Black History Month 2023 — Technician 02/02/23

TECHNICIAN

OPINION

WHAT YOU MISSED:

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

NC State analysis reveals North Carolina’s economy is slowing

Mike Walden, a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at NC State, published an index that revealed North Carolina’s economy is slowing. The index forecasts the direction of the state’s economy four to six months in the future. However, Walden said the decline is not as drastic as the last two economic recessions.

SOURCE: WRAL

Beaver takes a dip at Durham’s American Tobacco Campus

“Barry” the beaver was spotted in the river by employees at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 30. It isn’t clear how Barry got in the river. Animal control was notified, and observers were cautioned to keep their distance. Barry was removed and released into a safe, new habitat.

SOURCE: WRAL

George Santos will step down from positions on House committees

The New York Republican is facing calls for resignation after he admitted fabricating parts of both his resume and biography, and told House Republicans he will not be serving on committees until his name is cleared. Despite federal officials vowing to look into his finances and Brazilian authorities reopening a dormant fraud case against him, top House Republicans have remained silent on the issue.

SOURCE: CNN, BBC

Scientists make plans to resurrect the dodo bird

A team of scientists want to bring back the dodo bird using advances in ancient DNA sequencing, synthetic biology and gene editing. The flightless bird was first spotted by Portuguese sailors on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and was extinct by 1681 due to human hunting practices and invasive species. Scientists hope to bring the species back and open new possibilities for bird conservation.

SOURCE: CNN

THE RADAR

Events to keep an eye on for the week of February 2

QUEUE UP FOR THE

NOMADIC PHOTO ARK

Wednesday, Feb. 1 to Saturday, Feb. 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. THE CORNER Free

Visit the Nomadic Photo Ark, a traveling dark room and gallery that Monica Jane Frisell and Adam Scher take around the country recording stories for their project “Portraits of US” to share your story and possibly be included in their pop-up exhibit Feb. 10.

POTTERY JAM WITH NC STATE ASU

Friday, Feb. 3, 3-5 p.m.

WITHERSPOON STUDENT CENTER, ROOM 356 Free

Learn about African art and history this Black History Month while painting pottery with the African Student Union.

2023 KRISPY KREME CHALLENGE

Saturday, Feb. 4, 8 a.m. MEMORIAL BELLTOWER Free

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is back! Get your guts and your running legs ready to run a five-mile round trip with a dozen donuts awaiting you in the middle to raise money for the UNC Children’s Hospital.

DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING: ‘TALKING BLACK IN AMERICA — ROOTS’

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 7-8 p.m.

D.H. HILL LIBRARY, AUDITORIUM Free

Join the African American Cultural Center, the Language and Life Project and University Libraries in viewing the third documentary in an Emmy Award-winning, five-part series exploring African American language and culture in the U.S. and beyond.

Ski and Snowboard Club empowers students

Matthew Burkhart Staff Writer

NC State’s Ski and Snowboard Club provides students of all experience levels an opportunity to travel and bond with a group of thrill-seeking students from all backgrounds.

Ben Palmer, a second-year studying industrial design and an officer of the club, said Ski and Snowboard Club is a non-competitive ski club that is purely organized for the fun of skiing. Palmer said the club’s year consists of multiple trips to popular ski locations. This school year, the club traveled to Boone in October, Killington, Vermont during the first week of January, Snowshoe, West Virginia over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend and Boone again for the last weekend of January.

Anna Beasley, a third-year studying social work and an officer of the club, said one of the priorities of the club’s leadership is to make all trips affordable for students.

“We really tried to make it as affordable as we can for college students, because we’re on a budget,” Beasley said. “It’s a great community, and it’s also a great way to [make skiing accessible to] people that want to ski or at least want to try it.”

Every year, the club takes a trip to a western ski resort during spring break. This year, the club is going to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which Beasley said is covered under a student season pass discount, contributing to the accessibility the club officers aim for.

Palmer said the club dues primarily cover Airbnb reservations for the season. He said the Airbnbs provide a fun experience for the

club to live together and bond closely while on their trips.

“[Getting] big houses to sleep a lot of people so that you split up a bunch of ways makes it pretty cheap to do so,” Palmer said.

“[It’s] pretty nice, having a kitchen and everything. It’s always just like cooking and helping each other out in the kitchen. It’s a super community. It’s like a mega hostel, basically.”

Ski Club has a total of 163 members with all degrees of skiing experience, this year holding the largest membership the club has ever had in its six years of operation. Jackson Vaughan, a second-year studying agribusiness said the club’s inviting nature to beginners attracted him to the club.

“[We] have skiers of all skill levels, whether you’ve been skiing since you were five years old, or whether you’re just starting, there’s a spot in the club for you,” Vaughan said. “It’s very inviting, and everybody’s willing to help you and give you tips. It’s like a giant family, honestly.”

In terms of balancing time between classes and skiing, Palmer said it comes easier than most think.

“It’s not like you’re an athlete, where you have a two-hour practice every day,” Palmer said. “It’s just every other weekend, I need to kind of clear my schedule. It’s pretty easy to manage, you know, get everything done for the week, so you can have your weekend off. … That’s something you got to consciously

plan, but it’s very doable.”

Vaughan said ski trips often encourage him to stay closely on top of his schoolwork.

“You don’t want to be the kid in the house with his laptop out writing an essay on the first night,” Vaughan said.

Chloe Jonas, a third-year studying biology, said the club’s ski trips greatly improve her mental health.

“I know my due dates for all my assignments and the weekends that I’m off, I work extra hard,” Jonas said. “Next week, I could just relax and ski. Seasonal depression doesn’t exist for me anymore.”

Now being one of the more established clubs on campus, Palmer said he is proud of Ski Club’s enduring culture.

“We have been for a while, but [we’re] really starting to see that we’ve really created a culture around it and to see that come together, that’s my favorite thing,” Palmer said. “There’s like a vibe and an attitude that unintentionally gets handed down from the older kids to the younger kids and to see that continue to develop is the coolest.”

Ski Club’s officers have high hopes for the future. Beasley said the club is considering booking two Airbnbs on some trips in coming seasons as an effort to let more members go on ski trips.

Palmer said the club hopes to collaborate with other clubs on campus as well as other ski and snowboard clubs at other universities.

African American Textile Society provides community and inclusion at NC State

Cameron Rhinehardt Brand Manager

The African American Textile Society (AATS) is an organization dedicated to providing a place on campus for creative students to find belonging while participating in textile- and fashion-based activities.

While the organization is mostly textile and fashion related, AATS is open to anyone at NC State in light of its mission to have an inclusive environment. Jordan Everett, president of AATS and second-year studying textile technology, said anyone with a creative mind and passion for fashion can take part in the group’s festivities.

“We focus on fashion and design, but we mimic a diverse inclusive community at textiles and NC State,” Everett said. “We aren’t closed off to just textiles.”

The goal of AATS is to put together a fashion show at the end of each academic year during pan-Afrikan week. Everyone gets to showcase their work, find models, help out backstage and more, Everett said.

The show falls annually in April and will be occurring on Thursday, April 6 this year and allows students to compete

for scholarships by showcasing their talents in design and textile construction.

“It shows tradition and offers a community for a minority group at the University,” Everett said. “You can look at improvement and evolution throughout the years as the organization grows.”

Everett also said the annual fashion show gives the University an opportunity to see what a minority group on campus is interested in and shows growth throughout the community. For example, last year’s show had six participants, and this year has grown by over 10 people.

Jacori Crudup, the fashion expose chair of AATS and fourth-year studying fashion and textile management and Africana studies, said the organization began with hopes to bring together the small community that is NC State textiles.

“Textiles is pretty small, and while we are open to other people in the major, we started [AATS] because we wanted to meet and connect with people in the college of textiles,” Crudup said.

AATS is not a national organization and was created

GRAPHIC BY WYLIE PHU

Club membership applications open in the fall and can be accessed from the club’s Instagram page, @ncsuskiandsnowboard.

NC State Chief of Police addresses campus safety, student concerns at Chats with the Chief

Emily Vespa Assistant News Editor

On Thursday, Jan. 26, Student Government hosted Chats with the Chief, where NC State Police Chief Dan House spoke about campus safety and transparency and addressed individual concerns from students.

House began with a presentation regarding current programs and initiatives managed by the NC State University Police Department to enhance campus safety and student involvement, including rapid deployment training and adding students to their hiring panel.

Training

House explained how NC State Police prepare for incident response situations such as active shooter threats. He said NC State Police have extensive training for incident response situations; officers regularly train to practice rapid deployment, which is taught to all police officers in Basic Law Enforcement Training School and emphasizes how first-responding officers should handle deadly situations before the SWAT team arrives.

“We at the Police Department, each one of our squads on an individual squad level, do this regularly,” House said. “So especially times at Christmas, where it’s really, really slow, or over the summer, where it’s slower and our squads have time, they go pull people off the road and run drills like this. So it’s kind of a constant training.”

House said additionally, NC State Police plan to train with the Raleigh Police Department in the coming months.

“Raleigh is our primary backup,” House said. “So if something happened, most of the Raleigh police officers have no idea where any of our buildings are on campus because they don’t respond here. So we’re trying to work better with them. We’re trying to pair those people up with our police officers to be able to get access to different things, so we don’t have to breach every door to get in where we try to get into.”

House said a vital aspect of preventing active shooter incidents is threat assessment, and NC State Police works with the Violence Prevention and Threat Management Program, which was created to proactively approach individuals who exhibit concerning behavior.

“One big part was that we can stop something from potentially happening, but the other part was, we were able to get them resources they needed,” House said. “So a

lot of times people are just going through something in their life, and this is a way for early intervention.”

NC State Police also train for use-of-force decision making, and the department acquired a DART simulator that conducts training with a video display and laser weapons. House said this type of training is more cost effective and versatile than traditional training methods and it’s been extremely beneficial.

“If they walk into the scenario, and it’s all good guys, they’ve got to be able to realize, ‘These are all good guys, and we can’t shoot the good guys,’” House said. “And then also, we built into that de-escalation… We had several people that were real problem shooters, and we’ve been running them through this all the time. And I mean, it’s amazing the progress that this has.”

Community Engagement

NC State Police have been working towards expanding community engagement in several ways, House said. In July, the department obtained a therapy dog named Sasha, and she’s been instrumental in comforting members of the NC State community, including roommates of students who have died by suicide and officers who respond to traumatic events.

“One of the things that really stuck out was during midterms last [semester], you know, people were really stressed out about the midterms and that type of thing,” House said. “And it was crazy how the dog would walk in, they pet the dog, and all of a sudden, they were back on track. So it was really good to see.”

House said to increase transparency and student involvement, NC State Police launched a program in 2020 that allows

students to be a member on the interview panel when hiring police officers. Students can email policerecruiting@ncsu.edu to get started as a volunteer panel member.

“It was two years ago now, I think it was, when we put this program together — we have yet to have a student sit on a panel,” House said. “So please, if you have any interest, we would love for you to come in and sit on a panel.”

David Rainer, associate vice chancellor for environmental health and public safety, said Chats with the Chief is another means of understanding student concerns and input.

“I think dialoguing with students is important, and that’s what we’re about,” Rainer said. “You know, everybody thinks we’re clairvoyant, everybody thinks we can read your minds, and the reality is we can’t. When Student Government approached us about a year and a half ago, maybe more, and asked to have regular meetings with police, the Chief and I talked about that, and we had some doubts, but I think it’s turned out really well. It’s great that we can just keep up the dialogue.”

Safety

Finally, House offered safety advice for students and addressed student concerns. He said NC State Police provides a variety of trainings, including active threat response training and Rape Aggression Defense Training, for students.

House also spoke about the blue light system; he said although the blue light stations are tested monthly, the telephone lines are sometimes inadvertently cut due to construction on I-440, which has led to outages in the past.

House said the University has been working to replace some older bluelight call boxes

with security stanchions, which include both an emergency call button and a security camera monitored by the Emergency Communications Center. However, he said security stanchions cost about $65,000 to install, so NC State Police are prioritizing placing them in high-traffic areas.

House said since cell phones have become nearly ubiquitous among the campus population, students can take advantage of additional safety measures. The app what3words, which is available in the Apple and Google app stores, divides the world into 3 meter squares and assigns a unique combination of three words to each. House said students can use what3words in an emergency to give NC State Police their exact location.

“Our communication center is tied into that, so if you give our communication center your three words, they know exactly where you are,” House said. “So especially if you’re confronted by somebody, you’re scared, but nothing’s happened yet. If you look it up on your phone, give us the threeword code word, we know exactly where you are, and we’re coming.”

The next Chats with the Chief will take place Thursday, Feb. 23, at 5 p.m. in Talley 4251. House said he encourages students to attend.

“Any topic you want to talk about, I’m willing to listen, and we can talk on how to implement those things,” House said.

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.

If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship violence, sexual violence, stalking or any other form of interpersonal violence and are in need of advocacy services, the NC State Women’s Center has trained advocates available to offer crisis intervention, emotional support, resources

POLICE continued page 5

DAVID TRACEY

The Raleigh Police Department and NC State University Police were on the scene of the shooting on Centennial Campus on June 10, 2018, according to WRAL.

Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to gun violence, suicide and sexual assault.

The African American Cultural Center provides resources, space, community for Black students

Abigail Ali News Editor

Three out of four campus community centers are housed in Talley Student Union, but did you know the African American Cultural Center (AACC) uses spaces on every floor of Witherspoon Student Center?

The AACC is made up of multiple spaces throughout Witherspoon including a living room, a gallery and a library. Saraiya Mills, a fourth-year studying communication and political science and a student programming intern at the AACC, said people are constantly moving in and out of these spaces throughout the week, and the spaces are always changing and evolving. Mills said the living room and kitchen are the spaces where people hang out and use, while spaces like the gallery are great for special events and exhibits.

“The gallery is where there’s usually some kind of exhibits, but right now it’s in renovation, so there’s nothing going on down there right now,” Mills said. “We’ll usually have openings for those and lots of slam poetry moments have happened down there before things like that. And then, the library which I really love, which is growing impressively. It’s honestly really dope down there, but you know, [they have a] wider range of books pertaining usually to like Blackness, Black research, Black authors and things like that.”

Mills said the center is like a hub for Black students on campus where they can find community and help finding resources.

“We do a lot of work that is not only just providing a space for Black students to exist … but also space for advocacy for Black students, space to come to when maybe you need help in any situations that are happening around campus,” Mills said.

Alexis Grant, a second-year studying material science engineering and a student programming intern at AACC, said the center is a place where people can connect.

“It’s just a place to facilitate connections,

POLICE

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TEXTILE

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on campus through the Wilson College of Textiles. This fashion show will be the 25th show AATS has put on,

meet people, house events that cater to us, those kinds of things,” Grant said. “And also to help share with NC State, who we are as people.”

Grant said the library also has a meditation room students can go in when they feel stressed or just want some quiet time.

“It also has a meditation room,” Grant said. “So I use that sometimes when things are just really crazy. I’ll go in there and just sit and look out the window. Take a minute to myself.”

The AACC recently started a podcast called “Fo’ Yo’ Soul” where students, faculty and staff talk about topics like what it’s like being Black at NC State and what direction the AACC is headed in for the future. Mills said the podcast provides students and faculty with a comfortable space to discuss topics they care about and to reach people outside of the center.

“I just think it’s cool to hear students and also just other people that work in our center talk about Blackness and what’s going on on campus,” Mills said. “I think it’s nice to just have that space where you can listen, especially to these voices. Because if you’re up here a lot, you kind of know everyone that’s up here, and just talk about our experiences and what’s going on, and I think it’s really cool you get a broader reach.”

The AACC also uses the Sankofa room on the first floor of Witherspoon as a space for events throughout the year. Grant said this includes some of their upcoming Black History Month events.

”We do have it reserved for certain events, and stuff like that, including [this] week for Black History Month,” Grant said. “We have our Speed Friending event that’s going to be happening down there.”

Mills said she wants students looking for their place on campus to know that the AACC is open to them and would be happy to have them.

“I think for Black students specifically who are maybe looking for a space, there’s

and referrals. Students can contact the 24/7 Sexual Assault Helpline at 919-515-4444 or email ncsuadvocate@ncsu.edu to schedule an appointment with an advocate.

Advocacy services through the NC State

making it NC State’s longest running fashion show to date.

According to Everett and Crudup, the organization holds four main values: creativity, inclusion, diversity and community. The organization puts emphasis on creating a space where anyone with interest in a textile- or fashion-related field can feel

always a space for you here,” Mills said. “Everyone here, we obviously share things, but I think a lot of people tend to forget that we are very different, multifaceted human beings. So, there are a lot of differences between everyone here, but we also have this space where you’re safe. People want you here and will talk to you.”

Grant said the AACC provided her with a place that felt like home when she first came to NC State.

“The spirit of the place is so warm,” Grant said. “A lot of the new people, even

Women’s Center are available for all students inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

For more information on advocacy services, please visit go.ncsu.edu/supportsurvivors.

If you would like to talk to a confidential

welcomed and showcase his or her talents.

Students interested in joining can reach out to the organization via email, and do not have to be part of the College of Textiles to participate. The organization wants to prioritize finding like-minded students who are interested in design and fashion to be a part of the show.

the classes and stuff that come in, they’re like ‘Yeah, this helped me adjust,’ … and I know for me coming out of state not knowing anybody, being in a different environment, it’s very like we call this a living room because we want this to feel like a home and it really does feel like that. Anybody who comes here consistently, they’ve gotten to the point where we all just joke around with each other, talk, laugh and play games.”

To learn more about the AACC check out their website, diversity.ncsu.edu/aacc

resource, you can also connect with the NC State Counseling Center at 919-515-2423. You may also visit go.ncsu.edu/safe for additional information on resources and reporting options.

“We want to have a focus on fashion, design or any other related skills,” Everett said. “Even if you’re an engineer but love fashion, we want to showcase that. We just want to provide a space where technical people or designers can unify, communicate and feel included.”

ETHAN RIMOLT/TECHNICIAN

The front desk of the African American Cultural Center pictured in Witherspoon Student Center on Monday, Jan 30, 2023

Black Americans need reparations — here’s why

white Americans hold.

Skye Crawford Staff Columnist

Reparations for the descendants of enslaved African Americans has been a hot topic since the end of the Civil War and has gained traction in recent years with the legacy of slavery being discussed in the national legislature. Despite opposition from conservative political leaders like Mitch McConnell, we need to make this topic a reality.

Contrary to what the average person may believe, racism did not, in fact, end with the conclusion of the civil rights movement. While legal discrimination is no longer present, racist ideologies still permeate our institutions and structures. Take, for example, the racial wealth gap.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, “The wealth of the richest 400 Americans is approximately equal to that of 43 million Black Americans.” Despite Black Americans comprising 13% of the population, they only hold 4% of the country’s wealth compared to the 84% that

The racial wealth gap manifests itself in other forms of inequality, such as access to higher education, equal housing and affordable healthcare. The disadvantages Black Americans face in these realms create a devastating cycle; the lack of a college degree decreases Black Americans’ chances of finding well-paying jobs, which in turn prevents them from accruing generational wealth that will benefit their progeny. This phenomenon is clear on college campuses — especially our own — where white students dominate our student body population. Moreover, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, racial wealth disparities have only intensified.

The overwhelming majority — a striking 77% — of Black adults believe descendants of enslaved Africans should receive compensation. While many Black Americans are unsure about their ancestry due to the displacement of Africans during the transatlantic Slave Trade, all Black people in this country face the lasting impacts of our once racial dictatorship. Therefore, all Black people in this country would benefit from repa-

rations. There have been perfunctory efforts to repair the damages white America has inflicted upon Black people. Wealth amassing projects like the GI Bill and the Homestead Acts have been disguised as efforts to help Black people but have disproportionately benefited white people.

Immediately following the Civil War, the enslaved were promised “40 acres and a mule” in order to give them an economic jump start upon freedom. However, this early promise was broken after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, and Black Americans have been patiently waiting for their due compensation.

Despite mainstream counterarguments, reparations can and should be plausible. After World War II, the Japanese individuals who were displaced from the West Coast and placed in concentration camps were granted reparations, demonstrating that this effort can be accomplished.

Considering the effects of slavery are more integrated into our institutions than those of World War II concentration camps, reparations for Black Americans will definitely require a more systematic, organized ap-

proach. There have been many proposals for how it could work, most of which rely on taxing wealth. It could also take the form of student loan forgiveness or free junior college.

Even if reparations are not achieved on the scale that groups like the NAACP have called for, a small change is better than none. From the ground up, Black Americans have helped build this country at their own expense. The American colonies only became profitable once Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to work on plantations for white slave owners.

Today still, Black Americans are contributing to the prosperity of the United States with little to nothing in return. They play on our sports teams, create our music and start new fashion trends. Not only is compensation deserved by Black people for their efforts in making this country what it is, but it’s needed. If the United States wants to hold true to its founding ideals, we need to not only make racial equality a reality in law but a reality in practice as well. Giving reparations is a good step in that direction.

Give seasonal work a try this summer

Whether or not you’ve ever worked in your hometown over summer break, you may not have given much thought to what the term seasonal work encompasses. During the fall of 2021, all that would have come to my mind would be lifeguarding at a local pool. However, I’m here to tell you that seasonal work is the gateway to an unforgettable summer and the experience of a lifetime.

In December 2021, I discovered CoolWorks which is essentially a seasonal employment hub. I’ve always been one for adventure, and I am passionate about the outdoors so I quickly became enthralled with this website. At first, it was just a welcomed break from studying, until I stumbled across a small guest ranch in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. Jaw-dropped, I stared at these pictures that surely couldn’t be of the land of potatoes. I knew this was how I had to spend my summer.

During those few months, I spent my Thursday nights at the local street dance

and my weekends exploring with my roommate Gisele. We went hiking, camping and backpacking. Our favorite pastime, however, was a packed lunch, some music and good books in tow to a hidden boulder on the shore of Redfish Lake.

While some of the work was not glamorous, by the end of my time at the ranch, I had met incredible people, all who were on drastically different life paths. They inspired me to pursue hobbies that I hadn’t been encouraged towards before. But, ultimately, they inspired me to get out of my comfort zone. As I embraced the discomfort of my unfamiliar environment, the job yielded unforgettable experiences and helped me to gain perspective on my life back at NC State.

The uniqueness of this type of employment is a source of constant excitement. Not many people can say they bonded with their boss over afternoons spent fly fishing or on horseback. In destination spots like the Sawtooths, you’re bound to meet people from all over the world that will alter your outlook on life in one way or another. The guests, as much as the coworkers, shape the experience.

With seasonal work, your contract only spans a few months, at most. Considering the minimal commitment required, the risk factor is enticingly low. If you find yourself enjoying the adventure, which is more than likely, you have the power to make every minute count and to fit a year worth of exploration into those mere weeks. On the off chance it ends up not being your cup of tea, no need to fret! You will be homebound with some extra cash before you know it. Some pivotal things to keep in mind when considering seasonal work are where you want to spend your summer, what you want to spend it doing and how many expenses you will have.

On CoolWorks alone, there are hundreds of jobs listed from everywhere in the country, including Hawaii and Alaska. Seasonal work is one of the best ways to spend an extended amount of time in national parks and remote locations, which may not be possible in any other capacity.

If you have work experience, you might already know what kinds of jobs you want to apply for. I would still encourage you to explore uncommon jobs, such as raft guid-

ing, while you research opportunities. Prior to my time at the ranch, I had only ever babysat. So naturally, I applied to anything and everything I was qualified for. I landed a floater position, which meant floating from one position to another depending on the day.

For many, one of the most important pieces in the seasonal work puzzle is finances. I knew that paying rent in a destination town wouldn’t be feasible for me. So, I specifically searched for jobs that offered on-site housing. Bonus points if the employer offers a room and board package. If you can find listings where meals are included, your expenses will consist only of transportation.

What you can expect from seasonal work is the excitement and growth that accompanies such an adventure. You could work as a barista at a lodge in Oregon or as a gardener on a tropical farm in Maui. The possibilities are truly limitless. If this sounds enticing, just go for it. Go meet new people, go share new experiences and go make some money in the meantime.

Katie Howell Correspondent

Write, don’t type, your notes during class

Call it old school if you must, but I’ve always been a pen-and-paper person.

I graduated from a small community college back in 2016 and chose to experience life a little before returning to college in 2021.

Looking back on high school and college classes then, I don’t remember students taking notes on devices — at all.

I felt out of place in my first in-person class here at NC State. I distinctly remember walking up to the professor after class and asking if it was OK if I took my notes in a notebook. It sounds like a stupid question, but everyone else had laptops, leaving me to feel like an outcast.

I still proudly write all my notes down. But, the tables have turned, and I only see one or two students writing along with me.

The problem now isn’t feeling like I am not with the times. The problem is how hard it is to stay focused on every word spoken by the lecturer. Constant clicking, some louder than others, is all I hear in most of my classes. I assume some students prefer it and will say they don’t have any issues with distraction, but I know for a fact it’s a distraction for both the student typing and the student writing.

I have seen countless students hide their phones behind the screen, answering messages on the device itself, completely engaged with online shopping or working on another class. It doesn’t seem fair to either the lecturer or the student themselves. We should believe in giving lecturers our undivided attention. They deserve it, and we are paying for it.

It doesn’t just come down to paying attention and distractions though. What is more concerning is how well the student is retaining the information they are typing.

Recalling conceptual information is more

prominent in students who take notes by hand, rather than students taking notes on a device. A psychological study shows both types of note takers do similarly well recalling certain factual information, but laptop users lack proficiency in recalling conceptual information. The study argues that students using laptops can benefit from this medium of note taking but also struggle with mindless transcription.

When taking notes by hand, you are actively processing the information being heard. This way, you are eliminating distractions, writing down key information in a way that you can remember, all while

connecting concepts as you go. Not only can handwriting your notes benefit your memory of the subject but can also be a beneficial cognitive exercise to increase memory retention later down the road, as mentioned in The Wall Street Journal.

Ultimately, you can still do this with a laptop or another device, but the study proves how hard it is for most students to get away from simply recording everything. Having more words and more verbatim overlap doesn’t benefit the student in any way. So, when deciding to use a laptop for notes, it’s important to think critically about what to put down.

Many have grown accustomed to relying on technology to do all the work for us. Particular situations, like notetaking in college, need focus and reduced distractions. Writing down information is signaling to your brain — and respectfully to the lecturer — that what you are hearing is of high importance.

Using pen and paper for notes can benefit in many ways for students and young professionals, along with reducing distractions for the self and others. Maybe it’s time to ditch the laptops in class and dust off those notebooks.

Ashley Linzey Staff Columnist

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ETHAN RIMOLT

Year of the Rabbit Harrison Burstion, staff cartoonist A second-year studying art and design

Season’s Pickin’s: Pomelo Wylie Phu, staff cartoonist

A second-year studying art and design

A fourth-year studying art and design

Friendly Reminder Lucy Osborn, staff cartoonist

A second-year studying art and design

Nova and Comet: Orange Light, Purple Light Pearl Knight, staff cartoonist

Gym Sharks Rachel Bergman, staff cartoonist A graduate student studying landscape architecture

Krispy Kreme Challenge to return

Matthew Burkhart Staff Writer

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is an integral part of the NC State experience to many students, with over 90,000 participants, and over a million donuts downed, since 2004. After two years of remote races, the challenge hopes to return in full force Feb. 4 for its 19th year in operation.

Sydney McCoy, a fourth-year studying communication media, is the fundraising, merchandise and public relations director of the Krispy Kreme Challenge. McCoy said the event was founded by a group of Park Scholars in 2004, first as a challenge among friends.

“Our slogan is ‘12 donuts, five miles in one hour,’” McCoy said. “The challenge is you have to start at the Belltower, run to the Krispy Kreme on Peace Street, eat a dozen donuts and run back in under an hour.”

McCoy said there are multiple tiers to the challenge, varying in levels of difficulty.

“The big thing is you don’t have to eat all the donuts, you don’t have to do it within an hour,” McCoy said. “You can take the

donuts and walk back with them; you can bring them home, you don’t even have to eat the donuts, you can certainly just run.”

Last year, the race raised $92,000 and completed the organization’s $2 million pledge, making the Krispy Kreme Challenge the largest unrestricted donor of the UNC Children’s Hospital. Donations opened the NC State Park Scholars Children’s Specialty Care Program in Raleigh.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Krispy Kreme Challenge was modified to be done remotely the past two years. The challenge provided participants with vouchers for donuts and allowed participation worldwide.

“With it being virtual for the past few years, we’ve actually had a lot of runners compete and do the challenge all over the world,” McCoy said. “That’s one thing that was cool, although, of course, we would love to be in person, having that ability to be virtual and see the commitment and the impact that this challenge has made globally.”

NC State alum Robert Bridges participated in the remote race last year. He said he and three friends ran their five miles on

the American Tobacco Trail.

“A lot of my friends say that the Krispy Kreme Challenge is kind of a rite of passage for an NC State student,” Bridges said. “I’m not going to say I hate donuts. So combining two things that I liked was a lot of fun.”

Although eating the 12 donuts is optional, Bridges said he feels that it provides an authentic experience.

“Even if you walk, make sure you eat the 12 donuts,” Bridges said. “If you don’t eat all 12, it doesn’t count in my book. But besides that, just have fun using this communitybuilding experience.”

Bridges said serious contenders like himself and his friends adopted strategies to make the most out of their attempts, such as wiping the sugar off of the donuts or dipping them in water.

“Eating the donuts is the hardest part,” Bridges said. “You’ve got to try a lot of ways to get the sugar off because there’s just too much sugar. I will say the sugar ended up giving me a little bit of a boost of energy, I ran two minutes per mile faster for the last two and a half miles.”

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is interna-

tionally recognized, boasting a place on Denise Malan’s “The Runner’s Bucket List: 200 Races to Run Before You Die” and was ranked No. 85 on “101 More Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate” by Sports Illustrated.

McCoy said it is important to take a step back and look at the impact the event has had, leading up to its 20th anniversary next year.

“It’s almost as old as we are — the students that are going here now,” McCoy said. “It is really special to see a lot of times when we have open house events. … There were parents that had come up like, ‘Oh, I ran this back when I was in college,’ and now their kid is a potential student. … Being so old, you can start to see this legacy that it’s leaving behind.”

The Krispy Kreme Challenge will take place Feb. 4 from 8-10 a.m. Registration can be completed at krispykremechallenge.com

Black Artist Coalition encourages expression through diverse programs

Centered on meaningful connections with the surrounding community, Black Artist Coalition is a space for Black students to grow their artistic skills through engaging events and workshops offered in partnership with community centers and fellow organizations on campus.

Laila Monadi, a third-year studying biochemistry and Black Artist Coalition vice president and secretary, said the club was founded two years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide opportunities for artists of color to grow and thrive on NC State’s campus.

“Because even now as we see it, there’s probably only like two or three major art clubs on campus, [Black Artist Coalition] being one of them,” Monadi said. “And even out of those, there wasn’t a specific POC space for artists.”

Featured events often focus on different art forms — from traditional digital art to singing, spoken word and even music. No prior experience is required, and events are open to all students of color seeking a safe space for artistic expression and discussion. Past events have included conversations with local artists, business expos and performances.

On Feb. 23, Black Artist Coalition will be hosting Flex Your Fit, a fashion show held in the Witherspoon Cinema from 6-8 p.m. The fashion show is an opportunity for students to show off their impeccable style while competing for prizes.

“I’ve noticed in our club and [Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA)] especially, there are so many fashion students and just so many fashionable students of color in general,” Monadi said. “I feel like something as fun and as casual as that could be just

really good to help people show off, build their confidence, you know, network with maybe other students.”

Kiersten Hicks, a second-year studying electrical engineering and Black Artist Coalition president, said other upcoming events include general board meetings, a club fundraiser in March and the club’s biggest event, an artist showcase, in April.

“[The artist showcase is] where we get artists from our club to literally showcase what they’re making, like poets and [other] artists,” Hicks said. “Last year, we had a saxophone artist, and we had a rapper, so we’re hoping for another one as well. And then we also have a space for people to sell their art.”

Black Artist Coalition collaborates with the LGBTQ Pride Center, the African American Cultural Center and MSA to recruit artists and promote their work. The organization also regularly attends student

fairs, while maintaining their Instagram and sending out a newsletter.

Students are able to get involved by joining several different committees, presided over by executive board members. These committees focus on providing organizational support, coordinating regular programming, community service, social media and financial management.

“During general body meetings, we do want to hear [from] others,” Hicks said.

“We all welcome the [new] ideas, like ‘Hey, you guys have anywhere else that you want to go or want to adventure in Raleigh, or even further, I’d love to hear it and see if we can make do with it or do something with it because that would really put our club on the mark.”

When it comes to long-term goals, Black Artist Coalition is hoping to host more outings as a way for students to hone skills

and explore new interests while showcasing their impact on NC State’s perception of BIPOC art. The club is also planning to connect with local Black artists more frequently with the hopes of expanding nationally and connecting with other Black college student organizations.

“Right now … we have a particular artist and poet that we want to bring over for next semester, but you know, things like that … we’re learning now cost money,” Monadi said. “So building into that short-term goal is basically raising money through a fundraiser and having people turn out to our events, pay their member dues and sort of establish a base set of funds and stability in our club so that we can reach out to more professional Black artists in our area and sort of bring them into our club, organize with people outside of a club in the Raleigh area and just sort of build people’s skills and connections in that way.”

Hicks and Monadi agreed Black Artist Coalition helped them foster lasting connections with fellow students and the surrounding community while promoting intersectionality and a common interest for art.

“Just to meet up and say that we have something in common more than just being Black, and it [makes it] feel like a safer space,” Hicks said. “And that’s what really got me into it [Black Artist Coalition] and learning to be more involved … I was like, ‘I want to see this club flourish, because it’s really something I needed when I came to NC State.’”

Check out @blackartistcoalition on Instagram for more information, or contact Monadi (lamonadi@ncsu.edu) to join the newsletter.

COURTESY OF LAILA MONADI

Myra Bari Culture Editor

This year’s Black History Month events focus on ‘Black Euphoria’

Sam Overton Managing Editor

In NC State’s 46th year of celebrating Black History Month, the African American Cultural Center (AACC) is preserving the theme of Black Euphoria with a full slate of events throughout the month of February.

After its formal recognition in 1976 by then-President Gerald Ford, Black History Month presents an opportunity for the Black community to celebrate and reflect on their experiences. For those outside the community, it’s equally as important to understand the Black experience.

Alexis Grant, a second-year studying material science engineering, and Saraiya Mills, a fourthyear studying communication, are at the forefront of organizing NC State’s month-long celebration. Alongside AACC Assistant Director Andaiye Qaasim, Grant and Mills worked hard to envision the theme, schedule events and coordinate with the community.

“Thinking about Black History Month — it’s really for the non-Black demographic,” Grant said. “As Black people, we’re living these lives every day. Like, this is constantly on our mind, all of these things surrounding being Black — this is a lifestyle. Black History Month is [celebrated] to highlight that and … gives us a platform we normally don’t have throughout the rest of the year.”

This year’s theme of Black Euphoria emphasizes elements of wellness, peace, contentment, healing, tranquility and love within the Black community. Within that softness lies strength, resistance and power, but the AACC sought to focus on the Black experience in a more holistic way this year.

“[I’m] not saying that we aren’t … being activists, and we’re not advocating for these issues,” Qaasim said. “But I think when we think of ourselves holistically, that can’t be our 24/7. Like, it can’t always be trauma and violence in that sense. … Folks wanted to reflect on the joy of the full experience.”

This month, all students are welcome to attend any number of NC State’s Black History Month events. In fact, non-Black students are encouraged to attend to foster cross-community dialogue and enter Black spaces to learn and understand the Black experience.

“NC State is a predominately white institution — I think we could use more opportunities of cross dialogue,” Qaasim said.

“Anytime you walk into a space where you are experiencing a culture that maybe is not your own, take that as something sacred. I think that’s something that students can carry with them, to know that these are very sacred and special interactions.”

Grant wants those outside the Black community to understand that it isn’t a monolith — this year’s theme may be Black Euphoria, but that doesn’t encompass the sentiment of the entire community at all times. NonBlack participants should be open-minded at Black History Month events, seeking to learn instead of generalize.

“These events, especially because it’s such a blissful mindset going on — it’s people just enjoying themselves — these events are gonna have a very organic feel to them,” Grant said. “There’ll be Black people being very authentic, but [don’t] take what you see in those events and apply that to the whole Black demographic.”

This year’s events run the gamut, from speed-friending to pottery workshops to Valentine’s mocktails. Most importantly, here are a few of the events that foster conversation and education across ethnographic lines. To view the full schedule, visit the AACC’s website.

Documentary Film Screening:

Talking Black in America — Roots

Feb. 7, 7-8 p.m., D.H. Hill Library

“Talking Black in America — Roots,” which will be screened at the D.H. Hill Library Auditorium, is a great opportunity for the community to learn about the origins of African languages and Black vernacular in the U.S. The film is the third documentary of “Talking Black in America,” an Emmy Award-winning docuseries that inspects African American language and culture and its worldwide impact.

Black History Month: Djembe Drum and Dance Workshop

Feb. 7-8, 3-5 p.m., Witherspoon Student Center

Hosted by the Magic of African Rhythm, students have the opportunity to participate in a two-day workshop centered around the history and cultural context of the djembe. Attendees will practice a traditional rhythm on the djembe, move their bodies in connection with the drum’s beat and learn about the Djembe culture of South Africa.

“That’s hosted by Teli Shabu — he’s a master drummer who plays the kora, which is a 900-year-old instrument from West Africa,” Qaasim said. “He’ll be coming out and doing a djembe drumming workshop, and we also have about six djembe drums downstairs, so he’ll be teaching folks about the history of the djembe drum.”

28 Days of Love: Black Book Blitz

Feb. 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m., African American Cultural Center Art Gallery

Kicking off with an opening ceremony on Feb. 8 and running until Feb. 22, the AACC Library’s Black Book Blitz highlights 28 Black authors who have written about what it means to be Black and the accompanying experience of love and meaning.

Black History Month: Diaspora Dinners

Feb. 10, 17 and 24; 3-4:30 p.m.; African American Cultural Center

In a joint partnership with What’s on the Table, the AACC will be hosting three Diaspora Dinners across the month of February in Witherspoon Student Center. Each Friday will focus on cuisine from a different area of the African diaspora, and participants will foster a conversation regarding the food at hand and Black beauty across African culture.

“It could be African American soul food, it may be Caribbean cuisine, we may have Ethiopian cuisine,” Qaasim said. “Then, we’ll be having a conversation [about] Afro-diasporic identity.”

Gallery Opening: Black Euphoria: Love Letters to Black Life

Feb. 28, 6-8 p.m., African American Cultural Center Art Gallery

In NC State’s final event celebrating Black History Month, the AACC will be curating a community-generated, scrapbook-style exhibit of love letters exploring Black wellness, Black Euphoria and more.

“We’ll be collecting pictures and photographs and some audio from folks that are there,” Qaasim said. “All together, we’re going to have a gallery opening, which is more of a community-curated exhibit. So all of those things that students made throughout the month, we’re collecting those and we’ll be putting that up into the gallery downstairs.”

All students are encouraged to visit the gallery’s opening, to foster a sense of community across ethnographic lines and understand the Black experience in terms of this month’s theme.

“People showing up to things like that and seeing Black artistry and supporting that is really important,” Grant said.

NATALIE FOLSOM/TECHNICIAN

The crossed kalunga by the stars & other acts of resistance gallery sits in the Gregg Museum of Art & Design Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. The gallery features work by seven artists and presents work focused around Black History Month.

Handing out mid-season awards for NC State women’s basketball

In a season marked by many highs and lows, the NC State women’s basketball team has produced many memorable moments so far.

After losing several key pieces from last season, the team has truly shown its resiliency as it has begun to find its groove. The team’s recent success has certainly been a team effort but the play of some has especially stood out.

MVP – Diamond Johnson

In her second season for the Wolfpack, junior guard Diamond Johnson continues to prove why she is one of the best guards in the ACC. She currently averages 13.2 points a game, cashing in on 45% of her shots — including an impressive 41% mark from behind the 3-point arc. She also averages four rebounds and three assists per contest.

Johnson has had plenty of impressive performances this season, but perhaps her best performance came on Nov. 24 against Vanderbilt when she flirted with a triple-double, posting 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the Pack’s victory. Later in a massive road win at Iowa, she scored 22 points, grabbed nine boards and tallied four assists.

In the time following those performances, Johnson has largely struggled to continue her level of success, and as NC State headed into the bulk of conference play, some wondered if she would be able to resume her spectacular play of the early part of the season. However, she put those questions to rest against Louisville.

In a game where the Cardinals kept pace with the Pack for the first half, Johnson helped lead NC State to a crucial victory, scoring 12 points, grabbing five rebounds and recording six assists. A week later in perhaps the largest game of the season, Johnson truly shined in a huge win against Notre Dame. She scored 20 points, including a season-high four 3-pointers, and she came rather close to a doubledouble with eight rebounds.

Most Improved – Camille Hobby

Throughout this season, several players have shown great improvement, but none perhaps as much as senior center Camille Hobby. She burst onto the scene last season proving clutch in several big moments, and Hobby has continued to be a consistent threat every time the Pack takes the court. This season, however, she has done even more and secured a larger role on the court, averaging 21 minutes of playing time compared to 12 last season.

In regards to her offensive performance, Hobby has shown great improvement, scoring on exactly 50% of her shots and averaging close to nine points per game. This is an improvement from her junior season where she shot 47% and only averaged five points per contest. She also has improved her presence under the rim, using her frame to box out defenders and grab rebounds. She currently averages four rebounds every game, which is nearly double her average last season.

Hobby showed her offensive prowess early in the season

in back-to-back games against Iowa and Georgia, posting an identical statline of 10 points, six rebounds and two assists. She has continued to produce into conference play, scoring 12 points and grabbing five boards in an important matchup with Virginia.

Even in games where she doesn’t necessarily score a lot, she is still able to help the team out, whether it means garnering rebounds or forcing turnovers. This was evident in an earlier matchup with Boston College. Even though she saw limited success in regards to scoring, she grabbed three rebounds, recorded two assists and forced three turnovers.

Best defensive player – Saniya Rivers

Heading into this past offseason, head coach Wes Moore was faced with a tricky situation as several key players left the program for the WNBA. He then used the transfer portal to help the team restock, a very significant product of which is sophomore guard Saniya Rivers. After transferring from South Carolina, Rivers has been nothing short of amazing in her first season with the Pack.

Despite seeing less action in the beginning of the season, she’s started to see more action and has truly run with it. Even though she’s proven to be particularly successful on the offensive side of the ball, Rivers has truly stood out with her adept defensive skills, becoming a force to be reckoned with as she averages 2.4 forced turnovers per game. Rivers particularly shines in regards to steals, averaging 2.1 per

game, which not only leads the team but is also seventhbest in the ACC.

Her elite defensive play was on display when the Pack took on Boston College, when despite a losing effort, she forced a season-high eight steals. A few weeks later against Miami, she continued to show her presence, collecting six steals and getting one block. Her defensive presence was certainly important as NC State scored 19 of their points via turnovers.

Sixth Woman – River Baldwin

With a relatively thin lineup, fans typically see starting lineups change depending on the game. However, one thing that has remained the same is the presence of graduate center River Baldwin coming off the bench. After three seasons at Florida State, she transferred to NC State to help provide extra depth to the squad, and even though she has not started a game this season, she has provided a reliable name to call on when the time comes, commanding a respectable average of six points and five rebounds per game.

Throughout the season, she has collected a double-double twice, once against West Virginia and another versus Davidson. Later in a nail-biter against Syracuse, she had another complete game, posting nine points and six rebounds, and she also had an amazing game against Florida State which saw her record eight points, five rebounds and one assist.

VERSACE PREW/TECHNICIAN

Junior guard Diamond Johnson shoots at the goal versus Miami in Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Johnson scored seven points in the game against Miami. NC State won 71-61.

Gavin Gallimore Staff Writer

Sports Handing out midseason awards for NC State men’s basketball

With NC State men’s basketball about midway through the conference slate of the season, it’s time to hand out some awards to the players that have made the biggest impact thus far.

MVP – Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner

It was too tough to pick just one of these guys, so I decided to split the award between the two because both deserve to be acknowledged.

Before the season, everyone expected sophomore guard Terquavion Smith to be the Pack’s best player because of his outstanding freshman season in which he took away All-ACC rookie honors. Smith has lived up to those expectations, leading the team in points and assists, while also making himself known as one of the best players in the ACC.

In addition to Smith, who knows where

this team would be without graduate guard Jarkel Joiner after his decision to transfer to NC State. Joiner is second on the team in points and assists and has also been the team’s most clutch player, closing out games and making timely shots in crunch time. But Joiner’s leadership is the main reason he is receiving this hardware as he has stepped up as the leader of the Wolfpack in such a short amount of time.

Most Improved – Casey Morsell

This one was easy as senior guard Casey Morsell has gone from a role player last season to a key contributor for the Wolfpack. Last season, Morsell averaged 7.2 points per game and shot 35% from behind the arc, and he has improved those averages this year to 12.5 points per game and a 43.1% clip from downtown.

The most impressive part of Morsell’s improvement has been his 3-point shooting, going from an average marksman to a deadeye from deep. Opponents cannot

leave Morsell open or he will make them pay, which helps the entire team with the junior commanding defensive attention at all times. This drastic improvement has helped the Pack become one of the best offenses in the ACC.

Best Defender – Jarkel Joiner

This is not a name many expected to be here before the season started, but Joiner has proven to be an elite defender for the Wolfpack.

While Joiner does not lead the team in steals or blocks, he is still third on the team in steals, averaging 1.1 per game. But the stats don’t tell the entire story in this situation — the eye test has to be used to see why Joiner is the best defender on this team.

Joiner’s energy and effort on defense is why is here as he is almost always picking up his defender full court and keeping continuous pressure on the ball. He also has the ability to stay in front of his man and won’t shy away from taller players. In basketball,

defense is mostly based on effort and Joiner brings that effort on every possession.

Sixth Man – DJ Burns

Although graduate forward DJ Burns has been a starter recently because of injuries in the frontcourt, he is still the sixth man of the team because he started the season on the bench and has played more games outside of the starting rotation.

With that being said, Burns has been an absolute force, putting in work against opposing second units, and even the starters. Burns is fourth on the team in points per game with 11.4 despite playing less minutes, and he has also been solid defensively, averaging a team-leading block per game.

Although Burns is only averaging 1.5 assists per contest, he is a very good passer and always finds the open man when he is getting doubled. Given that Burns has more frequently found himself in the starting lineup as of late, he may not be eligible for sixth man of the year at the end of the season, but for now it’s his spot to lose.

JON WILLIAMS/TECHNICIAN

Sophomore guard Terquavion Smith shoots the ball during the game against Miami in PNC Arena on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Smith led NC State in scoring with 20 points. The Wolfpack won 83-81.

Colby Trotter Correspondent

NC State swim and dive wraps up successful 2023 season, hungry for postseason hardware

The swim & dive regular season has officially come to an end, and now NC State’s nationally ranked teams look toward ACCs and NCAAs for a chance to pick up some hardware. Here’s a breakdown after four months of dual meets and competitive swims.

Women wrap up difficult slate of regular-season meets

Sure, the No. 4 women lost twice this year — an irregular occurrence as of late, thanks to Braden Holloway’s ferocious tenure as head coach — but after looking at the schedule, can you blame them? There wasn’t much the Wolfpack women could do against the best two women’s programs in the country, and it’s impressive enough that they pulled off a victory against No. 3 Stanford.

It’s unlikely that they’ll bring home their first conference title since 2019 in February — Virginia is just that good — but don’t count the women out of a strong showing at NCAAs. Given their incredible depth and

tendency to pull off an important swim where it counts, I can see a third-place finish in NC State’s future. Since the women’s team is losing a talented slate of athletes this May, now’s the time for the Wolfpack to send off its seniors with an incredible championship season.

Who’s bringing home a conference championship?

Like I said, it won’t be the women. Virginia’s on track to pick up its 19th ACC title, and there’s little Holloway and the rest of the team can do to stop the likes of Olympians Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass from racking up meet-winning points for the Cavaliers. However, it’s almost certain that the No. 4 men will see a second-straight conference title in their future. The next ACC team in the rankings is No. 13 Virginia Tech, and 2022 runner-up Louisville sits at No. 18. Given that the men have sat atop the rankings for the entirety of the regular season and that they currently hold six of the top times in the ACC so far this season, we’re more than likely going to watch the Wolfpack nab its 32nd conference title.

Way too early: national championship picks

Since senior Kacper Stokowski currently holds the top time in the nation this season in the 100-yard backstroke, I’m expecting a repeat championship from one of NC State’s best and brightest. Senior Katharine Berkoff has a good shot at doing the same, although she’ll face tough competition from a number of phenomenal backstrokers at NCAAs. Granted, none of them have come close to touching her American record in the event at 58.74, but expect the women’s 100-yard backstroke to be the one to watch at this year’s national championships.

My sleeper pick for an individual national title is sophomore David Curtiss, who’s 18.95 in the 50-yard freestyle currently sits at seventh in the country. One year after winning the ACC title but missing A-finals at NCAAs, Curtiss is in an extremely good position to pull off a top-three finish. He’s been working hard, and dipping under 19 seconds during the regular season is no small feat — in fact, he’s only 0.12 behind the second-best performance in the country this season.

Some NCAA hardware in the men’s future

The age-old question remains: will the men be able to pull off a top-three finish at NCAAs this year? The highest they’ve ever finished is fourth place, and they’ve done so six times. They certainly have the depth to perform with the talent of a top-three squad but have been shut out of the podium for years by the likes of California and Texas — the latter of which being their only dual meet loss of the season. No. 1 Arizona State also poses a sizable threat this season, and it’s likely that the Sun Devils will take the national championship in March.

That being said, I think the men have it in them to beat the odds and finally nab bronze. They certainly have individual national titles in their future — Stokowski at the very least, and Curtiss or even junior Luke Miller in the 200-yard freestyle if we’re lucky — and thanks to Holloway’s elite recruiting tactics, the depth is there. It’ll just come down to A-final performances and a wealth of points from the consolation finalists.

JACOB HAHN/TECHNICIAN

Sophomore Lindsey Immel swims in the women’s 100-yard freestyle during the NC State Wolfpack’s swim & dive meet against the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks at Willis R. Casey Aquatics Center on Friday, Jan. 28, 2023. The Wolfpack women beat the Seahawks 186-105.

Sam Overton Managing Editor

Jack Clark’s role on a red-hot roster

end last year, Clark’s presence has been critical to NC State’s rise from the bottom of the league.

With each passing game, news suggests that graduate forward Jack Clark is getting closer and closer to making his long-awaited return to the court for NC State men’s basketball.

In the time building up to that return, there’s a conversation to be had surrounding what his role should look like in a lineup that found a new gear to win six of its seven contests in January.

The argument for Jack Clark off the bench: Wade Bowman

Before suffering his core injury in NC State’s matchup against Clemson, Clark had proven his worth as a valuable rebounder and defender, leading the team in total rebounds and bringing a necessary combination of size, strength, speed and skillfulness on the ball into the lineup. Even with all those positive characteristics, the Wolfpack hadn’t found the groove necessary to take down the real challenges on its schedule, including losses against Miami, Pitt and Kansas.

In the time since he left the lineup, revelations at the four spot — redshirt junior forward Greg Gantt and sophomore forward Ernest Ross — have this offense firing on all cylinders without skipping a beat on defense.

Gantt’s motor on both ends of the floor energizes NC State to play the high-octane, run-and-gun style that has the team sitting pretty at No. 39 in net rankings. Whether it’s reeling in a team-high in rebounds such as he did against Wake Forest or containing Miami’s Jordan Miller to 13 points in 39 minutes of court time, Gantt continues to find ways to adjust his game to whatever the Wolfpack needs of him to ensure a win.

Perhaps even sweeter for NC State has been Ross’ development with the extra minutes gained from Clark’s absence. Coming out of high school as a four-star prospect revered for his freakish athleticism and length, the sophomore is finally showing flashes of what everyone expected him to become. Scoring a career-high 17 points against Miami in one of NC State’s more important wins of the season, Ross is building a solid resume of his own for the starting gig.

What I believe sets Gantt apart from Ross and Clark for the starting job is how effective Gantt is on the court without the ball in his hands. Clark easily has the leg up in scoring prowess, but in a lineup with sophomore guard Terquavion Smith, graduate forward DJ Burns, graduate guard Jarkel Joiner and senior guard Casey Morsell, is that what NC State needs? My answer is no.

Attempting 8.1 field goals a game before his injury, Clark certainly wasn’t afraid to get his shots up. That’s definitely not a negative; however, a confident shooter coming off the bench when any of the offensive threats listed above need

a breather would provide perfect balance to this Wolfpack offense. It’s when you add those eight attempts back into a lineup with some of the most confident shooters in the conference where you could see some drop off in offensive efficiency.

Clark’s talent isn’t in question; he’s a special player with spark-plug potential to get this team rolling. But, having taken claim as the highest-scoring offense in the ACC since his injury, NC State would be smart to not fix what’s not broken. Find a healthy balance of minutes for all three standout forwards, but maintain the momentum of the current starting five until a glaring issue presents itself.

The argument for Jack Clark in the starting five: Noah Teague

Prior to going down with an injury, Clark had started 15 games for the Pack after transferring from La Salle. Throughout the first half of the season, he flashed potential as a two-way wing, and with his return nearing, he should be given the starting nod based on his well-rounded skill set.

Clark’s best skill is his phenomenal perimeter defense, as he recorded a steal in 13 of his 15 games, snatching a career-high five against Campbell. That ability to force turnovers and create fastbreak opportunities is a boon to the Wolfpack defense. After a brutal season on the defensive

Additionally, Clark’s playstyle fits perfectly into head coach Kevin Keatts’ system. The Wolfpack offense is at its best in the fastbreak, and having players like Clark that create these opportunities is critical to NC State maintaining its style of play. Allowing Clark to start and play during key moments will only help improve the offense by helping the team get easy shots in transition.

Clark is also the Pack’s best option on offense at the four. Since his injury, Keatts has rolled with Gantt in this spot. Offensively, Gantt provides very little threat to opposing teams; he isn’t a threat from outside, isn’t particularly polished in the post and doesn’t play make for others. As a result, opposing defenses don’t guard Gantt closely and instead pay more attention to the Pack’s more potent scorers. While NC State doesn’t need another high-volume scorer, having five capable scorers in the starting lineup is important, especially as March Madness gets closer.

Meanwhile, Clark offers the Pack an intriguing scoring option, showing flashes offensively during a few different games. In the season opener against Austin Peay, Clark shot 6-11 from the field, including 3-6 from deep, showcasing his range. Against Elon, Clark shot 9-18 for a respectable 21 points, more than Gantt has scored all year.

On the flip side, Clark has also struggled to shoot at times, going only 26.1 from distance, and he has had some inefficient performances that can’t be overlooked. However, he at least provides some shooting threat, unlike Gantt.

Additionally, Clark is a reliable free-throw shooter at 83.3%, something NC State has struggled with this year. In close games, Clark’s abilities at the stripe would be a major asset. Free-throw shooting is also a good indicator of if a player can shoot well from 3, and considering his high percentage from the line, it’s reasonable to assume his 3-point shooting is far from a lost cause.

Clark also provides help on the glass that can prove valuable for the Wolfpack. Since the Wolfpack starts three guards, having good rebounders in the frontcourt is critical. Clark is averaging 7.3 boards per game this season, a team high, and while Gantt is a quality rebounder as well, averaging 4.8 boards per game since stepping into a starting role, Clark has already proven he’s just as good in this department.

Without a doubt, Clark should be given the opportunity to start when he returns from injury. He adds perimeter defense, scoring potential and rebounding. Gantt has helped hold down the fort in Clark’s absence and earned a consistent role with his rebounding and gritty defense, but he offers a lower ceiling on the offensive end. With the NCAA tournament on the horizon, Keatts needs to maximize the potential of his starting five and roll with Clark.

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 10 rebounds for the Wolfpack. NC State beat Campbell 73-67.

Wade Bowman Managing Editor & Noah Teague Staff Writer

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