure that our university provides a community of inclusivity for all students. While it might not be necessary for Grabill to pull his name from the pool of finalists, our students deserve an answer to a simple question: Do statements like those he made in 2017 represent his current views of Republicans and, more specifically, his potential Republican students?

We at NC State are told that all of our social media posts expose us to criticism and that we are accountable for our words and actions. Professors, and certainly applicants wishing to be a public leader of

Jeff Grabill is currently the associate provost of Michigan State University and is a finalist for dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) at NC State University.

the University, must hold themselves to a higher standard in both their professional and personal lives. No matter if Grabill’s post had been directed at Republicans or Democrats, a reasonable person must see this post as divisive and lacking forethought.

I am a Republican, and I don’t believe myself to be a “clear threat” to democracy, nor do I think the other Republican students at NC State are either. It is my hope that Grabill disavows this post and begins to support the inclusivity that our public institutions strive to achieve here in North Carolina.

In the end, I wish the best for Grabill; his years of service to education should not be

tainted by something like this. However, Grabill needs to understand that targeting a group of people with harsh insinuations moves us nowhere but backward. If we are serious about unity in our nation and fostering an inclusive environment at NC State, then we as students and educators must be understanding of others’ beliefs and convictions instead of alienating them.

At NC State, we “Think and Do,” but when it comes to social media, we need to think more and do better.

Chase Gaines is a third-year student in agricultural business management and political science.

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NC State Jenkins MBA student on Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Black Farmer Fund Myra Bari Staff Writer

Olivia Watkins is intent on making an impact. As a Poole College of Management Jenkins MBA candidate and generational farmer working to allocate resources for Black farmers, Watkins was recently added to the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Watkins’ creation, the Black Farmer Fund, is a nonprofit community investment fund, intending to create an equitable and resilient food system through investing, providing financial education and organizing policy and advocacy for struggling Black farmers in the state of New York.

“We started out of a conversation two years ago at a farmer’s conference,” Watkins said. “The other co-founders and I were talking about the lack of access to capital, particularly for Black farmers, and some of the racial wealth gaps that we were seeing in the food system. They wanted to create a tool that would help to effectively close those gaps and build out community wealth, so we decided to create our community investment fund and Black farmer fund.”

Watkins heads the organization as president, with her background giving her insight into what the Black farming community needs.

“My family has been stewarding land

in North Carolina for the past 130 years,” Watkins said. “I, myself, started farming about seven years ago, and I have been farming in different places. When I made the decision that I was going to continue the stewardship, I saw kind of firsthand how hard it was for farmers to be able to access capital from some of the more traditional forms of financing.”

Watkins emphasized the importance of understanding the history of Black farming and Black land stewardship in the United States.

“It’s really important for there to be institutions that are mindful of some of the historic events that have happened in the Black community around financing,” Watkins said.

The Black Farmer Fund is still in the early stages of development, but the organization is aiming for several objectives this year and over the next decade.

“This year, we are looking to deploy a $1 million fund across a few different Black farmers and food businesses,” Watkins said. “Long term, we are looking to be investing in over 1,000 Black farmers and food businesses over the next 10 years. Another one of our long-term goals is building out an ecosystem, which is basically a group of now five different organizations.”

Watkins also emphasized the organiza-

tion’s stressing of education and networks within the Black farming community.

“We’re also hoping to continue to develop out this robust pipeline, so being able to send our farmers who are looking for financing and who received financing from us to go to some of the training programs and get further training or go to the Corbin Hill Food Project, which is a food distributor in this collection that can provide them access to markets,” Watkins said.

Composed of leaders in New-York-statebased food businesses, the Black Farmer Fund is only serving the New York area with the intent of focusing on building out one area until its inevitable expansion. According to Watkins, the Black Farmer Fund has already reached its $1 million fundraising goal and is currently working with 12 different farmers and food businesses through a lengthy application process.

“Over the next few months, we’re going to be coming to decisions as to which organizations and companies will be moving forward with supporting with resources, whether that’s technical assistance for getting their finances correct or it’s actually funding,” Watkins said.

Watkins’s decision to come to NC State was based on her desire to attend a landgrant university but also because of the proximity to her family’s land. For Wat-

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kins, her understanding of the cultural impacts on farmers in the South has grown, especially in contrast to farming communities in the North.

There are a vast array of resources and extracurriculars available for students in the Poole College of Management, especially for students pursuing their MBAs. Prior to her growing involvement in the Black Farmer Fund, Watkins was in the Business Sustainability Collaborative, working alongside peers to aid B Corps and other businesses looking to make an impact or grow more sustainably.

Watkins’ success as an entrepreneur and MBA student has set the stage for her future, and she said she is looking forward to building out the Black Farmer Fund and continuing to steward her land.

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Know your NC State history: Women who pioneered, shaped the University Rachael Davis Editor-in-Chief

As the end of Women’s History Month nears, it is important to not only learn about and give light to the crucial women who shaped international and national history, but also the trailblazing, significant women in our own campus community. Here is a historical timeline of some women and women-led events that shaped our University over the past 132 years. To learn more about the women in NC State’s history, visit the NC State University Libraries website.

Thank you to NC State University Libraries for the historical timeline information.

1889 – Ellen McGuiure, a formerly enslaved woman who was born on a North Carolina plantation, begins working for the University and retires in 1939, 50 years later. A majority of her work was at the campus infirmary.

June 5, 1899 – The University officially opens to women; however, about two months later, the Board of Trustees went back on their decision and ruled that women could only be classified as “special students,” except with textiles courses, in which women could be enrolled as “regular students.”

1901 – Margaret Burke becomes the first woman student at the University.

October 1959 – The Gamma Phi chapter of Sigma Kappa becomes the first active sorority at the University.

1963 – Cora Kemp becomes the first woman editor of Technician.

Sept. 16, 1964 – Watauga Hall opens and becomes the first dorm for women on campus, requiring all single, undergraduate women to live there.

1966 – Norma Wright Garcia becomes the first Black woman to receive an undergraduate degree at the University.

1970 – Cathy Sterling becomes the first woman student body president.

1975 – The first Black sorority chapter of Delta Sigma Theta is created on campus.

Oct. 27, 1988 – The first Take Back the Night march is held, in which students protest against violence against women.

1989 – The Women’s Studies Program at the University is created.

September 1991 – The Women’s Center opens its doors for the first time.

1998 – Marye Anne Fox becomes the first woman to be chancellor at the University and holds the position until 2004. The Marye Anne Fox Science Teaching Laboratory is named in her honor.

Sept. 27, 2002 – Kay Yow is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and celebrates her 700th win five years later.

June 2010 – Debbie Yow becomes the first woman athletics director at the University and retires in 2019.

2017 – Jackie Gonzalez becomes the first Latinx person and Latina to be voted as student body president.

March 14, 2019 – Christina Koch, an NC State alumna, launches to the International Space Station.

2020 – Melanie Flowers becomes the first Black woman to be elected as student body president.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

THE RADAR Events to keep an eye on for the week of March 25

I’M SCREEEEEEEEEEAMING: THE LOWLY ART OF THE JUMP SCARE Thursday, March 25, 5 p.m.

VIRTUAL EVENT Free

Adam Charles Hart, a horror genre researcher, will give a talk on the history and development of the jump scare moving from movies to video games to those jump scare videos from the 2000s. This will all circle around a discussion of why people voluntarily submit themselves to horror.

LAKE RALEIGH PADDLING Saturday, March 27, 1 p.m.

LAKE RALEIGH $10

Wellness and Recreation invites students to come to Lake Raleigh for canoeing and kayaking. You can stay as long as you’d like, but you can register for a one-hour paddling session for $10 by visiting the Outdoor Adventures Equipment Rental Center.

COOKIN’ IT UP WITH ANTONI POROWSKI Tuesday, March 30, 7 p.m.

VIRTUAL EVENT Free

The University Activities Board will be hosting a live virtual cooking demonstration with “Queer Eye’s” Antoni Porowski. Feed the Pack will be providing the ingredients for the meal for students who register between March 22 and March 29.

CAMPUS HISTORY SERIES: ASIAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY AT NC STATE Wednesday, March 31,12 p.m.

VIRTUAL EVENT Free

SARAH COCHRAN/TECHNICIAN

Leah Griffin, a second-year studying biological sciences; Sarah Ferriter, a second-year studying biological engineering; and second-year Melissa Joines, a second-year studying science, technology and society, chant in Talley Student Union during Take Back the Night on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. Take Back the Night is an annual event that looks to reclaim the night and NC State’s campus for survivors of sexual assault.

This event is hosted by both Multicultural Student Affairs and NC State University Libraries and is in celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month. Victor Betts of NC State University Libraries will share and discuss archival materials detailing the history of these groups on campus.

Arts & Culture 10 TECHNICIAN Gertrude Mary Cox: statistical mastermind, groundbreaker and NC State history-maker THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

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Austin Dunlow

Graham began searching for professors for the department and reached out to Professor What’s in a name? The 1911 Building, George Snedecor at ISU for some names he 111 Lampe Drive, Talley Student Union, would suggest. Snedecor compiled a list of Wilson College of Textiles — each of these five men and circulated it around the departnames tells a different story that, together, ment. Cox then asked why her name wasn’t tells some of the story of our school and our included on the list, and Snedecor replied it campus. That history is incomplete without was an “oversight.”

On Sept. 7, 1940, Snedecor sent the list to the recognition of Cox Hall and its namesake, Graham with the five men and a note saying, Gertrude Mary Cox. Cox Hall is one of two educational buil- “If you would consider a woman, I know of no dings on campus to be named after a woman, one better qualified than Gertrude M. Cox.”

By Sept. 24, Cox had received an offer that the other being Marye Anne Fox Science Teaching Laboratory, and Miss Cox, as she she would accept.

Cox started on Nov. 1, 1940 and became the was affectionately referred to by her students, colleagues and friends, deserved the reco- first woman professor on NC State’s campus.

By January of 1941, the Board of Trustees gnition.

According to Alison McCoy, receptionist for the Consolidated University of North and unofficial historian for the Department Carolina approved the establishment of the of Statistics, Cox began her academic career Department of Experimental Statistics and by receiving a bachelor’s degree and a mas- appointed Cox as department head, making ter’s degree from Iowa State University (ISU) her the first woman department head on NC in 1929 and 1931, respectively. Cox was the State’s campus.

In 1944, Cox helped found and was made first person to receive a master’s degree in statistics from ISU. By 1940, Cox was teaching the director of the Institute of Statistics at a class on experimental design at ISU and NC State College.

Cox’s success in her field made her colleawas the head of ISU’s computing laboratory.

At the same time in 1940, NC State College gues respect her, but her actions made them President Frank Porter Graham met W. F. love her. During World War II, several faculty Callander, a statistician for the U.S. De- members were called to enlist in the war, and partment of Agriculture, on a train where the department’s newsletter, with the help of they discussed a need for a place to educate Cox, would keep track of their service and future statisticians in the South, according celebrate their return, according to McCoy. “Miss Cox traveled the world as few women to a paper on the history of the department co-authored by Cox. Graham decided NC of her day could,” McCoy said. “She must State College should be the home of that have been fearless, and she was an amazing planner. I was told that she kept notes on each institution. child of her faculty members and brought each one a little gift from her travels. She had Christmas parties for the adults and for the children. She made the department her family and never married.”

According to NC State University Libraries, thanks to Cox’s contributions, NC State’s Department of Statistics is one of the oldest and most respected in the country.

However, Cox is known for her contributions to statistics worldwide, not just on our campus.

In 1945, Cox became the founding editor of “Biometrics,” the journal of the International Biometric Society. She became a fellow of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics in 1944 and the Royal Statistical Society in 1957.

She also served as president of the American Statistical Association in 1956. In 1958, ISU honored Cox UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION. CAMPUS with an honorary Ph.D. FACILITIES AND VIEWS (UA023.005), SPECIAL COLLECTIONS RESEARCH CENTER AT NC STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES In 1959, Cox established the Arts & Culture Editor

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION. PEOPLE (UA023.024), SPECIAL COLLECTIONS RESEARCH CENTER AT NC STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Statistics Research Division of the Research Triangle Institute, which still continues to conduct research on public health, environmental concerns and technology across the state. Also in this year, the UNC System gave Cox the O. Max Gardner award for her contributions to “the welfare of the human race.”

Cox was president of the International Biometric Society from 1968 to 1969, and in 1970, NC State chose to honor Cox by naming the building that housed the Institute of Statistics in her honor. This building, Cox Hall, is now a testament to the hard work of Miss Cox and a legacy that will continue to live on.

“She was a marvel at fundraising for support of the department and the work done there,” McCoy said. “Originally, it was the Department of Agriculture that supported the formation of the center to help them with analysis of crop productivity. Cox was able to get more funding from places like the Ford Foundation and the Rockefellers. One colleague told me she could get money out of a rock.”

In 1975, Cox was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences, and in 1977, she

was honored with NC State’s Watauga Medal for her contributions to the advancement of the University.

Throughout her career, Cox advocated for young women to join science fields, especially math and statistics. She didn’t believe that women had to choose between a profession or marriage; she believed women should prepare for a profession regardless of if they chose to be married or not.

Cox’s legacy is one that can be hidden behind some of the big names that have come out of our University. However, her impact on the campus, the field of statistics and the future women on NC State’s campus cannot be ignored, and while we remember the legacies of other women like Katharine Stinson of Stinson Drive, Susan Colwell Carroll of Carroll Residence Hall, Jane McKimmon of the McKimmon Center and Mary Elizabeth Yarbrough of the Yarbrough Steam Plant, we must also remember the legacies of all of the other women, especially women of color, who were overlooked in their contributions to our university.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

Ally Henson bringing positivity, confidence in second year with Pack track and field Wade Bowman Correspondent

Sophomore track and field athlete Ally Henson is an up-and-comer on the NC State track team who is looking to continue to establish her presence in the collegiate track and field community. Her journey to where she is now has certainly not been without its fair share of adversity, but Henson continues to hurdle over all obstacles in her path.

As the 2018 USA Track & Field Athlete of the Year, Henson developed quite the reputation as one of the premier high school hurdlers in the country. That has not stopped her continuous quest for improvement, however, as she made it clear that there is always something else to improve upon.

Coming out of high school, Henson believed the best place to make that improvement was here at NC State.

Her recruiting process was characterized as “pretty routine” by assistant coach Allen Johnson, who met Henson at a New Balance meet in Greensboro. That routine recruiting process is a fond memory for Henson, who can remember how it all kicked off.

“I had just run my 100m hurdle race and didn’t run well because of outside circumstances at what was one of the first national meets I had been to,” Henson said.

Making her way to the stands, she unknowingly found herself next to Johnson, who inquired about how Henson felt about her performance.

Henson told him “I didn’t perform as well as I wanted to,” which sparked a conversation that ultimately led to an exchanging of information. Her recruiting was almost wrapped up right then and there, but a visit to NC State’s campus really sealed the deal for Henson.

Since making the decision to make Raleigh her collegiate home, Henson has not had the same opportunities as other athletes

in the past. As is true with many athletes over the past year, COVID-19 has played a large role in her ability to develop and progress as an NCAA athlete.

“We still have a lot of things that we need to accomplish, especially with her freshman year being cut short last year due to COVID,” Johnson said. “Her development has been very much interrupted.”

her having such a bubbly personality, she’s always engaging the other athletes on the team with her happiness.”

That radiant energy is something Henson tries to carry into other aspects of her life, including her hobbies. She is an avid music enthusiast who enjoys listening and dancing to music whenever she gets the chance.

“I do it a lot because I feel like I can just

CONTRIBUTED BY NC STATE ATHLETICS

Despite such an unforeseen situation arising to put a quick halt to her first year as a member of the Pack, Henson managed to always keep a positive attitude in a not-sopositive situation.

“When you show up to training, no matter what, she’s always smiling and bubbling,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in a bad mood, and everyone is in a bad mood at least once.”

When asked about whether Henson tends to express herself as more of a vocal leader or the lead by example type, coach Johnson says that it’s “a little bit of both, with

let out positive energy that can just radiate around me,” Henson said.

As many athletes experience, Henson’s family was one of the biggest influences into her selection of sport; however, she started track later in her life than top athletes normally do.

“I didn’t start hurdling until my sophomore year of high school because I just wanted something new to do,” Henson said.

“My little brother was also a hurdler, and he would say that I started hurdling because of him, but my dad was a hurdler in high school and college, and he was the one that

put me in track.”

As far as Ally Henson the athlete goes, she had one specific mechanic to improve on that she believed was important to her success in the upcoming year.

“Coach told me there’s one thing I need to focus on and one thing only, and that’s the direction of my push into the hurdle,” Henson said. “My practice with it has been good, but in my outcomes from races, it hasn’t really shown. After my indoor season this year is when it kind of clicked for me.”

Improving on such a meticulous mechanic is far easier said than done and is one of many goals Henson has established for herself for the remainder of this track season.

Other goals on this list included making it to ACC competition and placing before heading on to place at NCAA Regionals.

As she prepares for her first collegiate outdoor meet, which is scheduled for March 25-27 at Raleigh Relays, she expressed how she is feeling about participating outdoors for the first time.

Henson feels like she has prepared as best as she could have coming into this event, where she is looking to make a statement on her ability to perform in the outdoor environment, but didn’t want to set a cap on expectations.

“I expect to at least run 13.50; anything lower than 13.50, I will be happy with,” Henson said. “That is the max that I should be running.”

As such a goal-driven individual who radiates positivity, it is easy to want to pull for her success as a collegiate athlete and as an individual. Any collegiate track and field enthusiast or fan of NC State’s programs should certainly keep an eye out for Henson as she begins her collegiate outdoor track and field journey this spring.

NC State baseball travels to UNC-Chapel Hill looking to pick up first conference series win Will Thornhill Staff Writer

The NC State baseball team is set to take the short drive west to take on arch-rival No. 24 UNC-Chapel Hill in a three-game set March 26-28.

The Tar Heels (13-6, 8-4 ACC) are com-

ing off a series win at Boston College and a midweek win over No. 8 East Carolina.

On the other hand, the Wolfpack (5-9,1-8) is still looking for its first ACC series win of the year. A positive sign for NC State though is it ended its five-game skid with a win over UNC-Wilmington Tuesday.

As a team from top to bottom, the Tar Heels have just a .253 batting average; however, they do have some dangerous bats in their lineup.

Justice Thompson leads the team with a .343 average and has four home runs on the year. Right behind him is Angel

Zarate with a .333 average and 13 RBIs. These two are the only regular starters on the team with a batting average above .300.

The big power guy in the lineup for North Carolina is Ca- BASEBALL continued page 12

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Junior infielder Austin Murr looks to tag out a runner during the game versus the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday, March 7, 2021 in Doak Field at Dail Park. The Hurricanes beat the Wolfpack 6-4.

BASEBALL

continued from page 11

leb Roberts.

He leads the team in home runs w it h f ive and in RBIs

with 15. His average at .219 might not show it, but he can change a game at any moment.

Pitching-wise on Friday night, NC State will be going up against one of the top arms in the ACC in Austin Love. He is

4-0 in five starts and carries a 2.25 ERA. In 32 innings pitched, he has given up just eight earned runs and has struck out 37 batters. In his last outing at Boston College, he went seven innings and allowed one unearned run while striking out eight

to pick up the win.

The two other starters the Tar Heels will likely throw out there are Max Carlson and Max Alba, who have a 4.56 ERA and a 5.09 ERA, respectively. All three of UNC’s weekend starters are right-handed pitchers.

In 19 games, the UNC-Chapel Hill defense has committed just 11 errors which has them at a .982 fielding percentage.

If NC State wants to get a series win, it will need its bullpen to pull through in the late innings. With four scoreless innings at UNCW Tuesday, the bullpen showed signs of maturing.

Freshmen right-handed pitchers Sam Highfill and Matt Willasden have seemed to solidify starting roles on Saturdays and Sundays for the foreseeable future. That being said, the Wolfpack need a good start out of someone Friday against Love, whether it be junior-left handed pitcher Evan Justice or someone like junior-right handed pitcher Reid Johnston.

Offensively, the Wolfpack is led by junior first baseman Austin Murr, who is batting .381 on the season. Sophomore catcher Luca Tresh is also someone who has really made the most of his starting role, batting .340 and leading the team with seven home runs and 16 RBIs. Game one is scheduled for Friday, March 26 with a 6 p.m. first pitch. All three games of the series will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

Pack softball takes on powerful Notre Dame offense in road weekend series Kat Peters Staff Writer

NC State will travel to South Bend, Indiana to take on Notre Dame in its second consecutive weekend series on the road. The series will be four games, with one Friday, a doubleheader Saturday and a final game Sunday afternoon.

The Wolfpack (14-8, 10-8 ACC) is coming off a four-game series against Virginia, where it went 2-2 against the Cavaliers.

Defensively, NC State didn’t allow Virginia to score more than four runs in a game. It came down to the offense to overtake those low numbers put up by Virginia. NC State was able to shut out the Cavaliers in the last game of the series 5-0, so that momentum might help against Notre Dame.

Notre Dame (12-8, 6-6 ACC) recently went 3-1 in its weekend series against Georgia Tech. The one loss came when Notre Dame’s defense was unable to keep Georgia Tech below three runs. The Fighting Irish won the last two games, so both teams are going into this weekend with a little momentum from recent wins.

Offensively, Notre Dame has outfielder

Abby Sweet, who leads the team in batting average (.529), and infielder Karina Gaskins, who leads in home runs with seven on the season. Sweet and Gaskins are second and third in the ACC for batting average.

Gaskins also leads the team with 20 RBIs and a 1.098 slugging percentage. In addition to those two, the Fighting Irish have two other batters with averages above .300.

Notre Dame’s pitching staff has two members who have both pitched over 50 innings, Payton Tidd and Alexis Holloway, as well as one member who has pitched 13.2 innings this year in Morgan Ryan. Tidd and Holloway are both tied at six wins this season. The average ERA for this staff is 2.04, which is seventh best in the conference, with Tidd leading the way with a 1.70.

The Wolfpack will have to look out for a strong Notre Dame offense, led by Gaskins.

But if the NC State defense is able to shut down that offense like it did with Virginia, it will be up to the offense as to how this series goes.

The weekend series will begin Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m. All games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

INES CHENOUF/TECHNICIAN

Junior outfielder Angie Rizzi bats during the game against Syracuse on April 7, 2019, at Dail Softball Stadium. The Wolfpack lost 5-3 with Rizzi going 2-3 with a strikeout.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

COMMENTARY: Women’s basketball needed two tough games to start NCAA Tournament Ben Ellis Staff Writer

For the third consecutive NCAA Tournament, the NC State women’s basketball team has reached the Sweet 16, this time after a 79-58 first-round win over North Carolina A&T and a 79-67 second-round win over South Florida.

While the final scores may not be the biggest indication, the Pack was pushed and tested in each game. The Pack trailed N.C. A&T by as much as six in the second quarter and trailed USF by one at halftime before taking control of each game in the second half.

While some may have enjoyed a more wire-to-wire victory in each contest, the Pack will benefit from the way it was pushed and tested, as it continues to strive towards its ultimate goal, which is to win the national championship.

The Pack learned from the first two rounds that every game is going to be a battle, and all it takes is one bad night for everything the team has worked so hard for the entire season to come to an end. The team got all it could handle from N.C. A&T and USF, and it’s going to be like that the rest of the way.

Basketball is a team sport, and a team doesn’t win a championship just by riding one player all the way to the promised land;

it takes a group effort. In its first two games, the Pack got key contributions from a number of usually role players.

Sophomore forward Jada Boyd had 18 points in each game, and sophomore wing Jakia Brown-Turner had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over N.C. A&T and a game-high 19 points in the win over USF. Additionally, senior guard Kai Crutchfield has scored in double figures in each contest and is 7 for 8 from 3-point range through both games. The Pack even got key minutes from freshman guard Genesis Bryant, who played 25 minutes through both games after having not seen action since Feb. 11.

Junior center Elissa Cunane is the team’s best player and the go-to option any time the team needs a bucket, but the Pack is most dangerous when its other players step up and contribute. That was especially critical in the most recent contest, as the team was without senior forward Kayla Jones, who has been a key contributor the whole season. Her status for the rest of the tournament is unknown at this point.

In each game, the Pack has gotten the best effort from its opponents. While the games have been close for a period of time, the Pack has made adjustments and taken care of business, which is a testament to the

DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN

Sophomore forward Jada Boyd shoots against Clemson on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 at Reynolds Coliseum. Boyd scored nine points as the Wolfpack won 86-65.

coaching and the resiliency of the players.

That’s a big advantage, as the competition is only going to get tougher from here on out.

The first two games served as a wake-up call for how the tournament is going to be, and it’s better to get that wake-up call sooner rather than later. If it wants to keep winning, the Pack must keep getting contributions from numerous players and make adjustments when necessary.

The team is playing for a fanbase that is

desperate for a championship, and there’s a lot riding on this tournament run. If the first two games are any indication, the Pack has what it takes to handle pressure.

NC State will face fourth-seeded Indiana Saturday, March 27 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 before a potential Elite Eight matchup with second-seeded Texas A&M or another team that makes a run from the other side of the Mercado Region.