Feb. 12, 2015

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Raleigh, North Carolina

thursday, feb. 12, 2015

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Tragic shooting claims 3 lives NC State student, 2 alumni dead; police hold suspect without bail Katherine Kehoe and Inez Nicholson News Editor and Assistant News Editor

One NC State student and two alumni were fatally shot in Chapel Hill Tuesday night in a small neighborhood near Meadowmont, less than 3 miles east of the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

According to Chapel Hill Police, the victims were Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, a first-year environmental architecture student at NC State; her sister Yusor Mohammad, 21, a December 2014 graduate; and Yusor’s husband, Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, who was a May 2013 NC State graduate and second-year student at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. Yusor was set to attend the School of Dentistry in August.

Police have charged Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, of 270 Summerwalk Circle, with three counts of first-degree murder.

Hicks, who was a neighbor of the couple, is currently being held at the Durham County Jail without bond after Chief District Court Judge Marcia Morey denied him bail Wednesday morning and set a probable cause hearing for March 4.

A preliminary investigation by the Chapel Hill Police indicated the crime was motivated by an ongoing parking dispute between the neighbors. A Wednesday release from the department said Hicks is cooperating with

Yusor Deah Razan Mohammad Mohammad Shaddy Abu-Salha Barakat investigators and that more information was forthcoming.

Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue said “Our investigators are exploring what could have motivated Mr. Hicks to commit such a senseless and tragic act. We understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated and we will exhaust every lead to determine if this is the case.”

During a press conference in Durham, Blue said that though it “is not very satisfying” that the department wouldn’t answer questions Wednesday he did not want to jeopardize “what is shaping up to be a very strong investigation.”

At a Wednesday afternoon press conference at the Swift Creek Community Center in Cary, Deah Barakat’s eldest sister Suzanne Barakat called for authorities to investigate the murders as hate crimes.

Barakat’s father Namee Barakat said that

SHOOTING continued page 4

RYAN PARRY/TECHNICIAN

Surrounded by family, Suzanne Barakat leads a press conference on the killings of her brother Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad and Razan Mohummed Abu-Salha Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. The press conference was held at the Swift Creek Community Center in Cary, NC.

Victims’ families call shooting hate crime, ask state for justice Katherine Kehoe and Megan Ellisor News Editor and Copy Desk Manager

Family members, friends and members of the Islamic community are asking authorities to investigate the Tuesday night killing of three Muslim students as a hate crime.

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, shot his neighbors, Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, and his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21, and Yu-

sor’s sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, in Chapel Hill on Tuesday night. Hicks is being held at the Durham County Jail without bail on three counts of first-degree murder.

Deah graduated from NC State in 2013 and was a second-year student attending UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Dentistry. Yusor graduated from NC State in December 2014 with plans to join her husband at dental

JUSTICE continued page 4

PAGE 2 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015

News

TECHNICIAN

Remembering Our Three Winners Katherine Kehoe News Editor

Ravi Chittilla Editor-in-Chief

The families and friends of three slain students spent Wednesday grieving the loss and recounting the profound impacts each of the students had on their communities.

The three victims — Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, a 19-year-old first-year environmental architecture student at NC State; her sister Yusor Mohammad, a 21-year-old December 2014 graduate; and Yusor’s husband, Deah Shaddy Barakat, a 23-year-old May 2013 NC State graduate and second-year student at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry — died Tuesday after a shooting in Chapel Hill.

“We lost three gems,” said Ali Sajjad Jaffry, president of the NC State Muslim Students’ Association and a close friend of the victims.

“These people really never can be replaced.”

Suzanne Barakat, Deah’s sister, emotionally remembered the lives of her brother and sisters-in-law at a press conference Wednesday, reflecting on the spirituality, kindness and loving dedication the three continuously shared with their community.

“They were gems of their communities and left a lasting impression on the people around them,” Suzanne Barakat said. “They inspired us. They served as role models for the youth.”

Deah, well known for his lightheartedness and dedication to community service, loved basketball and anything with curry, said his sister.

Though he had not yet finished dental school, Deah was already using his knowledge to help others. In preparation for a service trip this summer, Deah and some of his fellow dental school students had been collecting toothbrushes, dental supplies and funding for the past several months to help Syrian refugee children in Turkey who have urgent dental care needs in addition to being displaced by war.

In a YouTube video he posted in September, Deah requested help with his endeavor saying, “Have you ever felt helpless about the situation in Syria and felt like you couldn’t do anything about it? Well this is your opportunity to help. This summer I’m embarking on a trip to Turkey with 10 dentists to help Syrian refugee students in need of urgent dental care.

We’ll be doing extractions, fillings, root canals and oral hygiene instruction to those most in need. We’ll also focus on prevention. We’ll be passing out toothbrushes and toothpaste within refugee camps so that we can eliminate the problem before it begins.”

The Project: Refugee Smiles funding page at www.youcaring.com/syriandentalrelief

says the efforts are a collaboration of the UNC School of Dentistry as well as the Syrian American Medical Society. As of Wednesday night, the project had exceeded its $20,000 goal, raising more than $142,000.

“These kids don’t have the access to the same health care as us, and their prolonged pain can easily be taken care of with the work that we do, but we need the proper funding,” Deah said in the video.

Deah’s father, Namee Barakat, spoke at a press conference Wednesday and described his son as “as pure as you can get.”

“He never had any arguments with anybody, period. Everybody loved him in the community and outside the community. The same thing for Yusor and her sister. Beautiful people, very peaceful, you just can’t ask for anybody more pure,” Namee Barakat said.

The father said his son frequently gave himself to others, even enlisting his family to cook a homemade meal for his classmates.

Deah’s mother Leila Barakat spent most of Tuesday cooking so the family could deliver lunch on Wednesday, before she received the tragic news.

One of Deah’s closest friends, Boubekeur Dahmane, said his favorite verse of the Quran was chapter 94, verse six: “Surely with hardship comes ease.”

Fatima Hedadji, the Outreach Coordinator for the Muslim Students’ Association, said the three students were tremendously impactful, spending much of their free time volunteering and actively participating in their faith.

“They literally spent their lives dedicated to the community,” Hedadji said.

Yusor planned to join Deah at UNC Dental in the fall and was described by her sisterin-law as having calming presence, perfectly matching Deah’s gentle demeanor.

The pair married on Dec. 27 surrounded by family and honeymooned in Mexico for a week, according to several family friends.

Although they had known each other since they met in elementary school at the Al-Iman School on Ligon Street, down the street from NC State, the two became engaged after spending time together as members of the NC State Muslim Students’ Association’s executive board two years ago, according to Jaffry.

“She and Deah found in one another a kindred spirit,” Suzanne Barakat said of Yusor.

An “overf lowing ocean of advice,” Yusor was capable of effortlessly putting those around her at ease, according to Maliha Talib, a junior studying biochemistry and microbiology and a close friend of Yusor.

“She listened to my worries about medical school,” Talib said in an email. “When she entered a room, all eyes were on her and her words brought comfort and inner peace to all when she spoke.”

“They were gems of their communities and left a lasting impression on the people around them.

They inspired us.

They served as role models for the youth.”

Suzanne Barakat, Deah’s sister

Talib described a time that demonstrated some of Yusor’s most memorable and admirable qualities.

“I distinctly remember on one occasion reaching out to her after a tough day at school and her urging me to make it through these next few semesters at school with courage. She called me her sister—she treated me like her sister. She told me how important it was that I was in her life and how important it was for us to love life.”

Yusor’s ability to make her friends feel like family stood out among many people who were close to her.

Mussarut Jabeen, the principal of the primary school all three students attended, described Yusor as being not “just a friend, but more of a sister.”

“You could always count on her,” Jabeen said. “She was exactly the kind of person you would want to sit with because she was the light of the conversation. I don’t think she deserved to die in that kind of way, but I know she was a good Muslim. She was a role model not just for the younger kids but a role model for all of us. She was passionate about what she did and she inspired a lot of us to keep going and achieve what we all want as individuals.”

Razan, at only 19, was “tremendously gifted,” according to Suzanne Barakat, who described her as “incredibly creative, giving, generous and a loyal friend.”

Hedadji said of her close friend Razan that she never wasted a second of her life.

“That’s not a hindsight perspective,” Hedadji said Wednesday. “If you would have asked anyone 24 hours ago, before they died, the same question, they would have said the same thing.”

Many NC State students who were close to Razan were too grief- stricken to speak about her life and friendships Wednesday.

Chancellor Randy Woodson released a statement offering his condolences.

“Understandably, this violence has left many in our NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill communities feeling both saddened and uneasy,” the statement said. “I and other NC State officials have reached out to our students, particularly our Muslim students, and will continue offering support to them and the entire NC State community.”

Deah’s family expressed appreciation for the community’s support and asked for people to respect their privacy during this painful time.

“We appreciate your concerns and the outpouring of love and support from our neighbors, student community and the community at large,” Suzanne Barakat said.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 • PAGE 3

NICK FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN

NICK FAULKNER/TECHNICIAN

One current NC State student and two alumni, Deah, Yusor and Razan were shot and killed in Chapel Hill Tuesday. During the vigil held in the Pit at UNC-Chapel Hill, incoming dental school students who would have been classmates began making a tribute by dripping candle wax.

The tribute grew as many students continued to surround the names with candles and flowers.

COURTESY OF LUIS ZAPATA/TECHNICIAN

Members of the Muslim Student Association stand together in support and listen to friends and family speak to the crowd during the candlelight vigil Wednesday night.

Speakers included, UNC and NC State’s chancellors, the mayor of Chapel Hill and members of the MSA.

Thousands mourn at candlelight vigil Jess Thomas and Ian Grice Staff Writers

The silence that echoed over the Pit at UNC-Chapel Hill Wednesday was overwhelming, as students from around the state gathered to mourn the loss of the three victims who were killed Tuesday.

Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, Yusor Mohammad, 21, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were found dead on Tuesday evening.

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, who was their neighbor in the complex, was charged with three counts of firstdegree murder in Chatham County where he surrendered willingly to the authorities.

Authorities are still in the process of investigating the murders and have yet to rule out the possibility of the shooting being a hate crime.

Nearly 5,000 people gathered Wednesday night at the Pit to participate in the candlelight vigil service held to pay respects to the three students.

The vigil drew attention from campuses from across North Car-

olina, with students from UNCChapel Hill, NC State, Duke and NC Central attending the vigil.

UNC-CH’s Chancellor Carol Folt said both NC State’s and UNC-CH’s students are unified in their sorrow of the victims.

“We’re all here because we know that our communities are actually one big community,” Folt said.

“When we think of our Muslim students just as we think of other students across our campuses, we know to bond together, we actually have to grow and we have to be part of a larger whole.”

NC State’s Chancellor Randy Woodson said in order to fully respect the victims, the public has to remember them for what they were, but more importantly what they wanted to be and what they could have been.

“We feel a sense of unease, a lack of safety,” Woodson said. “It’s our responsibility and our collective responsibility as a community to ensure that we are a kind of inclusive and welcoming environment that we would expect our campuses to be and in fact what they are for the

country.”

All three of the victims attended NC State. Deah graduated with a degree in business administration in 2013 and was a second-year student at the UNC School of Dentistry.

Yusor graduated with a degree in human biology in December 2014.

She was planning to attend UNC’s School of Dentistry in August.

Deah and Yusor were married on Dec. 27 and were living together in their condominium complex located in Chapel Hill.

Razan was a first-year design student studying architecture and had started classes last fall.

Walid Nazari, an NC State alumnus, said the public outpouring that came from this event affects all people involved, regardless of race or religion.

“You see how many lives are touched just by one person. It doesn’t matter what their race is,” Nazari said.

Nazari also said that both Deah and Yusor were benevolent people who affected many lives through their charity work.

“Deah did all these things for

Syria while they’re going through crisis, even though he has work and school,” Nazari said. “Yusor was right behind him in everything he did, even going to Turkey together last summer to help the children in Kilis.”

Abdullah Dorgham, also an NC State alumnus, said the outcry on various media networks around the world was encouraging.

“Seeing people from all over North Carolina and all over the world coming in, to stand here and share moments of joy and sorrow really hits home,” Dorgham said. “I want them to know their presence here has left a huge impact on the entire community, family, friends and all those that loved the victims, and we appreciate them so much for being here.”

Payal Patel, a student at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, said the discrimination people faced of different religions needs to be discarded.

“We need to show that no matter what religion you are whether it’s Muslim, Christian or Judaism, it doesn’t matter because everyone’s

equal and all lives matter, Muslim lives, white lives, black lives,” Patel said.

Deah was in the process of raising money for Project: Refugee Smiles, which was targeted toward helping Syrian Refugee Students in Turkey.

Due to tremendous support, the fundraiser has raised more than $170,000.

Omid Safi, director of Duke Islamic Studies, said the final message that the community has to take away from this tragedy is one of love and not hatred.

“I hope we leave here with the faith that at the end of the day knowledge is more luminescent that ignorance, that justice is more beautiful than tyranny and that the most important lesson of all that love is more divine than hate,” Safi said.

The NC State Muslim Students’ Association will be hosting a vigil tonight at 6 p.m. on the Brickyard.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 • PAGE 4

Counseling Center responds to tragedy Ian Grice and Rachel Smith Staff Writers

The university Counseling Center is taking extra measures to lend support to students in response to this week’s shooting of three members of the NC State community in Chapel Hill.

Wednesday morning, representatives from the Counseling Center

visited each of the classes in which Razan Abu-Salha, one of the victims of the shootings, was previously enrolled in prior to her death to offer support to students. During these visits, representatives provided on-site counseling as well as information regarding the Counseling Center hours and hotline numbers.

Representatives are working to set up individual counseling sessions

with students, as well as providing drop-in sessions at the center.

There will be no drop-in session at Talley Student Union on Thursday, according to Justin Hammond, academic and student affairs vice chancellor and dean office director of marketing and communications.

“One of the things we found was that students felt more comfortable in a less public space,” Hammond

said.

In addition to these services, the Office for Institutional Equity and Division , the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, Multicultural Student Affairs, the Department of Student Leadership and Engagement and Chaplin’s Cooperative Ministry are also providing counseling services to students in need.

Students will also have access to

after-hour counseling services. After 5 p.m., students can reach the Emergency Counselor through the University Police non-emergency hotline at 919-515-3000.

The Counseling Center is located on the second floor of the Student Health Center and is available at 919-515-2563 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

An international reaction to a story close to home Taylor Quinn Associate Features Editor

Inez Nicholson Assistant News Editor

Rachel Smith Staff Writer

It didn’t take long for the news of the students killed in the Chapel Hill shooting Tuesday night to spread beyond the Triangle. The story has been picked up by news agencies across the country, including The L.A. Times, New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

But the news has traveled even farther, and it has done so in more forms than print media alone.

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dental school in August. Razan had just begun her second semester at NC State studying environmental architecture.

At a press conference held by the Barakat family Wednesday afternoon, Suzanne Barakat, Deah’s older sister, asked authorities to “investigate these senseless and heinous murders as a hate crime.”

In a press release, Chapel Hill police indicated that the triple homicide may have been motivated by an ongoing parking dispute between the neighbors, but investigators will look into the possibility of it being a hate crime.

Dr. Mohammad Abu-Salha, Yusor and Razan’s father, told The News & Observer that he disagrees with the notion that an argument about parking motivated the killings.

“It was execution style, a bullet in every head,” said Abu-Salha in an interview with The News & Observer.

“This was not a dispute over a parking space; this was a hate crime. This man had picked on my daughter and her husband a couple of times before, and he talked with them with his gun in his belt. And they were uncomfortable with him, but they did not know he would go this far.”

Deah’s father, Namee Barakat, expressed similar sentiments.

“It’s unbelievable, the thing about parking,” Barakat said.

“Even if it was about parking, to have him come in here and shoot three different in-

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Publications in Russia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Morocco, India, Australia and Israel are covering the tragedy, which has also captured the attention of social media users around the world.

The hashtags #muslimlivesmatter, #chapelhillshooting and #ourthreewinners have taken over various social-media platforms, linking the voices of the international community.

“I believe that social media can tell a story from the human perspective, something which traditional news has a hard time doing,” said Hamid Ali in a Facebook message, a friend of Deah Barakat, one of the three students killed Tuesday evening.

The Facebook page “Our Three

nocent people in the head, I don’t know what kind of person that is. I don’t know if it’s about parking, this is, as we all know it is about more than that, unfortunately.”

Congress defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.”

A hate crime is not a distinctly federal offense, according to the FBI, but the federal government can investigate and prosecute crimes of bias as civil rights violations. The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 increased penalties for hate crime offenses.

Hate crimes against Muslims are five times more common now than they were before the 9/11 attacks, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports program. Prior to 9/11, about 20-30 antiMuslim hate crimes took place each year. In 2001, that number skyrocketed to nearly 500.

In the years following, about 100-150 anti-Muslim hate crimes have been recorded annually.

“A culture of impunity toward hate crimes against Muslims may develop in the wake of extremist attacks,” said Anna Bigelow, an associate professor of Islamic studies in the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at NC State. “Historically, such events have been followed by an increase in hate crimes against Muslims and people perceived as Muslim. This puts fault on the entire culture when that fault should be put

Winners,” originally created by the friends and family members of the victims, is now functioning as an international forum for people to offer their condolences and commemorate Deah, Yusor and Razan.

The page had more than 89,000 followers at press time, and that number is still growing.

“This page is intended to facilitate communication and will hopefully carry on their legacy of service, great character and joy for life,” said the Facebook page’s creator.

Some Facebook users are also changing their profile pictures to an image depicting the silhouettes of Deah, Yusor and Razan.

Ying-Ao Zhang, a friend of Deah Barakat’s and graduate student at

Georgetown, is among those who changed their pictures.

“The monochromatic depiction of Deah, Yusor, and Razan shows the immense tragedy of the loss of not three Muslim students, but three human lives,” Zhang said in a Facebook message.

Zhang added that he plans to keep the image up as long as possible to remind people—and to remind himself—to carry on the love and the legacy of his friend.

Zhang is not alone. Hundreds of Facebook users have changed their profile pictures, including Usman Abbasi, a junior studying business administration.

“This tragedy affected everyone world wide,” Abbasi said in a Face-

book message. “I changed my profile picture as a reminder to myself to never take life for granted.”

Among those affected by the tragedy are the members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, which will be holding a vigil tonight in Washington D.C. “What we can focus on now is the fact that an act of senseless violence has brought an abrupt end to three innocent students who wanted nothing but to see and work towards positive change in this world,” Abbasi said.

RYAN PARRY/TECHNICIAN

Namee Barakat hugs a family member before holding a press conference on the killings of Deah Barakat, Yusor Mohammad and Razan Mohamma Abu-Salha Wednesday. The press conference was held at the Swift Creek Community Center in Cary, North Carolina.

on individuals who commit crimes.”

Fatima Hedadji, outreach coordinator for NC State’s Muslim Students’ Association, said the media has been unfair in reporting about crimes against Muslims.

“This is an issue we’ve allowed to just be silent,” said Hedadji, a junior studying communication. “[The media] step away from the individual who did it and instead blamed things like mental illness or a parking conflict instead of what it really was.

And if this was reversed, there is so much proof in the world to say that if this was three non-Muslims and one Muslim who killed them, this would

by a parking dispute is “unbelievable.”

“Even if it was about parking, to have him come in here and shoot three different innocent people in the head, I don’t know what kind of person that is. I don’t know if it’s

be another attack on Islam and Muslim, and it would be another declaration on terrorism.”

According to The Daily Tar Heel, during a press conference held outside the Maitland Law Firm office in Chapel Hill, Craig Hicks’ wife, Karen, said she did not believe the crime was religiously motivated.

“While I am unable to comment fully on the matter, I can say it is my absolute belief that this incident had nothing to do with religion or the victims’ faith, but was in fact related to the long-standing parking dispute my husband had with the neighbors,” Karen Hicks said. “Our neighbors

about parking. This is, as we all know it is about more than that unfortunately,” Namee Barakat said.

Durham District Attorney Roger A. Echols, who attended the bond hearing, told reporters it is too early to confirm a

are various religions, races and creeds.”

Others are also hesitant to label the homicides as a hate crime until further investigation.

“At this point, investigation is ongoing, and I hope anybody and everybody will trust the system and refrain from any statement or action to jump into any kind of conclusion,” said Imam Abdullah Antepli, chief representative of Muslim affairs at Duke University.

“This may or may not be a hate crime, personally speaking, because there is evidence in either direction at this point, but saying either this way or that way will be only

motive. He said there is not yet a decision on whether the state will seek the death penalty.

In North Carolina, the sentencing options for someone convicted of first degree murder are either life in prison without parole or death.

unhelpful and will increase the tension that already exists,” Antepli said.

Regardless of the motivations for the killings, Namee Barakat called for the death penalty at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

“Basically right now, the biggest thing is asking for justice. If justice is served, that’s really all what we’re asking for, and we will wait and see,” Namee said. When asked what will achieve justice, he said, “Obviously three people got killed, got shot in the head, I mean the death penalty will do that.”

Craig Stephen Hicks

Opinion

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 • PAGE 5

Following the path of Our Three Winners T

he killings of Deah, Yusor and Razan have forced us to mourn and question their loss.

Three Muslims shot dead over “disputed parking” has made little sense to mourners around the world. The world is right to be shocked, angry and sad, but their deaths are more than that — they are a call to action.

A once apathetic community, NC State now stands together in the wake of tragedy. But this unity will soon be gone.

Social systemic problems are historically pushed aside in favor of the

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intolerant stabut also a wave The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the members of Technician’s tus quo. Racof intolerance. editorial board and is the ism, religious Just as thouresponsibility of the editor-in-chief. intolerance, sa nds have homophobia and liked “Our Three sexism are all interconnected and was right.

Winners,” some have displayed blainstitutionalized. Deah, Yusor and We have failed to follow the same tant racism on social media. Many Razan’s killings are further evidence path as Deah, Yusor and Razan. will deny the underlying root of that this can no longer be ignored College students consistently lack Deah, Yusor and Razan’s killing nor accepted. the social awareness that leads to and avoid facing the reality of hate.

Nadine Shehadeh, a teacher at the positive social change. Our generaShehadeh said “Hate will fire on, Al-Iman, an Islamic primary school, tion has failed to answer to our role it will just create more problems.” said Deah, Yusor and Razan “were in this problem.

While the deaths are shocking, here to make a difference and we The killing of Deah, Yusor and atrocious and irreconcilable, they should follow that same path.” She Razan has brought shallow unity, should also be stirring, reflective, a

personal call to action.

Along with the lives of Deah, Yusor and Razan, we lost the luxury of not caring.

NC State students, be angry, afraid and mourn the taking of Deah, Yusor and Razan’s lives, but channel these emotions into action.

There is no excuse, no pardon, no reason to be unaware of your role in racial, religious or other intolerances. It is time we follow Deah, Yusor and Razan’s path to becoming leaders of social change.

Thinking about the Chapel Hill tragedy I

t may be hypocritic a l t o c om m e nc e any writing by declaring words to be insufficient.

But indeed, when it comes to articulating the emotions one feels regarding the injustice that has taken place in a lmost our own hearth, against members of our own family, Ishan Raval words truly Guest Columnist fail. I refer, of c ou r s e , to the murders on Tuesday evening in Chapel Hill of the recently married Deah Barakat and Yusor Abu-Sa l ha, a nd Abu-Salha’s sister, Razan Abu-Salha—the former two being recent NC State graduates and the latter, a sophomore in the College of Design. No matter what one attempts to say, there rema i ns t he sensat ion that one is not capturing the profound sorrow and indignation one feels; and, justifiably, feel is all one can initially do. On occasions of mourning, as we woke up to Wednesday, silence is the language that can unite us all.

However, as we pick up our lives again out of strands of grief and the callings of routine responsibility, we can move forward with the right articulations of our attitudes, with intelligent thoughts corresponding to noble emotion. Based on the general discourse, there are three that stand out pertaining to this tragedy.

First, we must refer to this incident as terrorism.

It is true that three lives were lost here, while 12, say, were lost in the case of the Charlie Hebdo shootings. But is it not terror if it cannot boast of two digits? Indeed, by the FBI’s own tripartite definition of the word—“involving acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law,” “appearing intended … to intimidate or coerce a civilian population,” and “occurring … primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.”—this was a terrorist attack. The first and third

Erin Holloway, senior studying English and anthropology

Letter from the editor: victims’ selfless lives serve as example R

egrettably, I never met Deah, his wife Yusor or her sister Razan.

However, as Wednesday unfolded I learned about each of their accomplishments, generosity and drive to give back to their community. That drive to help others was especially evident at the small Islamic school, Al-Iman, which they all attended as children, as I learned from the principal Sister Musarant Jabeen.

I learned about Deah’s devoted nature to his family, Ravi K. but also to those worse off Chittilla than him. Before his life was Editor-in-Chief cut short he was channeling his efforts into making a difference in the lives of children abroad, children who were driven out of the now war-torn country his parents once called home, Syria.

Yusor, who had recently been accepted to dental school, had a penchant for curiosity and, in an effort to explain the values of her community, created StoryCorps, which centered around Sister Jabeen and the place of the Al-Iman school in the Triangle Muslim community.

Razan was incredibly artistic and was interested in pursuing a career in environmental architecture, but also joined her siblings in working at some of North Carolina’s poorest health clinics. In high school, she even served as editor-in-chief of her school newspaper.

It soon became evident to me that the narrative of their lives was not unfamiliar.

Living in a country with a foreign-sounding name and different cultural heritage, I felt like their story was my story.

The story of families coming from other countries to work hard and build better lives — not just for themselves, but more importantly their children — is the story of my own family. The differences between us, such as our ethnicity or religion, don’t change that simple fact.

And as immigrants in this country, both the Abu-Salhas and Barakats worked very hard not only to support themselves, but to give back to their communities, and they passed these values on to their children.

But that’s the thing about their story. It’s not just that I identified with it because of the similar familial background, but because their history is the bedrock of the “American Story.” It’s the story of all Americans. That immigrants can come to this country, work hard, and while their own dreams might not always come true, the dreams of their children will.

The dreams of those families and the personal dreams of Deah, Yusor and Razon were viciously, senselessly and tragically shattered Tuesday night. And although Deah, Yusor and Razan are no longer with us, it doesn’t mean their dreams cannot serve as examples for the rest of us to follow.

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components are obvious, but the second is also true: The victims’ religion was a nigh undeniable factor in their murders. Indeed, with three neat bullets to the head, the style of execution points to ideologically influenced slaughter, rather than mere dispute. The victims would not have been sought out if they were not Muslims. And I am not a Muslim, but I know that if I were, I would be intimidated. After all, despite being Muslim, I would still—contrary to what agents of such hostility may want to drill into us—be human.

Labeling this incident as terrorism would not only be factual, though. It would also have the advantage of altering the conceptualization of Muslim as terrorist, and terrorist as Muslim.

Such a perception was bred especially after 9/11 by the political establishment— with the aid of its puppets in the mainstream media and its unwitting lackeys in the Dawkins-and-Hitchens-inspired New Atheist movement—to justify the West’s latest wave of imperialist (politically) and neoliberal (economically) policies. This conception of “terrorist” does not include white people, who, when responsible for the killings of specific groupmembers, are frequently described as lone, mentally ill gunmen (without reference to their ethnicity), but rarely, if ever, as terrorists.

As a corollary, much of the enmit y toward Muslims around the world today is founded on the basis of this equivalence between Islam and terrorism. And so, a ltering the conception—however slightly we could—would have the effect of fostering a more accurate picture of the kinds of people that commit such acts of brutality, and thus, lessening the propagandadriven misperception, and consequent discrimination and persecution of Muslims.

Second, we st i l l must not say that all lives matter. Over social media on Wednesday, t he hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter rose to prominence, which is the apt message. But still, there

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were usages of the #AllLivesMatter hashtag response, even among those who had not used it last year, when it rose to prominence (opposing the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag) for its usage by those who denied the racial aspect to police violence around the U.S., particularly the Michael Brown and Eric Garner killings. But now, it may seem fitting— after all, if we must say that not only black lives matter, but also, apparently, Muslim lives, then, we have to admit it now, all lives matter.

But that is not how discourse needs to be framed right now. Promoting a vision of a level field where all lives matter equally ignores the fact that some lives are in far more need of being valued today than others.

An “AllLivesMatter” narrative—even if we must talk about a multitude of groups that matter—would be no different than a narrative that we must pay equal attention to the disadvantage and abuse faced by all genders—a false and dangerous narrative, because, simply, women face more disadvantage and abuse than men.

Third, and finally, deriving from the acknowledgement that the field is not level for all, we must not wed ourselves to an unconditiona l commitment to compassion and nonviolence. Of course, misplaced hatred and unjust violence, such as that of Tuesday evening, must always be denounced, and with tears, we manifest our humanity.

But this was not a freak incident of oppression, and there are ways of thinking and social structures that s y stemat ic a l ly generate such suffering around the world. If these are not acted against, such tragedies will continue. So, they should be acted against—with, perhaps, force and will that we would rather not adopt— so that one day, indeed, the field may be level for all. With properly directed rage, after all—the kind of rage, which, perhaps not intuitively, is motivated by the yet unattained possibility of indiscriminate love and ubiquitous welfare—we can act on our humanity.

Technician (USPS 455-050) is the official student newspaper of N.C. State University and is published every Monday through Friday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Copyright 2011 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.

PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015

Features

Notice NC STATE

The Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program Presents

David Schmidtz

David Schmidtz is Kendrick Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona and founding director of Arizona’s Philosophy of Freedom. He works in ethics, environmental philosophy, and rational choice. Editor-in-chief of Social Philosophy and Policy, he is the author of Rational Choice and Moral Agency, Elements of Justice, and Person, Polis, Planet; the coauthor of Social Welfare and Individual Responsibility; and coeditor of Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works. For more information, visit www.davidschmidtz.com.

Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Public Lecture:

Society is not a Race

Monday, February 16 3:00 P.M. Campus Cinema, Witherspoon Student Center University Scholars Program students: This lecture is a Scholars Forum event.

TECHNICIAN

NC STATE

Student of public Student Media Media meetings During the month of February, NC State Student Media will be interviewing students who have applied for the top leadership positions at the Technician, the Nubian Message, Agromeck, Windhover, WKNC and the Student Business Office for 2015-2016.

These interviews are open to the public, and we encourage anyone with an interest in our organizations to attend.

The students will be interviewed by members of Student Media’s Newspaper, Broadcast, Annual Publications and Business Office advisory boards, which include both students and industry professionals. There will be time set aside for questions and comments from the public before the advisory board members adjourn to executive session.

The advisory boards will consider each candidate and make a recommendation to the full Student Media Board of Directors, which will make the final decision as to next year’s leaders. That meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 in Room 356 of the Witherspoon Student Center. (Room 356 is located in the African-American Cultural Center.)

The following advisory board meetings are scheduled: • Business Office Advisory Board – Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6 p.m., Witherspoon 324 (Student Media Conference Room) – Student Business Manager candidate: Mark Tate, junior, business administration and international studies • Annual Publications Advisory Board – Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m., Witherspoon 324 (Student Media Conference Room) – Agromeck Editor candidate: Molly Donovan, sophomore, communication. (No application was submitted for the 2015-2016 Windhover Editor’s position by the Feb. 5 deadline.

If you are interested in the future of Windhover, please attend.)

• Newspapers Advisory Board – Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m., African-American Cultural Library and Gallery (second floor, Witherspoon Student Center) – Nubian Message Editor In Chief candidate: Christopher Hart-Williams, senior, political science; Technician Editor In Chief candidate Kaitlin Montgomery, junior, communication

Co-sponsors The Zeta of North Carolina Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies University Honors Program & University Scholars Program, Academic Programs and Services, Division of Academic & Student Affairs

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“Love of learning is the guide of life.”

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NC State will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Requests can be served more effectively if notice is provided at least 2 days before the event. Direct accommodation requests to Marquette Russell at 919.513.4078 (marquette_russell@ncsu.edu).

Come see us in Talley in front of Port City Java on Mondays and Wednesdays 1:00-3:00p.m. visit ncsu.edu/agromeck Follow “Agromeck” on Instagram Follow @Agromeck on Twitter Like “Agromeck” on Facebook

Sports

TECHNICIAN

SOFTBALL

VIRGINIA

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 • PAGE 7

continued from page 8

continued from page 8

so far this season, just over nine per game.

Junior outfielder Kirsti Merritt is a key member for the Gators as she currently leads the team with three home runs and nine RBIs. The Pack will also face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. Iowa has compiled a 3-2 record this season, with all five games being played in Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes have not played against a ranked opponent yet this season and will be hungry for a resume -building win against the Pack.

Iowa has struggled to put runs on the board this season, scoring only 20 runs in their five games. Pitching for the Hawkeyes has been average as well, as the team’s pitching staff has allowed 21 runs.

State will look to upset the Gators at least once this weekend and bolster its record non-conference before ACC play rolls around.

12 from the Cavs on the night.

Despite f lirting with a four-guard lineup against Wake Forest, Gottfried continued with Abu and sophomore forward Kyle Washington. The usual guard trio of Turner, sophomore Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber and redshirt junior Trevor Lacey manned the backcourt.

The two teams traded runs over the opening period, with the Wolfpack missing its first three shots before a three from Washington got the team back on track.

Neither team shot well during the first half, as voracious perimeter defense from both sides hurt efficiency. NC State shot just 31 percent from the field on 9-for-29 shooting, including 2-for-8 from beyond the arc. Virginia also struggled, going 9-of-27 from the field while making just one threepointer.

It was apparent that the Cavs missed junior guard Justin Anderson, the team’s sec-

ond-leading scorer. Anderson, a 48-percent shooter, was ruled out six-to-eight weeks with a fractured hand. Junior forward Evan Nolte replaced him in the starting lineup, but scored just three points on the evening.

State struggled to drive against Virginia’s interior defense but did find success with a small-ball lineup that drew the Cavs’ bigs away from the basket. Despite being the smaller side, the Pack matched the Cavs’ production in the paint; both teams scored 22.

At the intermission, State had a narrow 21-19 lead. Lacey and sophomore guard London Perrantes led all scorers with seven apiece on identical 3-for-6 shooting.

In the second half, the teams again traded baskets and played relentless defense. Neither team breached the 30-point mark until 9:55 left in the contest.

The Pack took a 33-31 lead, but the Cavaliers mounted a 7-0 run over 1:43 to take the lead, 38-33, with 5:42 left.

State responded, however, as freshman Caleb Martin made a pair of free throws before grabbing an offensive board and dishing to sophomore BeeJay Anya for the

Wildcats Saturday for the second game of the three-game weekend tournament. Davidson has moved from the SoCon to the Atlantic 10 for the 2015 season, and the team is expected to find success quickly in its new conference.

Davidson had its best season in school history last year, and despite the loss of coSoCon Player of the Year Forrest Brandy, the Wildcats should be competing at a high level again this season.

Starting on the mound on Valentine’s Day for NC State will be freshman pitcher Evan Mendoza, a hard throwing right-hander from Sarasota, Florida. Mendoza will crack the rotation early with a chance to earn

himself a spot for the rest of the season.

He boasts a fastball in the upper 80s and went 7-1 with a 0.72 ERA his senior year of high school.

Head coach Elliot Avent declined to offer a starting pitcher for Sunday’s matchup against Appalachian State, stating inclement weather could cause a game cancellation and that he did not want any added distractions for that player.

App State and NC State met three times in 2014, with the Wolfpack sweeping the season series. However, the Mountaineers boast two of the top players in the Sun Belt and are expected to be much improved in 2015.

Leading the Mountaineers will be short-

BASEBALL

continued from page 8

He was a freshman All-American selection and a second team All-Big East pick. Beermann is a masher who had 23 extra base hits in 2014.

Wilder will likely be opposed on the mound by either Max Almonte or Josh Harris, seniors with a ton of experience for ‘Nova. Almonte and Harris are both pro prospects that will be tough matchups for the inexperienced Wolfpack hitters.

The Wolfpack will welcome the Davidson

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slam with 5:08 left.

It was at that moment that the game took its turn. Martin was called for a f lagrantone technical foul and within moments, Virginia stretched its lead to five, forcing State was forced to play catch-up.

Gottfried stated after the game that he was not pleased with the call.

“I’ve watched the tape,” Gottfried said.

“I have great respect for the crew, but I disagree with the call.”

Down three with one minute left, State had a chance to go for the tie, but Martin hesitated on a corner three before pulling up and clanging the ball off the front of the rim.

Virginia redshirt junior guard Malcolm Brogdon made crucial free throws down the stretch, keeping the hard-pressing Pack at bay.

A three by Lacey gave State life, but the Alabama native’s luck ran out as his potentially game-tying layup rim out with seven seconds remaining, all but sealing the game for the Cavs.

stop Dillon Dobson, a tremendous athlete who has great power. Along with outfielder Jaylin Davis, App State has a strong core of hitters that can give the Wolfpack pitchers fits.

With Fincher and fellow senior Logan Ratledge potentially out of the lineup this weekend due to injury, it will be curious to see who will provide offense for the Wolfpack.

The first few weeks will be an interesting time for the young State squad. The coaching staff will look to see which young pieces fit in the everyday rotation. Fans should expect an up-and-down start as players get acclimated to new roles.

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Sudoku

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Level: 1

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3 4

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FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 12, 2015

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 2

Solution to Wednesday’s puzzle

© 2015 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

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2/12/15

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit

www.sudoku.org.uk © 2015 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

DOWNLOAD

ACROSS 1 Popular 6 Scale syllables 9 Drives away 14 Simple-living sect 15 Guitar attachment?

16 Pope John Paul II’s given name 17 Warm-water ray 18 Ziegfeld with follies 19 Donald Jr.’s mom 20 One of the deadly sins 21 What a flap may cover 22 Four-time Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series 23 Longtime Lehrer partner 26 __ spoon 29 Coniferous secretions 33 “The imperious __ breed monsters”: Shakespeare 34 New England food fish 36 Goes bad 38 Edible pockets 40 Sign before Virgo 41 Canadian bottle size 42 Computer text code 43 Sturdy tree 44 Bond’s car starter?

45 Pi-sigma link 46 “Life Is Good” rapper 48 Pig’s digs 50 Lacking a mate 51 Broadway songwriting team __ and Ebb 53 Starts from scratch 55 Urban centers, and what this puzzle’s circles represent 59 Start of a spell 61 Dome openings 62 Melville’s Billy 65 China neighbor 66 Fabric information spot 67 Ruse 68 1953 Caron film

2/12/15

By Jeffrey Wechsler

69 Helps with the dishes 70 Michaelmas mo.

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Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

31 Having second thoughts 32 Took steps 33 Bit of inspiration 35 Baha’i, e.g.: Abbr.

37 Ships 39 Strength 41 Cake section 47 Composer Schoenberg 49 Gets behind 52 “__ say!”: parental warning

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Sports

INSIDE

COUNTDOWN

• Page 5: Thinking about the Chapel Hill tragedy

• 1 day until Baseball vs. Villanova

TECHNICIAN

PAGE 8 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015

Victims honored at PNC Five Pack football players on All-ACC Academic Team

The ACC announced its All-ACC Academic team Wednesday with five NC State football players making the cut. Only four other schools in the conference put more players on the team. Fullback Tyler Purvis, offensive guard Joe Thuney and cornerback Jack Tocho have all made the list at least once before, while offensive lineman Tony Adams and wide receiver Bo Hines received the honor for the first time. To become eligible for selection, players were required to earn a 3.0 GPA during the fall semester, along with having maintained at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA for their athletic careers.

SOURCE: GOPACK.COM

State cheerleaders to perform at Nationals

The NC State cheerleaders will head to Daytona, Florida for the chance to compete for a National title for the fourth year in a row April 14. The team has taken second place the past two years, falling short against Louisville and Oklahoma State by only one hundredth of a point.

Upon arriving, the cheerleaders will spend the days leading up to the competition practicing for the competition the following weekend.

Joining them will be Mr. and Ms. Wuf who will compete for the title of best mascot.

University officials held a moment of silence prior to the NC State men’s basketball game Wednesday night to honor the lives of Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, all of whom were killed in a shooting Tuesday night in Chapel Hill.

The crowd of 19,500 at PNC Arena was given green ribbons to wear during the game, honoring the lives of the three victims.

“It puts everything into perspective,” said freshman forward Abdul-Malik Abu, a fellow member of the Muslim faith. “You just can’t take anything for granted.”

The event coordinators also recognized the deaths of Wolfpack broadcasting icon Don Shea and former UNC-Chapel Hill head coach Dean Smith, both of which occurred in the past week.

RYAN PARRY/TECHNICIAN

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BASEBALL

State begins season with weekend slate

SOURCE: GOPACK.COM

Christian Candeloro Staff Writer

NC State simply couldn’t make shots. Senior guard Ralston Turner, the team’s go-to spotup shooter, struggled from long range, going 0-for-6 in the contest. The Pack as a team went just 3-for-17 from beyond the arc over the full 40 minutes.

This poor shooting killed the team’s attempts to take advantage of a misfiring Virginia squad (22-1, 10-1 ACC), which the Pack held to just 37 percent from the field and 18 percent from three-point range.

“Our team as a whole played a good game,” freshman forward Abdul-Malik Abu said. “Everybody showed passion. Everybody showed effort. If a couple shots fall here and there, and I think we come out with that win.”

Additionally, Virginia averaged the second fewest turnovers at 8.5 per game heading into Wednesday’s contest, but the Wolfpack forced

The NC State baseball team opens up its season this weekend with a trio of non-conference opponents from mid-major conferences as a part of a round-robin tournament between the four teams.

The Wolfpack opens with Villanova Friday, then faces Davidson Saturday and finishes with Appalachian State Sunday.

State is coming off a disappointing 2014 campaign that saw the team start the season ranked fifth in the nation, finish with a 32-23 record and suffer a disappointing first round exit from the ACC Tournament.

Expectations have dampened for the 2015 season as many new faces will make appearances in the lineup.

At this point of the season last year, there were talks of a parade in Raleigh. This year, the team plans to approach the season one game at a time.

“We’re just gonna take everything one step by step it’ll be a lot easier,” senior centerfielder Jake Fincher said. “We’re just gonna go with the f low and give it everything we got.”

The Pack’s first opponent of 2015 will be Villanova, a cellar-dweller in the Big East.

The game will mark the second career start for sophomore right-hander Cory Wilder.

Wilder made nine appearances in 2014, giving up seven earned runs in only 9 1/3 innings of work.

The Wildcats’ lineup boasts a couple of big hitters in second baseman Todd Czinege and first baseman Max Beermann. Czinege was a unanimous preseason All-Big East selection and started all 50 games last year.

VIRGINIA continued page 7

BASEBALL continued page 7

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Every time we go out there, we play hard. It’s a celebration of life, using the gifts and talents that God gave me.”

RYAN PARRY/TECHNICIAN

Sophomore forward Kyle Washington dives for a rebound during the game against No. 2 Virginia Wednesday. Washington had seven points in the Wolfpack’s 51-47 loss to the Cavaliers at PNC Arena.

Pack drops close matchup against ACC leader Cavs Jake Lange Associate Sports Editor

Jordan Beck Associate Sports Editor

Abdul-Malik Abu freshman forward

ATHLETIC SCHEDULE Today WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AT GEORGIA TECH Atlanta, G.A., 7 p.m.

Friday TRACK & FIELD AT DON KIRBY OPEN & ELITE Albuquerque, N.M., All Day TRACK & FIELD AT SPIRE INVITATIONAL Cleveland, O.H., All Day BASEBALL VS. VILLANOVA Raleigh, N.C., 2 p.m.

SOFTBALL AT FLORIDA Gainesville, F.L., 6 p.m.

Saturday TRACK & FIELD AT DON KIRBY OPEN & ELITE Albuquerque, N.M., All Day TRACK & FIELD AT SPIRE INVITATIONAL Cleveland, O.H., All Day MEN’S TENNIS AT DRAKE UNIVERSITY Madison, Wis., 11:00 a.m.

SOFTBALL AT FLORIDA Gainesville, F.L., 1:30 p.m.

WRESTIING VS. PITTSBURGH Raleigh, N.C., 7:30 p.m.

With hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth hanging in the balance, the NC State men’s basketball team was unable to complete its comeback against the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers Wednesday night, falling by a score of 51-47.

The loss marks the Wolfpack’s (14-11, 5-7 ACC) fourth home loss of under five points during the season.

“I’m extremely proud of my team,” head coach Mark Gottfried said. “I thought we played very hard and we played well enough to win outside of the fact that we had some chances offensively and didn’t score.”

SOFTBALL

Pack faces early challenge against top-ranked UF Preston Ellis Staff Writer

The NC State softball team will travel to Gainesville, Florida, to take on the No. 1 Florida Gators and the Iowa Hawkeyes Friday in the Florida Tournament.

The Wolfpack (2-3) is coming off a trip to Louisiana where it took on some top talent including the No. 7 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns and the No. 16 Louisiana State Tigers, as well as

the Central Arkansas Bears and the Memphis Tigers.

State was able to handle Central Arkansas and Memphis but was shut out twice in the team’s three losses to the Cajuns and LSU. The Pack had standout performances from sophomore pitcher Courtney Mirabella, who broke a personal record by recording 14 strikeouts against Central Arkansas, and sophomore outfielder Tyler Ross who brought a hot bat to Louisiana, recording seven hits

during the trip.

Head coach Shawn Rychcik said the Wolfpack’s opening tournament was a step in the right direction for his team.

“I’m real pleased,” Rychcik said.

“I saw a lot of progress and we just have to get better for next weekend.”

State’s largest test of the upcoming weekend will come in the form of a three-game stint against Florida, the defending NCAA champions. The Gators currently boast a

5-0 record and are led by a dominant pitching staff that has already recorded three shutouts.

The Pack’s power hitters will need to step up big to combat the impressive Florida pitchers. Senior shortstop Renada Davis, who led the team last season in nearly every offensive category, will look to use her experience to outplay the Gators.

The Florida offense has also shown up big this season, as the Gators’ hitters have scored 46 runs

SOFTBALL continued page 7