Pop-Tarts mascot — Technician 1/08/24

TECHNICIAN J AN U A RY 8, 2024

VOL . 104 | NO. 15

SWEET RELEASE SEE PAGE 7

Contents

2 TECHNICIAN MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

AUTHOR EVENT: A CONVERSATION WITH OLIVIE BLAKE

IN THIS ISSUE:

Friday, Jan. 12, 7 - 8 p.m.

THE RADAR

page

struggle with 04 Students enrollment

WITHERSPOON STUDENT CENTER, CINEMA Free Join New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake for a discussion about her book “Atlas Complex.”

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Jan. 8

WELLNESS AND RECREATION CENTER AND CARMICHAEL GYM, 2150 Free Join fitness and wellness experts at the Wellness and Recreation Center to learn how to build a customized wellness and movement plan.

CLIMBING CENTER ORIENTATION

DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING: FREEDOM HILL

Friday, Jan. 12, 1:30 - 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 7 - 8 p.m.

WELLNESS AND RECREATION CENTER AND CARMICHAEL GYM, CLIMBING CENTER

NEWS

MAKING MOVEMENT MATTER Thursday, Jan. 11, 5 - 6 p.m.

Free Visit the Wellness and Recreation Center for an introduction to roped climbing and bouldering.

D.H. HILL JR. LIBRARY, AUDITORIUM Free Visit D.H. Hill Jr. Library’s auditorium for a screening of Freedom Hill, a documentary exploring environmental racism and telling the story of the fight to save the town of Princeville.

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of a Pop-Tart, birth 07 Death of an icon

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

OPINION page

10 Veganuary: Meatless in the new year

CULTURE

page

15

How DJ Horne has cemented himself as NC State’s best guard GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Walt Gerard waves the North Carolina state flag as the team comes out of the tunnel during the Pop-Tart Bowl. The NC State Wolfpack and the Kansas State Wildcats played in Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The Wildcats beat the Wolfpack 28-19.

SPORTS Editors-in-Chief Ethan Bakogiannis Jameson Wolf

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Culture Editor Elizabeth Dull

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Assistant Design Editor Carter McDermott

Focused Editor Koen Rodabaugh Sports Editor Jenna Cuniowski

Assistant Sports Editors Erin Ferrare Noah Teague

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Technician (USPS 455-050) is the largest student newspaper of NC State University and is published every Thursday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods.

Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on the Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by Triangle Web Printing, Durham, NC, Copyright 2022 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.

FRONT COVER BY GRIFFIN BRYANT BACK COVER BY HALLIE WALKER

News TECHNICIAN 3 ‘An academic embarrassment’: Distinguished professorships limited to STEM professors TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

Matthew Junkroski Correspondent

It was early October when Jason Swarts, the English department head, first learned that thanks to a restriction passed by the state legislature in its budget bill, distinguished professorships, which were previously given regardless of area of study, were now restricted to STEM fields.

According to the Office of Faculty Excellence, a distinguished professorship “honors a current or potential tenured professor who has achieved recognition well above the criteria for the rank of professor and be considered one of the best scholars in the discipline.”

To Swarts, a distinguished professorship means much more than simply recognition from the University.

“It’s a way of honoring and respecting the contributions of our most productive and well-known scholars to the University,” Swarts said. “I think it means a lot for recruiting. I think it means a lot to the standing of our graduate and undergraduate programs, to prospective students, to donors, to public scholars and other scholars who would want to interact with faculty and students who go here.”

There are two types of distinguished professorships — a named distinguished professorship and an unnamed distinguished professorship. Named distinguished professors receive funding, while unnamed distinguished professors do not.

While those outside of STEM fields can continue to receive unnamed distinguished professorships, they cannot receive named ones, meaning they’re unable to gain funding from distinguished professorships.

For Walt Wolfram, the William C. Friday University endowed chair and a professor in English at NC State, his distinguished professorship has opened many research and teaching opportunities that he would otherwise be unable to pursue.

“It gave me discretionary funds to start projects that I then got funding for, and it also allowed me to take on endeavors that I could never have taken on without the support,” Wolfram said. “For example, every year for the last 30 years, we’ve taught eighth graders on the island of Ocracoke. … It’s the most memorable experience of the students, and it’s transformed their entire view of language and their own language on the island of Ocracoke over 30 years.”

Without the funding given by named distinguished pro-

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CATE HUMPHREYS

fessorships like the William C. Friday endowment, these pursuits would be impossible, Wolfram said.

“We’re the only ones who have this sort of extensive outreach in terms of our engagement with communities, thanks to the funding from the William C. Friday endowment,” Wolfram said.

To be unable to gain this sort of funding is disappointing, Swarts said.

“It’s sort of like there’s less room to innovate and to grow something new to make new areas or publicity or to make new areas for focal points for research and for recruitment that we had before,” Swarts said.

Swarts said this decision also affects how he can recognize his colleagues.

“It means that I can’t really honor some of my colleagues in a way that I think that their research efforts really warrant,” Swarts said. “I would like to be able to find new areas of scholarship that come up as our field evolves that would warrant the case for new named professorships.”

Those with named distinguished professorships will continue to be funded, though this decision cuts the ability

for NC State to have new funded distinguished professors in these areas.

Wolfram said this decision is antithetical of NC State’s goals in terms of interdisciplinary work and research.

“It’s also an academic embarrassment in terms of this sort of trivial classification of things into STEM programs and non-STEM programs,” Wolfram said. “It’s a sort of violation of what we’ve been doing for the last 20 years to promote intersectionality. And the fact that STEM people work with humanities to look at the critical ethical dimensions of their work, and so forth, their historical context and all those things. And so everything about it is sort of anti-academic.”

To not have access to this sort of funding would be a dealbreaker for recruiting top talent at NC State, Wolfram said.

“I would never come here if they didn’t have a distinguished professorship in the humanities,” Wolfram said, “I mean, I came because I got a good deal and was allowed to do what I love to do, which is entrepreneurial kinds of programs that work and so forth, but I would never have come.”

CRIME ON CAMPUS NC State’s weekly log of major incidents across campus TRAFFIC VIOLATION

DAMAGE TO PROPERTY

Dec. 22, 2023 at 8:14 p.m.

Centennial Pkwy / Achievement Dr

Dec. 28, 2023 at 11:18 p.m.

Free Expression Tunnel

A student was stopped and arrested for driving while suspended.

Officers identified graffiti damage on the South side of the Free Expression Tunnel.

LARCENY

SUSPICIOUS PERSON

Dec. 25, 2023 at 4:59 p.m.

Wood Residence Hall A

Dec. 31, 2023 at 8:38 p.m.

Sigma Nu

University Police noticed what appeared to be an abandoned bicycle and upon further review of camera footage, observed a male juvenile forcefully removing three bicycles from racks in the area.

None of the bicycle owners have reported them stolen at this time.

A student was observed climbing out of a window at Sigma Nu. It was determined that he was a resident but not authorized to be in the facility over the holiday break. He was referred to the University.

News

4 TECHNICIAN MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

Students struggle with enrollment

Ally Tennant, Matthew Burkhart Assistant News Editors

Cameron Crews begins every enrollment season with the fear of being unable to graduate on time. This was the reality of many students as they added classes to their schedule for this semester.

“I don’t want to stay an extra semester because I couldn’t get one class, which is what it’s starting to look like might happen,” Crews, a third-year studying communication, said.

Ava Stewart, a third-year studying communication, said she has been unable to enroll in the classes she needs to complete her major in her final semesters at NC State due to having a late enrollment date.

“It was much later than I was hoping it was going to be because I have the amount of credits to be considered a senior,” Stewart said. “I figured that would help me get an earlier enrollment date and get the classes that I wanted, but that wasn’t the case.”

Stewart said she has always taken summer classes as a means to eliminate GEPs and classes she had little interest in. Now, she is struggling to take the minimum amount of classes as she is nearing the end of her degree but cannot enroll in classes she needs to graduate.

Stewart added an English minor to con-

tinue taking classes at NC State.

“All I can do is add these classes, and I guess just add a minor out of it because I can’t get what I actually need,” Stewart said.

Ramsey Warren, a second-year studying human biology, said her assigned enrollment date caused several challenges for her schedule at NC State.

“I had a very late registration date, one of the last days, and that’s kind of where I struggled,” Warren said. “I had to do something completely like a 180 with classes.

I registered for classes that were just basically open sections, and then I had to completely change my projected schedule because classes weren’t being offered.”

Warren said her advising process felt very grueling since it seemed like no one was helping her.

“I can’t do anything but advocate for myself at this point,” Warren said. “I’m getting no help from my own academic advisor. It’s not like I can reach out to the University as a whole. I just have to take matters into my own hands.”

Warren said the stress of having to construct her schedule on her own for classes she did not need caused her not to study for midterms.

With advisors playing a huge role in the enrollment process for several students at

NC State, their help can affect the process.

Warren said, for many students, receiving guidance during enrollment is crucial.

“Some people don’t even really need to reach out to advisors and are fine on their own,” Warren said. “From a former semester like this, I definitely needed to, like reach out there, through my registering and stuff like that, and I just didn’t feel supported.”

However, Crews said with several advisors being professors balancing school and enrolling periods, it could be quite hard to do both.

“On top of teaching, having to be an advisor is just overwhelming,” Crews said. “It also explains why a lot of CHASS majors are not getting the guidance that they necessarily need.”

Crews said although all classes are offered to students through MyPack Portal, she thinks it’s particularly hard for CHASS students because every major is required to take humanities courses — not vice versa.

Warren also said some people might register for classes they don’t need, which could affect her enrollment.

“Students think they’re going to fail a class,” Warren said. “So they go ahead, if they have an early registration day, register for a class that maybe someone like me is going to need for next semester because it

GRAPHIC BY ALLY TENNANT

is easier for them.”

Stewart said a class she wanted to take this semester had two or three spots dropped during the enrollment window and later filled up before she could enroll in the class.

Crews said she feels like the enrollment process was dependent on student’s advocacy for themselves.

“I feel like we’re kind of on our little island; we’re having to figure everything out,” Crews said. “There are around 40,000 kids that go to NC State. So having an advisor that knows who you are and knows what you need is going to be kind of difficult, but I do kind of feel like we’re on our own.”

The history of lighting the Belltower red Riya Kannan

Assistant Culture Editor

HALLIE WALKER/ARCHIVE

Students line up across the stage barricade as the pep rally begins at Packapalooza at Hillsborough Street on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. Packapalooza is a street festival that celebrates the beginning of the new school year. The pep rally showcased student athletes across multiple teams at NC State.

It’s impossible to miss NC State’s Memorial Belltower from Hillsborough Street. Standing at 115 feet tall, it’s one of the most recognizable features on campus — especially when lit red.

Tom Sta f ford, former v ice chancellor for student affairs, said many students on campus aren’t aware of the significance and story behind the tradition of lighting the Belltower red, which came from Marye Anne Fox, NC State’s only female chancellor.

Stafford said she drew inspiration for the practice from her time as vice president at the University of Texas at Austin.

“She had been a vice president at the University of Texas, and on that campus, when something really big or important happened, they would light their tower orange,” Stafford said. “So, when she got to NC State as the chancellor, she brought that tradition with her.”

The Belltower is lit red for monumental athletic wins, including football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball series wins against ACC opponents. But Stafford said the Belltower is lit red for a multitude of occasions not limited to athletic victories.

“Maybe they think it’s only for athletics, but that’s not the case,” Stafford said. “We light the tower red for military holidays, like Memorial Day and Veterans Day, on Commencement, when a faculty member or student achieves some very high honor and much more.”

The chancellor’s website has a full list of occasions for which the Belltower is lit red.

Tim Peeler, writer and editor for University Communications and Marketing, said the Belltower has come to be a revered monument for the NC State community — thanks in part to Stafford, who conducts tours of the Belltower.

“In the 1980s, when I was in school, the Belltower was something that was there and admired but did not hold a place in the

News

TECHNICIAN 5

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

Pilot esports facility set to open in Hunt Library

Matthew Burkhart Assistant News Editor

NC State University Libraries is set to open its pilot esports facility, the NC State Gaming and Esports Lab, in Hunt Library following delays in the construction of the full esports facility in Mann Hall.

NC State was given $12 million from the state government to build an esports facility in 2022 with a projected completion of summer 2024.

Jill Sexton, associate director for digital and organization strategy in the Libraries, said the full esports facility now has an estimated completion date of late 2026 or early 2027 due to renovations being made in Mann Hall.

“There’s been a planning phase, and now we’re actively in the design phase where we’re actually planning the layout of the space, and then there will be an 18-month construction phase,” Sexton said. “It really just takes that long to renovate completely a 50-plus-year-old building.”

In the meantime, the Libraries have constructed a pilot esports facility on the fourth floor of Hunt Library.

Sexton said it was not a part of the University’s initial plan, but serves to give students an esports facility before they graduate and the Libraries the experience of running an esports facility before the opening of the Mann Hall facility.

“We really wanted to be able to start building momentum for the program so that when the facility opened, we would kind of be up to speed and know how to run it and know what to expect, and have kind of have an established program already in place ready to take full advantage of the space,” Sexton said.

Sexton also said the new program is seen as an opportunity not only to build momentum, but also to build excitement and harness an understanding of how to run an esports space.

The pilot facility is equipped with 35 highperformance gaming PCs and four console stations, each with an Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo Switch.

Cody Elsen, esports program director in the Libraries, said he hopes the pilot facility will serve as a welcoming gateway for the campus community to get invested in

COURTESY OF JILL SEXTON

esports.

“One of the biggest goals for Hunt is the fact that it’s open to anyone,” Elsen said.

“A lot of students are going to be able to get access to these high-end gaming PCs for the first time and really experience gaming and esports in its best form.”

Bryce Stout, a doctoral student studying communication, rhetoric and digital media, said the main goal of the esports facility is to bring awareness to the career opportunities in esports and develop marketable skills.

“We want this to be apparent that people who don’t know anything about games, but they know about editing video or photography, or even like event management, or HVAC, that esports is for them,” Stout said.

“It is very much a growing industry and 95% of the people whose careers are in esports are not players.”

In addition to holding reservable spaces for gaming, the pilot facility will host regular workshops that range from gaming skills to computer building and event management and marketing. Elsen said local gaming companies have already expressed inter-

hearts of students the way it does now,” Peeler said. “I believe that that can be credited to Tom Stafford. His tours have made the Belltower not just a hallowed place, but a sacred place on campus.”

The Belltower is one of NC State’s ten hallowed places, which the University defines as “irreplaceable campus buildings, landscapes and natural settings that have accrued special meaning over time.”

Peeler, who conducts tours of hallowed places on campus, said the title protects significant sites on campus from any imposed changes. Other hallowed places include Holladay Hall, the Court of North Carolina and the Brickyard.

est in the Esports Lab. “There’s a lot of companies in the area that have a lot of interest in our graduates and are definitely willing to come to campus to do some demonstrations and help with competitions that would be interested in potentially hiring people with an interest in gaming and esports,” Elsen said.

Elsen said a common misconception of the esports industry is that it solely revolves around computers and other STEM-based concepts.

“The business development roles, marketing, comms are just as much in demand in gaming and esports as these other roles, because there’s not a lot of people that, because it’s so new, have experience in the business side of things,” Elsen said. “So we’ll be trying to provide people with guidance when it comes to that kind of stuff as well — not just the STEM and hands-on stuff.”

Sexton said the fact that the pilot facility is located on Centennial Campus is beneficial, as she hopes it will contribute to the overall well-being of the campus community.

“The students who have a lot of classes that

Stafford said the Belltower was originally built as a military memorial in honor of members of the Wolfpack who were killed in World War I. “[The tower] was built to honor the men from State College who left school back in 1917 and joined the military,” Stafford said. “They went into World War I, and many of them died, so the tower was built to remember and honor those men.”

The Belltower and its shrine room preserve NC State’s roots in military service. “[People] will ask if they don’t already know, why this place is so important,” Peeler said. “It’s important because of those 35 names that are inside of the shrine

are heavily based on Centennial don’t have a lot of the same kinds of recreational opportunities that students who spend most of their time on North or Central Campus do,” Sexton said. “We are really excited about the possibilities for community building that a space like this will bring, and have been working closely with the esports club to help make sure that everybody, all students regardless of skill level, feel really welcome.”

The NC State Esports Lab will open Jan. 16 and is located on the fourth floor of Hunt Library. For the first month of its opening, the lab will be open Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. Hours will expand over the semester. Anyone affiliated with NC State can reserve space through the lab’s website.

The lab is hosting an open house Feb. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m.

room, … because of the 34 people who are represented there who died in the war and the one person represented who didn’t. It represents all who have served from NC State, founded as a military school. So that connection is always there. [The Belltower] connects all the different communities NC State has always been meant to serve.”

Those who are interested in taking a tour of the Belltower can contact Stafford at thstaffo@ncsu.edu.

Opinion

6 TECHNICIAN MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

Minimalism is on the rise, but is less always more?

Plans for the new Integrative Sciences Building put a sleek, metallic building in the middle of our Brickyard. Does its minimalist design represent progress for our campus, Katie or is it just plain boring?

Howell “I do think that in a Staff Writer lot of ways, minimalism is trying to strip away all those things that are not necessary, [meaning] extravagance in sort of ornamentation, and lots of different materials or things like that,” said David Hill, school head of architecture at NC State. “Minimalist architecture tries to quiet that all down in a way that seems quite simple but elegant.”

Minimalism as a whole gained traction following World War II, with notable influence from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German-American architect and known trailblazer in the world of modern architecture.

Minimalism, specifically, is one of the most popular branches of modern architecture. While the two share many characteristics, minimalism is recognized by monochromatic color schemes and exceptionally straight and sleek lines.

While there is a time and place for minimalistic architecture, it is encroaching too quickly and on too large a scale, including right here on NC State’s campus.

GRAPHIC BY WYLIE PHU

Architecture has evolved to shape the world we live in. Uniform high-rise apartments and sleek office parks play an important role in today’s society and allow the growing population to function on a constricted amount of land. City life, in particular, would look drastically different if it weren’t for the rise of modern and minimalistic architecture over the past century.

With all great advancements, however, comes great responsibility. Most advancements require sacrifice in the name of progress, be it financial, aesthetic or, most

relevantly, character.

One of the largest drawbacks to the reduction of extravagance in the name of elegance is the reduction of character.

When quizzed on the greatest architectural feats, most people’s list might include the Parthenon, the Taj Mahal and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Not that NC State’s mathematics building needs to mimic the Taj Mahal, but this realm of architecture is awe-inspiring and memorable. While this is an extreme example, these buildings ooze character and demand appreciation. You have to immediately respect

the time, effort and artistry that went into their creation.

NC State, being a STEM-centric university, seems to encourage the modern architecture movement on campus. With mathematics buildings like SAS Hall and the newly-built Fitts-Woolard Hall, one has to draw a connection between the sciences and modernity.

“A building that houses technology and big research at the University might want to also be a building that looks high tech or very modern and progressive, rather than something that’s more traditional,” Hill said.

Not every building is designed to spark the same emotional response. The idea of progress in the world of science and engineering is paralleled by advanced and modern buildings.

This establishes an obvious home for minimalistic architecture in modern society. This does not imply its superiority over traditional design. Colonial, neoclassical and Georgian influences, for example, are seen all across NC State’s campus.

These styles bring the campus historic charm. They invoke a sense of heritage and warmth.

In the end, the most challenging task will be to incorporate the modern and minimalistic with the historic, traditional architecture — it is necessary to preserve charm while still allowing for progress.

Don’t just get out of your comfort zone — actively challenge it The sta r t of a new spring semester always feels a little strange to me.

While it’s the halfway point of the academic year and I’m still feelWill ing burnt out from last LaMarche semester, I also feel excited. Maybe it’s because Staff Writer I’m eager to get back to start classes or attempt another New Year’s resolution. Regardless, I always try to take each new semester as an opportunity to do something new, and I’ve learned more and more to try something I’ve already written off.

I know it sounds somewhat obvious on paper; of course you should try things out of your comfort zone. But it’s not just about what’s in and out of your comfort zone. It’s about what you’ve already decided isn’t for you.

Something I wrote off when I first got to NC State was anything related to fraternities and partying. I figured that I wouldn’t fit in with that crowd, so I made no attempt to engage with it. Had it not been for the people around me, I wouldn’t have learned that Greek life and fraternities in general are not always the same thing and that I might actually want the experience of rushing.

Because I had already put a degree of separation between myself and fraternities, I wouldn’t have learned about community service or academic frats on my own. Frankly, I’m embarrassed that I had limited myself that way and dismissed some groups.

All this to say, while a sense of comfort is great to have, it’s also good to disrupt.

Going to club fairs or interest meetings during Winter Welcome Week is a great opportunity to see clubs and groups that

you might not be immediately interested in.

It’s almost like doing chores. Most people aren’t excited about doing laundry or dishes, but after they’re done you feel better. Doing something that you’ve already written off might feel anxiety-inducing or maybe even frustrating, especially if you’re stubborn like me, but the experience usually pays off.

And oftentimes, the people behind that club, organization, event, class or whatever else just want people to try their group out. As someone who is a club chair and has done work to encourage prospective members to join, it always feels great when someone is at least a little interested. Not every person joins the email list, but getting to know people is half the excitement of student organizations.

It’s for that same reason that so many clubs and organizations on campus host

open club meetings and events for everyone: They want to take as many interested people as they can, even if most of them are just trying things out. Most of the time, they want everyone, even the people who feel like they don’t fit in at all, to feel included. Student Media is hosting their own open house Jan. 9 from 4-6 p.m. in the Witherspoon Student Center.

Worst case scenario, things don’t work out and you quit. Maybe there’s too much of a time commitment or you aren’t as invested as others. Either way, an attempt was made and you can move on to something else. If nothing else, you learned about a group on campus and now have at least some experience you can look back on At the halfway point of my college experience, I wish I had been less dismissive and pushed myself to try more new things.

Thankfully, it’s never too late.

TECHNICIAN 7

Opinion TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

Death of a Pop-Tart, birth of an icon Editor’s Note: This is a work of satire. It should not be taken seriously or applied literally.

Strawberry, the giant, genderless, edible pop-tart titan of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, willingly departed from this mortal Assistant News realm, sacrificing themself in the name Editor of corporate advertising Dec. 28 after the Wolfpack’s 28-19 defeat.

While their time was short, every second of it was magical.

No one will forget Strawberry’s glorious, monumental entrance into the stadium: The champion rose from their colossal, cold, metal toaster, much like Cthulhu awoke from his Antarctic slumber. While Strawberry was silent, their arrival summoned a chorus of Florida-grade fireworks which clouded any view of the football field for the following 15 minutes.

What happened next can only be described as otherworldly.

Throughout the game, Strawberry blessed a few lucky chosen mortals in the stadium. First, a referee. The entire stadium watched, mouths agape and full of envy, as Strawberry anointed a referee as their acolyte, sealing their connection with a frosted hand to the behind.

At another point, Strawberry took the time to cherish their short life, breaking it down with a security guard

Matthew Burkhart

Your Warmth

GRAPHIC BY MAX ALSOP

affectionately dubbed “Cop-Tart.” But this childlike merriment was fleeting.

Strawberry’s pent-up rage upon the knowledge of their impending fate often surged, leading to periodical outbursts of existential fear enacted toward unsuspecting bystanders. At points in the game, children mistakenly took them for a fun, lighthearted pastry, only to find themselves face-to-face with the menacing fists and

Avery Szakacs, Staff Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design

finger-guns only a cosmic being like Strawberry could wield.

Later into the game, Strawberry called on their cosmic powers and summoned a SpaceX launch, which averted the eyes of thousands as the Wolfpack attempted another stale drive.

But, other than the giant pastry mascot who brought us all laughter and the flu, who was Strawberry?

Unbeknownst to most, the selection process for the inaugural edible pop-tart mascot is rigorous and deadly.

Under Camping World Stadium lies a confectionary coliseum, where giant pop-tarts fight to the death to secure the ultimate honor of being consumed after a rather underwhelming bowl game.

After the Wolfpack’s toasty defeat, the non-edible effigy of Strawberry was lowered into the fiery depths of a colossal toaster, embodying Strawberry’s metamorphosis into something much greater than the physical.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Strawberry’s not-so-convincing corpse was revealed in a great sheet cake likeness.

Kansas State’s football players desecrated the remains of our champion. They feasted on them without even removing the very gloves they used to bury the Wolfpack’s defeat.

United in grief, Wolfpack and Wildcats alike mourn the passing of this greater entity. Although Strawberry’s final resting place is not Brennan Armstrong’s commode, they will always be present in the hearts of the Wolfpack.

Changes

Wylie Phu, Staff Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design

Opinion

8 TECHNICIAN MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

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For the love of God, join Technician Editor’s Note: This is a work of satire. It should not be taken seriously or applied literally.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a part of the most distinguished organization on NC State’s campus? Fancy yourself a Bob Woodward, Ida B. Wells or Anderson Cooper type? Hear from Technician’s editorial board.

Opinion Hoping to incite change in an everdaunting world? Would you like to be chastised by strangers on the internet who have only read the title of your article? Do you wish to put the darkest and most private aspects of your angsty, college student mind and soul on full, public display for $15?

If so, the opinion section might be for you. In our liberal media echo chamber, we strike fear into the hearts of University administrators, local political leaders, and X, formerly known as Twitter, accounts with egg profile pictures. Our crack team of idealist zealots with debilitating mental health issues is the envy and the enemy of those who are quick to take offense and those who inspire it. If you’ve enjoyed our posturing and pretentious diction, rhetoric and discourse in today’s paper and in past editions, come be a part of our unbearable yapping clique.

Culture Do you often find yourself internalizing criticism of others’ music, fashion, film or literary tastes? If so, you no longer have to keep your judgments to yourself. By writing for Culture, you can tell all of campus about your niche and quirky music tastes, proving how interesting you are to others. Let’s over-intellectualize the media together.

Do you identify as “gatekeep” in the girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight triangle? Choose which of your niche hyper-fixations to share with the NC State community in the Culture section.

News Have you ever wanted to be the most annoying student on campus? Want to scare your professors or student senate representatives with a job title? News is the place to be. When we’re not in the walls of Student Government or the Chancellor’s office, we’re submitting 20 public records requests per minute. Don’t even get us

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CATE HUMPHREYS

started on our email inbox. We will not read your emails because we’re currently too busy writing articles on Poe Hall. Sorry you have to read all the other testimonials; ours is straight to the point.

that no other section enjoys — the all-youcan-eat food at Carter-Finley Stadium’s press box buffet.

Sports

Cameras? YouTube? I don’t know. Something like that.

When you think of NC State, what comes to mind? Highly rated academic programs, sought-after professors or state of the art facilities? If none of those came to mind and instead you’re thinking of roster updates and gameday, then the sports section is perfect for you. If you yell at your TV and kick yourself whenever ESPN releases news, then you would fit in perfectly with this rag-tag group of former high school athletes and sports nerds that never know when to shut up about conversion rates and schedules.

Sports never sleep and neither do we.

With two California teams joining the ACC, get ready to cover a Stanford vs NC State game that starts at 11 p.m. and doesn’t finish for three hours. If live coverage isn’t your thing — but don’t worry, it will be — then come and share any Wolfpack sports opinion you have. Sports also has one perk

Video

Photo If you yearn to have your fate decided by a computer-generated name picker with a competitive atmosphere like that of the Hunger Games, the Photo is the section for you.

Photogs sit in their district (room 201 Witherspoon) as they await their fate.

Brave participants raise their hands at a chance to be selected for the Games.

However, disappointment is forever in their favor. To the selected contender, a thumb battle with their phone lies ahead as they attempt to request the most prestige weapon — the Nikon Z6 camera. Once a weapon is acquired, the photog takes an adventurous journey to the battlefield, where they will be faced with soldiers from other districts, fighting for a spot to

capture the blood, sweat and tears of NC State students and athletes.

Design Do you have glasses? What about carpal tunnel? If you’re looking to work yourself to the bone, consider joining Design! Anticipate spending anywhere from 5 to 36 hours staring at a screen in Witherspoon Student Center, nudging blocks of text by half a centimeter until it all looks perfect.

Or you can work from home, and send us silly drawings. Whichever you prefer. Caffeine is not provided but is highly recommended.

Copy Copy is perfect for any student who would like to say they work at a paper but hate the writing required. Join us to provide nothing but utter, scathing critiques to overworked student journalists and section editors, all while working in the comfort of your own home. If you love telling people getting college degrees in English that their grammar is bad, copy editing may be the perfect section for you.

TECHNICIAN 9

Culture TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

Riya Kannan

GRAPHIC BY AVERY SZAKACS

‘Wonka’ is sweeter than chocolate

Assistant Culture Editor

“Wonka,” a heartwarming and nearly sickeningly sweet tale that eases the controversy and darkness of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the sinister auras of the story’s previous film adaptations, puts a new face and lighthearted twist to the iconic chocolatier.

Most who remember watching their generation’s version of the story for the first time would likely recall the experience as being wildly fantastical — yet somewhat off-putting.

Dahl’s original novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” tells the story of a young Charlie Bucket, who wins one of the coveted golden tickets allowing people the chance to tour the ever-magical Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Filled with adventure, eccentricity and the slightest bit of stop-and-reread bizarreness, the story has survived the test of time and is still loved by many.

“Wonka” tells the origin story of protagonist Willy Wonka, played by Timothée Chalamet. Tommy Jenkins, lecturer in the English department, said the presentation of this film as more of an origin story, as opposed to a prequel, was likely a conscious decision.

“There’s kind of a love-hate relationship with prequels,” Jenkins said. “People either love it or they think ‘Oh, you’re ruining the original movies.’ I think a lot of it has to do with how and how well the prequels are done.”

“Wonka” faced a trial when it came to audience acceptance. The film’s trailers and overall marketing appeared to house a far more fantastical and far less sinister feel than the preceding movies, which many interpreted to be an injustice to the titular character.

Before the release of the film, Chalamet hinted that this film wouldn’t be as dark as previous adaptations.

“It’s not mining the darker emotions in life,” Chalamet said to Time Magazine. “It’s a celebration of being off-center and of being okay with the weirder parts of you that don’t quite fit in.”

In terms of audience response and general reception, Jenkins said he thinks it’s often best to take a new and different direction to films that serve as prequels or origin stories. “[When] doing a prequel, just in my opinion, it’s almost better to go in a very different kind of direction than trying to follow too much of what the original was like,” Jenkins said. “I think it would be more risky to follow [the previous films].”

The casting of Gen Z-favorite Chalamet in this cheerier, sing-songy version of the darkly eccentric chocolatier further contributed to the mixed reactions of the film even before its release.

Jenkins said that casting, despite the actor’s popularity, is reliant on the story the film is trying to tell and the interpretation it intends to take.

“Timothée Chalamet is obviously a versatile actor, but from the trailers and seeing him in other works, I don’t think he would do that kind of dark and sinister kind of Wonka,” Jenkins said. “If you wanted that, [you could] cast somebody else in that role.”

Jenkins said the comparison by many of Chalamet to Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder, actors who played Willy Wonka in previous films, is flawed because there’s strong differences between each film.

“Each person playing Wonka has to do their own interpretation of him for each film,” Jenkins said. “The Johnny Depp interpretation of Wonka was almost a little bit more sinister and there was a little more darkness to it, whereas the Gene Wilder one had a more

childlike quality.”

Paul King’s “Wonka,” as indicated by trailers and pre-film releases, is a more fantastical and wonderfilled film than Mel Stuart’s or Tim Burton’s. No eerie undertones of Dahl’s stories or the previous films are present — just magic and chocolate.

The entire movie is full of whimsical songs and dancing in the street. Even the portion of the film dealing with danger and potential death concerns an innocent “death by chocolate” proposition.

Much of the post-release criticism of the film revolves around the idea that it’s “too fantastical” and “too cliché.” What these criticisms fail to acknowledge is that “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” regardless of interpretation or version, is a children’s story at heart. Children’s stories are fantastical and cliché to an almost-overwhelming degree — making them a popular business move.

Jenkins said the film’s marketing approach was similar to the marketing for “Barbie,” which intended to appeal to both children and older audiences who grew up with the character and franchise.

“One of the things that ‘Barbie’ did so well was appealing to a younger audience, but also attracting people who had grown up playing with Barbie who are adults,” Jenkins said. “You had this wide spectrum of an audience that was interested in this movie. And I would say that the people making ‘Wonka’ want that exact same thing.”

Collider reported that in just over one week, “Wonka” had made $246 million worldwide, against a budget of $125 million. It seems the business tactic has been successful — and that the film has passed its trial by audience.

Culture

10 TECHNICIAN MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

Veganuary: Meatless in the new year

Sarah Hoffer Correspondent

‘Veganuary,’ a New Year’s challenge which began in the United Kingdom in 2014, encourages people to try the vegan diet for the first month of the year. In 2022, over 600,000 people participated in the challenge, and each year, increasingly more people try it out. Celebrities such as Billie Eilish and Paul McCartney endorse the program as well.

Veganuary is part of a “New Year, new me” push that comes around every January, when determined individuals plan to go to the gym every day and to cut out everything “bad” from their diet, which some say can be an unsustainable and unhealthy mindset.

Lauren Smith, Nutrition and Wellness director and a registered dietitian, said her biggest concern for those up to the Veganuary challenge is making sure you are getting enough nutrients with the diet change.

“I think it’s a really great idea to try a new lifestyle and just see what works for your body, but definitely do a little bit of research and make sure that you are eating enough,” Smith said. “So if you’re going to remove meat, make sure that you’re adding in other veggies, other sources of protein; make sure that you’re getting enough of the vitamins and minerals that you need.”

One motivator behind Veganuary is to decrease the stigma around the plant-based diet. It’s easy to write off something you’ve never tried, especially something as personal as your diet.

Julia Murphy, a first-year studying elementary education, has been vegan for six years. She follows the lifestyle predominantly for the animals, but health and environmental factors are reasons as well.

“I think that it just makes people intentional about what they are putting into their bodies, even if people don’t continue to be vegan,” Murphy said. “I think they [can become] more mindful about what they’re eating or maybe at least try to incorporate more plant-based eating if it’s not all of the way.”

A switch to a plant-based diet requires creativity in the variety of things you consume since you cannot rely on meat as a protein source. Past studies have shown vegans consume the highest amounts of dietary fiber and their digestion is improved because of a greater consumption of whole foods. Additionally, vegans eat the lowest amounts of saturated fats and have lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels in comparison to omnivores.

On the other hand, vitamin B12 deficiency is high among vegans since it is only found in animal-based foods. There can also be a lower satisfaction rate when eating plantbased due to the protein and calorie intake percentages. It can be difficult to dine out since it is the most restrictive of all plantbased diets, and can pose some social chal-

GRAPHIC BY SARAH HOFFER

lenges as well — not everyone is open to accommodating or understanding certain preferences.

Luckily, NC State strives to provide a variety of plant-based options in the dining halls and establishments on campus. The chefs and dieticians on campus make sure to include foods that appeal to all students and make adjustments to the menu when students give feedback.

“From what I can tell it’s about 10% of the general population that has a food [restriction],” Smith said. “If we think about it, we have 11,000 meal plan holders. That’s probably 11 or 12 hundred students who have some type of restriction, so I know that not everyone reaches out to me, but it has definitely been increasing.”

These days, with more plant-based alternatives for animal products, such as Beyond Meat and plant milks, this challenge and diet can be easier than ever to try out. In

NC State’s dining halls, veggie tenders, “chik’n” patties, and a wide variety of nondairy milk all make frequent appearances.

However, these highly processed items are controversial in the mainstream media because of their history of genetically modified ingredients and long ingredient lists. Just because something is meatless doesn’t mean it is automatically healthier or environmentally friendly; it just comes down to what you pair it with.

Lexa McDermott is a first-year studying animal science and has been vegan for just under a year after being a vegetarian for three years prior. McDermott chose veganism because she was uncomfortable not knowing where her food, especially animal products, came from.

“Personally, I try to avoid those because in terms of the health benefits that I feel can be derived from the vegan diet,” McDermott said. “I think that the processed alterna-

tives can be just as unhealthy as consuming animal products and to try to stick to more things like chickpeas, black beans and just a really wide variety of bean- and seed-based proteins, as opposed to the processed ones.”

A challenge like this may be a great onemonth trial to learn something about your body and what you put in it.

“I think [Veganuary] would help them gain empathy and perspective … and give them just a better understanding of what it’s like to be on those diets,” McDermott said. “I think sometimes it can be easy to criticize people who cut certain food groups out for various reasons, but if you actually experience it yourself, it gives you a broader perspective of that.”

To learn more about NC State nutritional services, dining, programs, health and wellness, visit the NC State Nutrition Services website.

TECHNICIAN 11

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MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

Five dorm-friendly winter recipes

Amelia Russell

Assistant Culture Editor

Now that winter break is over, you might be bracing yourself for the return of dining hall dinners. But coming back to school doesn’t mean you have to stop eating homecooked meals — with a few key tools, ingredients and the help of a communal dorm kitchen, you can cook homemade meals onpar with everything you ate during winter break. Here are five dorm-friendly winter meals to get you started.

Complete Caprese pasta With just four ingredients and a whole bunch of flavor, this recipe is all about maximizing the bang for your buck. For a bonus meal, buy extra of everything and a half loaf of bread for caprese lunch sandwiches.

What you need: One medium-sized pot, a pasta strainer and a stove.

Ingredients: Pasta, spinach, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, pesto and balsamic glaze.

If you can make pasta, you can make this dish. Just cook and drain your pasta, pour it back into the pot and add veggies, mozzarella and pesto sauce to your heart’s content. The heat from the pasta may wilt the spinach, so don’t be afraid to add a little extra. Drizzle with balsamic glaze for some pizzazz and enjoy.

Upgraded dorm room ramen This recipe remixes the staple college student struggle meal with none of the nutritional deficiency. Most of the ingredients in this recipe are non-perishable, making it a great rainy day or post party meal. You don’t even need a stove — use a kettle or microwave to make your boiling water from the comfort of your dorm rocking chair.

What you need: Boiling water Ingredients: Ramen, whatever assortment of canned or fresh vegetables you desire, American cheese, one egg.

Add dry ramen noodles, the accompanying flavor packet and boiling water straight to a serving bowl. For some extra protein, crack an egg directly into the bowl and cover with the noodles — the boiling water will lightly poach the egg. If the egg remains runny, microwave everything for an additional minute. Top your noodles with veggies, cheese and any leftover protein if you have it for a complete dorm meal.

GRAPHIC BY AMELIA RUSSELL

Overnight oats Make this for a healthy on-the-go breakfast, midday pick-me-up or midnight snack.

Chia seeds will soak up any liquid you put them in, so this can easily be made vegan.

For those who like to meal prep, these will keep in the fridge for up to five days.

What you need: A sealable container or a cup and saran wrap.

Ingredients (for two cups): One tablespoon of chia seeds, one-half a cup of old-fashioned oats, one cup of milk, a pinch of sugar, maple syrup or honey for sweetener and nuts or fruit to top with.

In a bowl, cup or mason jar combine all of your ingredients and stir. Add as much sweetener, fruit and nuts as you like. Seal tightly and store in the fridge overnight.

One-pan stir fry A stir-fry is an easy way to combine lots of ingredients under one, delicious sauce.

While this recipe is perhaps the most complicated on this list, it’s worth it. The best thing about this recipe is that it’s almost impossible to get wrong; the veggies, protein,

seasonings and sauce can all be swapped to your liking. You can even make it vegan or gluten-free.

mixture over a bed of grains.

What you need: A stove, medium-sized pan, measuring cup, cutting board, knife and mixing bowl.

Like a one-pot stir fry, this recipe’s ingredients are all completely interchangeable and pack a seriously flavorful punch. To keep the cooking time below half an hour, I use quick-cooking vegetables and proteins, such as broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and chicken or salmon filets, if I’m feeling fancy.

Ingredients: Broccoli, snap peas, bell peppers, tofu, rice (if desired), soy sauce and teriyaki marinade.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to your pan over medium heat and sear your protein until cooked thoroughly. Add seasonings to your liking. Once finished, set your protein aside, but don’t wash the pan.

Next, mix one-half soy sauce and one-half teriyaki sauce in a measuring cup with any extra seasonings. Make at least one-thirds cup of sauce — any extra can be drizzled on the finished product. Add all of your veggies to the pan with a little more olive oil and sear for two to three minutes, then pour in your sauce.

Let the vegetables simmer for another two to three minutes or until the vegetables soak up the sauce, and add your protein. Let it simmer for another two minutes, then take off the heat and scoop out your ingredients directly onto your plate or pour the whole

One-pan roasted dinner

What you need: A baking sheet, a mixing bowl and an oven.

Ingredients: One bag of chopped broccoli, one bag of mini potatoes, chicken breast chopped into bite-sized pieces, olive oil and seasonings or marinades if preferred.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Toss your potatoes and chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper and whatever other seasonings you have on hand. Pop these into the oven first and let cook for five minutes.

While these are cooking, toss your broccoli with olive oil and the same seasonings. Add to the pan and cook everything for an additional 15 minutes, then voila: you have a complete meal in 20 minutes.

Sports

12 TECHNICIAN MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

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2023 — Dave Doeren’s best job yet

GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN

NC State Football head coach Dave Doeren speaks to the media after the Pop-Tart Bowl between the NC State Wolfpack and the Kansas State Wildcats played in Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023. The Wildcats beat the Wolfpack 28-19.

Noah Teague

Assistant Sports Editor

The 2023 season was a roller coaster for NC State football.

From a blowout loss at Duke to a dominant victory over North Carolina, the Wolfpack experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. With a final record of 9-4, 2023 was head coach Dave Doeren’s best work, tying his best win mark with the Pack while battling adversity all season.

Entering the season, expectations were low; the team had lost star linebackers Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas to the draft and quarterback Devin Leary to the transfer portal. Paired with a challenging schedule, 2023 looked like a rebuilding year.

The first seven games certainly appeared to be a rebuild as the offense sputtered weekly. Things hit rock bottom when the Pack suffered a humiliating 24-3 loss to Duke. Heading into the bye week, it seemed that the season was lost. But Doeren had other plans for his team.

During the bye, Doeren made all the right adjustments to set up the Pack for the unthinkable — a 5-0 finish to end the

regular season. Doeren tinkered his offensive lineups and employed a simple strategy of getting the ball in the hands of his best playmaker, freshman receiver KC Concepcion.

The adjustments immediately paid off against Clemson, with the Wolfpack winning the Textile Bowl 24-17. The red-and-white followed this up with a 20-6 win over Miami.

Despite having only one significant offensive playmaker, Doeren had successfully adapted and steered his team to bowl eligibility.

Following the win over Miami, more adversity was thrown at Doeren. After inserting sophomore quarterback MJ Morris into the starting role for the previous four games, Morris opted to sit out the rest of the season and maintain his redshirt. With his starting quarterback bailing, it would’ve been easy for Doeren to throw in the towel.

Instead, the resilient coach faced the challenge head on.

Graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong was named the new starter after Morris. Armstrong had struggled with turnovers and downfield accuracy during his first five games, leading to him being benched for Morris. However,

as a runner, Armstrong offered the team an intriguing dynamic.

Doeren leaned into Armstrong’s strength as a runner over the final three games. What seemed like a loss with Morris redshirting turned into a positive as the offense played even better with Armstrong.

Under Armstrong, NC State won three of its final four games, including a 39-20 shellacking of North Carolina.

Entering the year, all signs pointed to the Tar Heels being the better team, with the in-state rivals featuring one of the nation’s best quarterbacks and a deep set of playmakers. Yet it was the Wolfpack, with Armstrong and Concepcion, that played like an offensive juggernaut in the clash.

Between the personnel deficiencies, a mid-season 180 and MJ Morris’ late season opt out, 2023 was by far one of the toughest challenges Doeren has faced at NC State. Yet he overcame each difficulty while guiding his team to nine wins, including ever-important victories over Clemson and North Carolina. In the most unlikely of years, Doeren did his best work in 2023.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 13

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MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

Carolina Hurricanes midseason takeaways The Carolina Hurricanes will reach the halfway point of the 2023-2024 regular season Thursday, Jan. 11 when they take on the Anaheim Ducks. With 40 games under the team’s belt, what are the biggest takeaways from this season so far?

Aidan Carlson Staff Writer

Hot or not?

All-stars are all-starring

Midway through this season, the Canes have felt very streaky compared to recent seasons.

No other position quite exemplifies this like the goaltending situation does. Once goaltender Frederik Andersen was put on injured reserve, Carolina struggled to find any consistency in goal. There have been times when the goalies looked like they couldn’t save anything and others where they have been by far the Canes’ best players.

Goaltender Antti Raanta stopped 21 of 22 shots vs the St. Louis Blues in what was one of his best performances of the season.

Caniacs know it hasn’t been like that all season — for all goalies that have started five plus games this season for Carolina, no one has a worse save percentage than Raanta does this season at 0.861.

Netminder Pyotr Kochetkov has clawed his way back to a save percentage above 0.900. After a rough start to the season, the young Russian has consistently been making a positive impact. Claiming the No. 1 goalie spot for now, Kochetkov is the present and future, earning high praise from his teammates.

Goaltending isn’t the only thing that’s been hit or miss, for a while the Canes’ special teams have had their fair share of issues. At the beginning of the season, the penalty kill was below 80% — atypical for a Rod Brind’Amour-coached team. Not even a month ago, the power play unit was struggling to find an identity and consistent success but now they have seemingly struck gold.

In December, the Hurricanes gave up just two power play goals, a league low. Since the Christmas break, Carolina’s power play has been operating at 52.4%, a big part of the reason it leads the NHL in power play goals scored this season.

Carolina’s most recent all-stars center Sebastian Aho and right wing Andrei Svechnikov have shown why in previous seasons they’ve been selected as all-stars. They are the only two Hurricanes players to be averaging a point per game this season. On fire as of late, the two have combined for 30 points in the last seven games.

In past seasons, the Canes have been snake bitten by star players not producing goals in big moments. This season, however, Svechnikov and Aho rank first and second, respectively, in game-winning goals and have combined for a total of eight on the power play.

Aho earned another all-star selection this year and will represent the Hurricanes in Toronto. Aho has been the best all-around forward the Hurricanes have had for a couple of years and this season he seems to finally be putting it all together.

“He’s going [to All-Star Weekend] because he’s put up points, but what really should be known is how he does it,” Brind’Amour said. “We ask him to kill penalties, we ask him to be on the power play, and he’s special in every area of the game. He puts up the points, but really his 200-foot game and his overall team game are why he should be going.”

The year of Seth Jarvis No player has made quite as big of a jump from one season to the next like young center Seth Jarvis. In 42 fewer games, Jarvis has already matched his goal total from the prior season with 14 — eight of which have come with the man advantage — leading all Canes players.

Although scoring is the easiest thing to see on the stat sheet, it’s not even close to explaining why he continues to earn more opportunities. As a forward in Brind’Amour’s system, it is crucial to be defensively responsible, and Jarvis continues to get better in that area.

Leading the team in hits, Jarvis throws his body around like a wrecking ball. He is taking more faceoffs and getting more ice time than ever before and continues to prove why he is a top player. Every game he seems to pickpocket an opponent with the puck and create scoring opportunities.

Night in and night out, he brings the energy. If he continues to improve on the little things, the rest of the season should be exciting.

Don’t panic By far the most important takeaway is to not panic.

Carolina came into the season as Stanley Cup favorites and with high expectations. It’s easy to get caught up in every problem the team has when watching each game individually, but it’s important to zoom out every once in a while and look at the big picture.

The Hurricanes remain solidly in second place of the Metropolitan division while playing the most road games of any NHL team so far.

Every team has problems, but this team is still one of the best in the league.

Halfway through the season, the Carolina Hurricanes are becoming that dangerous team the media predicted they’d be, and there’s still 42 games left.

ETHAN RIMOLT/TECHNICIAN

Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis shoots the puck during the game against the New York Islanders in PNC Arena on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. Jarvis had one shot during the game. The Islanders beat the Hurricanes 5-4 in overtime.

Sports

14 TECHNICIAN MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

GRIFFIN BRYANT/ARCHIVE

NC State baseball players watch from the dugout during the Wolfpack’s home game against the East Carolina University Pirates on Doak field at Dail Park on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The Wolfpack beat the Pirates 5-4.

Must-see NC State games this spring Erin Ferrare

Assistant Sports Editor

While the winter sports season is still in full swing, it’s never too early to look ahead and see what NC State athletics has to offer in the spring season. From baseball to tennis, there’s something for every Wolfpack fan to enjoy when winter turns into spring.

No. 9 women’s tennis vs. No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill — March 22, 2024 Last year’s women’s tennis season was nothing short of exceptional. After winning the program’s first ACC Championship and making it all the way to the NCAA Finals, this year’s team has some large shoes to fill, and the Tar Heels look to steal the spotlight once again.

After falling to the in-state rival in the national championship, the Pack will come into this matchup with revenge on its mind. Despite beating the Tar Heels 4-1 in the ACC Championship, it was unable to recreate that success in the national championship.

With the home crowd cheering them on,

the Wolfpack hopes to rally and push the bitter taste of last season to the back of their mind. Some exceptional talent is returning to the Pack this season, including No. 3 senior Amelia Rajecki, No. 19 senior Sophie Abrams and a doubles team ranked No. 7 including Rajecki and freshman Maddy Zampardo.

No. 21 men’s tennis vs. No. 12 Columbia — Feb. 4, 2024 Despite going 9-3 in ACC play last year, the NC State men’s tennis team was mediocre in the long-run of the season, finishing 15-10. The team had a strong non-conference schedule last year and this season is no different, with the Pack looking to take on No. 10 Harvard and No. 12 Columbia.

The matchup against the Lions is the only home match against either of those teams, and it should be a good one for all Wolfpack fans. There aren’t any players from NC State ranked in the Top 50, but a doubles team made up of junior Joseph Wayand and sophomore Martin Borisiouk rank at No. 13 nationally.

NC State has a few tough matchups lined up before this showdown, and the extra

practice will be needed. The Lions went 20-4 last season with dramatic wins over ranked opponents. If the Wolfpack can surprise this powerhouse, there will be no denying that NC State men’s tennis is here to fight for its rankings.

Baseball vs. Duke — March 22-24, 2023 The ACC is known as a baseball conference when the spring comes, and that’s represented in the Perfect Game’s preseason rankings. Six ACC teams have made the list of 25, with NC State coming in at No. 19.

Many of the Pack’s in-state rivals have made the cut as well — including UNCChapel Hill and Wake Forest — but the Pack has not dominated over another ACC baseball team quite like the Blue Devils. Coming in at No. 23 in the PG’s rankings, this year’s series between the two teams could be one of the best yet.

Holding a 57-28 record against Duke — including an 11-inning thriller in the ACC Championship tournament last year — NC State has the high ground in this rivalry and will look to keep it this spring. Hosting

the Blue Devils at Doak Field toward the beginning of the season will allow fans to see how impressive this team can be. The Pack9 features six transfers coming into the program this past fall, with three listed in D1 Baseball’s Top 130 2024 Transfers list.

Olympics watch While these events might not be taking place on campus, some NC State athletes could be traveling all across the country or the world looking to represent their home on the Olympic teams.

Two members of NC State’s wrestling team have qualified for the Team USA Wrestling selection trials taking place from April 19-20 at Penn State. Redshirt senior Trent Hidlay qualified in the 86 kg group as the 2023 Bill Farrell Champion and redshirt sophomore Isaac Trumble qualified when he won the 2023 U23 Championships.

One NC State swimmer has qualified so far for the swimming trials held from June 15-23 in Indianapolis — junior Arsenio Bustos. With a time of 49.75 in the men’s 100 freestyle, Bustos will be going up against some tough competitors to clench a coveted spot on Team USA.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 15

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MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

How DJ Horne cemented himself as NC State’s best guard

Colby Trotter Staff Writer

If it was up to him, graduate guard DJ Horne would’ve been donning a Wolfpack uniform his entire college career. Instead, the zero-star prospect from Raleigh, North Carolina had to take a detour that included two seasons at Illinois State and another two years at Arizona State before ending up where he always belonged.

With former guards Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner leaving NC State for the NBA after the 2022-23 season, head coach Kevin Keatts went to the transfer portal to find a replacement that could get buckets like the two in last season’s backcourt. So he got Horne, who had recently put his name on the map with a 20-point performance in the First Four of the NCAA tournament and followed it up with a 17-point performance in the first round, including a game-tying three in the final seconds.

Horne’s ability to make clutch shots and shoot from long distance was something the Pack needed to add after the departures of Smith and Joiner. Horne has lived up to high expectations and currently leads the Wolfpack in scoring and 3-pointers made. He’s also fifth in the ACC in 3-point percentage with an elite 42.9% from beyond the arc.

These numbers may be somewhat of a surprise based on how Horne started the season — in his first game wearing the red and white, Horne scored just six points on 2-12 shooting while making just one of his seven 3-point attempts. However, the graduate shrugged off this performance and scored 15 and 18 points the next two games while shooting over 50% in both contests.

For the next stretch of games, Horne struggled to find consistency, but struggles are to be expected from a player who just joined the program and is trying to mesh with new teammates.

About a month into the season, things started to really click for the transfer.

Against UT Martin, Horne scored 22 points, including six 3-pointers on just 10 attempts. Over the next three games, Horne scored 16 points or more — including two 20-point games — and knocked down four or more 3’s all above a 50% clip.

This stretch established Horne as the Wolfpack’s go-to scorer and its most reliable shooter. Whenever the Pack goes flat on offense, it looks to Horne to go get a tough bucket.

While Horne has established himself as the Wolfpack’s best scorer and shooter, his ability to run the offense should not go unnoticed. Horne has recorded three or more

assists in over half of the games he’s played despite his role as a lead scorer.

His playmaking ability was especially crucial in a key overtime win against Boston College, NC State’s first conference win of the season. After leading for the majority of the game, the Wolfpack allowed the Eagles to claw back and eventually force overtime.

Since Horne was the leading scorer for the Pack in this game, most of the defensive attention was on him in the extra session.

Rather than forcing contested shots, Horne made extra passes in overtime and assisted on all three 3-pointers NC State made in the extra period. Horne ended the game with five assists and his unselfishness in overtime propelled the Pack to a crucial conference win on the road.

Most guys with Horne’s ability to score aren’t passing up on shots, especially if it’s in overtime, but that’s what makes this Raleigh native different. He continues to put the team first and only cares about getting the team a win at this stage in his career.

Despite this being his first year with the Pack, Horne has already emerged as one of the team’s leaders.

It took a long journey for Horne to get to Raleigh, but he wasted no time establishing himself as one of the best players for his hometown team. He will be a critical piece for the Pack as it looks to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Graduate guard DJ Horne breaks through the defense to shoot a layup during the game against Virginia in PNC Arena on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Horne recorded 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. NC State beat Virginia 76-60.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Graduate guard DJ Horne moves past the defense during the game against The Citadel in PNC Arena on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023.

Horne scored six points and made six rebounds. NC State beat The Citadel 72-59.

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