TECHNICIAN F EB RU ARY 15, 2024
RED
VOL . 104 | NO. 20
2024 SOFTBALL & BASEBALL
Contents
2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
AMERICAN WILDLIFE REFUGE VISIT
IN THIS ISSUE: page
04
FAFSA redesign poses difficulties and eligibility concerns for students
THE RADAR
CARMICHAEL GYM, DANCE STUDIO 2307
CALDWELL HALL, LOUNGE
Free Participate in a hip-hop dance workshop hosted by a contemporary dance instructor from the North Carolina Dance Institute.
DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING: ‘BREAKING THE NEWS’ Thursday, Feb. 15, 7 - 9 p.m. D.H. HILL JR. LIBRARY, AUDITORIUM Free Watch a documentary about the launch of “The 19th,” a nonprofit independent news organization empowering communities omitted from mainstream news coverage.
page
to Black film this 07 Turn Black History Month
Thursday, Feb. 15, 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 15, 10 - 11 a.m. Free Visit Caldwell Lounge to hear from the American Wildlife Refuge and meet a feathered friend.
Events to keep an eye on for the week of Feb. 15
NEWS
HIP-HOP WITH FRANKIE LEE
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: DIASPORA DINNERS Friday, Feb. 16, 3 - 4:30 p.m. WITHERSPOON STUDENT CENTER, AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, ROOM 356 Free Join the African American Cultural Center AYA Ambassadors for a conversation about Black roots and culture with cuisine from the African continent or diaspora.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK OPINION page
Libraries, OIED promote
11 linguistic diversity and culture of inclusion
CULTURE page
12
NC State softball enters new era with head coach Lindsay Leftwich
KAELA BELINGON/TECHNICIAN
SPORTS
Redshirt junior Kai Orine celebrates his victory after the wrestling match against the University of Virginia in Reynolds Coliseum on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Orine won the 133 bout by fall. NC State beat UVA 38-3.
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Technician (USPS 455-050) is the largest student newspaper of NC State University and is published every Thursday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on the Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by Triangle Web Printing, Durham, NC, Copyright 2022 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
College of Education faculty vote no confidence in Chancellor Woodson, Provost Arden
Emily Vespa, Kate Denning Managing Editor, News Editor
College of Education faculty passed two separate votes of no confidence in Chancellor Randy Woodson and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden over how NC State is handling the discovery of chemical contaminants in Poe Hall. Faculty did not pass a vote of no confidence in Dean of the College of Education Paola Sztajn. The vote is a symbolic gesture. Only the Board of Governors can dismiss the chancellor, and the chancellor has the power to dismiss top administrators per UNC System Policy. According to a report sent to faculty by a member of the College of Education Coordinating Committee Monday and obtained by Technician containing the results, 65 of the 99 full-time faculty in the College of Education voted on the three motions. Thirty-five College of Education faculty who participated voted no confidence in Woodson. Thir t y-eight participants voted no confidence in Arden. The motion against Sztajn failed: Thirtytwo participants voted no confidence, 23 voted confidence and 10 abstained. Woodson released a letter
Monday afternoon addressing the vote of no confidence, in which he said he remains confident in the University’s process and that he is committed to maintaining the community’s trust in University leadership. “One of the particular concerns that has been raised is transparency about our process,” Woodson said in the letter. “To this point, it has been our approach to reach out to the community only if and when we have new information to share. And, each time we’ve received updates, we’ve shared them with you. In particular, within hours of receiving the initial report from our consultant last week, we made sure it was in your inboxes.” This is the first time in University history faculty have passed a vote of no confidence in the chancellor. The closest similar circumstance was in 2003, when the Faculty Senate voted to censure then-Chancellor Marye Anne Fox for her choice to fire two top administrators, Technician previously reported. A censure is similar to a vote of no confidence in that it carries no disciplinary power.
GRAPHIC BY JAMESON WOLF
The report said some faculty members did not support the motion. “After emailing the invitation, a number of faculty members expressed via email that they were not in favor of the motion, shared varying views concerning why the motion was premature, and voiced a need to consider all Poe Hall faculty in such a vote (i.e., Psychology),” the report said. As previously reported by Technician, faculty met Friday to put in motions to hold a vote of no confidence. Faculty did not take the vote at the meeting. The report said 76 faculty members attended the meeting to consider the call for a vote of no confidence.
After the meeting ended, faculty members received a link to a Google form to vote on the three motions. Voting required an NC State email but was anonymous. The report said the College Coordinating Committee will reconvene to assess how confidence in leadership can be restored. “It is clear from this vote that faculty are divided,” the report said. “We view our role as members of the faculty who can help facilitate this process and work towards actionable measures that will restore confidence and community within the College of Education.” Woodson said in his letter that the University will be reaching out more regularly with updates on Poe Hall moving forward. “Moving forward, if you feel confident in one thing, I hope it’s the fact that the university remains committed to doing the right things to ensure this is a safe place to work, learn and live,” Woodson stated.
CONTRIBUTED BY NC STATE PHOTOS
Warwick Arden (left), Randy Woodson (right)
CRIME ON CAMPUS
All incidents in the crime log are according to the University’s daily crime log published online in compliance with the Clery Act.
NC State’s weekly log of major incidents across campus SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT
TRAFFIC VIOLATION
ASSAULT
SPECIAL EVENT
Feb. 11, 2024, at 4:14 p.m. Owen Hall
Feb. 10, 2024, at 11:34 p.m. Avent Ferry Road and Centennial Parkway
Feb. 7, 2024, at 5:03 p.m. Sullivan Hall
Feb. 6, 2024, at 10:37 a.m. McKimmon Center
University Police responded to a report of a rifle in a Toyota Tacoma parked on Cates Avenue. Contact was made with a student. The student stated he was the owner of the rifle. Officers seized the rifle, and he was placed under arrest for possession of a weapon on educational property. The student was transported to the Wake County Detention Center.
A non-affiliated individual was stopped after an officer observed him operating a motor vehicle while exceeding the posted speed on Western Boulevard near Nazareth Street. During the stop, a DWI investigation was conducted, and he was found to have been driving while impaired and in possession of an open container after consuming. He was arrested and transported to the Wake County Detention Center.
A student was issued a citation for simple assault and referred to Student Conduct. During this call an allegation of sexual battery was also reported.
University Police provided security at a planned protest. There was one arrest for trespassing.
News
4 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
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FAFSA redesign poses difficulties and eligibility concerns for students
Riya Kannan
Assistant Culture Editor
A redesign of the Free Application for Student Aid form for the 2024-25 cycle is posing issues for students across the nation who struggled to access the form on the typical release day or are concerned about a change in their financial aid. In response, NC State extended the priority FAFSA deadline to March 1. Krista Ringler, associate vice provost and director of Scholarships and Financial Aid, said the former FAFSA system was overhauled to streamline the process and encourage more students to fill out the form. However, bugs in the system appear to be posing difficulties for some students attempting to apply for financial aid. “The positives of that redesign is there are fewer questions that students are presented with,” Ringler said. “So in theory, students can get through much more quickly. Some students are encountering some issues, though, once they enter the form.” FAFSA was also released later in the cycle than in previous years due to the extensive overhaul. The form was available on a restricted “soft-launch” basis at the start of 2024. Ringler said the reason for the delay was the redesign of the form. Because federal statute states that FAFSA must be released by the last day of December of each calendar year, the Department of Education was legally required to launch the form. Because the system was not yet ready, it was released on a limited basis to account for traffic. Typically, the Department of Education urges students to fill out the form as soon as possible, reminding them that aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Because of these delays and restrictions with the system, though, it was not able to push the same message this cycle. “They had to kind of walk back a little bit with that urgency to complete your FAFSA,” Ringler said. “The new language was, ‘You still have time.’ And we want students to understand they do still have time.” When the Department of Education redesigned the system, it redesigned the methodology used to determine eligibility
for federal financial aid. While this was intended to expand federal aid, Ringler acknowledged that some students may see a decrease in eligibility. “A benefit of the complete overhaul of the process in the back-end methodology that determines eligibility is that we expect more students will become eligible for federal Pell grants,” Ringler said. “So we do anticipate that there’ll be an increase in eligibility for some students based on their financials. There were some other changes to the methodology that could result in some students being eligible for less.”
RIYA KANNAN/TECHNICIAN
Ringler said some changes in the methodology could result in students being granted less financial aid, such as the “sibling discount.” The “sibling discount” previously provided a financial adjustment to the expected family contribution of families with multiple children in college. It is anticipated that the removal of this discount is likely to impact middle and high-income families the most, changing their eligibility for federal aid. Ringler said the removal of the “sibling discount” was just one of many changes made to the formula, and likely would not be the sole determinant of any changes students and families may see in their financial eligibility. “There were so many other changes to the formula that in some ways, the expectation is perhaps some of these families
will already see a plus-up given the change in the formula,” Ringler said. “So perhaps it won’t have as much of an effect. You can’t just say it’s a one-for-one change because of all the other factors that have changed in the formula.” Jamie Pendergrass, associate director of Scholarships and Financial Aid, said the new formula would ideally work in the favor of most students. “All these changes are brought about by the law that Congress passed, so one would hope that they listened to financial aid administrators as a part of their deliberations in passing the bill,” Pendergrass said. “But ultimately, this is what they decided on.” Pendergrass said the new FAFSA form and methodology are here to stay, but this will be the worst the system will ever be. “The Department of Education has every incentive to do better because, not only have they heard from the professional community and the financial aid administrators, but they have heard considerably from the students and families that are having difficulties in the frustration,” Pendergrass said. “So I think they have every incentive to try to do better for 2025.” Ringler said the impact of these changes to FAFSA for the 2024-25 cycle will not be clear until financial aid is provided to students, but financial aid offices are anticipating different groups of students seeing potentially different impacts. “We don’t have any results from the FAFSA yet to really see what the on-the-ground impact is for all of our students,” Ringler said. “For many students, it’s a good thing — more eligibility and more Pell. But there will be pockets of students that might see some impacts that we need to be aware of.” For assistance with completing the FAFSA, visit or contact NC State’s Scholarships and Financial Aid Office. To see all updates provided by FAFSA in real time, visit the Student Services Center’s FAFSA simplification page.
Howl for Help provides medical amnesty to students Savannah Woodman Staff Writer
Editor’s note: This article contains references to alcohol and opioid overdose. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported overdose deaths in North Carolina increased 72% since 2019. Howl for Help’s goal is to prevent such fatalities. The Office of Student Conduct’s program Howl for Help ensures that by calling an emergency number for a suspected drug or alcohol overdose, students will not face formal disciplinary action for either underage possession or consump-
tion of alcohol or other controlled substances. Thomas Hardiman, director of the Office of Student Conduct, said if students are concerned about the safety or health of themselves or another individual, the most important thing they can do is call 911. “We want people to call because, essentially, we’d rather someone wake up in a hospital bed than not wake up at all,” Hardiman said. Anthony Puckett, major of Field Operations, said the person calling 911 can expect to have the operator ask them questions about the victim and their condition. This helps ensure the appropriate
authorities arrive at the scene. If an individual is overdosing on opioids, Puckett said police officers carry and are able to administer Naloxone, also known as Narcan. Once a student receives medical assistance and a report is filed, the Office of Student Conduct will reach out to the student. “And when we’re talking with them, we’ll be like, ‘Hey, I know this was maybe a case of drug use or possession or underage alcohol consumption,’” Hardiman said. “But we’ll then teach them about ‘This is actually eligible for Howl for Help,’ and we’ll kind of go through that and just list out the things they need to do.”
A student qualifies for Howl for Help if they receive medical assistance — whether they seek assistance on their own behalf or as a result of another person. They also qualify if they receive medical assistance and are reporting a crime or are an alleged victim of a crime. The Office of Student Conduct works alongside Prevention Services, who meet with the individual and provide resources focused on prevention and recovery. The only information the Office of Student Conduct receives is whether the student was present.
HOWL continued page 5
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Online sports betting legalized in time for ACC, NCAA basketball tournaments
Matthew Burkhart Assistant News Editor
Online sports betting will go live in North Carolina on March 11, as a result of a law that legalized sports betting in the state. This development comes just in time for N.C. bettors to be able to wager on the ACC and NCAA basketball tournaments. Gov. Roy Cooper signed HB347 in June, allowing anyone over the age of 21 to bet on professional, college and amateur sports and horse racing in the state. Previously, sports betting was only allowed on tribal lands. The bill allows for eight in-person sportsbooks for professional sports, including one at PNC Arena for the Carolina Hurricanes and 12 online sportsbooks that cover all levels of sports. Jonathan Casper, sport management program coordinator at NC State, said people in North Carolina have participated in online sports betting for years through sportsbooks hosted in states where it is currently legal. “What is more revolutionary is there’s actually going to be at the stadiums, places where you can place bets,” Casper said. “So there’ll be where you get concessions now, there’ll be an actual sport betting area where you can place wages on who’s gonna win.” Casper said sports betting could attract new fans to North Carolina sports for the competitive edge it adds to viewership. “It attracts people to sports that ordinarily maybe aren’t,” Casper said. “So if you’re not really an avid fan of sports, the introduction to betting is a great way to enhance fandom or spectatorship for the sport. So it might appeal to people that have more of a casual interest in the sport to actually attend and go and bet and also be more involved in the actual game itself because they have a stake in the game, literally.” Tyler Bailey, a graduate student in the Poole College of Management who is involved with Savage Wolves NIL, said the bill will allow North Carolina to capitalize on the rising popularity of sports betting and curb illegal betting in the state. “It’s absolutely taking off, not just in North Carolina, but across the entire country,” Bailey said. “And so opening it up for North Carolinians — I think what it will do is it’ll help
HOWL
continued from page 4
If a student attends the required meetings, the incident will not be reported in the student’s disciplinary history. “The effort and goal behind it is, we want to establish the level of trust with the students and the University that they are not afraid to make a phone call to get the help they need,” Hardiman said. While the Office of Student Conduct evaluates incidents on a case-by-case basis, Howl for Help does have limitations. Howl for Help is not available if a student has engaged in other prohibited conduct. This includes but is not limited to driving under the influence, committing acts of harm or distributing controlled substances. The full list can be found in section 5.10 of student discipline procedures. Puckett said safety is one of the greatest considerations behind police officers either arresting or referring a stu-
cut down on the illegal bookies and the illegal betting and the people who are kind of getting away with it and not getting a tax on it.” Casper said another benefit of HB347 is that the bill appropriates $300,000 annually to 13 smaller college sports programs. Among these are Appalachian State University, East Carolina University and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.
GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW BURKHART
“Our athletic program generates revenue from a lot of the spectator sports, but some of the smaller schools, that’s not so much the case,” Casper said. “They don’t have the revenue streams that some of the larger ones do, and this bill actually will benefit some of those programs. So you see a lot of the athletic directors who are struggling budget-wise seeing this as an opportunity to get some free money in many ways.” The bill also reserves $2 million dollars from tax proceeds to the Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction education and treatment programs. It pledges another $1 million dollars to NC Amateur Sports, which uses a grant to fund youth sports programs across the state. Bailey said he is most concerned about how sports betting could impact the mental health of student athletes. He said sports betting, in tandem with social media, could ramp up pressure on student athletes through social media messages
dent to the Office of Student Conduct. “Driving while impaired is an issue that we handle on campus, and that will most of the time result in an arrest,” Puckett said. “And that’s because if the individual is by himself or herself, we don’t want to leave them there in a vehicle and risk the chance that the individual drives off and hurts themselves or somebody else.” Howl for Help’s website lists the following as signs of an alcohol or drug overdose: mental confusion, unresponsiveness, snoring or gasping for air, throwing up, hypothermia, erratic breathing, loss of consciousness and paleness or blueness of the skin. Puckett said Howl for Help is based upon North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Law, which was passed in 2013 after an increase in overdoses involving heroin. The law states that individuals who experience or witness an overdose and seek help for the victim can’t be prosecuted for possession of small amounts of drugs, paraphernalia or underage drinking. However, as overdoses increase across the state, some North Carolinians have requested further protections for
and bullying. Bailey said sports betting could also present an opportunity for scandals, referencing Kayshon Boutte, a former Louisiana State University football player who was recently arrested for placing more than 8,900 wagers, with at least six bets involving LSU during his time as a student athlete. “How are we going to make sure that that doesn’t happen?” Bailey said. “It’s not really an NC State kind of problem to be solved — it’s more ACC and NCAA as a whole. But what can NC State do to mitigate that so that it doesn’t get to the ACC, so that it doesn’t get to the NCAA greater community?” The NC State Student Athlete Handbook for the year 2022-23 obtained by Technician through a public records request states that student athletes can not wager on any sports in which the NCAA holds championships. Student athletes can not provide information to people involved in organized gambling activities or accept a bet on any team representing the University. Casper said sports betting becoming more accessible could risk more people developing gambling addictions. He said that even if there are clear favorites in a match-up, there is still room for failure — and losing money. “It’s 100% gambling,” Casper said. “The one core part about a sport being a sport is that it’s unpredictable. … There’s always the chance that even the most favorite of favorites will lose, and that’s also what makes for fun, too, is that you’re not able to predict it.” Casper said students could suffer the most from gambling addictions. “Especially college students don’t have a lot of money,” Casper said. “And if they are betting and losing and getting into financial debt at a young age, that comes with sacrificing other things that might enhance their life and their quality of life as a student.” Visit the Counseling Center for information regarding gambling and other addictive behaviors.
GRAPHIC BY SAVANNAH WOODMAN
individuals. Thus, NC Senate Bill 458 proposed limited immunity for those at the scene who are not the victim or the person who called 911. NC Senate Bill 458 was referred to the Committee On Rules and Operations in the state Senate April 3, 2023. There has been no further action.
Opinion 6 TECHNICIAN We need to portray Black leaders authentically THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Mark Mikhail Correspondent
T
he summer of 2020 was a defining period in contemporary civil rights activism when widespread protests across the United States took place after the tragic death of George Floyd. These demonstrations were largely peaceful, though they occasionally escalated into more radical forms of protest. To no surprise, many Republicans repurposed the rhetoric and ideologies of historic civil rights leaders to challenge contemporary progressive movements advocating for police reform. Quotes from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., like “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that,” were strategically deployed against minority groups to advocate for a passive approach to combating inequality. Although King’s words are undoubtedly noble, you can’t blame Black activists for being upset that his dream was never fully realized. Yes, King achieved his dream of destroying several pieces of discriminatory legislation; however, his dream also included a commitment to ending racial economic inequality. In a letter written to his wife, Coretta Scott King, King wrote, “Our economic system is going through a radical change, and certainly this change is needed. I would certainly welcome the day to come when there will be a nationalization of industry. Let us continue to hope, work and pray that in the future we will live to see a warless world, a better distribution of wealth and a brotherhood that transcends
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race or color.” Indeed, it may surprise some, but King advocated for a vision that aligned with the principles of socialism. In fact, King said in the same letter, “I imagine you already know that I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic.” If this comes as a surprise, it is not by mistake. Over time, the political messages of our civil rights leaders have been bastardized in order to make them appear more temperate and neutral. King isn’t even the most blatant example of this trend — no man has been “Gandhiized” more than Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela is memorialized as an emblem of peace, often remembered for nearly three decades in prison, victimized by an inherently racist justice system. However, this common perception captures only half of the truth. Indeed, Mandela was unjustly imprisoned by a system steeped in racial discrimination. However, Mandela actively chose to resist this oppressive regime by any means necessary to him, including both peaceful and violent
modes of protests. Ironically, Mandela’s move to establish uMkhonto we Sizwe, the military arm of the African National Congress, became the key to bringing the apartheid government to the negotiating table, leading to the end of apartheid. Mandela, as well as King, advocated for far-left ideologies like socialism. Mandela was once a part of the South African Communist Party, and the Soviet Union and Castro’s Cuba provided arms and military training to uMkhonto we Sizwe. For these reasons, Mandela’s name remained on the FBI’s terrorist watch list until 2008, when he had already reached the age of 90. Civil rights moments, not just people, have been sterilized and stripped of all radicalization. King’s protests serve as an example of this. What many people don’t understand about King’s movement is that it was violent. The purpose of his non-violent attitude was to televise to the world the barbarity and cruelty of those who reacted to his non-violence
with violence. The Civil Rights Movement is often remembered for its peaceful demonstrations, such as the iconic March on Washington. This event was largely free of counterprotests and is widely celebrated for its powerful impact on civil rights legislation. However, the most transformative protests during this era were those met with significant violence. An example is the march from Selma to Montgomery, aimed at combating voter suppression. Termed “Bloody Sunday,” this march saw over 600 Black activists face brutal attacks from police and counterprotesters. This confrontation was instrumental in catalyzing profound legislative change, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passage. Sadly, peaceful protests like the March on Washington are overemphasized as well. Although the event did wonders for the consciousness of America, it did not result in a concrete piece of legislation. For this reason, Malcolm X coined the protest “The Farce in Washington.” In reality, the biggest response came from the Ku Klux Klan when they killed four Black girls in a church bombing in Birmingham. This information may suggest my aim is to radicalize you. My true intention is to present a truthful portrayal of figures we hold in high esteem and the pivotal events that catalyzed significant progress. By doing so, I hope that we can emulate the events correctly in the future. If we were to overidealize and pacify Black leaders like Mandela and King, nobody will ever be able to measure up next to them. However, that is not true. You can measure up next to them.
Who are ‘regular Americans’? GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO
O
ften, you’ll hear politicians complaining about their ideological opposition not representing the interests of “regular Koen Rodabaugh Americans.” Regularly on Fox News, pundits Focused Editor like Greg Gutfeld gripe that President Joe Biden and the White House are “repulsed by regular Americans.” In some instances, I understand this frustration. When Democrats pass a bill expanding oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico,
I think it’s reasonable to ask how this helps regular Americans. The problem lies in social issues. It lies in Republican opposition to issues affecting minority populations, claiming it does nothing to help regular Americans. According to the right, who are regular Americans? The answer, even if conservatives don’t want to admit it, is wealthy white people. Before those of you who fit this description disregard my argument, I don’t think you aren’t regular Americans. I have a problem with the assumption that this group of people is the norm and anything outside of this is abnormal.
There is no such thing as a regular American. Being American is not a singular experience, and it is reflected differently depending on one’s background, history, race and many other factors. Unfortunately, opposition to many bills that “regular Americans” supposedly don’t support more often implies that wealthy, white Americans are “regular,” and history reflects this. Beyond the obvious history of enslavement, Black Codes and Jim Crow laws explicitly making Black Americans secondclass citizens, efforts to relieve the pain of Black Americans or simply to help poorer
Americans — bills that often benefit minority populations with histories of economic discrimination — are deemed anti-American. To see where this white normativity comes from, we should look at a few developments in the American right. One of the most important factors in equating white with “regular” is in the “Southern Strategy,” a political scheme by Republicans following the passage of a series of civil rights laws in the 1960s to secure the conservative southern vote.
‘AMERICANS’ continued page 8
TECHNICIAN 7
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
‘Do the Right Thing’ still captures the hard edges of today’s racism I
n 1989, Spike Lee released “Do the Right Thing,” an extraordinary film about the tensions created by American bigotry, past and present. Jake It captured the stewing Pekar racial tensions in countCorrespondent less cities throughout the United States — tensions that in many cases persist today. Unlike the crowd-pleasing films about racial tension like “Driving Miss Daisy,” which won Best Picture over “Do the Right Thing,” Lee’s film is uncompromising. Rather than the soft, sanitized way films like “Daisy” portray racism, “Do the Right Thing” does not hold back — these social problems do not have easy resolutions, and the message resonates to this day. Set in a Black neighborhood on a scalding summer day, Lee depicts a series of run-ins between the Black and white residents. Time after time, situation after situation, the tension builds. Repeatedly, violence is almost resorted to and then avoided. Finally, at an Italian American-owned pizza restaurant at the center of the narrative, the tension breaks. Immediately, the narrative explodes. The central character is Mookie, a Black pizza delivery driver at Sal’s Pizzeria. Sal himself is on decent terms with Mookie and the rest of the community, but his son Pino is rampantly racist, and wants to move the business out of the majority-Black neigh-
borhood. Through Mookie’s eyes, we witness different kinds of bigotry within the community. Pino represents obvious white supremacy. In one conversation, however, Mookie says, “Pino, all you ever talk about is n----- this and n-----, and all your favorite people are so-called n-----.” Pino’s favorite artists and performers are Black, reflecting the age-old fetishization of Black performers by white American racists. But while Pino is the most blatant about his racism, nearly every character in the film holds stereotypes about other groups — they just keep them under wraps. In one of the film’s most famous scenes, Mookie, Pino, a Puerto Rican American, a white police officer and a Korean store owner break the fourth wall and spit racial stereotypes about other groups at the camera. Far from being an aberrant magical force only a few people have, prejudice is terrifyingly ordinary. While disaster could be avoidable any other day, moments of tension keep resurging, and as the sun keeps beating down on the residents, a peaceful resolution to the day seems less and less likely. A crucial detail of the dynamic is the message provided by various elderly Black men and women throughout the film. Each conflict in the film is begun by younger generations, all while the older generation looks on wearily, trying to diffuse the situations, attempting to remain optimistic in spite of the serious tension.
The nature of these conflicts is all too familiar to the older generation, yet they have not given up on their ideals. In a bizarre way, the true triumph of the human spirit does not come from the youngest generation — it comes from the older Black generation that retained its ideals in the face of seemingly irreconcilable divides. It is one of the few windows of true positivity throughout the film. Nevertheless, reality does not always end positively — in a tension-filled storyline that kicked off the film, Sal and various members of the community exchange racial slurs and get into a fight. The police are called, and they kill one of the Black men involved in the fight with a chokehold, ignoring the calls of onlookers imploring them to stop. The onlookers, prompted by Mookie breaking the window of the pizzeria, destroy it. Eventually the firemen show up, spraying the rioting crowd with fire hoses. After some time, the crowd scatters and returns home. Sal and Mookie have a pessimistic and hollow conversation in which Sal pays Mookie his wages. Lee brings the film to a close with two quotes — one from Malcolm X, in which he defends the use of violence in self-defense, and one from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in which he condemns the use of violence for racial justice as “impractical and immoral.” We then see a picture of the two shaking hands, the film ends, leaving us with a lot of questions.
Many analyses of “Do the Right Thing” focus on trying to determine “who was right.” There are so many details and perspectives to consider. We can easily determine the wrong things, but who truly did the right thing is a matter of interpretation. The brilliance of the film is there are so many moving parts that, even without sharing my moral perspective, the facts I choose to reference and omit shed light on that perspective. Yet that is the mark of great art — it has no easy answers. Instead, we are left with a picture that is simultaneously clear as day and completely opaque. Roaring back to the present, the film is self-evidently prophetic. While the clear and ugly side of racism may not be as commonplace as it was, issues like police brutality and interpersonal racism are still hot topics.
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Turn to Black film this Black History Month W
hen Black History Month rolls around each year, there’s this unspoken assumption non-Black folks should view the next 28 or 29 days as an educational experience. While learning about and appreciating the culture of Skye a different group of people is certainly Crawford central to heritage history months, Assistant Opinion this doesn’t have to be accomplished Editor by watching documentaries and reading scholarly articles or monographs. In fact, I think you can learn the most about the history of the Black experience in America by turning to old films. History and entertainment are not mutually exclusive, which I learned firsthand in the African American cinema course I took last semester. AFS375 took me on a tour of Black film across the twentieth century, and some of the films on our syllabus — including “Do the Right Thing” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” — became a few of my favorite movies. While this class made me pay attention to filmic composition, the content of the films themselves can be enjoyable and informative in their own right.
“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” for example, is a 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier that explores the reality of interracial relationships in post-segregationist America. The plot follows a free-thinking white woman Joanna Drayton as she brings her Black fiance home to meet her parents. This movie is unique in its approach to the history of interracial relationships for many reasons, one of which being that it was released the same year as the landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia decided interracial marriage was protected by the Constitution. However, I find this film the most enlightening and innovative for its exploration of the role of white liberal men in America after the passage of civil rights legislation. The beauty of watching films like this is you’re able to learn without even realizing it. Another informative and entertaining movie I watched in this class was “Imitation of Life,” a 1934 film confronting the deep-seated issue of racial identity. Delilah Johnson is a Black housemaid hired by widowed Beatrice Pullman. Delilah shares her pancake recipe with Beatrice and the two women start a thriving business on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Both women have daughters, and, in the midst of their successful entrepreneurship, the question of racial
passing looms heavy over their lives. Complicating this narrative more is the fact that the film was directed by a white man, John M. Stahl. While we can’t expect a white man to capture the essence of being Black in America at any point, Staul’s depictions of Black women in “Imitation of Life” offers a complex perspective on Jim Crow America in the 1930s. There are amazing historic films about Blackness I watched outside of African American cinema as well. “A Raisin in the Sun” was originally a play by Lorraine Hansberry, inspired by her own experience in the segregated South Side of Chicago, that follows the impoverished Younger family as they grapple with the sudden fortune of a $10,000 life insurance check.
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Opinion
8 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
‘AMERICANS’ continued from page 6
Spearheaded by Lee Atwater and Richard Nixon, the plan intended to develop dog whistles like states’ rights, forced busing and other lines to indicate seemingly nonracial opposition to clearly race-remedying efforts. The strategy was wildly successful. The white supremacists that made up the majority of the conservative voting bloc latched on almost immediately. Soon, conservatives who might not even consider themselves white supremacists were in full support of policies directly aimed at denying Black Americans their rights. This normativity soon found even stronger legs under Ronald Reagan. Reagan nationalized two key myths surrounding the Black community: a rising crime rate and the presence of “welfare queens” dependent on government handouts. The former line promoted a “hard on crime” stance that defines American policing to this day. The war on drugs, for example, targeted poor Black men who were — and still are — disproportionately targeted by police and more aggressively sentenced for a myriad of drug-related crimes compared to their white counterparts. In the latter Reagan-era talking point, “welfare queens” often referred to Black women, specifically single Black mothers. Reagan used fringe examples of extreme fraud to make the argument that poor people are lazy, that Black women are sexually promiscuous and that these people use government welfare to support their
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ostentatious lifestyles at the behest of the American taxpayer. While not every Republican makes explicitly racial excuses for opposing welfare, their opposition is based on a myth that undeserving people, especially Black people, abuse the system. This racialized villainization of welfare has made it near impossible to help specific people who need it. For example, in Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill, one provision set aside $5.2 billion for Black farmers, a group of people historically excluded from previous farming aid bills and thus harder hit by the pandemic. This didn’t stop pundits like Steven Crowder from objecting to this $1.9 trillion plan because of this specific provision; Crowder in particular employed racial epithets and caricatures to make his opposition clear. The issue rests on this point: American identity is not like other identities. There is no single definitive way to be American beyond citizenship — even this point is challenging to argue. As such, objections to bills because “regular Americans” oppose it are baseless. Maybe a majority of Americans oppose a bill, but that does not make them regular. Especially on matters of race, there is no such thing as a regular American. It is intrinsically illogical to assert that, in an issue where two types of Americans are divided, one side can claim the mantle of regularity. Denying Black claims and asserting their “anti-American” nature is simply lazy and appeals to the standard of white normativity that has shrouded American history in darkness since its inception. We can and should do more to recognize the beautiful tapestry of American identity.
All Kinds of Love
Zay Mahatha, Staff Cartoonist A first-year studying english
Rainy Day Thoughts
Avery Szakacs, Staff Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design
Snake Crucifixion
Max Alsop, Staff Cartoonist A third-year studying anthropology and paleontology
Secret
Sophie Gabriel, Staff Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design
TECHNICIAN 9
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FAMOUS BLACK ALUMNI CROSSWORD
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Across 1. The current Executive Director of Defense Systems for Raytheon and 2019 winner of the ISE Distinguished Alumnus Award. 2. This four-star general is the 12th commander of the United States Strategic Command after serving in ROTC at NC State. 3. After playing with NC State coach Jim Valvano, this point guard was one of the shortest professional basketball players in the NBA. 5. The former Bellator Bantamweight World Champion graduated from State in 2011. 6. This football player, regarded as one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time, played quarterback for NC State between 2007-2010.
Down 4. This tennis player was the first Black student to graduate from NC State and recently had a hall named after him. 7. This alum was one of the first Black women to receive a B.S. in civil engineering from NC State. 8. After graduating in 2006, this Olympic gold medalist holds the world record for swimming in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay. 9. The current senior vice provost for academic affairs at NC A&T University and distinguished ergonomics and psychology researcher. 10. This former NC State safety made the most tackles by a defensive back since James Walker.
Esports Lab hosts open house in Hunt Library Riya Kannan, Aleisha Gray
Assistant Culture Editor, Correspondent
Hunt Library’s long-awaited Gaming and Esports Lab hosted an open house on Feb. 8, encouraging students, staff and faculty to make use of the facility in recreational and educational capacities. With 35 gaming PCs and four console stations, Cody Elsen, director of the Esports Program, said the lab is one of the most advanced college labs on the continent, and the technology available isn’t something people commonly have access to. “The equipment in here is absolutely cutting-edge,” Elsen said. “It’s the best of the best. The PCs can run any game at max settings, and we also have consoles available with more of the recreational side. It’s absolutely packed with technology that you’re not gonna see anywhere else. Most people using this lab, it’s probably their first time having access to this high end of computers or monitors in their life.” Elsen said the space is intended for students to find a community on campus while engaging in recreational activities and hands-on learning. “There are a lot of individuals that may have never been
involved in an organized activity or a group coming out of high school, and a lot of times they’re gamers,” Elsen said. “This is a chance for them to find where they belong. There’s the community side, but also, the STEM and tech side. We hope that some students might be inspired to go down more tech-savvy paths.” The idea that this lab would contribute to students gaining an interest in technological fields such as computer science and engineering was one of many driving factors behind its creation. Elsen said the gaming culture and the heavy presence of technological and engineering-based research and education on NC State’s campus motivated the installation of the lab. “The history of gaming at NC State has been huge for the last 15 plus years,” Elsen said. “That created a culture of gamers on campus, … but this space is for everybody. Anybody can come in and drop in and play. It’s also for faculty to conduct research, professors that want to book this to teach some classes every now and then. And even some, you know, external groups to show off anything that they might be doing.” Carson Cole, a third-year studying computer science and officer of the Video Game Development Club, said the open-
ing of an official facility dedicated to gaming and esports is a great opportunity for game developers. “I think it’s a really awesome opportunity, not just for esports, but also for game developers,” Cole said. “Just being able to have access to just such powerful computers locally on campus, it’s just, it’s a resource that has not really been available.” Elsen said the Gaming and Esports Lab currently serves as an experiment ahead of the launch of Mann Hall’s future Esports Arena. “The space will be for large competitions and potentially our own esports teams at NC State,” Elsen said. “If we develop those for practicing, there’ll be another open lab similar to the Gaming and Esports Lab here. It will also be open to students again, just like this. We see that as an incubator for technology for students from all different disciplines and all the different colleges to come in and have access to computers, enhance their skills and maybe get inspired to work in the esports or gaming industry. But to be honest with you, the skills you learn in a space like this are really transferred to any discipline.”
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Culture
10 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
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The neurodivergent student experience Amelia Russell
Assistant Culture Editor
GRAPHIC BY AMELIA RUSSELL
Talley Student Union is bright, open, loud and stuffed with students. Many don’t give these overstimulating environments a second thought, but for the 1,111 students with neurodiversity-related accommodations with the Disability Resource Office, navigating spaces like Talley — and NC State as a whole — is different from the average student experience. “Neurodivergent” is a broad umbrella term for individuals who think unconventionally to “normal” standards, according to Sidney Fletcher, program manager for the OnePack Empowered program, an assistance program designed for neurodivergent students. Neurodivergent students may experience challenges with sensory overload, time management, organization and executive function. Fletcher said traits of neurodiversity, such as difficulty with time management and executive functioning challenges, are often combined with diagnoses of autism, ADHD or anxiety. “A lot of students that have identified as being on the autism spectrum … [struggle with] short term memory, not be able to maintain things that they’ve learned in class or setting tasks for themselves and not be able to follow that structure,” Fletcher said. Kayla Stewart, a first-year studying psychology and sociology and member of the Autistic and Neurodivergent Student Alliance, has diagnosed depression, anxiety and OCD and identifies as neurodivergent. She said a struggle for neurodivergent students is finding others to connect with on campus. “Depending on how you interact with people, it becomes difficult,” Stewart said. “With me not knowing social cues well, I sometimes make questionable jokes because some people like that dark humor, some people don’t, and I can’t read a room well, versus like people with depression, they end up stuck in their room and they don’t meet people. Other people with OCD, [are] also stuck in their room because they’re scared to go outside.” Fletcher said neurodiversity-related challenges can cause students to struggle with social connection and community building on campus. “A lot of students that identify as neurodivergent … they’ve often shared feelings of isolation or not feeling as if they belong, that [it] is hard to connect with others because they may be perceived as different or strange because of how they naturally are,” Fletcher said. Stewart said neurodivergent students should communicate with instructors directly to devise unique accommoda-
tions according to class and professor. However, when professors have varying levels of understanding of neurodiversity, it adds an extra layer of complexity in asking for help. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have some really great professors that are like, ‘Okay, we understand,’” Stewart said. “I can go up to a professor and be like, ‘Yeah, I have OCD. I have anxiety, sometimes I’ll need to leave the class.’ I’ve also had other professors just be very kind of a stick in the mud. I’ve noticed it’s very much like a generation thing. I have more issues with the older professors than I do with the younger ones.” Fortunately, NC State has an abundance of programs designed to assist neurodivergent students. Megan Foxworth, the assistant director of the Disability Resources Office, said the DRO can create accommodations with professors on behalf of students with a diagnosed disorder, such as extra testing time or quiet testing spaces. NC State also launched the OnePack Empowered program this past January. The program was started with a donation from NC State’s head football coach Dave Doeren. Unlike accommodations with the DRO, the OnePack Empowered program does not require a specific diagnosis. Fletcher meets with students one-onone each week to provide coaching in time management, initiating tasks, procrastination and even motivation and confidence. He said he approaches mentoring from a strength-based, goal-oriented model. “Students may feel that … due to how they identify that they might not immediately have the tools to effectively communicate with a peer,” Fletcher said. “Oftentimes [they] fortunately tend to prove themselves wrong … because it’s not necessarily the individual that is the source of the issue, but more or less their environment that needs to be better adjusted to accommodate for someone that has a difference in thinking or a difference in approach to life.” Scan this QR code to read the full article on technicianonline.com
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Libraries, OIED promote linguistic diversity and culture of inclusion
Emilia Rivadeneira Staff Writer
In efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, the NC State University Libraries and the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity have partnered to design a curated list of resources, which includes a variety of podcasts, articles and books based on a different topic every month. The topic for this month’s list is “Linguistic Diversity” and features works of NC State researcher and William C. Friday Distinguished University Professor Walt Wolfram. Wolfram, who has been researching dialect diversity since 1965 when he was a graduate student, said the promotion of linguistic diversity is important as dialects are often socially stigmatized — especially within education. “In American society, if you don’t talk standardized American English, you’re looked down on,” Wolfram said. “You’re considered to be not equal, and so there’s a real issue of inequality. So my mission in terms of NC State’s mission is to change that narrative.” Wolfram also said that NC State is a leading institution in the promotion of language diversity through courses, research development and other activities. “It’s become part of our educational mission to make linguistic diversity known and appreciated throughout the United States,” Wolfram said. “And actually, in that sense, NC State has the most prominent diversity program of any university in the United States.” This list of resources, curated by Becky Cibulskis, international program coordinator, and Darby Orcutt, assistant head of Collections and Research Strategy, are part
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continued from page 9
Jill Sexton, associate director for digital and organizational strategy and building committee member for NC State’s future Esports Arena in Mann Hall, said the project is underway and is currently in its design phase. “We’re in the design phase for the Mann Hall arena project,” Sexton said. “Construction should be starting within the next year to 18 months. We’re really excited about what is going to be in that space. There’s a lot of excitement around
GRAPHIC BY EMILIA RIVADENEIRA
of the University’s efforts to create a culture of diversity and inclusion on campus. “We were invited to give resources for supporting international populations, but that’s a really big group,” Cibulskis said. “We’re representing thousands of students and staff and faculty on campus that are coming from really different contexts, and so we’re hoping that we’re going to be able to do a series of different DIY/DEI related to the international experience.” Wolfram said in terms of diversity, language is never talked about. Cibulskis said exploring it through practical tools, such as books and audiovisual products, is helpful for both staff and students to understand and improve linguistic diversity on campus. “I think that for me it has been really helpful because it does present like new aspects of inclusion that we don’t always think about at the institution,” Cibulskis said. “We have hope that somebody who
is new to the topic of linguistic diversity, and quickly finds themselves here … it’s still overwhelming, it’s still a couple of dozen resources. But I think having multiple modalities, like here’s an academic research paper, here’s a podcast, here’s a YouTube video, really lets the user kind of interact with the topic in a way that makes the most sense for them.” It took Cibulskis and Orcutt about two to three months to curate this month’s list, which provides accessibility to explore a global concept. “I was really looking at linguistic diversity globally and then like, ‘Oh, my God, we have an actual scholar expert on campus that has all of these resources and is already engaging student groups,’” Cibulskis said. “I think it really just kind of helps connect what seemed like a really big topic to things that are super relevant to our own community.”
this initiative and people have pitched in their time to help make it outstanding.” Sexton said the arena space will be able to hold around 360 people and will be used for mid-sized tournament events. “There also will be strategy and practice rooms where we can hold classes,” Sexton said. “We’re working to build curriculum integration and to provide student learning opportunities outside of just playing video games but also things like video game design. There’s a whole creative side of storytelling around video gaming.” Marc Hoit, vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer, said the funding for the Mann Hall project came from the state legisla-
ture with the goal of making the Triangle the nation’s center for gaming. “The legislature and the Raleigh Convention Center worked and decided that we could be, that Raleigh and the Triangle area could be, the center of gaming for the nation,” Hoit said. “So we’re working on doing that. They gave 16 million — 12 million to build what’s going to be in Mann Hall here, and then 4 million to go mobile, so we can go out to the rest of the state and take it up there.” Campus Health made an appearance at the Gaming and Esports Lab open house to speak with visitors about gaming and mental health. Daniel Passonno, health educator with Campus Health, said gaming is a great way to de-stress and make
This month’s list of resources can be found on NC State Libraries’ website by scanning this QR code:
new friends. “I think there’s a lot of ways that gaming does promote mental health because it connects students to other people out in the world,” Passonno said. While gaming can be a fun pastime, Passonno also encourages mindfulness while playing. “Make sure that you take care of yourselves,” Passonno said. “Make sure that you take time to get some water, eat some food, look out for your friends. Make sure that you’re taking care of your wellbeing while also enjoying the games at the Esports Arena.” The Esports Arena in Mann Hall is anticipated to be completed in late 2026 to early 2027.
Sports 12 TECHNICIAN Jacob Cozart: NC State’s next great catcher THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Noah Teague
Assistant Sports Editor
NC State baseball has a rich tradition of high-level catchers. From Patrick Bailey to Andrew Knizner, you can find former Wolfpack catchers making an impact at the highest level. The next great catcher to don the redand-white, junior catcher Jacob Cozart, is gearing up for a potentially historic season. The High Point native is a Perfect Game preseason first-team All-American and could potentially be a first-round selection in the 2024 MLB draft if he declares. Cozart’s journey to the top of college baseball began when he was a young kid. With his dad coaching college baseball, Cozart was exposed to high-level competition early on. “I started playing baseball when I was three or four years old,” Cozart said. “My dad was a baseball coach. He was the pitching coach at UCF, so I’ve always been around the game. … I grew up on the baseball field every single day.” After a successful high school baseball career, Cozart joined NC State. In addition to the program’s status as a consistent winner, the Pack has built a strong reputation for player development — especially catchers. “I wasn’t looking at just the name of the program,” Cozart said. “I knew they had a really good track record with high school
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catchers and turning them into first-rounders. That really stuck out to me, and I knew I’d have the best development possible when I came here. And they’ve lived that up.” Once Cozart arrived in Raleigh, he immediately made an impact, appearing in 52 games as a freshman. The Wolfpack’s backstop hit .240, smacked four homers and racked up 25 RBIs. While these were respectable numbers, it was only the beginning for Cozart, who made an impressive sophomore leap. In addition to the hard work he’s put in, Cozart has taken his coaching to heart. Leaning into his coaches’ knowledge of the game has been crucial to his development. In particular, associate head coach Chris Hart and head coach Elliott Avent have been vital in Cozart’s growth. “[Hart] has helped mold me from when I was a little freshman catcher trying to get my feet wet,” Cozart said. “Avent has been really, really helpful … being not only the best player I can be but also the best person.” Like many players who have donned the red-and-white, Cozart has prioritized character development and doing things the right way — a staple of Avent’s program. “Character still defines who you are going to be,” Avent said. “When they have trades in the big leagues, they’ll still call us about the character of those players when they were in college — it matters everywhere.”
HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN
In this archive photo taken May 25, 2023, catcher Jacob Cozart attempts to tag a runner out during the ACC Tournament game against Miami at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Miami beat NC State 4-2.
That character has helped Cozart immensely, along with the work he’s done in the batting cages and on the field. The result of all that culminated in a spectacular 2023 season where he improved his batting average to .301 while blasting 10 home runs. However, Cozart’s best play comes when he’s behind the plate. “For the past two years I’ve been the best strike stealer metrically in college baseball,” Cozart said. “That’s where I excel in.” Entering the 2024 season, expectations are high for both Cozart and NC State baseball. D1 Baseball placed the Wolfpack at No.
13 in its preseason top 25. If the red-andwhite lives up to its expectations, it could find itself in ACC title contention, hosting a regional and more. For Cozart, there is one clear goal. “My goal is to get this team to Omaha,” Cozart said. “I’m going to help this team win every single day. That’s our goal.” Cozart and the rest of the Pack9 will open the season Friday, Feb. 16, against VCU at Doak Field. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
NC State softball enters new era with head coach Lindsay Leftwich
Colby Trotter Sports Editor
It’s a new era for NC State softball as it welcomes a new leader to the clubhouse after the previous head coach was fired in the middle of last season. Last summer, Lindsay Leftwich was hired as the fourth head coach in Wolfpack softball history, and brings an impressive resume to Raleigh. For the past 12 years, Leftwich was an assistant coach for the LSU Tigers where she helped build a consistent winner. During her time in Baton Rouge, the Tigers went to four College World Series including two finals while appearing in the NCAA Tournament all 12 seasons. Even though she was a key part in developing 21 All-Americans at LSU, it still took time for her new squad to gain trust in her. “When you’re trusting someone with something that’s so important to you, I think, you know, they all trusted slowly,”
Leftwich said. “I was appreciative of that they wanted to make sure that I was gonna be who I said I was gonna be, and so I think they tiptoed in the water at first. And then the moment they felt and saw how we were going to love them and honor them and take care of them, I think that then they’re like, ‘Okay, like we’re in for this. We can do this.’” The Pack is coming off its worst season since 2017, and it’s Leftwich’s job to rebuild a winning culture while at the same time making sure her team stays patient in the process. “The results might not be instant, but you just gotta keep watering the plant, you know, like you got to water the roots, and then eventually you get the fruit,” Leftwich said. “You gotta be willing to know that delayed gratification is how this thing happens.”
LEFTWICH continued page 13
HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN
Members of the NC State softball team cheer on their players as they run to home base during the game against Clemson at Dail Softball Stadium on Sunday, April 16, 2023. NC State beat Clemson 7-5.
TECHNICIAN 13 Sports NC State softball star Madison Inscoe aims for All-American sophomore season TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Erin Ferrare
Assistant Sports Editor
It’s been a wild ride for sophomore right-handed pitcher Madison Inscoe and NC State softball over the past year. After NC State softball’s head coach was fired mid-season last season, the future was filled with uncertainty for Inscoe and the eight other freshmen on the 2023 roster. Entering her sophomore season, Inscoe and her teammates patiently waited for the announcement for their new head coach. NC State announced in June 2023 that former LSU assistant coach Lindsay Leftwich was joining the Pack softball program as its new head coach. Leftwich said her first priority when taking the role was to earn Insoe and the team’s trust. Once she earned that trust, she said Inscoe excelled. “Once she decided that she was gonna trust us and she was gonna be in, she was all in — like two feet in the water, which was really cool,” Leftwich said. Trust between Leftwich and Inscoe is something that will help the sophomore reach her biggest goal: becoming an AllAmerican. Every year, every athletic association receives applications from head coaches from across the country nominating players for the coveted award. In softball, the requirements for becoming an All-American while being a pitcher and utility player require a showing of longterm commitment to both positions over the season. Hailing from Chesapeake, Virginia, Inscoe was one of the most impressive softball players on the east coast. With many accolades to her name, including 2021 All-Tidewater Player of the Year and two Extra Inning Softball First Team All-American awards, Inscoe was highly sought after by collegiate programs. After originally verbally committing to Auburn University in 2020, Inscoe
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For a team that ranked near the bottom of the ACC in most statistical categories last season, it’s important the Wolfpack does not define its success in numbers. Leftwich has emphasized the importance of building good habits, which will eventually lead to success on the diamond.
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f lipped her commitment to NC State in August 2021 with the goal of playing and excelling at both positions. “I feel like every little kid wants to become an All-American, and obviously that’s everybody’s dream,” Inscoe said. “For me it’s a little bit different because I pitch, hit and play first base, so I can be an All-American doing both which is really, really hard. So I have to work a little bit harder than everyone else, but I’m just really excited for the season.” Last year, Clemson’s Valerie Cagle was selected as a first team All-American as a utility player and pitcher and Louisville’s Taylor Roby was selected for the second team for the same two positions. According to Leftwich, the extra work needed for this honor is exactly what she is seeing in Inscoe’s performance during games and in practice. “If she wants to be great at what she’s going to do, she has to be willing to dive in,” Leftwich said. “She’s really committed to that task, working more, building better habits and doing more than maybe she’s ever done before. Because if you want something that you’ve never had, do you have to be willing to do something you’ve never done?” Coming in as both a pitcher and utility player is uncommon in NCAA softball, with many players typically picking a specific path within their first year of playing at the collegiate level. For Inscoe it was different — she wanted to do everything. “I came into college only thinking I was only going to be a pitcher and I just knew that that wasn’t going to be like my thing,” Inscoe said. “I just love the game of softball. I love playing everywhere. If [Leftwich] told me to go play catcher, honestly I would do it. I’d gear up.” Being a multi-position player is never an easy thing to do in any sport, but it’s especially difficult in softball. Inscoe rose to the occasion, playing in 44 games
her freshman season, and she had 36 of her 26 season starts in the pitching circle. Despite finishing on top of the Pack’s pitching staff with a 8-14 record, Inscoe was also able to play first base for eight games throughout the season as well as hitting .200 in conference play. Softball is a team sport at the end of the day, and Inscoe is one of 10 sophomores on the team, playing alongside six freshmen. With only four seniors on the roster, this is an incredibly young team. Despite being underclassmen, many of the sophomores on the team have stepped up and become leaders on the field, Inscoe included. “Being a sophomore and trying to be a leader for this team, you have to have those connections and relationships and
be able to relate to your teammates more than anything,” Inscoe said. “So I feel like that’s my biggest goal. Something I’ve been working on a lot is just being consistent, like as consistent as I can be personally on the field and off the field and just being there for my teammates, I think is huge.” The season has just started for Inscoe and her teammates, and they finished their first weekend series at the NFCA Leadoff Classic 2-3. Inscoe established a new career high in the last game of the series, striking out nine batters to replace her high of seven from last year. With plenty of games left, all NC State fans can do is sit back and watch Inscoe grow.
“If we’re only defining success in wins and batting average and era, we’re going to be really disappointed,” Leftwich said. “Everyone wants to hit .400 and have 20 wins on the mound, but is it realistic? Probably not. … By stacking those good things, I think it turns into wins.” While Leftwich will be the main voice of the Wolfpack, it is also imperative that her players take on leadership roles, despite having a roster mostly made up of underclassmen. “I think no one really realizes that, like, our young crew is so young, we don’t have
this big junior and senior heavy class,” Leftwich said. “The young ones are just instantly thrust into leadership roles that sometimes maybe they don’t want. If we want to do this thing well, we need them to lead us in all of those spots.” One of the young players who will look to lead this season is sophomore righthanded pitcher Madison Inscoe — the Wolfpack ’s most reliable pitcher last season. Inscoe believes in her new coach and is ready to build something special at NC State. “She’s been incredible,” Inscoe said. “I
absolutely love her. She was so knowledgeable and taught us so much just within a span of six months. I just feel really blessed to have her here, and, we’re so, we’re just so happy to have her and can’t wait to see what we do this season with her.” With the season already underway, the Pack has a 2-3 record and in its last game thumped St. John’s 9-1. NC Started the season 0-2 but bounced back winning two of its last three games, staying patient just like its new head coach preached.
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In this archive photo taken April 21, 2023, pitcher Madison Inscoe pitches the ball during the game against UNC-Chapel Hill at Dail Softball Stadium. The Tar Heels beat the Wolfpack 5-4.
Sports
14 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
NC State softball season preview Colby Trotter Sports Editor
NC State softball is looking to bounce back in 2024 after a tumultuous 2023 season that featured its worst record since 2017. The Pack will also have a new head coach leading the charge after its previous one was fired in the middle of last season. New head coach Lindsay Leftwich was named the fourth head coach in Wolfpack softball history last summer and brings a strong resume to Raleigh. Before joining NC State, Leftwich was an assistant coach for LSU, where she spent 12 years establishing the Tigers as a softball powerhouse. The Wolfpack already has five games under its belt with a 2-3 record after competing in the NFCA Leadoff Classic this past weekend. With the season underway, let’s take a look at the Pack’s roster and schedule.
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Returning players
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Despite a coaching change, the Pack retained six out of the eight players who averaged two plate appearances a game last season and participated in at least 75% of the Pack’s games. NC State’s best hitter returns in the form of junior infielder Hannah Goodwin. Last season, Goodwin led the team in most offensive categories including batting average, OPS, hits and slugging percentage. Another key returner is sophomore r ig ht-ha nded pitcher and utility player Madison Inscoe who led the team in ERA, WHIP, wins and innings pitched. The Pack will look to rely on Inscoe again this season, but is also bringing back redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Aisha Weixlmann and sophomore right-handed pitcher Rylee Wyman. With the Wolfpack returning most of its pitching, it’s important it retained sophomore catcher Amanda Hasler. The backstop has been reliable for her pitchers and was second on the team in RBIs and third in home runs last season.
Newcomers
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As part of the 2024 recruiting class, NC State welcomes six freshmen to its roster. The class includes two pitchers, a third baseman, two infielders/outfielders and an outfielder. One of the freshmen is infielder/outfielder Tori Ensley, who is the younger sister of junior infielder Taylor Ensley. Tori Ensley was the 2022 District Player of the Year
and Conference Player of the Year while breaking her school’s record for most home runs in a season. In addition to Ensley, the Wolfpack added to its arm barn with freshman righthanded pitcher Carly Maxton. Maxton was ranked in the top 100 by Extra Innings Softball in 2020 and 2022 while also being a member of the 2022 Kansas City Top Gun 18U National Tournament champion.
Tournaments With one tournament already out of the way, NC State will play in three more throughout the season. The Pack is set to compete in the Marucci Classic from Feb. 16-18, against North Dakota State, Campbell, Elon and UConn. Next up, the red-and-white will host the Wolfpack Classic from Feb. 23-25, against Iona, Albany, Cleveland State and Appalachian State. It will then be a part of the Garnet & Black Invitational March 15-17 vs. Northwestern, Michigan State, Minnesota and South Carolina. NC State also will look to qualify for the ACC tournament held in Durham from May 8-11, after missing out on the tournament last season.
Conference slate The Pack’s mettle will be tested early as it hits the road for its first ACC series against No. 7 Clemson from March 1-3. The Tigers won the lone series between these squads last season, but the Wolfpack got the last laugh with a 7-5 win in the final game. Two weeks later, NC State travels to Tallahassee, Florida to take on the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles from March 2830. The Pack has a rough history against the Seminoles, having just won four games in Florida since the series started in 2004. Florida State has also won the last five matchups in the series, proving why it’s one of the best softball programs in the country. For one of its final ACC series of the season, the Pack will host the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils from April 26-28. Since the series started in 2018, the Wolfpack has won just two games and the Blue Devils are currently riding an eight-game win streak in the series. To put last season behind it, NC State will have to do a much better job of bringing its game on the road as last season it won just one game away from home. Series against top-10 teams like Clemson and Florida State on the road will go a long way in determining if the Pack can compete with the best.
Sports
TECHNICIAN 15
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
NC State Baseball faces tough schedule with revamped lineup
Gavin Gallimore Staff Writer
Heading into the 2024 campaign, NC State baseball is fresh off a 36-21 2023 season where it returned to the postseason, competing in the NCAA regional. This year looks once again to be one of change for the Pack — it treks into a tricky ACC with many new faces on its roster. However, there is optimism NC State is up to the task, as the Pack has garnered multiple top-25 rankings during the offseason.
Roster breakdown The largest bat on the Wolfpack’s lineup is junior catcher Jacob Cozart. Last season was one of great success for Cozart as he posted a .301 batting average, 10 home runs and 42 RBIs. Also possessing an elite arm, the junior catcher has solidified his space as the Pack’s backstop. Reeling in many offseason accolades, he’ll likely be NC State’s best player. Another important returner to the lineup is sophomore infielder/outfielder Eli Serrano III. Last season, Serrano wasted little time getting acquainted with college baseball, sporting a batting average of .292. On the other end, he was able to use his tall and lanky frame to provide reliable defense. Other returning faces include senior outfielder Noah Soles, who looks to bounce back after missing 21 games last season. A keen presence at the plate, Soles knows how to get on base — he posted a .305 batting average along with 24 walks. Fellow returners junior outfielder Chase Nixon, sophomore infielder Matt Heavner and redshirt junior infielder/outfielder Carson Falsken will further add to the Pack’s experience after getting limited playing time last season. NC State will heavily rely on a solid group of transfers this season, which includes several new pieces to the infield. A big part of this unit includes graduate infielder Garrett Pennington. A transfer from Wichita State, he posted great stats last season with a .307 batting average, 15 homers and 55 RBIs. Junior infielder Brandon Butterworth also looks to be a key addition coming off a .301 season at the plate with 22 extra-base hits at Western Carolina. Other key additions from the portal include graduate infielder Alec Makarewicz from East Carolina. Last season, he played in all 66 games for the Pirates, posting a solid .258 batting average and 49 RBIs. Also, keep an eye out for sophomore outfielder/infielder Josh Hogue who had a staggering .412 batting average and 41 RBIs in 50 games with Santa Fe College. On the mound, the Pack returns many familiar faces, boasting one of the best rotations in the ACC. The group is led by sophomore left-handed pitcher Dominic Fritton. Racking in many offseason awards, Fritton looks to be the Friday-night starter after posting a 3.59 ERA along with 75 strikeouts last season. Redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Logan Whitaker also returns after having a down year in 2023. Another key returning arm is with graduate right-handed pitcher Sam Highfill. After shifting between a starting role and coming out of the bullpen, he posted solid numbers with
a team-high six wins. It will be worth paying attention to his rotation status this season. The Wolfpack bullpen is grounded with several solid options such as junior right-handed pitcher Carson Kelly, who tallied 33 strikeouts in 24 innings of relief. Senior left-handed pitcher John Miralia and sophomore righthanded pitcher Andrew Shaffner each appeared in at least 13 games last season, with each allowing an opposing batting average below .275. A transfer Wolfpack fans should keep an eye out for is senior right-handed pitcher Hollis Fanning. In limited time at Tennessee, he put up a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 innings last season.
Non-conference schedule breakdown NC State opens its season on Friday, Feb. 16, against the VCU Rams in a three-game set, looking to start the season off strong. It will then make the long trip to Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors, who defeated multiple Power Five schools in 2023. Next, the red-and-white will return home for six straight home dates against Queens, Towson and Winthrop. After the conference season starts, the Pack will take part in several key midweek matchups. NC State will take on Coastal Carolina at home March 19, which should be a big opportunity as the Chanticleers hosted a regional last season. Two weeks later, the Wolfpack will play its first of two games against East Carolina. This matchup looks to be a good one as the Pirates are consistently a postseason presence, coming off yet another regional appearance. The two teams will face off again April 23, in Greenville. Two more formidable foes will be found as the Wolfpack visits UNC-Wilmington on April 9, and hosts Campbell on April 16. Both teams made the postseason last year, with the Camels knocking the Pack out of the Columbia Regional.
the Cardinals have proven to be a tricky opponent for NC State, as the Pack have just one series win there. A tricky road trip will continue as it travels to Clemson to take on the reigning ACC Champions. The Tigers look to once again be a strong force in the conference as they come off of hosting a regional amidst a 44-19 record. Following the road trip, NC State will return to Doak Field to face rival UNC-Chapel Hill on April 18. This series should prove to be an important one for the Pack as it will look to change the tide in the rivalry — it’s dropped seven of its last eight against the Tar Heels. UNC finished last season strong, making it to a regional. In the last two weeks of the season, the Wolfpack will have two important series. First, it takes on Virginia, who put together a 50-15 season last year that led to an appearance in the College World Series. It will then return home to take on Wake Forest, who are currently ranked first in every college baseball publication. The Demon Deacons returned to the College World Series in 2023 for the first time in nearly 70 years before losing to the eventual national champion LSU Tigers. With a revamped roster, the Pack looks to make noise amidst a busy ACC. The team has its fair share of tough non-conference ga mes, which it hopes will help prepare it for the challenges of the ACC.
Conference schedule breakdown Last season, eight teams from the ACC, including the Wolfpack, made the NCAA Tournament. It will face six of these teams this upcoming season. It will start the conference season off strong, taking on Boston College from March 8-10. Boston College is fresh off a 37-20 season, which included a series win over NC State. After hitting the road to take on Georgia Tech, the Pack will return home to face Duke. The teams played once last season with the Pack taking the win in the ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils had a strong 2023 campaign, making it to a Super Regional. A few weeks later, the Pack will hit the road to take on Louisville. As a consistent name at the top of the ACC,
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