Did You Get A Ticket? — Technician 10/20/22

OPINION

WHAT YOU MISSED:

NC State develops fire-resistant shelters for firefighters

A team of researchers in forestry and textiles at NC State have developed a new fire-resistant shelter for firefighters that may offer more time for survival than the current industry standard shelters. Accord ing to the researchers, the newly developed shelters incorporate an additional heat-blocking barrier and could improve firefighter survival rate in forest fires.

SOURCE: PBS NC

Raleigh ranked No. 1 in nation for best cities to drive in

WalletHub, a personal finance website, ranked Raleigh as No. 1 on a list of 100 U.S. cities for driver-friendly conditions. WalletHub said cities were evaluated based on four factors — safety, affordability, traffic and infra structure and access to vehicles and maintenance — us ing data from the U.S. government and other resources. Other North Carolina cities were also highly ranked, including Greensboro ranked at No. 4 and WinstonSalem at No. 5.

SOURCE:

The Fat Bear Week champion has been named

“747” has been voted 2022’s fattest bear of Fat Bear Week, Katmai National Park’s annual tournament to crown the fattest bear. The Alaskan national park is home to some of the largest brown bears in the world, and the tournament allows fans to vote on the biggest bear as the animals prepare for winter hibernation.

SOURCE: NPR

Iranian climber said hijab accidentally fell off during competition in South Korea

An Iranian climber, Elnaz Rekabi, had been praised by Iranian protesters and rebuked by the Iranian government for climbing without a hijab during the Asian Championships in Seoul. Iranian women are required to wear loose clothing and cover their hair, and athletes must also follow this dress code while competing abroad. Protests over this requirement were recently sparked in Iran after morality police killed a 22-year-old woman for wearing her headscarf too loosely. Rekabi has since apologized and is head ing back to Iran with her team.

SOURCE: BBC

THE RADAR

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Oct. 20

FILM FEST 919

Wednesday, Oct. 19 to Sunday, Oct. 23 Showings throughout the weekend SILVERSPOT CINEMA AND LUMINA THEATER

Prices Vary

Film Fest 919 is an annual Chapel Hillbased festival featuring the year’s best films before they come to theaters. Buy your tickets now for a chance to enjoy high-quality cinema and discus sions with other film fans.

HALLOWEEN MOVIE MARATHON

Friday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

STAFFORD COMMONS Free

Join the GLBT Center and Arts Vil lage for screenings of “Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Halloweentown,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Hocus Pocus 2” and “Ghostbusters.”

RED AND WHITE BALL

Saturday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. to midnight

TALLEY STUDENT UNION, STATE BALLROOM $5

Time to dust off your best formal at tire and head to the annual University Activities Board Red and White Ball. This year’s theme: disco.

STATE OF SOUND STORIES: NATALIE KING FROM TOSS

Tuesday, Oct. 25, Noon to 1 p.m. THE CORNER, 941 MAIN CAMPUS DR Free

Toss band member and NC State alum Natalie King will join University Librar ies for a live podcast recording with song performances and discussions of her work in the music industry.

COVER BY MOLLIE MITCHELL

Retrospective Review: Justine Hollingshead talks GLBT Center history, activism and more

Mariana Fabian Opinion Editor

Before becoming Assistant Vice Chan cellor of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, Justine Hollingshead was the GLBT Center’s first director.

Hollingshead has worked at NC State since 1995. Back then, she said she would’ve never thought a GLBT Cen ter would open on campus, especially considering the climate for the LGBTQ community.

“I would have told you that I wasn’t gonna stay here very long because it was not a place that I felt was very affirming and didn’t have a ton of resources for really any marginalized community, it was in the South, and the Bible Belt and all the traditional things,” Hollingshead said. “Here I am 27 years later. … I’ve always been a person that instead of complaining about what doesn’t exist, [we should] help to establish resources, make a difference and make changes.”

Hollingshead started with the ally trai ning program called Project SAFE, which still exists and has evolved over the de cades. She also said Dr. Tom Stafford, the Vice Chancellor of DASA at the time, supported the creation of the program.

Hollingshead mentioned during this time, the administration was very white, male-oriented and conversations around diversity, inclusion and equity were not common. Albeit, surveys were conducted by the University to gauge students’ view of the campus climate.

“In the early 2000s, we did a portion of a survey that included sexual orienta tion … when we did that climate survey, the results were not shocking to me, but they were certainly shocking to many people,” Hollingshead said. “They were like, ‘Holy cow. This is not great for our GLBT community’ and we’re like ‘Yeah, we know.’ At the time, we didn’t have a center, and there was a discussion about should there be a center, and what would that look like?”

Hollingshead discussed how the town hall meetings went when discussing the creation of the GLBT Center. She said all kinds of people came to disagree, critique and not want to use their taxpayer dol lars for the GLBT community. Eventually though, the GLBT Center was greenlit to open in the old Talley Student Union. Even though she wasn’t convinced about applying at first, Hollingshead applied and promptly became the GLBT’s first

director.

“That was the point where we were making strides towards intentionality of support for the community,” Hol lingshead said. “We started with a direc tor, me, a grad assistant, a student worker and a part time 20-hour week program person and that was it. Now, the Cen ter has premier space in Talley and has a more defined staffing structure with individuals that are focused in different areas, physical space for students, a ton of student orgs that we just had one of back in the old days. And there’s different affinity groups for students to feel like they matter and that they can connect with. I refer to myself as the head gay emeritus at this point.”

Hollingshead said it was a job she truly loved but also the hardest one she’s had to do professionally. She referenced being a part of the community for which she had to advocate for and defend really has a lasting impact on a person. As the di rector, it also meant Hollingshead had to make some decisions that weren’t so popular or support things people didn’t agree with.

In regards to the GLBT Center vanda lism that occurred in 2011, Hollingshead coined it as a defining moment in Uni versity history.

“It didn’t happen in the Free Expres sion Tunnel, it happened on our front door, literally,” Hollingshead said. “The outpouring of support [came] from the University community, Technician, stu dents and alums all over the world. The chancellor was out of the country at the time and he called me. Even then, that was still a decade ago. We weren’t as far along as we are now. So it was a defining moment in how the University was going to provide support.”

As for Technician’s role in reporting and activism, Hollingshead said the pu blication and its reporters have done a good job doing the best they could, wit hin the time and circumstances given in providing support for students.

“Technician in particular has helped to examine what the issues are and to also talk about the programs and the re sources that the center has done and that students do,” Hollingshead said. “There are times when students write letters or

anyone writes a letter to the editor, and you all, you are still the free press. … We want the ability to have free speech, and when incidents happened in the tunnel, I feel Technician has done a good job of covering that in a fair and unbiased way that, we’re reporting the news or so mething that happened but, also making avenues available for students to share the impact that has on them.”

Even with the progress made through LGBTQ activism and reporting, Hol lingshead emphasized there should always be a demand for more progress and to avoid becoming stagnant.

“We don’t want to just say, ‘Oh, well, we have a center so that’s good enough,’” Hollingshead said. “We should always be demanding more and expecting more. I think for us to continue to do that and continue to have the expectation that we’re going to grow and that there are going to be challenges. I don’t think it’s ever going to be easy. But my dad always said ‘nothing worth having is easy.’ I think [we should] expect that there is going to be a challenge and to be pre pared for that.”

Thisisthethirdofanongoingseries whichseekstoanalyzeTechnicianasa publication and its history in LGBTQ activism.

COURTESY OF JUSTINE HOLLINGSHEAD

Students struggle to obtain student tickets; athletic director explains

Brinley Carter Correspondent

There are 10,000 football tickets reserved for students each game, so why is it so hard to get one?

“I haven’t gotten a football ticket for the last three games … and I’m in Student Wolfpack Club,” said Jacqui Desmangles, a second-year studying business administration.

Desmangles said he is a part of Student Wolfpack Club where students pay $30 to be in the club to receive benefits like premium seating for football games.

Another student, Kerry Synowiez, a fourthyear studying philosophy and history, said the ticket lottery is to blame for the difficulties. He said getting tickets and passes has gotten really competitive.

“Overall, there have been a few technical issues, but a lot of the time, I just don’t get the tickets because of the [lottery],” Synowiez said.

Colin Hargis, senior associate athletics di rector for marketing and ticket services, ex plained the process of getting student tickets to football games.

“So what happens every week — the week leading into the game — there’s an online re quest process for students,” Hargis said. “They can request a ticket during a 48-hour period. Then after the period of assuming the demand exceeds the supply, we run a weighted lottery.”

Hargis said the weight is dependent upon a student’s year and how many loyalty points they have.

“So every student has points based on their accounts at the start of the year, and it starts out with your class rank [year],” Hargis said. “So freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. Then depending on that, you can gain addi tional points for scanning into games.”

According to Sara Simpson, a third-year studying agriculture and life sciences and athletic director for Student Government, 10,000 tickets are available for the student section each game, but they don’t all go into the lottery system.

“So there are up to 10,000 tickets allotted for the student section,” Simpson said. “600 of those are for the band, then you have 779 for the Student Wolfpack Club and then there’s about 9,000 through the online student ticke ting distribution.”

Simpson said the tickets set aside for the Student Wolfpack Club have a different re quest period than general student tickets and knowing when that is might make it easier for the students involved in the club.

Simpson also said students who are trying to get the general admission tickets should try building up their loyalty points.

“To increase your chances of getting a ticket, just be able to get more loyalty points by going to loyalty point events or non-revenue sports like volleyball or baseball,” Simpson said.

Simpson explained how the loyalty point system works.

“The top 25% of students with the highest loyalty points who requested a ticket auto matically get one, and the last 75% are run through the lottery,” Simpson said.

Simpson also said students who get tickets should be sure to actually go to the game.

“If you do get a ticket, make sure you go to the game or return your ticket if you can’t go because you will lose points,” Simpson said.

Simpson said students who went to a game and still lost points, can contact student go vernment athletics to make an appeal.

“There has been an increase in people that have gone to the game but have ended up with

a deduction of points, and if it does happen, they can email [sgathletics@ncsu.edu] with their appeal, their student ID number and a picture of them at the game with the times tamp,” Simpson said.

Hargis said he believes games might be sel ling out quicker this year because demand for tickets has gone up.

“Fortunately, being the [then] number 10 team in the country, most of our games are selling out, so there’s a lot of demand all the way across the board,” Hargis said.

Hargis said his team works closely with Stu dent Government to make the experience for students as enjoyable as possible.

“From my time here over the years, we have had a student athletic director and that’s really interesting because not a lot of places have that type of collaboration within student go vernment,” Hargis said.

Hargis said having a strong relationship with Student Government has helped the ath letics department build a closer relationship with the students by allowing them to have a say in how things work. He said he is grateful NC State Athletics is able to support students in this way.

“Our fanbase is one of the best in the country, but it really does start with our stu dents,” Hargis said.

NC State updates Physical Master Plan to guide University’s future

Abigail Ali News Editor

NC State has been in the process of updating its Physical Master Plan since 2021. This initia tive provides a guideline for development and renovations on and around campus.

Thomas Skolnicki, university landscape ar chitect and project manager of the Physical Master Plan, said the Physical Master Plan is an initiative the University is required by the Board of Governors to update every 5-7 years. The plan closely aligns with the goals stated in NC State’s Strategic Plan among other im portant plans implemented across campus.

“It’s really to try to align the strategic plan ning with the academic planning and with space planning, and then bring all those things together through this framework of

plans about where do you add new buildings, how do you think about moving people and how do you think about the challenges of having a spread out campus,” Skolnicki said.

Skolnicki said the Physical Master Plan helps plan out projects like the development of Centennial Campus. It troubleshoots issues on these projects before they start and takes into account changes that could occur in the future.

“It gives us a roadmap that we can follow and make sure, as opportunities come up, we have the right thinking to deal with them,” Skolnicki said. “If you could look at what existed on campus 20 years ago, there were only a handful of buildings on Centennial, and now, all those [new] buildings are out there. Without that master plan, you maybe

don’t make the best decisions about these things. So, it’s identifying a framework that’s flexible enough, that gives you opportunities for things you can’t anticipate.”

McKenzy Heavlin, a graduate student in electrical engineering and student body pre sident and chief executive officer for Student Government, has been heavily involved in the planning of the Physical Master Plan.

“I’ve done a lot of the engagement aspect of it just because I also sit on the [Board of Trustees],” Heavlin said. “So in my capacity as a trustee, on our buildings and properties committee, I’ve been at a lot of different levels of this conversation.”

Heavlin said the Physical Master Plan in cludes increasing the aesthetic cohesiveness across campus.

“They’re cognitively developing a way to make sure campus, as it grows, is cohesive,” Heavlin said. “I think it’s the one thing, as a student, that I’ve found very eclectic about NC State is that you’ll just have little pockets of areas where it’s like, whoever was the architect or designer for this was like, ‘Yeah, this can be a good idea.’ So it leads to a very disjointed feel across campus, in my opinion.”

Heavlin said the plan also takes the renova tion of older buildings into consideration to make sure all areas of NC State are getting the upgrades and attention they need.

Visit technicianonline.com to view the entire article.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ETHAN RIMOLT/TECHNICIAN

Students voice support, raise awareness about protests in Iran

Emily Vespa Assistant News Editor

The Iranian Student Association (ISA) joined a global movement to raise awar eness about protests in Iran.

Iranian protests sparked after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died Sept. 16 in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being detained for allegedly violating the country’s hijab law. The demonstra tions, led by young women, call for an end to Iran’s Isla mic Republic and have been met with a violent government crackdown.

Azin Saberi Bosari, a third-year studying chemical engineering and a member of the ISA, said Iranian students have a deep personal connec tion to the events in Iran. The ISA acts as a support system for students and a cata lyst for activism on campus.

“We have a lot of people here who, their entire fa mily is in Iran, and throughout this pro cess, they lost access to internet comple tely as a country be cause [the govern ment doesn’t] want anything to get out,” Saberi Bosari said. “So we saw it upon us as a student orga nization to create a safe space, first of all, for students to feel connected, united, and then also getting the word out there.”

The ISA held a memorial for Amini on Stafford Commons Monday, Sept. 26. Students held posters with the phrase “Woman, Life, Freedom,” an expres sion that has become the rallying cry of protesters in Iran, and “#Freedomfori ranianwomen.” Others gave speeches, cut their hair as a symbol of protest and mourning and spoke with individuals who passed by about the Iranian protests.

A graduate student in electrical en gineering and a member of the ISA said women are treated as second-class citizens in Iran, and it is important to amplify the voices of Iranian women who demand freedom.

“For me, I moved to the U.S. when I

rality police in Iran about six years ago while wearing a head covering, pants and a long-sleeved shirt because her shirt did not reach past her knees, and most wo men in Iran have been arrested by the morality police for violating dress codes at least once.

painted the Free Expression tunnel with illustrations of Amini and phrases such as “Stand with Iranian Women” and “Be Iranian’s Voice.” According to Saberi Bosari, this act prompted many conver sations between passersby and members of the ISA, and she hopes to continue to bring attention to the events in Iran.

“For me, it’s really impor tant to fight for the people in my country and also raise awareness so everyone else [knows] what’s going on, be cause a lot of times, when they don’t know what’s going on, they’re not going to do anything about it,” Saberi Bosari said.

was approximately 30 years old,” she said.

“Thirty years, I’ve been dealing with this system that’s like, as a girl, you could ne ver be a singer, a judge or ride a bike. You could have all of those rights if you were born 60 miles across from the borders of Iran in Turkey. So it is really impor tant [for] people to know what’s really happening.”

The graduate student said women are expected to cover their hair and wear loose clothing that covers their arms and legs. She said she was arrested by the mo

“Most of the women in Iran do not like this hijab — it’s not that we are against a specific religion,” she said. “What we’re looking for is that we will have that freedom of choice, so that for example, if someone is a Christian, if someone is Bahá’í, or they’re practicing other reli gions, they could also have the freedom of how to dress, or what they want to do. And also if someone is Muslim and really likes to wear a hijab, they could also wear their hijab.”

On Saturday, Oct. 1, the ISA spray-

Saberi Bosa ri said the Uni versity hasn’t done enough to support current Iranian students and prospective students who live in Iran. She said due to the Iranian govern ment’s disruption of internet access, Iranian students cannot submit applications to NC State, and the University should modify applica tion deadlines in acknowledgment of this. Further more, due to U.S. economic sanc tions against Iran that prevent banking relations, paying application fees can be difficult for Ira nian students. Additionally, the Universi ty should be understanding of how events in Iran may be a source of anxiety for students, she said.

“I think staff and faculty being really understanding of what Iranians are going through is really important when it co mes to deadlines or exams or anything, because this is stuff that’s about their families — it’s about my family,” Saberi Bosari said.

COURTESY OF AZIN SABERI BOSARI

Former NC State football player Bo Hines is not a member of the Wolfpack

As election season looms, one of the state’s most contentious races is playing out just south of NC State’s Centennial Campus. North Caro lina’s newly drawn 13th Congressional District could have dramatic implications on the bal ance of power in Con gress come next year and is headlined by the involvement of former NC State football player Bo Hines. While Hines’ single season at the University in 2014 exemplified his considerable capacities as wide receiver, his campaign for Con gress has shown that these skills did not translate to politics.

Justin Welch Correspondent

Hines, a 27-year-old Yale graduate, emerged onto the political scene this election cycle with the support of for mer President Donald Trump. His rela tionship with Trump serves as the ba sis of his campaign, being one of many “America First” candidates running for Congress this November.

While Trump’s endorsement was cru cial to Hines’ success in the primary election, the former president’s sup

port comes affixed with a stringent alle giance to his positions and policies. Po litical arrangements of this nature make it difficult to deduce where Hines’ ideas begin and his patron’s end, or if the for mer holds any sort of convictions at all. Among these stances is the dispute over the results of the 2020 election, in which Hines endorses the false narrative that the election was stolen.

While bending the knee for the per ceived power holder in his party, Hines has also shifted his ideas on other politi cal hot topics. Following a developing trend among Republican candidates, Hines has changed his tone on abor tion throughout the campaign. Initially supporting a total ban, Hines has since scrubbed his campaign page of the topic and been non-committal on supporting national legislation. In changing course toward a more politically convenient po sition, Hines further muddles what his beliefs truly are.

Beyond his predicament on what sect of voters he should pander to, Hines’ campaign is littered with other politi cal red flags. The campaign has drawn the most public criticism for the can didate’s “district shopping.” Before

running south of Raleigh, Hines ini tially campaigned in the 5th and 6th Districts, switching to the 13th only a month before the primary was held. As maps changed with redistricting and political real estate presented itself in different parts of the state, Hines ad justed accordingly.

While “district shopping” has become commonplace in American politics, it’s important to note that its validity in our system is incompatible and detrimental to the values of representative democ racy. Hines has no genuine association with North Carolina’s 13th Congressio nal District; it’s difficult to imagine how he could effectively embody the will of a people he tactically sought out for the pursuit of power.

This criticism also extends to Hines’ opponent Wiley Nickel, who lives in the Raleigh area but resides outside the boundary of the 13th District. Hines’ residential maneuverings have even drawn condemnation from his own party in the region, who called for homegrown candidates better suited to represent the area.

In an effort to relate to the district, whose economy mainly consists of ag

riculture and manufacturing, Hines re leased an ad touting his own experiences on farmland and how they relate to his “North Carolina values.” While it makes for an endearing photo op, the fact that the farm shown is actually in Indiana does not support his bid for authen ticity. Moreover, financial disclosures show most of Hines’ campaign has been funded by his trust fund. It is difficult to make the case that an Ivy League trust fund kid compliments the interests of rural North Carolina farmers.

Hines is a carbon-copy candidate; his campaign is right out of a MAGA textbook and fails to offer North Caro lina’s 13th district anything unique or inspiring. In being a mouthpiece for the former President and being dictated by whichever way the winds of conserva tive politics blow, Hines compromises originality for electability.

Hines seemingly only intends to play the role of a congressman and not actu ally legislate in the interest of the people he seeks to represent. This November, members of the Pack south of campus should rebuke Bo Hines and tell the Republican Party authenticity trumps political power games.

Toxic masculinity in gym culture is hurting us all

We all know the glori fied gym bro stereotype — the guy around cam pus who wears muscle tanks, takes mirror pic tures showing off his physique and spends hours at the gym trying to attain the “perfect” body. His peers applaud his strength, work ethic and seemingly healthy body. However, they fail to ask what causes men to pursue this lifestyle so religiously. The traditional answer is that men want to be healthy. While that can be part of it, the main reason is more complex: toxic masculinity.

Skye Crawford Correspondent

According to Dictionary.com, tox ic masculinity is “a cultural concept of manliness that glorifies stoicism, strength, virility and dominance, and that is socially maladaptive or harmful to mental health.” This mindset is taught to boys from childhood, and the need to conform to it essentially becomes their life goal. How then do they achieve soci ety’s definition of manliness? By hitting the gym.

Not only does toxic masculinity have negative mental health impacts such as depression and low self-esteem — which

is only made worse by the fact that men aren’t encouraged to go to therapy — but it has physical consequences as well. Counting macronutrients, restricting and excessive exercise are parts of gym culture that make eating disorders more prevalent among men than many realize. Eating disorders can be life-threatening, harming the cardiovascular, gastroin testinal, neurological and endocrine systems.

On top of this, the obsession that comes with gym culture can lead to in jury. Consuming pre-workout and other stimulants allows gymgoers to lift more than they would normally be prepared for. This, along with the pressure to max-out and lift weights heavier than they are capable of, increases the risk of injury.

This contrasts to how issues with gym culture for women are approached. Women’s fitness articles often tackle the negative body image problems women face, viewing exercise as a form of selfcare. Men’s fitness articles, on the other hand, don’t acknowledge this and only emphasize the physical aspects. This shows us how the media only reinforces ideas of toxic masculinity when it en courages men to hit the gym.

Another example of the media doing this is with the television show “Love Island.” On the dating show, the men are “athletic, good-looking and competi tive,” making male viewers feel the need to live up to this standard.

Social media is no better than televi sion. An Eating Disorder Hope study of 1,000 Instagram posts analyzed how us ers present male body image. Over half of those posts showed very lean, muscu lar men. Many of those also showed the men doing things to change their bodies like exercising. These kinds of posts had more engagement than those with men who were less physically built.

While the mindset surrounding man hood pushes men into the gym and hurts them physically and mentally, it’s also harmful to women. In some cases, the outcome of low self-esteem leads to sexual violence against women. In those situations, it’s viewed as an alternate way to reclaim manhood. Additionally, it re inforces sexism and patriarchal systems that disadvantage women in their daily lives.

The standards men hold for them selves in the gym are often projected onto women with condescending and harassing behavior. According to the

2020 statistic, 65% of women avoid going to the gym out of fear of being judged or harassed by men.

None of this is to say men should aban don going to the gym. Of course exercis ing is healthy, and it can be a hobby you do for fun. The problem presents itself when toxic attitudes about manliness drive men to the gym. As of right now, the vast majority of guys at the gym fall into this latter category.

To change this, we need to start re framing how we approach healthy eating and exercise. Men should not go to the gym simply because they want to achieve their dream body — the muscular, toned physique that defines their manhood.

We also need to attack the source of unhealthy gym culture — toxic mascu linity. We need to stop teaching boys that strength and power are their most important characteristics. We need to stop teaching them to channel their emotions in aggressive ways, like ex treme exercise.

Your guy friends might not know that toxic masculinity is controlling their hours spent at the gym. If you have a male friend who seems to be going to the gym for the wrong reasons, point this out to them. We’ll all benefit.

Keep ‘ta-tas’ out of your breast cancer awareness

A few weeks ago, I walked through the Free Expres sion Tunnel on campus only to be met with the dreaded sight: pink. Ev erywhere. I had forgotten it was October already and, having spent three full years on campus, I knew exactly what I was walking into. The tunnel being pinked-out for Breast Cancer Awareness Month isn’t my problem — in fact, as the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, I love it. What I had to brace my self for were the words written on those pink walls: “save the ta-tas,” and “we love boobies.”

I know the sorority that does this painting every year, Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA), means well. They’re trying to raise awareness and painting a high-traffic, well-known graf fiti tunnel pink is an efficient way to do so. However, when we raise awareness it’s very important that we make sure our language isn’t harmful to the community we’re trying to help, and that is where ZTA has failed.

When we say “save the ta-tas,” the emphasis is placed on saving a body part rather than on saving the life of the patient. Of course, I think it’s safe to say most people don’t want to lose a body part if they don’t have to, but I think it’s also likely that most people would

choose to lose a body part over their life. We don’t say “save the livers” for liver cancer awareness or “save the bones” for bone can cer awareness, so why are we so focused on saving breasts from breast cancer?

In our society, women’s breasts are heav ily sexualized and are seen as a symbol of womanhood. People often base a woman’s attractiveness and femininity on the size of her breasts. So when we say things in relation to breast cancer awareness that put the em phasis on women’s breasts above their lives, that’s saying that we’re putting their value on their attractiveness or femininity rather than

GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO/TECHNICIAN

the fact that they’re a human being.

Another really important factor to this conversation is the fact that people who were assigned female at birth aren’t the only ones who can get breast cancer. About one in every 100 breast cancers diagnosed in the U.S. is found in someone who was assigned male at birth. Breast cancer is a disease that is commonly seen as a disease only women get, which can create a stigma surrounding men who get breast cancer.

Focusing awareness conversations on boobs adds to the idea that breast cancer is only for women, which can result in a lot of unneces

sary internal turmoil for a patient who was assigned male at birth, as well as people who don’t identify as women. Additionally, push ing the idea that only those assigned female at birth can get breast cancer means those assigned male at birth could be less likely to get screened, which could leave breast cancer tumors unnoticed until it’s too late.

My mom is a breast cancer survivor. I know many other survivors and fighters — too many of whom are no longer with us. When they were diagnosed with breast cancer, their biggest fear wasn’t losing their breasts, it was losing their lives. Roughly 42,000 women in the U.S. die every year from breast cancer. With statistics like that, how can breast can cer awareness be anything but “save their lives”? If you want to help raise awareness about breast cancer, remind your friends and family to get screened — even those as signed male at birth. Inform yourself and your loved ones that while most new cases of breast cancer are found in older women, women younger than 45 can be susceptible to breast cancer.

To their benefit, ZTA does a lot of work to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, and I’m very grateful for that. However, as supporters of the fight, I hope they change their language to be less harmful to the com munity.

Chloe Allen Video Editor

Nourishment

Avery Szakacs, staff cartoonist A second-year studying art and design

A Proper Introduction Pearl Knight, staff cartoonist A fourth-year studying art and design

Raleigh Little Theatre presents Kate Hamill’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ adaptation

Stella Garrabrant Correspondent

Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” has all of the story’s original elements with the addition of humor and energy. The cast that performed the play at Raleigh Little Theatre charmed viewers with jokes and short dance numbers.

Before the play began, the cast announced that, due to a lack of performers, Mr. Darcy’s servant would be played by the stage manager David Wilk. The few times that Wilk reluc tantly appeared on stage, audience members couldn’t help but burst into laughter — the cast ing “accident” ended up adding to the humor of the performance.

The characters Mary and Mr. Bingley were both played by Carl Staub, who skillfully switched between costumes and maintained each character’s quirks. Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Bennet were both played by Kevin Varner, who succeeded at the difficult task of playing two vastly different characters. Varner never forgot Mr. Bennet’s serious nature or Char lotte’s nervous mannerisms.

There were also short dance numbers that

and “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Ast ley. The cast repeatedly switched between older, more classic dances and contemporary dance moves.

Zosia Dewitt, who played Lizzy Bennet, did an excellent job of maintaining her character’s original traits while also making the audience laugh. Dewitt kept Lizzy Bennet’s rebellious, headstrong and emotional nature, and she never held back her performance. Each word she spoke contained deep emotion, but she also delivered her more humorous lines to perfection.

Justin Brent as Mr. Darcy managed to keep

a grim expression on his character’s face, which added to the humor of the dance numbers. Brent also delivered Darcy’s love confession to Lizzy incredibly well.

The cast didn’t have a large amount of space to work with for their performance — Raleigh Little Theatre, as the name implies, is quite little. “Pride and Prejudice” is a story that has many different scenes and environments, but the set fit the story perfectly. This was mostly due to how the cast skillfully altered the set between scenes, but it was also because of the set’s adjustable design.

The costumes were also designed in a very intentional way. They were appropriate for the period the story took place in, but they were also a bit more colorful. This matched the added energy that the rest of the play contained.

Lu Meeks, who played Mrs. Bennet, had to change her costume the most. Her dress was made so that she could easily change certain aspects of it, such as the skirt and bodice.

Meeks’ performance was incredibly memo rable, as Mrs. Bennet is often dramatic and con trolling. The audience burst into laughter with her emotional sobs, angry fits and drunken rages. She perfectly conveyed the suffocating nature that the overwhelming love of a mother can have.

Some of the original scenes from “Pride and Prejudice” were slightly altered, but all of the changes made were intentional. Not one aspect of Jane Austen’s novel was ignored or lost, due not only to Hamill’s skill as a writer, but to the cast’s dedication. The play had something for everyone, and Hamill’s adaptation of the clas sic story definitely would have pleased Jane Austen.

added to the energy of the play. The music consisted of instrumental versions of modern songs, such as “Rain on Me” by Ariana Grande

COURTESY OF STELLA GARRABRANT

NC State Instagram account sparks campus-wide hide-and-seek game

Shelby Bryson Correspondent

A little over a month ago, an anony mous account popped up on Instagram, @find_tuffy_ncsu, with a simple premise. Miniature Tuffy wolves (named after our adorable Tuffy III) would be hidden around campus for anyone to find and choose a new hiding spot, organized by creators Mr. and Mrs. Tuffy. Run by Mrs. Tuffy, the account began following NC State students to gain recognition and gauge interest in prepara tion to start hiding Tuffys.

After gaining a following, the first step was to 3D print a Tuffy. Once he found a design online to base it off of, Mr. Tuffy got to work.

“They only take about six hours to print and they’re hollow,” Mr. Tuffy said. “It was easier to print that way. … The material is like $20 a roll, so it starts to add up.”

From there, Red Tuffy was born and ready to hide. However, before the games could begin, Mrs. Tuffy had to explain the structure.

“The rules are pretty simple,” Mrs. Tuffy said. “When you hide it, all you have to do is just take a picture, send it to us on Insta gram and then hide it again. Take a picture when you hide it … and give me a hint. If you can’t think of one, I’ll give one for you. Then I’ll make new posts letting everyone know it’s been hidden again.”

Despite how open ended it is, there are some limitations for Tuffy hiding.

“Places you can’t hide it: inside dorms, apartments or areas that aren’t open to the public … anywhere that’s not an on-campus building,” Mrs. Tuffy said. “We prefer in door locations for them to be hidden, but outdoor locations are okay, just preferably out of direct sunlight or somewhere where it might get wet.”

After realizing how much engagement they were getting, Mrs. Tuffy decided to give a more material incentive.

“I made it into a little competition and whoever’s got the most points wins maybe like, a little Tuffy statue and gift card,” Mrs. Tuffy said.

With the rules established and students excited to hunt, they were ready to start it off. Red Tuffy was officially hidden for the first time Sept. 13, and the game was on from there.

Konde Brown, a third-year studying com munications, shared their thoughts on Find Tuffy’s rise to fame.

“Once I saw the first post, I thought it was a pretty cool concept,” Brown said. “It’s an activity where it’s very self-sufficient. For someone to have this idea … I think it’s re

ally interesting and fun, commendable to whoever decided to start that.”

After finding Red Tuffy in the WKNC radio station, Brown got into the competi tive spirit when hiding it next in the student lounge in 111 Lampe Drive.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this is a good hiding place, like I’ll be surprised that someone can make a hiding place as good as mine,’” Brown said. “And then mine was the first one to be gone for 24 hours.”

After the first week Mrs. Tuffy had created the account, they had less than 100 follow ers. In the month since the first Tuffy was hidden, they have since risen to 477 follow ers. In time since, Red Tuffy has also been joined by siblings: White Tuffy and Black Tuffy.

Mr. and Mrs. Tuffy hope this can become a fun tradition that lasts for years to come.

“At some point, we’d like to hand it off to other people and make it sustainable,” Mr. Tuffy said. “Having it exceed our time here and maybe become more of a tradition would be a great legacy for us to leave as we go on to graduate.”

While some students, like the mechanical engineering and aerospace team, consis tently seek out the Tuffys, Brown is a more casual follower.

“You don’t have to engage with it,” Brown said. “If you find it you don’t have to pick it up and then take it if you don’t want to. If I see a hint, I’ll be like ‘I think I could tell where that’s at.’”

Unfortunately, Red Tuffy was stolen a few weeks back. A new one was printed and hidden soon after, with air tags added to all three.

“I don’t know how sustainable it is long term if these keep getting stolen,” Mr. Tuffy said. “Because that’s the biggest issue with us, we’re just students and we’re not want ing to shell out like $100 for a set of three Tuffys.”

Mr. and Mrs. Tuffy’s anonymity allows them to keep an eye on the Tuffys as well. For Brown, the anonymity adds to the ex perience.

“I kind of liked that it’s faceless,” Brown said. “I kind of don’t want to know. It’s like a man behind the curtain kind of thing. … That’s just the type of person I am — when there’s magic afoot, I’m not going to be the one to question that. I’ll just rock with it.”

Most of us can miss that magic in our everyday lives, especially as the semester gets busier.

“A lot of times I get caught up in like, go ing to classes and stuff and not really paying much attention,” Mr. Tuffy said. “I kind of get caught in the motions. So it was some thing that would encourage people to pay attention to the real world and not be caught up in their head.”

Follow @find_tuffy_ncsu on Instagram and keep a look out for the Tuffys next time you walk to class.

COURTESY OF SHELBY BRYSON

The rules are pretty simple. … When you hide it all you have to do is just take a picture, send it to us on Instagram and then hide it again.

- Mrs. Tuffy

New band Persimmon expands and diversifies Raleigh punk scene

Persimmon is a brand-new, Raleigh-based band, self-described as ambient post-hard core. The group is driven by a shared goal of building community in the punk scene and sharing emotion that evades words.

The band started out as a duo with part ners Taylor Weber as writer and vocalist and Tommy Ellis, a fourth-year studying technology, engineering and design educa tion, as guitarist. Persimmon was born out of the couple’s shared love for music, art and the punk scene.

“I’ve been a writer for as long as I can re member,” Weber said. “As I got older, I just started writing poems and stuff like that. I think there was a conversation I remem ber having with [Tommy]. And I was like ‘What is your ideal life?’ And [they said], ‘Oh, well, in a perfect world, I’d be a guitar ist for a band. But I know that’s not going to happen.’ … I guess that’s what planted the seed — just us just joking around and then we’re like, ‘Wait, what if we actually did something serious?’”

After performing at an open mic hosted by Kai Vosberg, a fourth-year studying communication media, the duo joined

forces with Vosberg on drums and Sole dad Vallejo on bass for a full quartet. Much of the group’s early music has been born serendipitously out of jam sessions during practice.

“Sometimes things just happen,” Ellis said. “Sometimes we just gotta go in, I start riffing on either something I’ve been work ing on or just some random like thing and then Kai comes up with the drums.”

Weber described a communal intuition and connection that has allowed the band members to work well together.

“We get into a jam session, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I think I have a poem that matches this energy,’” Weber said. “I think all of the songs that we’ve written together as a four piece have all been born out of jam sessions, which is cool. One thing I’m really grateful about is we’re very intuitive with each other. We get on that little brainwave.”

Despite a deep love for the punk scene from Persimmon’s band members, they said there’s a lack of queer and otherwise mar ginalized voices, particularly in the Raleigh music scene.

“We are definitely a queer punk rock band, and we represent a lot of different

marginalized identities,” Vallejo said. “I think that’s really important. It sounds sometimes a little gimmicky, but the real ity is, I don’t see a lot of people that look like us — that are like us — doing the type of music that we’re doing. And that’s really important and validating for anybody who feels like they can’t be a part of the scene [that’s] super white-male-dominated.”

That being said, the band appreciates the tight-knit community punk encourages. According to Vallejo, the scene has recently seen a return to simple, no-nonsense show set-ups that emphasize the intimacy and connection of the music.

“The pandemic definitely killed a lot of opportunities for bands to play live, so you saw a lot of bands shift around players and dynamics and genres or even band names locally,” Vallejo said. “I think that now a lot of people are really putting an empha sis on returning to what I think is the root of punk rock, like doing more DIY scenes, and not really [caring] if it’s the best setup or not. It’s like ‘OK, I have a speaker, I have an XLR cable, I have a mic. This is an open mic in my backyard.’ And giving weight and meaning to things like that because that’s

really what it is.”

The band hopes to capture the complex emotions and struggles they face in a way only music can.

“Something that I want to get across is that phenomenon which you just can’t really put into words,” Vosberg said. “A big theme in my life has been struggling to express myself and really feel understood. There’s just some things you can’t express [in] words by themselves. We’ll never actually describe what happened in the way that words when combined with music can. I think that feel ing that we feel during practice is something that I really want to capture.”

Persimmon performed for the first time as a group of four on Thursday at the Lola’s Coffee House open mic hosted by the Fili pino American Student Association and University Libraries. The band has big hopes for the future and is now working toward releasing an EP or album while continuing to perform live when and where they can.

“There’s really special moments where I’m just like ‘Yeah, this is where I’m supposed to be right now,’” Vosberg said. “It’s the sort of thing that you just know.”

COURTESY OF KAI VOSBERG

Jameson Wolf Assistant Culture Editor

NC State football’s offensive shortcomings fall on Tim Beck

Colby Trotter Correspondent

So far this season, NC State football’s offense has been underwhelming. And in the Pack’s loss to No. 14 Syracuse, a game where NC State only managed to put up nine points on the back of special teams, this continued to be true.

The poor performance against Syracuse can be partly at tributed to NC State graduate quarterback Jack Chambers in place of injured redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary. On top of that, sophomore running back Demie SumoKarngbaye was sidelined due to his own injury.

Despite the injuries, it’s ultimately offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s job to create a successful offense, no matter the circumstances.

But Wolfpack fans haven’t seen that even when the offense was healthy. Before Leary was ruled out for the season, the unit was just simply not playing up to par. Last year in ACC games, the red-and-white’s offense averaged 32.8 points per game, while this year it is averaging 16 points per game.

NC State doesn’t have to tote the best offense in the coun try in order to be successful, thanks to its stellar defense. However, it does need to score touchdowns in order to win games. The Pack has regularly been able to reach the red zone this season but settles for three points far too often when inside the 20, especially in big moments.

Against Clemson, the offense pushed its way through an impressive Tiger defense on the first drive of the game, driving down the field to the Clemson 3-yard line. In the end though, the Pack only managed to bag three points. In its recent matchup against Syracuse, the offense drove to the 25-yard line or further three times and kicked three field goals. In competitive conference matchups, the dif ference between scoring touchdowns and settling for field goals is most often the difference between losing and win ning games.

With Leary out for the rest of the season, Beck is going to have to find creative ways to get his playmakers the ball. Graduate receiver Thayer Thomas has been the best wideout for the Pack this season but only caught three passes for 18 yards against Syracuse. Beck needs to find a way to get Thomas the ball, whether it’s in the screen game or if it’s taking shots downfield as he’s proven to be an explosive weapon for the Wolfpack offense thus far.

Another player Beck could utilize more in his offense is junior running back Jordan Houston, who only saw 12 carries for 44 yards against the Orange. Houston is another weapon at Beck’s disposal that could do damage if given the ball in space. Houston could also potentially line up at slot receiver on some plays as he has proven to be an effective pass catcher.

Beck has to do one thing in order for players like Houston and Thomas to make a bigger impact on this offense. Rather than calling read-options for minimal gains, he has to put more trust in Chambers to run the offense and make deci sions in the passing game. It was clear the Syracuse defense was not worried about the Pack’s passing game and all-in on stopping the run.

While it seems like Beck is playing to Chambers’ strengths by running the ball, when the defense knows you are not going to throw, you’ll be easy to stop. Chambers has proven to be an effective passer in the past if allowed to sling it. He’s

an experienced quarterback that can make good decisions as a passer, but now it’s up to Beck to allow him to show it while wearing the red-and-white.

The Wolfpack’s success for the remainder of the season now lays firmly on Beck’s shoulders as ultimately, it’s

his job to turn the offense around.

The defense has carried this squad all season and still ranks 18th in total defense in the country. It will be a chal lenge without the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, but at the end of the day, it’s Beck’s job to find a way to succeed no matter who takes the field.

Toledo at Buffalo

Eastern Michigan at Ball State

No. 20 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma State

No. 7 Ole Miss at LSU

Georgia Southern at Old Dominion No. 9 UCLA at No. 10 Oregon BYU at Liberty

Boise State at Air Force No. 17 Kansas State at No. 8 TCU Pitt at Louisville

Wade Bowman

Bryan

Sam Overton

Ben

Ethan Bakogiannis

Shilpa Giri

Dominion

Dominion

Force

NATALIE FOLSOM/TECHNICIAN

The NC State football team takes the field before the game against Florida State University at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. The Wolfpack beat the Seminoles 19-17.

NFL Pack Pros: Mixed results from Pack Pros ensue in week six of NFL season

Week six of the 2022 NFL season saw mixed performances across the league from NC State’s Pack Pros. From ThursdayMonday, they continued to represent the Wolfpack strongly as starters on offense, defense and special teams.

Germaine Pratt – Cincinnati Bengals, LB

As the Cincinnati Bengals try to get the ball rolling again, Pratt always has a sig nificant impact on the defensive side of the ball. In an important game against the New Orleans Saints, Pratt helped lead the Bengals to a 30-26 victory. Although Pratt didn’t log record-breaking stats, he totaled 14 total tackles, five of which were solo, in a solid outing.

So far in the 2022 season, Pratt has totaled 22 solo tackles, 22 assisted tackles and one sack. In addition, he’s also defended three passes. Six weeks in, Pratt is on pace to crush his 2021 season totals and set new per sonal records in almost every category in.

Trenton Gill – Chicago Bears, P

Gill was the first Pack Pro to play in week six. In a Thursday night battle against the Washington Commanders, Gill’s Chicago Bears lost 12-7. He saw a large amount of action in the first half of the game, as the

Bears couldn’t get the ball rolling on offense. Gill had a total of four punts throughout the night that totaled 185 yards, with an average of 46.3 yards per punt, with his longest punt of the night coming off of a 54-yard boom. Gill has had a strong rookie cam paign so far as he is putting up ex cellent stats. As of week six, only 8% of his punts have been touchbacks and 28% of them have been inside the 20 yard line. He is also averag ing 48.7 yards per punt, which is the 10th best in the league, and has a long of 60 yards.

Russell Wilson – Denver Broncos, QB

In an overtime loss to the Los Los Angeles Chargers Monday night, Wilson had one of his better per formances of the season. Wilson completed 15 of 28 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown. In addi tion to the passing game, he had 23 yards on the ground on four car ries.

When Wilson was traded to Denver from Seattle and signed a five-year, $245 million extension before the 2022 season, the ex pec tations were high with some even expecting a super bowl appearance.

Through six weeks, Wilson has not played up to the preseason expectations set for him, as he’s only thrown four touchdown passes, three interceptions and has the Broncos sit ting in third place in the AFC West at 2-4.

Jakobi Meyers – New England Patriots, WR

In a lopsided 38-15 win against the Cleve land Browns, Meyers had a productive, but quiet game. Meyers hauled in all four of his targets from New England’s Bailey Zappe for 60 yards. He did not score a touchdown, which is something he’s been highly criti cized for throughout his NFL career, as he only has three career receiving touchdowns. With the incoming return of second-year quarterback Mac Jones, Meyers is bound to have a breakout year. At the rate Meyers is going, he is currently on pace to record 68 receptions, 910 receiving yards and three touchdowns, which would crush his previ ous career highs.

NICK FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN

Graduate linebacker Germaine Pratt calls out a play in the game against Clemson at Clemson Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Pratt had one sack and eight tackles. NC State lost to Clemson 41-7.

Jacob Allen Correspondent

Mari Fabian

Ethan Rimolt

Mollie Mitchell

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NC State QB roulette: assessing various options under center

Wade Bowman Managing Editor

By now it’s old news: NC State football will be without the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and program record holder for passing touchdowns in a single season for the rest of 2022. With a weekend of football without redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary at the helm having come and gone, it’s time for the coaching staff to truly assess the situation at quarterback moving into the bye week.

The front-runner to take over as primary signal caller in the new-look Wolfpack of fense was graduate transfer Jack Chambers, who assumed starting responsibilities in a 24-9 loss to No. 14 Syracuse. It was a rocky marriage for Chambers and the starting job, with the former Charleston Southern Buccaneer struggling to find a rhythm in the passing game until a win was far out of reach.

Chambers posted a final stat line of 160 passing yards on 60% completion, adding 58 rushing yards on 19 attempts. The most notable figure — or lack thereof — from his stat line is the absence of touchdowns, a common theme among all members of the Wolfpack offense against the Orange.

It’s a harsh adjustment to a new quarter back with only a week of practice, let alone a quarterback who employs a completely different style of football. Where Leary served as a true pocket passer who would occasionally find open field with his feet, Chambers has exemplified a run-first, throw-second mentality at offensive coor dinator Tim Beck’s command.

Through his two-game sample size, Chambers’ legs have served as his greatest asset. In the Pack’s comeback victory against the Seminoles, Chambers amassed 47 yards on the ground on seven attempts and managed to play nearly the entire se cond half without completing a pass. It seems Chambers and Beck are trying to find a more healthy balance, with 30 pass attempts and 19 rushes against Syracuse, but there’s a lot more work to be done.

If Chambers is chosen to be the guy mo ving forward, Beck and head coach Dave Doeren have to play to his strengths. Despite his pair of poor outings in the passing game, Chambers has experience in an air-raid of fense and is more than comfortable slinging the ball downfield, albeit at an FCS level for the majority of his time at Charleston Southern.

One of his most prolific performances as a Buccaneer came against an FBS opponent and a familiar program to NC State, East Carolina. Entering the game as a 24.5 point

underdog, Chambers nearly pulled off a his toric upset for Charleston Southern. Despite eventually falling 31-28 to the Pirates, he completed 62.3% of his 61 passing attempts for 405 yards, two touchdowns and an inter ception, adding 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Comparing his performance against the same program that gave Leary a fit, hol ding him to 211 yards on 51.5% completion, a touchdown and an in terception earlier this season, it’s

clear that Chambers’ arm has what it takes to get the job done in Ra leigh, and we already know what he can do with his legs. All that’s left is for the coaching staff to commit their resources to a scheme that suits him best.

There are other directions the Pack could look to in Leary’s abscence; however, there are young talents chomping at the bit for an opportunity to prove themselves under the bright lights.

As expected against the Orange, NC State gave freshman quarterback MJ Morris a quick on-field look. Getting the nod under center for a single drive in the second quarter, Morris stormed through the Syracuse defense for an 8-yard gain, com pleted a pass that was wiped off the board due to an offensive penalty, was sacked for a 7-yard loss and couldn’t connect with gra

duate wide recei ver Darryl Jones on a deep-ball at tempt, forcing a Wolfpack punt. Morris, much like Cham bers, has made a name for himself as a dual th reat under center. Com

combined with his comfort in run-pass option sets and ability to deliver balls thrown on the run, make him a legitimate contender for the starting position for the remainder of the year.

The question Doeren and Beck have to ask themselves is what do they value more — a seasoned veteran who’s delivered in big moments throughout his career but never at the Power Five level, or a young quarterback with a high ceiling that will need time to settle in as a starter.

Outside of Leary and the top-two can didates for the starting role, NC State cur rently has three other quarterbacks listed on the roster. Redshirt freshman Ben Fin ley currently serves as the scout team QB and has seen time in big games previously. In his three seasons with the Pack, Finley has appeared in five games. A 2020 mat chup at UNC-Chapel Hill saw Finley lead a touchdown drive and complete 65% of his passess, but he turned the ball over twice. Since then, the relative of former NC State standout Ryan Finley has been restricted to garbage-time minutes in blowout wins.

The remaining quarterbacks listed are redshirt freshman Zo Wallace and fresh man Ethan Rhodes. Wallace came out of high school as a three-star recruit, with offers from Massachusetts and Akron, but opted to walk-on at NC State. The 6-foot2 inch, 254 pound pro-style quarterback could be an interesting underdog story in the future, but it’s extremely unlikely that he or Rhodes, an unranked walk-on, will see the field in the near future.

pared to Chambers’ 5-foot10-inch, 180 pound build, Morris’ 6-foot2-inch, 192 pound frame makes him a more powerful rushing threat between the tackles. His power on the carry,

GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN

The upcoming bye week comes at an op timal point in the season, giving Doeren and his staff ample time to assess their options under center and develop a plan for the rest of the year. To make matters better, NC State returns to action against a Virginia Tech team sitting second-to-last in the ACC’s Coastal Division. A 10-win season is still salvageable. With such a reputable defense, a pair of excellent op tions to take over at quar terback if given proper at tention and the toughest part of the schedule behind it, NC State football can still make strides in the program’s record books and surprise plenty of people who’ve written this team off.

Graduate quarterback Jack Chambers runs the ball during the Wolfpack’s home foot ball game against the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 at Carter-Fin ley Stadium. The Wolfpack beat the Seminoles 19-17. Chambers came in after starting quarterback Devin Leary went down with a shoulder injury.

If Chambers is chosen to be the guy moving forward, Beck and head coach Dave Doeren have to play to his strengths.

Volleyball grinds through conference play, wins five of last eight ACC games

Bryan Danner Staff Writer

The NC State volleyball team has played eight conference games so far this season and has won over half of them. The Wolf pack enjoyed a three-game winning streak during this time period and has yet to be shutout since conference play began. Over all, the volleyball squad hasn’t been perfect but has persevered through a tough ACC schedule, with more than a few left on the horizon.

Schedule Breakdown

The Wolfpack (11-8, 5-3 ACC) has 10 more matches left in the season before playoffs, as NC State is set to face off against some familiar faces, some of which the red-andwhite have already beaten. NC State will play Syracuse and Virginia again, two teams that the Wolfpack has already beaten this year. The team will also play Clemson and Notre Dame twice before the season ends.

The Pack won three of its last four games at home, with the one loss coming from a close 3-2 match against Boston College (148, 2-6 ACC). During the bout, the Wolfpack had 31 combined errors, including nine ser vice errors. In similar fashion, the red-andwhite’s loss at Wake Forest saw the visitors commit 21 errors, 11 of which were service errors. Reducing unforced errors such as those on serves are key to winning match es, and when the Pack keeps that number down, it’s shown to give NC State better chances at claiming victory.

Key Players

On offense, the Pack averaged just under 13 kills per set since starting ACC play. In addition, the NC State offense has been solid in terms of contributing kills and putting pressure on opposing blockers. In the loss against Boston College, however, the Eagles blocked many of NC State’s attacks, making it harder for the home side to put points on the board. Smart attacks and placement

will contribute to a higher kill total. Against teams like the Eagles, that’s easier said than done, which is why putting pressure on its opposition from the get-go is so important.

Freshman outside hitter Ava Brizard leads NC State in kills so far this season. She con tributed 13 total kills in the loss against BC, and consistently hits double-digit kill totals in every game. As a result, Brizard’s involvement and usage has increased, and she’s been able to consistently produce a steady-stream of offense and kills.

Another leader in kills is the hard-hitting graduate opposite hitter Vanja Bukilic. Her 6-foot-6-inch frame allows her to spike the ball with intense force, making it harder for the opposing team to defend. She had 14 kills in the BC loss, but only five against Syracuse and six against FSU. Consistency is key for Bukilic. If the graduate can tally double-digit kills night-in and night-out, NC State will have an easier time against its tough ACC competition.

One member of the squad who has been tremendously consistent however, is senior setter Kristen McDaniel. During the match against Boston College, she recorded her

2,000th career assist. McDaniel leads NC State in assists with 366, heavily contrib uting to the Wolfpack’s offensive effort. She also has a solid 115 digs on the season, making sure to provide support from the back row.

On defense, graduate libero Priscilla Her nandez leads the red-and-white in digs this season with 297. Her knuckleball-style serve that floats just over the net has allowed her to collect 21 service aces, the most for the Pack this season. Her role in the back row and as a libero makes her one of the essential players that contributes to the team without collecting huge statistics like kills or blocks.

Looking ahead, NC State will travel to Durham to face Duke (11-8, 2-6 ACC) be fore returning home to host three teams in a row. So far this season, the Pack has found much more success at home, losing only three games in Reynolds Coliseum and winning only four matches on the road.

Only time will tell if the Wolfpack’s domi nance at home will stand, but with five more matches at Reynolds this season, they’ll all prove crucial to NC State’s final 2022 record.

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