TECHNICIAN
wednesday october
30 2013
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Hofmann sold for $150 million ENDOWMENT FUND AGREES TO SELL FOREST TO HOFMANN FOREST LLC
Sam DeGrave Editor-in-Chief
Last spring, College of Natural Resources Dean Mary Watzin announced the Natural Resources Foundation had found a prospective buyer for the Hofmann Forest. Almost exactly seven months later the same buyer Watzin alluded to in April signed an agreement to purchase the forest for $150 million.
The board of trustees of the University’s Endowment Fund announced Wednesday that Jerry Walker, manager of the newly formed Hofmann Forest LLC, has agreed to buy the forest. Walker, who is also currently the manager of Walker Ag Group, a farming operation based in Danville, Ill., signed the contract with the Endowment Fund on Friday. The proceeds of the sale, about $33 million, will be
added to the University’s endowment in addition to the $117 million estimated value of the forest, which is already a part of the Endowment Fund. Watzin said that all additional money generated by the sale, an estimated $6 million per year, will go to the CNR. However, Watzin said that in addition to money, one important part of the sale was ensuring that Hofmann
Forest LLC will “continue to support the legacy of Doc Hofmann.” “This is a sale that protects the land going forward,” Watzin said. Walker echoed this sentiment in a press release. “Hofmann Forest is a wonderful property with a long and storied connection to the communities of Eastern North Carolina, and we are committed to preserving that legacy going forward,”
Walker said. However, despite Watzin and Walker’s reassuring words, relatively little is known about Hofmann Forest LLC or the company’s intentions for the land.
HOW THE LAND WILL BE USED The contract restricts the company from developing the land, however it doesn’t address specif ically how Walker will use the 79,000 acres—a fact Watzin also
made clear. “His plans for the acreage in the future are not something we’ve gone into in detail,” Watzin said. Watzin said the company may sell easements to the Department of Defense, allowing military helicopters to train over land, and that it may use the land for agricultural purposes, but students will be able to continue to use
HOFMANN continued page 2
Educators dismiss think tank’s attempt to reform gen-ed courses Jake Moser News Editor
JOHN JOYNER/TECHNICIAN
The midway at the N.C. State Fair is filled with multiple rides and games, but many disabled fairgoers couldn’t access them.
Fair proves difficult to navigate for disabled people Holden Broyhill Staff Writer
Every year, The State Fair brings fatty food and thrills to West Raleigh, but despite its all-inclusive title it isn’t an event suited for all North Carolinians. Some disabled citizens simply can’t access the annual event in the way most can. Katharine Paulhamus, a healthcare services coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Jonathan Greeson, a N.C. State alumnus with spinal muscular dystrophy who started
a wheelchair hockey league, provided some insight into the challenges disabled citizens face at the fair. “Any time there is a public event, the fire marshal has to be a part of setting up the code and inspecting how an event is laid out,” Paulhamus said. According to Paulhamus, there are certain standards and regulations the state must adhere to for a public event to make it handicapped accessible, however the fair is different. “For a public event like this it is more challenging because it is a temporary
event in a very large outdoor space,” Paulhamus said. Paulhamus said the main things that need to be done for an event is for the fire marshal to measure the walkways to ensure that they are wide enough to accommodate the various forms of durable medical equipment used by disabled citizens. “They also take into account the population that is being expected to attend the event.” Paulhamus said. “An event that
FAIR continued page 3
NCSU athlete-graduation rates score above average 94%
86%
82%
UNC-CH
81%
77%
East Carolina
98%
Wake Forest
The Graduation Success Rate for student athletes at N.C. State surpassed the national average for Division I schools in 2012, according to a report released by the NCAA on Thursday. At 82 percent, N.C. State’s GSR is 1 percent above the national average and increased by 5 percent from the 2011 assessment. “It starts at day one,” said Lisa Zapata, interim director of Academic Support and vice provost of Student Development, Health and Wellness. According to Zapata, the entire Academic Support organization is committed to creating academic success. Katie Sheridan, associate director of Academic Support, said that strict enforcement of an attendance policy has aided in the academic success of student athletes. According to Sheridan, if an athlete is absent from class, he or she may be penalized by not being allowed to participate in his or her next sporting event. Though the University
Graduation success rates for student athletes
N.C. State
Staff Writer
Duke
Jacob Fulk
National average
Educators are criticizing a conservative think tank’s report that called general education courses a pervasive national problem. The John W. Pope Center for Higher Education released a report last week criticizing the general education curriculum at UNC-Chapel Hill. The report suggests reducing the number of general education courses from 4,000 to 700 and cutting the amount of required foreign language credits. Educators have criticized the report for ignoring global ideals and, instead, exclusively promoting western classical thought. According to Jenna Ashley Robinson, one of the report’s authors, certain classes at UNC-CH, such as “History of Hip-Hop Culture,” “First Year Seminar in Kung Fu” and “The Concept of Heroism in Chinese Culture” don’t belong in the general education curriculum. “The point of general education is to build a foundation, so when [students] choose a major they will have building blocks to put information into context,” Robinson said. “[The aforementioned classes] are very isolated. You might learn interesting things, but you won’t have a cohesive foundation for the future.” Robinson said the lack of breadth in general education courses is a national problem,
NEWS RPD, ALE to crack down on Halloween weekend See page 2.
the differential between the FGR and the student body graduation rate. Sheridan said that because N.C. State’s FGR is only 9 percent different than the overall graduation rate, student athletes are indicative of the student body. “The issues that impact the student body are the same issues that impact student athletes,” Sheridan said. The GSR excludes students that withdraw from the University, according to Sheridan. “Students who choose to
pursue careers as professional athletes and students who transfer to other schools are not calculated into the Graduation Success Rate,” Sheridan said. “The GSR truly evaluates students that stay on campus.” For students who chose to pursue a professional athletic career, the University offers the Reconnect Program, which allows former student athletes to complete their degree in exchange for volunteer and community service hours.
POPE continued page 2
insidetechnician
SOURCE: NCAA BASED ON GRADUATION RATES 2003-2006
surpassed the national average for GSR, the University didn’t surpass the Federal Graduation Rate, which is 65 percent. The University fell 2 percent below the FGR rate to 63 percent. The FGR is the only available rate comparable to the overall student body graduation rate, according to Zapata. The University’s overall student body graduation rate is 72 percent. According to Sheridan, though the University’s FGR is lower than the national average, what is important is
and the Pope Center chose to analyze UNC-CH as a case study due to its wide range of liberal arts options. Robinson defended her claim that broad literature and philosophy classes are more practical for students long term than courses such as “The Jewish Experience in the American South.” According to Robinson, philosophy is essential for future learning because it teaches students reasoning skills and how to spot fallacies. Literature is important because it helps people “come to an understanding of the culture around us.” “We want to promote excellence and draw attention to problems that affect student learning,” Robinson said. “We want to focus on areas that could be seen as problematic.” This isn’t the first time the Pope Center has criticized liberal arts, according to David Zonderman, a professor of history and Senate faculty president at N.C. State, who said the think-tank’s suggestions have been consistent throughout the years. “This report frankly didn’t surprise me all that much,” Zonderman said. “The core criticism isn’t new.” Zonderman said the report didn’t suggest taking only practical courses, but rather that general education should only include a small amount of courses based on classical western ideals.
BIENVENIDOS Noticias con acento, el puente entre las dos See page 5.
SPORTS Kissell contines success in final year with the Wolfpack See page 8.