Technician
wednesday february
2
2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Bells coming for Belltower Memorial for fallen WW1 State students is one step closer to reaching milestone. Alanna Howard Deputy News Editor
The legacy of the Class of 2010 is one step closer to reality. A purchase order for a bell for the first phase of installation recently cleared, and Meeks Watson, the company in charge of casting the bells, will have it ready to be publicly shown on campus by this fall. Jay Dawkins, 2010 graduate and Senior Class Chair for the project, said most students aren’t aware the bell tower doesn’t have actual bells in it. “In 2008, Matt Robbins, a graduate student in architecture, did some research on campus for his thesis, and noticed a bell on top of Withers Hall. Later he found out that bell was meant to go in the Memorial Bell Tower. Currently we have an electronic chime system in place of real bells,” Dawkins said. The tower has had a fragmented completion. In 1924 it sat with only the entryway and a few layers of granite until the U.S. Government, with a stimulus package from President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, completed the exterior in 1937. A bell system and an interior staircase were still lacking. According to Matt Robbins, the two bells the University has possessed were not the ideal bells. Originally, the first bell came from the fire department in downtown Raleigh and was procured by Chancellor Harrelson. The Great Depression halted that project, and the bell was put under Riddick Stadium bleachers because it didn’t have the right sound. Robbins said the second bell came from one of the USS North Carolinas, which was the bell he found on top of Withers. “Once the Great Depression killed the original project, which consisted of following the original plans to put stairs all the way to the top and put a 54 bell system in, a ceiling was put in at the bottom and the University got a bell from the USS N.C. and left it on the floor,” Robbins said. “But due to some rambunctious students who broke in and rang it while it was sitting on the floor the University decided to move it on top of Withers until the staircase and other plans could be finished.” This never happened, and when Riddick Stadium was demolished and the first bell was discovered, it was decided the bell would return to its original owners since it did not have the correct pitch. The second bell was given to a naval museum, and visitors to the old USS North Carolina can see the bell that was on campus as well as its replacement, according to Robbins. “The bell from the USS N.C. sounded horrible. We decided to give it to a museum unknowing that it was the one from way back before, and before we knew it we had given all of our bells
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Dean of CHASS, Jeff Braden, sits down and discusses issues and concerns about the College of Humanities and Social Sciences during his Brown Bag event. Students in the college were alerted of the event by email and those who showed interest were chosen at random to participate. Those chosen brought lunches to Caldwell hall where they talked and ate with the Dean. Jonathan Sanyer, a junior majoring in English, said this was a great oppurtunity to discuss his concerns with budget cuts and future plans for the College.
Dean hosts brown bag lunch function Event offers opportunity for students to share concerns, learn from Dean Braden.
Sarah Tudor/Technician file photo
The NCSU Bell Tower is lit red on Thursday after a Women’s Basketball win against Miami 84-77.
Amanda Wilkins/Technician Archive Photo
Matt Robbins, a graduate student in architecture, explains the master plan for the Belltower to Stephen Koupa, a junior in political science, on the Brickyard on Nov. 18, 2009. The Finish the Belltower campaign had a table set up to sell shirts to raise money and inform students about the plans for the Belltower.
away. There were three or four USS North Carolinas but we have the one from the ship before it was renamed the [USS] Charlotte. People can see it on board that ship today,” Robbins said. Through the combined efforts of Jay Dawkins, Matt Robbins and other senior class representatives, the class decided to pull together and finish the tower, ninety years later. According to Dawkins, a little over
$50,000 was raised last year and any senior who donated $210 towards the project would have their name engraved on the bell. “Although we have to buy a whole set of bells, the system calls for 54, enough was raised for a big bell, that will have students’ names engraved on it, and that is the one that has recently had its purchase order
bells continued page 3
Influenza prevalent among students on campus without flu vaccination Influenza is posing a problem on campus this semester Chelsey Francis News Editor
Since the beginning of the spring semester on Jan. 10, 295 students have been treated for flu-like symptoms at Student Health Services. According to the information compiled by Student Health Services, almost all of the 295 students treated by Student Health Services with flu symptoms since the beginning of the new semester did not receive the flu vaccine this winter.
Influenza is more commonly known as the flu and is a contagious respiratory disease which is caused by viruses. According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the flu attacks a person’s nose, throat and lungs. Flu usually attacks a person suddenly. According to the Student Health Services, flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, runny and congested nose, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The f lu can be spread either by contact with a sick person or a “sick thing,” according to Student Health Services.
A sick person spreads the flu by droplets from their nose, mouth or cough. A “sick thing” is a thing that has been contaminated by a sick person. According to the information from Student Health Services, people sick with flu can be contagious a day before symptoms are apparent and for a week or more after symptoms. They are considered more contagious during the days they have fever. A person sick with the f lu is advised to stay away from other
Flu continued page 3
love the passion of our faculty for their subject, and feel the humanities and social sciences offer much-needed dimensions to N.C. State’s campus.” Braden said that he has also learned about some specific problems that stuJoshua Chappell dents have observed on campus, such Senior Staff Writer as issues with academic advising. “I’ve learned that we need to imTwice a semester for over two years, College of Humanities and Social Sci- prove the quality of advising across ences Dean Jeffery Braden has been the university,” Braden said. “We ofsitting down with students for a fer good advising for most majors, but aren’t especially good at helping brown-bag lunch. On Tuesday, Braden hosted another people with requirements, majors, or one of these lunches for students in minors in other degrees.” Students also benefit from the prohis college, allowing them to directly share their thoughts, concerns, issues gram, Braden said. “When students get good informaand ideas with him. Braden created the program in fall 2008 when he be- tion, they have a much deeper appreciation of the challenges and difficulcame interim dean of the college. “This event is important because I ties we’ve been facing over the past few get direct contact with and feedback years,” he said. For Braden, the lunch also provides from the students,” Braden said. About half of the students select- a great way for him to become better acquainted ed for the event with the Uniwere chosen from versity. various leadership “My contact positions around with students campus and the re m i nd s me rema ining ha lf how luck y I were selected at am to work at random, accorda university,” ing to Braden. Braden sa id. This event, “I feel t ru ly Braden said, enblessed to be compasses one of able to teach, his core values as do resea rch, an administrator: and introduce the importance of the best and interacting with brightest young students. minds to the “It’s essentia l Jeffery Braden, CHASS dean humanities and that administrasocial sciences.” tors, faculty, and Jonathan Sanyer, a junior in crestaff have regular contact with students,” Braden said. “On a daily ba- ative writing, met Braden at another sis, sometimes I’ll have meetings with student-interaction event – pumpkinindividual students or groups, other carving – and was excited about using times I’ll only see students passing by the lunch to help unite the University in the hall. However, there’s never a community. “It’s a great one-on-one experience day I don’t see students.” Another inspiration for the pro- as well as bringing together students gram is the opportunity to learn from of varying majors within the college to talk with a man who has obvious the students. “I’ve learned that students appreci- leadership qualities,” Sanyer said. ate the educational experience they get in [CHASS],” Braden said. “They lunch continued page 2
“When students get good information, they have a much deeper appreciation of the challenges and difficulties we’ve been facing over the past few years.”
insidetechnician Taco Bell fights mystery meat claims
The fast food corporation gives full disclosure of their meat’s “secret recipe.” See page 5.
Young leaders of the pack
A crop of new freshmen are looking to bring excitement to the program. See page 8.
viewpoint features classifieds sports
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