Narcan — Technician 1/25/24

TECHNICIAN JA N U A RY 25, 202 4

VOL . 104 | NO. 17

PEEL, PLACE, PRESS SEE PAGE 8

Contents

2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

CONTEMPORARY, HIP-HOP, CAPOEIRA FUSION WITH KOUBI

IN THIS ISSUE: page

04

PACK DISCO Saturday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. - Midnight

Thursday, Jan. 25, 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.

Biden visits Raleigh, announces investments in internet infrastructure

THE RADAR Events to keep an eye on for the week of Jan. 25

Free Join world-famous Compagnie Hervé KOUBI for a masterclass on contemporary dance, hip-hop and capoeira, intended for dancers of all levels.

(Y)OUR HEALTH IN THE MOVIES: CLIMATE CHANGE Thursday, Jan. 25, 4:30 - 5:45 p.m.

NEWS

TALLEY STUDENT UNION, STATE BALLROOM

CARMICHAEL GYM, DANCE STUDIO 2307

Free Take part in the Inter-Residence Council’s annual Silent Disco filled with music, food and an NC State versus Syracuse watch party.

3-ON-3 DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT Friday, Jan. 26, 6 - 9 p.m.

D.H. HILL JR. LIBRARY, FISHBOWL FORUM

CARMICHAEL GYM, RACQUETBALL COURTS 4-9

Free Hear from climate change and ecocinema experts and professors in a discussion about the science behind dystopian climate change portrayals in popular movies.

Free Visit the Wellness and Recreation Center to compete against fellow students in a 3-on-3 dodgeball tournament.

page

— The Most 06 Asteria Gentrified Place on Earth

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

OPINION page

King and the Klan: Rev.

11 Martin Luther King’s visit to Reynolds

CULTURE

page

14

Wolfpack wrestling charges into ACC play

RACHEL LAMINACK/TECHNICIAN

Junior guard Aziaha James celebrates after scoring during the game against Duke in Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2024. James had two assists and scored 33 points for the Wolfpack. The Wolfpack beat the Blue Devils 72-57.

SPORTS Editors-in-Chief Ethan Bakogiannis Jameson Wolf

Assistant News Editors Ally Tennant Matthew Burkhart

technician-opinion@ncsu.edu

technician-photo@ncsu.edu

Managing Editor/Brand Manager Emily Vespa

Culture Editor Elizabeth Dull

Assistant Opinion Editor Skye Crawford

technician-features@ncsu.edu

Assistant Photo Editor Cate Humphreys

Copy Desk Chief Rachelle Hernandez

Assistant Culture Editors Riya Kannan Amelia Russell

technician-opinion@ncsu.edu

technician-video@ncsu.edu

Design Editor Ellie Bruno

technician-sports@ncsu.edu

Sports Editor Jenna Cuniowski

Assistant Video Editor Katherine Wan

technician-editor@ncsu.edu

323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online

919-515-5017 919-515-2411 919-515-5133 technicianonline.com

technician-managingeditor@ncsu.edu

technician-copydesk@ncsu.edu

Assistant Copy Desk Chief Elliot Johnson News Editor Kate Denning

technician-news@ncsu.edu

technician-design@ncsu.edu

Assistant Design Editor Carter McDermott

Opinion Editor Justin Welch

Focused Editor Koen Rodabaugh

Assistant Sports Editors Erin Ferrare Noah Teague

Photo Editor Ethan Rimolt

Video Editor Isaac Hernandez

General Manager Garrett Gough media-sales@ncsu.edu

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 ELLIE BRUNO BACK COVER BY GRIFFIN BRYANT

News

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

NC State Police ramp up efforts during surge of car break-ins Matthew Burkhart Assistant News Editor

NC State Police is offering steering wheel locks and ramping up efforts to ensure the safety of vehicles after an increase in car break-ins on campus, particularly among Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

Nate Hitchings, sergeant of criminal investigations at NC State Police, said car break-ins have always been a fact of life in his ten years at NC State Police but have significantly increased lately.

“It hasn’t been quite as prevalent as it has been recently, as people have found out there are issues with certain brands, makes and models of cars — specifically Kia and Hyundai — but there have always been some on campus, it seems that more than normal,” Hitchings said.

Kia and Hyundai vehicles are more susceptible to break-ins because many of their vehicles on the roads lack immobilizers, an electronic security device that prevents the engine from being started unless the correct key is present.

Last year, NC State Police and NC State Transportation received steering wheel locks through a community outreach and crime prevention grant from Kia. Any student who owns a Kia or Hyundai vehicle made between the years 2011-2022 can receive a free lock without an appointment from the police station.

Hitchings said wheel locks work by immobilizing the steering wheel through a clamp that secures both sides of the wheel, preventing any movement. The lock is made from a metal bar and can only be unlocked with a key.

“The idea being that if the steering wheel can’t turn, then you can’t turn the car, so there’s no use taking it,” Hitchings said.

Hitchings said NC State Police is also increasing the frequency of patrols at night.

“We’re required to check each parking lot at least twice a night,” Hitchings said. “But with the reason [of] car breakins and car thefts, we’ve actually increased those patrols where, especially if we’re noticing a trend where there’s more crime happening in a certain area, you might have an officer traveling through a parking lot once an hour.”

Students can be proactive in preventing break-

CRIME ON CAMPUS

ins by parking in well-lit areas, near cameras and in areas where people are more likely to be active, Hitchings said.

Hitchings said most stolen vehicles from campus are recovered, but only after someone else has located them after being dumped at a crime scene. He said keeping tracking devices like Apple AirTags hidden in a vehicle might increase the chance of it being located before it is discarded.

The Kia and Hyundai flaws were publicized through a TikTok trend last year called the “Kia Challenge,” in which thieves jam USB cables into the steering column, making the car start without a key and not triggering any alarms, due to the lack of an immobilizer.

Kenneth Granlund, associate professor of mechanical engineering, said Kia and Hyundai most likely did not include immobilizers in the production of their vehicles to cut costs and keep car prices low.

“There’s always going to be one manufacturer who’s going to take the cheaper route selling cheaper cars, and hopefully, undercutting the competition by having less safety in something,” Granlund said.

Granlund said another possible reason is that car theft rates are much lower in South Korea, where Kia and Hyundai vehicles are designed, than in the United States. By updating U.S. models to include immobilizers, Granlund said these companies could be a better fit for the U.S. market.

Students who own Kia and Hyundai vehicles made between 2011 and 2022 can pick up steering wheel locks from the NC State Police 24 hours a day or the NC State Transportation office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MATTHEW BURKHART/TECHNICIAN

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

NC State’s weekly log of major incidents across campus ASSIST OTHER AGENCY Jan. 21 at 1:15 a.m.

Off Campus Raleigh Police reported a student was intoxicated and disruptive on Glenwood South. Raleigh issued him a citation for the violation while University Police referred him to the University.

TRAFFIC STOP

LARCENY

Jan. 18 at 8:25 p.m.

Centennial Middle School

Jan. 17 at 9:55 p.m.

Valley Hall

A student was stopped and cited for speeding 47 mph in a 25 mph zone and reckless driving.

A student reported that his vehicle had been stolen. The vehicle was recovered Jan. 20.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENT Jan. 16 at 10:51 p.m.

Hillsborough St. and Brooks Ave. University Police observed a vehicle stopped on top of the traffic circle. A non-affiliated individual was arrested for driving while impaired after his vehicle landed at this location causing $10,000 in damage.

News

4 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

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Biden visits Raleigh, announces investments in internet infrastructure

Emily Vespa

Managing Editor

President Joe Biden visited Raleigh on Thursday and announced $82 million in new investments that will connect 16,000 additional North Carolina homes and businesses with high-speed internet.

Funds for the investments come from the American Rescue Plan Act, an act aimed at combating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic Biden signed into law in 2021.

Biden told the audience at Abbotts Creek Community Center that his goal is to provide everyone access to high-speed internet.

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore — it’s an absolute necessity,” Biden said.

Biden said the Biden-Harris Administration’s Affordable Connectivity Program has helped 885,000 households in North Carolina save a total of $440 million in internet bills.

“It’s not enough to just have internet access,” Biden said. “It needs to be affordable.”

Two American companies, CommScope and Corning, are investing more than $550 million combined to manufacture fiber-

GRIFFIN BRYANT/TECHNICIAN

President Joe Biden points toward North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper at the Abbotts Creek Community Center in Raleigh, NC on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. President Biden spoke on new investments to connect North Carolina homes to high-speed internet, new, faster rail lines and other developments as a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

optic cable in Hickory, North Carolina, Biden said.

“Already, 40% of all the fiber-optic cable in America is being manufactured in Hickory, and now that number is going to continue to grow,” Biden said. “Jobs are going to grow,

and when jobs grow, everything grows.”

Biden used his remarks to emphasize his efforts to improve the economy and invest in infrastructure.

“Last week, we learned that America filed 16 million new applications for new busi-

nesses since I became president,” Biden said.

“Folks, that’s a record. Every single one of those new small businesses is an act of hope.

It generates progress.”

Biden also juxtaposed his economic policy with that of former President Donald Trump.

“Our approach is a fundamental break from trickle-down economics,” Biden said.

“My predecessor, everything was trickledown. … That trickle-down shrank public investment in infrastructure and education.”

Biden praised Gov. Roy Cooper, who addressed the audience before Biden.

“By the way, you’ve got the best governor in the country,” Biden said. “You know what I love about him most — I mean this from the bottom of my heart — he has absolute, total integrity.”

Biden said he wants to establish universal, high-speed internet throughout North Carolina by 2030.

“When you see shovels in the ground, cranes in the sky and people hard at work on these projects, I hope you feel pride in America,” Biden said.

Campus celebrates MLK Day with march

Ally Tennant and Elizabeth Dull Assistant News Editor, Culture Editor

Students and faculty marched from Stafford Commons to Harris Field to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. on Friday.

The African American Cultural Center and Multicultural Student Affairs hosted the march, which revolved around the theme “Move,” a nod to Beyonce’s Renaissance album.

“The theme around this entire week has been persistence, and it’s a roadmap to equity, freedom and justice,” said Quashon Bunch, the associate director for the African American Cultural Center and a program director for the Black Male Initiative. “The point of the event today is to showcase the impact on our student organizations, what they have on campus, as far as it relates to advocacy, equity and freedom.”

Bunch said this year’s march, which is the third annual March Like Martin, was to amplify the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “[The marches] are aiming toward the same common goal, and that’s just to highlight the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but also showcase the advocacy and justice piece that our students, they have an impact

on campus,” Bunch said.

Gabby Morris, a third-year studying communication, said the march is an important annual tradition.

“As an NC State student, and especially as a Black student, it’s really empowering to see that we are committed to doing this every single year and that we have such a large turnout,” said Morris. “It’s really important that NC State can embody the values that Martin Luther King did, and it’s really important that it’s being expressed through generations.”

Morris also said the march has grown in numbers throughout the years.

“I’ve seen the impact grow, I’ve seen the march get larger and larger every year, and it impacts a lot more students and more organizations are joining,” Morris said. “I’ve also seen a lot of diversity come into the march as well, which I really love to see.”

Ana Rinne, a fourth-year studying criminology, took part in the march with a sign reading “Silence is Violence.” She said the sign was an expression of those who did not show up.

“I wanted to write this because this particular event is usually a really low turnout for the white population on this campus, and we are a predominantly white school,”

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Jasmin Azan, a second-year studying engineering, walks with friends during the March Like Martin event from Stafford Commons to Harris Field on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. The event held by African American Cultural Center and Multicultural Student Affairs honored Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

Rinne said. “So there’s just a real lack of support, I think, from that community with our Black community.”

During the march, some chanted “no justice, no peace,” and “unite, we fight, we’re gonna be alright.”

After the march, Taquan Dewberry, a first-year studying computer science and philosophy, gave a speech on the importance of showing diversity on NC State’s campus.

“To me the event means to be able to, you know, walk proudly on campus, especially as a first-year student, knowing that our campus commemorates and celebrates things like marching like Martin, honoring the legacy of a man who fought so hard to make sure the people could be here today united, despite of our beliefs, race, religion, sexual preferences, all of that — that means a lot to me because it shows unity,” Dewberry said.

News

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

Study Abroad office responds to shooting at partner university

CONTRIBUTED BY NC STATE EUROPEAN CENTER IN PRAGUE

Riya Kannan

Assistant Culture Editor

Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to gun violence.

The deadliest mass shooting in the Czech Republic’s history occurred on the campus of a partner university of NC State European Center in Prague, around one mile from where students in session were studying weeks prior. The NC State Study Abroad office is reviewing its safety protocols in response to the shooting.

The mass shooting occurred on Charles University’s campus on Dec. 21, 2023.

Charles University educates about one-sixth of all students in the Czech Republic and is one of the four universities in Prague that NC State Prague partners with.

At the time of the shooting, most NC State students studying in Prague had returned home. Some students remained in Prague with their families at the time of the shooting. No NC State students or staff were harmed in the shooting.

Kimberly Strozewski, the director of NC State Prague, said the students and families who remained in Prague at the time of the shooting were alerted by NC State Prague staff about the situation, despite classes not being in session.

Julia Law, director of the NC State Study Abroad office, said the Study Abroad office is implementing more safety policies, as is NC State Prague.

“We are doing reviews of our protocols, … but they are pretty thorough,” Law said. “[Safety protocols] might look a little bit different because we’re coordinating across time zones and locations, but [we have] on-site partners in all of the locations where we’re sending students. [They] have infrastructure and risk management and risk mitigation processes [in] addition to emergency response plans for individual programs where students are studying.”

Law said there is a robust safety plan in place that allows the Study Abroad office to get in contact with students and offices abroad, but there is currently an ongoing review of these plans as a result of the shooting in Prague.

Law said Study Abroad collaborates with various agencies to ensure the safety of its

students abroad.

“I haven’t seen that there are other indicators that would cause an increased level of concern,” Law said. “The safety [and] security networks that we utilize … the U.S. State Department, [a] private security agency, our partner institutions abroad, the U.S. Embassy … they try and have a good, well-rounded assessment of the situation. And so I’m not seeing anything that indicates that there’s a trend of change right now.”

While the Czech Republic is seen to have generally more relaxed gun laws than the rest of the E.U., mass shootings and gun violence are rare. This was the third mass shooting in the country in nine years.

Compared to the United States, the country’s gun violence rates are staggeringly low.

In 2019, the Czech Republic saw 195 total gun deaths, compared to the United States’ 15,000.

To obtain a gun in the Czech Republic, one must pass a test, background check and health clearance. Despite these regulations, the shooter at Charles University legally owned his gun and several others.

“That’s what’s so unusual,” Strozewski said. “He passed psychological testing. He had the permits and everything.”

Though officials are reporting that this was a premeditated and isolated incident, the Czech Republic has plans to pass new gun legislation.

Law said the Study Abroad office is still encouraging students to seek out opportunities to expand their personal and academic horizons abroad and does not believe the shooting at Charles University poses an increased safety risk to students intending to study abroad in Prague or elsewhere.

“I think that life has its risks and its rewards, and we want to be careful and diligent about how we’re moving forward in life, but not from a place of fear… from a place of intentional academic and personal growth,” Law said.

Strozewski said NC State Prague does not see this event as indicative of future threats to the general safety and well-being of study abroad students in the country.

“I think the students feel safer here than in the U.S., just because there’s very low [crime],” Strozewski said. “People don’t carry weapons here normally. Students are surprised to hear that it is actually safe to walk around at night. There isn’t crime here on the streets. There [aren’t] shootings.”

Opinion

6 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

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Black men need to speak out for Black women M

alcolm X once said the Black woman is the most disrespected, unprotected and neglected person in America. Whether you believe this to be true Skye Crawford or not, and I believe it is, it Assistant doesn’t discount the stateOpinion Editor ment’s underpinnings — that our biggest threat comes from inside the house.

Black men and women in America have a long, extensive history of enduring racialized oppression and violence, evolving over centuries to take the present-day form of police brutality, mass incarceration, healthcare disparities and more. There’s no discrediting the horrors both sexes in the Black community face. However, due to intersectionality, the combination of marginalized identities, Black women face problems Black men never will, many times at the hands of our male counterparts.

Beauty standards are one example. Misogynistic and Eurocentric ideals of beauty favor lighter skin, straighter hair and smaller noses. Over time, these broader societal norms have entered Black men’s

subconscious as a form of internalized white supremacy, leading to discrimination toward Black women.

The very white supremacy that disadvantages Black men in economic and political realms drives them to assert power where they can.

Dark-skinned Black women in particular know all too well the reality of Black men’s Eurocentric tastes, and all of us know the reality of their general biases. For example, stereotypes that Black women are loud and oversexual plague the dating scene.

In a video from 2016, three Black men discussed why they avoid Black women when dating. One man stated Black women are too angry, while another said he needed someone who would “respect” their choice to be abstinent, suggesting Black women, who are too often characterized as jezebels, wouldn’t.

These viewpoints help explain why, as of 2015, Black male newlyweds are twice as likely as Black females to be in interracial marriages.

Whether or not Black men want to date us shouldn’t affect how they treat us outside of interpersonal relationships. And yet, it does.

Black women are frequently forgotten

victims of sexual violence, and our male counterparts don’t stand up for us. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, one in five Black women are survivors of rape, and one in four Black girls will face sexual abuse before they turn 18.

We aren’t asking Black men to solve the issue of discrimination for us.

All we ask is the bare minimum: respect and support.

We are also too often killed. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research reports that Black women are two and a half times more likely to be murdered by men than our white counterparts and are over 90% more likely to have known their perpetrators.

The lack of activism on our behalf is

chilling.

Of course, Black men face difficulties that Black women don’t. For example, they are more often affected by the school-to-prison pipeline. But what makes the difficulties Black men face different is that Black women are not contributors to the system that disadvantages their male counterparts.

Black women have been a part of almost every social movement for justice and have stood alongside Black men for centuries.

We aren’t asking Black men to solve the issue of discrimination for us. All we ask is the bare minimum: respect and support.

Black men should be standing in solidarity with us rather than at odds.

Resources for women of color at NC State include the Women’s Center and the African American Cultural Center. Groups within these organizations, like The Collective, offer a space of solitude, camaraderie and safety for women of color.

In the broader Raleigh community, The Black Women Empowerment Network offers resources and support for Black women. It also provides opportunities for others to support the cause through donations or volunteer work. Similar organizations are listed on the Philanthropy Together website.

Asteria — The Most Gentrified Place on Earth H

ave you ever wanted to live in a dystopian world where major corporations are breaching into small communities, leeching their culture and dropping wonderful suburbia over the woods and rivers you were raised in and Ethan love? Well, Asteria is for you!

Rimolt Disney is bringing the huge joke it Photo Editor calls “Storyliving” to Pittsboro, North Carolina, the place I’ve lived for over half of my life, the place I have been able to call home for the longest time. It’s the place where I’ve come to make friends, go to school, grow into adulthood and put down roots with a church — shoutout Pittsboro United Methodist.

Storyliving is some vague concept made up by Disney that asserts claims of connecting communities back to their historic past or something of the like. Essentially, it’s a buzzword that entices fans to fork over their money to Disney for the privilege to live in a Disney neighborhood.

Many of the wonderful residents of Pittsboro I’ve come to know are, to put it lightly, displeased with Disney coming into their community and dropping what I can only assume are homes costing millions of dollars.

That’s one of my biggest issues — Disney’s presence will likely raise the prices of things like healthcare and groceries tenfold for current residents, some of whom may already be struggling to afford these.

Some people in Chatham County seriously struggle to pay for food. In 2021, the Food Bank of Central and

Eastern North Carolina stated 13% of people in Chatham County are food insecure. Why then do we need a Disney neighborhood that will certainly bring premium grocery stores to the area rather than working to help out and improve the lives of our fellow human beings.

But who cares about the culture and community of Pittsboro, we want Mickey! He’s so fun and silly, it doesn’t matter what others can afford because we can live in our cute new neighborhood with other Disney adults.

I would apologize for my vitriolic outburst, but I won’t. This is truly ridiculous. The first community Disney built is in Rancho Mirage, California, and while I really do hate what Disney is doing with these Storyliving communities, maybe California is the type of place this sort of nonsense belongs.

Or, hear me out, we could just not have these communities at all. My guess as to the reason why Disney didn’t put this directly in Raleigh — but considers it “close” to Raleigh — or Apex is it would be too expensive to build. That’s right, expensive! A multibillion dollar company — billion with a ‘B’ — is too scared or stingy to dish out the cash to put this ridiculous community in or near Raleigh.

I’m a business major and can appreciate the value a lot of corporations can bring to communities, especially if they find themselves being socially responsible and treating employees well. But Disney is pushing the amount of leeway I’m willing to give because I don’t see how this brings value to anyone but, one, Disney and, two, Disney.

GRAPHIC BY MAX ALSOP

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

GUEST COLUMN We will not wait for the next school shooting

Andrew Sun and Alexander Denza UNC-Chapel Hill March for Our Lives

Editor’s Note: The following is a student-written op-ed, signed by over 140 student leaders and meant to be published simultaneously across over 50 student newspapers. The breadth of this op-ed is national and includes public and private universities.

The purpose of this op-ed is to create attention around gun violence and act as a demonstration of the shared concern about gun violence that exists across all college campuses. To our knowledge, as a national op-ed, this opinion piece is the first of its kind.

S

tudents are taught to love a country that values guns over our lives.

Some of us hear the sound of gunfire when we watch fireworks on the Fourth of July or when we watch a drumline performance at halftime. But all of us have heard the siren of an active-shooter drill and fear that one day our campus will be next.

By painful necessity, we have grown to become much more than students learning in a classroom — we have shed every last remnant of our childhood innocence. The steady silence of Congress is as deafening as gunfire.

We will not wait for individual trauma to affect us all before we respond together

— our empathy is not that brittle. Our generation responds to shootings by bearing witness and sharing solidarity like none other. We text each other our last thoughts, and we cry on each others’ shoulders, and we mourn with each other at vigils. We convene in classrooms, and we congregate in churches, and we deliberate in dining halls. We’re staunch, and we’re stubborn, and we’re steadfast.

Our hearts bleed from this uniquely American brand of gun violence. Yet, we still summon the courage to witness firework shows and remind ourselves that we love our country so much that we expect better from it.

We believe that our country has the capacity to love us back. There are bullet-shaped holes in our hearts, but our spirits are unbreakable.

History has taught us that when injustice calls students to act, we shape the moral arc of this country.

Students in the Civil Rights Movement shared their stories through protest, creating the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee that organized Freedom Rides, sit-ins and marches. In demanding freedom from racial violence, this group’s activism became woven into American history.

Students across America organized teachins during the Vietnam War to expose its calculated cruelties — in doing so, rediscovering this country’s empathy. Their work, in demanding freedom from conscription and taxpayer-funded violence, is intertwined

Call Your Mom

Lucy Osborn, Staff Cartoonist A third-year studying art and design

with the American story.

This fall, UNC-Chapel Hill students’ text exchanges during the Aug. 28 shooting reached the hands of the President.

The nation read the desperate words of our wounded community as we organized support, rallies and got thrown out of the North Carolina General Assembly. We demanded freedom from gun violence, just as we have in Parkland and Sandy Hook and Michigan State University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

For 360,000 of us since Columbine, the toll of bearing witness, of losing our classmates and friends, of succumbing to the cursed emotional vocabulary of survivorship, has become our American story.

Yes, it is not fair that we must rise up against problems that we did not create, but the organizers of past student movements know from lived experience that we decide the future of the country.

The country watched student sit-ins at Greensboro, and Congress subsequently passed civil rights legislation. The country witnessed as students exposed its lies on Vietnam, and Congress subsequently withdrew from the war.

In recent years, the country watched student survivors march against gun violence, and the White House subsequently created the National Office of Gun Violence Prevention in September 2023.

So as students and young people alike, we should know our words don’t end on this page — we will channel them into change.

We invite you to join this generation’s community of organizers, all of us united in demanding a future free of gun violence.

We understand the gravity of this commitment because it’s not simply our lives we protect with prose and protest. It is our way of life itself.

We will not allow America to be painted in a new layer of blood. We will not allow politicians to gamble our lives for NRA money.

And most of all, politicians will not have the shallow privilege of reading another front-cover op-ed by students on their knees, begging them to do their jobs — we do not need a permission slip to defend our freedoms. They will instead contend with the reality that by uniting with each other and among parents, educators and communities, our demands become undeniable.

We feel intense anger and frustration and sadness, and in its wake we search for reaffirmations of our empathy — the remarkable human capacity to take on a tiny part of someone else’s suffering. We rediscover this fulfillment in our organizing, in our community, in not just moving away from the unbearable pain of our yesterday but in moving toward an unrelenting hope for our tomorrow.

Our generation dares politicians to look us in the eye, and tell us they’re too afraid to try.

Signed by 144 student leaders representing 90 groups across the nation.

A Warm Sign of Life

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

8 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

focused

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GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO

Student Senate works with University on expanding naloxone access Bastian Hauser Staff Writer

Ten months ago, former Student Body President McKenzy Heavlin vetoed a Student Senate resolution that recommended making two doses of naloxone, a medication used to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, available in campus residence halls and implementing naloxone and basic first aid training for resident advisors.

Stephen McGuiness, a fourth-year studying polymer and color chemistry and Student Senate president, told Technician at the time Student Senate would work hard to adapt and pass this resolution in the new session.

“It is kind of one of our biggest goals and kind of the top priority starting off this 103rd session,” McGuiness said in an interview with Technician after the resolution was vetoed.

Such resolutions don’t directly enact change, but encourage the University to do so.

“A resolution is essentially the Student Senate’s opinion, or something that we want to see done,” McGuiness said. “While we have a very big stake in these appeals, [University administrators] don’t necessarily have to listen to us.”

The original resolution was introduced

by McGuiness, Sen. Naila Din, a secondyear studying microbiology and Sen. Alyssa

Price, a second-year studying genetics.

Din said one of the main reasons the resolution was vetoed at the time was because there was not enough communication with campus partners, and after it was vetoed, senators worked to discuss solutions with the University.

“We talked with Campus Health, we talked with Housing and we also talked with Prevention Services,” Din said.

Din said in a revised version of the resolution, some campus partners will likely play a larger role.

“Within our talks with Prevention Services, they seem to really focus on increasing training and increasing Narcan accessibility,” Din said. “So we might push out some piece of resolution that’s in support of their plan.”

The original version of the resolution was focused on resident assistants. Din said Housing was worried that RAs could be held liable if it was a requirement of their position to administer naloxone and something went wrong.

“State legislation provides protection for student staff if [administering naloxone or giving first aid] is not a function of the position,” Din said. “If it is a requirement in that position, then there is some liability within it.”

When Heavlin vetoed the original resolution, he voiced concern that the resolution suggested distributing waivers for residents

to indicate whether they consent to receiving basic first aid or naloxone administered by an RA. He said the consent waivers could bring up legal questions that would slow the implementation of the resolution.

Meghan Luzader, director of residence life, said in an email that Housing does not discourage RAs from getting naloxone training from NC State’s Prevention Services or to pursue other training if they wish to do so.

“Providing CPR and Narcan treatment to our residents is not a part of the job description for our RAs,” Luzader wrote. “We have trained EMS personnel on campus who can administer medication, Narcan, CPR, first aid, etc. We train our RA staff to call 911 or the campus emergency number to get help from those who are very experienced in administering these treatments.”

Luzader said Housing would not have enough time for optional naloxone training during RA training.

“We train our staff over approximately a week and a half in advance of move-in on a wide variety of topic areas,” Luzader said. “We have a lot of information to cover during this time frame to prepare our staff to be able to meet the requirements of their position.”

Price said the resolution’s sponsors are now shifting the focus from increasing naloxone access for RAs to the greater campus population.

One challenge, however, is the cost of naloxone. A standard pack of two Narcan nasal sprays costs about $45.

Din said the University doesn’t have funds to pay for naloxone.

“There’s just no grants for the University to specifically use for Narcan,” Din said.

“It’s just an issue funding-wise; they just didn’t have enough money to provide free Narcan.”

Din said Prevention Services could donate 20 to 30 free doses of Narcan to SG, but it would need more in addition.

“So that’s why we’re looking for outside sources, like health departments near us,” Din said. “We want to ask them whether they are able to donate Narcan or to donate money.”

Din said she and Price also want to create a GoFundMe where all the proceeds go directly to purchasing Narcan.

Din said she and Price are still working on the new version of the resolution. She said they’ve had to talk to many campus partners, think a lot about what they wanted to change about the resolution and also have lives outside of SG. “And we’re all students; we got to take care of ourselves while also trying to tackle these issues,” McGuiness said. “So I believe that’s just the nature of it.”

Din said that they plan to introduce the new version of the resolution this session of Student Senate before mid-March 2024.

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TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

SIGNS OF AN OVERDOSE UNRESPONSIVE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

Opioid overdose and prevention: Know the signs Ally Tennant

Assistant News Editor

Editor’s Note: This article contains references to opioid overdose and addiction.

SLOW HEART RATE

Recovery from addiction is possible. For help, please call the free and confidential treatment referral hotline (1-800-662HELP) or visit findtreatment.gov.

EXTREMELY DILATED EYES SLOW BREATHING, CHOKING

BLUE LIPS, SKIN, OR NAILS GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO

HOW TO ADMINISTER NALOXONE STEP 1: CAREFULLY UNWRAP THE NALOXONE

STEP 2: FULLY PLACE DEVICE IN THE NOSTRIL, PRESS PLUNGER

STEP 3: WAIT FOR RESPONSE, READMINISTER IF 5 MINUTES PASS GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO

Jeffrey Fay, alcohol and other drug education coordinator for Prevention Services, came to Technician’s newsroom to give Prevention Services’ Opioid Overdose Prevention and Education Training, which includes training on opioid prevention and effective tactics to aid in preventing overdoses.

Since 2019, drug usage and overdoses have skyrocketed in the United States. There has been a 485% increase in cocaine overdoses between 2010 and 2021. Opioid overdoses have risen too, leading the Drug Enforcement Administration to announce a public safety alert starting in the 2020s.

Fay said the main purpose of Prevention Services’ Opioid Overdose Prevention and Education Training is to raise awareness, disband the stigma behind drug use and addiction and get the word out about harm reduction.

Multiple studies show rates of opioidrelated deaths decrease in areas with more opioid education and naloxone access.

Fay said understanding what exactly opioids are is an important starting point for being informed about the potential risks of opioid use. According to Prevention Services’ website, opioids are “a class of drugs that bind to receptors in the brain associated with increased pleasure and a decrease in the body’s response to pain. Opioids can either be derived naturally from the opium poppy or made synthetically.”

Fay said that some synthetic, or manmade, opioids like carfentanil are rarely prescribed to humans. However, the demand for synthetic opioids, combined with their high potency compared to other non- or semi-synthetic opioids, makes them prime substances to be illegally mass-produced and sold both on their own and laced with other drugs. “[The DEA] seized enough fentanyl in 2022 to kill everyone in the U.S.,” Fay said.

“That is enough doses of fentanyl to kill 379 million people.”

Another purpose of the training was to raise awareness of the signs of an opioid overdose and educate on how to respond.

The warning signs of an opioid overdose include making coughing, choking,

ETHAN RIMOLT/TECHNICIAN

Jeffrey Fay, the alcohol and other drug prevention coordinator of NC State Prevention Services presents to Technician staff about drugs and the use of Naloxone in Witherspoon Student Center on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. Fay explained that Naloxone is a medication which can reverse an opioid overdose.

gurgling or snoring sounds; dizziness and disorientation; cold, blue or clammy skin; slow, irregular or stopped breathing; are unresponsive to voice or touch; and have small, constricted, pinpoint-sized pupils.

The signs of an opioid overdose are very similar to those of alcohol poisoning, but a distinction is shown primarily through one’s pupils.

“The difference between alcohol and opioid overdose remains in the pupils,” Fay said. “Dilated pupils result in alcohol poisoning, along with a non-receptive gag reflex. This is why you do not feed people bread when they are intoxicated because they could choke.”

When someone is exhibiting signs of an opioid overdose, Fay said you should call 911 and administer naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, which temporarily reverses an opioid overdose.

Narcan is available over-the-counter at pharmacies across North Carolina. Fay said if students are interested in receiving a naloxone kit, they can email him at jdfay@ ncsu.edu. Naloxone Saves maintains a map of where Narcan is available to purchase.

Fay said Narcan works in three to five minutes and is safe for pets, the elderly, pregnant women and children.

To use naloxone, Fay said there are three steps: peel the plastic off the packaging, place the device straight upwards in the nostril and press the plunger to spray up the nose.

Several doses can be used on one individual and may be necessary depending on that individual’s tolerance to the drug. If the individual experiencing the overdose does not respond to the naloxone within five minutes, Fay said you should administer another dose.

Fay also said some people are scared to call for help because of the fear of getting in trouble with the police; however, the Good Samaritan laws passed in 2013 provide limited immunity to those calling for help in the case of an overdose.

Another reason students shouldn’t be deterred from calling 911 in the case of an opioid overdose, Fay said, is NC State’s Howl for Help program.

Howl for Help ensures the Office of Student Conduct does not take formal disciplinary action when a student calls 911 if they are experiencing or have a friend who is experiencing an opioid overdose or alcohol poisoning.

“We want you to call the police,” Fay said.

“They also want you to call so they can help; that is what they are there for; they are on the harm reduction team also.”

Other resources that Prevention Services uses to obtain help for those who are or know someone experiencing addiction at NC State are the harm reduction approach with counseling services, interventions and CRAFT skills, which provides support for individuals with family or friends who misuse opioids or alcohol.

The recovery resources page on Prevention Services’ website offers a list of resources for addiction treatment and support.

The Counseling Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 919-515-2423. If you are in a crisis situation and need immediate help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

GUEST COLUMN

EDITORIAL

A step toward safety Student Senate, University

must take action on MAX HINES LED AN INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL Narcan access in dorms INITIATIVE THAT LED TO A 2,000% The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the members of Technician’s editorial board and is the responsibility of the editors-in-chief.

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF IFC Overdose deaths in North Carolina have er and other unpredictable circumstances. rising since 2010, with a 22% increase The difference between an RA running MEMBERS TRAINED ON NARCAN been in deaths in 2021 alone according to the down a hallway and an ambulance driving Carolina Department of Health and to campus is drastic — a difference that can AND OVERDOSE PREVENTION. North Human Services. In nearly 40% of overdose mean life or death for overdose victims.

Max Hines IFC president

I have had the pleasure of working on a team committed to this movement as I served on the Interfraternity Council (IFC) board this past year and was elected as president of IFC this year. The ability to put pen to paper to contribute to the risk management of such a prevalent issue in our community has been a learning experience, and I hope this initiative will spread to the rest of campus in the future.

My decision to serve on IFC originally felt like an opportunity to just add to my resume and learn more about the Greek community. As I became more acclimated to the role, however, I soon realized the potential my executive board and I had to be pioneers in improving the education and safety against drug misuse.

Under my tenure as Vice President of Membership Development of IFC, I saw an opportunity within my position to address a problem that has impacted our communities back home and also on campus and has only seemed to spread like wildfire: fentanyl. The reality was that this narcotic had claimed far too many lives in North Carolina — including a student at NC State — and beyond, and not enough was being done to fight it.

We as an executive board realized that our members were not immune to the issues pervasive in our community but were committed to our responsibility of being part of the solution. We made the decision this past March to meet with Prevention Services to originally just receive extra insight on the problem, but what came of this interaction sparked an initiative that put our members and guests in safer hands.

In my meetings with Jeffrey Fay, Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Coordinator, he further educated me on the current fentanyl epidemic. The modern reality is that measures of risk prevention have not proven to be effective because people have free will to decide what they put in their bodies.

Therefore, risk reduction measures should be put in place instead to ensure that people who make these decisions can go about it as knowledgeably and as safely as possible.

With this new knowledge of risk reduction, I looked to our council’s Narcan & Overdose Training policy for evaluation.

Our policy at the time only required chapter presidents to attend one cumulative training session once a year, which I found insufficient for the health and safety of IFC members and guests in the potential absence of their top officer at an event.

In collaboration with Fay and Prevention Services, our executive board was able to rewrite our Narcan & Overdose training policy. Fay and his team lent out their hand and were willing to devote extra time in his day outside of his shift to hold sessions for each IFC chapter individually. Within this, we did not require, but encouraged the attendance of all members of each chapter for their respective training sessions.

Within each session, members were first educated on the opioid epidemic and alcohol-related topics such as standard drinks and levels of blood alcohol content. They were then taught how to administer Narcan to an individual in the event of a potential overdose, which could reverse the overdose and save their life.

From the start of the fall semester in August to the end of September, we trained four IFC chapters per week. In the end, this led to a 2,000% increase in the number of members educated and trained on the topic and hundreds more Narcan kits accessible to our members when their brothers’ lives are on the line.

This pilot program with IFC all stemmed from a thought to be proactive for others, and was fortunately able to come to fruition.

This program would not have been possible without the continuous effort of Jeffrey Fay and his team at Prevention Services to keep our community safe. Life is too precious to not have measures in place to protect it, and Narcan is just the start on our campus.

We have the ability, the duty and the opportunity to serve our fellow human beings.

Whether it be this life-saving kit or just stepping in the line of adversity to protect our peers, I hope this initiative can spread outside our IFC community and grant safety and comfort for not just NC State, but college campuses nationwide.

deaths, another person was present.

Despite common misconceptions that this epidemic is confined to rural areas or large cities, the rate of opioid-related deaths is fairly consistent across social environments, including the NC State community.

Naloxone, known commonly by its brand name Narcan, is a lifesaving medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is by far one of the most effective innovations to fight the opioid epidemic.

There must be systems in place that get naloxone as close to those bystanders as possible. It is not enough to wait for first responders to come to an overdose scene and administer naloxone; we must put these resources in the hands of immediate responders like resident assistants.

As such, Technician believes that University administrators and Student Government must work to expand Narcan access on campus and increase efforts to proliferate proper training on drug use and overdose first-response procedures.

In 2018, then-Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory that recommended the regular carrying and administration of naloxone akin to CPR or epinephrine.

Additionally, it recommended the expansion of Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution programs. In regions where these programs are strong and accessible, overdose deaths are lower.

In tandem with Prevention Services’ invaluable overdose education and naloxone training programs, accessibility is vital to combating overdose deaths. Due to the nature of naloxone and overdoses, specifically the rapidity with which naloxone needs to be administered once an overdose occurs, naloxone needs to be as readily available as possible.

Last spring’s Resolution 106, which recommended providing two doses of Narcan to every RA, failed because of a needless consent form students would have been required to fill out granting RAs the right to administer Narcan if they feel it is necessary.

Response time from emergency services is typically around seven minutes and can be even longer depending on day, time, weath-

The first people who will be reasonably able to respond to problems in a dorm such as an overdose are RAs. They are the individuals all students are told to go to for any issues. It is not a far stretch to advise students to call 911 and get their RA if they are near someone who is overdosing.

North Carolina is a Good Samaritan state.

Emergency services, including the administration of Narcan, are protected from civil liability by multiple statutes. This means administering life-saving first aid such as CPR, defibrillators and naloxone and being unsuccessful or hurting someone in the process will not lead to legal consequences.

There is no need for a consent form, and the inclusion of it introduces further barriers to getting life-saving resources to those who need them.

In Technician’s article following R-106’s veto, Student Senate President Stephen McGuinness said, “The student body president, Timothy Reid, and I have been talking about working on that,” McGuinness said. “It is one of our biggest goals and kind of like the top priority starting off this 103rd session.”

Nine months have passed since this promise was made and there is nothing to show for it. It is disappointing that something as basic as Narcan access expansion has yet to be drafted, much less passed.

However, SG is not who will ultimately put Narcan in the dorms. That responsibility falls on University administrators.

Regardless of SG’s recommendation, the University should be taking the initiative to make Narcan readily available in the dorms.

Technician believes SG should renew its efforts to expand access to naloxone to every dorm on campus. The Senate must make good on its promises to pass a stronger, more coherent Narcan bill.

Most importantly, the University must make the effort to expand access, regardless of an SG resolution. Narcan and drug use education has saved countless lives since its recent push for proliferation. Opioid deaths should not be taken lightly, and the University must support its students by providing training to relevant people on campus and providing them with Narcan.

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Culture TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

King and the Klan: Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to Reynolds

Elizabeth Dull and Will LaMarche Culture Editor, Staff Writer

On Jan. 17, “King and the Klan: A Visual Experience” in Hill Library displayed unearthed video documentation of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to Reynolds Coliseum, showcasing the haunting juxtaposition of King’s moving words and protests from the Ku Klux Klan.

“We’re able to turn the black and white images of history now into living color, so that the klan moves and walks and you can actually see Dr. King breathe,” said Jason Miller, an alumni distinguished undergraduate professor in the department of English.

Miller began researching King’s visit to NC State six years ago and discovered photographic evidence of King’s visit to Reynolds on a trip to the State Archives of North Carolina.

“They had an envelope that was wrapped up in rubber bands, and inside of it were photographed negatives that were undeveloped,” Miller said. “These [photographs] showed the News and Observer photographers documenting an 1,800 person KKK march right down the middle of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.”

More evidence came to the surface when Marshall Wyatt, a Raleigh resident, showed Miller the footage of King’s speech and the Fayetteville Street protests his father, Edgar Wyatt, captured.

“Edgar Wyatt had taken about 98 seconds of Super Eight color film footage in 1966; … [he] walked downtown Raleigh and showed the counter-protest against the klan, then the klan,” Miller said. “[He] took a Super Eight film camera, pointed to his television and captured Dr. King speaking to a live audience that was broadcast on the public television station all across the state of North Carolina.”

The film footage of King’s speech and the klan’s protests led Margaret Baker, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Communication, Rhetoric and Digital Media, to develop the footage and create ‘King and the Klan,’ an immersive

viewing experience for the film and photographs discovered at NC State University Libraries.

“Jason [Miller] came to me about nine months ago last spring and showed me this 1966 color Super Eight footage, which from a technical perspective, you should know, is very unique,” Baker said. “Not a lot of people, not a lot of amateurs, owned color footage, or color cameras in 1966.”

Even though the footage is startling, Baker felt that an immersive experience would make for a unique and emotive viewing experience.

“I felt very confident that this footage in an immersive space would have an interesting, affective, responsive effect,” Baker said. “I was interested in exploring what the response might be and creating the sort of immersive environment because the footage is so assaulting.”

Chelsea Roberts, a third-year studying psychology, said viewing the exhibition created an unsettling feeling.

“There was a picture of a klansman and his 3-year-old in an outfit,” Roberts said. “It’s just, it’s crazy. Like this is what happened in North Carolina so many years ago.

There’s this phrase that our ancestors walked so we could run, and I think I’m seeing that now, looking at the videos, and the actual film of Martin Luther King speaking out loud.”

Anna Lewis, a first-year studying communication, felt the unequal amounts of footage between King speaking and the klan protesting showed the social landscape of the time.

“Even though this event was about equalizing the playing field, it was still like ‘Wow, I’m here to acknowledge Martin Luther King, but there’s still so much more footage and pictures [of the klan],’” Lewis said.

Cate Hawting, a first-year studying environmental science, said the footage felt eerily familiar.

“I take a route downtown, like over the weekend, to the science museum,” Hawting said. “Normally that is a very peaceful [route] and I really enjoy it, and seeing the KKK along that same route was a very stark contrast.”

KAELA BELINGON/TECHNICIAN

Jason Miller (left) speaks to two people who were present at Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s visit to Reynolds Coliseum during King & The Klan: A Visual Experience in D.H. Hill Jr. Library on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. Miller provided his research about King’s visit which helped to create the short film and the digital installation for the event.

Miller said the exhibition should create dialogue in what parallels we see in past history and today’s climate.

“When you see the KKK marching in broad daylight with their faces exposed, with about 10 to 12,000 watchers of Fayetteville Street coming out to see them, you have to ask yourself, ‘What happens to those kinds of energies?’”

Miller said. “They don’t die out. … Sometimes starting with the past is a good way to get people talking about something and then realizing it’s direct relevance they might see that it has on today.”

Baker said she hopes “King and the Klan” brings more attention to the importance of Black history to the Triangle community as a whole.

“Beyond this project is for us to amplify how important Black history is to our campus,” Baker said. “It’s not really about NC State. … It’s so meaningful to our broader community, and as a land grant institution, our job as an institution is to go into communities and do community engagement work.”

The transfer student: Little fish in a big pond Amelia Russell

Assistant Culture Editor

Roughly 20% of NC State’s student body is composed of transfer students. That means one-fifth of NC State’s student population shares the anxiety, excitement and endless possibilities that come with transferring.

While transferring is not an easy decision, it does give students more time and options to choose the academic path that is right for them. Ruairi Gallagher, a secondyear studying computer science, transferred from Durham Technical Community College after getting his associate degree because it was more cost-efficient and gave him time to improve his grades at another school.

“I moved just before high school, so I

wasn’t really in the best headspace to sort of perform academically in the way that I wanted to,” Gallagher said. “And so when I entered high school, I didn’t really have the grades that I wanted in order to go to the schools that I wanted to go to, so I took a gap year. And then I thought the best idea for me would be to complete an [associate].”

Savvy McCracken, a third-year studying zoology, transferred after trying several other schools because she wanted a topnotch zoology program.

“The entire time, NC State was my end goal because the zoology program here is one of the better in the country,” McCracken said. “I transferred to Wake Tech here in Raleigh to have more transferable credits when I eventually did get into NC State.”

McCracken said the campus’ large size

and student body surprised her after transferring from a smaller school.

“NC State is very much unlike any college I’ve been to before,” McCracken said.

“There’s a really, really diverse cast of characters here, … but on the other hand, you lose some of the intimacy of smaller classes. … But we also have access to so many amazing facilities and really advanced technology, ... so I think that it’s a land of opportunity, where you sacrifice maybe a close-knit sense of community.”

Unlike traditional first-year students, transfer students have the benefit of starting at NC State with prior knowledge of the college experience. McCracken said transfer students understand the expectations of college-level classes and know how to be responsible for themselves, which softens

the transition of starting at a new school.

“I think that [starting college] is a culture shock for anyone,” McCracken said. “But sometimes transfer students have the advantage of coming from another big school, and so being kind of used to that. … I’m more grown than I was as a freshman, so I have the advantage of being a little bit more responsible and taking my classes more seriously.”

NC State can be intimidating. For transfer students, there’s an added element of social anxiety, Gallagher said.

“I was a bit anxious about the whole ordeal,” Gallagher said. “Would I fit in? Would I be accepted coming from a different sort of background in terms of how I got here?”

TRANSFER continued page 12

Culture

12 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

NC State alum brings Ukrainian culture to campus through animation

Riya Kannan

Assistant Culture Editor

NC State film alum Darya Levchenko presented student-made short Ukrainian animation films as part of the Global Film Series, bringing entertainment and messages of Ukrainian solidarity to campus.

The event began w it h a recorded message from Anastasiya Verlinska, head of the Linoleum Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival. She introduced the films’ creators and discussed Ukraine’s current state given the Russian-driven political instability and violence within its borders. “[The war’s] impact on the country is huge,” Verlinska said. “It has impacted the film industry in a very huge way, too.”

The screening entailed nine short animations, which spanned from horror to comedy. The list of titles included “Unnecessary Things,” a story about an intelligent robot who buys a human, learning desire and longing through the experience; “The Surrogate,” a horror about a medical respondent who allows a man to die for selfish reasons; and “The War that is Always Around,” a depiction of the war in Ukraine from the perspective of a character forced to f lee her hometown for safety.

The screening’s final film was “Mariupol. A Hundred Nights,” which presents the state of Mariupol, a city in Ukraine destroyed by Russian forces. The film, compared to the previous eight, had the most realistic depiction of the impact of the war on the people of Ukraine, and Levchenko said screening that short film

TRANSFER

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Gallagher said some transfer students experience a sense of imposter syndrome.

“I mean, [transfer students] came here a different way,” Gallagher said. “But [we] didn’t come here wrongly or falsely. … You worked just as hard, if not harder, in some cases, than some of the people that got here from high school.”

McCracken said first-years have the benefit of coming in as new students together, which can make the social transition easier.

Transfer students, however, lack that common experience with other upperclassmen.

“When you come in as a sophomore, a junior, and you’re not among people who are new, … everybody seems like they’re

last was a conscious choice.

“I’ve been working with film festivals for ten years now,” Levchenko said. “As a programmer, I’m usually trying to put stories together to tell a story as a whole.

[For] this, I tried to layer comedy, horror and darker content, [and] end on an impactful note … with something that will leave an afterthought.”

Levchenko said animation in Ukraine, like other art forms in the country, was largely government-funded before the escalation of the war. Since then, it has suffered from financial difficulty.

Animation is expensive, time-consuming, difficult to produce and even more difficult to share. Regardless, filmmakers like the ones whose work was shown during this event have dedicated their lives to creating this particular form of art and storytelling, each with a different intention.

Not all of the films had political undertones or messages. Many weren’t politically charged at all, and some weren’t even made during or since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war. Regardless of the message of any specific project, Levchenko said she would call animation one of the “bravest forms of art” in the country’s culture.

“Animation allows Ukrainian creatives to tackle topics that are taboo or hard to express through other arts,” Levchenko said. “It helps to tackle topics that aren’t in the media or the Ukrainian public at all.”

Levchenko received her Master of Arts in English with a film studies concentration from NC State in 2019 as a Fulbright Scholar. Since obtaining her degree from

NC State, Levchenko has made it her mission to preserve Ukrainian culture and currently works in film festival programming, bringing awareness to global political issues.

Levchenko’s animated film screening event was the second in a two-part series she held on campus bringing light to Ukrainian culture. She said the experience went better than she anticipated, citing the turnout and participation during the screening event.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity to network to also spread the word about Ukrainian arts,” Levchenko said. [People are] coming up and asking all kinds of questions about programming and Ukrainian culture, [which is] great.”

Marian Fragola, director of community and engagement of NC State University Libraries and co-presenter of the Global Film Series, said that animated films have been shown in the Global Film Series before, but acknowledged the uniqueness of Levchenko’s event.

“Darya[’s] film expertise is just … so impressive,” Fragola said. “We have shown animated films in the Global Film Series before, [which] seem to really be popular. But, this is a different kind of animation that I think people may not have been exposed to.”

Fragola said Levchenko’s expertise in programming and dedication to sharing film and spreading important cultural messages contributed to the creation and success of the event.

“Darya so eloquently said that animation is a way to deal with really heavy topics,” Fragola said. “I don’t know if people would be able to sit through like an hour and a half documentary [depicting the] war, … but then you see that short film at the end and the power of that. … I think this all has a really big impact.”

The Global Film Series’ next event will be a screening of the Indonesian film “Yuni” on Feb. 20.

familiar with the campus and have their own friend groups and know what’s going on,” McCracken said.

Another bump in the road to transferring is support for transfer students can be varied. Gallagher said he felt transfer student orientation was impersonal and ineffective, as NC State has to accommodate such a diverse group of students in one day. Beyond orientation, McCracken said having many different advisors, as opposed to one accessible advisor, makes it difficult to handle the transfer process.

McCracken said there are resources and communities for transfer students, if you know where to look. For example, McCracken serves as a peer mentor for transfer students in the College of Sciences, where she hosts events specifically for transfer students.

However, transfer students have to take the first step to find these resources and go to these events and clubs. Both Gallagher and McCracken emphasized that the NC State experience is made by the unique opportunities our campus offers, and transfer students will get the most out of their experience if they put themselves out there. “[NC State] is a huge school of 45,000 people,” Gallagher said. “If you have a really awkward interaction with someone, who cares? There’s 44,999 other people that you can try and get to know. I understand that that’s easier for some than others, … but you have two years less than other people if you’ve finished an [associate degree], so you’ll regret it if you don’t try it.”

McCracken said transfer students can find their niche in many places — it just takes some trial and error.

“The biggest thing that will help you in the long run is not just going to classes, but going to those events, [going] to the club meetings,” McCracken said. “… You will find that sense of belonging because I truly do believe that everybody belongs to NC State, especially transfers.”

CONTRIBUTED BY MARIUPOL. A HUNDRED NIGHTS

CONTRIBUTED BY NEW STUDENT PROGRAMS

Sports

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

COLUMN

Raleigh should be cheering for Sanderson alum Alim McNeill and the Detroit Lions Ben Ellis

Senior Sports Writer

The best story of the 2024 NFL Playoffs has undoubtedly been the run of the Detroit Lions, who after years of being a laughingstock of the league, are preparing to play in the NFC Championship game and are looking to advance to their first-ever Super Bowl.

The Lions have won the hearts of football fans for a multitude of reasons, and they may have picked up a few NC State fans along the way as well. That’s because starting on Detroit’s defensive line is none other than Pack Pro Alim McNeill, who played for the Wolfpack from 2018-2020 and has been making his presence felt in the league over the last three years.

During his time at NC State, McNeill amassed 77 tackles, 10 sacks and one memorable interception that he took to the house for a pick-six in the 2020 season. He was the 72nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, selected in the third round by Detroit, where he began his career under new Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell. Since entering the league, McNeill has recorded 112 tackles and eight sacks.

His alumni status is enough reason for any NC State fan to pull for McNeill and the Lions, but beyond that, McNeill should have the entire city of Raleigh behind him. McNeill is a Raleigh native himself, graduating from Sanderson High School, and always makes sure to give love to the Spartans and his hometown.

Before he was wreaking havoc for NFL quarterbacks, McNeill was an unstoppable force in high school. Between the 2015-17 seasons, McNeill racked up 215 tackles and 18 sacks, leading Sanderson to its two best seasons in school history in 2016 and 2017 in which the Spartans hosted a state playoff game for the first time ever — in back-to-back seasons, no less.

Not only was McNeill nightmare fuel on the defensive side of the ball, but he was just as menacing on offense, scoring 18 rushing touchdowns and three receiving scores in his career. On top of that, McNeill was a twosport athlete, also making a name for himself

DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN

In this archive photo taken Oct. 6, 2018, defensive tackle Alim McNeill celebrates during the game against Boston College at Carter-Finley Stadium. McNeill plays in the NFL for the Detroit Lions.

on the Sanderson baseball team.

While he received offers from schools such as Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina and Alabama, McNeill kept it in the 919 by committing to play for head coach Dave Doeren and NC State on Nov. 4, 2017, following in the footsteps of his high school teammate, tight end Trent Pennix, who had committed several months earlier.

After impressing for three seasons under Doeren and Co., McNeill went pro and has since been part of an unprecedented threeyear turnaround for the Lions, going from a 3-13 record in 2021 to playing for a spot in the Super Bowl this season.

During the Lions’ playoff run, fans have

noted how McNeill introduces himself by saying his name and Sanderson High School when introducing himself on games broadcast on NBC rather than saying NC State. It is customary for players to say the name of the college they went to, but McNeill has made it clear that he means no disrespect to NC State; he just wants to give a shoutout to where it all started.

It isn’t often that one gets to see a homegrown talent from their hometown get to compete for a chance to play on the biggest stage in American sports, but that’s what Raleigh has this year with McNeill. Whether you hold your allegiance to any of Raleigh’s high schools — Millbrook, Broughton, Leesville

Road, Enloe, Southeast Raleigh, Wakefield or Athens Drive — everyone in the capital city can come together to support one of their own.

That’s not even to mention NC State fans, who always support their Pack Pros. When the Lions take the field this weekend against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, McNeill could very well have an entire school, an entire city and perhaps an entire state behind him in support.

And who knows — if the Lions do end up raising the Lombardi Trophy for the first time ever, maybe they’ll let McNeill bring it back home to Raleigh: where it all started.

Sports 14 TECHNICIAN Wolfpack wrestling charges into ACC play THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt junior Kai Orine locks arms with Oklahoma State redshirt senior Daton Fix during the duel in Reynolds Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. NC State lost to Oklahoma State 22-12.

Noah Teague

Assistant Sports Editor

Seemingly every year NC State wrestling finds itself near the top of the national rankings. With its ACC opener at Pittsburgh approaching, the Wolfpack is in a strong position to win its sixth-consecutive ACC title.

Through 12 matches the Pack is 10-2 and sits at No. 8 in the FloWrestling poll — by far the best record in the ACC. Meanwhile, the red-and-white’s ranking is also the best in the conference, two spots ahead of perennial powerhouse Virginia Tech.

The Wolfpack ripped off nine consecutive wins to open the year — all either on the road or at neutral sites. Opening strong is key for the Wolfpack, allowing the team to both flex its star power and allow younger players to earn match experience.

NC State’s first three matches all resulted in decisive red-and-white victories. The Pack earned at least 40 points in each match, a rare achievement. The most dominant win came in the season opener against Presbyterian in a 48-0 beatdown.

The Pack followed up its opening trio of wins with its first ranked win of the year, obliterating No. 25 Purdue 37-3 at WrangleMania. The highlight of the match came in the 125-pound bout when redshirt junior Jakob Camacho upset No. 3 Matt Ramos in an 8-5 decision. Ad-

ditionally, the Pack recorded four tech falls, showing that it could dominate opponents in several weight classes.

The next three matches all took place in New York, with the Pack showcasing its prowess around the state. The Pack’s closest win of these was an impressive 34-6 victory over Army — a team NC State also beat last season.

Opening strong is key for the Wolfpack, allowing the team to both flex its star power and allow younger players to earn match experience.

With a 7-0 record, the Wolfpack competed in three matches at the Collegiate Duals in Nashville, Tennessee.

The red-and-white posted a 2-1 record at the event. First,

the Pack easily disposed of Lock Haven before picking up its second ranked win in a 25-16 victory over No. 25 North Haven.

To close the Collegiate Duals, NC State fell just short of a massive comeback in a 21-20 loss to No. 10 Ohio State.

The Buckeyes opened the match quickly by earning three falls to secure an early 18-0 lead. NC State then won six of the final seven bouts, but struggled to earn extra points. Nevertheless, the overall event was a success for NC State as the team showed its grit while snagging two of their three matches.

Following the Collegiate Duals, NC State hosted its first home meet, a showcase match against No. 9 Oklahoma State. On a night where NC State set a home attendance record in a sellout, the Pack struggled to match its fans’ energy. Like the Ohio State match, the Pack started slow and found itself in a seven-point hole. As the match continued, NC State never quite found its footing and ultimately lost 22-12.

Most recently, NC State eviscerated Hofstra 43-5, taking out its frustrations just days after losing its home opener. Another dominant win was an encouraging sign for the red-and-white as the Pack gears up for conference play.

The Wolfpack is set to open ACC competition at Pitt on Friday Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. and can be found on the ACC Network.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 15

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024

How NC State football gets ready for gameday Colby Trotter Staff Writer

It’s a football player’s full-time job to take care of his body to make sure he can withstand the warfare that happens every week on the gridiron.

For NC State football, the most important part of getting ready for a game and recovering from one is to eat the right foods. It’s crucial for players to correctly refuel their bodies after hard practices and intense games.

Natalie Faustyn is the director of Football Nutrition at NC State, and it’s her job to make sure players are staying at a healthy weight throughout the season.

“Our goal is to get enough calories to recover from practice,” Faustyn said. “So making sure that muscle tissue is being rebuilt because we don’t want guys losing a ton of weight during the season. It is a higher risk for injury if you’re losing a lot of weight during the season.”

A player like graduate linebacker Payton Wilson racks up 7,000 to 9,000 yards during a single practice, leading to 10 to 12 pounds of weight loss in one session. Someone with that much output has to hit certain checkpoints to make sure his body is properly prepared and recovered.

Faustyn and her staff provide players with everything they need, including breakfast, lunch and high-protein and high-carb snacks.

Ultimately it’s up to each player to make sure he’s getting what he needs to perform at a high level.

“They know what they need best, and so we just give them a lot of options so they can eat whatever they feel comfortable eating,” Faustyn said. “Those who know how to fuel their bodies correctly and really try to eliminate fast food or foods that maybe are higher in fat, things that are not as nutrient-dense, it shows their ability to last throughout the season.”

While players are fueling up throughout the week, it’s the job of Dantonio Burnette, assistant athletic director and director of strength and conditioning, to get his players ready for a physical game while keeping their bodies and minds fresh.

“I tell people all the time, we’re not just strength coaches, we’re managers of stress and fatigue as well,” Burnette said. “My goal is to keep the nervous system fresh, so that when they show up on game day, they’re not fried from just doing all these heavy squats and lifting heavy weights.”

One might think football players are lifting heavy all the time, but during the season, the focus stays on keeping players explosive. Saving heavy lifting for the offseason and training for longevity during the season pays dividends when it comes to performance on the field and restricting the wear and tear on player’s bodies.

“Science is very big as it pertains to developing the athlete,” Burnette said. “It’s not like the old days where you don’t listen to the science and it’s just heavy, heavy, heavy lift all the time

JERMAINE HUDSON/TECHNICIAN

Junior defensive end Davin Vann waits for the snap during the football game against Virginia Military Institute in Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. NC State beat VMI 45-7.

and now guys are just fried. … Our guys are just as fast at the end of the year than they are at the beginning of the year.”

Once game day arrives, every player on the roster is ready to go because of the work they put in during the week with the help of Burnette and Faustyn. About four to five hours before hitting the field, everyone gets a solid meal that can include chicken, steak or shrimp along with some form of carb.

This meal gives players all the nutrients and energy they need to perform at a high level, and after the game, they eat a similar style of meal that’s more carb-heavy to help the body recover from the beating it just took. Players usually opt for chicken and rice or hibachi.

It’s also important for players to get liquids in their body after a game.

“We also have cherry juice which is really good for anti-inflammatory purposes and actually helps you sleep,” Faustyn said. “So after a hard game, it can help your muscles relax and have a good night’s rest.”

While Faustyn and Burnette’s main jobs are to maintain athletes’ bodies, it’s also important for them to be leaders since they’re around these players as much as anyone else.

“I tell people I’m part of the culture and developing the culture of having really good young men that are prepared to not only represent a university on a football field, but represent our University out in the community as well,” Burnette said. “The more authentic we can be, the more we can help develop these guys and help them understand their strengths and their weaknesses. Leadership is the most important piece for us.”

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