TECHNICIAN
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
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WEATHER
Women’s Center explores gender norms in Guatemala
The Women’s Center embarked on a nineday trip to Guatemala over spring break to explore traditional gender norms and violence affecting women in the country.
Tyra Frye, a fourth-year studying English and women’s, gender and sexuality studies and a student programming intern at the Women’s Center and co-lead for the trip, said she applied for a leadership role after hearing about a previous experience from the Women’s Center’s last alternative spring break trip.
“I wanted to learn more about the context of gender,” Frye said.
Rosalinda Kowalczewski, assistant director at the Women’s Center, said the annual trip provides a global perspective on gender inequities and differences across cultures.
“The trip is to kind of show a global perspective on gender and inequities in differences within different cultures, and it’s kind of also like reciprocity in a way that we give back to the communities that we visit,” Kowalczewski said.
Gender-based violence remains a prevalent issue in Guatemala, with more than 22,000 women being victimized in 2023 alone. Kowalczewski, who is Panamanian, said hearing firsthand stories from women in Guatemala was impactful.
“It was very heavy to hear, but at the same time, I think they appreciate the space to talk about what goes on and want people to know and bring awareness,” Kowalczewski said.
The Guatemalan Civil War from 1960 to 1996 altered traditional and cultural gender norms, forcing women to become breadwinners as men went to fight. Fyre said she noticed the gender roles developing through everyday activities.
“I would say one thing that definitely stuck out to me is kind of the way that I think gender roles surrounding work have been evolving, especially given their experience where husbands were often killed during the armed conflict or had to fight in war, and leaving that responsibility on their wives to make money,” Fyre said. “So they use their weaving as a way to support their families.”
Kowalczewski highlighted gender disparities in education, with many girls not continuing past middle school due to household responsibilities.
“They are often taken back to do housework or take care of other children,” Kowalczewski said. “And with [interpersonal violence] being a really prevalent issue, the girls have to deal with home issues.”
Fyre said victims of gender-based violence tend to face criticism and denial over their harrowing experiences. Specifically, the
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Guatemalan Civil War played a role in inciting and creating a more hostile environment, where gender-based violence could be more prevalent.
“Bringing violence into a community shifts people’s ways of thinking about getting access to things that they want,” Fyre said. “When violence is used as a tool to gain these things, it can obviously misconduct people’s thinking and lead to more violence within a community that maybe prior to this, was not necessarily.”
Despite the escalated numbers of violence against women in Guatemala, Kowalczewski said organizations and schools are taking the initiative to change the way the new generation thinks.
“A lot of the younger generation are starting to stand up and have these conversations,” Kowalczewski said. “A lot of the schools we visited to are really trying to shift the way of thinking from the ground up
with children of where not to be touched, what your rights are as a person.”
Along with these changes, Fyre said organizations such as the Protestant Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America are taking the lead in changing gender norms and helping women become more confident in themselves.
“They stood out the most to me and just the different types of programs that they have, like the women’s ministry and then programs for young boys to kind of teach them about machismo and violence in the way that you know, they should present themselves in the future,” Fyre said. “They have a women’s ministry. And they were talking about how a lot of times they’ll read scripture from a woman’s point of view, which I think is really powerful.”
Other crafts, such as weaving, are being used to collectively empower women in Guatemala. Weaving collectives help these women sell their products, promoting independence.
“They’re selling their items at these places that we’re visiting, and so the money is going straight to the women and to their families to help them,” Fyre said. “So it’s kind of like shifting, where power lies in a household as well.”
The group attended Guatemala’s International Women’s Day march on March 8. “I didn’t really expect for the march to contain so many women,” Frye said. “The entire day was just full of people fighting for women’s rights and empowerment on an international level. It was also really powerful to me.”
Kowalczewski emphasized the importance of bringing this global perspective home, noting the interconnectedness of issues across the world.
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A subject was arrested after communicating threats.
ARYA PATEL/TECHNICIAN
Stickers lay during A Womanist History of Scrapbooks and Zines event in the Women’s Center on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The Women’s Center hosted the event to examine the role of scrapbooks and zines in feminist and womanist movements.
Seemal Syed Correspondent
The history of Take Back the Night
Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to sexual assault.
The annual Take Back the Night event is dedicated to bringing awareness and support to the survivors of sexual assault by providing a safe space to discuss survivors’ stories.
This year’s event will begin in the Women’s Center on April 15, located on the fifth floor of Talley Student Union, and will consist of a rally and march across campus, Survivor Speak Out, a resource fair for food and healing.
Kylin Adams, assistant director for interpersonal violence, prevention education and training for the Women’s Center, said the event is an opportunity for the community to come together.
“It’s just a wonderful time for us to come together, as both NC State community, but a larger Raleigh community,” Adams said. “To take a stand against interpersonal violence, and be in allyship with each other.”
Adams said the event is rooted in years of tradition with a focus on providing a safe, confidential space for survivors to share their stories.
“The Survivor Speak Out is a confidential space for students if they just have something that they want to share about their own survivorship or the culture of interpersonal violence that they have been experiencing or exposed to here at NC State,” Adams said. “It’s a confidential space for them to talk about that.”
Indigo Weaver, a third-year studying nutrition science and director of outreach for The Movement Peer Educators, said Take Back the Night has had impacts on survivor empowerment and the Women’s Center tradition for years.
“Globally, there have been protests against sexual assault and sexual violence for hundreds of years,” Weaver said. “[Take Back the Night] is a larger reflection of what the Wom-
en’s Center and The Movement as a whole are trying to offer.”
Jordan Abernathy, a third-year studying anthropology and the director of communication for The Movement, said the event is designed to provide support to and empower survivors.
“[Take Back the Night] is about reclaiming the night for women as a safe space as well, just empowering women against interpersonal and gender violence,” Abernathy said.
“As The Movement Peer Educators and as a women’s center as a whole, we’re here for every step of the way.”
Abernathy said Take Back the Night is survivor-focused, but anyone is welcome and encouraged to join.
“We talk about support systems a lot as a resource, just for survivors, just to be there and be someone who is able to handle, you know, whatever may come,” Abernathy said.
“This is a way to get connected with people, learn, even just have fun.”
Danica Plihcik, a third-year studying anthropology and the director of administration for The Movement, echoed Abernathy’s point that the resources highlighted in Take Back the Night are for everyone, not just survivors.
“It’s very based in empowering women, identifying people or just victims of sexual assault or misconduct,” Plihcik said. “I think some of the messaging, aside from just feeling empowered to take back the night and your autonomy, that we are offering a lot of resources, and we just want those to be available to everyone.”
Weaver said trained counselors will be available during the event to speak with survivors.
“We have trained counselors in sort of a closed room where survivors are able to more specifically tell their stories and receive comfort and help in a place where they would normally be able to,” Weaver said. “We’re all trained in trauma-informed care at the start before we can facilitate any workshops.”
Plihcik and Adams emphasized that people
can show their support for survivors by simply showing up for the event.
“Whether or not you have personally been affected, and you know, somebody that’s been affected,” Plihcik said. “That’s the biggest thing is to just show up and be there as a community.”
“Whether we like to face it or not, people we know, or ourselves, have been sexually assaulted, willingly or unwillingly, we might not know that,” Adams said. “It’s important that we have events like this to be like us as a community. We must go together, we must figure this out and we must bring awareness to it.”
Adams said students and allies of survivors wanting to participate in the Take Back the Night event can show support in many ways.
“Come make a sign,” Adams said. “Come march with us. We’re gonna go all around campus. We’re gonna hit the hot spots and the really significant areas of NC State.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship violence, sexual violence, stalking or any other form of interpersonal violence and are in need of advocacy services, the NC State Women’s Center has trained advocates available to offer crisis intervention, emotional support, resources and referrals. Students can contact the 24/7 Sexual Assault Helpline at 919-5154444 or email ncsuadvocate@ncsu. edu to schedule an appointment with an advocate.
Advocacy services through the NC State Women’s Center are available for all students inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
For more information on advocacy services, please visit go.ncsu.edu/supportsurvivors. If you would like to talk to a confidential resource, you can also connect with the NC State Counseling Center at 919-515-2423. You may also visit go.ncsu.edu/safe for additional information on resources and reporting options.
Beavers are redefining campus culture
in the 1890s, until their reintroduction in the 1930s.
Since then, they’ve continuously occupied the Walnut Creek Watershed.
North American Beavers have established active dams on campus around Pullen Road at Rocky Branch Greenway Trail and on Centennial Campus at Lake Raleigh.
“In [peoples’] sort of, I’ll use the word greed, their eagerness to secure as many furs as possible, … We very nearly drove beavers to extinction across North America,” Norcross said.
Matthew Booker, a professor of history and an environmental historian, said beavers are so prominent on campus because of how resilient they are.
Caroline Alexander Correspondent Scan this QR code to visit technicianonline.com to view the entire article.
Chris Norcross, a doctoral student studying earth sciences who previously created an exhibit about the impact of beavers on campus, said that although beavers are native to North Carolina, they were once overtrapped and nearly extirpated from the state
Norcross said since the near extinction of beavers and the reinstatement of their populations to North Carolina, they have been a resilient and vital part of the ecosystem.
Norcross said the colony that lives in Rocky Branch arrived in October 2022.
“Beavers, they don’t just build dams,” Booker said. “Maybe the more important point is that they maintain them. That’s the intriguing piece about beavers, is that they’re totally just cussedly resilient.”
Book- er said part of this resil- ience is because beaver dams are not created to last.
“Bea- vers are all about
MARISSA MCHUGH /TECHNICIAN
In this archive photo dated April 2, 2019, students at the Take Back the Night March make their way up the stairs to bring awareness to sexual assault and dating violence on campus. Take Back the Night is an annual event that is a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Caroline Alexander Correspondent
Student leaders optimistic about Howell’s chancellorship
Student body officers and Political Science Club leaders expressed enthusiasm and hope following the appointment of Kevin Howell as NC State’s 15th chancellor.
Howell, currently the chief external affairs officer at UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine and former NC State vice chancellor of external affairs, will assume his new role on May 5. The appointment marks a historic moment, as Howell becomes the University’s first Black chancellor.
Isaac Carreno, a third-year studying social work and political science and student body president-elect, said he sees Howell’s appointment as a source of optimism for the campus community.
“When I saw his appointment, I think when others did, I felt hope, and I’m excited to carry on into that hope,” Carreno said. “ … If I have to describe the historic appointment of Chancellor-Elect Howell, it’d be with the word hope.”
Carreno emphasized the significance of Howell’s background as an NC State alumnus and former student body president.
“[Howell’s appointment] certainly may have defied expectations of what a lot of students felt would come from the UNC Board of Governors,” Carreno said. “It speaks strongly to NC State, and I think the spirit of NC State and the power in our Wolfpack community.”
Carreno said he is most excited about Howell’s connection to the student body and his ability to acknowledge and interact with students. He said one moment in particular that captured this feeling was when Howell looked up to students on the upper floors of Talley Student Union during his announcement speech when he was addressing the student body.
“Not only is he acknowledging students in his speech, but also, on his day one, really trying to make that connection by looking at them,” Carreno said. “I think that’s going to be really helpful for my vision for student life and advocacy and his vision, as well for really wanting to hear what students are feeling and concerned about on campus. That was a really resonating moment for me.”
Lance Williams, a second-year studying agricultural sciences and student body treasurer-elect, said
“With chancellors, we do national searches, so I think it is great that we ended up choosing a hometown person, because I certainly think that has its advantages,” Williams said.
As a former member of NC State’s student government, Lance said Howell will likely
understand what SG is capable of doing, and will divert special attention to empowering students and federally-targeted DEI programming through SG.
“We all certainly know that we’re in some rough times in higher education and so student government, we’re having to pick up a lot of the slack and do some of the work that the University, just simply, through federal orders, no longer can provide for our students,” Williams said. “And I think with him having such a robust experience in student government, he’s gonna be able to really understand that we are a valuable tool. So I think moving forward, you’re gonna see, I would probably say unprecedented partnerships between student government and the University administration to make sure we’re providing certain resources, especially cultural and DEI-related resources, to our students.”
Naila Din, a third-year studying microbiology and student senate president-elect, emphasized the historic nature of Howell’s appointment and its potential impact on diversity and inclusion initiatives. She said while chancellors are unable to make many decisions regarding the removal of DEI-related services, Howell could facilitate discussions for the role of DEI initiatives on campus.
“I think he has the sense of understanding that he’s a person of color in leadership, and
he can understand from me and Isaac, from also being the people of color in leadership,” Din said. “And so I think he’ll be able to facilitate discussions, just empathize with us, understand that we are really here advocating for students, we’re here advocating for diversity on campus.”
Din said she hopes Howell can help uplift and support SG to restore cultural and identity-based learning villages and other initiatives being put into question over federal directives removing DEI programming.
“I’m confident that I feel as though Kevin Howell be willing to work with these campus community centers, with these programs, departments, villages, to ensure that they still stand but are supported under a new frame that is allowed in the board governors, and so I’m really hoping that I’m able to facilitate these conversations and that he’s able to take this up alongside us, me and the other student body officers,” Din said.
Beck Whitehead, a second-year studying political science, external outreach coordinator of Political Science Club and a CHASS student senator, said Howell’s status as a political science graduate prepares him well for the inherently political office and the current political climate.
“I think it’s definitely very good for the NC State community, not only is he political science and CHASS and has that student government experience, obviously, but I
think this is the absolute perfect time to have someone with a knowledge and experience and background in politics in a administrative role,” Whitehead said.
Delaney Urchuk, a second-year studying political science, secretary of Political Science Club and a College of Humanities and Social Sciences student senator, said Howell’s experience makes him qualified for the complexities of the position of chancellor.
“Personally, I think that the role has a lot of nuance, especially with him having a history in politics and his education, and I think that currently and all with all the change that we’re seeing on campus, it is reassuring to know that someone with that experience is going to be leading us forward right now, especially during a time of so much uncertainty politically, having that background is very supporting to me,” Urchuk said.
Whitehead said Howell’s appointment is reassuring following the controversial appointment of Lee Roberts to the chancellorship at UNC-Chapel Hill amid a political climate where universities and their services are being put into the national spotlight.
“This is just another prime example of NC State moving forward and really trying to push progress and create a diverse campus and show that it is as great as an institution as it actually is,” Whitehead said.
OSCAR CODES-BODIEN/TECHNICIAN
Chancellor-Elect Kevin Howell poses with a guest after the new chancellor announcement at Talley Student Union on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Howell dedicated time to personally greeting guests at his announcement.
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
The triumph of the art of passion
Maira Khan Correspondent
The Vietnamese Student Association, or VSA, opened the doors to the auditorium in Witherspoon Student Center at 6:30 p.m. Saturday to welcome attendees of this year’s NC State annual Viet Night: The Art of Passion. Students, friends and family filtered through the lobby to collect their tickets for the free admission event. Many stopped to purchase a raffle ticket for items such as a jumbo-sized plushie or a rare Van Gogh LEGO set. Merchandise such as shirts featuring cultural designs by the VSA executive team were also bought with enthusiasm.
The night began at 7 p.m. as emcees Anh Pham and Rio Pham warmly greeted the crowd, first in English and then Vietnamese. Students representing the Vietnamese student associations of several neighboring academic institutions like UNC-Charlotte and Virginia Tech heartily led their respective club chants before NC State’s VSA President Ivy Tran, a third-year studying international studies, and Vice President McKenzie Ho, a third-year in the Wilson College of Textiles, led the crowd in a spirited VSA Wolfpack chant.
The titular and featured event of the night, a play titled “The Art of Passion,” was scripted and performed by students part of the VSA. The play follows the dynamic between Liên, a Vietnamese American, and her Vietnamese father as they clash over the career and life choices she wishes to pursue. The cast members performed with gusto, with Hillary Luc, a first-year studying management, leading as Liên and Casey Rhee, a third-year studying
environmental engineering, as the character’s father.
The play was interspersed with several performances in between from students part of the VSA, including traditional performances with fans and instruments, an interactive segment with a life-size dragon costume performance by the Crimson Lions and a fashion walk among the lineup.
Anna Nguyen, a VSA member and first-year engineering student, performed as part of Ahn Vang Crew.
“It’s like a V-pop/K-pop dance that we
mixed,” Nguyen said. “Street Woman Fighter in Vietnam is where we got our inspiration.”
The dance crew performed to Vietnamese artist Mỹ Mỹ’s song “Breath” to the crowd’s raucous approval.
Maxime Thai, a fourth-year studying engineering and Minh Tri Pham, a fourth-year studying computer science, both looked forward to attending and seeing the Art of Passion play and performances as part of their third year being VSA members.
“We don’t really have that perspective as if we were in Vietnam, but growing up as first gens,
there’s still a pretty unique perspective to the … message it is that they’re trying to portray,” Thai said. “For me, it was more about reconnecting with people, because back where I live it was a predominantly white area and I was literally, like [one of the] 2% Asians in my area. So for me, it was just more about connecting with other people of my race.”
“I’m here to support my friends,” Pham said. “They’ve been working hard all year for us.”
Tran wore an Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese dress, for the occasion. Tran said they started planning Viet Night in June of 2024 and they typically have it around this time in March every year.
“This year’s play is called The Art of Passion, which follows a young girl who is Vietnamese American who goes through a lot of family struggles because of the cultural standard that she is held to,” Dai. “But of course, she does have a passion for something else, and we just follow throughout the story on how family can help you grow, and then also [how having] the people around you support you can only [bring] you farther.”
Tran highlighted the role of Viet Night in connecting Vietnamese students to not only their culture but to their community.
“Someone who’s having that problem, that they feel like they don’t know where they belong, I 100% will always recommend looking for an organization where people are going through the same thing, because that’s how you contribute to people,” Train said.
The boy who cried album: Playboi Carti’s music rollout fiasco
Wilhelmina Ampomah-Sraha Correspondent
Throughout his career, rapper Playboi Carti has worked in eras, making sure to take his time mastering his craft. In his third studio album “Music,” Carti reverts to his South Atlanta origins, debuting a new deep voice over a variety of trap style beats in contrast to his previous baby-like sound from his second studio album “Whole Lotta Red.” He trades in his famous “what?” adlib for a newer “schyeah.”
Dubbed “the worst rollout of all time” by fans, the “Music” era was defined by disappointment.
Carti’s Antagonist Tour, featuring labelmates Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang, set the scene for the hype of an album. After being rescheduled from its original fall
dates, each label member released an album around the same time except for Carti, fueling speculation that he would soon follow suit as the tour’s start came closer.
The tour was abruptly canceled in March 2024, but only after Carti teased six singles throughout his social media, feeding into hype. Three tracks — “K POP,” “EVIL J0RDAN” and “HBA” — appeared on the final tracklist, while “2024” and “BACKR00MS” were released as webstore-exclusive tracks.
On March 12, Spotify tweeted alluding to a release date of March 14. After even more delays and the rapper’s reassurance that the album would be out “any minute now” around 3 a.m., the album reached streaming around 7:30 a.m. in the morning, ending the wait.
He introduces the album with “POP OUT,” a
raspy-voiced Carti reviving his signature rage sound over an electronic beat — a long-awaited grail for many after being debuted during his Wireless Festival set in 2023. He carries this electronic sound over into his second track “CRUSH” featuring Travis Scott and a gospel choir, repeating the phrase “shawty gon’ let me crush” — a common aspect of his songs as he freestyles lyrics instead of writing beforehand, crafting earworms.
The production sets the stage for collaborators on the album to make their presence known through adlibs like DJ Swamp Izzo’s own name and Travis Scott’s “Straight up!” Carti prefers doing things his own way, abandoning song structure on tracks “K POP” and “EVIL J0RDAN.” Two songs that went triple platinum in my car last summer, both ditch-
ing the need for a hook, got the job done with memorable puns such as “I found Jesus, Christian Dior” over sinister yet striking beats. Despite having four years to perfect “Music,” it manages to somehow sound off. The songs tend to lack real purpose as we hear constantly about wealth and drugs in contrast to “Whole Lotta Red” which carried context behind lyrics, like “Stop Breathing,” a diss track aimed at Henchmen gang following the murder of Carti’s close friend Bigg Sosa.
The beats and flow of the album provide where lyrics lack. Songs “RADAR” and “WALK” sample Lil Wayne’s “John” and Bankroll Fresh’s “Sydney” respectively. Effortless bars paired with the album’s obligatory snare rolls will have you feeling like hot stuff.
Unfortunately, the songs with catchy instru-
ADITI PRAHLAD
Members of Tu Linh perform with hand fans during the Vietnamese Student Association’s annual spring semester culture show, The Art of Passion, at Witherspoon Student Center on Saturday, March 22, 2025. The show included an engaging story about a young girl on her journey to find her true passion and featured multiple performances by students from various schools.
Culture
mentals and focused lyrics sound marketed. Particularly his three track run, including the introspective love song “RATHER LIE” — which sparked claims of AI vocals as he revealed a new range of vocals — and “BACKD00R.” The songs came off as attempted summer hits replicating sounds of songs like SZA’s “30 For 30” with features from artists like Kendrick Lamar.
Other songs come off as throwaways, as if he tried to quickly put something together so that the fans could stop whining about being neglected and mistreated by the artist they watched emerge from the Atlanta underground.
“PHILLY” carries heavy Travis Scott influence from its guitar-led instrumental to the fact that the song is balanced 75-25 between the two. The same thing happens on “CHARGE DEM HOES A FEE” as Future takes lead, making Carti a feature on his own song. “WE NEED ALL DA VIBES” is the worst case of all, as he raps only six lines on Young Thug and Gunna leak “Vibing” recorded sometime in 2021, a song that sounds nothing like him.
On “TWIN TRIM,” he doesn’t show up at all, leaving Lil Uzi Vert to do all the work.
Unnecessary appearances had no place on “Whole Lotta Red,” which only included three features.
The inauthenticity of “Music” damaged its cohesion, making it sound like a mixtape rather than an album. It seems that Carti lacks regard for the music he makes, but why should
he when there’s an entourage to do it for him?
It’s particularly upsetting for trusting fans to see when the album features songs like “OPM BABI,” an authentic approach to his experimental sound. Sampling Slipknot’s “742617000027,” it serves as evidence of his ability to do it all alone, which makes his refusal immensely disappointing.
Carti has most definitely solidified his spot as one of the greatest rappers of our generation, making sure to get the job done regardless of creative direction. “Music” is by no means a bad album, but still falls short of what Carti could have delivered. The forced collaborations and lack of thematic cohesion make it feel more like a collection of industry-pleasing singles rather than a fully realized artistic statement.
Maybe he will reach whatever he’s trying to achieve and “Music” will be “Brat” for boys who unironically ask if you know Nettspend, but it was simply not worth all the maltreatment he caused his fans.
Voltaire was right that perfection requires the hand of time, but the simple truth of “it’s not ready yet” or “I don’t want to focus on music right now” could have kept transparency within his fanbase, preventing the bridges burning along the way and lowered the expectations Carti refused to meet.
Maybe he’ll make up for it with the next album in eight years.
The essential role of salons as women’s spaces
than routine; it’s a tradition that my mom started and has passed down to another generation. When I see her, we trade stories and life advice and I leave feeling beautiful for much more than just my hair.
In Raleigh, Phantastic Nails & Spa is another space that wholeheartedly embraces the pursuit of maintaining a safe and community-oriented environment. Each appointment comes with genuine conversation, shared experiences and fabulous nails.
Thao Phan, a cofounder of Phantastic Nails, explained how supporting and listening to women is an essential part of her work.
“I’ve done this for many years in different settings,” Phan said. “But what stays the same is that women will confide in you as you build a relationship. They become family. We laugh together, we cry together. We need these open spaces.”
Nail and hair appointments are often booked regularly, which allows a sense of stability for women experiencing a difficult time. It provides a scheduled time to engage closely with people who care about you, which sometimes feels daunting to seek out otherwise.
“People have shared their stories with
For women, it often feels like every step you take is on a ground paved for men, by men. When you look around, it’s hard to ignore that the world wasn’t built with you in mind.
There are many moments of not-sosubtle realization surrounding the extent to which we live in a man’s world. Female fashion brands are predominantly maleowned. The shows and movies made to depict your experiences are made by men who have never had them. And in a world of space exploration and artificial intelligence, a cotton ball filled with arsenic is the standard for female hygiene.
As such, dependable spaces where women can safely exist in the majority are crucial to developing a meaningful community that we can rely on for support and advice.
Nail and hair salons are one of the most staple examples of women’s spaces. They are reliable, female-dominated spaces that provide meaningful conversation, long-term friendships and common ground for women of all backgrounds.
My mother, sister and I have all been seeing the same hair stylist for years. Getting my hair done with her is more
me,” Phan said. “I feel empathy when I touch their hands. I feel some of their sadness transfer.”
Above all else, a space such as Phantastic Nails invites women to be authentic to anything they are feeling. Every emotion, from joy to grief, is equally welcomed by people who want to listen.
“I hope people feel comfortable to come as they are,” Phan said. “That’s the biggest thing. We have clients of all kinds of backgrounds and sexualities, and I treat them all the same because they are all decent everyday people.”
It’s hard to grapple with the way the world is systematically stacked against women. It often feels perpetual, with any slight progress rapidly followed by three steps backward.
However, spaces such as Phantastic Nails remind me of all the things about women that inspire me the most. I listened, laughed and had one of the most candid conversations of my life with women who had been strangers mere minutes prior.
For all people, not just women, it is so important to seek experiences that make you appreciate the strength and impact of the women around you. As such, be intentional about supporting businesses that align with building a positive, accepting and steadfast community.
Phantastic Nails & Spa is located off of Duraleigh Road in Raleigh. For more information, you can visit their website or Instagram, @phantasticnails_.
Kelsey Bohn Staff Writer
CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN
Nails polishes line the wall at Phantastic Nails & Spa located off Duraleigh Road on Friday, March 21, 2025.
CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN
Phantastic Nails & Spa located off Duraleigh Road on Friday, March 21, 2025.
CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN
Thao Phan, cofounder of Phantastic Nails, files a customer’s nails at Phantastic Nails & Spa located off Duraleigh Road on Friday, March 21, 2025.
‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is a mirror of modern medicine’s blind spot
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” was first published in 1892 and is a chilling short story that explores the mental deterioration of a woman who was subjected to the “rest cure.” The story became a foundational text in feminist literature, highlighting how patriarchal medical practices ignored women’s voices and autonomy within the medical field.
More than a century later, the concerns that Gilman raised provide a lens through which we can view how women’s healthcare is handled by modern medicine.
Gilman based this narrative — which follows an unnamed narrator who is isolated in a room alongside decaying yellow wallpaper and slowly descends into madness — on her own struggles with postpartum depression and the harmful treatments that were commonplace in the late 19th century. At the time, women’s mental health was often misunderstood, and conditions like depression or anxiety were commonly dismissed as hysteria.
Doctors believed that emotional instability and domestic disobedience were indicative of the more fragile state of mind that women
possessed. Treatments like the rest cure, popularized by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, involved isolating women and forbidding them from intellectual or creative activity, as seen in “The Yellow Wallpaper.”
Gilman’s story depicts a woman who, in reality, suffers from postpartum depression, and is taken to a secluded country house by her husband, a physician. As she is confined to a room with torn, yellow wallpaper, she becomes fixated on its chaotic pattern.
As the days pass, the narrator’s obsession grows, and she begins to see a woman trapped behind the wallpaper’s design. Her mental state deteriorates as she believes she must free the woman — one who exists as a projection of herself.
In the end, she spirals into a state of psychosis, crawling along the floor as she tears the wallpaper away, symbolizing her total mental and emotional breakdown.
The narrator’s descent into madness is a direct result of her forced inactivity and the dismissal of her voice.
Like many real women at the time, and today, she is infantilized by her husband and doctor, who confuse proper care with control. This story shows how the medical system pathologized women’s emotions, all the while refusing
to listen to their needs.
Although the rest cure has since been left behind, the echoes of this dynamic continue to reverberate today.
Today, women’s health concerns are still frequently downplayed or misdiagnosed. Studies show women are more likely to have their physical pain labeled as psychological, resulting in delayed diagnoses for serious conditions like heart disease, autoimmune disorders and endometriosis.
Even in emergency rooms, women reporting chest pain or chronic discomfort often face longer wait times and less aggressive treatment than men.
The same holds true in mental health care. While women are statistically more likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety, many face stigma or receive treatment that does not account for gender-specific factors.
Like the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” modern women are sometimes dismissed as overreacting or being emotional, leading to treatments that fail to address the root causes of their struggles.
Systemic issues — such as gender bias in medical research and a lack of focus on conditions that predominantly affect women — perpetuate this cycle.
Gilman’s portrayal of forced silence and misunderstanding resonates as countless women today continue to fight for recognition of their symptoms and autonomy in health-related decisions. The story’s warning remains alive in exam rooms across the world.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” remains more than just a short story; it is a powerful critique of the silencing of women’s experiences.
Gilman used fiction to challenge the medical and social norms of her time, sparking early feminist conversations about autonomy and mental health. Stories like hers show how literature can expose systemic failures and influence broader social movements.
Today, that tradition continues through modern storytelling, journalism and activism that highlight disparities in women’s health care. Gilman’s work reminds us that elevating women’s voices — whether it is in literature or healthcare — is still vital to achieving meaningful change.
More than a century after its publication, “The Yellow Wallpaper” continues to reflect the struggles women face in advocating for their health. Until women’s voices are fully heard in every exam room, Gilman’s story will remain a haunting reminder of what happens when they aren’t.
Jacob Smith Staff Writer
I’m
a woman, so don’t call me female
AJ Toler Staff Writer
I love the word “women.” The two syllables encapsulate the beauty of femininity and the long history of individuals who have fought fearlessly for gender equality. Why are we swapping this powerful word for one as dull and disparaging as “females”?
I’ve noticed on social media and in casual discourse that people often refer to women as “females.” While I know there likely aren’t any ill intentions behind using this term, its association with biology, medicine and law feels restrictive of women’s identities when used in a social context.
I hypothesize that people have replaced “women” with “females” in modern discourse because it is a classic case of language demonstrating structures of der power ance by away a ity and
how men are rarely called “males”?
While the difference in how men and women are addressed may seem like a minuscule issue, it demonstrates the larger issue of gender stratification.
Everyone knows that women have an extensive history of fighting for gender equality. What people may not realize is that using the word “female” disregards the hard work that has gone into empowering women and strengthening the feminine identity.
It’s called the “Women’s Rights Movement” and “Women’s History Month,” not the “Females’ Rights Movement” or “Females’ History Month.”
Additionally, “female” is a biological sex category, therefore using the term excludes individuals who identify as women without being born biologically female. Alternatively, the term “women” includes anyone who identifies as a woman, regardless of their designated sex at birth.
Saying “female” over “women” also implies that women only amount to their ability to procreate. Reproduc tive abilities do not make up a woman’s identity; therefore, calling a woman a “female” reduces her to a baby-mak ing machine.
Moreover, “female” can be used to describe millions of living organisms, from willow trees to duck-billed platypuses. The term “women,” on the other hand, is exclusively for Homo sapi ens — let’s continue using it to
address fellow human beings.
Since “female” is often used in medical and legal matters, using the term in regular speech is belittling, essentially saying a woman is nothing more than her biological makeup or demographic characteristics. The boxes we check on our paperwork do not account for our identities, so why reduce women to these categories?
I am more than my demographic — I’m a living, breathing woman.
I’ve also noticed that some women have adopted the term “females” to put other women down for behav ing in stereotypical “girly” ways. This is certainly not “girl’s girl” behavior and reinforces nega tive clichés about women who are simply trying to exist in a man’s world.
There are people on social media who speak against using the word “females,” and I couldn’t be more appreciative. If men and women both can
platforms to advocate for more respectful language use, more people will realize that saying “fe males” is demeaning. If the word “females” has replaced “women” in your vocabulary, save yourself from sounding crass and use the lat ter term. The word “women” offends
no one, while “females” can come across as belittling and downright ignorant. As the feminist writer Angela Carter beautifully put it, “Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation.” Use your language to demonstrate respect towards women, not reduce them to biological and demographic characteristics.
GRAPHIC BY KRISTA PADILLA
I might be ‘just a girl’ but not in the workspace
Jordan Birkner Staff Writer
I’ve been saying the phrase “I’m just a girl” frequently over the past year to explain why I don’t want to catch bugs or open tight food jars on my own.
But being “just a girl” also reflects the realities of both internalized and blatant misogyny women experience in traditionally male spaces.
To clarify, it’s perfectly understandable not to want to touch bugs or struggle with impossible containers. I’ve seen people of every gender identity fight against Talenti ice cream lids. But when this narrative extends to professional or academic work, it can actively interfere with someone’s success.
Even when what I say and do is important, feeling like “just a girl” hinders my ability to succeed.
A reason my parents named me “Jordan” was so I’d appear gender-neutral on paper. I don’t know if they were predicting my work in journalism and academic publications,
but they were smart to do so. My work might be disrespected or questioned if I had a traditionally feminine name.
The impact of gender perception became clear when I got my first job working as temporary maintenance staff.
I was the only woman hired, but I wasn’t worried about the work. I’ve been using power tools safely since I was eight years old.
My manager, who had been there for years, assured me there was no need to put pressure on myself — I was doing great and had nothing to prove.
Regardless, as the days went on, I was assigned more sweeping and groundskeeping duties than my male coworkers. At the end of the temporary period, I was the only one not to be hired.
Studies conducted at MIT show that women on average receive higher performance ratings than male counterparts, often outperforming their expected potential. Despite this, women are less likely to be promoted in the workplace.
If I had sucked at my job, it would be a different conversation. But my situation
shows how women can put in more effort with better results and still be expendable in a male-dominated workplace.
This pressure isn’t something I experience in my healthcare work, a historically feminine area.
Gender gaps also extend to academic disciplines, adding unnecessary pressures on women. NC State is huge on engineering, a historically male-dominated field.
But women leave the engineering profession at twice the rate men do. Their reasons? Not being offered opportunities for advancement in the field or having access to a supportive workplace culture.
Even when women are completing work in traditionally feminine fields, like liberal arts or humanities, those degrees are often referred to as “easy,” like psychology and English.
When you’re putting in years of studying and work to complete an academic path you’re passionate about, there’s no reason to belittle your degree. If it’s going to get you the job you want, who cares?
This mindset can also benefit men pursu-
ing careers in traditionally woman-dominated areas. Stereotypes about gendered positions can make it difficult to succeed in any field people are passionate about.
Instead of ignoring the realities of genderbased assumptions, work and school environments should prioritize performance.
Employers need to focus on skills and experience when deciding who gets an internship or a spot in a research lab. When determining promotions or layoffs, evaluate the data more than who historically fits the role.
Whether as a leader or peer, social perception significantly impacts work when in a career dominated by another gender. The pressure to prove yourself shouldn’t overwhelm you in the areas you’re passionate about.
Women can also work to recognize when we’re experiencing internalized misogyny. You’re not “just” anything. When you’re good at what you do, there’s no reason to compound pressures on yourself.
In defense of Daisy Buchanan
By the time Jay Gatsby reached for the phone, hoping to hear Daisy’s voice, fate had already decided otherwise. A gunshot rang out, and he collapsed back into the pool, his life slipping away like the dream he had so desperately chased. The green light, the beacon of his longing, flickered and faded, leaving him behind for a better man, a Oxford man no less, rooted in the old money of the Roaring ‘20s.
Daisy, the green light, did herself a wonderful favor by staying with Tom Buchanan, despite all the hurdles, and she’s often seen as the anti-hero in a story that doesn’t seem to do her justice in my book. So behold, my defense of Daisy Buchanan.
For far too many of us, “The Great Gatsby” was just another book we half-read in high school, just for another essay on the American Dream we pulled together the night before it was due. But in college, I think one ought to think about the novel for what it really is — a story about choices, consequences and the harsh reality that sometimes, there is no perfect option in life. And ultimately, what may seem like a perfect option today will be vilified in the future by a whole generation of people with a different view of the same exact actions.
Too frequently, people convince themselves that loving someone entitles them to be loved in return, but F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel subtly exposes the foolishness of such thinking. It’s a story of self-delusion — of dreams built on entitlement rather than reality — and of the inevitable collapse that follows when we mistake obsession for destiny.
Gatsby fails in this regard, and he doesn’t seem to respect Daisy’s choice throughout the book.
Noted in one of her great works, “Emma,” Jane Austen states, “If a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him. If she can hesitate to say yes, she ought to say no directly.”
Even in my best defense of Daisy, it is clear that she has doubts about whether she should accept Gatsby or not, but Austen tells us that a straightforward rejection ought to follow from that doubt alone. Daisy’s only flaw, in my view of the story, is not being able to say no directly to Gatsby, despite being unhappy with her adulterous husband, Tom.
Daisy’s voice exudes charm and sorrow right away. She is presented as a seemingly carefree woman, but her statements suggest that she is acutely aware of her own cage. One of the most meaningful lines in the book is when she thinks about the birth of
her daughter, “I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
In actuality, this seemingly casual comment represents a recognition of the limited positions that women can play.
Daisy understands that in a world where women have limited control over their lives, ignorance may be the only way to be happy. In today’s world, ignorance is maybe a principle that can be broadly applied as a way to ignore the ugly reality of life.
If Daisy’s choice was truly her own, then the criticism against her loses its foundation, as she should be free to marry whomever she wants. Yet, the reality of her situation is far more complex.
Tom, arguably the most morally bankrupt character in “The Great Gatsby,” is the man she ultimately stays with, not necessarily out of love but because he represents social stability and entrenched privilege, something Gatsby’s new money and flashy persona could never fully offer.
This dilemma of choosing between Tom and Gatsby haunts Daisy throughout the novel. The societal expectations of her time push her toward Tom, while modern readers often criticize her for not choosing Gatsby instead. But in truth, she is trapped in a nowin situation. Regardless of which path she takes, she is condemned, either for adhering to convention or for failing to embrace the
idealized romance Gatsby offers.
The novel never fully develops her beyond the role of a love interest, offering her little narrative agency and failing to explore whether she could have made a better decision had she been given more freedom. At the very least, Fitzgerald’s classic falls short of allowing Daisy the depth to escape the confines of a male-driven story, let alone passing the Bechdel test.
If love is a gamble, Daisy simply bet on the house, and as any seasoned player knows, the house always wins.
As college students, we typically find ourselves drawn to “The Great Gatsby” once again, no longer just because it’s required reading, but because it mirrors so many of the choices we face. We, too, must navigate unfair expectations, ambitions and the weight of decisions that will define our futures. We may not be choosing between Gatsby and Tom, but we are choosing between what is safe and what is ideal, what is expected of us and what we truly want. I for sure, given Daisy’s circumstances, would choose stability over uncertainty without hesitation.
“The Great Gatsby” remains my favorite novel. Perhaps that is its final irony. Even as it fails to do justice to Daisy Buchanan, it still captivates readers with the very illusions it critiques.
Eugene Ngina Correspondent
Will Wade brings winning pedigree, unapologetic confidence to NC State men’s basketball
Colby Trotter Sports Editor
Just for a moment, it seemed like new NC State men’s basketball head coach Will Wade was trying to hide his self-confidence that borders on arrogance. Like he was trying to be a toned-down version of himself in front of the Wolfpack’s high rollers paying for his contract.
After he was introduced by McMurray Family Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan, he took a few minutes to thank Corrigan, McNeese State, the people in attendance and his wife and daughter in the crowd.
Wade talked about how he has grown since his time at LSU, where he was fired for multiple major recruiting violations, even though the FBI came up well short of proving those claims. He said then he was a little too arrogant at LSU, that’s what got him in trouble and NC State was getting the version of Wade who was still passionate and competitive without the brashness.
This wasn’t the Will Wade NC State fans were clamoring for. Where was the coach who confidently predicted McNeese State would go from 23 losses to 23 wins in his first year running the program? McNeese didn’t just win 23 games. It won 30 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 23 years in his first season at the helm.
After about four minutes of getting the dialed-back version of Wade, he began to raise his voice, saying, “Our time is right now.”
As he continued to raise his voice and his inflection became more confident, Wade offered a warning to the rest of the country.
“It’s going to be a reckoning for the ACC,” Wade said. “It’s going to be a reckoning for college basketball, and it’s coming, and it’s coming soon.”
Finally, the Will Wade NC State fans clamored for appeared. That’s the coach who has been described as a “gangster.” Yeah, it might come off as arrogant, but the 42-year-old has the credentials to back it up. He ranks seventh in win rate among active coaches with at least 10 years of experience, only behind Mark Few, Bill Self, John Calipari, Rick Pitino, Randy Bennett, Sean Miller and Tom Izzo.
Wade has never had a losing season, has won at least 18 games every season, made seven NCAA Tournaments and has won six regular-season and conference tournament titles. Before he got to LSU, the program had made three NCAA Tournaments in 12 years. In Wade’s five-year tenure, the Tigers made the tournament three times and won the SEC regular season championship. Since they fired him, they haven’t won more than 17 games or made the tournament.
At McNeese State, he doubled the number of NCAA Tournament appearances the program had before he got there while winning two conference tournaments on the way to a 58-11 record.
It’s why he has the self-belief to say something like this.
“I want to be very clear, this is not a rebuild,” Wade said. “We’re gonna be in the top part of the ACC next year, and we’re going to the NCAA Tournament. Make sure you got that on camera. This is going to be done. This will be done the right way, and this is going to be done quickly. We are here to win. We’re here to win the right way, and we’re going to be aggressive.”
Wade isn’t for everyone. His honesty and braggadocio can rub people the wrong way. When Wade was asked before McNeese State’s upset over Clemson in the NCAA Tournament if he had talked with NC State, he simply said, “Yes.”
That kind of transparency is rare in sports, let alone college basketball. Most of the time, when a coach is having conversations with a school behind the scenes, he/she denies it or deflects the question. Then, immediately after the season ends, the coach departs for the new job. Players wouldn’t get closure, and as-
sistants would be left behind.
Well before the reports came out that Wade accepted the NC State job, he had told his players. When Wade and his McNeese State players were watching film on Clemson, the Tigers happened to be playing NC State, and they both laughed at the irony.
That mix of truthfulness and outward confidence could’ve easily deterred Corrigan from hiring him — especially since it’s his first revenue hire at the school. Corrigan could’ve made the so-called “safer” hire, choosing someone he knew like Georgia’s Mike White or former Wolfpack player and current assistant at Tennessee, Justin Gainey.
But after talking with Wade in person, and asking “real tough questions” about what happened at LSU, the choice was obvious. Wade, by far, had the best resume of those who were available, and Corrigan felt he was ready for his second chance at the Power Four level.
“He was open, he was honest,” Corrigan said. “He talked about how he’s grown, what he’s looked at, how he’s reflected on it, and you’ve heard it today, we’re getting a more mature version of Will Wade.”
That more mature version of Wade is someone who harnesses his confidence in a positive way to rally his players and fans like he did today. But at the same time, he’s no longer the arrogant coach who, when things didn’t go his way, would do unethical things like “make strong-ass offers.” Now, if a player doesn’t want to play for him, he tries to understand why and moves on to the next thing.
“Confidence is the way I define that as being secure in yourself,” Wade said. “What got me in trouble was thinking that this had
to happen this way. If I didn’t get this, it was going to be the end of the world.”
“Confidence is, ‘Yeah, I want to get this, I want this, but if it doesn’t go this way, I’m not going to take a shortcut,’” Wade said. “There’s another way to go get the same thing done. This isn’t life or death. This isn’t the end. So I think that’s the balance between cockiness and confidence.”
The question before Wade was hired was whether NC State had enough resources and commitment to convince Wade to come. At the end of last season, Wade’s predecessor, Kevin Keatts, thought the program didn’t have enough NIL to compete. At Wade’s press conference, those concerns were put to bed.
“NC State men’s basketball has the resources we need for the future,” Corrigan said.
Wade said in his breakout interview that NC State had more in NIL and revenue sharing than he was initially told. Wade admitted he won’t have the most funding in the conference, but he will have enough to compete, and “that’s all you need.”
With a united fanbase, the proper resources and a more mature Will Wade, there’s little reason to doubt NC State men’s basketball’s potential to rise in the ACC and shake up college basketball. But don’t worry, that fire is still there — the unwavering belief that he’s the best coach in the country. It’s what makes him one of the winningest coaches in college basketball. He knows when to push, when to step back and how to stay just this side of the line between confident and cocky. The day of reckoning has commenced.
Will Wade. Still a “gangster.” Just smarter about it now.
EMILY PEEDIN/TECHNICIAN
Will Wade, the new head coach of NC State men’s basketball, walks into a press conference discussing his hiring in Reynolds Coliseum on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Wade is the Wolfpack’s 21st men’s basketball coach, following former coach Kevin Keatts.
COLUMN Giving women’s college basketball its well-deserved flowers
Connor VanDerMark Assistant Sports Editor
NC State fans have been treated to some incredible feats during the 2024-25 season. A 13-point comeback victory over a conference rival. A nail-biting double-overtime upset over the No. 1 team in the nation. An undefeated record at home. None of these moments are from “big revenue sports” like men’s college basketball or football. Welcome to women’s college basketball. It took a superstar talent like Caitlin Clark for women’s basketball to finally get the national spotlight, but for those who reside in the City of Oaks, it’s been a staple for years. Head coach Wes Moore has redefined the Wolfpack’s program, earning an NCAA Tournament berth in nine of his 12 seasons and reaching the Sweet 16 in six of the last seven seasons.
Last season, Moore led his team to its first Final Four appearance since 1998 as NC State celebrated one of its most successful seasons in program history. Just a few days ago the Wolfpack advanced to the Sweet 16 after a
program-record-setting 83-49 victory over Michigan State. With NC State football and men’s basketball enduring disappointing seasons, the women have given the Wolfpack faithful something to look forward to.
And NC State isn’t the only women’s basketball program in North Carolina that has been thriving. UNC-Chapel Hill head coach Courtney Banghart and Duke head coach Kara Lawson — along with Moore — have turned the Triangle into a mecca for college basketball. This season marks the first time that the three programs have each held a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament. A quarter of the top 12 teams in the country all reside within a 45-minute drive of each other — there’s nowhere else in the world that can boast that.
Now, some argue that women’s college basketball doesn’t have the same star power as its men’s counterpart. You may not get the high-flying dunks of Duke’s Cooper Flagg or Auburn’s Johni Broome, but women’s basketball is riddled with talent. Look no further than NC State’s double-overtime victory over then-No. 1 Notre Dame.
From NC State’s dynamic senior guard duo of Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers to Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron, the abundance of star power left College Gameday no choice but to come to Raleigh for the matchup and even drew over half of the WNBA teams’ scouts to the heavyweight bout.
The game itself didn’t just match the hype — it soared above it. From Citron’s overtimeforcing buzzer-beater to James’ dagger behind-the-back layup, the spectacle was full of highlight-reel plays that impressed even the most casual basketball fans.
Fans are finally beginning to realize that women’s college basketball is just as relevant as men’s. In fact, for the first time, last year’s women’s National Championship game averaged more viewers than the men’s National Championship. Averaging over 18.7 million viewers and peaking at 24 million, it was the most-watched basketball game in either sport since 2019.
Even still, the recognition that women’s basketball is getting is long overdue. There were talented superstars before Clark hit the
scene. Look to Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale, who hit back-to-back game-winners in the 2018 semifinals and National Championship to bring a title back to South Bend.
There have been stars after Clark moved to the WNBA too. UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JuJu Watkins have become household names, synonymous with women’s basketball. There are even bona fide rivalries, such as the one between Hidalgo and NC State’s own sophomore guard Zoe Brooks, who grew up hooping together but now battle each other for ACC supremacy.
All of this to say, women’s college basketball is here to stay and deserves the same energy that fans give to men’s basketball or football. Look at how that turned out for the Wolfpack. It holds the third-longest home winning streak in the country, all because of the energy that NC State fans bring to each and every game. Even Moore has said that Reynolds Coliseum is the loudest building he’s ever been in. Yes, it’s up to the players to bring their teams to greatness, but it’s the fans that give the sport life, so give women’s basketball all of the attention it deserves.
EMILY PEEDIN/TECHNICIAN
Senior guard Saniya Rivers smiles after scoring during the second round game of the NCAA Tournament against Michigan State in Reynolds Coliseum on Monday, March 24, 2025. Rivers scored 17 points and made 11 assists. NC State won the game 83-49.
The women who keep NC State Athletics running
Erin Ferrare Staff Writer
When student athletes take the field or court, everyone’s focus is on them. But who’s updating the stats online for alumni and fans to follow along? Who runs the social media accounts that allow for an online community to form around Wolfpack faithfuls’ favorite teams? The ones whose work goes unrecognized but aren’t looking for appreciation.
Meet the women behind the machine: Sports Information Directors, better known as SIDs.
With responsibilities ranging from running the team’s social media accounts to being in contact with media outlets across the country, SIDs keep things running smoothly behind the scenes for NC State Athletics. Out of the eight SIDs NC State has, six are women.
As women continue to shape the culture surrounding sports — through events like National Women in Sports Day and Women’s Basketball College Gameday — the women SIDs of the Wolfpack deserve some recognition for the silent work they do day in and day out.
“When I got to NC State with the women’s basketball program, which is obvi-
ously very good, it was really cool to be a part of,” said Kylie Magar, the SID for women’s basketball and women’s golf. “When we beat Notre Dame and all the media coverage and stuff that we got, I was able to help. … I realized, okay, I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
The path to becoming a SID is not linear, but many of those who follow the career path have a passion for sports.
“I don’t know a life without sports,” said Anne Hirschfeld, the SID for NC State volleyball and softball. “I always knew from a young age I just wanted to be involved in sports, and I love to write. So it was just kind of fitting when I was in college and I was like, ‘Oh, I could actually do something with sports and writing.’”
Others SIDs fell into the role, such as Rachel Miller, the SID for NC State men’s soccer, wrestling and men’s tennis. In high school, she was asked to run the scorebook for her basketball team, where her love of sports flourished. While Miller still runs the statistics for each of the teams she works with, that’s just one part of the day-to-day responsibilities.
“The main things are social media management, which is becoming a really big part of it, and managing media interviews,” Miller said. “I’ve had Zoom
calls with people on the West Coast that are covering us on the East Coast, and those outlets can be as big as ESPN or local media.”
Keeping track of the milestones and noteworthy statistics is also something that the SIDs do to ensure that NC State’s athletes are being celebrated and recognized for their hard work.
“I think that’s my favorite part,” Magar said. “Telling the stories of these studentathletes while seeing them grow is awesome.”
One thing that can be hard for these SIDs though, specifically the women, is fitting into a male-dominated career path. A study published by the Atlantic Journal of Communication last year found that out of 2,242 sports-related articles, 94.9% were written by male journalists while only 5.1% were written by female journalists. With not many people to look up to in the field, it can be a daunting career path to take.
“Over the years, I’ve definitely seen a shift of people, specifically women, coming into sports, which I think is really cool,” Magar said. “What I thought was really awesome is most of the time with our intern meetings, I feel like it’s primarily men, which is pretty typical,
obviously. But then this year for NC State, when we had our intern meeting in the beginning of the year, it was primarily women.”
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport released a report card in 2021 detailing race and gender among sports media. Of sports editors surveyed, 79.2% were white and 83.3% were men. Of web specialists surveyed, 72.4% were white and 78.1% were men.
“This shouldn’t be an issue,” Miller said. “You shouldn’t have to think twice about it. There’s definitely a lot of times where I feel intimidated as a woman to approach a man in sports and feel respected and like they’re taking me seriously.”
But these hurdles don’t stop the ladies of NC State Athletics, as many of the SIDs approach their work with confidence and a high level of admiration for their ability to make it in this career path.
“No matter who tells you what, no matter who puts you down, you deserve a seat at the table, and you have a voice that is worth hearing,” Hirschfeld said. “I think that’s just something that every female needs to remember, and I have to remind myself that sometimes.”
COURTESY OF ANNE HISRCHFIELD
Men’s basketball set for new heights under Wade
Noah Teague Staff Writer
There’s a new sheriff in Raleigh, North Carolina — Will Wade.
“It’s going to be a reckoning for the ACC,” Wade said. “It’s going to be a reckoning for college basketball, and it’s coming, and it’s coming soon.”
Change is in the air for NC State men’s basketball with Wade at the helm. After decades of longing for consistent success, Wolfpack fans might finally get just that. During his opening press conference in Reynolds Coliseum, Wade made it clear that consistently winning big is the new standard in Raleigh.
With the transfer portal open for business, there’s never been this much opportunity to win immediately. Wade understands this and is ready to assemble a talented squad now. Not winning in a couple of years, not building for down the road, but winning on day one. For Wade, that starts by flipping the roster.
“We’ve got everything we need to compete and win,” Wade said. “We’ve got everything we need to attract the best play-
ers in the country, and starting tomorrow morning that’s what we’re gonna go do.”
That’s a very different tune from what Wolfpack fans are used to hearing. No excuses, no deflecting — just a goal and a plan to get to work.
With the goal of bringing in the best players, Wade will almost certainly be selective about who he brings to Raleigh.
Talent has to be there, but equally important is finding the right people. NC State is a destination for Wade, and he expects his players to treat it as such.
“I want the people in our program to be thankful to be at NC State,” Wade said.
“We’re not bringing anybody in — a player, a coach, anybody — that doesn’t feel like this is the best place in the country and that doesn’t feel like we can win extremely big.”
Additionally, players have to play Wade’s style of basketball: aggressive. If you watched any of Wade’s games at McNeese State, then you know his teams almost always outhustle their opponents. There’s truly no passive element to a Wade basketball team.
“We’ll play aggressive offensive, aggres-
sive defensively,” Wade said. “We’re not gonna prime the pump in the morning. They’re gonna be ready to go, and they’re gonna play extremely hard to represent our university extremely well.”
Another defining aspect of Wade is his confidence. Never shy about his expectations, Wade won’t back down, and neither will his players. Surrounded by college basketball blue bloods in Duke and UNC while playing in the most storied conference in basketball, it takes a special level of confidence to succeed in the Triangle. Fortunately for the Wolfpack, Wade has it and his players will reflect that.
“We’re going to talk like a top team,” Wade said. “We’re going to act like a top team, and most importantly, we’re going to win like a top team.”
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The same thing applies to basketball teams. With the right mixture of talent, attitude and success, NC State can be a top team under Wade.
One key to Wade’s success will be using the resources at his disposal properly. Any coach needs money to win in college
basketball, but equally important is using that money properly. Misallocating resources to bring in the wrong players can sink a program. While he may not have had the most resources at McNeese State, he maximized everything he had. Expect the same in Raleigh but with a lot more resources.
“We’re going to be competitive, at the upper end of this league and we’re going to be competitive nationally with our NIL package and our revenue sharing,” Wade said. “This is about being able to efficiently build a very, very good basketball team.”
NC State fans have always been serious about basketball. Now that the program is aligned with the fanbase’s expectations, Wolfpack basketball will look different from what many fans are used to. The vision for NC State’s basketball under Wade’s leadership is clear: to be at the top of college basketball every single year.
“We cannot wait to get started to build a consistent winner,” Wade said. “That’s consistently at the top of the ACC, consistently in the NCAA Tournament and consistently competing for the National Championship here at NC State.”
WADE TO STATE
See pages 12, 15