The Physical Master Plan: How NC State will improve accessibility over next decade

After my last article discussing Wolfpack Pickup, accessibility and walkability across campus, I decided to find out what NC State is doing to modify our campus to improve these aspects and what changes will be made to the historic buildings.

This brought up the extensive Physical Master Plan, which is a comprehensive tool that aids NC State in reexamining campus every 10 to 20 years and searching for improvements. Some of these modifications can be things like new dining opportunities, residence halls, parking renovations and new academic buildings. There are also new pedestrian opportunities within the master plan to improve campus accessibility.

Tom Skolnicki, NC State’s landscape architect, heads the land planning effort on campus, which includes thinking about the uses for the spaces the University has. His department has had a large say in the planning of the Physical Master Plan.

“Our group is involved a lot in the design of campus buildings,” Skolnicki said. “Our focus is more on the places between the buildings, including all of our paths, streets, courtyards, open spaces, natural systems, natural areas, our utilities and how they serve campus.”

When discussing the Physical Master Plan and accessibility, Skolnicki said there were a number of committees with representatives from all colleges, students, faculty and staff, that participated in the creation of the plan to ensure diverse feedback. Skolnicki also said the University could follow what it did to make the Belltower accessible for other campus accessibility renovations.

“A big part of that project was saying, ‘OK, it’s a historic building,’” Skolnicki said. “And because it is historic and was built prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act, it could have been the result that we said we can’t make that shrine room accessible. There are a lot of challenges to it, it’s going to compromise the historic character of the building, it’s one of our hallowed places. … It took a lot of effort, but I think we found a way that that path that provides a route for people who can’t navigate steps is used by continued from page 3

Rent control isn’t as cut-and-dry of a solution as many think, Greene said.

“The costs [to live in Raleigh] are more hidden and more diffuse and that makes [rent control], I think, a popular policy,” Greene said. “It’s big in New York. I know that the only way that the friends were able to have their apartment is be - a lot of people.”

Skolnicki also said in 2019, the department finished a study that examined the most historic buildings on campus. He said they’ve had a transition plan in progress, which is essentially a plan to transform these buildings from these historic conditions to buildings that meet the Americans With Disabilities Act requirements. They had enough funding to look at 34 buildings, most of which are on North Campus, and highlight their shortcomings.

“We maintain a list of projects called our integrated priority list where we track these things and so those deficiencies get on that list and as opportunities come up, either through funding from one source or the other, or a capital improvement project like those building renovations where we can address those issues,” Skolnicki said.

“There’ll [definitely] be some challenges, I think there will be in some buildings. But, I don’t think that means you don’t make the improvements that you can, and some of the improvements just might take longer to get to or to identify the funding to address them.” cause it was rent controlled.”

Greene also said due to the political barriers and other limitations of implementing rent control, there may be better solutions out there such as the Yes In My BackYard movement, which advocates for housing development as a solution to out-of-control rent prices.

“You have Liberals saying, shall we say, ‘The rent is too damn high,’” Greene said. “One of the ways to lower that is to simply make more housing available.

In terms of accessibility, Skolnicki said to create more pedestrian-friendly walkways, like converting Stinson Drive or other areas on campus, there would need to be a pilot program to test it out on a block or two at first.

Mark Newmiller, director of the Disability Resources Office for the University, oversees the providing of accommodations for students with disabilities on campus.

“We are working with students, identifying who’s a student with disability, what are those barriers that they experience, and then what accommodations might be appropriate to remove those barriers,” Newmiller said. “On the backside, we work with faculty and the University staff depending upon organizations and the programs and services to identify if those accommodations would fundamentally alter that program or service. And if they do, then we look for alternatives to those accommodations so that students can still participate.”

Newmiller said his team also works with instructors about inclusive training, how to properly accommodate, how to make statements about receiving accommoda-

The reason housing is not available is because of regulations. It appeals to Conservatives too.” tions and how to help students seek out the organization. He also said his team doesn’t have much of a role in the physical access of the University, like the architects or ADA coordinators do. Newmiller has had a voice in the Physical Master Plan, as he’s a part of one of the task forces.

Greene said these sorts of alternative solutions are better for multiple reasons.

“Some of the [alternative] solutions are probably not only more efficient policies, but they’re more politically feasible in the sense that you have more bipartisanship on some of these,” Greene said.

“If there’s an idea or if something is coming up, I might suggest some concerns like have we thought about this for a student who has a disability, are we looking at it in a way that’s inclusive to all abilities,” Newmiller said. “I will say that the campus as a whole is very in tune to that and I’ve been really impressed with the physical master planning process. I think the University has a long way to go to be fully accessible. But I think it’s also a part of the topography of the campus.”

Newmiller said he thinks the changes they’re presenting with the Physical Master Plan provides are great improvements for accessibility and navigation across campus. He also said he encourages students to reach out to the Disability Resources Office if they need to speak with someone about accommodations for disabilities.

Finally, Greene said real policy change could come about if people, especially students at NC State, pushed for these alternative solutions.

“Those are the types of policy changes that people should be pushing for and I think would have a lot more prospects than something like rent control which I see as a much more brute force instrument,” Greene said. “Some of the other solutions are not only more efficient policies but more politically feasible.”

Mark Mikhail Correspondent

In 2020, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic represented the fall of the movie theater. Audiences couldn’t visit their local AMC or Regal, and streaming services became the only way to release movies.

As pandemic restrictions ended, streaming services did not relinquish their hold on the film industry. Prior to the pandemic, many people went to the movie theaters because they knew they would not be able to watch the film for at least a month. After the pandemic, however, this exclusivity changed. Film studios like Universal struck deals with movie theater companies such as AMC to lower the time in between release in the movie theaters and release in streaming services.

AMC took this deal in order to gain revenue from Universal’s streaming services, but in return, they hindered their own movie theaters.

This is not the only confusing move AMC has made. On Feb. 6, AMC announced a change to its ticket pricing. This change created three pricing tiers based on where theater goers are sitting. AMC released a statement that this change allowed moviegoers to, “have more control over their experience.”

I, like many, was left very confused by this decision. Why would AMC choose to raise their prices when their sales were already low?

Dr. Marsha Gordon, head of the film studies department, said AMC was attempting to incentivize ticket sales by targeting a certain demographic.

“Audience members feel more like they’re going to the theater … if they have a designated ticket by the theater, like live theater designated seats,” Gordon said. “Maybe that will make them come back. So I’m sure that is part of the gamble that they’re making.”

No matter how one may look at it, the price of a ticket increased with this decision. An already expensive outing became more pricey.

Movie theaters also increased the price of popcorn to an unprecedented amount. Popcorn at the theater is now marked up to 1,275% of its grocery store price. Although the inflated price of popcorn is nothing new to movie theaters, adding this high cost to the inflated ticket pricing system AMC wishes to employ will make theaters a luxury many will want to avoid.

This pricing paired with the film industry stuck on blockbusters and a lack of exclusivity due to streaming services makes going to the movies simply not worth it anymore.

The situation can be salvaged as well. When talking to Gordon about possible solutions to this problem, she pointed to history for potential answers. When people could no longer afford going to the theaters during the Great Depression, they found ways to incentivize people to go.

“Movie theaters did, very creatively, things like giveaways,” Gordon said. “So they would do things like a lottery, where you would come and everyone would get a ticket when you came in. And maybe they will give away, you know, $100.”

Gordon also referenced a point I agree with fully. Going to the movies is a unique experience, an exhibition, and the movie theaters should do their best to create a more pleasurable experience. Gordon pointed to the Alamo Drafthouse as an example of a movie theater that creates a more unique experience. The theater serves beverages and food directly to your seat. They also have a half hour pre-show directly related to the movie.

I recommend movie theaters expand on the creativity the Drafthouse displays. Movie theaters could create interactive experiences like games you can play related to the movie you are watching. Also, the theater could actually learn from streaming services and employ interesting facts and trivia on the side, similar to what Amazon Prime Video makes available.

Going to the movies is an American tradition that was created with the introduction of film. Seeing it go away will not only harm our social traditions, but also disrupt our economy. Movie theaters create jobs for not only the people that work there but also production companies that want to make more meaningful films. Currently there are 195,444 people employed in movie theaters. When the world is facing an economic crisis, the destruction of the theater could strike a major blow to the unemployment rate.

Movie theaters have two options if they want to revive their industry: create a better movie watching experience that is more marketable and appealing to their audience,or lower the prices so it is more accessible to more people. No matter how you look at it, the fate of movie theaters is in their own hands.