Voter Guide 2022 — Technician 10/27/22

MISSED:

NC State researchers find positive videos shift attitudes toward sharks

NC State researchers found watching positive You Tube videos about sharks made people less likely to blame sharks for negative interactions and more supportive of pro-conservation responses. The re searchers aimed to understand how social media can affect people’s perceptions of sharks. After partici pants watched positive YouTube videos about sharks, they were less likely to support lethal response strat egies to shark bites, such as hunting sharks.

SOURCE: NC STATE NEWS

NC students score lowest on math and reading exams in 20 years

Students in North Carolina scored significantly lower on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which tests math and reading proficiency in samples of fourth and eighth grade students nationwide, compared to before the pandemic. These results are con sistent with nationwide findings. Experts said the tests don’t indicate why students scored low, but it is likely remote learning is a contributing factor.

SOURCE: WRAL

Endangered whales’ decline slows but still faces dangers

The North Atlantic right whale, which has been listed as endangered for over 50 years, lost about 2% of its population last year. Although the population decline has slowed, the whale still faces threats to survival, in cluding high mortality due to ship collisions and be ing trapped in commercial fishing nets. Additionally, the whales seem to be getting smaller, which hurts reproduction.

SOURCE: AP

Climate activists throw mashed pota toes on Monet painting

Two climate activists hurled mashed potatoes on a painting titled “Grainstacks” by Claude Monet, which was housed in a German museum. The piece was sold for almost $111 million in 2019. The mashed potatoes did not damage the painting, which was protected by glass. The demonstration was intended to call atten tion to climate change.

SOURCE: NYT

THE RADAR

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Oct. 27

MYSTERY MADNESS! MAGIC SHOW

Friday, Oct. 28, 7-9 p.m.

TALLEY STUDENT UNION, MOUNTAIN BALLROOM Free

Be prepared to be shocked and amazed by a comedic night of magic and mystery. Enjoy an entertaining show and mocktails with the Black Students Board, and stay until the end of the show for a special surprise.

AGROECOLOGY EDUCATION

FARM: FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL

Saturday, Oct. 29, 1-5 p.m.

AGROECOLOGY EDUCATION FARM

Free

Head to the Agroecology Education Farm to celebrate fall with fun activi ties ranging from pumpkin painting to honey tasting. Make sure to register in advance to secure a parking spot.

WEAR RED, GET FED

Monday, Oct. 31 & Wednesday, Nov. 2, Noon to 1 p.m.

STAFFORD COMMONS Free

Time to break out the red t-shirts and head to Stafford Commons for midday snacks and treats.

HOWL-OWED HOMECOMING

Monday, Oct. 31, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

STAFFORD COMMONS Free

Close out “Halloweekend” with a

and a high-stakes costume contest.

Commons.

COVER BY MOLLIE MITCHELL

Baldwin vs. Ruth for mayor: Learn their policies, where they stand

Sam Oveton Managing Editor

& Emily Vespa Assistant News Editor

Mary-Ann Baldwin, current mayor of Raleigh, and Terrance Ruth, an assistant professor in the NC State School of So cial Work and Africana studies program, are running for Raleigh mayor. Although the race is nonpartisan, Baldwin is a self-identified Democrat and Ruth is a self-identified liberal; Ruth is endorsed by the Wake County Democratic Party. The key issues in the mayoral election are housing, community engagement and development.

Housing

Baldwin: seeks to implement long- and short-term solutions to Raleigh’s hous ing crisis. Her biggest goals are to end exclusionary housing, expand housing choices, build new, affordable and sup portive housing and protect Raleigh’s longtime residents.

During her tenure as mayor, Baldwin has filled gaps in “missing middle” hous ing and oversaw the approval of the $80 million Affordable Housing Bond in 2020. That money will go toward buying land for future affordable housing, reha bilitating homes and money for first-time homebuyers, among other things. The Affordable Housing Bond will be spent through 2026.

Should Baldwin be re-elected, her short-term goals are to develop affordable housing from previously underutilized properties — think the former Hospital ity Inn currently undergoing renovations to become an affordable housing hub — and to incentivize private developers to build workforce and transit-oriented de velopment housing, among other things.

Baldwin served as the director of busi ness development at Barnhill Contract ing Company between May 2020 and September 2021, for which she received scrutiny. Its projects include Fuquay-Va rina High School, the Davidson County Courthouse and New Bern Riverfront Convention Center.

Ruth: said the $80 million Affordable Housing Bond was “a critical effort that was greatly squandered.” Ruth said the housing stock in Raleigh is not enough to meet the needs of citizens, and the city should consider additional avenues of increasing affordable housing. To in crease housing affordability and density

in Raleigh, Ruth wants to expand subsi dized housing and implement tax assis tance programs for low-income longtime homeowners.

According to The News & Observer, Ruth’s plan to address rising housing costs is inspired by Durham County’s tax relief program and longtime home owner grant program, which provides up to $1,500 in tax relief to eligible Dur ham homeowners who have lived in their residence for at least five years and make less than 80% of the average median in come. Additionally, Ruth wants to gener ate public-private partnerships to boost housing supply on underutilized public land.

Community Engagement

Baldwin: says “community engage ment involves meeting residents where they are.” After Raleigh’s city council dissolved Citizen Advisory Councils (CACs), Baldwin supervised the Office of Community Engagement’s (OCE) es tablishment. According to its website, the OCE seeks to engage citizens in in cremental and measurable projects, pro grams and activities to incite change in the community.

Ruth: supports reinstating Citizen Advisory Councils (CACs), which were eliminated in 2019 by the Raleigh City Council. If elected, Ruth aims to review plans to create new citizen councils or committees that are diverse and acces sible to prioritize citizen participation in the government.

Ruth’s plan to address community engagement also includes empowering community organizations by providing these organizations with city resources and property, inspired by a grant pro gram in Newport News, Virginia that helps fund nonprofit organizations serv ing the community. Ruth said investing in community organizations can combat issues such as gun violence “... by build ing bridges and connecting individuals who want to help and be heard.”

According to his website, Ruth wants to implement open access initiatives to increase transparency in the government. He intends to boost public trust in the government by making information ac cessible to citizens.

Development Baldwin: supports the robust expan sion of transportation options through out Wake County. Her biggest goals are to establish a commuter rail, expand Bus Rapid Transit and encourage improve ments in pedestrian and bicyclist safety. During her tenure as mayor, Baldwin temporarily eliminated GoRaleigh bus fares and seeks to implement this per manently.

As a longtime proponent of the 2022 Parks Bond, which will appear on the ballot for all Raleigh residents, Baldwin seeks to oversee a five- or six-year, $275 million mission to improve Raleigh’s community parks and greenways.

Should the referendum pass, two of the most notable projects are funding Phase 2 of the Chavis Park renovations — which

includes a new aquatic center less than four miles from NC State — and con struction of the Children’s Plaza & Play area at Dix Park.

Ruth: believes it is necessary to de crease Raleigh’s car dependency and road use. He wants to expand transit plans, including rapid transit and light rail, to more areas in Raleigh, including low-in come communities. In Indyweek, Ruth said he supports eliminating parking minimums for developers in some cases to reduce car dependency, but parking requirements for downtown residences is important to ensure city parking is not exhausted. Ruth seeks to enhance pedes trian safety by expanding sidewalk net works and installing flashing crosswalks. Ruth does not support the $275 mil lion Raleigh Parks bond that voters will consider in the upcoming election; he believes the bond allocates too much funding to downtown parks and neglects many neighborhood parks in low-income communities, according to The News and Observer. Ruth feels more money should be put towards addressing housing and transit.

If elected, Ruth also wants to require non-clear-cutting practices, which would compel developers to avoid simultane ously harvesting most of the trees in an area. He opposes constructing a new sports and entertainment stadium down town — in The News and Observer, he said current stadium plans do not suf ficiently address stormwater drainage, affordable housing and traffic.

Mary-Ann Baldwin, left, via Barnhill Contracting. Terrance Ruth, right, via truth4raleigh.com.

Wiley Nickel vs. Bo Hines for seat in U.S. House of Representatives

Ali News Editor

Wiley Nickel, North Carolina State Senator and attorney, is the Democratic candidate running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and Bo Hines, former NC State football player, is the Republican candidate. Nickel and Hines are competing to represent North Caroli na’s 13th Congressional District. In their positions, they would help to introduce bills, vote on bills and serve on commit tees. Nickel and Hines’ campaign focuses are as follows:

Wiley Nickel

Nickel: supports the expansion of Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), which supports the rehabilitation and construction of affordable housing. Nickel also supports individual own ership and legislation that could make purchasing homes easier.

In an interview with INDY Week, Nickel also said he wants to crack down on inflation and “support legislation to prevent big oil CEOs from price gouging our consumers, and invest in US manu facturing so that American businesses can compete on the global stage.”

Nickel: supports the second amend ment but is a proponent of commonsense gun laws. Examples of measures

Nickel has supported in the past include universal background checks, safe stor age laws and bans on high-capacity mag azines. In an interview with INDY Week, Nickel said he has “pushed bills to im prove public safety through investments in our law enforcement and commonsense gun safety reforms,” in the past.

Nickel: believes women have the right

to make their own decisions regarding reproductive health. He plans to fight for this right in congress along with the right to equality for the LGBTQ community.

Bo Hines

Hines: believes in protecting free speech to maintain civil accord. In a tweet, Hines said “Social media is the new public square and we MUST treat it as such.” This was later followed up with another tweet: “The dangers of restrict

ing free speech far outweigh the dangers of allowing it.”

Hines: supported by former President Donald Trump, plans to fight for an “America First” economy that discour ages offshoring and corporate inversions. Business Insider said Hines has made a point about the effects of inflation on American families several times. Hines said, “With 8.3% inflation, that is the equivalent of one month’s salary for the average American.” This has generally been followed with, “my wife and I can’t afford to give up one month’s salary,” to which multiple publications have noted Hines does not have a salary and has been supported by a family trust during the campaign according to WRAL.

Hines: is pro-gun. He believes gun ownership is important for the protec tion of oneself and one’s family and prop erty. After a shooting by a 15-year-old that occurred in North Raleigh, Hines said, despite his stance supporting the second amendment, “there’s no reason that a child should have access to a fire arm unattended by an adult.” According to WRAL, Hines said he would support safe storage laws and increased funding towards mental health.

Cheri Beasley vs. Ted Budd for seat in U.S. Senate

Abigail Ali News Editor

Mariana Fabian Opinion Editor

Cheri Beasley, former public defender, judge and North Carolina Supreme Court justice, and Ted Budd, former businessman and cur rent U.S. congressperson, are running against each other for a seat in the U.S. Senate to repre sent North Carolina where they would vote on legislation making its way through congress.

Beasley stands as the Democratic candidate in this race. Budd stands as the Republican candidate. The issues each candidate focuses on are as follows:

Cheri Beasley

Beasley: believes in expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare. She sup ports the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. During the North Carolina Senate Debate, Beasley said she supports “Medicare for All” and the creation of a pub lic option under the Affordable Care Act. Beasley’s goal is to make health insurance

and Medicaid available to people within the federal poverty level. She also supports the innovation of medical treatment and delivery that would lower costs.

Beasley supports the protection and expan sion of women’s reproductive health services to make them more accessible. This includes supporting the federal funding of Planned Parenthood.

Beasley: plans to support initiatives that provide safe, well-paying jobs. She plans to fight for investments in infrastructure and renewable energy to create new jobs, raise the minimum wage to $15/hour and expand oc cupational education programs.

Beasley will support small businesses and entrepreneurs. She supports the labor move ment, PRO Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The PRO Act promises workers the right to organize and the Paycheck Fairness Act ad dresses wage discrimination, mainly focus ing on workers’ right to speak out about their wages.

A big part of Beasley’s campaign has includ ed lowering the costs of things like prescrip tion drugs, groceries and more.

Beasley: plans to support women’s rights by fighting for a federal paid family and medical

leave program as well as fighting to expand affordable childcare and to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Through these initia tives, she aims to ensure gender equality in the workplace and protect women from work place harassment and job displacement.

According to WCNC Charlotte, Beasley is

also against bans on abortion. Beasley said to WCNC: “The question is: Who makes the decision? Is it a woman and her physician or is it politicians up in Washington?” She said an exam room is no place for a politician’s opinion.

Wiley Nickel, left, via Wikimedia Commons. Bo Hines, right, via New York Times.

Ted Budd, left, via Wikimedia

Commons. Cheri Beasley, right, via cheribeasley.com.

Voting 101: How to vote in the midterm elections

Kate Denning Correspondent

The North Carolina statewide general elec tion is Tuesday, Nov. 8, and the early voting period spans from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5. Voting as a college student can be confusing — some students may decide to stay registered at their non-college home address or register with an address here in Wake County.

Wake County Board of Elections member Gerry Cohen said this election is extremely significant.

“We are having very important elections No vember 8; we’re electing a U.S. senator state wide, 14 members of the House of Representa tives, two seats on our state Supreme Court and all the way down through the general assembly and county commissioner,” Cohen said. “If you vote in Wake County, Raleigh is electing a mayor and city council.”

Cohen recommends voting early in person or by absentee ballot to ensure voting goes smoothly.

“It’s a bit harder to vote on Election Day, since at that point you’ll need to vote at the polling place assigned to your voting address,” Cohen said.

If you are registered to vote in Wake County, you are eligible to vote early at Talley Student Union between Oct. 20 and Nov. 5, including on the weekend. If you are not registered to vote yet, you are eligible to register and vote early on the same day at Talley Student Union.

“If you want to register on-site in Wake County, you need to show proof of your ad dress,” Cohen said. “If you live on campus, you can go to your MyPack Portal, click on personal information, click on address, and at the bottom of that page will be your current housing address. You can either print that out or login while you’re in line to vote and show that information to the election official.”

According to Cohen, if you live off campus, you are able to use another form as proof of residence, such as a utility bill or a paycheck stub.

For students who chose to remain registered in their home county, voting early in person is still an option at a polling place in their re

SENATE

continued from page 4

Ted Budd

Budd: There is no issue concerning health care on Budd’s campaign page, however, he has critiqued the Affordable Care Act, or Obam acare. Budd argues that Obamacare did not give Americans the access they needed and it raised costs too much. Per Spectrum News, Budd said a Medicare for All healthcare plan would be unsustainable for the economy. His Congressional website says: “I will fight for healthcare solutions that give every Ameri can options, and I will never support any plan that puts more decision-making in the hands of Washington bureaucrats instead of your doctor.”

Budd: is anti-abortion. He plans to continue

spective counties. Cohen also suggested voting with an absentee ballot.

“Voting by mail is relatively easy,” Cohen said. “You can go to ncsbe.gov and apply online for an absentee ballot. If you apply through the portal, you should get a ballot in four to five days.”

Cohen advised returning the absentee ballot by Nov. 5 to allow ample time for processing.

To learn more about who’s on the ballot and candidate platforms, Wanya Ward, Pack the Polls’ Civic Engagement Initiatives graduate assistant, suggested the site vote411.org, which displays personalized candidate information based on your voting address.

“I like this website a lot because not only do they all answer the same questions, you can compare them between different candidates,”

protecting the sanctity of life, according to his campaign site and WCNC Charlotte. He feels that abortion should be a state’s rights issue. In a campaign press release, Budd stated the overturning of Roe v. Wade “is a historic vic tory for the millions of Americans who believe that every life is precious and deserves protec tion.” Budd also seeks to defund Planned Par enthood.

“I’m pro-life, and I have been long before politics, and I’ve always been about support ing life, including the life of the mother,” Budd said in a debate.

Budd also cosponsored a national 15-week abortion ban, written by Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Budd: plans to reduce wasteful spending in Congress, stop socialism, provide tax cuts to many middle class Americans and support small business owners. He also supported the tax cuts proposed by President Donald Trump

Ward said. “You can read both candidates to see their opinions and views on each topic and determine the best candidate for yourself.”

Ward encouraged students to be informed and understand what candidates stand for.

“I think that with the amount of races in this upcoming election, it’s really important to do that research and figure out what candidates are doing and what the actual positions them selves are,” Ward said.

Ward suggested checking getinvolved.ncsu. edu and service.dasa.ncsu.edu to learn about opportunities to get civically engaged.

“Being able to volunteer and get connected with different community partners around campus and the surrounding Raleigh area is one of the best ways to be civically engaged, beyond just voting,” Ward said.

and seeks to reduce the national debt. Per his campaign site, “Ted agrees with President Ron ald Reagan,” “The most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Budd currently sits on the Financial Services Committee to tackle economic issues and reg ulations that restrict job creation throughout the U.S. In general, Budd advocates for less big government spending and involvement for the working class American.

Budd: plans to instill a Voter ID require ment in North Carolina. He seeks to safeguard elections, requiring the verification of mail-in ballots and the allowing of election officials to verify voter’s citizenship. In regards to election results and law, Budd was one of 147 Republi cans who voted against the 2020 Election re sults. Former President Trump endorsed him heavily for this election.

Over $1.1 billion in bonds on ballot

Emily Vespa Assistant News Editor

In the upcoming election, voters in Ra leigh and Wake County will vote on seve ral bond referendums. Wake County voters will consider two bond proposals for Wake County Public Schools and Wake Techni cal Community College, and Raleigh voters will consider a bond proposal for Raleigh Parks and Greenway. The approval of these bonds would result in higher property taxes for residents of Wake County and Raleigh.

Wake Technical Community College “Workforce Forward” Bond: $353.2 mil lion

This bond would fund an expansion of Wake Tech’s health science programs, construction of a permanent Western Wake Campus and a new cyber science building on Wake Tech’s RTP Campus and renova tions and upgrades to Wake Tech campus locations.

Wake County Public School System Bond: $530.7 million

To accommodate for rapid growth in Wake County, this bond would fund five new schools — three elementary schools in Apex, Fuquay-Varina and Wendell, a middle school in Morrisville and a high school for west Cary and Morrisville. It would also fund renovations in schools throughout the district and other costs such as equipment and technology.

Raleigh Parks Bond Referendum: $275 million

This bond would fund 20 projects throughout the city, including the construc tion of a $54 million aquatic center at Cha vis Park and a new Devereux Meadow park north of downtown. It would fund greenway connectors around Raleigh, including a new greenway connecting Crabtree Creek Greenway to downtown Raleigh and Dix Park, which is part of the Devereux Meadow park plan.

COURTESY OF GERRY COHEN

KYLE HOWE

Raleigh voters should choose community over developer-friendly Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin

the community. The move was decried by the general public, who were understandably con cerned with the decision by council members to extend their own power.

Justin Welch Correspondent

As early voting opens up in Talley Student Union, NC State prepares for a flurry of activity in the coming weeks for what will be a consequen tial midterm election. While the national spotlight is on the state’s closely-contested Senate race, dramatic de velopments in recent years make local Raleigh elections the most signifi cant in years. In the coming weeks, it is essential that voters invested in the Raleigh community vote out incumbent mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.

Some of the most dramatic changes in Ra leigh this year are the elections themselves; fol lowing passage of legislation from the General Assembly, city elections scheduled to take place last year were pushed back to 2022. This was a result of 2020 census numbers realigning elec toral districts as well as a problematic decision by the Raleigh City Council.

The resolution, which extended the tenure of each council member by a year, was decided in a closed-door session. With the guidance of Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, the city council came to this conclusion without the input of

The decision was not the first of Mayor Baldwin’s that departed from community consensus and input. In the first year of her term, Baldwin and the city council surprisingly shut down the city’s Citizen Advisory Councils, again with no public consultation.

In the summer of 2020, the mayor drew criticism for the city’s response to Black Lives Matter protests. As Raleigh police liberally expended tear gas on what began as peaceful protests, Baldwin eventually resorted to en acting a curfew. The public reaction was one of condemnation and outrage towards city of ficials that laid the groundwork for an eroding relationship between Baldwin’s government and the community at large.

Baldwin has caught the most heat for her ties to development companies. Raleigh is the fourth-fastest growing city in the country, and has seen a correlated increase in rent that has made affordable housing the hot topic of the coming elections. With concerns about de velopment and construction mounting in the

community, Baldwin did her public image no favors when she joined Barnhill Contracting Company weeks after city council awarded the construction company a $6.3 million contract.

As the divide between city and community widens, the mayor’s deep allegiances with the development sect are all the more staggering.

While it is healthy and positive for a city to grow, doing so without leaving people behind is not a mutually exclusive affair. As Raleigh becomes more unaffordable, the rate of home lessness in the city is skyrocketing. Baldwin’s connections drew a recall effort in 2021, indi cating perhaps that the solution is rooted in community and not companies.

Fortunately, that solution is on the ballot this November. Baldwin faces two challengers this year: NC State professor Dr. Terrance Ruth and vice chair of Wake’s Health & Human Services Board DaQuanta Copeland. Both provide a platform better suited for the community of Raleigh.

Ruth, a lecturer in the School of Social Work, has extensive experience with community engagement. His impressive resume includes teaching at-risk youth in Wake County and being the executive director of North Carolina’s

NAACP. Ruth has campaigned on rebuild ing trust between Raleigh officials and their constituents, seeking to reinstate community engagement lost in previous years. His grass roots campaign has garnered the endorsement of the Wake County Democratic Party over the incumbent, a testament to the strength of his message.

Copeland’s bid for mayor is focused on bring ing those pushed out by development back into the conversation. Having lived in southeast Ra leigh for 25 years, she has seen firsthand the effects of gentrification on the city as natives are pushed out for new apartments and homes. A single mother and renter, Copeland represents a community needing representation but con sistently overlooked by the city.

Both candidates are a breath of fresh air after years of turbulence and disconnect in the city. Their platforms can better represent all people of Raleigh. The reign of Baldwin wades into the narrative of national American politics — distorting the lines between outside interests and genuine representation of the people. For a more inclusive Raleigh, students should vote in a new mayor compatible with the interests of the community.

Our dining halls need to diversify their vegetarian and vegan options

I’ve been vegetarian for almost a year now, and I sometimes forget there are even restrictions on my diet. This is because recently, the availability of meatless or plant-based options in the world has improved drastically. Un fortunately, college cam puses are a bit behind.

at NC State. With such a strong presence, it frustrates me how this community isn’t accommodated as much as it should be.

Skye Crawford Correspondent

One of the first things people look at when choosing a college is the food. Universities know this, which is why a range of chain restaurants are becoming increasingly present on campuses. I re member when I toured NC State and one of the tour guides’ main selling points was the Chick-fil-A near the library.

While colleges are working to appeal to the public at large, they don’t give enough attention to students — or prospective students — that need diverse food options in other ways.

The amount of students that fall into this category isn’t insignificant either. Accord ing to a College Pulse survey from 2019, 14% of college students adhere to vegetari an or vegan diets. I’m often shocked at how many vegetarians or vegans I meet here

The NC State Dining webpage is mis leading and doesn’t reflect the reality of meatless options at the dining halls. It says dining offers a “wide array of tasty veg etarian and vegan options at every meal in the dining halls.” It’s good the website offers suggestions for what to eat if you don’t like anything being served, but it’s basically limited to a salad or sandwich. It says they have vegetarian burgers or veggie nuggets at every meal too, but I’ve gone to the dining hall to find neither of these things at times.

It’s also irritating that I can’t always trust the dining hall menu posted on line. Sometimes, I’ll check the menu just to show up and find some options aren’t actually being served.

The food and allergen labels displayed above each station are helpful to a cer tain extent, but some foods are marked as “untested for ingredients and allergens,” limiting my dining options sometimes.

I’ve also signed up to receive the school’s updates on vegetarian and vegan menus and dining news, but I’ve never actually gotten any updates.

This year I’ve been eating at the Atrium a lot, simply because I can find more veg etarian options there — smoothie bowls, wraps, french fries, sushi and yogurt. However, the Atrium’s hours are much shorter than the dining halls’ hours, so I haven’t always been able to turn there.

One Earth in Talley Student Union usu ally has some good options, but again, the hours are short. The other restaurants in Talley have been good for me to rely on too, but the location makes it inconvenient at times.

These logistical issues are why it’s im portant for the dining halls to diversify their vegetarian and vegan options. It’s especially important that accommoda tions be made on our campus as college students are more likely than the general population to be vegetarian or vegan.

This isn’t to say the dining halls offer nothing for vegetarian and vegan stu dents. I’ve certainly been able to find something at every meal. Though not always, veggie nuggets are usually there. Pizza and garlic bread are fairly constant. There’s also the salad bar and fruit that I can expect to be there.

It gets tiring though, to eat the same things every day due to a limited avail

ability of meatless options. We all get sick of the dining hall at some point, but for vegetarians and vegans, I think that time comes sooner.

Transitioning to college is hard as is, but when you realize there are no home cooked meals and your diet is essentially dependent on the whim of others, that only makes the situation trickier.

While providing meatless options will definitely require more effort, it’s neces sary and far from impossible. Aramark, the largest food service provider in the U.S., recently shared it’ll be pushing for more plant-based dining options at over 250 U.S. colleges and universities. Accord ing to TastingTable, “The company’s goal is to have 44% of its offerings be plantbased by 2025.” If NC State is willing, seeking out options like this could be a hopeful change for vegetarian and vegan students.

At the very least, if accommodating cur rent students isn’t enough of an incentive for dining to commit to diversifying food options, more people would probably be willing to choose NC State for their col lege experience if vegetarians and veg ans didn’t have to worry about accessible foods.

NC State’s lack of transparency surrounding campus tragedies harms us all

Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of suicide and mental illness.

n light of Tristan Burd and Ryan Bohner’s deaths, NC State needs to address its community when tragic events occur on campus. The University’s display of ignorance and lack of transparency causes more harm than good and actively spreads misinformation to the campus community.

NC State has failed to properly communicate to its students after the deaths of Burd on Oct. 7 and Bohner on Sept. 8. Aside from an email University Housing sent to residents of Lee Hall Oct. 7 and a vague message from Chancellor Randy Woodson on World Mental Health Day, NC State provided no additional information regarding either death.

While we were able to provide our readership with the little information we had through a staff report in October, University Communications has a much broader reach. Making even a small amount of information available to the public is important to ensure students and faculty across campus can get the support they need from their peers and family.

Investigations details are understandably kept private, but near-complete silence on the University’s behalf disregards the impact of Burd and Bohner’s deaths on the broader community.

NC State sent what little information it could to those closest to the incident, including Lee Hall residents and students in Burd’s academic program. Students who live outside of Lee Hall, parents and concerned community members didn’t know much more than the rumors that were circulating on social media.

This problem was exacerbated in the case of Bohner’s death. Nobody within NC State’s community received a message regarding his sudden passing, and it was largely left up to Bohner’s fraternity to organize a vigil and encourage

students to check in with each other.

Facebook groups, such as NCSU Parents, utilized an online community to connect with other parents and find out what’s going on

information, statements or the confirmation or denial of rumors isn’t acceptable. In the end, the lack of transparency from the University may end up doing more harm than it does good. Without the truth — or even the partial truth — rumors swirl and misinformation

According to the University of Michigan, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. However, NC State doesn’t track suicide deaths. While it’s difficult to talk about suicide, no matter the circumstance, we lose much more in not reporting and measuring this data — counselors and mental health advocates on campus may not be able to determine the efficacy of

As an esteemed institution, it’s NC State’s responsibility to do more for mental health.

Dog therapy events on campus are certainly cute and a great photo opportunity, but what about investing more time and money in on-campus mental health resources?

While NC State’s counseling center is a good resource for students, it is not intended to provide long-term, oneon-one counseling. The average number of individual short-term therapy sessions students use at the counseling center is 4-5. Up to 12 sessions are offered based on needs, but that number isn’t guaranteed. While the center provides a starting point for anyone seeking help, it is

not a place students can rely on for long-term support. Increasing the Counseling Center’s capability to provide long-term counseling to students who prefer on-campus services will encourage more students to utilize their services.

Additionally, NC State should implement a campus-wide system to receive feedback from students on what the administration can do to improve students’ mental health. This system could be similar to class evaluations or reports compiled via open a spaces. Steps like these will encourage students to open up about issues and concerns with their peers and supervisors and also form a way for the community’s voice to make its way back to the administration.

NC State needs to do better to help its student body and extended community. This begins with transparency, better communication and mental health resources that students can depend on.

If you or someone you know is having a mental health emergency, the Counseling Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 919-515-2423.

If you are in a crisis situation and need immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

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

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

GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO/TECHNICIAN

The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the members of Technician’s editorial board, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief.

Pumpkin Picking

Szacks, staff cartoonist

second-year studying art and design

A Warm Meal

Gabriel, staff cartoonist

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Study Buddies Pearl Knight, staff cartoonist

fourth-year studying art and design

Study Spaces

Reid, staff cartoonist

second-year studying business administration

Culture

‘Midnights’: Swift’s glittering return

Mary Kate Giuffrida Assistant Copy Desk Chief

Taylor Swift’s 10th studio album, “Mid nights,” hit streaming platforms and shelves Oct. 21, although in true Swift fashion, this wasn’t the first fans were hearing of the ar tist’s newest project. For weeks, Swift had been dropping clues and song titles on Ins tagram and Twitter, leaving fans to do their best sleuthing and put together the pieces.

The album — which can best be described as the sultry older sister to Swift’s earlier works “1989” and “Reputation” — was an instant success, currently holding the top 10 song spots on Apple Music. This isn’t surpri sing to anyone familiar with the worldwide sensation whose fans are among the most passionate and loyal of any artist in history.

“Midnights” is bound to give fans of sis ter albums “Folklore” and “Evermore” whi plash as Swift harkens back to her earlier days as a pop princess, seemingly leaving the wistful and poetic nature of her most recent works behind. This departure came with backlash from newer Swift fans who were hoping for a continuation of the works which converted them to Swifties in the first place. Those who have been by her side for longer, however, recognize the album for what it is — a return to her roots from an older, “but just never wiser,” Swift.

This revisitation to older works is perhaps sparked by Swift’s journey to rerecord her first six albums after having her masters kept from her by entertainment executive Scooter Braun. Whatever the reason may be, the influence of earlier works in “Mid nights” is undeniable.

Fans were quick to point out the similari ties between opening track “Lavender Haze” and “Lover” favorite, “I Think He Knows.” In fact, connecting songs from “Midnights” to earlier works of Swift’s has become a challenge, with fans remixing tracks like “Maroon” with “King Of My Heart,” and “Anti-Hero” with “Death By A Thousand Cuts.”

This isn’t to say the album is derivative. Swift expertly blends the old with the new to create something both unique and joyfully familiar for her fans — and the album is for her fans. Those unfamiliar with the artist’s life and works might find themselves on the outside, unable to fully appreciate what is so clearly a love letter to those who have stood by Swift’s side from the beginning.

While “Midnights” is a return to the pop genre for Swift, it is also a return to the autobiographical writing she was once known for. Her last two albums took ins piration from other’s stories, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. The same cannot be said for “Midnights,” which puts Swift’s incredible songwriting to use diving into the story of “13 sleepless nights” throughout her life.

Her closeness to the stories she is telling is

evident in the vulnerability of “Anti-Hero,” an introspective song which Swift says is inspired by her own anxieties and struggles with “not feeling like a person.” Similarly, “You’re On Your Own, Kid” is deeply perso nal, dealing with love and loss during Swift’s rise to fame, and even offering a glimpse into her struggle with an eating disorder (“I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss”).

These songs, and the countless others on the album which are equally personal, are like a hug from the artist. Swift is a powe rhouse songwriter, and one of the many reasons she has remained so relevant is be cause her songs feel like your own, like she’s reached into your head and pulled out the words you’ve never said aloud.

Another pair of triumphs from “Mid nights” are pop hits-in-the-making “Be jeweled” and “Karma.” “Bejeweled” is “Mirrorball” all grown up and back with a vengeance, ready to protect the self-love Swift has put front and center in this song. Catchy synth beats and glittering harmo nies make “Bejeweled” perfect to perform with your hairbrush microphone.

The same can be said for “Karma,” which had already inspired its own TikTok trend within hours of its release. “Karma” takes aim at those who have wronged Swift, re lishing in the idea that what goes around comes around. You can’t help but dance to

the song, caught up in the vibrant lyrics and production, much like listeners were caught up in “22” after its release in 2012.

The album also featured a much antici pated celebrity collab, with cult favorite Lana Del Rey featured on “Snow On The Beach.” Immediately after the collaboration was announced, just days before the album was released, fans and non-fans alike took to the internet to express their excitement over seeing the two influential artists work together. This anticipation did not, however, exempt Del Rey from receiving the same treatment as other female artists featured on Swift’s songs.

Del Rey’s voice could barely be reco gnized, her harmonies easily mistaken for Swift’s own, and far from the duet fans were hoping for. This is easily the biggest miss on “Midnights.” The song’s lyrics and aesthetic gave it the potential to be one of the album’s biggest hits, perfect for a collaboration with the sultry and soulful Del Rey. However, underusing and underappreciating Del Rey’s unique voice, Swift failed to meet the expectations of hopeful fans.

Another “Midnights” collaborator who made their mark was Swift’s longtime pro ducer and friend Jack Antonoff. Antonoff, who is known for producing albums like Lorde’s “Melodrama” and Clairo’s “Sling,” is clearly heard throughout the album with his fun and maximalist style. Two more

well-known additions to the “Midnights” credits: “William Bowery,” the pen name for Swift’s boyfriend of six years Joe Alwyn, and Dylan O’Brien, the actor who recently starred in Swift’s short film. Alwyn is cre dited as a writer on the darling love song “Sweet Nothing,” while O’Brien played the drums on “Snow on the Beach.”

While “Midnights” was able to capture the hearts of fans immediately, it is far from a perfect album. The cohesiveness of Swift’s other works is missing, jumps like those from “Anti-Hero” to “Snow On The Beach,” and “Bejeweled” to “Labyrinth” feel sudden and out of place. This wasn’t helped by the seven surprise songs Swift dropped just three hours after the original release. Similarly, there are places where the lyrics feel surface level, like Swift couldn’t quite reach the same depth found in masterpiece “My Tears Ricochet.”

That being said, “Midnights” is still a raging success and a strong return to pop for an artist who has so consistently and skillfully reinvented herself time and time again. “Midnights” urges you to examine yourself, your insecurities and your power. It takes you on a journey through Swift’s love and loss, and keeps you dancing along the way. “Midnights” has proven why, when it comes to Taylor Swift, we’ll “meet her at midnight” every time.

GRAPHIC BY JOE LINGO

University Theatre unveils ‘The Crucible’

Finn Huneycutt Correspondent

Directed by Mia Self, ‘‘The Crucible’’ is University Theatre’s debut for the 2022 season and gives personality to a classic tale. The small stage at Titmus Theater could have created problems for the crew, but its unique setup and the cast’s creative use of space made the setting feel intimate instead of cramped. The low walls dividing the room gave the cast plenty of opportu nities to push boundaries and make the li mited space more interesting, and a forest background contributed to the illusion of a larger setting.

Most traditional performances of “The Crucible” put the women in long black dresses with bonnets. Colorful, slightly more modern dresses were used in this production though, which brought more

individuality both to the characters and the show as a whole. The costumes maintained the feeling of Salem in the late 1600s without condemning everyone to the same bland uniforms.

Chloe Dexter set the tone of the play with her performance as Betty Parris in the opening scene. Her distress was nearly permeable, and her body language qui ckly brought the stage to life. Although at first unconscious, she wakes up in a fit of screaming and flailing that brings a stark contrast to the solemn and quiet beginning of the scene. Right off the bat, the audience knows this is going to be an emotionally jar ring play thanks to Dexter’s performance.

If you don’t already know the plot of “The Crucible,” Abigail Williams, played by Kat Cupp, can be a hard character to pin down. Cupp’s use of facial expressions, vocal tone and physical interactions with the other characters allowed them to slowly unveil

their character’s loyalties and intentions without ever explicitly stating what they are. Their confidence on the stage created a captivating performance of a complex character.

Although he did not make an appearance until the second act, Daniel Piric was one of the most memorable actors for his portrayal of Deputy-Governor Thomas Danforth. Danforth is the kind of character that has an air of confidence, ego and self-possession. He unwaveringly commands the room, and Piric depicted this effortlessly.

Reverend John Hale is a difficult character to portray. He goes through an intense cha racter arc in which he is forced to confront his long-lasting ideals and comes out the other side a changed man. In Bean Hop per’s performance of the Reverend, they dis played great chemistry with the other cha racters, but their deep emotional struggles fell a bit flat. Hopper clearly had potential

and likely would have been perfect in the role of Giles or Judge Hathorne.

When you think of “The Crucible,” there is a good chance you picture John Proctor. His character is meant to encapsulate the emotional turmoil and conflict of the play, and William Kalland’s performance did not disappoint. The depth of his character was present from the beginning, and every part of his acting was impressive. From his voice control to body language and interac tions, Kalland communicated the unspoken complexity of John Proctor and captured his inner turmoil with ease.

University Theatre’s newest debut pro mises an invigorating experience amid complex characters and boundary-pushing dialogue. The cast and crew of “The Cru cible” did a wonderful job, and it’s well worth your time to buy a ticket and head to Titmus Theater.

NATALIE FOLSOM/TECHNICIAN

Cast members of “The Crucible” discuss the confession of Skye Pham, a fourth-year studying sustainable materials and technology, as Mary Warren in court during the show in Stewart Theatre Oct. 18, 2022. The play revolves around the Salem Witch Trials of the late seventeenth century.

Culture

Hillsborough Street hosts trick-ortreating superheroes, dinosaurs

Jameson Wolf Assistant Culture Editor

Hillsborough Street was a bustling sight Sunday afternoon on Oct. 23, as families led their mini ghosts, witches and princesses up and down the street on a treasure hunt for sweet treats as part of the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation’s (HSCSC) Trick-or-Treat event.

The three-hour affair consisted of candy stations stretching from Morgan Street to I-440 with special candy chests located outside select businesses along the way. Throughout the afternoon, street perform ers joined the trick-or-treaters in their walk while jazz duos, one-man bands and math rock trio Moving Boxes filled the street with music.

Costumes were vast and varied, bring ing color and creativity to the busy street. Highlights included a stroller-bound stego saurus, a newborn ladybug, some stylish pirates and enough Spider-Mans to fill the spider-verse.

Jeff Murison, president and CEO of HSC SC, said the event was meant to connect local residents with all that Hillsborough Street has to offer.

“The primary objective is to attract fami lies — particularly, local residential families and their children — to come to Hillsbor ough Street and have a fun, family-friendly experience,” Murison said. “To reconnect

with those folks that live on and around the corridor. … It [is] a little bit more targeted to our local residential community and their families to come out and have a great ex perience, have some fun and connect with merchants in a spirited way.”

In addition to giving residents the op portunity to connect with Hillsborough Street, the event also connected residents and participants to one another. Lacey Wilz got to make some connections of her own as her kids got their candy.

“We’ve only been here a week or two, and I

found [the event] on Facebook as something to get out and meet people,” Wilz said. “I’ve been able to meet some people actually from our apartment complex. … It serves mainly to get to know people and to get out and see other kids because we don’t know anybody. It was a lot of fun, and that’s what it was for.”

Volunteers from Sigma Chi fraternity manned each candy station passing out handfuls of goodies to the trick or treat ers. Ridge Massarelli, a third-year studying

business economics and a member of Sigma Chi, said the event allowed for fun, acces sible trick-or-treating.

“I think it’s great for people that maybe don’t have neighborhoods where it’s easy to trick or treat to be able to come and walk down Hillsborough Street [or] NC State’s campus and have a fun time getting the Hal loween spirit,” Massarelli said.

Jesus Ontiveros, a third-year studying construction engineering and a member of Sigma Chi, enjoyed giving back to the Raleigh community.

“Just giving back and helping out makes you feel a little better,” Ontiveros said. “[I] like all the different costumes that kids show up in and [seeing] how they change from when I was a kid.”

With lots of joy and even more sugar, the event was a resounding success toward HSCSC’s mission of crafting Hillsborough Street into a welcoming and exciting place to live, work and visit, demonstrating the beautiful intersection of all walks of life that the street represents.

“There’s always something new here,” Murison said. “There’s always something changing, and so we want to make sure that the street feels welcoming, that we invite people to come here. We want students to have a great experience, feel safe here. We want local residents to feel like the street is part of their community and their back yard, their neighborhood.”

A cycle of screams — horror films throughout the years

Matthew Burkhart Correspondent

Ever since its 1931 debut in James Whale’s “Frankenstein,” horror has proved itself to be one of the most enduring film genres, with countless fans coming back to feel their skin crawl almost a hundred years later. Since then, experts and students alike have studied the genre to find out what exactly it is that has so many viewers exclaiming, “I can’t watch, but I can’t look away!”

Dr. Josie Barth, a teaching assistant pro fessor of film studies, specializes in the study of horror and is currently teaching a graduate course on horror films.

According to Barth, what separates the horror genre from thriller and monster films of the early 20th century is the pres ence of a monster and how it challenges

the status quo. The precursors of the hor ror genre include silent German Expres sionist films, such as “Nosferatu” and the American supernatural film, “Dracula.”

While these films featured monsters, it wasn’t until James Whale’s “Frankenstein” that the horror genre was born, as it was purposefully produced and advertised to frighten the audience.

Barth said horror films are only begin ning to be taken seriously now, since more people are beginning to realize the impact of the genre and how the monsters of these films symbolize greater disruptions in our society.

“What scares us I think both as individu als and as a society really tells us what we value, and what kinds of taboos are being broken tells us a lot about our own sorts of preconceptions and the things that we sort

of hold sacred,” Barth said. “If something scares you, it’s because it is breaking some kind of taboo that you might not even be aware of.”

Ben Cela, a graduate teaching assistant in film studies, said horror films can act as a sort of time capsule, providing insight into what society fears at the time of their release.

“There’s always new anxieties that are being brought up every century and even every decade,” Cela said. “Horror films are known to be in cycles. So every around 10 years or so, there’s some new political or economic or social crisis that’s going on that is being expressed through horror films in one way or another.”

According to Barth, the reason so many people obsess over the genre is found in its cathartic and repetitive nature. Many of the

films have tropes and intertextual references to each other, giving horror fanatics certain aspects of films to expect and “overcome.”

“I think the sort of central, maybe fantasy of horror films is that what threatens us is actually something that we can master or control in some way,” Barth said. “So we can sort of symbolically kill off whatever it is that worries us.”

Brian Hill, a first-year studying statistics, said a factor behind horror films not being taken seriously is how corporations found their way into the industry, aiming to make money rather than impactful horror mov ies.

Visit technicianonline.com to view the entire article.

JAMESON WOLF/TECHNICIAN

No. 24 NC State football set to find its footing against Virginia Tech

Ethan Bakogiannis Assistant Sports Editor

It’s no lie that NC State football’s season hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

Normally, a game against Virginia Tech, who’s currently at rock bottom in the ACC Coastal division, would be just another routine win for the experienced and dangerous NC State squad. But as we all know, college football is anything but normal — as usual.

The crippling loss of redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary puts a whole new spin on the upcoming Thursday night matchup between the Wolfpack and Hokies. While a roaring crowd creating an electric atmosphere in CarterFinley will be business as usual, the performance under center will be anything but.

With graduate signal caller Jack Chambers primed to make his second start with the program against the Hokies, he’ll be looking to have a much different game than the one he and the offense had against NC State’s last opponents. The then-No. 18 Syracuse squad kept Chambers and the Pack out of the end zone all day long, holding them to just field goals.

If there was ever a game where Chambers and company would find the endzone, this is it, especially against a Hokie defense that has allowed an average of nearly 30 points a game against Power Five opponents. Most importantly, the under-the-lights showdown against Virginia Tech will provide a chance for the offense to establish a rhythm — getting reps in against a less-than-stellar defense.

With future matchups against teams such as Wake Forest, Louisville and UNC-Chapel Hill, Chambers will need to continue to establish a consistent and comfortable reper toire with his teammates to create an effective offense. It seems as though we’ll see flashes of this against the Hokies, who might possibly be the worst Power Five defense that NC State plays all year.

While all eyes will be on Chambers and the offense, it’s no doubt that the NC State defense will expect to feast on the Hokie’s offensive unit. It’ll look to single-out Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells, who has thrown just as many interceptions as he has touchdowns, with seven. Further more, Wells is currently throwing at under 60% completion, directing his offense to a mere 19.4 points per game and a 33.3% conversion rate on third downs.

The Hokies put forth a decent rushing attack, averaging over 100 yards on the ground per game. Not unlike NC State, the Hokies tote a backfield by committee, with Wells even getting in on the action. However, it isn’t anything the savvy, veteran Wolfpack defense can’t handle.

Barring some unlikely circumstances, NC State’s nation ally recognized defense should be able to restrict the Hok ies on the scoreboard, giving Chambers and the offense ample opportunity, with little pressure, to get on the board themselves.

However, if unable to get it rolling on offense, NC State’s duel with the Hokies may be much closer than many may initially anticipate. If Virginia Tech is able to pick up where Syracuse left off, restricting the Leary-less offense to field goals, then the Thursday night duel may come down to the wire.

While Murphy’s law says Chambers touchdown defi ciency could go on forever, it’s nearly inevitable that he’ll

guide the Wolfpack to the promised land. Against a weak Hokie defense, those touchdowns will likely come in this game, providing the boost of confidence NC State needs to get back on track.

With what should be a rumpus environment in CarterFinley Stadium, there’s no doubt that NC State has a lot on the line, especially as the team still aims for a 10-win season and fights to stay inside the top-25 nationally ranked teams.

But as the Hokies take the three and a half hour trip from Blacksburg, Virginia to Raleigh, they know how small NC State’s margin for error is for the rest of the season.

And with virtually nothing to lose, Virginia Tech may just give NC State more of a battle than anyone thought. All will be revealed Thursday, Oct. 27 as the red-andwhite’s kickoff against its ACC foe is set for 7:30 p.m.

GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN

Graduate quarterback Jack Chambers hands the ball off to junior running back Jordan Houston during the Wolfpack’s home football game against the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack beat the Seminoles 19-17.

Wolfpack trumps Wildcats in first home swim & dive meet of season

Sam Overton Managing Editor

at Willis R.

Oct. 21, 2022.

Headed by incredible

from

Kylee Alons and junior Abby Arens, the No. 4 women’s

beat No. 12 Kentucky 172-126. The No. 4 men’s team trounced the unranked Wildcats 188-105.

Heading into Friday night’s duel in the pool, NC State’s roster was notably short of two key swimmers: seniors Katharine Berkoff and Ross Dant. Although Ken tucky’s swimming squads aren’t exactly for midable opponents to the top-5 programs Wolfpack head coach Braden Holloway puts out year after year, the Pack still looked a little sore in the backstroke and distance free events.

“When you have some people that are out due to sickness, yes, it’s a bad thing for those guys,” Holloway said. “But it does create opportunities for others, and that was the challenge — ... let’s capitalize on that oppor tunity that some of y’all are getting, some great looks, and let’s make the most of it.”

Dant’s absence left a gaping hole in the men’s 1,000-yard freestyle. NC State’s dis tance presence is strong, but even juniors and NCAA qualifiers James Plage and Will Gallant couldn’t hold off Kentucky fresh man Levi Sandidge. Although not a

surprise — Sandidge entered Kentucky’s roster with a 1000-yard freestyle PR two sec onds under the school record — the results

were nonetheless jarring. That being said, the meet went swim mingly for the Wolfpack from then on out. Arens absolutely crushed the competi tion in the 200-yard butterfly, post ing a 1:55.65 to almost three seconds ahead of her teammate, sophomore Grace Sheble. Minutes later, Alons cruised her way to first place in the 50-yard freestyle. Her time of 22.46 was the only one under 23 seconds in the field.

In fact, both men’s and women’s sprint freestyle squads looked great. NC State swept the men’s 50-yard freestyle and both 100-yard freestyle events, largely thanks to the likes of Alons, Arens and sophomore David Curtiss, who blasted a 19.38 in the 50-yard freestyle to take first place.

Strangely enough, senior Kacper Stokowski suited up for the 500-yard freestyle. Sure, the regular season is the time to test the waters, so to speak, but the 500 freestyle seems like a stretch for Stokowski, the reigning national champion in the 100-yard backstroke. Regardless, he powered through to post a first-place finish in 4:20.40. The exhibition swim couldn’t count for any points, but it was pretty remarkable to watch Stokowski finish

so far ahead in any non-backstroke event.

“[Stokowski had] been talking trash to our other [distance] guys, and they were talking trash, and it became a challenge,” Holloway said. “I made a deal with him: ‘I’ll let you suit up.’ Let’s see if he can break 4:20. And he was really close — he wanted the chal lenge, and it became something pretty fun.”

NC State’s men’s diving squad saw its first win of the season with senior Patrick O’Brien’s 331.95-point finish in the 3-meter diving event, a mere 0.75 points ahead of Kentucky junior Sam Duncan. In the shal low end, sophomore Aiden Hayes, senior Noah Bowers and graduate Giovanni Izzo swept the men’s 100-yard butterfly. Hayes and Bowers were the only two in the field to break 48 seconds.

The Wolfpack wrapped things up with two decisive wins in both 400-yard freestyle relay events. Although neither counted for points — at this point, the meet already had a winner — the women’s squad beat Ken tucky’s A relay by almost four seconds. The men’s A relay, highlighted by senior Bartosz Pisczorowicz’s sub-43 split, won by a little over six seconds.

The NC State swim & dive team will re turn to the pool in Greensboro Nov. 17-19 for the NC State/GAC Invitational.

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Abigail

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DANIELLE MEYER/TECHNICIAN

Freshman Drew Salls competes in the men’s 100-yard butterfly during the NC State Wolfpack’s swim and dive meet against the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022 at the Willis R. Casey Aquatics Center. The Pack men beat the Wildcats 188-105.

NC State Athletics’ week in review: Oct. 17-Oct. 23

Jenna Cuniowski Correspondent

This week’s round of competition yielded mixed results for NC State Athletics, as the fall season wraps up and the swim and dive team continues to build momentum.

Women’s golf competes at Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational

On Monday, Oct. 17 and Tuesday, Oct. 18, the Pack made a trip just down the road to the esteemed Governors Club in Chapel Hill. NC State competed against 13 other teams in the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invi tational, finishing 11th overall after three rounds.

Freshman Vania Simont continued to shine in her first collegiate season, tying for 16th individually and shooting 220 (+4). Senior Natalie Ambreuster came in just 10 places behind Simont, recording a final score of 223 (+7). Rounding out NC State’s lineup were sophomore Lauren Oli vares Leon, junior Isabel Amezcua and se nior Inja Fric, earning 43rd, 48th and 62nd place finishes, respectively.

Men’s soccer competes in two matches at home NC State played its second and third games of a four game homestand this week with a 2-1 victory over William & Mary Tuesday, Oct. 18 and a 1-1 draw with No. 4 Syracuse Saturday, Oct. 22.

Against the Tribe, both teams were able to record a goal fairly early on in the match but solid defensive efforts from each side kept the other out of the net. As the clock wound down and it seemed that the game would end in a tie, sophomore forward Luke Hille scored off of an assist from freshman midfielder Calem Tommy. William & Mary didn’t stop fighting until the very end, but ultimately the Wolfpack emerged victo rious.

Against the Orange, NC State proved it has what it takes to compete with a ran ked opponent. Sophomore midfielder Noe Cabezas scored the Pack’s only goal of the night off of an assist from sophomore forward Henrique Santos. Notably, sopho more goalkeeper Lucas Hatsios recorded a career-high eight saves against Syracuse.

Volleyball picks up two losses in ACC play

It was a challenging week for NC State volleyball as the squad faced two tough op ponents and extended its losing streak to th ree. On Wednesday, Oct. 19, the Pack made the short trip to Durham to battle the Blue Devils and found little success. The red-andwhite dropped the first set 25-23, took the second 25-22 and conceded the third and fourth sets 25-17 and 25-18, respectively. Although the Pack limited its service errors to five compared to Duke’s 11, the Blue De

vils commanded the contest by recording 61 kills, 19 more than the Wolfpack.

On Friday, Oct. 21, NC State returned to Reynolds Coliseum to take on UNC in front of a huge home crowd, hoping to get back on the winning track. Despite an overwhel ming amount of support from Wolfpack fans, the red-and-white lost to the Tar Heels in three straight sets. In a match that highlighted the Pack’s weaknesses, UNC won the first, second and third sets 25-24, 25-17 and 25-18 respectively.

Women’s soccer remains winless in October

The Pack struggled offensively this week as it recorded losses to both the Louisville Cardinals and the Virginia Cavaliers. NC State wasn’t able to score a goal in either contest.

In its last home game of the season, the Wolfpack was outshot 24-5 by the Cardi nals. The red-and-white could not piece together a win despite a career-high per formance by junior goalkeeper Maria Echezarreta, who tallied 14 saves. Ultima tely, a very sluggish-looking Pack stood no chance against an aggressive and high en ergy Louisville squad, whose one goal was enough to carry them to victory.

Against the No. 8 Cavaliers, NC State was shut out for the second time this week. Virginia established their dominance early on in the match, netting a goal in the third minute of play and never looking back from there. The red-and-white desperately tried to get back in the game but to no avail, lo sing the match 4-0.

Men’s golf closes out the fall season

NC State traveled to Wilmington to com pete in the Williams Cup this past week. The Pack came in third out of ten teams, behind UNC-Wilmington and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Senior Brandon Einstein led the charge for the Wolfpack, tying for second place individually with an overall score of 214, two-under par. Notably, only two other competitors were able to finish the tour nament under-par. Senior Maximilian Steinlechner was the next finisher for NC State, coming in 10th place at four-over par. Rounding out the Pack’s lineup were senior Carter Graf, junior Ethan Choi and fresh man Joey Lenane, finishing in 24th, 33rd and 57th place, respectively. Sophomore Jake Witkor competed as an individual, tying for 54th place.

Overall, the red-and-white put up a solid performance at the Williams Cup, ending

its fall season on a high note.

Swim and dive cruises past Kentucky

On Friday, Oct. 21, NC State competed in its home opener against the Kentucky Wild cats. Although both the men’s and women’s squads were missing talented seniors Ross Dant and Katherine Berkoff, both teams pulled off a win over the Wildcats.

On the women’s side, the No. 4 Wolfpack beat No. 12 Kentucky 172-126. Impressive sprint performances from graduate Kylee Alons and junior Abby Arens helped lead the red-and-white to victory. Arens took first in the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard IM and 100-yard freestyle, while Alons emerged victorious in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.

On the men’s side, No. 4 NC State defeated the unranked Wildcats 188-105. The Pack claimed first through fourth place in the 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly. Notably, national champion in the 100-yard backstroke senior Kacper Stokowski competed in the 500yard freestyle. He recorded an impressive 4:20.40, which couldn’t be counted for any points but beat all the other swimmers in the race.

NATALIE FOLSOM/TECHNICIAN

Junior Natalie Armbruester tees off at Lonnie Poole Golf Course during the Wolfpack Match Play on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Armbruester picked up a 1Up win against her Florida State opponent in the quarterfinals. NC State beat Florida State 3-2-0.

College football (Taylor’s Version)

Rachel Umbach Staff Writer

“Dear Reader,”

Taylor Swift filled the “Black Space” in our hearts this past week and released her new est project, “Midnights” on Oct. 21. We’re the lucky ones to listen to such a great al bum, and the only proper way to celebrate as sports fans is to compare some of her great est pieces to the teams we love and support every Saturday. So, “Are You Ready For It?”

NC State: “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”

NC State fans know it “All Too Well,” beginning each year with high hopes and ending every football season typically in a state of sadness due to whatever the Pack has had to deal with those past few months.

From injuries to poor penalties and even canceled bowl games, something seems to get lost in translation every season, breaking Wolfpack fans’ hearts in the process.

Year after year, NC State fans are left broken like a promise wondering when the supposed curse placed upon the school’s football and basketball teams will come to an end.

Tennessee: “Look What You Made Me Do”

I’m sorry, the old Volunteers can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Because they were left behind last season.

If this was written just a few weeks ear lier, “Look What You Made Me Do” clearly wouldn’t be the song choice for the Volun teers of Rocky Top.

With their win over Alabama earlier this season though, the first since Oct. 21, 2006, Tennessee deserves the respect, and a song that’s all about serving revenge.

Clearly the Volunteers did not like the role they were made to play as the fool against Alabama, but they got smarter and harder

in the nick of time this season, powering themselves to the win, and leaving everyone else to wonder, look what the Crimson Tide made them do.

Notre Dame: “New Year’s Day”

With an 0-8 record in New Year’s Six games, the most without a win in college football history, Notre Dame deserved a shoutout for its terrible luck around New Year’s Day (sorry Fighting Irish fans).

While Notre Dame faithful surely would rather be partying to start every new year, they seem to be typically cleaning up the bottles on “New Year’s Day.”

Alabama: “Don’t Blame Me”

Don’t blame the Crimson Tide, college football just made their team crazy.

As arguably one of the best college foot ball departments historically, Alabama has been toying with its opponents and break ing hearts for a long time, creating its big reputation.

Michigan: “Better than Revenge”

What could be “Better Than Revenge” other than serving it in a game with a score of 45-27, the final of last year’s rivalry matchup between storied rivals — Michigan and Ohio State.

Prior to that, the Buckeyes were victorious in every meeting dating back to November 2012. Michigan came out on top in 2011, but it was all Ohio State before that as well, as they won the previous seven matchups from 2004-2010.

Ohio State: “Style”

Speaking of the Buckeyes, Ohio State is the perfect example of a team that never goes out of style to cheer for. They’ve got the red classic look that fans like, and year after year they continue to improve their reputation hoping their season doesn’t end in burning flames but rather paradise.

LSU: “Lavender Haze”

This choice is based on LSU’s historic 2019 season which ended in a national champi onship win and feelings that can surely be described as similar to being in love, the meaning of the phrase lavender haze.

The Tiger’s school colors also add to the effect and that season surely left fans hoping they could stay in that lavender haze for a long time to come.

Georgia: “22 (Taylor’s Version)”

As the national champions of the 2021-22 season, it’s only fair the Georgia Bulldogs are represented as a song that’s name high lights the program’s historic year.

Also, one could assume that a win such as that leads to a night where “we forget about the heartbreaks,” and it feels that “every thing will be alright.”

Clemson: “Anti-Hero”

An anti-hero is described as a main char acter in a work who lacks typical heroic qualities.

Based on this, Clemson can be described as the anti-hero of the ACC, specifically tak ing the role as the main character as the Tigers have dominated the conference in football for many years and they were even ACC Champions for six-straight years span ning from 2015 to 2020.

The argument could be made that they lack certain qualities that make other foot ball teams likable though, such as their en trance which always causes a spectacle on Twitter or even the tradition of students rushing the field after every home football game.

Clemson has obviously been an incred ible team in the ACC historically, and Death Valley is arguably one of the best stadiums in the country, but the Tigers still take on the role of the anti-hero when it comes to college football as a whole.

Texas: “You Need to Calm Down”

Sorry Texas fans, but you’re being too loud with the “Texas is back” chants considering the Longhorns are still not back to winning against other top schools again.

It’s hard to make the argument a team is back if it still hasn’t won its confer ence championship since 2009, and it still couldn’t defeat Alabama in what is seem ingly an off-year for the Crimson Tide.

Things are looking up for the Longhorns, but fans need to calm down with the chant until they’re able to start winning bigger games against more competitive teams again.

As a bonus, this is typically not a favorite song choice by Taylor Swift fans, much like Texas is not typically a well-liked team in college football.

UNC-Chapel Hill: “Carolina”

This is one of the more obvious choices out of the group, but it still was a must men tion.

“Carolina” is a song for the movie “Where the Crawdads Sing,” based on the book with the same title set here in the state of North Carolina.

When there’s a song title that has the same name as a school’s nickname, there simply is no other choice.

Bonus mention: Lane Kiffin

While Ole Miss didn’t officially make the list, the Rebels head coach still deserves a shoutout for being a Swiftie.

Minutes after the release he tweeted a photo of the album with a fire and a blue heart emoji tagging Miss Swift herself. Later in the day he shared another post, this time an edit of the album cover with Kiffin as the title and Ole Miss’ schedule as the tracks.

His dog’s twitter account even joined the fun, proving the Rebels head coach is just as much of a “Lover” of Taylor Swift as the rest of us.

JERMAINE HUDSON/TECHNICIAN

Members of the marching band perform during the football game against UConn’s halftime show at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. NC State beat UConn 41-10.

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 31

Red and White Week Kickoff Stafford Commons

Wear Red, Get Fed Stafford Commons Noon

Chancellor’s Fall Address Talley Student Union 1 p.m.

Hallowed Homecoming5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov.

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pack Appreciation Day Stafford Commons

The Corner at Centennial Campus Green Commons, CVM Main Administration Building

Wear Red, Get Fed Stafford Commons Noon

Tuffy Trivia Witherspoon Cinema 7 p.m.

Celebrate

Check

Thursday, Nov. 3

Hillsborough Street Cleanup10 a.m.

NC-SYNC: Disney Stafford Commons 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 4

Wear Red, Get Fed Stafford Commons Noon

6 p.m.

Friday Night Floats: Stationary float display Brickyard

Red and White Week Pep Rally Stafford Commons 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5

NC State vs. Wake Forest Carter-Finley Stadium TBD

Show your #PackAppreciation for the thousands of donors who support our Wolfpack community! Our donors give

experiences

to the scholarships, programs, facilities

shape your time at NC State. Share

gratitude

and for everything

love about NC State during Red and White Week.

P.S. We’ll also have lots of great swag and snacks.