TECHNICIAN
tuesday april
19 2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Grad school deals with cut in representation Lack of interest in government sparks seat reassignment.
Ashok said there is a definite distinction between the concerns of the graduate and undergraduate senates. “The problems we encounter come Bri Aab from two different spectrums; graduStaff Writer ate students and undergraduate stuAbout a week before the deadline dents are concerned with different for Student Government election issues,” Ashok said. nominations, it was announced that Possamani said graduate schools’ graduate school Student Govern- concerns are unique and separate ment representation would be cut to from undergraduate colleges. These reflect the amount of student interest issues facing graduate students will shown. Those Senate seats taken from spike interest in Student Government graduate schools were then allocated through a common consensus of imto other colleges with more active par- provement in certain University politicipation. cies, Possamani said. “There wasn’t much involvement “The tuition fee hike issue and the seen in the graduate school students, student health insurance bills have so there really isn’t a problem,” Ven- made [graduate students] stop and kateshhwarran Ashok, a graduate take a look at Student Government. student in industrial engineering I am confident the present void in and member of the graduate school’s graduate school representation in Student Government can be removed Student Senate, said. One of the primary goals of Student incrementally,” Possamani said. Government is to proportionately Poosamani recommended a student represent the populations of each in- community be developed on Centendividual college nial Campus to to adequ ately increase motivamanifest a mation for graduate jority opinion. students to interFurthermore, act with and fully St udent G ovutilize their camernment works pus. He also said to promote the there should be specific needs of stronger unificaeach of the 13 tion of Centensects involved. nial and main campus. Ashok said that “We need to during nominawork towa rd s tions only two making the g radu ate st ugraduate student dents stood out Nithyanantha Poosamani, graduate community feel in terms of comstudent in computer engineering that they are not mitment and dealone or secluded sire to serve the on Centennial Campus, make them student body. Stephanie Lam, a graduate stu- feel they are right in middle of a busdent studying chemical engineering tling student community where their and Senate member for the graduate opinions, comments, and feedbacks are highly valued,” Poosamani said. school, agreed with Ashok. The graduate school members of “I joined only after the reduction in seats; that was when UGSA found Student Government, although small out that there were not enough grad in number, are not absent from their students to fill the seats in Senate,” duties, Poosamani said. “Student Government sets up inforshe said. “The decision to reduce [graduate mation desks at Centennial Campus student] seats was made after seeing every week and tries to make the gradreally no involvement from other stu- uate community know what is going dents.” Ashok, who was nominated on in Student Government. College Cup is a very good initiative in this and elected alongside Lam, said. “I’ve seen two Senate presidents, Ms. respect,” he said. The graduate school is not void of Kelly Rodgers and Mr. Stephen Kouba, taking pains to fill the vacant seats. passion and hope for progression in This was done to provide more op- their influence on the University. “Due to our efforts, people in graduportunities to students from other colleges who are really interested in ate school are getting to understand serving the student community,” what Student Government actually Nithyanantha Poosamani, a graduate does. I think the future is looking student in computer engineering, said. good,” Poosamani said.
“The tuition fee hike issue and the student health insurance bills have made [graduate students] stop and take a look at Student Government.”
insidetechnician Crews clean debris See page 3.
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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY KEVIN SMITH
The tornadoes that ripped through North Carolina Saturday did major damage in Raleigh Saturday. In the downtown area, this house bore the brunt of the storm’s force.
CHASERS
STORY BY BRIANNA AAB | GRAPHIC BY TAYLOR CASHDAN
Trio tracks down tornadoes for service As tornados cut a wide swath of damage in the area, the National Weather Service gave local and national weather reports, updating the public with video surveillance and preemptive safety measures for those unable to leave the area. Two students and one alumnus, all with significant meteorological backgrounds, aided the investigation with firsthand accounts of their storm chasing adventure. “Our first target storm was the supercell approaching Raleigh. We observed bright power flashes from our position on the beltline,” said Kevin Smith, senior in meteorology, who explained the first storm the group followed. “Transformers were exploding under the tornado. There were too many trees in the way and the tornado was rainwrapped, so we were not able to get a clear visual,” said Smith. The three then changed course to follow a second supercell to the south, approaching the Wilson region. Here, the tornado was within eyesight, and they witnessed a scene any storm chaser would like to see, “We watched a large tornado cross Interstate 795 just one or two miles ahead of us. Nothing I had ever seen in the field even remotely compared to the tornado that crossed the road ahead of us near Wilson,” said Smith, who had participated in the VORTEX2 Project, a scientific organization to further analyze and understand tornadoes. “Several words come to mind: nerve-racking, exhilarating, and at the same
time humbling to see the the weather, particularly severe damage,” said Todd Fere- storms. Seeing one of the most bee, a senior in meteorology. destructive phenomena Mother Ferebee goes on to warn pro- Nature can throw at us is exspective storm chasers against hilarating to say the least.” Meteorologists study ing heading into the path of a tornado: “I would not recommend the field of severe or extreme anyone to try this if they don’t weather also assume responsihave some knowledge about bility as public servants, dedistorm chasing and meteorology cated to informing and proin general, because you can die tecting the public. Armed with very easily if you do not know NOA weather radar and a GPS, what you are doing,” he said. three young meteorologists put “Storm chasing can be an their lives on the line as dedication to their extremely field of study, dangerous Smith said. activity if you “As a SKYdo not know WARN Spotwhat you are ter, I am the doing. We’ve ‘e ye s a nd been through ears’ on the SKYWARN g rou nd for Spotter classthe National es, and had Weather Seryears of expev ice, a nd I rience learnwant to help ing about get reports to meteorolthem so they ogy and how Kevin Smith, senior in have a better s tor m s b e meteorology idea of exhave. Without actly what is this type of knowledge, you shouldn’t happening and can warn the be out in the field during public,” Smith said. Smith works as an Emergency severe weather outbreaks,” said North Carolina State Univer- Net Control Operator for Censity alumni Jeremy Gilchrist, tral Carolina SKYWARN. He also recognizing the danger helps to run amateur radioenets by collecting damage reports involved. During their eyewitness ac- from spotters in the field for counts, Smith, Ferebee, and the National Weather Service “Yes, it is an unsafe business. Gilchrist contacted the National Weather Service to give But, again, if you do not know their accounts of their observa- what you are doing, you do not tions via radio through Central belong out in the field,” Todd Carolina Radio, according to said. “You could very well lose your life on a day like this past Smith. When asked the motive be- Saturday.” hind his endeavor, Smith said, “I am absolutely fascinated by
“Nothing I had ever seen ...compared to the tornado that crossed the road ahead of us near Wilson.”