Mar 18 by NC State Student Media

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TECHNICIAN

wednesday march

18 2015

Raleigh, North Carolina

technicianonline.com

IN BRIEF Looking for long-term benefits Student Health Services announces Associate Director for Medical Services Director of Student Health Services, Leah Arnett, named Thomas Howard, MD, as the Associate Director for Medical Services effective last Monday. Howard will serve as the spokesperson and lead medical authority on campus for public health related concerns. He will also serve as the administrative medical officer for providers in the clinical field. He graduated with a medical degree from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine. Howard has a special interest in concussion management, serving as a team physician for high school and university teams. SOURCE: NC State News

Violin Virtuoso Regina Carter to come to NC State

The musically acclaimed violinist Regina Carter will be performing Friday evening at 8 p.m. and again Saturday at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Titmus Theatre in Thompson Hall. Carter is considered the foremost jazz violinist of her generation and has performed with artists including Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and Dolly Parton. There will be a pre-show discussion with Carter an hour before each performance. Tickets are $5 for students with a valid student ID and $32 for non-students. Tickets can be purchased online, at Ticket Central, or by phone at 919-515-1100. SOURCE: NC State News

Man wanted after exposing himself at Kmart on Western Boulevard

A man followed a woman into the Kmart located at 4500 Western Blvd and exposed himself to her last Thursday. Police are still seeking him. The man is described as black, 5 feet 9 inches tall, in his 30s and has a stocky build, weighing between 210–240 pounds. He had a receding hairline, closely cropped hair and a short beard. Descriptions are based off a photo taken from a security camera. Anyone with information that can help police is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 919-834-4357 or visit www. raleighcrimestoppers.org. SOURCE: WRAL

NC STATE ANNOUNCES NEW PLANS FOR THE HOFMANN FOREST

Ravi K. Chittilla Editor-in-Chief

NC State announced a long-term plan Tuesday that would leave most of the 79,000-acre Hofmann Forest intact but would generate tens of millions of dollars for the university and the College of Natural Resources by selling deeds to timber companies for sustainable timber farming and selling working easements for use by the Department

of Defense. The announcement comes following two years of controversy after the university first made a deal to sell the forest, which is near Jacksonville, North Carolina, to an Illinois agricultural business, but the plan ultimately fell through when the business failed to acquire the funding to close the deal in November. Before the deal failed environmental groups filed a suit attempting to block it and the deal also garnered

widespread opposition among faculty members, students and farmers and agriculturalists across North Carolina. Under the new plan, about 70,000 acres of the woodland will be used much in the same way they are now. Previous opponents of the initial deal are praising the university for the new plan and its emphasis on sustainability. In a statement, Chancellor Randy Woodson said the university is now

pursuing a plan that would yield greater financial benefits in the long run, as opposed to a large, one-time profit. “We believe this is the most responsible way to move forward,” Woodson said in the statement. “We learned a great deal during last year’s sales effort and in the process became aware of long-term opportunities that allow for greater control of the land and ultimately more benefit to the College of Natu-

HOFMANN continued page 3

Role of fathers highlighted in documentary Lindsay Smith Staff Writer

The NC State Department of Social Work, along with the Collegiate 100 and Men in Social Work student organizations hosted “Let’s Talk Fathers” on Tuesday, an event about the impact of growing up without a father and, in particular, its influence on African-American men in society. The event showed the documentary “Spit’in Anger,” which highlights the impact of a fatherless void on African-American men and explains the trouble with anger and forgiveness caused by the lack of their fathers growing up. These concepts were further discussed by Jeffrey Shears, a professor at UNCGreensboro and NC A&T following the documentary. “The impact of fathers is generational — men learn by modeling,” Shears said. Kenneth Braswell, the main speaker in the film, talked about his own anger and difficulty forgiving his father for not being a part of his life. However, he hoped to serve as an example of life for many men who grew up without their fathers. After much difficulty, Braswell wrote a letter to his father and was able to forgive him because of the film and the experience it had on him. “It shows the documentary’s potential

ABHILASHA JAIN/TECHNICIAN

John O’Neill, the founder of Spark Plug Games, LLC speaks about his stubbornness and passion building success for his gaming company on Tuesday evening at EBII Centennial Campus. “ Passion breeds innovation but necessity also breeds innovation,” said O’ Niell .He serves as the general manager of Spark Plug Games and guides the studio’s focus in the development of video games and serious games on mobile, social, tablet, and console platforms.

Gaming company founder speaks about industry Casey Oldham Staff Writer

Founder and President of Spark Plug Games, John O’Neill visited NC State’s Centennial Campus to speak about the perks and pitfalls of creating games for a living. O’Neill’s speech was part of Fidelity Investments’ “Leadership in Technology Speakers Series,” and the audience was mainly composed of engineering students. “He definitely wasn’t afraid to challenge tra-

ditional encouragement,” said Nadia Johnson, a sophomore studying electrical engineering. He helped incorporate the realistic aspect of what it means and what it takes be successful in the gaming industry and really whatever kind of job you want to get.” O’Neill answered the numerous questions of students throughout his speech. While he talked about the different ways people can find success in the gaming industry, O’Neill also warned students about how competitive the field is. O’Neill told his audience the deadlines for people

FATHERS continued page 2

GAMING continued page 2

insidetechnician

Lecturer discusses Rand’s influence on politics Gavin Stone Staff Writer

FEATURES Student researches galaxies far, far away See page 6.

SPORTS Young Pack flourishing at right time See page 8.

The Society for Politics, Economics, and the Law hosted a Duke English professor Tuesday night who spoke critically about Ayn Rand and the tensions her writings have created. Michael Moses, an associate professor of English at Duke University and editor of the literary journal , Modernist Cultures, focused on Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism which Rand claimed to be the founder of. Rand’s Objectivism was a philosophy that reality exists independently of consciousness.

Moses spoke at length about Rand’s relationship with Hollywood where she tried for much of her early life to become a screenwriter. Moses argued that Rand’s frustration with having to work in a system that was interested in appealing to the masses, whose taste in art Rand did not approve of, was a result of her belief in an objective standard of quality. Moses said did not read Rand’s work until late in his life after he had been an English professor for a long time, which changed his impressions of her work. “It probably would have been very different if I had read her when I was 15 or

16, that’s when all of my friends were reading her,” Moses said. “I actually find her much more interesting as a literary figure.” “The standard view is that she’s not high brow and she’s not low brow she’s kind of a ‘middle-brow’ novelist,” Moses said. “I actually think she’s much more interesting stylistically than formally. One of the most interesting things about Atlas Shrugged is the strange set of different genres it combines; science fiction and utopia, socialist realism and American nationalism—there are passages that sound like the could have been written by the Italian futurists.” Ayn Rand is a cult hero

with many supporters in the political sphere. Many Republican representatives have publicly expressed Rand’s influence on them including Representative Paul Ryan and Senator Rand Paul, as well as former Texas Congressman and Libertarian Presidential Candidate Ron Paul. Bryon Burke, a senior studying biomedical engineering and member of SPEL since his freshman year, said that he was influenced by Rand’s philosophy on the power of the individual when he read The Fountainhead for a class in high school which led him to read Atlas Shrugged on his own. “I read Fountainhead

Now interviewing for Summer “Internship” Positions

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and Atlas Shrugged in high school and I was interested in hearing the perspective on her philosophy and beliefs from an academic professor,” Burke said. For Burke, the lecture allowed him to revisit his experience of Rand’s work. “I didn’t have much of a political point of view when I read [Rand’s] books in high school,” Burke said. “I knew she was a believer in individual freedom and capitalism and that she was not real popular in academic and literature circles, and I knew she was not as popular as her books were commercially successful.”

News

PAGE 2 •WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

TECHNICIAN

THROUGH ABHILASHA’S LENS

POLICE BLOTTER March 16 10:07 AM | Medical Assist Yarbrough Steam Plant Units responded and transported staff member in need of medical assistance.

Send all clarifications and corrections to Editor-in-Chief Ravi K. Chittilla at technician-editor@ ncsu.edu In Tuesday paper, the photo caption in ‘New seasons, friendships are cause for celebration at Holi’ stated that this year’s NC State Holi celebration will take place on Friday. This is incorrect, the celebration occurs this Saturday.

10:37 AM | Harassing Phone Calls Withers Hall Staff member reported receiving unwanted phone calls from non-student. 11:39 AM | Safety Program Caldwell Hall Officer participated in information fair. 8:04 AM | Traffic Violation Morrill Dr/Warren Carroll Dr Student was cited for speeding.

WEATHER WISE

9:25 AM | Welfare Check Park Shops Officer responded to report of subject rummaging through garbage cans. No one matching description was located.

Today:

Prepping for the cricket world cup

59/43

BY ABHILASHA JAIN

Sunny

Thursday:

50 39 Cloudy

Friday:

hanraj Jadhav, a graduate student studying Computer Science prepares to bat on Sunday evening on the streets of Champion Court. Jadhav and his friends often played cricket over the Spring break. Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players each on a field at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. Each team takes its turn to bat, attempting to score runs, while the other team fields. The game is most popular in Australia, England, India, West Indies and South Africa.

CAMPUS CALENDAR

APOCALYPSE 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM GAME LAB AT HUNT LIBRARY

Today ENROLLMENT (REGISTRATION) BEGINS FOR 2015 SUMMER SESSIONS AND FALL SEMESTER ALL DAY

Thursday READ SMART BOOK DISCUSSION – FACTORY MAN BY BETH MACY 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM CAMERON VILLAGE REGIONAL LIBRARY

Rain

FOUR HOURSEMEN OF THE

Friday

FATHERS

said Braswell. Em ma nuel Bra swel l, nephew of Ken Braswell and a football player at Davie High School in Mocksville, North Carolina spoke about his own struggles dealing with anger at his father. “When I have the football, I picture it as my mom and my dad is the whole defense,” he said. Terrie Williams, author of “Black Pain,” a novel that expresses the difficulties African-Americans face in America, explained in the film the reasoning behind this anger for what appears to be “no reason.” She described it as men trying to “do anything not to feel the pain.” The seemingly irrational anger causes kids to act out, partaking in drugs, alcohol and sexual activity, because they are frustrated and have no father they can talk to about it, according to Williams. “Fathers aren’t creating

any thing new, they are going to do what their fathers did,” Shears said. The fathers’ roles and relationships between men and their fathers will remain negative until they can make it positive, according to Shears. The topic a nd documentar y are important because they offer a different perspect ive a nd understanding for those involved in social work and start a “dialogue and a conversation,” Shears said. Originally, the Department of Social Work wanted this event to be a part of Black History Month, but due to a scheduling conf lict, it could only be Tuesday. Shears and other participants in the making of “Spit’in Anger” have plans to make a similar film that will focus the impact of fatherlessness on women. It is expected to be released in fall 2015.

63 43

continued from page 1

influence on many AfricanAmerican men, and it’s encouraging them to create a positive idea of fatherhood,” Shears said. “It provides an opportunity to further deepen an understanding for young men through a social work perspective.” The documentary focused on the relationship between irrational anger in many African- American men and growing up without their fathers. Anger at small and big aspects of life can all be linked back to serious anger with their fathers, according to Braswell. Trouble with forgiveness is another aspect that the documentary highlighted because most men never get answers or can’t understand the reasons their fathers did not take an active participation in their life,

COFFEE & VIZ - GARY LACKMANN, MARINE, EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES 9:15 AM - 10:30 AM HUNT LIBRARY - TEACHING AND VISUALIZATION LAB IBC-INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEEE 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM THOMAS HALL, ROOM 4508

HEXAPOD HAIKU CHALLENGE 11:59 PM Saturday 5TH ANNUAL BREAK THE SILENCE 5K RUN/WALK 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM CENTENNIAL CAMPUS

GAMING

continued from page 1

in the gaming industry can get hectic, but that it helps bring out the best in companies. O’Neill said he and people working jobs like his “push limits for necessity.” According to O’Neill, there are more than forty gaming companies in the Triangle area. He described them as being open to sharing ideas and knowledge with one another. O’Neill told students that it is not always enough just to have passion. He encouraged students to seriously pursue jobs in the gaming industry only if they are both passionate and confident in their skill set as the competition in the industry can be tough. “I have heard to run screaming from the game industry,” said Chris Collins, a senior

10:00 PM | Traffic Accident Carmichael Gym Two students were involved in traffic accident. caused by cooking. 12:38 PM | Traffic Violation Main Campus Dr/Achievement Dr Student was cited for speeding.

8:00 PM THOMPSON HALL

REGINA CARTER

1:50 PM | Concerned Behavior Student Health Center Officer assisted with involuntary commitment. Student was issued welfare referral and Student Conduct Trespass Letter. Concerned behavior investigation initiated.

12:45 PM | Suspicious Person University Plaza Report of subject reportedly offending passersby. Officers made contact with non-student who had permit to speak in the area. Subject was advised of complaint. No further action taken.

studying computer science. “But I like John’s take on encouragement to go in because of your passion and innovation.” During the reception following his speech, O’Neill mingled and answered more questions from aspiring engineering and computer science students from NC State. O’Neill encouraged students already making games to not focus on creating cellular games. O’Neill described cell games as being too “quick, easy and consumable.” “We want to create games that people want to continue playing,” said O’Neill. O’Neill created his company, Spark Plug Games, with just one other person. Spark Plug now has 10 full-time employees and several others working in other countries. Monique Morrow will be giving a speech concerning women in technology on April 7 as a part of Fidelity Investments’ “Leadership in Technology Speakers Series.”

TECHNICIAN

HOFMANN

continued from page 1

ral Resources, its students and faculty.” The plan includes selling the nearby Camp Lejune the rights to use some of the land, which the Marine Corps is already doing to some extent, as well as selling a long-term timber deed for about 56,000 acres of the pine plantation with mandates for sustainable practice. The plan will also make conservation easements for the 18,000-acre Big Open Pocosin, a wetland area. The university said it will also plan how to effectively develop about 4,000 acres along State Highway 17 near Jack-

News sonville and potentially selling 1,600 acres of farmland for continued agricultural means. The plan was announced by the NCSU Endowment Fund and approved by the fund’s board of trustees. The Natural Resources Foundation, which serves as manager of the forest and its operations, could make more than $125 million in return on investments during the next several years, according to the university statement. That money would go to the CNR and provide additional scholarships and research funding. “This plan will generate significant income for the college while maintaining control over future uses of the property,” said Mary Watzin, dean of the College of Natural Resources in

the statement, who had stood with the university throughout the time it attempted to sell the forest. “It supports the strategic needs of the college and ultimately may serve as a model for sustainable solutions to the twin challenges of natural resource conservation and economic development.” Fred Cubbage, a professor of forestry, said the move was a step in the right direction and that it was “staying true to our ideals for forest sustainability in the College of Natural Resources.” Both Cubbage and conservationist Ron Sutherland, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit to block the initial deal, expressed concern that the new plan did not explicitly state that

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015 • PAGE 3

the entire forest would be open to the public and be available for access to students and faculty members for research and teaching purposes. Cubbage said that moving forward, he would like to see the university make the Hofmann Forest process a more public process and further engage and involve students, faculty members and all other stakeholders. However, both Cubbage and Sutherland strongly commended the university for its move. “We need to teach what we believe and practice what we teach,” Cubbage said. “Not contain language stating that the forest would have full access for the public.”

Opinion

PAGE 4 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18,2015

TECHNICIAN

Student Senate’s indoor e-cig ban act is full of hot air T

he “Indoor E-Cigarette Ban Act,” sponsored by Student Senator Zack King, is currently working its way through our student government and seeks to ban e-cigs indoors on campus. If you’re not familiar with e-cigs, they work essentially the same as a fog machine. Both devices heat up a solution, creating a vapor. The Chris difference is that e-cig Denning users inhale the vapor, Assistant which usually contains Opinion Editor nicotine. “Vaping,” as it’s called, allows users to get a hit of nicotine sans tobacco. Using e-cigs indoors subjects unwilling participants to the vapor they produce. But the justifications for the ban are, at best, laughably unscientific, and at worst, intentionally misleading. The bill starts with the premise, “The use of E-Cigarettes and other smoke and vapor producing devices is currently unregulated at NCSU, particularly indoors.” Smoke producing devices are regulated. You can’t smoke a cigarette, cigar or pipe indoors. E-cigarettes don’t produce smoke. Smoke is a product of combustion, and there’s no combustion with e-cigs. Including the term “smoke” is unnecessary, and an apparent attempt to conf late something widely understood to be harmful — tobacco smoke — with e-cigarettes. The language of the bill isn’t just misleading — it’s also vague. The bill’s stated aim is “that the use of E-Cigarettes and other smoke and vapor-producing devices be banned in all indoor areas on campus at NCSU.” In addition to e-cigs and fog machines, medicinal inhalers and boiling water also produce vapor, although I doubt it’s King’s intent to put asthmatics at risk, or to ban making coffee or ramen noodles. If the Student Senate passes the e-cig ban, its implementation would be up to the university committee of Student Health Services, which does have the authority to “interpret for the university community the approved policies, regulations and practices” and would likely enforce the resolution’s intent regardless of its vague wording. Student politicians should, however, take this opportunity to learn a crucial lesson if they have future political aspirations: Poorly written bills open the door to unintended, and often undesirable, consequences. The bill jumps the rails, however, in this line: “Nicotine is proven to be both an addictive substance and a carcinogen.” According to the American Cancer Society’s website, “Many people mistakenly think that nicotine is the substance in tobacco that causes cancer. This belief may cause some people to avoid using nicotine replacement therapy when trying to quit. Nicotine is what helps get (and keep) people addicted to tobacco, but other substances in tobacco cause cancer.” Perhaps King knows something the American Cancer Society doesn’t. More likely, though, is that he’s been skimming headlines like this one from The Motley Fool: “Can You Guess What Cancer-Causing Agent Researchers Just Found in Electronic Cigarettes?” The article references a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that certain e-cig devices, when run at high voltage settings, produce “formaldehyde-releasing agents.” Formaldehyde, unlike nicotine, is proven to be a carcinogen. The problem is, as New York Times columnist Joe Nocera pointed out, “this conclusion is highly misleading. People don’t vape at a high voltage because it causes a horrible taste.” Nocera points

Davis Leonard, senior studying engineering, technology and design education

Drunk driving is financially irresponsible M

ost students pay less than $15 for a six pack of beer. If the beer is consumed within a few hours, that’s more t ha n e nou g h to raise a blood alcohol level to more than Sarah .08 percent— Catherine the legal limit Smith for commitDigital Content ting a DUI in Editor all 50 states. If less than the age of 21 in North Carolina, there is a zero tolerance policy. The cost to get arrested for a DUI is less than $15, but what about the financial cost of dealing with a DUI arrest? Because laws vary in each state, it’s impossible to give an exact amount of how much a DUI can cost. It has been widely reported, however, that the national average is about $10,000, according to OneDUI.org. NC has strict impaired-driving laws. Let’s pretend that you are one of the 5,591 people arrested in Wake County in 2013 for impaired driving. Let’s say this DUI is your first offense, that you are fortunate enough not to have hit anyone or caused property damage and that there were no aggravating factors. In North Carolina, you’d be paying anywhere from $6,890 to $9,290, the average DUI cost in

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North Carolina, according to the NC Department of Motor Vehicles. There are many financial elements related to drunk driving that people do not consider. Drunk driving related fees include court costs, attorney fees, bail fees, driving under the influence education programs, car towing or impounding, increased insurance rates, plus potential additional costs if damage to property or to another person has occurred. In North Carolina, the average fee for a DUI attorney alone is $2,500. Even further, these fees and estimates do not factor in loss of income. Sitting in jail, doing community service, court appearances and remedial services can take weeks of time away from your job, that is, if you get to keep your job. Along with facing criminal penalties and fines, a person arrested for a DUI faces the possibility of losing one’s job. Almost all employers in North Carolina provide employment contracts under which conviction of a DUI is grounds for termination. If you are facing DUI charges, you can forget about that source of income to help you pay for your mistake. “But I am not even drunk! I am only driving three blocks down the road. I am totally fine.”

It does not matter that you are driving less than a mile to the local Cookout, and it does not matter that you don’t even feel drunk. Since the 1960s, the North Carolina Supreme Court has made it clear that impaired driving requires the state to prove the person was “appreciably” or “noticeably” impaired. The state does not need to prove that the person was falling-down drunk, or even “materially” impaired. All that needs to be proven is blood alcohol level. So, if you do not have a sober friend to drive you, take a cab. “But I can’t afford a cab.” Oh, but you can afford the cost of a DUI? An Uber ride in RaleighDurham costs 0.18 cents per minute plus 0.85 cents per mile (when prices are not surged). 0.18 cents per minute is nothing in comparison to what you will be paying if you find yourself pulled over or at a checkpoint. Call an Uber. Call a taxi. Call a safe ride. Call a sober friend. If your roommate does not want to get out of bed, consider offering him or her the minimum $6,890 you could potentially be paying for a DUI arrest. Drunk driving is 100 percent avoidable. If you find yourself hung-over, thousands of dollars in debt, unemployed and without license, you have no one to blame but yourself.

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IN YOUR WORDS

“Do you believe that today’s online-based activism can be as effective as physically gathering and protesting? by Abhilasha Jain

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“Yes, because people may be more likely to voice their opinions online as it may feel safer and less like they are standing out individually.”

“Yes, because social media allows more people to become invloved. It is an effective tool to communicate among different groups.”

Mary Haster meterology, senior

Morgan Travis human biology, sophomore

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to human studies showing that even at voltages lower than the ones tested in the NEJM study, “people simply couldn’t inhale; the taste was unbearable.” And the articles overlooked a critical finding from the NEJM study: At normal voltages, no formaldehyde-releasing agents were detected. Unfortunately, headlines like “Can You Guess What Cancer-Causing Agent Researchers Just Found Not To Be Present In Electronic Cigarettes?” don’t quite draw in readers like their sensationalist counterparts. Nocera reported that when made aware of the headlines, “David Peyton, one of the study’s authors, … insisted that the study had been mischaracterized.” Stepping back from the strong wording of the letter to the NEJM reporting the study, Peyton said, “It is exceedingly frustrating to me that we are being associated with saying that e-cigarettes are more dangerous than cigarettes. That is a fact not in evidence.” Published in the journal Inhalation Toxicology, a 2012 study titled, “Comparison of the effects of e-cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke on indoor air quality,” found “no apparent risk to human health from e-cigarette emissions.” The bill also claims that “studies have shown higher absorption rates for individuals with second-hand exposure to vapor and other forms of smoke.” It’s unclear what “higher absorption rates” the bill is referencing, although it appears to be another attempt to associate tobacco smoke and e-cigarette vapor by using research about second-hand cigarette smoke as evidence that second-hand vapor is harmful. Research into the effects of secondhand vapor is limited, but a 2014 study published in the Oxford Journal of Nicotine & Tobacco Research concluded that indoor e-cigarette use “may involuntarily expose non-users to nicotine but not to toxic tobacco-specific combustion products.” It should be noted, however, the study found levels of nicotine exposure to be 10 times higher in tobacco cigarettes than in e-cigs. The Indoor E-Cig Ban Act is presented as a public health measure, and while the long-term health effects of e-cig vapor aren’t fully known, what research we do have doesn’t support the claims presented in the bill. Research does, however, seem to suggest that e-cig use may be significantly less harmful than tobacco use, and attempts by politicians — student or otherwise — to equate the potential harms of vaping with the proven harms of tobacco could dissuade smokers from trying ecigs as an alternative. Even if e-cigarettes are a less harmful alternative to smoking, other students, faculty and staff may not want to be exposed to users’ vapor. Instead of trying to ban indoor use through legislation, however, Student Government should look for a more creative solution. Research in the field of behavioral economics has shown that social pressure exerts great inf luence on people’s behavior. In one study, researchers found that when subjects see their electric bills compared with the neighborhood average, those using more power scaled back their consumption. Reducing indoor e-cig use could be as simple as an awareness campaign showing e-cig users that other vapors are conscientious about when and where they vape, or reminders that being subjected to e-cig vapor is unpleasant to non-users. This type of social pressure could be particularly effective on a college campus, where students often give their social interactions just as much weight as their academic pursuits. And unlike the Indoor E-Cig Ban Act, there’d be no need for misinformation, fear-mongering or unscientific claims.

The Technician (USPS 455-050) is the official student newspaper of N.C. State University and is published every Monday through Thursday 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.

Features

TECHNICIAN

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015 • PAGE 5

Student researches galaxies far, far away Sam Roberson Staff Writer

The exchange of knowledge through time is characterized by the allusion of “The Great Conversation.” In the scientific community, the process of discovery and adding to this “conversation” can at times feel more like a great argument. Mia de los Reyes, a junior studying both math and physics, found this was the case when she embarked on a research assignment on galaxy evolution that led to her publishing a research paper in the Astronomical Journal, a prominent astronomy journal. The summer after her freshman year, de los Reyes worked in the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, specifically the science center for the Hubble telescope. “The assignment was supposed to be an easy undergrad project,” de los Reyes said. What unfolded as she got f urther into the project proved to be a controversial finding. De los Reyes’ research looked at similar properties between galaxies, seeking to better understand how a younger galaxy forms. “One way to study galaxy evolution is to measure galaxy properties at different ages of the universe to understand how they evolve over time and in relation to one another,” de los Reyes said. “We can do this because the speed of light is finite, so looking farther away in space is the same as

looking back in time.” Reyes examined data from galaxy observations, which allowed her to look at the star mass, amount of metal in a galaxy and star formation rate. A correlation between two variables of star mass and metal or star mass and formation rate has been well-studied in the past. Recently, astronomers have sought to research a correlation with all three properties to see if a fundamental relat ionship a mong t he three properties exists. “We found that all of our relations were consistent with previous literature, but our relation between all three was statistically vague; that is, we couldn’t determine whether a dependence on star formation rate existed or not,” de los Reyes said. W hat this could mean is that recent studies on a fundamental relationship among all three properties needs to be revisited and more data is needed before any conclusive statements are made on how galaxies evolve. A bold conclusion to be reached by a 19 year old in a summer research program. “Within people who study gala x y evolution, this is pretty controversial,” de los Reyes said. “When we first started we didn’t think it would be this controversial.” Enter i ng t he su m mer program, de los Reyes had some experience from the astrophysics department at NC State, but she had to do reading before coming to the institute to actually be

able to analyze the data. “I would read papers, and every single word I didn’t know, I would underline and ask my advisers about it,” de los Reyes said. In the regard that these undergraduates are learning on the job, it seems hard to accredit their research findings on account of inexperience. However, Stephen Reynolds, a distinguished professor of astrophysics at State, said that undergraduate students at NC State have learned to ana lyze data from computer simulations or satellites in a matter of weeks. “The tricky part is finding ways that smart, eager, but inexperienced, students can contribute,” Reynolds said. “Both types of work [Computer simulation and satellite] have resulted in publications including undergraduate co-authors in the last few years.” After a research process that was supposed to be finished within five months, de los Reyes’ project ended up taking more than a year and running well into the next summer before the paper was published. “Our reviewer was at first not happy with our work,” de los Reyes said. “We had to appease him by using methods he liked or citing a paper he agreed with.” It may come as a shock to many that the scientific world, often thought of a realm of pure reason, can be almost political with competing views and research teams battling for the right to be acknowledged and

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Mia de los Reyes, a junior studying mathematics and physics, recently had an article published in Astronomical Journal. De los Reyes was awarded both the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and an award from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation last year.

published. “It surprised me a lot, realizing science is done by humans,” de los Reyes said. With de los Reyes’ pa-

per published, the process will continue with others critiquing her work and comparing their own findings. She said she has gotten

feedback from astronomers around the world and further studies examining her research are already being carried out.

Raleigh teacher to be featured in documentary Max Larkin Correspondent

Angie Scioli, a teacher at Leesville Road High School, is featured in the upcoming film “Teacher of the Year” as a result of her protests against state laws which freeze teachers’ pay. The film, which seeks to demonstrate the complexities and intricacies of teaching, concentrates on Scioli ’s teaching experience and her demonstration of the universal truths of teaching. Excited and passionate about learning, she is the embodiment of most people’s idea of an ideal teacher. However, for Scioli, teaching is more than her occupation or career. According to Scioli, she is a “veteran” and “teaching is like a lifestyle— it’s almost counter cultural at this point.” She has even gone as far to found a nonprofit dedicated to advancing teaching and public education within North Carolina, but Scioli was not always interested in teaching. As a high school student, she originally envisioned herself going to law school. Eventually, it hit her: The necessities of law did not align with the values she had for herself. After deciding against law, teaching came into the picture. “Sudde n l y I re a l i z e d something, thanks to the Teaching Fellows scholarship,” Scioli said. “Here is an occupation that allows me to be intellectually cu-

rious — it draws upon my skills, I get to be creative, and it is in alignment with my values. And then I got sucked in.” Scioli accredits her 22 years of teaching to the NC Teaching Fellows Program. This scholarship allowed numerous people like Scioli to attend college before moving on to become public school teachers in North Carolina. For Scioli, teaching isn’t just about checking off boxes or getting a paycheck. It is about creating an educated populace, and doing that requires quality teachers. “Learning is the goal of life. … I believe in democracy,” Scioli said. “And I believe an educated citizenry is necessary to make democracy successful, and therefore we should all participate in making sure that the 51 percent are educated and informed.” Her desire to see democracy work and have decisions made by educated and informed people not only drives her teaching but her activities outside the classroom as well. Scioli said she worries decisions about education are being made by people who do not understand how education works. “Our state legislatures are part-time legislatures made up of self-employed professionals. … As a result, their referencing institutions for schools is a business,” Scioli said. “They always want to

ELIZABETH DAVIS/TECHNICIAN

Angie Scioli, a teacher at Leesville Road High School, is featured in an in-progress documentary titled Teacher of the Year. Scioli has earned teacher of the year twice, but has joined the protest movement against the legislative agenda enacted by the 2013 NC General Assembly. Scioli’s actions caught the attention of filmakers Robert Philips, NC State alumnus, and Jay Korreck, which began the creation of the documentary.

put schools into a business model — but I would suggest that the referencing institution for schools should be family.” It isn’t just legislators either. Scioli worries about how the public views teachers and teaching. “Schools have been branded as failing, and we have allowed that branding,” Scioli said. In line with other changes made to education, the NC Teaching Fellows Program that helped to educate great teachers no longer exists. The loss of this program

and cuts to public education and teachers’ salaries are all things Scioli fights against. Scioli expressed fear that t hese cuts wou ld create a two-tiered system: one where we would get some passionate teachers, but also where we would start getting “exactly what we paid for.” Though Scioli can identify problems, she described herself as a wide-eyed optimist, hopeful for the future of teaching. As such, one of her aims in founding Red 4 Ed is to help “re-rebrand schools” and establish a

more nuanced understanding of education. According to Scioli, these things, along with higher teacher pay and more social value for teachers, can turn things around for public education in North Carolina. This same optimism and enthusiasm is exactly what drew filmmakers Rob Phillips and Jason Korreck to interviewing Scioli, even t houg h t here a re ma ny teachers concerned with public education in NC. “Angie is an exceptional teacher who describes herself as a ‘true believer’ and

her commitment to making the world a better place is inspiring. … When the film comes out, the complexity of her work will be on full view,” Phillips said. Through all the changes public education has seen since Scioli started teaching 22 years ago, she said that she wouldn’t change her career choice. She joked about teaching and the way it became integral to her life. “I have a problem: a teaching problem. And I don’t see an end to it,” Scioli said.

PAGE 6 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2015

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Overloading on classes, taking the big 21 Alex Goodfred Correspondent

Finding the right balance between sleep, socializing and coursework can be difficult for students taking 18 credit hours, but then there are those who decide to take more between 21 to 25 credit hours. According to Carrie Thomas, a research associate professor in the College of Sciences and director of undergraduate programs, about 17–18 credit hours is typically the maximum amount students are willing to take. Most do not want to subject themselves to the added stress of 21 or more credit hours. “Some departments do academic credit for the TA appointments and the research appointments, so that tacks on credit hours,” Thomas said. “But not every department does it that way.” ROTC students are in a similar situation — required

ROTC classes such as military science courses and leadership courses are added to the courses required for their degree. Students with double or triple majors may compensate for their increased graduation requirements by taking more than the standard maximum credit hours, such as fourthyear student Chris Gabriel. Gabriel is studying human biology and psychology and is classified as a super-super senior due to his large accumulation of credit hours. “I felt that pushing myself and taking all of those courses at once was something kind of necessary to lighten up the load I was always just trying to make it easier on myself towards the end, make sure I wasn’t going to have to take extra semesters or summer classes,” Gabriel said. “It was also a challenge, and I like challenges.” In addition to taking semesters with up to 21 credit hours, Gabriel is the current

president of the Jefferson Scholars, which requires him to have two majors, go to meetings and hold service and social events including fundraising events. Gabriel has also been a TA for organic and biochemistry for the past two years and has done research since August of freshman year. “From my experience, anything over 18 hours is something you’re going to be really stressed about over the entire semester, and the kind of management of that is doing all that work and making sure you dedicate time to the other things in your life,” Gabriel said. “I’ve always maintained this philosophy of balance. I balance my academics with my social life, with athletics, with kind of everything that is important to me.” Gabriel is not the only student taking an inordinate number of credit hours. Third-year student Maliha Talib is taking 19 credit

hours, including being a TA for three classes. But including the two research projects she is a part of, she has 25 credit hours. Talib is part of research projects in the microbiology department and the College of Veterinary Medicine’s stem cell research on transgenic mice and is also part of the Career Development Center Ambassador Program and the University Conduct board. “I’m doing this mainly for medical school; it gets more competitive every single year and there’s different things that universities are looking for and medical school is what I wanted to do my entire life, and trying to think of something outside of med school for me is just unimaginable,” Talib said. “I’m trying to do as much as I can to prove to med schools that I am the perfect candidate. I think this semester will be the biggest test for me.” Talib insists the way to

manage a semester with a lot of credit hours is to prioritize and take breaks. Talib also values her studies above her TA jobs and has been told she is allowed to leave them whenever she needs to if the stress gets too great. Though she believes this semester will be her most challenging, she is planning to take 700 level courses next semester, which is a step up despite her already haven taken graduate level courses. Though Gabriel and Talib may have a lot in common as far as drive and dedication to obtaining their degrees, where they differ is how they spend their social lives. Gabriel looks for balance in everything, making himself carve out time for his personal life, while Talib, who lives at home and cannot drive herself at the moment, keeps mostly to herself. According to Talib, she misses hanging out with friends as her schedule tends to go from

home to class to back home, remaining on campus from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Due to her busy schedule, scheduling meetings is hard, and group projects are almost impossible —though her biggest helper in organizing is Google calendar. Taking above the maximum credit hours sounds like suicide to many, and it can overwhelm the majority of students who attempt it, but for some, the reward outweighs the stress. “When I do work, I try to be really efficient and focus,” Gabriel said. “Taking over 18 credit hours I feel healthier as a person and I feel like I have more energy. I’m doing more beneficial things. I would say it is something to avoid if possible. It is very doable and worth it if you have the right goal, but, otherwise, don’t do it.”

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Aaron Wright drove in a run to tie the game at one apiece. In the bottom of the second, the Spartans unleashed a scoring flurry and posted four more runs on the scoreboard to make the score 5-1. Wi l l ia mson wou ld be pulled from the game after surrendering the five runs on seven hits after only two innings of work. He was relieved by freshman Evan Mendoza. The Spartans pitching went strong and did not allow a single run after the first inning. During the second inning, senior outfielder Bubby Riley was walked and eventually advanced to third base to create a scoring threat, but senior infielder Jake Armstrong would strike

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days of play were added up to a score of 888, putting the Pack 24 strokes over par. In comparison, that same score (888) earned NC State its top-three placing in the Mission Inn Spectacular with individual players carded anywhere from 2–14 strokes over par. Sykes, an NC State alumni

out swinging to end the inning. Even though the Wolfpack came close to scoring again in the fifth inning after loading the bases with one out, the Spartans escaped the inning by striking out Riley and junior infielder Ryne Willard without letting any of the runners score. The Spartans would put two more run on the scoreboard during the eighth inning two put the game at 7-1. Thoug h t he Wolf pack scored two runs in the ninth after Palmeiro hit a homerun to right field to drive in Ratledge, it was not enough to dig the Wolfpack out of the hole, and the game ended with the final tally of 7-3. The Wolfpack was able to get people on base but could not bring players to home plate, batting 3-for-19 with runners on and 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

One bright spot of the game was the performance of Mendoza, who provided a strong showing on the mound, with a final stat line of six innings pitched, two earned runs and three strikeouts. Palmeiro also had a strong showing with one HR and three RBIs in the game. With the loss, the Wolfpack has now lost fourstraight games after winning five of the last six games over the previous two weeks. Additionally, the team owns an abysmal 1-5 record on the road this season. The Wolfpack will have a chance to split the twogame set with the Spartans Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Doak Field, and with the business end of the conference schedule approaching, will need its bats to come back to life.

and 40-year coaching veteran, attributes the lower finishes to weather or courserelated adjustments, but remains confident in his team. “The inability to practice due to weather is what gets us,” Sykes said. As the season has progressed, the conditions at tournaments have steadily turned in the Pack’s favor. Heavy rain in Tennessee limited the Pack as United States Golf Association rules dictate golfers may only be

protected from the elements during putting. All other strokes are not to be tampered with. Recent weather has been much more favorable. It’s difficult not to enjoy playing in temperatures in the low 80s in the last week of February as the Pack did. While Cooke and McBride have had consecutive top-10 finishes in 2015, it is hard to ignore freshman Carter Simon. The Ontario native has already matched some of his

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Woodford and Brittni Watkins have acted as mentors not only in practice, but under the lights as well. The trio has taken care of business during competition, competing in every meet — except for one absence by Watkins due to injury — and leading the team in podium appearances with 11, 10 and 24, respectively. Stevenson said the leadership of his upperclassmen has been invaluable during the season. “They’ve done a phenomenal job,” Stevenson said. “Even if they couldn’t go all the way, they were still in the gym doing all the things that need to be done, working hard and leading

by example.” The consistent excellence of the Pack’s leaders combined with the steady improvement of the younger athletes has bolstered the program to a new level. In its past three contests, the team has recorded two of its best performances, posting scores of 194.800 at Michigan and 196.000 this past week at Missouri. “It’s always the goal to peak at the end of the season,” Jarred said. “You get all of your nervousness out at the beginning, and you want to be ready for EAGL.” The Pack will enter the EAGL championships as the third-ranked team in the conference with a seasonhigh score of 196.175, the team’s best in three years. Defending champion New Hampshire was the only other EAGL program to score more than 196 this

season. Stevenson said even if the team does not end up on the top of the podium after Sunday’s meet, he wants it to perform its best and give itself a chance to take home the gold. “First is where you want to be, and we def initely have that ability,” Stevenson said. “But if we go into our last event feeling like we can win, and somebody beats us on the last event, we at least put ourselves in a position to be successful. If you don’t put yourself in that position, it will never happen.” No matter the result, Stevenson and his club succeeded in turning what looked like a lost season into one the team and fans can be proud of.

upperclassmen teammates with a personal best 71 twice at the Wolfpack Open. Redshirt sophomore Stanhope Johnson ranked the highest for the Pack at 22nd place at Puerto Rico Classic. On the same day, James Chapman, a redshirt senior, carded the third lowest score the course had seen (69). Sykes recognizes the individual successes of his players; however, he said he believes the Wolfpack team as an entity has one thing in

common: consistency. That steadiness will certainly be necessary when NC State drives against the Georgia Bulldogs, which is one of the 24 colleges with a golfer on the watch list for the prestigious Ben Hogan Award. Bulldog junior Lee McCoy is catching attention with his SEC leading average of 69.6. The Bulldogs also took first place in Puerto Rico with a team score of -12. Wolfpack golf plays from September until April and

traveling ranges from Tennessee to as far away as Puerto Rico. When asked if the full-year schedule was difficult for the team, Sykes made it clear the Pack never slows down. “We’re fortunate to play year-round,” Sykes said. “It’s fun for us.” More fun is yet to come for the Pack, with big names like Ole Miss and Vanderbilt in the schedule.

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