Technician- April 18, 2012

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wednesday april

18 2012

Raleigh, North Carolina

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Governor devotes week to volunteer efforts in N.C. North Carolina governor encourages volunteering with an entire week devoted to service. Shawn Thompson Staff Writer

archive photo/Technician

N.C. State transportatioin planner Alison Carpeter talks with Chris Font about bicycle safety Friday, Aug. 27, 2010. Font, a senior in electrical engineering, just finished the N.C. State Transportation bike tour, which snaked around common biking locations such as Dan Allen, Hillsborough, and Pullen.

Campus awarded ‘bike friendly’ status N.C. State’s many bikerfriendly programs have qualified it to win a state-wide recognition. Elise Heglar News Editor

The League of American Bicyclists recently awarded N.C. State with the official honor of “bicycle friendly” status. N.C. State is the third UNC-System school to receive this status. The League of American Bicyclists has also recognized the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. David Crye, assistant director for Outdoor Adventures, explained the

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application process for this recognition. “You have to apply for it, and depending on what kinds of programs you have, you can get awarded a status,” Crye said. There are platinum, gold, silver and bronze ratings available in the program. N.C. State is currently at the bronze status, but according to Alison Carpenter, planner for University Transportation, this could eventually change. “[This recognition] sort of sets a goal for the University to become more bicycle-friendly,” Carpenter said. After submitting a detailed application that includes a comprehensive list of all programs offered to bikers, the evaluation is completed

when a certified bicycle instructor visits and evaluates campus. The instructors that come are certified North Carolina residents. The University already offers programs bikers can take advantage of, including campus biking tours, a class on fixing bikes at the Crafts Center and WolfWheels. Carpenter plans to add more in the future. “Various things on campus are happening to support bikers. There’s a lot going on, it’s just that these things take time. Slowly, we’ll see improvements on campus,” Carpenter said. Achieving this bicycle friendly status is beneficial for the University because it could bring more prospective students in, according to Carpenter. In addition to potential

students, local Raleigh residents could also benefit from this new status. “It’s a national recognition, and that’s a big deal. It’s one more reason why someone might want to come here and see what we have going on,” Carpenter said. Biking has become a more frequent mode of transportation for many students, including Stephen Lindberg, a junior in art and design. Lindberg lives in an off-campus apartment and rides his bike to school in order to cut out travel time to campus. “I live next to campus, so biking is my most convenient way to class,” Lindberg said.

Bike continued page 2

Virtual Testing

EP: a new start for T0W3RS See page 3.

Spring weather lures students to green spaces See page 5.

Gymnast on quest for NCAA honors

Tyler Andrews/Technician

See page 8.

viewpoint features classifieds sports

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Zhongqiang Chen, graduate in mechanical engineering, reaches into a virtual door pannel while sitting in Ford Motor Company's Programmable Vehicle Model on Tuesday in EB III. The PVM, which allows engineers to evaluate the design options of vehicles, was prepared by Ford as a demonstration for N.C. State's student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers corporate sponsored luncheon.

Governor Bev Perdue announced that AmeriCorps members and volunteers across North Carolina will participate in different service projects as part of National Volunteer Week, April 15 - 21. National Volunteer Week is an event sponsored by the Points of Light Institute and the Hands On Network. The Volunteer Week theme for this year is “Celebrating People in Action,” honoring ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve communities across the nation. AmeriCorps members and volunteer centers will take part in activities across North Carolina by providing literacy services for children, feeding the homeless and other community service activities. AmeriCorps is a national service program designed to increase both volunteering and civic engagement. Members of the program tutor and mentor the youth, improve the quality of care for preschool children and advocate the need for energy efficient housing for lowincome families. “National Volunteer Week is a time for North Carolinians to celebrate the service they provide to their communities. I encourage all North Carolinians to give back by helping a neighbor in need or volunteering with a local nonprofit organization,” Gov. Perdue said in a press release. A variety of volunteer activities will be conducted during National Volunteer Week. Several North Carolina counties have particular activities taking place that meet the specific requirements of their communities. Alamance County AmeriCorps members will partner with Centro la Comunidad for their Access Project volunteer event. Access Project is an informational event for community members and provides activities for children, including group reading, arts and crafts projects, and much more. Guilford County AmeriCorps will hold activities for their Partnership to End Homelessness event. Members of AmeriCorps will divide into groups for activities targeting homelessness and beautification projects. Nonmembers of AmeriCorps will also be able to participate in the events. AmeriCorps will recruit volunteers to help plant a community garden at Youth Focus to increase awareness about gardening and produce benefits to those in need. “There are so many ways to get involved, I think it’s really great. It’s also cool nonmembers of AmeriCorps are able to take part in helping their communities,” Stephanie Johnson, freshman in engineering, said. Volunteers will also be needed to help cook and serve meals for the homeless during other events. AmeriCorps will be hosting a “Community Awareness Cookout for Homelessness” as well.

helping continued page 2

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