Carter-Finley West — Technician 12/01/22

TECHNICIAN

WHAT YOU MISSED:

New NIL plan could allow NC State football players to earn $25,000 a year

The Pack of Wolves Collective helps NC State ath letes earn money through Name, Image and Like ness (NIL) deals and has made a plan that allows football players to earn a minimum of $25,000 a year depending on individual NIL value and their in volvement in school and community activities.

SOURCE: THE NEWS & OBSERVER

North Carolina’s first car manufacturer ships first electric vehicles to US VinFast, a Vietnamese car manufacturer, shipped nearly 1,000 electric vehicles (EVs) to the United States to launch its arrival to the American EV market. VinFast is building North Carolina’s first automobile manufactur ing plant in Chatham County and plans to manufacture EVs in the facility by 2024.

SOURCE: THE NEWS & OBSERVER

US soccer team advances to round of 16 of the World Cup after defeating Iran

The U.S. Men’s National Team pulled out a 1-0 vic tory against Iran on Tuesday in a win-or-go-home match. Christian Pulisic scored in the 38th minute on a header from a ball played in by defender Sergino Dest. Iran had a scoring opportunity late in the sec ond half, but the U.S. held its ground to preserve its lead. The U.S. finished second in Group B and will play the Netherlands on Saturday in the round of 16.

SOURCE: CNN

World’s skinniest tower unveiled

Construction is complete on Steinway Tower, a 1,428-foot-tall tower in New York, which is the most slender skyscraper in the world. The 91-story sky scraper has a height-to-width ratio of 24-to-1. The building contains 46 full-floor and duplex residences, which range in price from $7.75 million to $66 mil lion.

SOURCE: CNN

THE

RADAR

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Dec. 1

GROUP WELLNESS COACHING: STUDY SCHEDULE PLANNING

Thursday, Dec. 1, 3-5 p.m.

WELLNESS AND RECREATION CENTER, 1112

Free

Need help making a game plan to tackle studying for finals? Join WellRec to get organized and learn how to incorporate stress-reduction practices into your study schedule.

NC STATE CHOIR CONCERT

Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.

TALLEY STUDENT UNION, STEWART THEATRE

$5 for students, $10 for faculty, staff and seniors, $12 for general public

Join the Department of Music for performances from the State Cho rale, University Singers and Chamber Singers in their end-of-semester performance.

LADIES IN RED CONCERT

WINTERFEST

Monday, Dec. 5, 12-5 p.m.

TALLEY STUDENT UNION Free

Celebrate LDOC with UAB by making a wreath, snowglobe or snowman, decorating cookies and participating in winter trivia.

Inflation: What to expect and how to protect

Gabrielle Fjellman Correspondent

In recent months, inflation has led to signifi cant price increases for goods across the U.S. Ayse Dur, assistant professor of macroeco nomics, said inflation is, very simply, a shift in average prices in the economy. The U.S. infla tion rate reached a 40-year high in June. Dur said it’s mainly the pandemic and COVID-19 relief packages to blame.

“One of the main drivers of inflation for the U.S. economy is … that the U.S. government tried to provide some fiscal stimulus, some re lief packages for households and businesses that were in need,” Dur said. “And that meant that a lot of cash was injected into the economy, which led to inflation. So the biggest reason for high inflation in the U.S. during the pandemic was actually these relief packages.”

Alex Walsh, a fourth-year studying ac counting and president of Alpha Beta Psi, the accounting fraternity on campus, said high inflation is also due to the fact the U.S. Fed eral Reserve dropped interest rates in order to incentivize people to spend money.

“During COVID-19, interest rates were set very low in order to incentivize borrowing and spending money,” Walsh said. “The goal was to boost the economy that was struggling due to the lack of people leaving their homes to go eat, shop, etc.”

According to Dur, there is always a mix of good policies and good luck when it comes to economic prosperity in a country. As for the luck portion, the U.S. hasn’t faced too many unprecedented challenges, such as COVID-19, in the past.

Dur said the inflation rate has stayed close to 2% in the U.S. until recently, where it now fluc tuates around 7%, although the Fed is imple menting certain policies in order to reduce the rate back to around 2% in the next few years.

Walsh said the main way the Fed has at tempted to reverse inflation was by raising interest rates. He said we should start seeing the positive effects of this decision in the next two years.

“Inflation has gone down slightly each

month since June,” Walsh said. “Inflation is still high, but the effects of raising interest rates takes a while to reverse inflation. I think we will know if it was effective or not early next year.”

Dur said she has seen the impact of infla tion on Hillsborough Street. With a lot of the restaurants losing their customers during the pandemic, many had to reduce staff or take some food options off of the menu. She also said the coffee shop in Nelson Hall had to shut

down.

“During the pandemic, I was working mostly from home, I was teaching online, so I wasn’t really on campus,” Dur said. “But when I came back to the campus, I realized that a lot of restaurants on Hillsborough changed — they have fewer staff.”

Dur said a good indicator of the economy being affected by inflation is something called “shrinkflation,” which essentially means that the goods sold are downsized rather than the establishment itself. Your favorite meal at a restaurant, for example, could be reduced to half of its size from one year to the next and still remain at the same price.

Dur said when she goes back to visit her home in Turkey, she sees shrinkflation up close, since the posted inflation rate there is around 85%.

“When you go to a restaurant, you’ll see you can only get half of the meal that you used to get from the previous year,” Dur said. “You seem to be paying the same price, but you can just see it’s downsized. So that’s, I think, an other indication of how the economy is actu ally changing with those rising costs.”

Dur said it can never hurt to have a rainy day fund put away for the future. Financial markets can be unpredictable and, despite our best efforts to protect ourselves, there is a world out there that changes with the wind, and can leave you stranded.

“I guess for anyone, it might be a good idea to be prepared for future uncertainties, perhaps save for the rainy days,” Dur said. “Especially for students who do not necessarily have sup port from families or close family, maybe it could be hard to cope with economic issues.”

Student orgs fighting climate change

Anna Luking Correspondent

This warm November weather has stu dents at NC State wondering how climate change is affecting the Raleigh area, and how they can help in the fight against manmade, anthropogenic climate change.

The Student Energy Club (SEC) is one stu dent organization on campus helping teach students how they can help fight climate change. Gavin Mouat, a graduate student in environmental engineering and officer of Student Energy Club, said sustainability efforts go beyond the creation of laws.

“Endeavors to combat climate change must not only occur in our legislatures, but also in our communities,” Mouat said.

The club leads NC State’s Energy Week, a key component of the student body’s con tinuing commitment to sustainability as a whole. The SEC takes on the challenge of educating others about clean energy, as well as connecting students with meaningful ca

GRAPHIC BY AVERY SZAKACS

How to apply to graduate school

Finn Huneycutt Correspondent

With the spring application deadline coming up for NC State’s graduate school, let’s take a look at the application process and some tips for success.

The first step is finding the programs you wish to apply to. This can be intimidating, as there are countless factors to consider and no Common App-like system to apply to dozens of schools at once.

Peter Harries, dean of NC State’s Gradu ate School, said the biggest difference be tween undergraduate and graduate appli cations is the attention you give to specific departments and professors.

“At the graduate level, it’s more focused on a specific department where your inter est lie or in some cases even specific faculty members who are doing research that really resonates with, you know, what you want to accomplish as a student,” Harries said.

According to Jessica McLawhorn, a graduate student in anthropology, it’s not recommended to put all your eggs in one basket with just one application, but it re quires so much time and energy that it isn’t reasonable to apply to seven or eight like you might have with undergraduate ap plications. Most students apply to three or four different schools as a middle ground.

When choosing a school, it’s important to compare programs, research opportunities, faculty, cost and funding. Go on tours of the schools you’re interested in and speak with current graduate students who will be able to give you honest insight about professors and advisors that you can’t get anywhere else. McLawhorn said she made a spreadsheet comparing schools.

“My advice would be to list everything out,” McLawhorn said. “What do you like about the program? Who are you interested in working with? What is your research in terest and is it aligning with the stuff that the faculty at the school that you’re inter ested in attending is even doing? Or are

Once you have all your schools laid out, you’ll want to get in touch with the faculty you are interested in working with, Harries said. Make sure they are taking students and get yourself on their radar. Establish ing relationships with faculty whose work resonates with you is the key to this process and should be started early on if possible.

Moving on to the application itself, be sure to check deadlines and mark your calendar accordingly as a first step. You’ll be submitting a transcript, three letters of recommendation and a personal statement. Supplemental applications are accepted as well, which consist of any other informa

this kind of work is incredibly fulfilling, as I’m aiding in addressing the technical challenges that inevitably come with energy system transitions.”

tion you can provide that proves you will be successful in the program.

The personal statement is a brief intro duction to who you are, why you want to attend this particular graduate school and why you would be a good fit. This is your opportunity to share any research experi ence you have or other information that would make you stand out from other ap plicants.

“It was definitely the hardest thing to write because it’s so much information in two pages,” McLawhorn said. “But at the same time, you’re developing your writing skills and you’re showing why you’re seri ous about the program.”

out by getting their hands dirty,” Riggins said.

Lastly, letters of recommendation work the same way as they do in undergradu ate applications. Look for faculty that you have a good relationship with and will write positively about you.

“I think people need to be really thought ful when they’re making the decision to go on to grad school,” Harries said. “And, you know, first and foremost, do you really love the discipline that you’re engaging with?”

You should be committed to the area you are looking to study and you should show that in your application. If you demonstrate commitment and establish strong relation ships with faculty, you’ll be good to go in your graduate applications.

reer experiences.

“Be it through engineering, business, policy or any other college, SEC offers you the chance to connect with those already involved in the energy field,” Mouat said.

Clubs like the SEC give students crucial and meaningful opportunities to learn to approach climate problems from a technical and political face.

“My career aspirations focus on policymaking through a technical lens,” Mouat said. “As part of an energy modeling re search group, I’m able to see firsthand the tools needed to make informed decisions on the path to decarbonization. … Doing

Other student organizations on cam pus, such as The National Parks Club, host events that allow students to learn and apply sustainable practices in a communal, dayto-day sense. As one of NC State’s largest outdoor recreational student organizations, one of The National Parks Club’s pillars is environmentalism and sustainability at NC State and the city of Raleigh as a whole.

Caleb Riggins, a third-year studying civil engineering, is the volunteer committee of ficer for The National Parks Club.

“Our volunteers joining us at these events get a chance to learn about sustainable prac tices going on in the community and help

Riggins said this past year The National Parks Club has spent time doing campus cleanups, composting on campus and offer ing a helping hand to community gardens.

“These events are great ways to develop environmentally-conscious behaviors,” Rig gins said. “We always walk away from these experiences with new knowledge and the satisfaction of supporting small, environ mentally-friendly organizations.”

Grace Haas, a fourth-year studying bio logical sciences and former member of The National Parks Club’s volunteer committee, said the club makes fighting climate change feel less lonely.

“Considering the state of the environ ment can feel very isolating and hopeless

at times,” Haas said. “Volunteering within [The National Parks Club] made climate ac tion feel more feasible and helped me feel less alone in environmental efforts,”

According to Haas, volunteer efforts con tinue to be the pulse of sustainability on campus, and are equally as rewarding to those who participate.

Student engagement in environmental issues helps maintain the momentum of progress for our University, and play a larger role in advancing sustainability nationwide. Eco-oriented student organizations such as these provide the greater NC State com munity many opportunities to get involved in educational, community-oriented, and career pursuits towards a sustainable future. Sustainability efforts are only as strong as the pack that backs it.

they not doing it?”

GRAPHIC BY AVERY SZAKACS

The calm after the storm — our advice for exam season and more

This semester has been one of the most difficult our campus has faced.

With several student suicides, it’s been harder and harder to enjoy be ing at NC State while being a student. Our editorial board has been no stranger to these struggles. In light of LDOC, we compiled the advice, strategies and reminders that got us through a trying semester.

You’re not alone, allow yourself to process emotions

First and foremost, you aren’t alone. Our whole community has been im pacted by the hardships of the se mester and many of us are struggling as we process our emotions. If you have someone to lean on, whether it’s friends, family or your fellow mem bers of the Wolfpack, take the time to reach out. Create a space among your close friends and loved ones to grieve, wallow and vent when necessary. If your friend group or family is closely tied to NC State’s community, then it’s likely they’re experiencing some complicated emotions too.

The simplest advice is usually the hardest to follow, and “ask for help” certainly falls in that category. It’s never easy to admit you need outside help or, at the very least, a space to process your emotions. That being said, take baby steps — open up to a close friend, participate in a Destress

Fest event or poke around NC State’s off-campus referral database for counseling wherever you are.

Everyone’s experience is unique — don’t beat yourself up for ending in a worse place than your peers

Every semester is a marathon, not a sprint, and students end up at wildly different places when all is said and done. And to be clear, no one end ing place is a better accomplishment than another. No matter where you end up, remember that the most im portant accomplishment is running the race. Although comparison is rampant and largely unavoidable in a tight-knit college community, do your best to practice self-kindness. Whether this is in the form of daily affirmations, an occasional walk to clear your head or getting back into a hobby you hadn’t been into for a while, it’s up to you. Life is beautiful in the simplest of ways. Take in that beauty by doing things that comfort you.

While this all sounds easier said than done, being kind to yourself and honing in that inner dialogue can aid you way beyond the end of the semester. Whatever side of the coin you fall on — academic genius,

barely-surviving student or some where in between — you’ve made it to the finish line. That deserves cel ebration, regardless.

Grab a coffee with a friend you haven’t seen in a while Something we have found to be super helpful in our overall mental well-being has been reaching out to people whose presence we enjoy and asking them to go grab a coffee or dinner. Talking with people one-onone this way allows you to get to know the person better, strengthens a bond and helps you feel less alone. This has become a part of our weekly routine, and we have absolutely loved it.

Surround yourself with what you love

Throughout final exams and into the next several weeks, use your spare time away from work and school to surround yourself with what you en joy. Not everyone’s winter break will look the same — some students have it harder than others, with dramafilled families or a hectic work sched ule to make money before the spring semester kicks off — but spending time doing things you love should be a priority this winter.

Although the days are shorter and the weather feels colder, take advan tage of a cozy winter evening with a movie and a good friend. Or, visit your local shopping district to treat yourself to some artisan treats. Go for a hike, if that’s your vibe. Regardless of how you approach it — whether it be by yourself, with good friends and family or a group of complete strang ers — take time to pursue the activi ties you genuinely enjoy, especially if you’ve gotten away from them this semester.

Take a real break!

It’s easy to feel like you have to keep yourself busy and productive to function, but fight that urge and al low yourself to relax. Of course, work and family obligations can keep us busy over winter break, but try to take some of the time you would’ve spent on classes and homework and spend it on yourself. Don’t even do any thing — just allow yourself to spend some time in bed watching movies or scrolling on TikTok. Whatever is enjoyable to you that feels the most restful and the least active.

Life is difficult, to say the least. Don’t be hard on yourself or oth ers during exam season, your health matters above all else. Our editorial board wishes you the best of luck and a nice, restful winter break.

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

NC State should offer American Sign Language classes

ments. Still, with a comprehensive for eign language department that staffs dozens of faculty members and offers numerous languages, it’s astounding that ASL is not an option.

where spoken language may be difficult or inconvenient. There have even been studies showing that the early use of sign language with a child can improve their communication skills and vocabulary.

Finn Huneycutt Correspondent

In order to fulfill the foreign language re quirement for my de gree, I was planning on taking some courses in American Sign Lan guage. My local commu nity college back home offered it, but it never fit into my schedule, so I assumed I’d be able to put it off until I got to NC State. Imagine my surprise when I’m browsing the course catalog and find no trace of an ASL class.

Upon reaching out to some faculty members in the foreign language de partment, I discovered that not only does NC State not offer any ASL courses, but they never have. Many other major North Carolina universities and even community colleges offer ASL courses and degrees, including but not limited to UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte, Elon, App State and more. They will, however, accept ASL credits from other institutions to fulfill the degree require

Around 11.5 million Americans suf fer some form of hearing loss, includ ing a population of over 1 million North Carolinians with hearing loss. Not all individuals with hearing loss use sign language, with only 500,000 Americans and Canadians reporting ASL as their first language. This number does not in clude deaf or hearing individuals who learn ASL as a second language, mak ing the total number of ASL users much higher.

Offering quality, accessible sign lan guage education provides countless benefits to individuals within and out side the deaf community. It facilitates communication among individuals with wide ranges of hearing abilities and impairments. It can aid in conver sation between hearing people as well. Sign language can be used to talk in a loud room, library or any other setting

Additionally, practical communica tion aside, wider spread ASL proficiency would help integrate deaf or hard-ofhearing students into our culture and, conversely, give hearing individuals a better understanding of deaf culture. There are countless stories of deaf in dividuals being pleasantly surprised by their companions learning sign lan guage — including that of Muharrem Yazgan, whose neighbors all learned the language to make him feel supported.

Instances like this don’t need to be a special case. Easier accessibility to ASL classes would allow any student to offer a moment of understanding and com passion like this to a deaf student who may not otherwise be able to easily com municate with their peers.

Interest in sign language stretches from a global perspective all the way to our very own campus. A 2017 resolution

by the United Nations that declared Sept. 23 as the International Day of Sign Lan guages stated, “that early access to sign language and services in sign language, including quality education available in sign language, is vital to the growth and development of the deaf individual.” This illustrates the recent large-scale at tention that has been given to improving ASL education and generally improving the lives of hearing-impaired individu als. On a smaller scale, the existence of NC State’s American Sign Language Club proves that NC State students have an interest in learning ASL and likely would take the class if it was offered.

NC State prides itself on diversity, inclusion and community. The addi tion of American Sign Language to the other languages offered already would be a clear and impactful step towards increased inclusion of hard-of-hearing students into our community. Student interest in the course and the benefits it would create are apparent. NC State should start offering ASL for the 202324 academic year.

The Black community is done with changing their hair to be respected

For Crazy Hair Day in el ementary school, my white mother would send me to school with my natural hair, and my peers mocked my “frizzy” and “nappy” hair. It made me hate my curls — an experience that isn’t unique to me alone. Other Black women have faced the same hair discrimination, and it’s time we stop encouraging them to change to fit Eurocentric beauty standards.

Black children are taught to dislike their nat ural hair by the way institutions are structured against them. Take, for example, the educa tion system. At a Roman Catholic school in Louisiana, an 11-year-old girl was sent home for wearing braided hair extensions, apparently breaking dress code. Similarly, a New Jersey high school wrestler was forced by a referee to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his match.

As per data collected in Baltimore, Black girls are four times more likely than white girls to receive disciplinary infractions such as suspen sion specifically for things like dress code viola tions. Simply put, our systems are structured to discriminate against non-European hair. We’re also taught internalized biases against

our Black hair by the media. While she isn’t Black, the main character, Mia, in the film “The Princess Diaries” is made fun of for hav ing curly hair that the other characters call a “frizzball” and ugly. Only after a makeover in which her hair is straightened is Mia able to become a princess and be deemed pretty.

While it’s improving, the overall lack of ce lebrity role models in advertisements and me dia with kinky, coily hair perpetuates the idea that Black hair isn’t synonymous with beauty. Fortunately, there’s a growing number of Black public figures such as Lizzo who are normal izing the natural hair movement, but it’s not enough.

Small steps like this don’t change things like how Michelle Obama refrained from wearing her natural hair when she was the First Lady; she instead endured time-consuming and damaging relaxing treatments. She said the American people were adjusting to having their first Black family in the White House and weren’t ready for her natural locks. Obama wanted to prevent herself from being cast as the other even more intensely than she and her family already were.

Hair discrimination penetrates all aspects of our society, from the White House to the workplace. Black women are 1.5 times more

likely than white women to be sent home from work because of their hair. Black hair is seen as unprofessional, and this view causes anxiety within the community.

When I think about interviewing for a job in the upcoming years, I’m worried that I won’t be offered a position because I don’t look pro fessional enough with my curly hair. It’s no secret that job opportunities are limited for Black women who display their natural hair.

Thankfully, some changes are being made. In the past three years, 18 states have passed versions of the CROWN Act, a law barring hair discrimination in the workplace. Addi tionally, the U.S. Army recently lifted its ban on dreadlocks. Still, we’re a while away from natural Black hair being fully accepted.

When Black women are comfortable enough to embrace their natural hair, we often are met with microaggressions and strange comments like “Can I touch your hair?” or “Is it real?” While those questions seem harmless, they’re actually extremely offensive. I remember being petted like a zoo animal by my classmates in grade school.

This wasn’t the only thing that made me feel outcast. I often felt like experiences were sto len from me because of my hair. For example, since I always straightened my hair — which

I only did because I felt my curls were ugly — I couldn’t swim and was constantly worried when it rained or was humid outside. Other times, I’d miss hanging out with my friends because I’d have to spend hours at a hair salon getting a blowout.

Years of straightening my hair left me with intense damage to my curl pattern. I haven’t straightened my hair in over a year and have just recently started embracing my natural curls. I’ve cut off chunks of damaged hair, but it’s going to take much longer before my hair looks like it did before I started changing it to fit white beauty standards.

For me, the fact that I’m beginning to em brace my curls is a promising sign that we’re making progress in changing our biases against Black hair. However, the momentum can’t stop, and it needs to occur on a larger scale than ev eryday interactions. While the CROWN Act hasn’t been formally enacted in North Caro lina, NC State should take initiative and pass a version of the law at the university level.

NC State already has guidelines barring various types of discrimination, but hair isn’t directly addressed. It certainly should be, con sidering the prominence of hair biases against the Black community. Black hair is beautiful just the way it is. It’s time we treat it as such.

Embedded counseling has made change elsewhere, it’s time to see it across campus

We may be peering through a negative lens toward accessibility for resources as the campus struggles to deal with mental health, but there’s a powerful program in the works that could make a huge difference to thousands of students.

Imagine having access to a mental health professional within your aca demic department — only steps away from your classes. This is embedded counseling.

For some time, prominently in the veterinary field, embedded counselors are licensed thera pists who are positioned in different depart ments in a university and who become familiar with students’ academic expectations. Instead of going to an appointment at the counseling center or outside resource, you can have access to a professional where you spend most of your degree-seeking days.

This type of counseling is here at NC State, but not in all departments — yet.

Here’s where you’ll find it now Embedded counselors can be found in Cam pus Health, athletics, the College of Veterinary

Medicine, data analytics and a pilot program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Sciences. Two counselors will be starting in the College of Engineering come January, and positions have also been created for a start time hopefully in January for the College of Textiles and The Graduate School, according to Monica Osburn, executive director of the Counseling Center.

While positions are filled here and there, we need to see embedded counselors in all depart ments across campus. I’m not saying this will happen in the near future, as great things take time, but the impact this program will have on students would be substantial. Laura Castro, director of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s counseling services, gives insight on how influ ential this program can be for the student body.

“I think for a group of students … [they] are more likely to seek help from someone that they see as part of their community,” Castro said. “They can stop by in between classes, like it’s just more accessible, and being familiar with the one counselor or the two counselors who may see you, I think, would make it easier to seek help when you actually need it.”

Castro also mentioned how she has become

familiar with the common stressors students face in the veterinary program, along with building relationships with staff members who are around the students more often. Both are key components to contextualize how she sees people and how she can help.

Having a counselor on the inside who under stands what a student is going through when pursuing their degree and goals can be vital.

“There has been a lot of expressions of grati tude and positive feedback that the college is making the investment of having our own dedicated person to attend to mental health needs,” Castro said. “To have someone who’s just for you makes a big difference.”

So just how big of a difference can this pro gram make towards the student body, or even faculty and staff?

University of Michigan shows what’s pos sible

NC State may have derived the idea to imple ment the embedded counseling program from University of Michigan. Todd Sevig, director of counseling and psychological services at Michigan, said the university began the pro gram back in fall of 2014 with the idea it could potentially help the students and culture. Like

NC State, Michigan has a central counseling service for students, but they desired to grow in a new way.

“Based on data, we think we are reaching stu dents who might not have reached out if we just had central [counseling],” Sevig said. “The staff member is physically in the college and is able to learn the culture. … Almost immediately, the students and staff liked it.”

Sevig mentioned that the university currently has an embedded counseling staff presence in 18 departments. This program has increased access to students and has decreased barri ers when it comes to students reaching out. Alongside counseling for the students, staff and faculty are provided consultations as well: creating a hand-in-hand culture. At Michigan, the embedded counseling program has proved it has the ability to change for the better, ac cording to Sevig.

I, for one, would love to see this change here at NC State. I am excited to see the embed ded counseling program grow and hope to see counselors in all departments in the near future. The Wolfpack needs a change for the better, and I view this program as part of the bigger picture when it comes to a solution.

Skye Crawford

Staff Columnist

Ashley Linzey Staff Columnist

Season’s Pickin’s: Apple Tart Wylie Phu, staff cartoonist A second-year studying art and design

Past Lives Lucy Osborn, staff cartoonist A second-year studying art and design

Religious Offering Emma Reid, staff cartoonist

A second-year studying business administration

Nova and Comet: Sludgie the Shapeshifter Pearl Knight, staff cartoonist A fourth-year studying art and design

Student-made football signs grab attention on Hillsborough Street

Gabby Griffonetti Staff Writer

“Dabo Swinney pees sitting down,” “Go to hell Carolina” and “#Packby90” are just a few of the phrases that have graced signs on the 105 Friendly Apartment building this football season.

Everett Blake, a third-year studying me chanical engineering, and Billy Ryder, a third-year studying business administra tion, are the students behind the weekly signs. They were inspired by a similar sign they saw on social media before NC State’s first football game of the season against East Carolina University.

“I think Barstool or [NC State] Chicks posted a sign on the [Hillsborough Street and Friendly Drive] roundabout,” Blake said. “We saw it and we were like, ‘Dude, we could do so much better.’ But looking back at it, that first sign [we made] was so bad.”

Since the first, the pair has totaled 12 signs, one for every game of the season. Blake said they are surprised by the re sponses they have received.

“We’re just surprised it blew up as big as it did,” Blake said. “We thought our friends would notice it, and maybe we’ll get on [NC State] Chicks once in a while. It’s really cool that random people are seeing it and wait ing for it. Yik Yak likes to explode over it sometimes, and I think Yik Yak is the one that makes me feel the best because it’s ran dom people saying they can’t wait to see it.”

Ryder echoed a similar feeling of shock when he learned about the popularity of the duo’s weekly signs, hearing about it from family, friends and colleagues.

“One of my coworkers drives down Hill sborough every day,” Ryder said. “He’s in high school, and he said to me, ‘These peo ple put up a sign every week.’ It was funny

— he was talking to me, and he had no idea it was me [that made the sign]. I was like, ‘Dude, me and my roommates, we made those signs.’ And my parents’ friends will text me, or my parents will call me and say, ‘Hey, our friends liked the sign.’ They’ll see it from their kids who go here on Snapchat or Instagram.”

Blake and Ryder have evolved their tech niques to create higher-quality signs as the season has progressed, striving for evenspacing and readability.

“Now, we usually measure out the spacing of how big each line of words is going to be,” Ryder said. “Most of the time, we try not to go beyond like 13 letters to a line because

they just get really skinny. We measure how much space each line gets, and we stencil it with pencil first and then we just go over with whatever colors. We’ll do a sketch on paper first, just kind of as a game plan for it.”

As for the phrases on the signs, Blake and Ryder said some schools are easier to make fun of than others. They also said they try to one-up themselves each week with the phrase they choose.

“I don’t think there is so much pressure from everybody else, it’s more pressure on ourselves,” Ryder said. “We just want to outdo it each week, try and think of some thing better.”

Blake and Ryder said the sign-making process usually takes around three hours. They start on Wednesday evenings around 10:30 or 11 p.m. and finish around 3 a.m. They said painting is the most time con suming aspect.

Chase Greeson, a third-year studying business administration and Blake and Ry der’s roommate, said he enjoyed watching the signs get made every week.

“My favorite part was staying up until 3 a.m. watching Billy and Everett paint the sign while we were all hanging out in the living room,” Greeson said.

They usually hang the signs the next morning once the paint has dried. Blake explained the unconventional method they use to hang the sign on the outside of the building.

“Thinking it over was really tough,” Blake said. “But we basically take these rubber rings and make it like a weight on the sign. And then I’ll stick my head out that window, Billy sticks his head out this window, and I throw it to him.”

In the spirit of college student innovation, the pair also uses Ziploc bags full of mulch they grabbed from Hillsborough Street to weigh down their signs. They sometimes solicit help from pedestrians.

“We might yell down at a person or two to help us like, ‘Hey! Are we centered?’” Blake said.

Blake and Ryder said they plan to con tinue the signs for important games during basketball season but will not be living in 105 Friendly Apartments during next year’s football season to preserve the weekly tra dition.

“We might just leave a note somewhere in the apartment and be like, ‘Hey, this is what we used to do. You should keep it going,’” Blake said.

The Smashing Pumpkins take an ambitious attempt at synth-pop

Heidi Reid Assistant News Editor

The Smashing Pumpkins released their 12th album, “Atum- Act 1” on Nov. 15. “Atum,” pronounced “autumn,” will be released in three parts, totaling 33 tracks. Frontman Billy Corgan has spent the past four years writing and developing this album, which is a supposed sequel to the band’s 2000 album, “Machina/The Ma

chines Of God.”

Corgan has always been notoriously am bitious, with many albums spanning two or more parts and running over two hours long, even during the peak of their com mercial success. Regardless, all tracks play a crucial role in the plot of their albums, and every track features well-written lyrics sung by Corgan in his signature growl. After the band’s breakup in 2000 and their eventual

return to release “Oceania” in 2012, there has been a distinct change in their music. Although Corgan is still ambitious with their sound, most albums feature uninspir ing instrumentals and overly synthesized guitar.

“Atum- Act 1” is a welcome change from this. Although the album will be around their usual length, it’s less overbearing and pretentious as it is broken up into three

parts and easier for fans to digest. Cor gan’s ambition can once again be seen in “Atum- Act 1,” not only in the length but in the sound as well. The album is described by Corgan as a rock opera in three acts and features layers of synth over the band’s usual rhythmic guitar.

COURTESY OF EVERETT BLAKE

BY HEIDI REID

ATUM

The band has always had a very alternative sound, but “Atum- Act 1” is experimental even for them. The most noticeable differ ence is Corgan’s vocals, which is likely a welcome change to many as his usual snarl isn’t to everyone’s taste. The vocals featured in “Atum- Act 1” are over-produced, more nasally and jump up and down in pitch fre quently. Although these sound like nega tive traits, they are reflective of the album’s synth-pop nature and pair well with the album’s overly synthesized instrumentals. Although “Atum- Act 1” isn’t what fans may have wanted or expected, this album is a great addition to their discography, easily overshadowing their two previous albums, “Cyr” and “Shiny and Oh So Bright,” which also began to experiment with new instru mentals but failed to hit their goal. “AtumAct 1” is progressive in its instrumentals, but most of the lyrics aren’t up to the usual standard of the band, with no apparent nar rative or inspiration from their early albums featured. Hopefully a narrative will become apparent over the course of acts two and three of the rock opera.

A few tracks on “Atum- Act 1” stand apart from the rest, the first being “Butterfly Suite.” Between the vocals and the instru mentals, this song shares no hint of previous characteristics of The Smashing Pumpkins’s music but is still striking in its sound. The

track begins with Corgan’s nasally vocals and slow and light piano and progresses into heavier guitar and percussion while still fea turing the same pitch in vocals. Although a track of this nature is unexpected coming from the band, it holds the pace and quality of their previous sound.

“The Good in Goodbye” is also strik ing, but for the complete opposite reason of “Butterfly Suite.” This track can be de scribed as the band going back to their roots. The signature rhythmic guitar and Corgan’s regular growl return and they put the synthesizer away for this track. Although these tracks are back to back on the album, their lyrics reflect no connecting plot, which was one of the few drawbacks of the album.

“Hooray!” isn’t necessarily to everyone’s taste, but deserves recognition due to the sheer ambition. The track is the epitome of synth-pop, and sounds nothing like anything the band has produced, featur ing heavy synth and no guitar. “Hooray!” reflects The Smashing Pumpkins’ range of sound and their willingness to venture away from their root instrumentals.

Although “Atum- Act 1” may not be to everyone’s taste due to the experimental na ture of the overly synthesized instrumentals and vocals, it is a worthy addition to The Smashing Pumpkins’ career. The instru mental range they accomplish is both im pressive and striking, and hopefully these traits continue with parts two and three of “Atum.”

Shopping local this holiday season

Gabby Griffonetti Staff Writer

The Triangle is full of unique local busi nesses, and there is no better time to support them than during the holiday season. These are some highlights you can add to your holiday shopping list:

Triangle Pop-Up Holiday Shop

This seasonal pop-up shop is located in Crabtree Valley Mall between the Cheese cake Factory and Belk. The store features handmade goods from a variety of local vendors with options for everyone on your list. Planters, jewelry, stickers, candles, home decor, vintage clothing and pet ac cessories are just a few of the things you can buy here.

If the mall during the holidays is not your scene, Triangle Pop-Up is also hosting a Holiday Market at the North Carolina Mu seum of Art on Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NOFO @ The Pig

Located in an old Piggly Wiggly grocery store, NOFO is a cafe and gift shop with plenty of local items — here, you can grab lunch and some gifts all in one go. Owned by Jean Martin, the Raleigh location opened

in 2001 after two other locations opened in Wilmington and Charlotte. The gift store has local novelty items, decor and food items. It is open daily at 2014 Fairview Rd.

North Carolina Museum stores

Raleigh is home to some great museums, and their gift shops provide great gifts for any North Carolina lover. The North Caro lina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Art and North Carolina Mu seum of Natural Sciences have options for a range of different interests. You may also consider giving tickets to the museums as a gift. You can find more information about the location and hours of each museum on their respective websites.

Videri Chocolate Factory

Located in downtown Raleigh, Videri of fers a variety of chocolate products. They create everything “bean to bar” with an in-house processing facility and feature a variety of high quality bonbons, chocolate bars and other chocolate treats. You can stop by their brick and mortar location at 327 W. Davie St. or order online for the chocolate lover on your list.

GRAPHIC

Culture Technician Wrapped: Our favorite music of 2022

Editorial Staff

Myra Bari, Culture Editor: My top track this month (which has honestly been on repeat for the last couple of months as well) is “Intezaar” by Lahore, Pakistanbased electronic pop and R&B duo Hassan & Roshaan with vocals from Zahra Para cha. I heard this somewhere on TikTok in September, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. The production is top-notch and I really vibe with the chorus.

Bryan Pyrtle, Sports Editor: I started getting invested in the independent coun try scene about a year ago, and I’ve been a big fan ever since. Tyler Childers is one of my recent favorites, especially after “Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?” released Sept. 30. Some fans were put off by the Joyful Noise remixes on the album’s third disc, but I thoroughly enjoyed their more experimental sound. The Joyful Noise ver sion of “The Way of the Triune God” is, in a word, bouncy. I really like how the snippet from “The Andy Griffith Show” feeds into the main lick. Great song.

Abigail Ali, News Editor: As a Taylor Swift fan, it is my duty to ensure a song from “Midnights” is included in this list. At this point in time, I can confidently say “The Great War” is my favorite song off of the new album. The song carries the lyrical drama of “1989” but keeps the laid back tone of “Folk lore.” My favorite songs of Swift’s include whimsical storytelling, so “The Great War” being this year’s favorite only makes sense.

Mary Kate Giuffrida, Assistant Copy Desk Chief: My top artist of this year (be sides Taylor Swift) has by far been Noah Kahan. His new album, “Stick Season,” took over all my top songs as soon as it came out. My favorites are “Homesick” and “Everywhere, Everything.” His voice is amazing, and the album has that perfect feel that makes you feel like driving through the mountains while the leaves are orange.

Emily Vespa, Assistant News Editor: All four minutes and 58 seconds of the song “Mercury” by Steve Lacy are amazing. Shout out to Geminis.

Mariana Fabian, Opinion Editor: My song of the year is “Alien Superstar” by Beyonce. From her incredible album, “Renaissance,” this track is number three but should honestly be number one (wink wink). I belted this song and almost broke my car stereo system, so it’s definitely one of my favorites of the year. Thanks, Queen B. Sam Overton, Managing Editor: “Me & My Dog” by Boygenius. For all of my selfdestructive friends out there, this one’s for you.

Heidi Reid, Assistant News Editor: I have been listening to “Acolyte” by Slaugh ter Beach, Dog on repeat for the past month. Although this song was originally released in 2017, the band re-recorded it and includ ed the track in their live album “Live at the Cabin” released this past October. This new version feels more sincere but still reflects their signature sound that’s indie rock but almost midwest emo. I’m not usually a huge fan of live albums, but this one was defi

SHOPPING

tha Stewart and Bon Appetit magazines for his famous bark. Peppermint bark can be purchased locally at the Yellow Dog Bread Company or through the Apothecary’s Kitchen website.

nitely a highlight of 2022 for me.

Chloe Allen, Video Editor: As a former emo kid, I don’t think there’s been a song this year whose release was as impactful to me as My Chemical Romance’s “The Foundations of Decay.” “The Foundations of Decay” was MCR’s first release since they came back from their six-year hiatus and addresses themes of death and decay, dig ging deep into the traumas of lead singer Gerard Way and takes the band’s sound away from the electronic rock vibes of the band’s last studio album, “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” and closer to the gothic, punk rock vibes of their first studio album, “I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love.” This song takes the listener into the mind and honest thoughts of Way in a manner I feel the band has never done before, and listening to it for the first time on its release day is an experience I’ll never forget.

little toffee squares would make a perfect housewarming gift or addition to the des sert table. They can be found at a variety of local retailers or ordered online.

DECO

The Apothecary’s Kitchen

The Apothecary’s Kitchen is run by Cary native Ben Smith, who uses premium dark and white chocolate and organic candy canes to make delicious peppermint bark. Smith started his company after winning a blue ribbon in the North Carolina State Fair and has since been featured in Mar

Chapel Hill Toffee

Chapel Hill Toffee may just be worth hav ing a Carolina blue box under your tree this year. Founded in 2006, the company is run by the Graves family, who use a secret fam ily recipe to create crunchy toffee packed with dark chocolate and pecans. These

DECO is another marketplace for local vendors. They offer food items, home decor, accessories, apothecary items, books, sta tionary and curated gift boxes with themes like Death by Chocolate and Wine Time. The store has also been featured in maga zines like Indy Week and Our State. You can

Ellie Bruno, Design Editor: My song of the year is easily “Funeral Grey” by the band Waterparks. I’m technically biased since I’ve been a massive fan since 2016, but that’s be side the point. It’s a perfect upbeat — and unconventional — love song that never fails to put me in a good mood. Poppy, edgy and distinctly Waterparks, “Funeral Grey” will be the highlight of my Spotify Wrapped.

Wade Bowman, Managing Editor: My pick for song of the year has to go to Peach Pit’s “Give Up Baby Go” from their newest album “From 2 to 3.” The project dropped in early March, but a lot of the tracks I loved on first listen are still on repeat as the year draws to a close. Even though “From 2 to 3” strays away from that dirty, unpolished garage band sound that raised the band up the indie-rock charts, the newer, cleaner tone is a welcomed change of pace in the group’s discography.

Jameson Wolf, Assistant Culture Edi tor: My most recent repeat song is The Kill ers’ latest single “Boy.” Especially as winter creeps in and it’s dark by 5 p.m., “Boy” sends me right back to the joy of late-night sum mer drives.

Allie Remhof, Copy Desk Chief: This year, I got my driver’s license, and singing alone in the car is now a highlight of my day. My favorite song to drive to is “Hot Girl” by Charli XCX, written for the movie “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” I didn’t like the movie, but this song is far and beyond the best thing to come from it, and it is the ideal song for the car, even if that car isn’t a Bentley truck (vroom vroom). Charli XCX makes end lessly fun pop music, and her album “Crash” is one of the best of the year.

Ethan Rimolt, Assistant Photo Editor: After my time this summer in the Appala chian mountains, I’ve been big into Tyler Childers. Driving an old truck through the morning mist, windows down, with the confident guitar strums and captivat ing lyrics of his song “Whitehouse Road” playing gives you an air of confidence unlike any other tune. This has been a repeat in my playlist ever since and is an absolute must have for everyone’s playlist.

shop online or in store at 207 S. Salisbury St.

State Farmers Market

The State Farmers Market is a one-stopshop for all your holiday needs. Plants, local produce, wine, handmade soaps and spe ciality treats are all available from vendors — and they are all made or grown in North Carolina! You may also pick up a bouquet of flowers as a host gift for any holiday par ties you attend this year. The market is open daily and located at 1201 Agriculture St.

GRAPHIC BY EZEKIEL SNYDER

NFL Pack Pros: Brissett proves clutch, Knight makes strong first impression

Gavin Gallimore Correspondent

As Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, the NFL playoff picture is beginning to cement itself. However, several teams are still trying to make a push, with several former Pack football players trying to do their part.

Jacoby Brissett – Cleveland Browns, QB

So far this season, the Cleveland Browns have largely underperformed. A combination of close losses and the suspension of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson have largely held the team back. However, that doesn’t take away from the efforts of Brissett who has done a great job at keep ing his team competitive. Fans saw this on Sunday as he helped guide the Browns to a thrilling overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In the Browns win, Brissett tossed for a respectable 210 yards and a touchdown. At the end of the fourth quarter, he fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku to tie the game. Later in overtime, he connected with Amari Cooper on a 45-yard gain which set up Nick Chubb to score the game-winning touchdown.

Ikem Ekwonu – Carolina Panthers, OT

On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers defeated the Denver Broncos 23-10, showing that hope is not completely lost for the season as they sit only one game out of the division lead. The NFC South has been largely disappointed this season, none of the four teams currently have a winning record. If they can make a push for the division crown, several pieces will be needed including Ekwonu.

Last week, Ekwonu and the Panthers’ offensive line proved instrumental in helping Carolina record 185 total rushing yards. This included helping guide D’Onta Foreman to yet another 100-yard rushing performance this season. Ekwonu and company also excelled in protecting quarterback Sam Darnold who didn’t get sacked all game.

Zonovan Knight – New York Jets, RB

Currently, the New York Jets find themselves in unfa miliar territory as they are aiming to make a playoff push amid the heavily competitive AFC East. After a crushing loss last week to the New England Patriots, they picked up a convincing 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of the game was Knight’s performance, impressing on the ground and through the air.

In his first true start, Knight ran for 69 yards and ac counted for 34 receiving yards. In total, his 103 scrimmage yards set a Jets franchise record for most scrimmage yards by a player in their debut. He should continue to see more opportunities this season as the Jets’ running back room is rather depleted with the injuries of Breece Hall and Mi chael Carter.

Joe Thuney – Kansas City Chiefs, OG

The Kansas City Chiefs are absolutely rolling as they sit quite comfortably atop the AFC West. On Sunday, they defeated the injury-ridden Los Angeles Rams 26-10. A large

NC

part of this game involved the success of Patrick Mahomes and the passing game as they put up 320 yards. The running game was evident, as they compiled 117 total rushing yards. However this could not have been accomplished without Joe Thuney and the Chiefs’ offensive line. He also helped lead a group that allowed no sacks throughout the contest. Thuney has quietly had a solid season with the Chiefs,

playing every offensive snap for the team. He currently has a very respectable 75.9 grade according to Pro Football Focus. He has only allowed one sack on the season and has only committed two penalties.

No. 11 Utah vs No. 4 USC

No. 10 Kansas State vs No. 3 TCU Toledo vs Ohio

Coastal Carolina vs Troy Fresno State vs Boise State

No. 14 LSU vs No. 1 Georgia No. 22 UCF vs No. 18 Tulane UNC vs No. 9 Clemson

Purdue vs No. 2 Michigan

ETHAN HYMAN/TECHNICIAN

State running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight scores on a five-yard touchdown run during the first half of NC State’s game against Georgia Tech at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020. The Wolfpack beat the Yellow Jackets 23-13.

Letter from the Sports Editor: An improbable lifetime of stick-and-ball games

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Someone like me — an autistic STEM burnout with the soul and spinal health of an 80-year-old farmer — isn’t supposed to succeed in a journal ism industry centered around personality and self-promotion. I came to NC State in 2018 with zero journalism experience but all the determination in the world to be the best I can be, whether that’s sports writing or singing or playing Go. As it turns out, a little support and a lot of hard work is all it takes for people like me to succeed.

na Hurricanes, I never imagined how much ice hockey would grow on me, eventually becoming my second-favorite sport (sorry, baseball will always be on top).

Bryan Pyrtle Sports Editor

Growing up in Reidsville, North Caro lina, I didn’t get the kinds of opportunities that kids from Raleigh or Charlotte did. In hindsight, I’m glad I didn’t, because I now have a greater appreciation for everything sports journalism has to offer. After all, in my opinion, this is the most fun career in the world.

When I covered NC State baseball in the 2021 College World Series, the sky was lit erally the limit when I boarded an airplane for the first time in my life. I worked in the same press box as some of baseball’s best and brightest writers. When I volunteered to resume Technician’s coverage of the Caroli

I didn’t know a puck from a hole in the ground when I first started covering hockey, just that it looked really cool and there was a really good team nearby. The same can be said about my start in sports journalism as a whole.

I remember walking into the Student Me dia office one day as a freshman and anx iously waiting for nearly half an hour for someone who could get me started writing in the sports section. As it turned out, An drew Schnittker was right there the whole time (in a Chiefs jersey, of course) and prac tically flew out of his chair to get the proper paperwork when I finally spoke up.

The beginning of a lifetime of stick-andball games quickly followed. Baseball and hockey are my favorite sports, so I quickly took a shine to covering those. But, just like in life, there were growing pains.

I’d never written journalistically before coming to NC State, so learning the style and syntax took a lot of time. Learning to speak up in post-game interviews was an even bigger challenge. I generally like to keep to myself in my day-to-day life, so interviewing student-athletes — who I still generally hold in higher regard than myself

and my position — was a seemingly impos sible task.

Thankfully, several TechSports alumni helped me along the way. Andrew, his brother Nicholas Schnittker and Camden Speight were great examples of what a sports editor should be. They, along with TechS ports alumni Jaylan Harrington, Tristan Tucker, Alec Sawyer and Ryan Henkel set the example for me to try to carry on the section’s legacy.

Even as sports editor, there’s no way I could make it to this point without the continued support from Editor-in-Chief Shilpa Giri, Managing Editors Wade Bow man and Sam Overton as well as everyone else I just mentioned. Going forward, I’m confident that Ben Ellis, Ethan Bakogiannis and whoever else comes after me will keep up the good work here at TechSports.

Outside the office, my family is another major influence on my life; I couldn’t have possibly made it this far without them. My mom and dad gave me full support from the day I decided to go all-in on sports jour nalism, with my sister Morgan and brother Cason cheering me on as well. I couldn’t have made it without y’all.

Most of all, I’m forever indebted to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I rediscovered my faith during some very tough times while at NC State. It carried me through so

many dark days and a mental health crisis that sidelined me for over a month. Frankly, I don’t know if I’d still be among the living without Jesus.

So many more people helped me get to where I am today. Y’all’s support in my development as a writer, editor, leader and person is not only irreplaceable, but also allowed me to avoid writing about myself — an activity I detest — for four whole paragraphs.

The fact of the matter is that none of what I’m writing about is about me. Not this ar ticle, not any other article I’ve ever written, not holding the sports editor position — none of it. In my earliest days with Techni cian, I discovered one of my favorite parts of being a sports writer is seeing an article go up on Twitter or Facebook and get likes from a student-athlete’s parent or sibling or hometown friend. For me, that’s what it’s all about: facilitating that connection between people often geographically separated by hundreds of miles.

As my time at Technician winds down, I don’t really know what the future holds. I know I’m going to work professionally as a sports writer, but the job search is just be ginning. Regardless, one thing is certain.

I’m grateful to go along for the ride.

Carter-‘Finley’ West: Big Ben leads Wolfpack to 2OT upset over UNC

Pyrtle Sports Editor

Ben Ellis Assistant Sports Editor &

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – “It’s just an NC State thing,” said redshirt junior wide re ceiver Devin Carter. “I really can’t explain it. Good things happen to the good guys.”

NC State football engineered another thrilling victory over its rival, the No. 17 UNC Tar Heels on Friday, Nov. 25 at Kenan Memorial Stadium in a 30-27 instant clas sic. A year removed from Emeka Emezie posterizing Cam’Ron Kelly in the Pack’s come-from-behind win, Carter secured a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter on a similar end zone lob.

The Wolfpack’s passing attack faced doubts heading into the contest, but redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Finley quickly took control of the offense in a legendary performance. Finley connected with Carter for a 52-yard dime on the opening drive and didn’t look back, finishing 27-40 with 271 yards, two touchdowns and no intercep tions.

Before last week’s game against Louisville, the last time Finley took the field in a game, he turned the ball over three times in NC State football’s blowout loss to North Caro lina in Chapel Hill in 2020.

Two years later, Finley once again found himself leading the Wolfpack in his first ca reer start against the Tar Heels. This time, the script was flipped. The Wolfpack went down to the wire against the Tar Heels and

pulled off a thrilling 30-27 upset in double overtime.

“Five weeks ago, [I was] a fourth-string quarterback,” Finley said. “Just messing around on the scout team, still getting better and then having those guys still trust me when I came back out to the starting roster means the world to have the support from the entire team.”

Prior to that clutch connection with Carter, Finley fired a dart to freshman re ceiver Terrell Timmons on a 28-yard score to put NC State up 14-3. By spreading the ball around, Finley exercised his command of the offense to send the UNC crowd into shock.

Finley’s older brother, Ryan Finley, knew a little something about beating UNC, going 3-0 against the Heels in his time in Raleigh, including a 2-0 record in Chapel Hill. The older Finley coined the term “Carter-Finley North” to describe Kenan Memorial Sta dium, given that NC State has won eight of 12 games there since 2000. In 2022, younger brother Ben corrected Ryan’s cartography by dubbing it “Carter-Finley West.”

“He went 2-0 here at Carter-Finley West,” Finley said. “Having my first start, to be able to go out there with the guys and get that W, it’s the greatest feeling ever.”

After beginning the year as the fourthstring quarterback, unsure if he would ever see playing time in a red-and-white uni form again, Finley followed in his brother’s footsteps and did the improbable, leading the injury-riddled Wolfpack over a high-

powered UNC offense led by quarterback Drake Maye.

Against the ACC’s statistical leader in al most every category, the Wolfpack defense stood its ground against Maye, holding him to just 68 yards in the first half. But the freshman woke up in the second, throw ing for 165 yards and leading the Heels on a comeback effort.

Down 14-3 in the second quarter, UNC battled back, finally tying it 17-17 with 7:53 left in the fourth. What followed was an epic conclusion.

A diving interception by senior safety Tanner Ingle set up the 26-yard strike from Finley to Carter, but the Heels still had plenty of time left on the clock, driving down and scoring on the last play of regula tion on a throw from Maye to wide receiver Antoine Greene in the back of the end zone, sending the game into overtime.

The previous play ended up as a micro cosm of the whole evening. Maye extended the play long enough to seemingly connect with tight end John Copenhaver for a touch down, but an official review ruled that the ball hit the ground for an incompletion. The game wasn’t over, however, as two seconds came back on the clock and allowed the Heels to force overtime.

“The guys on the far side were celebrat ing,” said head coach Dave Doeren. “We knew they were gonna put time back on the clock, so I was trying to get everybody back together. That was a crazy sequence right there, for sure.”

The two teams traded field goals in the first overtime, and after graduate kicker Chris Dunn nailed a 21-yarder at the start of the second overtime, it was up to UNC kicker Noah Burnette to send the game into a third. Having already missed a 27-yarder earlier in the game, NC State iced Burnette with a timeout. When his time to line up finally came, Burnette sent it wide left to send NC State home with an upset victory.

While Finley is the big story in this one, this was by far Carter’s best game in a while. His 131 yards were his most since last sea son’s game against Wake Forest, and he provided the go-to target the Pack has so desperately been lacking all season.

“I just give all the glory to God and my teammates,” Carter said. “We couldn’t do any of it without the O-line, D-line, special teams and the sideline. We’re just a tightknit team; we know how to stay together and finish.”

It’s been a tough final month for NC State after beginning the season with hopes of winning the ACC championship, but no matter how things are going, a win against UNC always renders the season a success.

“It’s always good to come over here and beat the blue people,” Ingle said. “We don’t like them at all. So coming over here and getting that win, it’s a good win for us. It’s always exciting to beat Carolina.”

The Wolfpack will now wait and see what bowl it will play in, but for now, it will relish in another exciting win over its rival.

Bryan

GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Finley drops back to pass during the Wolfpack’s last regular season football game against the UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium on Friday, Nov. 25, 2022. Finley passed for two touchdowns and 271 yards as the Wolfpack beat the Tar Heels in double overtime 30-27.

Pack football defined by resilience in 2022

Wade Bowman Managing Editor

Narrowing a 12-game regular season slate down to one word may seem like a challenge for most college football programs, but NC State has proven to be a living definition of resilience.

Through all the injuries, all the uphill battles and all the times where it seemed this team wouldn’t be able to regain after taking a blow to the chin, head coach Dave Doeren, his staff and this roster stood tall to finish the regular season 8-4 (4-4 ACC).

Highs and Lows

Perhaps the sweetest moment of the 2022 season for NC State was knocking off ri val North Carolina on their home turf.

In a 2OT thriller, redshirt freshman Ben Finley stepped up to the plate as the fourth quarterback to start a game for the Wolf pack this season. What ensued was noth ing short of magic with Finley leading the red-and-white to its fifth win over the Tar Heels in the last seven meetings between the programs.

on the historic 2OT victory against Clemson in the year prior at home. That’s when things began trending in the wrong direction.

Even after the loss to the Tigers, there was plenty of hope for NC State to regain and conquer the rest of its schedule. At the time, nothing could have been worse than watching redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary take a hit in the backfield and stay on the turf, but that’s exactly what happened against the Seminoles. Despite a gritty comeback performance to knock off Florida State, the No. 13 team in the country at the time of writing, the game’s happenings cast a dark cloud over NC State’s future.

the young star torched Wake Forest for the Wolfpack’s marquee win in Raleigh this season — extending the home win streak to 16 and setting NC State up with a chance to make history.

In its final home game of the season, NC State suffered what may go down as the worst loss of the Dave Doeren era. Falling 21-20 on a late fourth quarter touchdown from the Eagles, the Wolfpack’s senior day was spoiled and the home win streak was no more. Morris had a bad afternoon, but that’s to be expected from a true freshman. At least he’d get the chance to right the ship in the final two weeks of the season, right?

The injury bug struck again, forcing Mor ris to the sidelines and Chambers back onto the field for NC State’s penultimate match up against Louisville. Early into the game, Chambers once again lost his spot under center, this time to Finley, who had been elevated from the scout team as a result of an injury-stricken quarterback room. Even with occasional flashes of brilliance, NC State dropped its fourth game of the season to set up the aforementioned thriller in Chapel Hill.

Defensive Masterclass

duo at defensive tackle in graduate Cory Durden and redshirt sophomore C.J. Clark.

It took every member of Gibson’s squad, returning and new, to have the Wolfpack in the top 25 of yards allowed per game in 2022. Even more impressive is NC State finishing the season as the 11th-best run defense in the country and clocking the third-most interceptions in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Gibson may have done enough to earn himself a bountiful contract as a head coach elsewhere this offseason. If that’s the case, Wolfpack fans are sure to remember the work his defenses did at NC State to keep this program competitive, even when it shouldn’t have been.

Raising Expectations

In the mind of NC State, everyday’s a good day to knock off UNC. Getting a win in “Carter-Finley West” against a then-top-20 Tar Heel team boasting what some consid ered to be a Heisman candidate made it even sweeter.

That win and all the narratives around it are sure to brighten the perspective on this season years down the road, but this team still came short of preseason expectations. Granted, starting the season as the No. 13 team in the country is a recipe for failure, but this returning class, mixed with promis ing young talent to fill the gaps left behind by last year’s seniors, was supposed to be made for the moment.

Through the first four weeks of the sea son, everything was going according to plan apart from a near disaster in Greenville, North Carolina. A win is a win, however, and No. 10 NC State was 4-0 heading into a matchup in Death Valley to determine the Atlantic. Appearing on College Gameday for the first time since 2004, the Wolfpack fell well short of an upset — failing to build

When it was discovered that Leary would miss the remainder of the year with a pec toral injury, it was graduate quarterback Jack Chambers’ time at bat. While the vet eran signal caller led the Wolfpack to the promised land against Florida State, he did so without completing a pass — leav ing many to wonder if he was made for the test of being a Power Five quarterback. If the game against then-No. 18 Syracuse was any indication, he was not. NC State fell to 5-2 behind an offensive meltdown that cast offensive coordinator Tim Beck and Cham bers to the hot seat.

Heading into a much needed bye week to assess its options moving forward, NC State opted to stick with Chambers head ing into a Thursday night matchup against Virginia Tech. Despite being 2-5 at the time, the Hokies jumped out to a 21-3 lead late in the third quarter to send the Pack into full desperation mode.

Enter true freshman quarterback MJ Morris.

For a program with a long history of valu ing seniority at the quarterback position, seeing Doeren and his staff hand Morris the keys late in a must-win game came as a shock. Impressive is an understatement for what the 19-year-old accomplished, leading NC State to a nail-biting 22-21 victory to save the idea of a 10-win season and provide a green light at the end of the dock for a struggling Wolfpack offense.

Doing more than enough to earn the job, Morris became the first true freshman quar terback to start for NC State since program legend Phillip Rivers. With the moment,

Through all the adversity brought upon NC State this season, one side of the football never wavered in the face of obstacles placed before it. Defensive coordinator Tony Gib son’s unit has earned its spot among some of college football’s best in defensive rankings and has an incredibly talented returning class from last season to thank for it.

The linebacker trio of graduate Isaiah Moore, junior Drake Thomas and redshirt junior Payton Wilson have all likely notched a spot in the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame with their contributions to the program in 2022 and years prior.

Senior Tanner Ingle and Graduate Cyrus Fagan improved pass defense from the safety position that lost NC State games a year ago. Defensive backs like redshirt sophomore Shyheim Battle, senior Tyler Baker-Williams, sophomore Aydan White and graduate Derrek Pitts Jr. revamped the Pack’s coverage in the secondary tenfold. And who could forget the run-stopping

For the sixth time in his 10-year stint at NC State, Doeren will finish with eight wins or more. As one of three programs in the conference to never appear in a title game, the work Doeren has accomplished in his time with the Pack to establish a winning culture has been second to none. Even though this was supposed to be ‘the year,’ to bring a team haunted by so many inju ries and setbacks to an 8-4 record with six wins over bowl eligible opponents and five of those coming against seven-win or better teams is nothing short of a miracle.

The class recognized on senior day this season has played an equally important part in NC State’s new culture. The Thom as brothers, Leary, Moore, Wilson, Dunn, graduate center Grant Gibson and others all hold a claim as some of the best to ever don the red-and-white. If they all decide to move on to greener pastures, their impact on Raleigh’s football culture will remain in the new generation of NC State greats.

At the time of writing this, the Pack is still awaiting its bowl placement for a chance to cap off the season as a nine-win team. While Doeren has to wait another year to attempt breaking through that 10-win wall with NC State, nine wins for this team would be nearly as remarkable.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY MOLLIE MITCHELL

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