Technician
tuesday december
1
2009
Raleigh, North Carolina
Law limiting texts debuts today Story By Alanna Howard | photo illustration by Marisa akers
New law makes it illegal to text while driving, enforcers say focus is on safety Alanna Howard Staff Writer
According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, North Carolina joins 19 other states and the District of Columbia making it illegal to text while operating a moving vehicle. In June the bill was signed into law by Governor Beverly Perdue and will prohibit drivers from actions such as texting or reading e-mails on cell phones while driving. If caught, offenders face $100 in fines, plus court costs. The bill, which is available for public access on the North Carolina Legislative Web site, states that “It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a vehicle on a public street or highway or public vehicular area while using a mobile telephone to: Manually enter multiple letters or text in the device as a means of communicating with another person; or [to] read any electronic mail or
text message transmitted to the device or stored within the device, provided that this prohibition shall not apply to any name or number stored in the device nor to any caller identification information.” Rep. Garland Pierce, the sponsor of the bill, said the idea came from news of various accidents because of distractions from cell phones. “The main accident I recall that started the idea for this bill was the train that ran through the lighting system and it was proven the conductor was texting while operating the train. This is just one of many accidents that have shown how distracting texting is for people in various methods of transit and its harmful consequences,” he said. Luke Carter, a junior in civil engineering, said the law should be beneficial. “Texting while driving is very distracting, I’ll admit I do it some, but this law will help me not do it anymore,” he said. A driver who is caught texting while driving
TEXTING continued page 3
Safety a chief concern among college drivers
Holiday eating makes health an issue
Texting-while-driving ban proves to be controversial topic among students
Caroline Barfield
Carmicheal Complex sees no change in attendance
believed the decrease in distractions would prevent many accidents, especially in those cases of visitors and foreigners. “Not everyone can multi-task as well Annie Albright as I can,” Edden said. “So they should Staff Writer not try and text while driving.” Texting is not the only major disStudents have mixed reactions to the texting while driving ban that goes traction cell phones provide, Amanda Migliaccio, a sophomore in social into effect today. Robin VanCott, junior in political work, said, because e-mail can also science, said she hoped the new law become a huge threat to the easily would change the way people drive distracted adult. “I have literally sat, been the first car and improve safety on the road. “It is a good law because it protects in line at a red light, and missed the whole rotation,” the safety of drivMigliaccio said. ers and pedestri“In fact, two of ans,” VanCott those times have said. “Hopefully been twice in a the law will rerow.” duce the amount Rachel Patton, of accidents and a sophomore in deaths caused by civil engineering, them, because it Robin Vancott, junior in political said while she is a major disscience agrees with the traction.” concept of the Jay B y lu nd , sophomore in business administra- law she is skeptical of the effectiveness. “I mean, yeah, it is a law but so is tion, said the accidents caused by texting are a serious issue but that speeding and everyone still speeds,” the main issue is the responsibility of Patton said. “It is going to be so hard to enforce it. I think it is a good idea drivers. “Actually when it comes down to it, but I just do not think it is realistic.” Joe Ferguson, senior in poultry sciit will be a good thing,” Bylund said. “I am just not sure how necessary it is as ence, said he is not sure how neceslong as drivers are responsible. Unfor- sary the law is, if drivers are being tunately there are many drivers who responsible. “It could be good for awareness for are not native to the area who attempt to multi-task when they barely know driving on highways and big roads but where they are going in the first place I do not believe it is a big deal for suburban areas,” Ferguson said. and that is how accidents happen.” Other students, such as Alex Edden, junior in political science, said they
“Hopefully the law will reduce the amount of accidents and deaths.”
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Staff Writer
Thanksgiving is a food-based holiday and feasting is a great way to pack on the pounds, yet students have plans for burning the extra calories. The average American will consume more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day alone, according to the Caloric Control Council, and most of it comes from snacking all day. Andrew Tucker, a senior in political science, said he kept from gaining the weight by following his diet plan and taking a nap. “If you think about it, there are 3,500 calories in a pound and, unless you’re consuming over 3,500 on top of your daily consumption, you’ll gain a pound. If you ate more than 7,000 calories then you should probably get counseling,” he said. “To keep my weight regular I only ate white meat, no cheese, had some corn, green beans - stayed away from anything
“With exams coming up, there’s no time.”
Preconceived victory T-shirt design released Shirts became available at GoPack store Monday evening Ty Johnson Editor-in-Chief
Less than three hours after Russell Wilson took a game-winning kneel in the football team’s 28-27 win over UNC-Chapel Hill, fans subscribed to gopack.com’s Pack Tracks had an e-mail in their inbox promoting the sale of T-shirts celebrating the Wolfpack’s third straight victory over the rival Tar Heels. The design, which featured a front-pocket design bearing the score and “Stomp your Heels and Howl with Pride” and the date of the game, appeared fresh to fans and students who saw it for the
n d e a s s M Sa le s l a n i F NC State Bookstores
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that was processed or had heavy fats to work out was fairly normal. A few people said they ate too much, but the and no dessert.” Turkey contains a natural sedative majority working out were regulars,” called Tryptophan but the chemical Cox said. According to Cox, the biggest indoes not have a potent effect because it’s mixed with all of the other food crease in gym attendance is seen after eaten. The “food coma” experienced is the winter break. “We normally see an increase in the result of your body working overpeople at the gym after New Years,” time to digest everything. Cox said. Stephen SaunTy l a r Br a n non , ders, a junior in sophomore in intermarketing, said he personal and public too napped off his communication, said meal. she made going the “I had a very, gym a priority after very large Thanksthe holiday. giving meal. I had David Prescott, sophomore in “For Thanksgiving two meals, so I aerospace engineering, on his I ate more than usual, was busy the enplans to go to the gym to work especially sweets. Aftire holiday dooff his Thanksgiving meal terwards, I went runing Thanksgiving ning then I went to t hi ngs. A f terwards, I napped - it only took one day the gym. I was non-stop moving all break,” Brannon said. for me to recover,” he said. David Prescott, sophomore in aeroCarmicheal Complex did not see the space engineering, said he ate a lot, but influx of students it was expecting. Brian Cox, a manager at Carmi- was too busy to make it to the gym. “I had a hefty meal for Thanksgivchael, said Monday didn’t show any change in the amount of people that ing, and napped it off afterwards,” Prescott said. “I was going to try to came to work out. “For the Monday after Thanksgiv- make it to the gym, but with exams ing, the number of people that came coming up, there’s no time.”
It’s like Black Friday at the bookstore!!
Luis Zapata/Technician
Victory T-shirts sit on clothing racks at the GoPack store at Ridgewood Shopping Center Monday evening.
first time Saturday, but the design had been conceptualized weeks before, ac-
cording to Nicole Quimby, the manager of the GoPack store in Ridgewood
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