APISAA Heritage Month 2023 — Technician 03/23/23

APISAA HERITAGE MONTH

Dr. Shaun Harper delivers keynote address at this year’s Equity Research Symposium

WHAT YOU MISSED:

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

NC State doctoral candidate organizes training for women in firefighting

Jennifer Fawcett, an NC State forestry extension associate and doctoral candidate in agriculture and extension education, planned and coordinated the 2023 Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchange, a 12-day wildland fire operations training course. The training included six burns with a total of 1,419 acres burned in eastern North Carolina, and provided an opportunity to learn more about fire management.

SOURCE: NC STATE NEWS

Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget seeks to expand NC Zoo

THE RADAR

Events to keep an eye on for the week of March 23

READY, SET, GO!

Thursday, March 23, 6-7:30 p.m.

TALLEY STUDENT UNION 3222 Free

Grab four friends and join the Black Students Board for a scavenger hunt throughout Talley. You’ll bond with your peers, learn about the history of NC State and maybe even win some prizes.

HOT POT

Friday, March 24, 6-8 p.m

111 LAMPE DR., ROOM 353

$5

OPINION

Gov. Roy Cooper’s proposed budget requests over $4.8 million in recurring funds and $1.4 million in nonrecurring funds to expand the North Carolina Zoo and open its first new continent area since 1994. The original plan for the zoo in the ‘60s and ‘70s was to include sections in the park for all seven continents, and Asia is expected to open in 2026. It will have tigers, komodo dragons, king cobras and Chinese giant salamanders.

SOURCE: N&O

Los Angeles school workers go on three-day strike

More than 60,000 workers — including teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and support staff — at Los Angeles Unified School District went on strike Tuesday due to contentious wage negotiations. The district, which is the nation’s second-largest school district, closed schools for 422,000 students. The strike is expected to last three days.

SOURCE: USA TODAY

Study reveals the pandemic did not affect global happiness

A study published on March 20, the International Day of Happiness, revealed people did not report being more unhappy during the pandemic than in the years beforehand. Participants were asked to rate their happiness during each year on a scale of one through 10 through a Gallup poll. Results also found feelings of positive social support were twice as strong as feelings of loneliness.

SOURCE: SKY NEWS

Celebrate diverse Asian culture with a buffet of broth, noodles and toppings provided by the Japan Club, KoreanAmerican Student Association and the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers.

VIET NIGHT:

SAIGON

UNDER THE STARS

Saturday, March 25, 7-9 p.m.

STEWART THEATRE, TALLEY STUDENT UNION

Free

Join the Vietnamese Student Association for their annual spring event, Viet Night, featuring live performances.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCADE: BIPOC REPRESENTATION IN GAMING

Wednesday, March 29, 1-3 p.m.

FISHBOWL FORUM, D.H. HILL JR. LIBRARY Free

In the next installment of Raiders of the Lost Arcade, University Libraries will dive into games that excel in diverse representation, allowing players to see themselves in the characters they control.

Dr. Shaun Harper delivers keynote address at this year’s Equity Research Symposium

Kate Denning Correspondent

NC State held its second Equity Research Symposium, offering a keynote address from famed diversity, equity and inclusion expert Dr. Shaun Harper as attendees and organizers looked to understand how equity informs research.

Associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Juliana Makuchi Nfah-Abbenyi, and associate dean for research innovation for the College of Education, Karen Hollebrands, returned to their positions as co-chairs of the planning committee for the symposium.

“The work that we want to share at this event is all focused on equity-based research, and thinking about ways in which equity informs the research that we’re doing,” Hollebrands said. “NC State is a research intensive university, so our faculty are very involved in research in many different arenas.”

Harper is a researcher at University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center. He has worked closely with NC State professor Dr. Joy Gaston Gayles, who was recently named head of the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development.

“Shaun is one of the nation’s most highly respected race equity experts,” Gayles said in her introduction of Harper, citing his work for the Obama administration and the Biden-Harris campaign.

Harper said his speech and other diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are not what some have said is critical race theory, nor is critical race theory being taught to school children, and it’s up to academics to call out that misuse of such a term.

“As scholars who know better, we have to use our scholarly voice with confidence to demand evidence,” Harper said.

Harper, beginning the keynote address, said it is important during polarizing political times to respond to “ridiculousness with facts, evidence and data.” Continuing, Harper pointed out the low number of Black students at NC State compared to the number of Black North Carolinians. His research shows that 25.5% of college-aged North Carolinians are Black, but 6% of undergraduates at the University are Black. Additionally, 67 of 2,177 of the University’s full-time faculty members are Black, as of 2016. Just 2.7% of NC State undergraduate students are Black men, but the group comprises almost 70% of the revenue-generating football and men’s basketball teams.

“What I was attempting to do here was to model for you what it means to have irrefutable data and evidence about racial realities, and using that evidence to clap back against those who are suggesting you are wasting taxpayers money on diversity, equity and inclusion,” Harper said. “These facts would suggest you need more institutional investment on diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Harper said monetary investment is just one step many universities take and may not go beyond.

“The fact is, way too many presidents, provosts and other senior leaders pay our university to do campus [racial] climate assessments, either qualitatively or quantitatively, and they ultimately do nothing with the results,” Harper said. “They don’t use the results to shape and guide institutional strategy or to hold themselves accountable.”

Harper said to combat this, diversity, equity and inclusion researchers should keep conducting rigorous research and have confidence in the evidence it produces, be good stewards of the data being collected, pursue research questions with potential for social consequences and ensure students see the impact this research can have.

“When they come for you and your DEI

initiatives, you have to show them the data and the evidence,” Harper said. “You have the responsibility to do that as a research university.”

After Harper’s address, attendees were able to view over 20 student research projects, as well as join together in working groups to discuss specialized topics in equity and research, an example being how equity can be promoted in a research lab.

“It might be that they have some general guidelines or principles or practices that they can work on and see how effective they are, and then potentially share that

with others at the next symposium,” Hollebrands said. “The goal is to bring people together now, start the conversation around this important issue, and then see how it might further expand in later years.”

For more information, check out rossier.usc.edu/faculty-research/directory/shaunharper

COURTESY OF CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY HUMBOLDT

EKTAA club celebrates South Asian culture, advocates for global causes

Matthew Burkhart Staff Writer

EKTAA, NC State’s South Asian Association, is a club that unites NC State’s South Asian community by hosting events, supporting global causes and advocating for university recognition. The club’s Get Involved page says “ektaa” is Hindi for “unity.”

Abhishek Singh, a third-year studying cellular, molecular and developmental biology, is a co-president of EKTAA. He said the club was established in 1970 to represent students from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Bhutan.

Singh said the club’s largest commitment is to unifying the South Asian community on campus and advocating for causes specific to South Asian countries.

“We’ve been able to bring the community together, especially in times of hardship and need,” Singh said. “We also do fundraisers … We did a fundraiser for Afghanistan [and] fundraisers for Pakistan … So, our biggest thing is trying to create unity. Our motto is ‘unity within diversity.’”

EKTAA’s commitment to unity within diversity has been recognized and is being featured by the Multicultural Student Association as the theme of Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American Heritage Month this year.

Esha Bhatnagar, a third-year studying human biology and secretary of EKTAA, said the club hosts large events throughout the year, the biggest being Holi, Garba and

EKTAA night, the club’s annual showcase.

Bhatnagar said a priority of the club is to uplift South Asian culture by helping to organize events between South Asian organizations such as the Pakistani Student Association and Maitri, the Indian graduate student association.

As a South Asian student on campus, Bhatnagar said she feels South Asian culture is often minimized in the greater Asian community, but EKTAA provides a space to feel recognized.

“There are times where I’ll tell people that I’m Asian, and they look at me funny because they just consider Asia to be East Asia,” Bhatnagar said. “India is in Asia, so just bringing awareness to that fact as well.

Asia is not just East Asia.”

With EKTAA being made up largely of Indian students, Singh said a common misconception of EKTAA is it is catered only to them.

“We really want to represent the entire South Asian community,” Singh said. “It may seem that we are very focused on India, but we try our best to make sure that we represent all cultures in South Asia. And one way we do that is on our Instagram. If there’s ever a holiday, say, in Nepal, we post about it and let other people know what this holiday is [and] why people celebrate it.”

Singh said EKTAA’s officers are dedicated to holding the University to support the

South Asian community on campus.

“One example that we commonly talk about was two years ago when the government of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban — there really wasn’t a response from the University,” Singh said. “Just last year, Pakistan flooded, and a third of the country was underwater. And again, there wasn’t really a statement of support from the University for Pakistani students or people who are of Pakistani descent. So we’re really trying to identify these areas and think of ways the University could support these students.”

Singh said the University owes this recognition to South Asian students because of how heavily the student body depends on them.

“South Asian students make up the backbone of this University,” Singh said. “If you go to the library, you go to the dining hall, like look at your teaching assistants, a good amount of them are from South Asia. We serve as the backbone. We should feel that we should be receiving some support.”

EKTAA will be present at APISAA month events throughout the remainder of March and the first half of April. Information on these events can be found at news.ncsu.edu.

EKTAA Night, the club’s end-of-the-year showcase, will be hosted April 21 from 6-10 p.m. in Talley Student Union.

Additional information on their upcoming events and club membership can be found on EKTAA’s Instagram page @ncsu_ektaa.

Staff Senate increases digital access, inclusion among staff through computer loan program

Abigail Ali News Editor

Staff Senate addresses a lack of access to digital technology among staff members through its Computer Loan Program and Digital Access and Inclusion Project.

According to a survey conducted by Staff Senate with a sample of housekeeping and dining employees, 80% of staff members reported having difficulty accessing digital technology. Through the Digital Access and Inclusion Project and Computer Loan Program, Staff Senate plans to ensure staff members at NC State have access to digital technology and have opportunities to develop their technology skills.

To be eligible to participate in the Computer Loan Program, participants must be

an NC State staff member making less than $40,000 a year, a permanent employee and work at least 35 hours a week.

Joe Sutton, an integration and solutions information technology professional for Industry Expansion and Solutions and vice chair of Staff Senate, said this usually applies to staff like housekeepers, groundskeepers and any other staff member who don’t usually use a computer in their day-to-day jobs.

Sutton said the Computer Loan Program mirrors Staff Senate’s Digital Access and Inclusion Project by giving staff members who face barriers in using digital technology the resources they need to improve their skills.

Jill Phipps, accounting assistant for the Office of Information, Technology and Business Services and chair of Staff Senate, said

by improving their computer skills, some employees have been able to improve their job level and get hired for more advanced positions.

“This will help develop them to build their confidence to apply for jobs down the road that may come up, so if they can’t afford to buy [a computer], at least they have this route that they can go and use it as a tool to help them grow,” Phipps said.

Phipps said when people sign up to get a computer loan, they have the option of getting a quick tutorial on how to use the basic functions of the computer like logging in and using web browsers. Sutton said they can also refer participants to other places for free classes.

COURTESY OF ESHA BHATNAGAR

Ornithology Club educates students through hosting workshops, travels to see rare birds

NC State’s Ornithology Club, also known as the “Bird Club,” is a new organization focused on the study of birds that aims to expose hobbyists and aspiring ornithologists to workshops hosted by professionals and regular birding trips.

Martina Nordstrand, a fourth-year studying fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, started the club in September 2022 after being the president of the Leopold Wildlife Club the previous year.

“I decided instead of running for an officer position in that club, I [would] just start the Ornithology Club, and it’s been a lot more successful than I thought,” Nordstrand said.

Nordstrand said the club has over 80 members, with most of the club being made up of fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology majors and zoology majors, although all students with an interest in birds are encouraged to join the club. She said birding is approachable because of how accessible, yet expansive the field is.

“Birds specifically stood out to me because they’re just so easy to find,” Nordstrand said. “It’s one of those things where you can keep diving as deep as you can, and you cannot find the bottom — you’re always constantly learning things.”

The club regularly hosts workshops with professors and local experts. Nordstrand said the club recently coordinated with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to take a tour of their bird collection.

Emma Litra, a fourth-year studying fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, said the club most recently hosted a tagging workshop with the Wildlife Club and Christopher Moorman, associate head and professor of forestry and environmental resources. Using a thin net, students caught and recorded the weights of birds by hand, even finding some birds that had been tagged the year before.

“Getting to handle a bird is like a different level,” Litra said. “It’s much more intimate to have something in your hands and look at it on that really fine detail level rather than through a scope or binoculars.”

Gabby Landry, a fourth-year studying fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, said she first joined Ornithology Club because of her moderate interest in birding. She said Nordstrand has acted as a mentor for her and other members of the club, teaching them the basics and connecting them with resources in the degree program.

“I’ve learned a lot from her,” Landry said. “She’s mentored me to become a better birder and the Ornithology Club has helped my understanding of the hobby and the science.”

Landry said birding has opened her eyes to the wealth of wildlife found on campus. She

said being able to recognize calls and species of birds contributes to the quality of her day.

“Being able to walk to class and hear the little ‘peep’ from a yellow-rumped warbler, which are always everywhere … and like, they come really close to you because they’re really tame — that really makes my day,” Landry said. “If I see a bird, I’m just like, ‘OK, this is something good. There’s animals here.’”

The club makes day trips to birding locations across the state. Nordstrand said her most memorable trip was to the Blue Ridge Parkway in September to view the migrating broad-winged hawks.

“It was really tricky to plan because it’s so dependent on the weather,” Nordstrand said.

“[If there are] bad winds, you might not see anything. So we had four hundred hawks, which was really awesome. Hawk-watching is really chill. It’s like what you do on Stafford commons, you just kind of sit back and watch them fly over.”

Being outdoors exposes the Ornithology Club to other wildlife. Nordstrand said while on their trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway, they also came across a timber rattlesnake den and found a rare milk snake.

Nordstrand said the club most recently witnessed its rarest bird, a red-footed booby, at Yates Mill. She said what makes this sighting so strange is that the bird is native to the equatorial tropics and instead of being around a larger body of water, like Jordan Lake, the bird decided to stay a short distance from campus. This was the second recorded sighting of a red-footed booby in the state, the first being spotted off the coast from a cruise ship.

“I was like, ‘There’s no way that’s real,’” Nordstrand said. “It was just [at] a random little pond in the middle of Wake County, like five miles down from downtown Raleigh. There weren’t really any major weather events that could have pushed it. It just showed up and this was a second state record.”

Nordstrand said she is regularly asked to identify birds on campus, the most iconic being the red-tailed hawks, which are mostly spotted in the Court of North Carolina, Miller Fields and the Brickyard. She said a red-tailed hawk couple is often spotted atop the Spire.

Nordstrand, Litra and Landry said other common birds seen on campus are robins, kinglets, cardinals, finches, waxwings, east-

ern towhees and white-throated sparrows. The club uses the eBird app to log their sightings of birds and contribute to scientific research. Nordstrand said she recommends the app, as it allows birders to find areas to find specific birds in, as well as contributes to data that researchers use to make decisions about the conservation and management of wildlife.

Nordstrand said the club is assisting Jin Bai, a graduate student in fisheries, wildlife and conservation, with research for his nonprofit, City Bird. City Bird is a collaborative effort between NC State and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students to collect data on bird-building collisions in hopes of convincing policymakers and landowners to design buildings with the safety of birds in mind.

More information can be found on the Ornithology Club’s Instagram page, @ncsu.birdclub

GRAPHIC BY AVERY SZAKACS

Matthew Burkhart Staff Writer

Nazaare builds community and representation through Bollywood fusion dance and music

Grace Pfister Correspondent

Entering its 11th year, Nazaare creates a space for students to express themselves through dance by combining traditional South Asian dance forms with Western styles.

“Nazaare is a Bollywood fusion dance team run by students at NC State,” said Nisha Mistry, a fourth-year studying polymer and color chemistry and co-captain of the team. “It was founded on the basis of being able to show our culture, our training, our love for music, especially Bollywood and South Asian music, and just sticking to our roots.”

The Nazaare team is a diverse group of dancers who have been trained in different dance styles, including classical, Bollywood, Bharatanatyam, Bhangra, hip-hop and contemporary. The team is comprised of about 30 dancers.

“The reason why we’re called a Bollywood fusion circuit is because we can do any style,” Mistry said. “There’s teams that do Indian classical, there’s teams that do Bhangra, but I feel like we’re one of the only teams that try and hit every style. … We’re teaching and we’re learning, so we try bouncing off each other’s energies, bouncing off each other’s dance styles.”

The team is made up of three captains, several junior captains and three boards for production, marketing and social media.

“Being a co-captain, you have to understand that everyone learns in a different way,” said Arya Gor, a fourth-year studying business finance and co-captain of the team. “The team really responds to positivity and respect. The more the team respects you and the more you respect them, the better you can work together.”

The members of Nazaare represent NC State at both on-campus and off-campus events, often traveling to other states to compete against collegiate teams from all over the country. The team applies to competitions through Desi Dance Network, which hosts and sponsors national dance events.

“Every year we come up with an entire set that we like to perform at different com-

COMPUTER

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“We also refer them to [Office of Informa tion and Technology] for classes on Google Apps, and a few other ones around campus, as well as free ones out there like Khan Academy,” Sutton said.

Sutton said providing staff members with computers also helps with their professional

petitions, and each competition helps us eventually go on toward the national level competition called Legends,” said Aathira Balu, a fourth-year studying business administration and co-captain of the team.

The team practices three times a week for two to four hours, and then holds everyday practices for two to four hours in the week leading up to a competition.

“During practices, we teach the choreography first and then go through formations before cleaning them up,” Gor said. “We have conditioning days to focus on technique and form, and we spend time working on classical styles, since they’re foundationbased. A lot of technique goes into that.”

Teams hoping to perform at Legends apply by submitting audition videos. If they are accepted, they have the opportunity to compete against other national South Asian dance teams in their annual competition in a select city in the United States.

development by allowing them to participate in online learning through online universities and community colleges.

Sutton said the computers used in the Computer Loan Program are old computers from departments across campus that would usually get sent to Surplus Property Services where old university property gets sold.

“After a couple years, usually when a warranty runs out, [University departments] will buy new computers, and they’ll send

Balu said the team travels mostly on the East Coast, but they’ve traveled as far as California and Chicago.

“Everyone that comes to these competitions are from different universities all around the country,” said Maya Rana, a third-year studying biomedical engineering and social media chair of Nazaare. “You meet a bunch of people from different teams, so you get a ton of connections from all these different states. I know a bunch of people from Houston, Atlanta and St. Louis now. One of our liaisons was from Chapel Hill, and I still talk to her every time I go back.”

Rana said Nazaare provides a space for students and dancers who identify with the South Asian community to cultivate new relationships and foster a sense of community on campus.

“Being a part of the Indian community here at [NC State] is a little hard in the

[their old] computers usually to Surplus, but now we’re getting them before they go to Surplus,” Sutton said. “They’ll come to us, we’ll erase everything, reload Windows on there, web browsers and then we’ll loan them out to people.”

Phipps said she encourages people of the NC State community to donate old equipment to Staff Senate to be used as a part of this project.

“Before you surplus any of your equip -

sense that there is such a small community in comparison to other races on campus,” Rana said. “Nazaare has kept me grounded to my traditional roots, and allows me to enjoy my culture with others that also understand it.”

According to Balu, Nazaare has given the team members representation at NC State through the different dance styles they use, because they are able to spread their culture to others and reach diverse audiences through art.

“It’s feeling at home without actually being home,” Rana said. “I found a new sense of community through this team.”

To learn more about Nazaare, head to their Get Involved page at getinvolved. ncsu.edu/organization/nazaare or follow the team on Instagram @ncsu_nazaare.

ment, allow Staff Senate the opportunity first to get them as donations, because … in our opinion, we feel like this project is gonna really expand to a lot of other people needing computers and wanting to grow their skill set,” Phipps said.

For more information on the Staff Senate Computer Loan Program, check out the Staff Senate website at staffsenate.ncsu. edu/initiatives/computer-loan-program/.

COURTESY OF BALU NARAYANAN

The term ‘desi’ and South Asian homogeneity are intertwined

desire to be closer to your culture without recognizing your own privilege.

Myra Bari Culture Editor

If you’re from the South Asian diaspora, the term “desi” is probably a familiar word to you. According to Merriam-Webster, the word itself is derived from the Hindi word “des,” meaning native or indigenous to a specific country, aka “desh,” a common adjective and descriptor used by South Asians living abroad.

It’s not a word limited to Indians either — it’s an identifier for many from the Indian subcontinent, along with Indo-Caribbean and East African diasporas. For a second-generation Pakistani immigrant like me, “desi” was a term I could use at a very young age to describe myself, especially when I felt alienated from my white peers and I wanted to find some commonality with the Brown people around me. Like most of the identities used by the South Asian diaspora, “desi” doesn’t have a singular definition. It’s very multi-faceted — synonymous with the Patel Brothers my parents like to get their groceries from, doodh-soda, my obsession with “Tere Bin” and “I kicked it by mistake.” The biggest positive is linked to the immigrant experience itself, through the loneliness of moving to a new country,

finding remnants of the familiar through Instagram meme pages, TikTok, Laam hauls or searching for desi playlists on Spotify.

Despite the positives for some, the word is definitely controversial. At its worst, “desi” is an incredibly North Indian term, associated with Bollywood movies that fail to represent the cultural and linguistic diversity of India and encourage homogeneity, rife with stereotypes and tokenization. Being categorized as “desi” is ignorant to many South Asian communities pushed aside.

This homogeneity was most recently showcased when “Naatu Naatu” from Tollywood film “RRR” won an Oscar

— Bollywood playback singer Adnan Sami declared the win Indian, sparking a regional versus national controversy afterward.

Part of the criticism surrounding “desi” is also reminiscent of a certain kind of mango diaspora poetry, aka privileged Rupi Kaur-esque writing that fails to recognize the nuance in immigrant experience and centers squarely on trauma porn. It’s often adjacent to upper-middleclass-centered perceptions, seen in the ignorance of colorism in South Asian media or surface-level assumptions of societal classism on trips to the motherland. I’ve fallen victim to this sort of writing as well — it definitely stems from an innate

As a Punjabi Pakistani Muslim, I feel somewhat neutral toward “desi.” I definitely do use it when I’m feeling othered at my predominantly white university but in Brown spaces, “desi” doesn’t quite encompass my heritage either. It doesn’t resonate with me the same, especially as someone who can speak (somewhat) passable Urdu, watch saas-bahu Pakistani drama serials and listen to Qawwali. In a long list of identifiers, I use “desi” the least.

That being said, I’m still learning a lot about my own heritage. It’s been a gradual process — making the effort to love my culture and learn more about my ancestors while giving myself some grace to grow past my initial perceptions and towards the nitty-gritty.

With the beginning of Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American month getting closer, it’s important to highlight South Asian identities as part of the Asian American community on campus. Until now, I’ve never truly felt Asian. In my eyes, that’s always denoted someone of East Asian descent. Whether you identify as “desi,” Brown or part of a South Asian community, celebrating the diversity of Asia, and the South Asian subcontinent, is always a win.

Buyers beware — celebrity beauty brands value quantity over quality

Over the past few years that I’ve started buying and wearing makeup, I’ve noticed an undeniable trend: the explosion of new celebrity beauty brands. Fans are naturally drawn to products associated with a famous person they admire, which makes it easy for celebrities to prioritize profits and image over anything else.

From Kylie Jenner’s lip kits in 2015 to Dolly Parton’s fragrance in 2021, it seems as though every public figure and influencer nowadays wants to establish themselves beyond the red carpet. Singers like Ariana Grande, actresses like Millie Bobby Brown, models like Hailey Bieber and even social media influencers are jumping on this bandwagon and partnering with or creating their own beauty brands.

In doing this, people who aren’t passionate about beauty products take opportunities from those who do care about it. It’s also well known that people do their best work and put in the most effort for things they care about. If a ce-

lebrity isn’t truly invested in the products they’re creating, they run the risk of creating faulty products for consumers.

This was the case with Jenner’s skincare line, which has received a lot of bad reviews over the years — particularly for the face wash, which users found to cause rashes and turn brown. Popular skincare influencer Hyram Yarbro was one of many consumers to pass on the brand, which he reviewed in a YouTube video.

Makeup gurus on YouTube who establish their own brands are warranted in their entrepreneurship. Manny Guiterrez, for example, found his fame on YouTube by reviewing popular brands and sharing his passion for makeup with a wide audience. It wasn’t a surprise when he launched Lunar Beauty in 2018, because it relates to how he gained fame and what he cares about. The problem lies with those who are creating brands simply because they want to make money and maintain relevance rather than because they are passionate about it.

When asked about their intentions behind creating a beauty brand, celebrities often give vague answers or ones that could be crafted by any makeup brand founder. For

example, on r.e.m. beauty’s website discussing their mission, Grande writes, “it means so much to me to be able to create a product line for absolutely everybody and anybody who wants to wear it and feel incredible.” She goes on to explain that she wants people to feel even more beautiful in their own skin and providing the tools to do so is a “gift” that she’ll “never take for granted.”

Grande’s r.e.m beauty claims innovativeness and prides itself in such, but besides their interesting looking, spaceinspired packaging, the products themselves aren’t that groundbreaking. I’m not saying the products are bad — I’ve used them, and they aren’t — but it does suggest that celebrity beauty brands overvalue image and profit. This isn’t to say that celebrities never have pure intentions when creating beauty brands. Tennis player Naomi Osaka launched her skincare line Kenlò in 2021 which caters to melanated skin tones and focuses on uplifting women.

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GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO

Skye Crawford

Staff Columnist

Keeping your culture alive is a lot of work, but it’s worth it

Being a person of color in a predominantly white state isn’t for the faint of heart. From the constant nag of imposter syndrome to worrying about racism, I’ve been through it all as an Indian American woman living in North Carolina for the past four years. During this time, I have unfortunately seen myself growing further and further away from my Indian roots, a change that hit me in the face when I realized I forgot about Holi, one of my favorite festivals growing up.

Giri Editor in Chief

Sadly, drifting away from one’s culture isn’t an issue specific to me. The Encyclopedia of Global Studies defines cultural assimilation as the process by which ethnic groups take on cultural signifiers of the host nation to blend in, usually through everyday practices like language and appearance. In many communities, this phenomenon has been termed “whitewashing,” as most people of color try to change themselves to be more white, both behaviorally and physically.

However, it is now 2023. While I understand why our parents may have taught us to fit in, it is time for people of color to start taking pride in the traditions that raised generations before them. This APISAA Heritage Month, I encourage everyone to start making changes in their everyday habits and doing the things that make them proud of their heritage.

Language is arguably one of the most significant ways to preserve a culture. Words, both written and spoken, are an art form, and losing fluency in a language will impact your ability to communicate with others from your culture. A 2017 study by Education Week found that most U.S. high school students choose Spanish and French for their language classes. Asian languages are highly underrepresented in schools’ courses, with only Chinese gaining popularity as a course, which can prove to be detrimental to stu-

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Many sunscreens are not designed to work for people with darker skin, due to the myth that we can’t burn or get skin cancer, which often results in a white cast on the face. Osaka’s brand, however, acknowledges this inequality and takes action to change it.

Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is dedicated

dents of Asian descent.

While there is not much we can do at an individual level to change high school curricula, it is important to try and practice your native language. NC State offers beginner and intermediate-level courses in 13 different languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Chinese and Japanese. Higher-level courses have a variety of specialization options, perfect for experienced students or native speakers wanting to push themselves. The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures also has an online resource page students can use to work on their language at home. An instant way for me to cure any feelings of homesickness is by eating Indian food. I

to mental health awareness and donated $1.2 million in grants to expand mental health services and resources in educational settings through its nonprofit affiliate, the Rare Impact Fund.

Celebrities who want to appear on this scene can do so without creating brands that take away from consumers and other entrepreneurs. Existing brands like Morphe are well known for their influencer collaborations, such as ones with Charli and Dixie D’amelio and Madison Beer. These collaborations can be profitable for the celebrity without taking advantage of a fanbase.

Certainly, makeup brands that aren’t

personally love to cook, and nothing makes me happier than filling up my apartment with the smells of toasted cumin, freshly made dal and basmati rice. I have plenty of friends who shy away from cooking, but I still hope you try. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to be 100% authentic either. You just do your best and have fun while connecting to your roots. For those of you who still don’t want to give cooking a try and live too far from home to visit, find to-go restaurants in your area that can satisfy your cravings.

Another way to keep your culture alive is by celebrating your favorite festivals, no matter how small the celebration may be. The

owned by celebrities can be exploitative, but this situation is particularly concerning because it manipulates the trust and faith that fans — which include students like myself — put into these figures.

College students are already struggling to make ends meet. Celebrity brands are often pricey, like Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs and its $40 highlighter. We shouldn’t be in a position of spending money on products that aren’t created with our best interest at heart.

Of course, the simple solution is for us to not make unnecessary purchases, considering these products aren’t necessities. However, this thought process ignores that

first time I celebrated Diwali by myself as a college student was by lighting a few diyas in my student apartment and cleaning up my whole apartment, a common Diwali tradition believed to invite prosperity and good fortune. While I’ve never been one for religion and superstition, the small ways I incorporated a staple Hindu celebration made me feel like I was back home, celebrating with my family.

While we’re on the topic of celebrating holidays, share those traditions with your friends. While it is in no way your responsibility to educate ignorant folks about your culture, sharing what you love about your heritage with friends who genuinely care can make a world of difference. This is especially important considering how many holidays revolve around the central theme of spending time with loved ones. Taking the time to learn about each other’s backgrounds and living in a group well-versed in cultural traditions will be a far more fulfilling experience than trying to celebrate holidays by your lonesome.

Additionally, there is usually a large number of local events you can participate in, many of them even being hosted by the University itself. To celebrate APISAA Heritage Month, NC State’s Multicultural Student Affairs is hosting multiple events throughout the month. Organizations like EKTAA, Asian Students Association, CRANE Collective and NCSU PACKSA are only a few of many Asian organizations on campus that students can stay connected with, either by becoming a member or by attending their many events. These events provide a home away from home to students, and I recommend everyone, Asian or not, to attend.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to take up space and represent your culture however you want to. I know that in my case, I will never be Indian enough for some people and will always be too Indian for others. I have simply stopped caring and instead honor my culture the way I want to, and I encourage you to do the same.

the bare minimum isn’t the most desirable way to live. People naturally want to make discretionary purchases and support public figures they care about. When celebrities exploit this vulnerability, we have a problem.

If a celebrity wants to create a beauty brand, they should absolutely be free to do that. If a person is famous for singing, that doesn’t mean they can only profit from this alone and can’t discover other passions. However, they shouldn’t be doing so solely because of the financial status and social clout it provides. People want to support them, but not at our own expense.

GRAPHIC BY HEIDI REID

Shilpa

Call it what it is — Florida House Bill 999 is white supremacy at its finest

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s political agenda to besmirch woke activism has recently reached a new height. Clearly, his “Stop Woke” law and attacks on LGBTQ individuals in his state weren’t enough. The recent legislation from the Florida House highlights just how far he and his constituents are willing to go to implement a complete annihilation of the collegiate system in the state. Let’s dub HB 999 as exactly what it sounds like — white supremacists’ attempts to erase the existence of an undoubtedly racist American history.

The bill would prohibit colleges and universities throughout the state from utilizing funding to “promote, support or maintain any programs or campus activities that espouse diversity, equity or inclusion [DEI] or Critical Race Theory rhetoric.” It would also allow the Florida Board of Governors the power to remove majors or minors that teach or refer to critical race theory.

While this bill is subject to change because of the backlash and its incredibly vague language, it’s evident that individuals throughout Florida are concerned about the implications of its implementation and what it means for BIPOC groups on campuses.

DeSantis says the bill will support academic freedom and rid higher education of leftist, woke agendas, but it actually does the opposite.

HB 999 will only promote further discrimination rather than reduce it. In fact, preventing the discussion of topics of oppression may deepen already existing biases and prejudices. Without understanding the historical context that has given rise to issues affecting marginalized groups, those issues and negative perceptions will continue to persist. This has dramatic ramifications for members of all marginalized communities throughout the state who would face an increased risk for negative life and health outcomes.

One such effect is violence. For instance, LGBTQ youth exposed to non-inclusive environments are more likely to be targeted for harassment, bullying and even physical assault, according to the CDC. This rate multiplies for individuals belonging to several minority identities, illustrating the importance of discussing intersectionality in higher education.

The bill could also disband and disenfranchise significant groups that promote diversity, especially ones like Black sororities, fraternities, organizations, Latinx groups and organizations, LGBTQ clubs and more.

It also doesn’t help that a smaller, yet equally tyrannical, part of the bill would allow legislators to go after professors at academic institutions and review and rescind their tenure. If an academic refuses to listen to HB 999, they could potentially get fired and bullied out of their careers.

This could open the floodgates for the Florida Board of Governors to hire whoever they wanted in such positions, causing even more issues for higher education and students.

While the happenings of a state legislature hundreds of miles away and the ramblings of some politicians might seem arbitrary or trivial, the ideology of DeSantis will certainly prove to be consequential in the years to come. With the Florida governor readying a run for the presidency in 2024, his backward policies will only garner more attention and further entrench themselves into the national political dialogue. Potential Republican candidates are racing to outextreme DeSantis on social issues and proclaim themselves the true culture warrior.

DeSantis may be spearheading the culture war movement, but the brand he’s made is well-defined across the United States. Most state legislatures in the country have seen some form of legislation attempting to limit education on race or racism in the last few years. Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills persistently pervade state legislative chambers.

It is not enough to simply denounce HB 999 and leave it to the depths of Florida to deal with. If passed, this bill can and will detrimentally destroy the foundations of higher education and could quickly become a political goal for North Carolina’s legislature.

It’s not like this governing body hasn’t been under fire for discriminatory practices before either. The legislature that caused the so-called “Bathroom Bill” in 2016, which catalyzed a national political battle, has already moved to adopt laws similar to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

DeSantis is labeling the bigoted direction of his state as a haven of freedom and has promised there is only more to come. While the Florida Governor vows to free impressionable children from indoctrination, his policies only serve to condition them to a fanatical ideology undermining the

existence and experience of minority groups in America. The United States is currently in an era of ever-growing far-right ideologies which have only led to monstrous events. As a higher education institution, NC State must continue protecting professors and students from this hindrance to academic freedom and attack on marginalized communities.

The LGBTQ Pride Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Their website also details extensive on and off campus resources for all students.

If you or someone you know is having a mental health emergency, the Counseling Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 919-515-2423. If you are in a crisis situation and need immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

If you or someone you know is having difficulty processing grief or having a mental health emergency, the Counseling Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 919-515-2423. If you are in a crisis situation and need immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

The Counseling Center’s website offers free online screenings, a plethora of self-help resources regarding mental health and wellness concerns and a comprehensive list of campus services available for those who need guidance. To view an exhaustive list, visit counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu/resources.

If you’re seeking professional counseling or other mental health services on campus, visit the Counseling Center’s Getting Started page at counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu/about-us/ gettingstarted to complete paperwork, set up an appointment and more.

Mariana Fabian

Opinion Editor & Lauren Richards

Staff Columnist & Justin Welch

Correspondent

Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

- Martin Niemöller

Warm Day Sights

Lucy Osborn, Staff Cartoonist

A second-year studying art and design

A Wandering Fish: Part III Jacinto Sho Hernandez, Staff Cartoonist

A second-year studying art and design

Season’s Pickin’s: Ube Wylie Phu, Staff Cartoonist

A second-year studying art and design

Nova and Comet: The Substitute Pearl Knight, Staff Cartoonist

A fourth-year studying art and design

University and student organizations host events to celebrate APISAA month

Matthew Burkhart Staff Writer

Multicultural Student Affairs, University Libraries and Asian student organizations on campus are hosting an array of events for Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American Heritage Month (APISAA), celebrated at NC State from March 15 to April 15.

Alexius Pearson, the assistant director of Multicultural Student Affairs, is tasked with coordinating with and hosting space for culture-based organizations on campus.

Pearson said this year’s heritage month is being celebrated with the theme of “Unity Within Diversity,” which is the motto of NC State’s South Asian Student Association, EKTAA.

“To be in this space where the students are so loving, so open and just really big on connecting with each other, especially when you have the APISAA community — which is just so vast — is why we talk about unity within diversity,” Pearson said. “Specifically talking about the community and acknowledging the individuality of different cultures,

the different religions and beliefs and still making a way to connect and celebrate and support each other.”

Although APISAA Heritage Month is nationally observed during the month of May, Pearson said the University opts to celebrate it between March and April with the purpose of celebrating Asian culture for an entire month before final exams begin.

“The community wanted to still be able to celebrate with their peers at the institution and not feel that kind of missing void to be able to connect to their community in a big way and have that space made for them and the acknowledgement of their rich history,” Pearson said.

University Libraries is presenting its Immersive Asian and Asian American Historical Timeline Exhibit on Thursday, March 23 from noon to 5 p.m. Victor Betts, student success librarian for special collections, is coordinating University Libraries’ APISAA Heritage Month events.

Betts curated the exhibit during his first year of working at NC State in 2019. He said

there was no representation of Asian or Asian American history at the institutional level

North Carolina State University and the National Humanities Center present an evening with internationally-renowned author Amitav Ghosh

“Can the Non-Human Speak? Other Beings in Myth, Literature, and Ethnography”

TIFFANY ARD/TECHNICIAN

Cathy Thai, a second-year studying animal science, paints an attendee’s face during the Asian Artist Showcase hosted by CRANE at Talley Student Union on Friday, April 1, 2022. This year, CRANE (Critical Asian Narratives and Engagement) Collective hosted their first ever Asian Artist Showcase, an event where Asian and Asian American artists can display their artwork to the North Carolina community.

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Asian language classes offer cultural immersion and diverse learnings

Selina Urieta-Garcia Correspondent

It’s officially the start of Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American Heritage Month and NC State will be celebrating it until April 15 this year. One way you can educate yourself this month on campus is through learning about the Asian languages that NC State offers.

NC State offers three Asian languages: Chinese, Hindi/Urdu and Japanese. The advancement of language learning couldn’t have been possible without technology and cultural understanding.

Standard Chinese has been offered at NC State since the late 80s and has continued to grow, said Nathaniel Isaacson, associate professor and coordinator of Chinese Language and Literature. Aside from language learning, courses also center around the idea of global culture and products that translate across borders.

Isaacson said he tries to implement pop culture into his classes especially.

“We’re always looking for ways to create

someone’s way into language and culture learning,” Isaacson said. “And that makes me want to design a class where we would watch things like telenovelas and Korean dramas or something together.”

Students will learn what one might hear spoken in China or other Chinese-speaking countries, giving students the tools to implement and expand learning outside of the classroom.

“I think a lot of us here in world languages would like to see an expansion of offerings that focus on the AAPI[SA] experience in various ways,” Isaacson said.

Hindi was first taught on campus in 1993. Although Hindi and Urdu are not the same language, they are taught together now to maximize resources as they are less commonly taught. The languages also share grammar and similar vocabulary.

Even if students do not understand Hindi or Urdu, professors offer translation courses for anyone who’s interested in the cultural content but haven’t had access to the language or the chance to take it.

Sujata Mody, associate professor and coordinator of Hindi and Urdu, said that access to courses is diverse to ensure inclusivity.

“We like to sort of make sure that there is access through more than one way,” Mody said. “We offer courses in translation for anyone who’s interested in cultural content, but haven’t had the access to the languages, whether the language is not offered or whether it’s, you know, they haven’t had a chance to take it.”

Mody said that while learning a new language can be difficult, the experience is exceptionally rewarding.

“I always tell my students that if you sit down and you learn Hindi or Urdu script, you have just become literate in a different language,” Mody said. “And that opens up so much newness and so much of a rich tradition and history to you. And so that idea of becoming literate in multiple languages is really exciting.”

Nilakshi Phukan, associate teaching professor of Hindi and Urdu language

and literature, said she gives students in her classes classes the opportunity to make virtual reality modules.

“Our students get that kind of opportunity to create projects in green screen [visualization and 3D printing],” Phukan said. “They bring their culture and keep something from our classes for [their] future memory.”

Wakako Sera, senior lecturer of Japanese, said she had access to limited resources for language education as a child and felt like her life was disconnected from the language she was learning.

“Language and culture are inseparable and what we see, is the culture is kind of the tip of the iceberg,” Sera said.

Kyung Hee Ha, assistant Japanese professor, said culture is essential to language learning and has an invisible line between cultures and languages. One cultural re

LANGUAGE continued page 13

Roundabout spring issue draws attention to the arts at NC State

Savannah Woodman

A vibrant image of the Free Expression Tunnel is featured on the cover of Roundabout’s spring 2023 issue, emphasizing the history and importance of the arts at NC State.

Roundabout, NC State’s general interest magazine, released its spring publication titled “The State of the Art” issue in early March. This semester’s issue focuses on how art is built into the University, both physically and figuratively.

The issue features stories with topics ranging from University Theatre and the relationship between STEM and the arts to the history of the Free Expression Tunnel and campus architecture. The magazine also features a book review, quiz and some of the Wolfpack’s favorite music from the past year.

While readers only see the finished product, Roundabout writers and editors spent a semester making sure the issue was perfect.

Brainstorming for the issue started via Slack, an instant messaging program which allows for the collaboration of all of Roundabout’s ideas. No ideas were unwelcome, allowing the team to take their creativity to the next level.

“I feel like one thing that helps is that because we’re a general interest magazine, I feel like I’m not limited in any way,” said Emily Peedin, a second-year studying psychology and religious studies and Roundabout’s photo editor.

Editor-in-chief Bran Poster, a second-

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source is the NC Japan Center, a statewide resource for the public located on campus.

“With Japanese language knowledge, I think students are learning so much more, not just from the English text, but they are able to understand the nuances in the language,” Ha said.

Sera said although many resources are available, she believes the role of teachers has shifted to teaching students the 21st century skills in problem solving, critical thinking and creativity skills.

“We can easily … integrate [students] into those skills,” Sera said. “It’s more like not teaching the language, actually. It’s more like we teach those skills through the language.”

Asian languages have trouble gaining the same recognition as European languages,

year studying English, drew some of his ideas for the spring issue from history, seen in the “Who’s Your Patron?” quiz, which incorporated stories of historical figures like the Medici Family and Emperor Nero in a unique way.

Other team members found inspiration while walking to class. Several stories focused on NC State’s campus, including a case study on the Free Expression Tunnel and a story highlighting the architecture and history of campus buildings.

For Peedin, inspiration for the issue’s cover photo came from an impromptu encounter at the Free Expression Tunnel. After finding a group participating in NC State’s tradition of spray-painting the tunnel, Peedin took a few photos, one of which ended up being featured on the front cover.

“It was just a right place, right time moment,” Peedin said.

Peedin and other photographers were in charge of taking photos to complement the stories while copy editor Audrey Javan, a second-year studying English, edited the text according to various style guides and Roundabout requirements.

Javan also wrote the issue’s book review of NC State alum Beth Revis’ book titled “Give the Dark My Love.”

“The [book] I found — I mentioned this in the article — but I just really liked the concept of it,” Javan said. “I like fantasy novels, and a necromancy sort of trope is really interesting to me, so when that one showed up, I was like ‘Yes, I will do this one.’”

Javan utilized book-sharing websites like

and the trouble might be because the K-12 school system mostly offers languages with the Roman alphabet.

“These [European] languages always get so many students since, from elementary school till high school, they are being offered, but not Chinese, not Hindi, not Farsi language and not Korean,” Phukan said. “I would like to see from the advisors, that kind of suggestion, or sympathy towards other languages who are trying to bring more enrollments.”

To explore Chinese studies, visit fll. chass.ncsu.edu/chinese/ or contact Dr. Nathaniel Isaacson.

To explore Hindi/Urdu studies, visit fll.chass.ncsu.edu/hindi-urdu/ or contact Dr. Sujata Mody.

To explore Japanese language and Japan studies, visit fll.chass.ncsu.edu/ japanese/

Goodreads as well as Revis’s blog to find information on the author and the inspiration behind the book.

Design editor Josh Cobb, a third-year studying graphic and experience design, designed the book review’s spread, featuring bright red pages and a gothic, floral

pattern. He also created the two-page spread on NC State’s official typefaces

Correspondent

EMILY PEEDIN/TECHNICIAN Roundabout Photo Editor

ROUNDABOUT continued page 14

APISAA fashion integrates diversity through sustainable, ethical practices

Autumn Walser Correspondent

Fashion is an ever-changing landscape, and one clear avenue of influence is globalization. Asian, Pacific Islander and South Asian American influence on fashion in the United States has become the norm, with many consumers opting to shop foreign brands and welcome new styles based on cultural trends and diversity from halfway across the globe.

While many people associate Asian fashion with East Asian brands like YesStyle and Cider, there are many ethically made, sustainable brands that focus on long-term wear and are located throughout the continent.

Krushi Bandam, a first-year studying computer science, said one of her favorite South Asian-owned fashion brands is Hut Mentality.

“Hut Mentality is a sustainable brand that sources directly from North Indian artisans,” Bandam said. “It’s pretty expensive because they ethically source the fabric.”

Hut Mentality has made a name for itself by creating slow-fashion pieces that embody North Indian culture by implementing an-

APISAA

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prior to his research. The timeline showcases the history and accomplishments of Asian and Asian American students at NC State.

“It just goes to show you how invisible or how much Asian and Asian American voices were sort of pushed to the margins,” even though physically, you can see Asian Americans on campus,” Betts said. “[Asians are] obviously, not on the forefront of when [many] think about the American South, [or] we think about the Triangle area. But when you actually look at the data, you can see a booming Asian American population, especially in the tech industry and entrepreneurship. Moving forward and thinking about the future, there’s hopefully going to be more representation, more visibility and more conversations around the really great, culturally diverse population here in the American South.”

University Libraries is hosting a livestream presented by Betts and Dr. Kyung Hee Ha, assistant professor in foreign languages and

ROUNDABOUT

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cient textile practices to create clothing. Its pieces are self-described as “a boycott of fast fashion, and a rebellion of ‘fast fads.’”

Ethical South Asian fashion brand Sabyasa-

literature. The pair will uncover archival documents surrounding the lives of Asian American students at NC State on March 24 at 1 p.m. on University Libraries’ YouTube channel.

Betts said photographs, manuscripts and important works from Asian and Asian American students, as well as notable University figures like the famous architect George Matsumoto will be unveiled, providing an immersive look into the history of Asian and Asian American students on campus.

Betts said the purpose of this livestream is to document the history of Asians and Asian Americans on campus.

“What we’re trying to do is really highlight an invisible history of Asian Americans on campus that’s really not discussed,” Betts said. “Also, really try to raise a little bit more awareness and get a little bit more representation at the institutional level about Asians and Asian Americans’ accomplishments and contributions. Not only to the campus, but also [to] the local area.”

Multicultural Student Affairs is hosting an APISAA-themed Chat N’ Chew event on March 30 from 6-7:30 p.m.

Pearson said Chat N’ Chew events take

and is in charge of the layout and overall graphic design for Roundabout.

Cobb also worked on the layout and placement of the issue’s advertisements. The total number of advertisements used in this issue reached a new record for Roundabout, marking the growth of the publication as a whole.

chi celebrates Asian culture by creating highend clothing for special occasions, especially

place during every cultural celebration and provide a comforting space to speak about cultural topics over food.

“It’s a space where we get to learn and take things when we leave,” Pearson said. “Sometimes, we as a people just need a space to breathe. … This year, we’re talking about a sense of belonging and community. ‘How do I see myself on this campus? How do I not? What would I like to see? How can we better support each other to create that community?’ It can be anything. … We cater it to what they need in that moment.”

The Filipino American Student Association is hosting a tea and game night on March 23. The organization is also hosting its annual gala in April. Further details will be revealed on their Instagram page.

Kaden Figuerres, a first-year studying biomaterials science and engineering, is a freshman representative in the Filipino American Student Association. Figuerres said the association is using its gala as a means to support a global cause, as all proceeds will go to the Philippine Nurses Association in the Triangle area.

“Especially for the Philippines, it’s kind of an overlooked country in terms of their po-

“We had the ‘Against All Odds’ issue, and then we kept continuing to grow from there,” Poster said. “So why are advertisers more and more interested? Because we’re becoming more and more complex, advanced and interesting as a publication.”

Roundabout’s team is now working on the

Hindu holidays.

“Sabyasachi is for celebrities, and the fabric is extremely detailed and intricate,” Bandam said. “Sabyasachi is more celebration wear. It’s mostly worn for Indian weddings, but can also be used for Holi, Sankranti and other holidays.”

Despite the popularity of these slow-fashion brands, most of the popular Asian-owned brands in America seem to be distinctly fastfashion brands, which fail to reflect Asian cultures in their clothing.

“I feel like Indian fashion brands aren’t as discussed in pop culture,” Bandam said. “I do wish there was more modern Indian fashion representation in America.”

Lauren Elson, a fourth-year studying fashion and textile design, said she is working on a collection that celebrates her heritage.

“I’m using colors in my collection to symbolize my native Hawaiian heritage,” Elson said. “A lot of people don’t think about colors in relation to their heritage, but in Hawaii, colors symbolize different things, like water and wind.”

pulation here in the United States,” Figuerres said. “There’s a lot of Filipinos that come here looking for better opportunities. So actually, that’s why we’re teaming up with the Philippine Nurses Association — a lot of Filipinos here come to the U.S. to become nurses. That’s kind of a gateway point.”

The Vietnamese Student Association is hosting Viet Night, their annual cultural showcase, on Saturday, March 25 from 7-9 p.m. in Stewart Theater. The theme of this year’s showcase is “Saigon under the Stars,” named after the historical title of Ho Chi Minh City under France. Admission to the event is free.

Kristine Huynh, a third-year studying industrial engineering, is a member of the Vietnamese Student Association. She said APISAA month provides time for the Asian community to be united across different cultures and differences in the proximity of ties to Asia.

“APISAA month — you’re basically covering Asian culture,” Huynh said. “Being Asian — there’s a lot of, ‘You’re either second generation, first generation,’ but just celebrating our culture and where we’re from and learning about our background and just celebrating ourselves in general.”

orientation issue, which will be sent to all incoming NC State freshmen and transfer students.

“The State of the Art” issue can be found across campus in stands alongside other local and student media publications.

GRAPHIC BY VY HOANG

Red-hot NC State men’s tennis has found its footing in 2023, undefeated in ACC

A recent six-match win streak? Check. A roster chock-full of talent? Check. An undefeated start to ACC play? Check. Possibly the best loss in recent memory for NC State men’s tennis? Check.

Admittedly, head coach Kyle Spencer probably didn’t put that last one down on his weekly to-do list, but you get the idea.

After using its versatile lineup to finally find its footing and take No. 3 Texas to the brink, all while establishing a 4-0 start to conference play — the best start in the ACC in years — it’s safe to say the Wolfpack’s train has sped out of the station and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Six-match win streak

The red-and-white has certainly come a long way since its rocky 4-4 start to the season — a start in which the Pack failed to establish a consistent winning streak other than its opening day doubleheader sweep over UNC-Greensboro. But ever since mid-February, NC State has found its footing, trading in its inconsistent win-loss trend for a stable win streak.

After the Pack’s strong 5-2 win at Princeton on Feb. 12, everything seemed to fall into place for the Wolfpack. Since that victory, NC State carved out a six-match win streak, with most of those wins coming against high-quality ACC opponents such as Clemson, Georgia Tech and Miami. The Pack capped the streak off with its most impressive win of the season — a dominating sweep over No. 23 Florida State on March 12.

That upset victory over the Seminoles not only marked the Wolfpack’s best win of the season, but brought its ACC record to an undefeated and unprecedented 4-0 — the best start to conference play that NC State has achieved under Spencer.

After that win earned the Wolfpack the No. 20 spot in ITA’s rankings, there were only a few teams in the nation that could’ve stopped the red-hot Wolfpack. Unfortunately for NC State, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns were just one of those teams.

Taking Texas to the brink

Some would argue that there are no good losses in sports, but Spencer and his squad would beg to differ, especially after the Pack’s nail-biting 4-3 loss in Austin, Texas to the Longhorns.

NC State clearly entered the match with something to prove, and after its 4-0 loss to then-No. 4 Michigan on Feb. 10, the Pack was eager to test its mettle against another top-5 opponent. As a result, the team came out swinging, winning the early doubles point and two singles matches to gain a 3-1 advantage. The win was within reach, but in a match with razor-thin margins for error against an experienced squad Texas, nothing was ever guaranteed. Right as the Wolfpack threatened to clinch its best match win in recent memory, the Longhorns pulled off an impressive comeback, winning three-straight singles matches to

ultimately emerge with the 4-3 victory. Despite the late-match collapse, NC State still played some of its best tennis of the season. Taking a team like Texas to the brink is no easy task, so to get so close to downing the Longhorns in Austin is a feat unto itself, one that the Wolfpack can hang its hat on as it looks to establish a new win streak. However, after losing its grip on its 3-1 lead, there’s still room to grow for NC State, but that shouldn’t be a problem for a team that has been doing nothing but improving since the beginning of the season, and especially since the start of its win streak.

Growing Lineup

NC State’s streak was engineered by its versatile lineup, one that has certainly come into its own as the season has progressed. In singles, the Wolfpack has players from courts one through six that can win on any given day, while in doubles, NC State has seemed to find some solid pairings that have been able to do some damage in the early rounds. While the entirety of the Pack’s roster is playing in top form, redshirt sophomore Braden Shick has continually

impressed and has carried over his upward trend from last season into this year. He has firmly settled into a consistent spot in the middle of the lineup, providing an always-solid option for the Wolfpack, especially when matches go into crunch time.

Meanwhile, sophomore Damien Salvestre has recently come into his own at just the right time for NC State. Salvestre has not been able to see consistent action in the lineup, but when he plays, he’s usually at one of the top courts, evidence of the sophomore’s sky-high potential and alreadyimpressive ability. Another player at the top of the lineup, fifth-year senior Rafa Izquierdo Luque has also impressed, namely with his win over the No. 1 player in the country in NC State’s match against the Longhorns.

Meanwhile, Izquierdo Luque and sophomore Joseph Wayand have rounded out the Pack’s solid doubles lineup as well, contributing to a potent and versatile set of pairs that can take down any team in the nation, just like it did against Texas. There have been contributions across the board from NC State, but with players like Shick, Salvestre and Izquierdo Luque performing at a particularly high level for NC State, it seems like there’s no stopping the Pack as it resumes its ACC campaign.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

(From left) Senior Robin Catry and junior Luca Staeheli celebrate scoring a point during their doubles match against Michigan at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. The doubles match went unfinished. NC State lost 4-0 to Michigan.

Ethan Bakogiannis Sports Editor

NC State women’s basketball falls short of expectations for 2022-23 season

No matter who was returning or joining the program, it was always going to be hard for NC State women’s basketball to replace 80% of its starting lineup from a season ago.

After winning its third consecutive ACC Championship and making it to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1998 in the 2021-22 season, the Wolfpack lost four starters — Elissa Cunane, Raina Perez, Kai Crutchfield and Kayla Jones.

That marked the end of an era in Raleigh, and it ushered in a new chapter of Wolfpack women’s basketball.

While the team returned talented players from last season, such as junior guard Diamond Johnson, senior wing Jakia Brown-Turner and senior forward Jada Boyd, this was always going to be a rebuilding year for the Pack.

There were times when the team looked like the successor to the great teams of recent years, and there were other times when the team looked like it was sorely missing key pieces from that memorable run.

When it’s all said and done, following up a three-year run at the ACC Championship

with a first-round NCAA Tournament exit is a bit of a letdown, but that doesn’t mean the season itself was a disappointment. This year’s women’s basketball team provided moments that were as exciting as any.

The Pack couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the season, going 11-1 through its first 12 games. That included a win on the road against Caitlin Clark and Iowa, making NC State the only team to beat the Hawkeyes in their home arena this year.

It looked for a moment as though this team would continue the greatness of the last three years without any hiccups, but that all started to change when conference play began. Johnson and Boyd had each suffered injuries in December, and the team struggled during their absence and even after their returns, going 2-4 in a stretch from the end of December into January.

At this point, it was clear that NC State would have a tough time achieving the standards the program has set, but the team soon got back to its winning ways with a three-game win streak to end January.

That stretch included arguably the Pack’s best performance of the season — a 69-65 home win over eventual ACC regular-season champ Notre Dame.

The good times wouldn’t last, however, as the team lost three of its first four games in February. But just when things perhaps looked most bleak, it came time for NC State’s most highly anticipated game of the season — a home matchup against North Carolina.

The Tar Heels got the better of the Pack in the first matchup of the season between the two teams in Chapel Hill, and for a while, it looked like it was going to be the same result in Raleigh. But channeling 2021 NC State football, the Wolfpack women stormed back to win an electric 77-66 overtime decision.

The “Small Gym,” as it has been branded by UNC head coach Courtney Banghart, was rocking that night, which proved to be the highlight of the season for the Pack.

That also proved to be the highpoint in an otherwise unmemorable month of February in which NC State went just 3-5, finishing the regular season with a 9-9 conference record.

The Pack entered the ACC Tournament in Greensboro as the 8-seed, taking care of business in its first game against Syracuse before falling to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals, thus ending the chances at a four-peat.

Two weeks later, NC State traveled out

west to Salt Lake City for the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Princeton. The Pack had the game in hand, leading by eight with less than five minutes to go before the unthinkable happened — the Tigers went on a 9-0 run to close the game, including the game-winning 3-pointer with four seconds left to send the red-and-white home.

The Pack’s season may have ended slightly differently had it not been for Johnson’s absence, who missed the final six games of the season due to an ankle injury. She proved to be the team’s best player this season, leading the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game and earning Second-Team All-ACC honors. Each of her 10 absences during the season were greatly felt.

This season marked the curtain call for Brown-Turner, Boyd and senior center Camille Hobby, who have been with the team every step of the way the past four seasons. That group was a part of the run that included the three ACC championships, two Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight, with Brown-Turner hitting one of the most memorable and clutch shots in school history in that Elite Eight game against UConn.

guard Saniya Rivers, graduate

Sophomore

EMILY PEEDIN/TECHNICIAN

Graduate forward Mimi Collins (center) and graduate center River Baldwin (right) cheer on their teammates during the game against Virginia inside Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. The Wolfpack beat the Cavaliers 87-62.

Ben Ellis Sports Editor

forward Mimi Collins and graduate center River Baldwin each proved to be worthwhile additions this season after transferring to Raleigh, with Rivers especially establishing herself as a defensive menace and being named the ACC’s Sixth Player of the Year at season’s end.

Junior guard Madison Hayes and sophomore guard Aziaha James also made strides in their second year on the team. James in particular will be remembered for her role in the comeback over UNC, scoring 12 points between the fourth quarter and overtime to help seal the win.

While the ending may leave a sour taste, the future is bright in Raleigh, and head coach Wes Moore is going to get the program back to its championship-caliber ways in no time.

Sophomore guard Aziaha James celebrates making a shot and being fouled during the game against Duke inside Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. James scored 11 points and made three rebounds for the Wolfpack. NC State lost to Duke 72-58.

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Sophomore guard Aziaha James shoots a jump shot while surrounded by Syracuse players during the second round of the ACC tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday, March 2, 2023. James had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Wolfpack. NC State beat Syracuse 83-58.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

The NC State women’s basketball team screams in celebration as graduate center River Baldwin gets fouled while shooting a basket during the quarterfinals game of the ACC tournament against Notre Dame in Greensboro Coliseum on Friday, March 3, 2023. NC State lost to Notre Dame 66-60.

NC State men’s basketball defies expectations, gets back to winning ways

Sometimes, just when you’re least expecting it, NC State will surprise you.

About this time a year ago, after playing one of its worst seasons in school history, it would have been hard to envision success for NC State men’s basketball in the near future.

Many fans wanted head coach Kevin Keatts gone. Numerous players were leaving the program. There was little hope or optimism for men’s basketball in Raleigh.

But given another chance, Keatts made the most out of his opportunity, assembling a ragtag bunch of transfers and newcomers and leading the Wolfpack back to relevancy.

Picked to finish 10th in the ACC by the preseason media poll, the Pack defied expectations by finishing sixth with a 23-11 overall record and a 12-8 conference record. Those 12 ACC wins marked the most in a season for the Wolfpack since the 1973-74 season, which culminated in a national

championship win.

Not only did NC State get back in the win column, but the Pack did so in style, winning electric home games against ACC Tournament champion Duke, ACC regular season champion Miami, and preseason No. 1 North Carolina.

It’s no small feat for NC State to beat Duke and UNC in the same season, and Keatts has now done it twice, the first time being his first year in Raleigh in 2018.

This season bore similarities to that 201718 year in which Keatts also assembled a group of transfers and players left over from the tenure of previous head coach Mark Gottfried. Not much was expected of the Pack then, but as he has done all throughout his tenure in Raleigh, Keatts got the absolute most out of his players and led the team to the NCAA Tournament.

The next few years were defined by bad luck — NC State should have made it in the tournament in 2019, likely would have made it in 2020 had it not been for the pandemic,

and faced a slew of injuries and departures in 2021 and 2022, not to mention the challenges brought on by COVID-19.

Whether fairly or unfairly, Keatts took most of the blame for the dismal 2021-22 season, but Athletic Director Boo Corrigan made the decision — a correct one — to keep his head men’s basketball coach.

After the departures of Manny Bates, Dereon Seabron and Jericole Hellems, to name a few, Keatts went to work in the off-season, taking advantage of the transfer portal to add players who addressed many of the team’s needs.

Just like the 2017-18 season, Keatts’ off-season acquisitions paid off. The program brought in difference-makers such as graduate forward Jack Clark, graduate guard Jarkel Joiner and graduate forward — and instant fan favorite — DJ Burns.

Combined with sophomore guard Terquavion Smith, the team’s breakout star from the year prior who decided to run it back after testing the NBA waters, the group

turned heads and brought excitement the program hasn’t seen in a long time.

While the first few games were encouraging, it really became evident that this year’s squad was different during the team’s trip to the Bahamas back in November. That week, NC State went 2-1, winning impressive games against Dayton and Butler and taking defending-national champion Kansas down to the wire.

That stretch gave the Pack confidence looking ahead, but after a 1-3 start to ACC play, it would have been easy to feel unsure about the team once again. That all changed on Jan. 4 when NC State pummeled then-No. 16 Duke 84-60 in PNC Arena, giving life to a fanbase that has so desperately needed it after poor attendance from a season ago.

That win kicked off NC State’s best stretch of the season in which the team went 9-1 over the course of January and into early February, including another big win, an 83-81 thriller over Miami. If it wasn’t clear before then, NC State men’s basketball was

SARAH COCHRAN/TECHNICIAN

(From left) Sophomore guard Breon Pass, sophomore guard Terquavion Smith, graduate guard Jarkel Joiner, freshman guard LJ Thomas and graduate forward DJ Burns smile while looking down the court during the annual Heritage Game against Coppin State in Reynolds Coliseum on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. NC State beat Coppin State 94-72.

Ben Ellis

Sports Editor

back in business.

Even after a stretch in mid-February in which the team lost two of three games, the Pack pulled off the win most fans wanted to see more than any other, an electrifying 77-69 contest against UNC that made PNC Arena perhaps as loud as it has ever been.

After a win against Wake Forest, NC State stumbled into March, dropping its final two games of the regular season, including an embarrassing loss on Senior Day to Clemson. The Pack bounced back with an impressive performance against Virginia Tech before falling once again to Clemson in blowout fashion, but in the end, the team had done enough throughout the course of the regular season to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years as an 11-seed.

The first round of the NCAA Tournament saw a tough draw against 6-seed Creighton, who eliminated NC State with a 72-63 win in Denver. In the end, NC State played its best basketball of the season in January and February, not March. Despite the loss, there are plenty of reasons for the Pack to hold its head high.

NC State had one of its better seasons in the last 10 years, winning 23 games for just the second time since 2013. All of that started and ended with the players on the court.

Burns proved to be an instant fan favorite with his skill and touch, all coming at the size of 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds. The big man was almost unstoppable at times in the post, backing defenders down from as far

away as the 3-point line, and when he wasn’t doing that, he could pass the ball better than almost any other big in the country.

Joiner made the most out of his one season in Raleigh, filling the role of a true point guard like the team desperately needed in the off-season and adding an outside scoring threat. He will perhaps most be remembered by his performance against UNC in which he scored 29 points and led the charge on the team’s exhilarating run down the stretch to seal the win.

Most of all, Smith was the engine that made this team go, and he left it all on the court for the red-and-white. “Baby T” led the team in scoring with 17.9 points per game and earned All-ACC Second-Team honors for his efforts. No matter what he decides to do this off-season, whether he goes pro or not, Smith will always be remembered for everything he gave to NC State and his loyalty to the program, for which he will go down as a Wolfpack legend.

Just when the future looked most bleak for the NC State men’s basketball program, Keatts and company provided just what the doctor ordered. While it won’t go down as the best season the school has ever had, this men’s basketball season will go down as one of the most exciting — and most important — in program history.

Graduate

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Graduate guard Jack Clark dunks the ball during the game against Campbell on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022 at PNC Arena. Clark scored 10 points and made nine rebounds for the Wolfpack. NC State beat Campbell 73-67.

JON WILLIAMS/TECHNICIAN

guard Jarkel Joiner dunks the ball during the game against UNC-Chapel Hill in PNC Arena on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. Joiner had 29 points for NC State. The Wolfpack won 77-69.

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