TECHNICIAN
technicianonline.com
CAMPUS ENTERPRISES DIVISION HOPES TO GET MORE ‘BANG FOR ITS BUCK’ Deputy News Editor
Chancellor Oblinger announced a new division within the Office of Finance and Business Thursday morning, which will begin its work next Wednesday, but specifics remain unclear. This new division, called the Campus Enterprises Division, will include the Campus bookstores, University Dining, campus convenience stores and the AllCampus cards. Oblinger could not be reached for comment Thursday. Responsibilities of the division entail management of the Talley Student Center, Witherspoon Student Center, ErdhalCloyd Atrium and facilities in the future Town Center and Alliance Center on Centennial Campus.
Funding will come from non-appropriated sources and Charles Leffler, vice chancellor for finance and business, said it is yet to be determined if the addition of the division will increase student fees. “If we decided as a campus we wanted to create new or different services, there could be an increase in fees,” Leffler said. The mission is to provide facilities, such as the new Talley Center, and support student activities from a funding standpoint, ultimately maximizing endeavors, he said. “Because they are businesses and because they have a lot of commonality, we think we can get more bang for the buck and raise them to a higher level,” Leffler said. “All of them are good services — this is not about fixing, it’s about bringing them together.” The decision to create the division re-
ceived no student input, but Leffler said students would have an opportunity to voice opinions. “To be quite candid, I don’t know any students who are experts in auxiliary,” Leffler said. “As we move to implementing this, there’s going to be a lot of discussion on how to make it most effective and keep good things going and students will be involved.” Jay Dawkins, student body president, said it seems like it is all preliminary and there will be future opportunities for students. “It sounds like it’s a big first step,” Dawkins said. “There will be opportunities for students to speak out once we have a bigger picture of what this will be.” Leffler said doing business more economically is certainly good with the economic downturn. However, he said this
idea has been on the table for a while and the timing is now appropriate. “With the new Talley Center coming up, we are now in a migration process,” Leffler said. “There is a lot to be sorted out, details to be thought of and it’s going to take several months.” Bob Wood, current director of materials management in the purchasing department, will be appointed as the interim associate vice chancellor for Campus Enterprises April 1 until a national search can be completed for the position. Leffler said Wood was sort of thrown into the mix. Wood declined to comment Thursday. Leffler said when he appoints the search committee to head the division, DIVISION continued page 3
First campus challenge promotes student life
T
he first Centennial Campus Challenge (CCC), a new event for the College of Engineering designed to promote student life and community on Centennial Campus, will close tonight with the CCC Ball and awards ceremony. For five nights, students in the College of Engineering camped out on the Oval, the future home of engineering on Centen-
nial Campus. The nights were packed with events including a pig pickin’ cookout, tug of war tournament, engineer challenges, a seminar series and karaoke night. Winners of the Centennial Campus Challenge and the Greatest Engineer Challenge will be announced at tonight’s ball in the Progress Energy Conference Center.
"#Matthew Blanchard, a junior in industrial engineering, puts the final touches on his “egg vehicle” that was meant to transport an egg through an obstacle course. “Good thing our [design] is fire proof.,” Blanchard said. The vehicle was being built for a competition that took place during the Centennial Campus Challenge Wednesday night. Photo by Meredith Faggart
Andressa ! Hungria, a senior in chemical engineering, helps Cole Garner, a senior in chemical engineering, to pitch a tent for the first Centennial Campus Challenge on Sunday. Photo by Megan Myers
!Chris Millns, a senior in textile engineering, takes a nap in his tent on the Centennial Oval for the Centennial Campus Challenge Thursday afternoon. Millns was one of dozens of engineering students who spent the week camping and playing team-building games seconds away from most of their classes. “I’m thinking about setting up permanent residence,” Eric Green, a junior in computer engineering, said before taking a nap of his own. “It’s been a blast.” Photo by Tim O’Brien
" Kristopher Stuart, a junior in biochemistry, serves grilled hamburgers to Cole Garner, a senior in chemical engineering, on the Centennial Oval for the Centennial Campus Challenge Thursday afternoon. The challenge fostered a sense of community on the new engineering campus with free food, music and contests throughout the week. “It’s tiring but fun, I’ve had a great time,” Garner said. Photo by Tim O’Brien
NC State Bookstores
Raleigh, North Carolina
Chancellor reorganizes campus facilities Preston Boyles
Campus Appreciation Sale
New coal could be boost to N.C. needs University finds a way to locally produce green energy John Cline Staff Writer
According to researchers at N.C. State, wood could be the new coal. Using a process called torrefaction, wood chips are dried out in what equates to an industrial sized toaster oven that changes them both physically and chemically. While they retain 80 percent of their energy content, they are much lighter and easier to crush – an ideal burnable energy source. Burning the wood chips is also much greener and more efficient, boasting a zero carbon output. While torrefaction is nothing new in itself, N.C. State researchers have managed to develop one that is mobile and self powered, in comparison to the bulky, less efficient machines of the past. “This process could help us build a bridge to more energy independence,” Chris Hopkins, a doctoral student in forestry and developer of the new torrefier machine, said in a press release issued March 11. The new machine, called the Autothermic Transportable Torrefaction Machine (ATTM), is usable in field-based operations and would greatly cut the costs of transporting tons of wood chips to the traditional torrefaction facilities. The use of torrefied wood could have a substantial economic impact. According to the Annual Report of the Energy Policy Council and the State Energy Office, North Carolina has no active coal mines and must import all its coal, which powers about 62 percent of the state. More than four billion is spent on that each year. Hopkins estimates that if wood-chips are collected and sold to help fire North Carolina’s energy generating plants, the state’s tax base could be increased by nearly $400 million a year. Wood-chips are abundant throughout the state. To start commercializing this technology the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) announced an exclusive license agreement with AgriTech Producers, LLC of Columbia, S.C. which will call the product “Carolina Coal.” COAL continued page 3
insidetechnician
Barringer’s character will never be forgotten See page 8.
viewpoint arts & entertainment classifieds sports
33% off all regularly priced items! Up to 75% off select clearance items! MONDAY & TUESDAY March 30 & 31
4 5 7 8