TECHNICIAN
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Organization helps disabled students adjust to college life National organization helps disabled students make the transition to college through support and resources. Shawn Thompson Staff Writer
We Connect Now (WCN) is a national organization dedicated to serving college students with disabilities through various resources provided
nationally and regionally. “We Connect Now is really good because it provides a forum for students with disabilities through different resources, making transitioning to college a little easier,” said Alan Chase, graduate student in the College of Education and board member of WCN. According to the web site, their mission is to “unite people interested in rights and issues affecting people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on college students and access to high-
er education and employment issues.” Students at N.C. State organized a We Connect Now chapter last spring through showing interest to the founder Gabriela McCall Delgado. Gabriela McCall Delgado created WCN as a freshman at Louisiana State University during 2008. N.C. State’s particular chapter emphasizes using various online resources to promote their events and overall agenda of the organization. One of the goals of the WCN site
is “to help college students with disabilities to succeed in their studies by getting the information and support they need, both through resources, blogs, latest news, studying existing laws and regulations, and through personal contacts,” according to the organization. People will also gain knowledge through the information provided and a support system, made available through the site and by attending the events.
“This organization isn’t just for students with disabilities, it’s for anyone with an interest in improving campus for everyone,” Kirkman said. Other features of the web site include connecting with others through sharing and reading stories from other people with disabilities. Every month the webpage will focus on a different disability or condition to raise awareness through knowledge and support. Along with the available online
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Raleigh tour showcases sustainability NEW WALKING TOUR DISPLAYS RALEIGH’S SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS STORY BY EMILY COLLIS | PHOTOS BY ALEX SANCHEZ
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.C. State students need to trade in their red for green and participate in one of Raleigh’s newest environmentally friendly attractions. Walking around downtown Raleigh, most buildings look unspectacular on the outside. The Office of Sustainability challenges residents to take a closer look at the buildings and see how special they really are. Efforts have recently been made to make the city “greener,” and the City of Raleigh hopes their new tour of downtown will be able to showcase some of the changes. Unlike other tours of cities that highlight historic venues and famous spots, this tour will showcase Raleigh’s most environmentally efficient places. This self-guided walking tour covers a little over two miles in the downtown area. The walk starts and ends at the Raleigh Convention Center—which also doubles as a stop on the tour. There, people taking the tour can pick up a broThe solar electric vehicle chure and start the one-hour walk. The Office of Sustainability designed the tour so that it could fit charging station on S. Salisbury Street is powered by two solar into a lunch hour, catering specifically to the downpanels that generate 2.88 town working crowd. kilowatts of electricity. Once on the tour, walkers will see some of the most innovative parts of the city. One of the most interesting attractions includes the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. The Center, built in the Depression Era, was later transformed into a beacon of green living, an example to the city that anything can “go green.” “I think people need to be more informed about [the environment], especially college students, because we are the generation that will be able to make a change in the future,” Sarah Thompson, freshman in management, said. Future sustainability changes are not all about emitting cleaner energy and having less pollution, it’s also about helping Raleigh save money. Big Belly trash cans, solar powered trash compactors, are being stationed through the city to make trash pick-up a less regular event. The cans will automatically compress air out of the bags, making each bag take longer to fill up. When the bags do become full, an electronic chip sends an email to its designated pickup person. Donna-Maria Harris, the communications coordinator for Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability, is especially excited about this feature. “A feature like Big Belly, the third stop [on the tour], leads to fewer trash truck pick-ups which means less money spent on gasoline and less wear on the roads. Light Emitting Diodes use less energy, thereby saving money,” Harris said. The tour also features the R-Line hybrid electric bus, Solar EV Charging Stations, the Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel, the North Carolina State Capitol, Green Square, the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, solar panel
Husband, father, writer, musician—in that order
Corbie Hill is tasked with writing for his band, being a good father, and getting a college degree. See page 5.
The Big Belly trash compactor on the corner of Lenoir and Salisbury streets holds four times as much trash as regular containers and is solar powered.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS
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insidetechnician
The Raleigh R-LINE is a free bus service that services the downtown area. R-LINE buses are hybrid electric and run every 10 to 15 minutes.
New programs help artists market work The creation of two new programs on campus will help students learn to profit from their creativity. Lauren Vanderveen Staff Writer
Pink returns to Reynolds
Seventh-annual Hoops 4 Hope game to take place Sunday at 5 p.m. See page 8.
College fashion gets thrifty
Thrift store charm seems to dominate college campuses. See page 6.
viewpoint features classifieds sports
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The creation of new programs, like The Art Express workshop and the Arts Entrepreneurship minor, is sending a message to the student body—skills in the arts can go a long way both creatively and commercially. The Art Express workshop was designed to help artists of all varieties learn how to market their work, whether it’s in painting, design, music or theatre. This is the first time The Art Express will be done at N.C. State. The cost is $49 for students and $98 for the general public, with the first class beginning March 15. Cheryl Weisz, instructor for the
workshop, has previously trained indi- much, a radio station owner requested viduals in the course and provided in- her to write one for his son. “From that one contact, she was tel for potential job opportunities. “I have a lot of contacts in New asked to write another lullaby, and York, Atlanta, in different plac- then two more, and now she is writes,” Weisz said. “So artists can actu- ing lullabies internationally and selling them,” Weisz said. ally get connected into the system.” “It’s important for an artist to deIn particular, students in the workshop will be taught what venues they fine what success is to them. You have to work hard at the should approach to business of being an get their work disartist if you want to played or bought, make a living of it,” how to approach Jo Ellen Westmoret hem, a nd ot her land, assistant diimportant aspects rector of the crafts like how to design a center and coordiportfolio. nator of the workAccording shop, said. to Weisz, roughly 97 Cheryl Weisz, instructor A free informapercent of her prevition session about ous pupils were successful in getting their foot in an arts the workshop will take place on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. career or opportunity. While many students are excited One such student, Susan Fry, was encouraged to send demo tapes of her about the program, The Art Express music to various radio stations. Having liked one of Fry’s lullaby tracks so ARTS continued page 3
“It’s important for an artist to define what success is to them.”