Technician
tuesday january
31 2012
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Pulitzer prize winner talks up benefits of electric cars Dan Neil, Pulitzer prize winner, spoke on campus yesterday about his work as an automotive critic and the future of electric cars. Lindsey Rosenbaum Staff Writer
The economy university students live in today is one fueled by oil; as petroleum reliance has grown through the years, others have searched for a more environmentally friendly and renewable alternative fuel source, specifically for transportation. Dan Neil, a Pulitzer Prize winning automotive critic for The Wall Street Journal, spoke on campus about the electric car Monday afternoon. Neil is a Wolfpack alumnus, of the class of 1986. He credits his success during college to professor Michael Grimmwood. Reminiscing about his time on campus, he recalled that college life was wild and fun, much like it is today. “But maybe less over the top,” Neil said. After graduating, Neil worked at News & Observer for a short while, before becoming a freelance writer for Car and Driver. From 2003 to 2010, Neil was an automotive critic for the LA Times before deciding he needed to return to Raleigh. For the past two years, he has been working at The Wall Street Journal. While many newspapers have automobile sections, Neil said he made
However, the criticisms of the electhe automotive critic niche fit his style. “There are plenty of car ‘reviewers’ tric car itself could be harder to overout there,” Neil said. “Not many have come. Public response to events like the bankruptcy of Solyndra, a green the gall to call themselves ‘critics.’” Neil is the first automotive critic to tech company with the Obama adhave won a Pulitzer Prize for his work. ministration’s stamp of approval, has In 2010, documentary filmmaker become increasingly negative, accordChris Paine approached Neil, asking ing to Neil. Neil remains optimistic about the him to be a part of his new feature. Titled “Revenge of the Electric Car,” future of electric cars. Despite all the Neil said he acted as the “Greek cho- hardships in developing a viable, successful product, there has still been rus” to the backdrop of the story. “I’m a little embarrassed about how an enormous amount of achievement. Sharing his achievements with the enthusiastic I was back then,” Neil listeners at the Scholars Forum, stusaid. dents noted their inW hen the terest. concept of elec“It definitely put tric cars hit the the electric car idea media a little in a better perspecmore than 10 tive,” Matthew Zayears ago, it relesak, freshman in ceived a lot of industrial engineerattention. Since ing, said. then, the hype Though Zalesak has died down, said he is not 100 and even caused percent sold on the a little controidea, he is willing to versy, Neil said. do more research on Neil asserts elecDan Neil, Wall Street Journal the subject. tric cars have to automotive critic Others, like Kurt overcome two Spencer, sophomore hurdles: techin computer science, came into the nology and public consciousness. According to Neil, the technological speech with a bit of back knowledge. “I am very optimistic for the future obstacle is all but overcome. Making electric cars today is more cost effi- [of electric cars],” Spencer said. Neil left the Scholars Forum with a cient and practical than it was in the past. Electric power is inexhaustible piece of advice. “Don’t dismiss new technology in and, while the batteries are tricky to its emerging state,” Neil said. repair, they’re reusable.
“I am very optimistic for the future of electric cars...Do not dismiss new technology in its emerging state.”
Photo by Callie Martin/Technician
Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive journalist Dan Neil speaks to NCSU Scholars Program students about his film Revenge of the Electric Car.
Indian cultural groups mark Republic Day
SOUL garden vandalized
Two Indian culture organizations collaborate to celebrate Indian heritage Sunday night.
SOUL garden continues working despite experiencing vandalism last weekend.
Jatin Bhatia Staff Writer
Two of the Indian communities at our University organized a cultural evening called “Aarambh,” which means “start,” to mark the 63rd Indian Republic Day and welcome the Indian students who arrived at N.C. State for the spring semester. The event focused on Indian culture and heritage; it was an evening full of games, Indian music and food. Sneh Kumar Singh, the president of Maitri, was happy with the way the evening unfolded, and said it was an
attempt to showcase their culture and sized the Indian national symbols befriend Indian students who arrived and integrating nationals away from home. at State for the spring semester. “The theme was defined by the “As Indians, we all carry an image of colors of saffron, India in our hearts, green and white, 7,000 miles away which are [the] from home. We want colors of the Into project that image dian national flag to the N.C State stuand at the same dents here what is time sending out a the culture of India. message to all InSo we organize these dian international events with passion Sneh Kumar Singh, students that ‘we and zeal.” Singh president of Maitri are here for you.’ said.”We attempt to As their first conmake students here feel at home and less homesick, reach tact and first friend in the USA, out to these students and support they can rely on us,” Singh said. He said it was done at a much them like a family would.” Singh said that these organizations wanted to have a night that emphaindian continued page 3
“As Indians, we all carry an image of India in our hearts.”
Campus MovieFest returns to campus Students have the chance to show their own short films at the annual MovieFest competition. Lindsey Rosebaum Staff Writer
The race for the Oscars began earlier last week, and students on campus have the chance to participate in their own way with the Campus MovieFest. Campus MovieFest is an event that gets students involved in the magic of moviemaking. Students submit short films, each about three to five minutes in length, on any topic they choose.
This event is not limited to just N.C. State’s campus; it’s one of the world’s largest film festivals for college-aged students. It began in 1999 at Emory University with four students encouraging their peers to create short feature films in the space of one week. They provided them with all the materials they needed, including cameras, computers and editing software. It spread throughout the dorm and eventually throughout the whole campus. Within a few years, all Georgia schools were participating and, today nearly 500,000 students participate throughout the globe. All participants are given an HP camera, an Apple MacBook Pro with
Final Cut Pro editing software and a microphone. Should a technical problem occur, they are given free tech support. Once students complete and submit their films, a panel of faculty members and students review them. The top 16 are chosen to play during the MovieFest. From there, the top three are sent to a national competition in Los Angeles, California. Even some students who do not directly participate in the MovieFest still enjoy it. Aaron Thomas, sophomore in political science,
Grad student designs ergonomic infant car seat
NCSU partners with African scientists for agricultural security
movies continued page 3
pending. The total damage done to property was around $300, while the damage to the excavator was less than $100. “Our first reaction was how bewildering and discouraging this was,” Zach Green Ariel Green-wood,senior in psycholStaff Writer ogy and co-manager of the garden, The Students for Organic, United said. “It made us feel that the garden Living (SOUL) community garden is vulnerable.” According to Greenwood, a volunwas vandalized last Tuesday with a mini-excavator stolen from a nearby teer who was checking on the garden discovered the damage and notified construction site. The organic garden is located near the other members. They took picthe Lake Raleigh dam on Centennial tures of the damage and notified the Campus and tended by University University which sent Campus Police to the scene. students. “We really appreAccording to Camciate the university pus Police, the excataking this as serivator came from ously as they did,” a construction site Greenwood said. near the Lonnie Pool In addition to noGolf Course sometifying the police, time after 5 p.m. and the University had taken on a joyride to the large hole that Lake Raleigh. Ariel Greenwood, senior had been dug filled The vandal drove in psycholgy in soon after it was the piece of digging reported. equipment into the Since the incident, SOUL has congarden area, destroying a sign, bench and wooden table before digging a tinued their weekly workdays, manlarge hole near the garden. None of aged to rebuild the table that was dismantled and clear away the remaining the actual garden was damaged. “Maybe once a semester, we will get debris. According to Greenwood, part something like this,” Capt. Ian Ken- of participating in the garden is being drick, of Campus Police, said. “Very able to deal with things like this. “Part of agriculture is the concept of rarely do we see theft of motorized construction equipment and in even resilience,” Greenwood said. “We have fewer instances where it is used to a good attitude and were surprised by the support we received.” damage property.” The garden, N.C. State’s first onThe mini-excavator was found in a creek near the garden and fingerprints campus community garden, has been were taken. According to Kendrick, operating since 2010 and regularly dothe perpetrator has yet to be identified and the fingerprint results are garden continued page 3
“Part of agriculture is the concept of resilience.”
insidetechnician
Leading the way in vermicomposting
i nnov
Rhonda Sherman breaks barriers in growing field of composting. See page 5.
ation
cafe
Researchers looking to ease the trials of parenthood. See page 6.
Attempting to understand sub-Saharan crop failures. See page 5.
NEW MENU - REGISTER FOR PRIZES
Water polo brings water intensity The Club water polo team proves to be an exciting past time. See page 8.
Power Rankings
Stay up to date with NC State’s most competitive rivalries. See page 8.
Visit our website for more info
go.ncsu.edu/icafe Innovation Cafe • 860 Partners way • Directly across from the parking deck.