Same time next year? — Technician 4/12/24

UNIVERSITY THEATRE PRESENTS

“ADA AND THE ENGINE”

Friday, April 12, 4-7 p.m.

JAMES B. HUNT JR. LIBRARY, DUKE

ENERGY HALL

$10 for students

STORYTIME IN THE GARDEN

Tuesday, April 16, 10-11 a.m.

GREGG MUSEUM OF ART AND DESIGN Free

FRANK THOMPSON HALL, TITMUS THEATRE

$8-$27

Learn about the life and accomplishments of Ada Byron Lovelace, a female mathematician who broke barriers in mechanics and gender norms, through theater. Friday - Saturday, April 12-13, 7:30, Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m.

Celebrate Earth Month with stories and crafts revolving around sustainability.

Wolfpack Outfitters keeps up with demand during historic tournament runs

Matthew Burkhart Assistant News Editor

As the NC State men’s and women’s basketball teams made it to the Final Four of March Madness simultaneously, the excitement on campus reached fever pitch. Behind the scenes at Wolfpack Out tters, a urry of activity was underway to meet the skyrocketing demand for the celebratory gear.

Rich Lombardi, manager and lead designer of the Design Den at Wolfpack Out tters, said the past few weeks have been a whirlwind.

“We are doing what we can — it’s a mad scramble to make sure that the student body’s needs are being met with the very sharp uptick in excitement that we’re kind of seeing across the board,” Lombardi said. “It’s a lot of kids on campus. It’s a lot of fans outside of the school, too. And we’re just doing what we can to meet the demand.”

Scott Brennan, assistant director of retail merchandise at Wolfpack Out tters, said most of the products sold in the store come from vendor partners. e vendors created designs beforehand, sent them in for approval and placed orders ahead of time so that they would be printed as soon as the teams won games.

Brennan said that he, Wolfpack Out tters sta and their vendors have been working to satisfy the requests of students and alumni on top of the initial celebratory gear premade by their vendors.

Brennan said one of the most popular requests he received was to have a Final Four shirt featuring both the men’s and women’s teams.

“ at was a request immediately a er the game,” Brennan said. “And we didn’t have that on order yet, but who could foresee that? So we got it on order the next day and we just got them in today.”

During the March Madness runs, Lombardi designed and printed shirts more unique to NC State and its current mantras, such as DJ Horne’s memorable phrase “Why not us?” on a shirt featuring a shrugging Mr. Wuf.

“It’s the fastest trademark licensing approval I think I’ve ever gotten,” Lombardi said. “When they saw that, they were like, ‘Yes. Go. Absolutely.’”

Wolfpack Out tters stocks shirts celebrating the postseason success of the men’s and women’s basketball team in Talley Student Union on Thursday, April 4, 2024. Both the men’s and women’s teams played in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Lombardi said the store has also received requests from other facets of the University. One was to convert a graphic featuring ve scoops of ice cream and the Tu y logo onto a shirt for NC State Athletics a er the men’s team’s tradition of eating ice cream a er wins.

Lombardi said these personalized designs are important because they capture sentiments and feelings from these tournaments that can persist beyond this athletic season.

“‘Why not us’ is conceptually evergreen, right?” Lombardi said. “It continues to be true, almost no matter what. It is a sort of landmark for a great moment in the history of the University, but it also will stay relevant. … I think it is going to give the design a lot of longevity and a lot of

CRIME ON CAMPUS

NC State’s weekly log of major incidents across campus

ASSIST OTHER AGENCY

April 4, 2024, at 5:26 p.m.

115 Park Ave

University Police responded to 115 Park Ave. to assist Raleigh Police with a loud noise complaint from the FarmHouse fraternity house at this location. Raleigh Police advised that the fraternity has had three warnings in the last seven days. FarmHouse fraternity referred to the University for violating local city ordinances.

MEDICAL ASSIST

April 5, 2024, at 3:18 a.m.

Sullivan Drive/Dan Allen Drive

University Police located a vehicle with the non-affiliated driver asleep behind the wheel. O cers attempted to wake him but were unsuccessful. Wake EMS and Raleigh Fire Department responded and were able to wake him but he refused transport. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated, open container violations and driving with a revoked license.

purpose outside of just this very exciting time that we’re in right now.”

Brennan said much of the demand is coming from new fans and people who are not a liated with NC State a er both teams’ March Madness runs. Brennan said the store has received orders from across the entire country over the last month.

“It’s a story that’s kind of resonating with a lot of people, not just NC State fans,” Brennan said.

Brennan said the bene t of shopping at Wolfpack Out tters versus other stores that sell NC State merchandise is that some of the revenue generated by the store is invested back into students through scholarships.

All incidents in the crime log are according to the University’s daily crime log published online in compliance with the Clery Act.

LARCENY

April 5, 2024, at 4:44 p.m.

Carmichael Gym

A student reported he had money and credit cards stolen while he was at the gym and that the credit card was then used o campus.

LARCENY

April 8, 2024, at 2:38 p.m.

111 Lampe Dr.

A student reported his electric scooter was stolen.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Hallie walks so Student Media can run

Fresh o a ight from Phoenix to photograph NC State men’s basketball’s Final Four run, Hallie Walker made her rst stop home from the airport at the third oor of Witherspoon Student Center to share her Final Four experience with her fellow employees at NC State Student Media.

Having worked for NC State Student Media for three years, Walker’s photo repertoire is nothing short of impressive. With over 250 photo assignments in a variety of sections, she’s surely made her mark on campus media.

“I think Hallie, she’s so driven and she’s such a joy to work with,” said Emily Vespa, a third-year studying English and managing editor at Technician. “Her work really speaks for itself, but it’s so moving, and I think that’s what really stands out to me about her work — you look at it and really feel the emotion. She’s my Princess Diana.”

Walker, a fourth-year studying business administration who serves as Agromeck photo editor and a Student Media senior sta photographer, joined Student Media during her second year at NC State with the intent of nding a community on campus while honing her love for photography.

“First day of school, I came into the open house and there was a photo meeting and there were people running everywhere,” Walker said. “I started and hit the ground running, basically.”

Walker said she’s always had a camera in her hands, but Student Media’s resources helped nurture her passion into a skill. As Agromeck photo editor, Walker is able to share those skills with beginner photographers.

“Getting to watch people go through the same experience

that I did has been one of my favorite parts,” Walker said. “I love being that person that can answer your questions and be helpful, just like I had people who did that for me too.”

Walker gave honorable mentions to those mentors — one being Ray Black III, the visual media advisor at Student Media, who’s one of many Walker said pushed her out of her photography comfort zone.

“I can’t even begin to explain what he has done for me throughout the three years that I’ve been taking photos seriously,” Walker said. “He has helped me grow so much in terms of content.”

She said her recent experience of following NC State women’s and men’s basketball throughout their tournaments leading up to the Final Four, and then covering the men’s Final Four, has been one of those notable experiences that pushed her out of her comfort zone and will let her leave her mark on this piece of history.

“I feel like I look back on stu from ‘83 that Student Media did … so just knowing that other people might do the exact same thing for me, and I mean, what might be next year or what might be many years is insane,” Walker said.

Walker said the pressure was on to document the Final Four experience, but she knew she was prepared for the task at hand.

“Getting ready to go to these big games can sometimes feel like a lot of pressure because I’m the only person going; it’s a one man team, and whatever coverage that comes from this is what we have to use,” Walker said. “But I’ve been doing it for so long that I have a lot of trust in myself to get the job done.”

Cate Humphreys, a third-year studying psychology and photo editor at Technician, said Walker has inspired her to push boundaries in her photography as well.

“Hallie has been such an inspiration as a fellow woman in a male-dominated eld,” Humphreys said. “She has been such a mentor and role model for myself and other photographers. Seeing the absolutely beautiful art that she’s put out into the world has de nitely compelled me to take risks.”

Walker’s advice to those who want to get involved in Student Media?

“I always say, it’s okay to be nervous, but don’t let that stop you from nding your people and learning something new,” Walker said. “You don’t have to have any experience — it’s the best part. So I tell all my new people, you don’t have to have any experience, no matter what, we’re going to help you, and we’re really happy to.”

Hallie will be graduating this spring, and intends to continue her photography upon leaving Student Media.

COURTESY OF LANCE KING/WRAL

Hallie Walker, a fourth-year studying business administration, smiles on the court before the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four game against Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Elizabeth Dull Culture Editor

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Junior guard Kam Woods, junior forward Ernest Ross and junior guard Breon Pass sit together in the locker room after the Sweet 16 game of the NCAA Tournament against Marquette at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Friday, March 29, 2024. NC State beat Marquette 67-58.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

NC State head coach Wes Moore talks to the starting lineup before the ACC Tournament semi nals game against Florida State in Greensboro Coliseum on Saturday, March 9, 2024. NC State beat Florida State 69-43.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Freshman guard Zoe Brooks drives the ball to the basket during the game against Florida State in Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. Brooks scored 15 points and made ve rebounds. NC State beat Florida State 88-80 in overtime.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Graduate forward DJ Burns gets fouled while shooting during the second round game of the NCAA Tournament against Oakland at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Burns led in scoring with 24 points. NC State beat Oakland 79-73 in overtime to advance to the Sweet 16.

North Carolina’s public universities stall on releasing sexual misconduct records

Emily Vespa Managing Editor

North Carolina’s public universities are obligated to release certain disciplinary records of students found responsible for sexual assault under the state’s public records law.

But a Technician investigation found those institutions stall for months to release these records, a move that First Amendment lawyers said shrouds public information in secrecy.

From all 15 UNC System universities, Technician sought three years’ worth of public records that contain the name, the violation and resulting sanction of students found responsible for rape, sexual assault or other sexual misconduct.

At NC State, it took the University nearly ve months to release this information.

Technician led identical public records requests with the other 14 UNC System universities in early January. Of these, six schools have substantially responded. Just four provided responsive records.

It’s been three months, and the requests are unful lled at the eight remaining schools.

Technician’s ndings underscore a troubling trend, said Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel at the Student Press Law Center. Public agencies are dogged by delays across the country, but he said the problem becomes particularly acute when the public is denied timely access to campus safety records that it’s entitled to.

Delays have gotten ‘out of hand,’ lawyers say

Public agencies in North Carolina are required to respond to records requests “as promptly as possible,” but the law doesn’t give agencies a hard deadline.

is means the wait time for public records, which the law says are “property of the people,” can drag on, and on, and on. “ ere’s really not a lot of consequences,” Hiestand said. “You just defy the law.”

Elizabeth City State University was the rst institution to provide sexual misconduct records to Technician, in 12 business days. East Carolina University provided the records in 25 business days, Western Carolina University in 33 and UNC-Chapel Hill in 59.

Two other schools closed Technician’s request and said they don’t have such records: North Carolina A&T State University, which closed the request in four business days, and UNC Pembroke, which closed it in 13.

Certain student disciplinary records are public record in North Carolina thanks to a four-year legal battle put to rest by the state Supreme Court in 2020, which ruled that the name, violation and disciplinary sanction of students found responsible for sexual misconduct is public information.

Hugh Stevens, the attorney who successfully represented a coalition of media outlets in the lawsuit, said he’s not shocked by the length of time some universities took to respond, but he’s disappointed that more than half have le the request unful lled.

“If my child were a student at any of these schools, I would want to know what the history is,” Stevens said. “If they’ve not had anybody severely punished for sexual misconduct, does that mean that there’s been no sexual misconduct worthy of

punishment, or does it mean they’re just not dealing with it?”

Locating public records responsive to a request can take time, said Brooks Fuller, an attorney and former director of North Carolina Open Government Coalition, and before they’re released, public agencies must review each record and redact con dential information.

But in the case of North Carolina’s agship universities, Fuller said he thinks it’s “borderline malpractice” to have ine cient public records ful llment processes.

“ ere’s an old phrase that justice delayed is justice denied, and in the case of public records and public information, that principle is equally true,” Fuller said. “Any day that passes following a records request is another day that members of the public are less informed than they could be about some signi cant public issue that a ects them.”

At NC State, delays give rise to transparency concerns

NC State’s public records request portal is beleaguered by backlog. It warns requesters that it’s “currently managing a large number of complex requests,” and most requests take three to six months to ful ll.

Recently, the University took 86 business days to provide a single police report on a campus sexual assault.

NC State’s seen a higher volume of public records requests in recent years, said Mick Kulikowksi, University spokesperson, via email. In scal 2023, it received 308 requests, a 45% increase from the previous year, and there’s just one person responsible for elding those: the University Records O cer.

Recently, the University has published some public records connected to the environmental contamination investigation underway in Poe Hall. e day NC State said it received the rst PCB testing report from external consultants, it published the report online. It published earlier PCB testing reports of Poe Hall and D.H. Hill Jr. Library on March 8.

Still, Fuller said the University should proactively publish records responsive to all requests.

“It sti es the free ow of information to keep these public

records as some sort of secret or closely guarded information,” Fuller said.

Two University spokespeople didn’t respond when asked twice to comment on the three-month delay to provide one police report and broader transparency concerns.

Hiestand said the transient nature of the student body at universities can make it di cult to hold public o cials accountable.

“School o cials know that students have an expiration date,” Hiestand said. “And student journalists will come and go, and if they could just outlast the ones that are actually really trying to exercise their rights under the law, it’ll go away, and they will never have to deal with it.”

“ e only thing that’s going to force some sort of change here is some sort of public accountability,” he added. “Journalists, especially student journalists, they really do have to push school o cials to do the right thing.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship violence, sexual violence, stalking or any other form of interpersonal violence and are in need of advocacy services, the NC State Women’s Center has trained advocates available to offer crisis intervention, emotional support, resources and referrals. Students can contact the 24/7 Sexual Assault Helpline at 919-515-4444 or email ncsuadvocate@ncsu.edu to schedule an appointment with an advocate.

Advocacy services through the NC State Women’s Center are available for all students inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

For more information on advocacy services, please visit go.ncsu.edu/supportsurvivors. If you would like to talk to a confidential resource, you can also connect with the NC State Counseling Center at 919-515-2423. You may also visit go.ncsu.edu/safe for additional information on resources and reporting options.

GRAPHIC BY EMILY VESPA

The Memorial Belltower: A sacred symbol of NC State’s history

Sophia Robertson Correspondent

A er NC State’s recent basketball success, members of the Pack ocked to the Memorial Belltower in celebration, but many students are unaware of the rich history behind the tower’s creation.

Built to honor NC State alumni who died in World War I, the project of designing and constructing the Belltower began in the early 1900s. A plaque in the shrine room, the area at the base of the tower, lists the names of the 34 soldiers. A 35th name, “George E. Jefferson,” is also included to serve as a symbol for unknown men killed in the war.

Surrounding the memorial are four bronze towers that hold oodlights. ese lights illuminate the tower with a red glow for several signi cant events, including major NC State athletic achievements, commencement ceremonies and Packapalooza.

omas H. Sta ord Jr., former vice chancellor for student affairs, has given over 1,000 tours of the Belltower. Despite the memorial being one of the most iconic places on campus, Sta ord said many students don’t know its history.

“ ey do not know that it is a military memorial, a sacred place, a place where we remember and honor those NC State men who joined the military and died during World War I,” Sta ord said. “You need to think about it in those terms when you see the tower.”

Sta ord said there have been signi cant changes and renovations in the Belltower since he rst started giving tours. Today, the interior is adorned with a green marble staircase, brass handrails and a chandelier. “ e room now is so di erent,” Sta ord said. “I am so proud to take groups inside the shrine room today. It is absolutely gorgeous.”

However, Sta ord said the Belltower has not always been the place students went to celebrate. When NC State’s men’s basketball team won the NCAA tournament in 1983, students went to the Brickyard, with crowds growing larger a er each tournament win.

“Students were bringing sofas from their apartments,” Stafford said. “They were bringing chairs and tables. Anything that would burn, students were bringing to the Brickyard and throwing them on the bonre.”

Todd Kosmerick, NC State University archivist, is working on a video series highlighting various landmarks embodying NC State’s history, ranging from the Brickyard and Belltower to the Court of North Carolina.

“It’s a rich history,” Kosmerick said. “ e university has historical markers at many or all of the hallowed places.”

In one of his videos, Kosmerick gives a walking tour of the Belltower. He explains that originally the tower played recordings of bells rather than sounding real ones. Five real bells were added to the tower in 2012, and a full set of 55 bells was purchased in 2017.

In addition to being a site for athletic celebrations, several events are held at the Belltower each year. NC State’s legendary Krispy Kreme Challenge, which has raised over $2 million for UNC Children’s Hospital since 2004, is organized annually at the Belltower. A timeline beginning in 1862 can be found on the NC State University Libraries website with information about the tower’s construction and other historical events from NC State’s past. Kosmerick encourages students to dive into this fascinating history. “It is a big campus and a lot of times students are just focused on whatever part of campus they have their classes in, but I think everybody should get out there and explore the entirety of campus,” Kosmerick said. “ ere’s a lot of interesting features and a lot of interesting buildings.”

For more information about the Belltower, students can make requests through a special collections form on the Libraries website. ose interested in touring the monument can contact Sta ord at thsta o@ncsu.edu

GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN

The Belltower stands at the corner of NC State’s campus on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Students ock to the Belltower after important Wolfpack athletic victories.

Universities should require a religious studies course

Robertson Correspondent

Religion — whether we like it or not — affects us every day.

Although it may be passive in some contexts, the media we consume, the businesses we support and the organizations we’re part of are all in uenced by religion, and because of this we should make an e ort to better understand religion as a pillar of society.

Jason Bivins, who has been a religious studies professor at NC State since 2000, recognizes the impact of religion in dayto-day activities. He referenced religion’s ongoing in uence on pop culture, sports and politics.

“ ere has never been a period in human history that we know of where religion hasn’t played some fundamental role,” Bivins said. “Religious people and non-religious people have equal amounts to learn from our classes.”

From abortion and healthcare to war, public policy is often based on people’s perspectives regarding inherently religious principles. Although the First Amendment prevents the government from establishing a national religion, the individual beliefs of politicians and the average American con-

tribute to what they advocate for and, most importantly, how they vote.

Despite this, Americans seem to know an alarmingly small amount about religion. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, religious literacy rates sat at an average of 50% when participants were asked questions about world religions. Notably, participants who had taken a college-level religions class scored better overall.

Since the eighteenth century, America has been referred to as a “melting pot” of di erent ethnicities and cultures. Although the majority of our country identi es as Christian, there are signi cant Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu populations, in addition to members of other world religions and those who are una liated.

It’s our responsibility to be well-informed about these belief systems, whether we agree or disagree with them, because we encounter people of di erent backgrounds every day.

“One of the things that does distinguish the United States from other democracies is the level of religious pluralism,” Bivins said. “Part of the college education is getting people ready to live well in that context.”

Jason Staples, another professor within NC State’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, spoke similarly.

“It’s absolutely imperative that well-edu-

cated citizens in the United States should know how people think who are coming from di erent religious perspectives and different perspectives than their own,” Staples said.

A common misconception about religious studies classes is that they try to force religion on students. In reality, the classes are objective attempts to understand people’s beliefs.

“We’re not trying to convert people to a speci c religious perspective,” Staples said. “We’re trying to help people understand how these things function and what different groups believe and do.”

e courses also provide an outlet for healthy discourse. Bivins called the classroom a laboratory for democratic life, referencing how students in his classes come from various backgrounds. Many religious studies courses are discussion-based classes, which teach students how to respectfully react to di ering opinions. With America becoming increasingly politically polarized, this is something everyone needs to learn for our country’s sake.

Although the content may feel unimportant to students pursuing degrees in subjects like the sciences or business management, the material and style of learning within religious studies incorporates many disciplines into one eld, making the classes

relevant to all majors.

“Religious studies is ultimately all about studying what makes us uniquely human,” Staples said. “It combines sociology and anthropology and history and literature and all of those things in the study of what sits at the very heart of how people and groups of people nd meaning in the world.”

Aside from our responsibility to society, classes about religion are important at the individual level.

Staples referenced the rising trends of anxiety and depression, especially in people under the age of 30. Research released last year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that almost one in ve adults in the United States report a depression diagnosis, with people aged 18-24 having the highest rates.

“I think a lot of that o en ties to a sense of a lack of meaning,” Staples said, adding that, in religious studies courses, there’s frequent discussion of what gives life purpose.

ese classes won’t miraculously answer all of life’s questions, but they’re certainly a starting point in helping understand things we’ve all wondered at one point or another: Where did we come from and why are we here?

“

ese are the biggest questions of life,” Bivins said. “What’s more college than that?”

Trump’s ‘God Bless the USA Bible’ highlights problematic nature of Christian nationalism

Mark Mikhail Correspondent

On March 28, following his venture into fashion with the ‘‘Never Surrender’’ gold hightops, former President Donald Trump launched his latest product: the exclusive ‘‘God Bless the USA Bible.’’

This edition of the Christian Bible contains the King James Version of the Bible, a historically inaccurate and misrepresentative version of the Bible, and features foundational documents of the United States including the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Additionally, it features patriotic elements, including the handwritten lyrics of ‘‘God Bless the USA’’ by Lee Greenwood and the Pledge of Allegiance.

e “God Bless the USA Bible” combines

the two central themes of the Trump campaign — Christian nationalism and American patriotism.

However, Trump uncovered the insanity behind the combination of these ideals with his special edition of the Bible. By creating the ‘‘God Bless the USA Bible,’’ Trump positioned the Bible and American patriotism on equal footing, displaying the absurdity of Christian nationalism.

Christian nationalism in the U.S. argues for embedding Christian principles in public policy and presence in spaces like education and government, citing the nation’s partly religious founding. By embedding this belief system, Christian nationalists may inadvertently — or purposefully — promote marginalization of those who do not adhere to Christian beliefs.

However, this belief system is predicated on lies.

Although our colonies were founded by religious refugees seeking to create a utopia for Christians, our country was founded with a pretext that preached religious freedom. If you do not believe me, simply read e First Amendment, e Free Exercise Clause and e Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, created by omas Je erson, a deist. ey are all founding documents that stress a separation of church and state.

O entimes, Christian Nationalists cite phrases that mingle the church and the state — like “In God We Trust” on our currency or “One nation under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance — to advocate for Christian nationalism. Unfortunately, yet again, the use of these two rather unimportant, non-legally binding phrases also demonstrate a lack of comprehensive understanding of our country’s history.

ese two phrases were not implemented into our country’s narrative by our founding fathers. Instead, they were implemented as propaganda tools against the Soviets during the Cold War to demonstrate our moral superiority. Ironically, the U.S. was claiming religious superiority over another predominantly Christian nation.

Sophia

Pollen Catastrophe Lucy Osborn, Sta Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design

Snapshots Sophie Gabriel, Sta Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design

Fairytale Final Four Harrison Burstion, Sta Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design

focused

What you need to know about the 2024 gubernatorial election

Koen Rodabaugh Focused Editor

On March 5, North Carolina held its primary for the upcoming 2024 election. Several positions are up for grabs. One of those positions is in the race for governor, where four candidates are vying for the role.

e governor is the chief executive of the state, similar in structure to the role of the President of the United States. As the chief executive, the governor is responsible for executing the laws of the state and managing the safety and security of its citizens.

Pope McCorkle, a professor of the Practice at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and long-time political consultant, said the governor is unique in its importance to state politics.

“ e governor … represents the top political o cial, or elected o cial in the state,” McCorkle said. “[ ey] set the tone for the state for outsiders as well as North Carolinians.”

One important role the governor has is the ability to appoint a broad variety of executive o cials, from the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the Secretary of Environmental Quality.

However, this appointment power does not apply to every executive position in North Carolina. Steven Greene, a professor of political science at NC State, said the North Carolina governor’s appointment role is more limited than in other states.

“ ere’s this whole, almost a dozen council of state o ces,” Greene said. “Now in some states, the governor is appointing those people, and here in North Carolina, they have their own independent authority because they are their own duly elected representatives of these opposites.”

Because o ces like the agriculture commissioner and the state treasurer are elected alongside the governor, this o en means North Carolina’s governor must work in a more bipartisan manner to accomplish their policy goals than other states’ governors.

Greene said because the governor has less control over who he or she will have to work with, it is important to look for potential gubernatorial candidates who can work with people across the political spectrum.

“The reality is, you’ve got these constraints,” Greene said. “You’re dealing with the legislature, you’re dealing with interest groups, you’re dealing with donors, you’re dealing with people in your own party,

you’re dealing with the state constitution, you know. … So to work e ectively within all of those constraints to build coalitions, to have the experience to make this stu happen is important.”

McCorkle said that prospective voters should keep in mind that, in comparison to the role of legislators, the governor’s day-today responsibilities are fairly nonpartisan.

[They] set the tone for the state for outsiders as well as North Carolinians.

- Pope McCorkle

hurricanes, when there are other natural disasters, the governor is really looked upon as somebody to lead that.”

ere are some important partisan actions the governor can take, like the power to veto bills passed by the legislature. In the last few years, Republicans have enjoyed a supermajority in the legislature, giving them the ability to overturn gubernatorial vetoes.

With this election, however, Greene said the veto power is vital in deciding on a variety of hot-button issues that Democrats and Republicans disagree on, especially for abortion access.

“If Josh Stein is governor, Republicans will not be able to pass laws that are any more stringent on abortion than they already have because they need a supermajority,” Greene said. “And I don’t see a lot of evidence that they have a supermajority of their members ready to pass very conservative abortion laws.

“

e governor has still a lot of importance as a nonpartisan leader,” McCorkle said. “When there are crises, when there are

“Whereas, if Mark Robinson is Governor, they don’t need a supermajority. ey just need a majority, and I would be surprised if they didn’t pass a six-week abortion ban or even more stringent than that.”

Election day is Nov. 5, 2024.

GRAPHIC BY MAX ALSOP

GOVERNOR’S RACE 2024

Republican candidate Mark Robinson

Justin Welch Opinion Editor

For the rst time in eight years, the North Carolina governor’s mansion in downtown Raleigh will be occupied by someone other than Gov. Roy Cooper. One of the main candidates for the most powerful o ce in the state lives right down the street.

Mark Robinson rose to prominence a er delivering a ery speech defending gun rights to the city council in his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2018. In 2020, he unexpectedly carried the Republican primary and beat former General Assembly member Yvonne Holley to become the state’s rst Black lieutenant governor.

Propelled by the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, Lt. Gov. Robinson handily beat State Treasurer Dale Folwell and Salisbury attorney Bill Graham in the Republican primary for governor. His ery and outspoken demeanor has made him one of the most prominent and controversial gures in North Carolina politics.

Robinson’s powerful, sermon-like orations have de ned his successful foray into politics. Elizabeth Nutley, treasurer of the NC State College Republicans, believes his energy and accompanying values continue to set him apart from his competition.

“Just the fact that he is so strong in everything that he believes, I think that’ll be a di erence because I feel instead of being given the agenda, he will be the one who really sets the party agenda for the Republican Party,” Nutley said. “ at’s the role of the governor, to be the party leader, and I think he has what it takes to lead the party and lead the policy.”

Nutley also sees his religious background as a strong pull for voters.

“I myself am a Christian,” Nutley said. “So when he opens every speech and every event with thanking his lord and savior, Jesus Christ, that to me stands out. at he is unashamed of his faith and being a previous pastor, he certainly knows the word of God and he really believes it.”

Makenzi Hudson, chairman of the NC State Young Americans for Freedom, similarly highlighted Robinson’s strong convictions as a primary reason for his success.

“I think the people that did vote for Mark Robinson, they really agreed with his values,” Hudson said. “ ey said that it was personal to them, that it a ected them in a way that was a bit more deep than the other candidates.”

While Robinson’s strong rhetoric has swi ly garnered a large following and dedication, it has also painted him as largely controversial in the national limelight, especially in regards to his positions on social issues like LGBTQ+ rights. Robinson has called homosexuality and transgender identitis “ lth,” and said it makes him “sick” every time he sees a church ying a rainbow ag, calling it a “spit in the face of God almighty.”

Robinson has also been involved in a number of controversial conspiracy theories. He has engaged in speculation about the Holocaust, lies about Michelle Obama’s gender

it’ll all work itself out.”

Abortion is one of Robinson’s more far-right stances. He had previously labeled abortion as “genocide” and said that there was no compromise to be had on the issue, regardless of how a woman became pregnant. Since his gubernatorial bid began, Robinson has sought to downplay his position and now claims to support legislation that would limit abortions a er a heartbeat has been detected and include exceptions.

Robinson has been open about paying for an abortion in the past and how it has shaped his perspective on the

Third-party candidates offer outside

Matthew Burkhart, Bastian Hauser Assistant News Editor, Staf Writer

North Carolina is headed into a competitive gubernatorial race between Democrat Josh Stein and Mark Robinson in November. Although the race is hotly contested between them, there are two other candidates on the ballot: the Libertarian Party’s Mike Ross and the Green Party’s Wayne Turner.

Ross, an investment advisor from the Charlotte area, secured the libertarian nomination in the March 5 primary election a er receiving 2,910 votes statewide.

Ross said he was encouraged to run for ofce a er leading a campaign advocating for releasing body cam footage following a local police o cer’s tasing of a service dog during an arrest.

Ross said the job of a third-party candidate is to disrupt the contest between Democrats and Republicans, as he sees their ultimate goals as the same. Ross’ campaign slogan is “Fire the uniparty,” which he said means the parties use certain issues to divide the population, while they pro t o of the system from corporate lobbying.

“Ultimately, when you look at where the corporate donations are going, Raytheon and Boeing are funding every Republican and Democrat they can,” Ross said. “Why? Because it doesn’t really matter who’s in charge; what they want is what they’re gonna get. We’re still going to be going to war. We’re still going to be handing out billions in corporate welfare.”

Turner, an NC State graduate and a retired truck driver, professor at Wake Technical Community College and research engineer at Research Triangle Institute, is the

Green Party’s gubernatorial candidate. He re ected Ross’s sentiment of the “uniparty,” instead calling it the “duopoly party.”

“

ey will agree that it is more important to keep the rich rich and the poor poor than to actually create a society that has true wealth equality, social equality, that is truly egalitarian,” Turner said. “So we felt like we need to be in these spaces and contest them so we continuously strive to get on the ballot.”

Ross said politics have been breaking down in the United States, and it stems

focused

GOVERNOR’S RACE 2024

Democratic candidate Josh Stein

Riya Kannan Assistant Culture Editor

Attorney General Josh Stein will face Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson as the Democratic candidate for North Carolina’s 2024 gubernatorial election.

e Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School alum has worked in politics for over two decades, serving as senior deputy attorney general for consumer protection in the state Department of Justice from 2001

“[Robinson] is very polarizing,” Solari said. “Josh Stein is Harvard-educated, more or less moderate — kind of le -leaning, I guess you could say — but is fairly centrist and progressive, with a lot of political experience.”

Stein has made headlines for becoming the rst attorney general in the country to reach a settlement with Juul in an attempt to hold the company accountable for the teenage vaping epidemic, winning $47.8 million for the North Carolina Department of Health and

use of private data by “RealPage,” a so ware company already battling multiple antitrust suits.

“When you have some illegal conspiracy to jack up the prices on top of that, I’m gravely concerned,” Stein said. “ at would violate our state’s antitrust laws, which is why I’m investigating this out t.”

Stein also pointed to his work as attorney general to substantiate his intent to improve public education in North Carolina, referencing his work to stop the overturning of the Leandro case.

Leandro v. State of North Carolina, rst led over two decades ago and since reviewed by the state’s Supreme Court four times, determined North Carolina must increase its funding for public schools to ensure equal access to basic education.

A 2022 plan to transfer $5 billion to school districts across the state, negotiated in part by Stein as attorney ed by Republican leaders in the state legislature who requested the case be reconsidered.

“Right now, we as a state are … in essence, undermining the quality of public education being delivered in North Carolina,” Stein said. “We are 49th in the country and what we spend on K-12 as a share of our state’s economy, which is a disgrace, … so Leandro is a great opportunity for us to do right by the students.”

Stein’s campaign focuses heavily on college students and the younger voting demographic, exempli ed by Students for Stein. Solari believes this is because younger demographics appear to be more le -leaning and that this could give Stein an upper hand in the election. ey need young people to turn out,” Solari said. “Both sides do, but … young people these days are trending much more liberal than conservative. So you get a big turnout among young people, chances are, it’s going to help the Democrats more on average.”

Solari urged college students to participate in elections and emphasized the impact of young voters on both the state’s gubernatorial election and the national

“What the young people need to understand is this erence,” Solari said. “ is isn’t Oklahoma; this isn’t New York; … it’s a purple state, and this state can make a big di erence in the outcome of this national election.”

solutions for North Carolina’s future

from a historical shi toward a centralized federal power, contrasting it with the more locally focused approach during the country’s founding and emphasizing the need to return to a system where politicians spend more time in their districts and power is distributed from the bottom up.

“I think that what has happened is, essentially we have a Republican candidate that is going to move in lockstep and do anything that Donald Trump wants to do with no resistance,” Ross said. “ en we have a candidate that is going to go lockstep with Joe Biden and do anything that Joe Biden wants to do.”

A party gets on the ballot if it received at least 2% of the entire vote cast for governor or for presidential electors in the last preceding general state election.

Turner said the Green Party is focused on getting 2% of the vote across the state to retain its ballot access and expressed optimism in achieving that goal.

“ at’s not an unmeetable goal,” Turner said. “But it’s not as easy as people would have it made out to be, given that third parties don’t have millions and millions of dollars to campaign.”

In North Carolina, a 37% plurality of voters are una liated. Ross said una liated

voters are the key to swing-state elections, and could favor third-party candidates.

“ at’s ultimately the largest group that I’m trying to reach out to, and pull into the polls,” Ross said. “Because I think that the platform that I’ve put together — whether it’s dealing with education, healthcare, the economy — I think that when people truly understand those solutions and compare that to Robinson and Stein, you’ll see that they’re kind of ghting the culture war, and I’m actually trying to put forward common-sense policies that will bene t regular people.”

North Carolina has never elected a third-

party candidate as governor since the Democratic and Republican parties became mainstream. Ross said he recognizes his slim chances, and while running for the purpose of election, he sees opportunities for success in pushing the frontrunners to adopt libertarian policies.

“Larger opportunities to win is growing the party, growing the movement, getting the ideas out there,” Ross said. “But can we push Robinson and Stein to get better on liberty issues? ... At the end of the day, I want this state to be freer and liberty to ring for all generations and all people.”

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY WIKIMEDIA

COMMONS, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ETHAN RIMOLT

GUEST COLUMNS

We are not filth

AJ Akers

Fourth-year studying political science, Vice President of the NCSU College Democrats

Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to suicide, transphobia and homophobia.

Mark Robinson has always been and will continue to be a transphobe. is is unsurprising — if you can recall, Lt. Governor Robinson called transgender people “ lth” in a speech he delivered in 2021. As a non-binary person, it enraged and unsettled me that Robinson holds one of the highest political positions in the state in which I was born and raised.

A er his remarks, a rally in front of the NC legislature was organized on Oct. 25, 2021, featuring elected o cials, advocates, activists, religious leaders and many more. I was invited to speak at this event and called for Mark Robinson’s resignation because of his homophobic and transphobic statements. Below is some of the speech I gave because it is still so alarmingly relevant today.

“‘Forty-two percent of LGBTQ[+] youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.’ Mark Robinson may claim that we are ‘ lth.’ No, we are not. We are humans. We are your neighbors, family members. We worship in the same spaces as you. We are health care providers, lawmakers, and we are your constituents. We matter. And your words matter.

“‘Ninety-four percent of LGBTQ[+] youth reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health.’ To those who are dismissing the words and actions of Mark Robinson, realize that they have real-life impacts on the mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals. To those who are struggling mentally a er hearing his homophobic remarks, you are not alone.

“Seeing everyone gathered here today gives me hope. We are part of what will make this state greater for everyone. We are stronger together. Moving forward, let

Why The Republican Party should not condone Mark Robinson

Ko Ago

Third-year studying economics, former board member of Turning Point USA

us continue to ght for a more inclusive environment and more inclusive North Carolina by holding leadership accountable and being the change we want to see.”

While writing this column, one saying came to mind: History repeats itself. is is not the rst time North Carolina has been in the news for transphobic Republican leadership. In 2016, North Carolina Republicans and conservative Governor Pat McCrory passed the extremely transphobic HB2, or the “bathroom bill.” Let’s not forget.

Scan this QR code to view the entire article on technicianonline.com

If you or someone you know is having difficulty processing grief or having a mental health emergency, the Counseling Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 919-5152423. If you are in a crisis situation and need immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

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

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

The case for Mark Robinson

In March, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson won the primary for the Republican nomination for governor against State Treasurer Dale Folwell and businessman Bill Graham. Known for bringing forth controversy with the media, he is a very compelling candidate for governor as he o ers a fresh perspective and is committed to addressing the needs of the people of North Carolina. His bold vision for North Carolina is why I support him for governor of the Tarheel state.

I support Robinson as his story is one of resilience and determination. Born into poverty in Greensboro, North Carolina, he grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father with nine of his siblings. With his father dying when he was in the h grade, he and his siblings were placed into a foster home at one point until they were allowed to move back in with their mother.

Despite the fact his mother had only a h grade education, she was determined to provide for her children and became a janitor at UNC-Greensboro, choosing not to let the government take care of the family. Near graduating high school, Mark enlisted in the United States Army Reserves where he served as a medical specialist for four years. A er proudly serving in the armed forces, he worked at a pizza chain and many furniture factories in the Triad.

However, his early years of struggle were just the beginning. Mark would lose his job twice due to the North American Free Trade Agreement, leading him to lose cars and homes. He eventually went back to college to study history with the plan of becoming a college professor. However, his viral speech in support of the Second Amendment interrupted those plans.

In his 2018 speech to the Greensboro City Council, he was an outspoken advocate for gun rights. In his speech, he said that he represented the average people in

COLUMNS

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An easy time for choosing for NC

Max omas

Second year studying political science and communications, member of the NCSU College Democrats

the community whose safety is threatened when gun control restrictions are implemented. He also emphasized that criminals will not abide by gun laws and will instead commit crimes against those who comply with the law.

As lieutenant governor, he has still maintained his stance as an advocate for gun rights and has received an A+ rating from the National Ri e Association. His speech would cause him to go viral and make him a popular candidate for lieutenant governor. I support Mark Robinson for his outspoken stance on gun rights.

Mark Robinson has also voiced his concerns pertaining to education. He has voiced concerns about sexually charged and LGBTQ+-based materials in the public school system which he has deemed “inappropriate.” He believes that a child’s education should be focused on learning how to read, write and arithmetic, not an education that is sexually or politically charged.

‘‘These materials do not belong in the classroom, the hallways or the libraries,’’ Robinson said in a 2021 news conference. Robinson has voiced his opposition to all sexually-charged material in the classroom, whether it is heterosexual or homosexual in nature, and has shown examples of those types of books that are in some school systems across the country.

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Mark Robinson: A preventable stain on our name

Mark Mikhail Correspondent

We demand a governor with the courage to confront the genocide in Palestine

Jamal Mohamad

Fourth-year studying business administration and president of the Arab Student Organization

Luis Ortiz

Fourth-year studying business administration, member of Young Americans for Freedom

Aiding the environment with beekeeping

Sarah Ho er Staf Writer

irty- ve percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce each year, and 75% of owering plants depend on animal pollinators.

at means one in every three bites of food humans eat exists because of a certain group of animals: those that visit owers in search of food. is includes butter ies, moths, birds, bats and, most signi cantly, bees.

While driving or walking around a local neighborhood, you may notice a bumper sticker or yard sign demanding to “save the bees.” Bees and many other animal pollinators are facing challenges in the world due to habitat loss and environmental contaminants. Luckily, human intervention can help with the loss of these important animals, and a few groups at NC State are working to aid students’ knowledge about beekeeping.

NC State Apiculture studies the behavioral ecology of insect societies with a focus on queen honey bee behavior and reproduction to improve the health of colonies and their productivity. David Tarpy is a professor and extension specialist in the apiculture program.

“If there’s a silver lining with the prob-

lems that bees and beekeepers have been having in keeping their colonies healthy, it’s that there’s been a public education campaign realizing that pollinators and honey bees are important to our food supply,” Tarpy said. “Not just for providing honey, but for providing 100 di erent fruits, vegetables and healthy produce every single day — about a third of everything we eat.”

Although humans have industrialized a large portion of the environment, human intervention welcomes and supports bees to preserve their populations. Ecological farming ethically aids the declining populations.

“Since the introduction of parasitic mites and some of their diseases, one has to be an active beekeeper now to kind of manage them,” Tarpy said. “So you don’t see a lot of honeybee colonies living in the wild because they’ve kind of been wiped out because of these parasites. If you see honey bees foraging on some owers, you can thank the neighboring beekeepers by keeping them healthy. It’s a much more active citizenry.”

e Beekeepers Club at NC State also plays a role in educating students about beekeeping. It provides information such as how to identify a queen bee, the anatomy of a bee and how to build a frame for a

beehive.

Mason Randolph, a second year studying sheries, wildlife and conservation biology, is the co-president of the Beekeepers Club. “Beekeeping is very important for economic commercial crop production,” Randolph said. “Without pollination, you get a lot less variability in the genes and plants. Without genetic variability, plants are a lot more susceptible to disease or pests and things like that. Managing bees can be really helpful in producing genetically diverse crops, which also might lead to just more fruit yield, more crop yield, as well as just healthier fruit and vegetables.”

On March 23, the Beekeepers Club teamed up with NC State’s Sol Garden to build a bee hotel on campus. Bee hotels are a bee’s birdhouse — a structure for a solitary bee to nest safely in a bundle of hollow reeds, stems or wooden blocks with drilled holes.

“There’s a valuable community of people who keep bees, and it’s pretty easy to collaborate with a lot of other clubs on campus that are focused on sustainability,” Randolph said.

The Beekeepers Club is always looking for new members. It welcomes people of all skill levels because its overarching goal is to educate students about beekeeping.

“It takes a lot of people just to do regular

checks,” Randolph said. “A lot of times, like, two or three people are required to help lift frames. If the queen bee is unmarked, it takes a lot of eyes sometimes to find her and make sure she’s doing okay.”

For centuries, humans have been using the honey produced by bees as a source of natural anti-inflammatories, antibacterial agents and antioxidants, as well as a delicious natural sweetener. Without honeybees, our access to honey will plummet. By supporting the local ecosystems and native plants, you can help your local honeybee population thrive.

“Though we can’t keep native bees, having the right mindset about native bees supports native plants and local ecosystems,” Randolph said. “And anytime you can support a local ecosystem and just kind of keep it in balance and kind of weigh out the harm that humans have done to the environment, it’s really helpful.”

One alteration to an ecosystem affects the whole population. Bee hotels and hives aid the environment on a large scale — local pollinators are needed in urban areas just as much as they are needed in rural areas — and the Beekeeping Club and classes at NC State help to provide students with a lens and skill to help this important insect population.

COURTESY OF MASON RANDOLPH

DAY ONE

SZA stuns on Dreamville day one

Fans ocked to Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday for day one of Dreamville, Raleigh’s highly anticipated R&B and hip-hop music festival. Conditions were perfect, and the energy was infectious with every showstopping performance.

e day one performances kicked o with Domani and Luh Tyler. While Luh Tyler attracted a smaller, more relaxed crowd, the rst few hours of Dreamville weren’t meant for crazy partying. Concertgoers spread out blankets and enjoyed the food, music and good vibes.

Eric James, who drove from Virginia for the festival, said attending Dreamville feels like a family reunion.

“I like coming here because I feel like everybody has the same attitude when it comes to these festivals,” James said. “There’s not really too much going on. People come with blankets and chill and just enjoy music. It’s almost like a big family every year.”

Amaarae’s set stood out among the smaller artists. Despite being relatively unknown, her highly infectious energy, combined with purple smoke e ects and a DJ, made a lasting impact on the crowd.

She built up anticipation with a slow synth intro, then released the tension with her electrifying dance hits “Angels in Tibet” and “Princess Going Digital.” With a killer vibe and incredible vocals, Amaarae is certainly one to watch.

Teezo Touchdown also had a memorable performance with a nail-studded football uniform, nails woven into his hair and a ower bouquet on his microphone. Despite his intimidating stage presence, he had some of the best energy of the entire festival, o en engaging with concertgoers in between songs.

His performances of “Modern Jam” and “ ird Coast” cemented him as the next up-and-coming artist to keep your eye on.

As the day went on, however, Dreamville got bigger and bigger — in both attendees and the scale of the shows.

Fans ocked in for EARTHGANG and Sexxy Red, lling out the crowd and creating an electrifying atmosphere. Sexxy Red played her dance hits “SkeeYee,” “Shake Yo Dreads” and “Hellcats SRTs” complete with a giant, Trump-esque “Sexxy for President” hat behind her and bikini-clad dancers.

Kaleiha Jenkins from Raleigh said Sexxy Red’s performance was her favorite of the day.

“She did her thing on stage, I’m not gonna lie, and she had everyone hype,” Jenkins said. “So it was de nitely the best performance to me so far.”

Lil Yachty further elevated the atmosphere, o en stopping the music to encourage mosh pits. Six hours into the festival, retro hits like “iSpy” and “1 Night” gave concertgoers a second wind.

Fans lost steam for ScHoolboy Q, ocking to the many food stands and merch lines instead, but J.I.D.’s technicolor performance revitalized the crowd ahead of 50 Cent and SZA. With red lasers, ashing lights and bursts of steam, the sea of fans was ready to go crazy.

By the time 50 Cent came up, Dorothea Dix Park was packed to the brim. e atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and when he nally came on stage with “What’s Up Gangsta” it was like a rubber band at its breaking point — the crowd went wild. He played hit a er hit with “P.I.M.P.,” “Candy Shop” and “Disco Inferno,” complete with cityscape projections and a crew of dancers.

He brought out surprise guest performer DaBaby, who pulled his daughter and nephew on stage to perform as backup dancers for hits like “Shake Sumn.” However, even DaBaby wasn’t enough to stop concertgoers from leaving early to get a good seat for the nal show of the night.

SZA, the most anticipated performance of the night, brought the house down. Shipwreck features decorated the stage with an ocean visual behind her.

She opened with “Seek & Destroy,” dancing for the crowd before unleashing her vocals. Despite technical di culties throughout the show, rather than stopping the performance, she simply took out her earpiece and kept going without missing a single note.

e energy continued with “Love Galore” and “Ghost in the Machine,” reaching a climax when she took to the air on a wrecking ball, Miley Cryus style, to sing “Low.” Lights ashed, steam shot through the air and fans screamed as SZA danced her way through the set, delivering a powerhouse performance with so much emotion it made people cry.

SZA slowed it down with ballads like “Drew Barrymore” and “Normal Girl,” which she mashed up with “Special.” e slower songs showcased her incredible voice; the background vocals and music quieted to allow SZA freedom to roam. After she nished “Special,” she proclaimed the song was for her ex- ance, and aptly followed up with “I Hate U.”

She closed her set with “Good Days,” sitting down on a high-rise to allow the crowd to see and hear her at her best. Golden light ashed over the sea of fans, and with a nal bow, Dreamville day one came to an end.

CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN

SZA performs during the Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday, April 6, 2024. SZA was the main headliner of the rst day. SZA’s album SOS (2022) held the number one position on the Billboard 200 for a total of ten weeks, setting a new record for the highest streaming week for an R&B album in the United States.

CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN

Amaarae sings to the crowd during the Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Amaarae was the fourth performer of the day, following Domani, Luh Tyler and Lute.

CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN

Lil Yachty performs during the Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Lil Yachty rose to fame after his viral 2015 hit, “One Night,” which he played during his performance.

Amelia Russell Assistant Culture Editor

DAY TWO

Crowd down to party despite delayed start

Swae Lee engages with the crowd at Dreamville Festival in Dorothea Dix Park on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Swae Lee, one half of Rae Sremmurd, performed his hit song “Sun ower” from the 2018 lm “Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse.”

Amelia Russell Assistant Culture Editor

Anticipation for headliners J. Cole and Nicki Minaj built steadily throughout day two of Raleigh’s Dreamville festival. Despite persistent audio issues, performers like Rae Sremmurd, Key Glock and numerous guest stars elevated the energy for 52,000 attendees all day.

After settling in during day one, Dreamville was ready to turn up for day two. You could feel the buzz in the crowd even during the first two relatively unknown artists, Chase Shakur and TiaCorine.

People packed in tight, shouted loud and danced hard. When Chase Shakur left the stage, the crowd even cheered for an encore, despite it being only 15 minutes into the 11-hour festival.

Ryan Hargrove from Raleigh said after learning the lay of the land during day one, day two was easier to enjoy.

“This is my first time here, so I feel like day one is a little bit overwhelming,” Hargrove said. “But definitely day two, I know where to go, how to do it and everything.”

Omen, Cozz and Hunxho further elevated the mood in the afternoon by introducing new music and interacting with the crowd. Omen stood out by writing one of his raps on-stage, then free-styling it for the crowd to raucous applause.

But it was when Key Glock took the stage around 3:15 p.m. that fans started getting truly hype. Key Glock’s energy was infectious, using the musical intro to his song “Gang S--- No Lame S---” to build up his entrance. He followed up with hits “Ambition for Cash” and “Mr. Glock,” using energized dancers, bursts of steam and mosh pits to keep the crowd clamoring for more.

ings took a turn when it was time for Monica’s set. She didn’t appear on stage until the last few minutes of her set, likely due to audio issues that persisted on the “Rise” stage for the rest of the day.

Fortunately, Rae Sremmurd helped fans forget all about their disappointment for what was arguably the best set of the day.

e Mississippi-based brothers played banger a er banger with “No Type,” “ is Could Be Us” and “Not So Bad,” even breaking out Swae Lee’s solo hit “Sun ower” to massive excitement from the crowd. e sun was just beginning to set as Rae Sremmurd nished their set, and their performance combined with the excitement of the impending headliners created an electric atmosphere in Dorothea Dix Park. ings went smoothly for Jeezy, but Ni-

gerian star Rema’s set was plagued with audio issues. Rema was clearly excited to be there, proclaiming how grateful he was to share his style and represent Africa, but the sound on stage was so muddled — even cutting out entirely at points — that Rema walked o stage early.

Fans were further disappointed when they ocked to the stage for Nicki Minaj and waited over an hour a er her start time for her performance.

Nathalie Osso from Miami said she was disappointed she had to wait for Nicki Minaj, but it was a small price to pay compared to the other acts.

“It’s unfortunate that the time was at 8, and it’s 8:58, and she’s not here,” Osso said. “It would be nice if … the production team, or like the event sta would announce like, ‘Oh, she’s gonna be late,’ or, ‘She’s not gonna be here’ or just anything, like it would be nice. But everything else has been great.”

Still, when Nicki nally took the stage — right when J. Cole was scheduled to start — fans didn’t hold a grudge.

She featured hits “Super Bass” and “Anaconda” backed by neon graphics and ashing laser beams. When Nicki Minaj rapped “MONSTER,” she stopped the music to let the crowd scream, basking in the crowd’s incredible energy. Her most hype song was “Everybody,” which featured hard-hitting vocals, a crew of backup dancers and highpowered dancing from the Barb herself.

Despite the delay in her set, every song was a crowd pleaser, and when she let fans go for the nal set of the day she expressed love, gratitude and blessed every single person who had supported her.

e tension was at an all-time high as fans ocked to watch J. Cole. Attendees had been looking forward to the nal headliner for both 11-hour days, and you could feel the agitation in the “J. Cole” chants surging through the packed crowd.

When the lights finally dimmed and the horns of his opening song, “MIDDLE CHILD,” began to blare, all of the pent-up tension snapped and people went wild.

KAELA BELINGON/TECHNICIAN

Rema performs at Dreamville Festival in Dorothea Dix Park on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Rema, an artist from Nigeria, cut his set short due to sound issues during his performance.

KAELA BELINGON/TECHNICIAN

Hunxho raps to the crowd at Dreamville Festival in Dorothea Dix Park on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The annual music festival had the largest recorded attendance in its history with around 52,000 attendees.

KAELA BELINGON/TECHNICIAN

Stories of gender-affirming care

Jameson Wolf Editor-in-Chief

In September of 2022, Kit Wiedenfeld brought his friends together for a celebratory “T” party.

ey were celebrating Wiedenfeld’s rst testosterone, or “T,” injection, a treatment that has since become a weekly part of Wiedenfeld’s routine.

ese injections are a form of hormone therapy and gender-a rming care, healthcare that helps individuals present outwardly in a way that re ects their gender identities. Gender-a rming care can include hormone treatments, surgeries and mental healthcare.

Wiedenfeld, a second-year studying horticulture, is the president of T-Files, a group for transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming students on NC State’s campus. He said receiving hormone therapy and other care opened up the world of physical expression for him.

“I felt like I was falling in love with myself again, which was really nice,” Wiedenfeld said. “I feel like a lot of trans people really appreciate gender expression a lot more because it does feel like you’re nding yourself again, and you’re more comfortable in your own skin. And being able to share that is a really beautiful thing.”

Many medical groups, including the American Medical Association, qualify gender-a rming care as medically necessary, and studies have found that receiving gendera rming care is associated with mental health bene ts and increased quality of life.

Wen Rivero, a recent doctoral graduate from NC State, has received both hormonal and surgical gender-a rming care and said this care helped them identify with the body they saw in the mirror, which in turn motivated them to practice better self-care through actions like going to the dentist.

“Before, I used to think of my body as ‘that person;’ I wasn’t as interested in caring for it,” Rivero said. “Before I was like, ‘Oh, this is a vessel, and it carries me to lab. It carries me through class, and it carries me to my meetings with my advisor, and that’s what it does.’ And now it’s like, ‘Oh, hey! is is my body. I can do things for it.’”

Maya Keele, a fourth-year studying aerospace engineering, has been on hormone replacement therapy for almost eight months now. She said in addition to physical changes, the gender-a rming care she has received has allowed her to be happier.

“I just enjoy life more,” Keele said. “I’m excited to do things instead of feeling obligated to them. … Instead of feeling nervous, or like pressure to t into a role that doesn’t work for me, it’s like, I actually really look forward to this. … I like living now.”

While some seek gender-a rming care to enhance traditionally masculine or feminine physical traits, everyone has di erent goals in the care they seek. Wiedenfeld said though he knew he wanted his voice to be deeper, his ultimate goal was to appear as androgynous as possible.

“A lot of times when you do research on gender-a rming care, there’s a very binary aspect to it,” Wiedenfeld said. “Like people assume that if you’re transitioning, you must

want to transition to be cis-passing. So for me the resources that I had were like, ‘Oh, so you want to … transition to look like a man,’ and that was like not my transitioning goal. So I had to do a lot of research on what that looked like for me.”

Gender-a rming healthcare is not a new eld of medicine, nor is it speci c to those who identify as transgender or nonbinary. Hormone therapy for cisgender men and women has long existed for gender a rmation and the treatment of testosterone de ciency and menopause symptoms. And surgical treatment of gynecomastia, which is when breast tissue swells due to a hormone imbalance, in cisgender men has long-been a way to help some feel more comfortable in their bodies.

Despite this precedent and widespread support from medical professionals, gender-a rming care for transgender and nonbinary individuals can be di cult to navigate. Keele said one challenge is accessing reliable information.

“It’s very anecdotal,” Keele said. “So yeah, online communities, especially like Reddit. I don’t use Reddit otherwise, but the trans communities there are really good for nding information on who you can trust and stu like that. So yeah, it’s a very like anecdotal network, almost cause there aren’t very many o cial channels.”

Wiedenfeld said this is one of many reasons having community support is vital while receiving gender-a rming care. Because of the di culty of accessing information, Wiedenfeld said lots of information regarding how to get care is shared through word-of-mouth and that groups like T-Files can increase access to comprehensive information.

Cost can pose an additional barrier to seeking care. When Rivero rst started seeking hormones a year into their transition, their insurance would not cover the cost, in part because they had lived under their gender identity for less than three years. Rivero ended up using one of their COVID-19 stimulus checks to cover the out-of-pocket cost of hormones.

Keele’s insurance does cover some of the cost of her prescription but only for a month’s supply at a time. She said the persistent costs associated with her care is a consideration as she moves into the workforce a er graduating next month. “Being trans is expensive,” Keele said. “ ere’s all sorts of things I want to do that cost money. … And so this company I’m looking at, one of their founders is trans, which is super rare in the aerospace industry. So that’s why I’m looking at them, especially. And they have really good insurance, like they list that as one of the things. at’s really my priorities.” e political climate surrounding gender-a rming care can make it scary to seek, particularly in North Carolina, which has a history of bills targeting transgender people.

In spite of this, Wiedenfeld, Rivero and Keele describe the outcomes of the gender-a rming care they’ve received as overwhelmingly positive.

“I’m so much happier than I was,” Keele said. “I don’t know if that’s a result of the medicine or the fact that I’m being myself around people. It’s probably both.”

To learn more about resources at NC State, visit the Transgender Resource Roadmap at the LGBTQ Pride Center’s website.

GRAPHIC BY JAMESON WOLF

We Have So Much To Celebrate!

October 27 – November 3

We’re always proud to be part of the Wolfpack.

Throughout March, that pride was reflected on campus, in Raleigh and around the world.

Wherever you cheer on the Pack, join us for Red and White Week.

Celebrate all we achieve, together.

Wolves i the Ben Bouse Sice 1924

NC State men’s basketball cherishes improbable run after Final Four loss

Colby Trotter, Noah Teague Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Graduate guard DJ Horne missed a mid-range jump shot early in the second half then came up short on a 3-pointer. A couple of minutes later, junior guard Breon Pass mis red on a 3-pointer, and Horne once again failed to knock down a pull-up jumper.

Those missed opportunities all came during a nearly ve minute Purdue (34-4) scoring drought, and if a few of those shots had gone in, the Wolfpack (26-15) would have had the lead in the second half. During the Pack’s magical run, these shots always seemed to fall, but the magic ran out in a 63-50 loss at State Farm Stadium in the Final Four.

“I think one of our biggest di erences is some of the shots we normally make, we didn’t make in the game,” said head coach Kevin Keatts.

Despite falling in the national semi nal like each of the past four No. 11 seeds before it, this NC State team will never be forgotten, much like the 1974 and 1983 championship teams.

Fans will reminisce about graduate forward DJ Burns’ footwork and the massive grin he always played with. Graduate guard Michael O’Connell’s shot against Virginia in the ACC Tournament semi nal will be replayed every year like Lorenzo Charles’ game-winning dunk in the 1983 National

Championship.

Horne will forever be a legend in Raleigh for dropping 29 points on UNC-Chapel Hill in the ACC Championship game and ipping o a ref with both hands in a win over Wake Forest. Junior forward Mohamed Diarra’s dominance March while fasting for Ramadan will be a story passed along for generations.

“ ese guys are champions,” Keatts said. Graduate guard Casey Morsell, NC State’s longest tenured player, re ected on his three-year journey with the Wolfpack a er his nal game. In his rst year with the Pack, it had its worst season in program history with an 11-21 record and 4-16 conference record.

A er a miserable rst season in Raleigh, he was a key piece in getting NC State back to the NCAA Tournament, but he was still hungry for more in his last season. When Morsell transferred to NC State from Virginia, his goal was to bring an ACC title back to the City of Oaks, and he helped accomplish that in his last season.

“Oh my gosh,” Morsell said when thinking about the ups and downs he went through while wearing a Wolfpack uniform. A er pausing to think, he continued to talk about what this team and run meant to him.

“We’ll never forget this run, never forget these memories on this run — the ups and downs,” Morsell said. “It helped me both on and o the court, and without these guys, I wouldn’t be who I am today, would have never been able to grow.”

Morsell paused once again thinking about how his team went from having a head coach that was most certainly about to be red to winning nine straight elimination games on the way to the Final Four. “ ere was so much outside noise about coach and everyone else,” Morsell said. “To see the story, going on and winning nine straight, putting us in a position to do what we’ve done is something that I will always value and value forever.”

e run capped o a journey for the Pack that won’t be forgotten inside the locker room. With seven transfers joining the program this year, things weren’t always easy for the team. However, with their backs against the wall, the entire team banded together to make a historic run — all while building tight-knit bonds.

“These are my brothers for life now,” Pass said. “You know this run brought us together, you can’t break us apart no more.” is team chemistry was on full display a er O’Connell su ered a hamstring injury. O’Connell trusted Pass to take his place on the court and be the point guard on the biggest stage in basketball. During eight minutes of action, Pass played calm and collected, while scoring a pair of muchneeded baskets.

“It was huge, he’s a great player,” O’Connell said. “I wasn’t worried when he was going out there, I knew he could go play, make plays happen. I’m de nitely proud of him for going out there and competing.”

Even with the incredible team chemistry,

the Wolfpack faced its share of adversity. From dealing with Purdue’s 7-foot-4 star center Zach Edey to O’Connell’s injury, NC State found itself in an unbelievably di cult matchup. While the Pack couldn’t overcome all these challenges to win the game, it le its mark as a historic squad that handled adversity well throughout its run to the Final Four.

“I don’t know that I could be more prouder of a group of men that I’ve ever coached in my life,” Keatts said. “Adversity, you name it, situations, you name it, hard times, you name it. ey found a way to win the ACC. ey found a way to make it to the Final Four.”

In addition to dealing with tough situations, the team also made sure to pour everything out during this run. Facing elimination in ten straight games, the Pack le it all on the court.

“We give everything we got,” Diarra said. “ at’s why we got no regrets. We’re sad cause we lose, but we have no regrets.”

Following the impressive run to the Final Four, NC State put its name on the map. After etching its name in history, the Wolfpack enters the o season with more momentum as it has had in a long time.

“NC State de nitely has a name now,” Pass said. “Everybody know who we is, everybody know how we play, everybody know what we do. I feel like that postseason run that we did boosted everything for NC State, not just the basketball team but the campus as well.”

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN NC State huddles together before the NCAA Tournament Final Four game against Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Purdue beat NC State 63-50.

COLUMN

This isn’t the end of the line for NC State women’s basketball in Raleigh

Erin Ferrare Assistant Sports Editor

NC State women’s basketball had a phenomenal year. at can’t be stressed enough.

From start to nish, the Wolfpack was dominating in both non-conference and ACC games, proving to the basketball community it cannot be overlooked. From a 20-12 record and a rst-round NCAA exit in 2022-23 to a 31-7 season in 2023-24, it’s clear that something went right for the redand-white over the past year.

e Pack breezed through the rst four rounds of this year’s NCAA Tournament. With dominant wins over historically renowned teams like Tennessee, Stanford and Texas, NC State showed it belonged on the big stage and shouldn’t be swept under the rug.

NC State had only made it to the Final Four once before this year’s squad and it was 26 years ago, so this year’s appearance meant more to the team and Wolfpack nation. A er a close rst half against the eventual national champions South Carolina, the Pack quickly fell apart and lost in the Final Four 78-59.

“We’ve got a great team and yeah, we’ve got an unbelievable season,” said head coach

Wes Moore a er the loss. “I’m proud of these young ladies, the run we’ve been on. Just stinks to end it this way. I’m sure a er we’ve had a little bit of time away from it and can re ect, we will have a lot to be proud of.”

Two major players who greatly contributed to this season’s success were graduate center River Baldwin and graduate forward Mimi Collins. Combining for 91 points throughout the tournament, both veteran players made a large impact on leading the younger team. With young stars in junior guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, Baldwin and Collins brought a calming and con dent presence on the court.

“I’m just so proud of her,” Moore said of Baldwin. “She really had always been a role player.”

Baldwin and Collins did not start their collegiate careers at NC State, but their impact in Raleigh will not be forgotten. As some of the best bigs on the court in recent NC State women’s basketball rosters, they will be hard to replace. It won’t be impossible, though.

Moore has two budding freshmen who are contenders to take over for Baldwin. Freshman center Mallory Collier and freshman forward Maddie Cox have played in early season games for the Pack and had

great showings. Both came into NC State as ESPN’s No. 55 and No. 71 players in the 2023 class, respectively, and they have room to grow into those rankings with the Wolfpack. Cox can also be used to ll the hole on the court that will be there when Collins leaves.

While the transfer portal shu e has started with other ACC teams, it is unclear if any members of the Pack will be leaving the team before the start of next season. With such a deep run in the tournament and a great ACC presence, many of the players this year have alluded to staying in Raleigh. “ is loss is gonna hurt right now, but we have to still stick together and be a family and still love each other,” James said. “You know, as a senior next year, I’m going to still emphasize that the same way, we’re going to be a system. We’re going to have that strong chemistry on and o the court. So it’s going to be stronger, it’s going to be even stronger.” ere are some good incentives to staying with the Wolfpack: this next year’s freshman class is one of the best in NC State basketball history. With the school’s second-straight top 10 signing class, there are some good players pulling up to campus in the fall that will add some depth to the Pack’s roster.

ESPN’s class of 2024 ranking has Zamareya Jones at No. 17, and she ts the bill perfectly. e guard hails from Bethel, North Carolina, and ended her high school career with over 1,700 points, the 2023 North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year award and a state championship under her belt.

Coming in at No. 47, wing Devyn Quigley averaged 34.8 points and 11.3 rebounds as a junior in high school. e multi-time All-State honoree will be a great shooting backup to James as the freshman eases into her role on the court.

While next year’s schedule hasn’t been released yet, it can be rest assured that there will be some fierce competition waiting for the Wolfpack. Even before playing an ACC game, the Pack will have to take on the Gamecocks again in early November for the 2024 Ally Tipo in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A er a quick nonconference schedule, NC State will have to play in the most dominant conference in women’s basketball. With such a stacked roster heading into the oseason, hope is not lost on the ladies of the court. e red-and-white will make it back to the Final Four soon.

CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN

Freshman guard Zoe Brooks (left) and senior guard Madison Hayes (right) run onto the court after their teammate scored a point during the game against Tennessee in Reynolds Coliseum on Monday, March 25, 2024. The Wolfpack beat the Lady Vols 79-72.

COLUMN

NC State men’s basketball’s miracle run squashed history of known failure

Colby Trotter, Noah Teague Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Before this year’s thrilling postseason run, NC State men’s basketball was decades removed from its last golden victory in ‘83. It put NC State at a disadvantage when trying to recruit, especially against the two other power basketball schools nearby.

While dealing with “NC State Shit” for decades a er Jim Valvano was forced out as head coach, UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke dominated basketball in North Carolina. e schools combined for nine National Championships a er Valvano was red.

When high schoolers and now transfers decide where to play college basketball, they think about watching those teams growing up. They have memories of Luke Maye’s game-winning shot against Kentucky in the Elite Eight on the way to a championship and the countless stars Mike Krzyzewski produced at Duke.

NC State didn’t have a history that anyone under the age of 40 could look back on. Anyone the Wolfpack tried to recruit only had memories of NC State losing to the Blue Devils and Tar Heels.

But now, a er winning ve games in as

many days to claim the ACC Championship and making the Final Four as a No. 11 seed, the Wolfpack has a story no one will soon forget.

Recruits will now recall how much fun graduate forward DJ Burns had on the court. He and the rest of the team walking out to the song “Get In With Me” before every postseason game with a team manager holding the boombox on his shoulder helped foster excitement around the Wolfpack.

Players will want to experience a road win so they can celebrate with ice cream — a tradition head coach Kevin Keatts started when he arrived in Raleigh. e Wolfpack’s rst Final Four since 1983 gave it a national spotlight and a run that will live in the lore of March Madness.

“We have a story,” Keatts said. “When you’re in any sport, you want to have a story. Look at our story. I mean the way this story was written was unbelievable because in order to win any championships, you have to have some highs and lows.”

is story was one that sounds like it belongs in a fairytale. Yet it was very real. Millions watched the Wolfpack game a er game in March. Keatts proved that the seemingly impossible is possible at NC State.

“Look at what this team was able to accomplish,” Keatts said. “I sit back, I just don’t

know how you can win nine elimination games. … ese guys always believed. ey trusted. Even when we wasn’t having success, they believed in me, and they believed in the sta .”

is belief has been crucial for the Pack during the highs and lows of the season. From de ating regular season losses to exhilarating postseason wins, the Pack kept one constant: belief. is belief allowed the red-and-white to be resilient in 10 straight elimination games.

“When you sit back and look at what we’ve done, man, you’re going to be amazed at it,” Keatts said. “ is doesn’t happen every day. How many people do you know nish their run at 9-1, winning nine games, then, obviously, losing the last one?”

While the players believed before anyone else, this run has also sparked belief of Wolfpack fans that NC State can compete at a high level again. With an already passionate fanbase, belief is a dangerous thing.

With fans fully behind Keatts and his program for the rst time in a long time, the Wolfpack can leverage things like NIL and home-court advantage much better now.

“We glad we could bring the culture back to Raleigh and State fans,” Burns said. “ ey’ve been waiting a long time. We hope we gave them something they can build on next year.”

While the Pack still needs to nalize its roster with some transfer portal additions for 2024-25, things already look promising. Key contributors in junior forward Mohamed Diarra, graduate guard Michael O’Connell and junior guard Jayden Taylor have the option to return.

Two highly regarded incoming freshmen, forward Paul McNeil and guard Trey Parker, have the talent to contribute early. Graduate forward Brandon Huntley-Hat eld from Louisville has already committed to running with the Pack next season.

“I think this is huge for the program,” said graduate guard Casey Morsell. “One of the things I told the coaches was to keep going, build on this. NC State is in a great position, much better than when I came in, and NC State has a bright future. … is university has all the resources to hang a championship banner.”

e future at NC State is bright. Everything is headed in the right direction to set up a strong campaign next year.

If the Wolfpack continues to capitalize, it will soon be able to look back at this run and see the catalyst that’s making NC State a power player in the ACC and college basketball nationally.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Graduate forward DJ Burns talks to members of the media in the locker room after the NCAA Tournament Final Four game against Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Burns scored eight points, made four assists and one rebound. Purdue beat NC State 63-50.

Sports Poor shooting, weak defense shut down NC State women’s basketball in Final Four

Erin Ferrare Assistant Sports Editor

CLEVELAND — Everything was going well for the Wolfpack, until it wasn’t.

NC State women’s basketball was hanging tight with the University of South Carolina through 20 minutes of play. Both fanbases roared back and forth in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Coming out of hal ime, fans suited up for another half of competitive basketball. Instead, Wolfpack fans were le defeated because of faulty shooting and lackluster defense.

“Tip your hat to them,” said head coach Wes Moore. “ ey made six out of 10 3s in the second half and again, we were really hurting in the paint. ey’ve got a great team.”

e Pack (31-7) has had a wild ride through March Madness, but it ended in the semi nals against the Gamecocks (37-0), losing 78-59. NC State started o strong and did everything right: It got points in the paint, rebounded the ball and forced turnovers. Once again, junior guard Aziaha James took over from beyond the arc and knocked down crucial 3-pointers for the red-and-white.

Heading into the matchup, the Pack looked to prove its worth on the big stage. Despite USC being undefeated, the red-and-white has defeated teams that held the Gamecocks to close games.

Both teams shot in the upper 40% range from the eld, along with having similar 3-point percentages. e only di erence between the two was that the Gamecocks had everything to lose while the Pack had everything to prove.

Coming out of the locker room for hal ime warmups and only down one point, 32-31, it seemed like NC State was ready to go, but it soon showed it wasn’t. South Carolina quickly went on a 12-3 run against the Wolfpack and kept it going for the entire frame. e Pack only scored six points throughout the third quarter and shot 9.1% from the eld, while the Gamecocks took over with 29 points.

“Let me say that the rst half was very competitive,” James said. “I just felt like in the third quarter, we didn’t come out of the locker room how we were supposed to come out in the locker room. I felt like we could have fought harder. I felt like we hung our heads and, you know, got into our heads mentally.”

NC State tried to come back in the fourth quarter with a game-high 22 points, but it was not enough. USC was better than the Pack in every aspect of the game: 44 points in the paint, 30 points o the bench and 21 points on the fastbreak. e red-and-white couldn’t keep up. is game was the nal matchup for graduate center River Baldwin, and the Alabama native played her heart out. Finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds and a block, Baldwin le it all on the court and credited NC State with giving her the love of basketball back to her.

“I wouldn’t trade my two years in Raleigh for anything,” Baldwin said. “I found a family here, a true family. ey gave me con dence and made me fall in love with the game again. Having coaches that have con dence in you and trust you, and teammates that trust you and love you on and o the court and just knowing you can turn to that family at any time is incredible.”

A thorn in the Pack’s side all night was center Kamilla Cardoso. The 6-foot-7 senior put up a double-double through the game and kept the red-and-white from scoring in the tough moments. e future WNBA player has been USC’s top player all year, and she was no di erent against the Pack.

“You got to give credit to the bigs of South Carolina,” Baldwin said. “ ey do a good job using their physicality. … I mean, Cardozo holds the ball over her head and I can’t reach it. You just have to use your body and make them score over you and try to keep you away from the basket as best as you can, but at the end of the day, it’s layups.”

Steals also played a large role in the Wolfpack’s loss: e Gamecocks totaled 21 fastbreak points compared to the Pack’s six. Despite USC giving the ball away more times, NC State could not get the job done through layups and jumpshots. e Gamecock defense was all over the Pack during both halves and played a physical game that NC State was not used to playing against.

is season was not something to hang one’s head about though. NC State came into the season unranked and projected to be eighth in the ACC, and it proved everyone wrong. e 2023-24 team meshed together in a way that struck fear into teams across the country and showed that

this was more than just a roster, but rather a sisterhood. “You see the joy and the chemistry that we have,” James said. “It’s never a dull moment between these girls. No, they’re not just my teammates. ese are my sisters, and I’m gonna keep this memory forever. I will love this group of girls forever.”

Baldwin and graduate forward Mimi Collins have no more years of eligibility and have played their last collegiate game. NC State might be losing two solid veteran players, but it is gaining the leadership and experience from James and junior guard Saniya Rivers. Hoping to see these ladies guide the next group of freshmen to another NCAA Tournament berth, Moore is already planning for next season.

“You know, it’s a great experience and hopefully we can draw from it now,” Moore said. “You know, I told them today I thought that in the last three weeks our practices were unbelievable. Our energy, our focus, we were locked in.”

NC State will wait patiently for next season, with another matchup against the Gamecocks scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 10, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

VIOLET BEESLEY/TECHNICIAN

Freshman guard Zoe Brooks attempts to keep control of the ball during the game against South Carolina at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on Friday, April 5, 2024. Brooks scored 12 points and made ve rebounds. The Gamecocks beat the Wolfpack 78-59.

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