Technician
monday october
11
2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Budget delays building maintenance Gardner Hall is in poor shape and the University lacks funds to renovate or repair it. Allison Saito Staff Writer
Over the past decade, the University’s campus has seen facility upgrades. The upgrades were funded by a bond program approved by voters in 2000. However, buildings are still in disrepair. The facilities are in line to be renovated or replaced, but lack of funding has put the projects on hold. Gardner Hall, which houses the entomology, plant pathology and plant biology departments, is one building that the University hopes to upgrade in the future. Until funds are found, these departments are limited by the old building. James Harper, professor emeritus in the department of entomology and former head of the department, expressed his concerns about the condition of Gardner Hall. “We are working in facilities that are antiquated and generally running into problems with utilities: air conditioning problems, heating and cooling problems, humidity problems,” Harper said. “They are real problems. They make it very difficult to conduct cutting edge research without spending a lot of extra resources to keep those types of facilities going that really ought to be devoted to the research itself.” The size and layout of the building are also concerns, Harper said.
“It was built … in the late fifties. Back then, we were not doing genomics research, genetic, molecular biology and that sort of thing that requires the kind of electrical needs and equipment needs that we have today,” Harper said. “The departments that are in here have had to expand out of this building, because we are totally overcrowded.” In consideration of the age and condition of the building, Harper gave his opinion about the condition of Gardner Hall. “I agree with some of my fellow faculty members in that it ought to be bulldozed,” Harper said. “The building is so old and has an infrastructure that does not lend itself to being renovated for a first class research building, and a lot of the work that is done in this building is research.” According to an Oct. 8 News & Observer report, UNC President Erskine Bowles announced Public Universities should focus on repairing their existing buildings before pushing for new ones. The report also showed the UNC System would need $2.1 billion this year from the state to adequately meet the system’s renovation needs. Clyde Sorenson, a professor of entomology, described issues with humidity that he faces while working in Gardner Hall. “I’ve got a dehumidifier running and an air conditioner running at the same time, trying to keep the humidity down in this office so stuff doesn’t mold,” Sorenson said. “It hasn’t compromised my ability to teach, but it is kind of aggravating to deal with the humidity issues.”
alexander nitt/Technician
Students passing through the breezeway of Gardner Hall see cracked concrete and exposed rebar. Juan Regalado, a freshman in civil engineering, walks with Rafael Sutil, a freshman in aerospace engineering, on Tuesday. Sutil said he thinks this is because more emphasis is put on engineering majors rather than other majors.
Bob Blinn, collection manager of the insect collection, described the space restrictions in Gardner Hall. “Our biggest problem here is space. We out grew this space twenty years ago. We’ve gotten more room for the collection, over the years, as it became available in the building. It is getting to where there is not more room for anything in the building,” Blinn said. Blinn also commented on the dif-
Cyber bullying sparks campus awareness Five teenagers have died in the past three weeks after intense bullying. Elise Heglar Staff Writer
There can also be potentially serious consequences for cyber bullying, especially if it results in the victims harming themselves in any way. The two people being charged of filming Clementi are currently being charged with invasion of privacy, and the prosecution is looking for more charges as the trial comes to court. Many people in the entertainment industry are speaking out about the issue of teens being bullied over their sexual orientation. Celebrities like Ellen, Chris Colfer and Kathy Griffin have all made videos and released them in hopes of educating teens about ways to cope that do not involve suicide. “It’s really great the way so many people are trying to raise awareness right now,” Luck said.
After three weeks of highly publicized stories about gay teens that committed suicide after being bullied by their peers, the University’s GLBTCommunity Alliance is reaching out to increase campus awareness. “It’s heartbreaking. Being gay and going through all of these things is hard. You’re always the hardest on yourself,” Christopher Aaron Luck, a sophomore in political science and member of the GLBT-CA, said. The GLBT-CA is T h e G L B T- C A a student-run orga- Christopher Luck, sophomore in political science holds regular meetnization all about ings and events for teaching acceptance. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender students. Recently the organization and straight students are welcome to threw a Lady Gaga-themed be themselves in this organization. party before her show at the The GLBT-CA wants to educate peo- local RBC Center. Events are ple about tolerance and acceptance meant to be a safe place for all students to have fun. for all. “We have a strong partner“State is a very welcoming environment. Ninety-nine percent of the peo- ship with Campus Police to ple I encounter are very open. Raleigh prevent incidents. All of is a very open-minded city,” Luck said. our events have Campus One of the biggest factors in the re- Police in attendance; we cent bullying incidences was people want all of the events to be a safe place for everyone.” on the Internet. One of the most popular incidenc- Luck said. The University has a counes involved Tyler Clementi, a former student at Rutgers University, who seling center available for people jumped off the George Washington who are struggling. The GLBT-CA Bridge after his roommate allegedly is also open to any students who may posted a video of him having sex with be interested in joining. “They’re going to have a really wonanother man.
“It’s heartbreaking Being gay and going through all of these things is hard.”
Counseling center services: • • • • • • •
Personal Counseling Academic Counseling Career Counseling Group Counseling Urgent Care Online Screening Consultation Source: university counseling center
glbt center services • • • • • • • • • •
GLBT-CommUnity Alliance Delta Lambda Phi Project SAFE Transgender 101 Everyone Welcome Here Series Mentor Program Speakers Bureau Coffee Talk Alumni Constituency Group Faculty/Staff Group Source: GLBT center
derful life. They just need to find a support system that works for them,” Luck said.
MONDAY LAST CHANCE! TUESDAY WEDNESDAY NC State Bookstores from 12pm to 6pm
ficulty of controlling humidity in the building. High humidity could potentially harm the collection. “You want to keep a low humidity, which in the South can be difficult. Sometimes they break, but do you go without air conditioning? No, not really,” Blinn said. “The guys that work on the building are great. They do all that they can do, but it is an old building.”
Kevin MacNaughton, associate vice chancellor for facilities, explained the University’s plans for Gardner Hall. “What we will do is build a new plant science building, and that will probably be on Centennial Campus; that is what we currently have on our capital plan, and then we will renovate Gardner Hall as an office or classroom
bUILDING continued page 3
‘Piggyback’ courses optimize University’s financial resources Unique courses are offered by the University with participation of both undergraduate and graduate students. Pranay Deshpande Staff Writer
Despite budget cuts, “piggyback” courses are not becoming more prevalent at the University, according to officials. John Ambrose, interim dean of undergraduate admissions, explained the courses merge undergraduates and graduate students. “A piggyback course combines a 400-senior-level course with a 500-level course,” Ambrose said. The course relies on the fact that seniors and first year graduate students have almost equal level of expertise and can be successfully combined in one class, Ambrose said. Though the course combines both graduate students and undergrads, according to Ambrose, the course load for graduate students is slightly more than course load for undergrads. “The course load for graduate stu-
dent is 20 percent higher, it could be in the form of an extra assignment or submission paper,” Ambrose said. According to Ambrose, the courses are considered a possibility only when enrollment for an undergraduate course and a graduate course are both very low. According to Ambrose, the prime reason for the existence of such courses is because of budget constraints. “They exist due to budget constraints, but this is a good way to optimize resources as well, it could free up physical resources like classrooms but there has been no increase in the number of such courses,” Ambrose said. Ambrose said he feels this is a great chance for both groups to interact outside their social circles. “They all learn something from one another, graduate students can take up mentoring though it’s not compulsory requirement of such a course,” Ambrose said. According to Ambrose, there are around dozen such courses at the university, most being offered by College
Piggyback continued page 3
insidetechnician O’Brien’s first win over BC never in doubt
Touchdowns on offense, defense, and special teams highlight dominance victory over Golden Eagles. See page 8.
Student collaboration gives ‘The Brick’ new look See page 6.
viewpoint campus & capital classifieds sports
4 5 7 8
le Fall Clearance Sa Going on NOW!