Technician
monday february
22 2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Sustainability Commission pilots bike share WolfWheels bike share program expected to provide students with inexpensive, efficient transportation Siva Ramesh Staff Writer
The Wolf Wheels bike share program, the brainchild of the University cycling club and Student Government Sustainability Commission, will allow students to rent bicycles for regular use on campus beginning Mar. 29. According to Marycobb Randall, a sophomore in business management and the president of the University Student Centers, the program was initiated last spring, when the student center was considering its feasible projects. “We have a facilities project that we do each year, so we were looking at projects that would provide the greatest benefit to our campus and impact students,” Randall said. “We came upon the WolfWheels project. It was a good fit, where money could be used this year.” Jim Ceresnak, student body president, said the concept of the program had been developing for some time. “It’s been in the works for several months; we’ve wanted a more sustainable and pedestrian-friendly campus,”
Ceresnak said. “Every year, folks have a lot of issues with transportation, so this is another option that students can use. We’ve got a very spread-out campus — a large campus — so it goes into solving those problems.” Ceresnak said the program was the result of wide collaboration among different groups on campus. “We’ve been able to work with a lot of different groups on campus: the student center’s board of directors, University Transportation and the Inter-Residence Council,” Ceresnak said. “We’ve just put a lot of different pieces together to make it happen, and it’s been nice to see that kind of collaboration [towards] the success of it.” According to Ceresnak, university campuses in North Carolina such as UNC-Wilmington and Duke, as well as other universities nationwide, have developed similar initiatives. “UNC-Chapel Hill actually has a car share; it’s called ZipCar. So, it’s like the same idea but it’s with cars,” Randall said. Owing to the large amount of planning required, the program took until last semester to get off the ground. “Probably until October, [we] were still looking for someone to house the operation, have the infrastructure for it, the systems, all of that, so that was the holdup, but then once we figured out who was going to be responsible
Campus divisions prompt SG discussion
WolfWheels Quick facts: Number of available bikes: 20 to 25 Cost for bike rental: $2 to $3 Rental duration: Daily or weekend Includes: bike, helmet and lock Source: Marycobb Randall, president of University Student Centers
for that, it’s taken off,” Randall said. “We’ve made progress really, really quickly.” Local vendors will supply the bicycles and necessary gear and Campus Recreation will oversee the program. Students will be able to rent a bicycle for $2 to $3 and Campus Recreation will be providing helmets and locks. The cycling club and the student center are currently negotiating with bicycle vendors over the final cost of equipment, Randall said. “We’re including all of that, [bicycle, helmet and lock], together, as well as maybe a maintenance plan for the bikes so upkeep can be included,” Randall said. “Also, [we’d like to have] a locked in price, so as we need to replace bikes, we can still get them at a low cost.” Randall said the program will also benefit the bicycle vendors.
wheels continued page 1
Tim O’Brien/Technician archive photo
Nick Kerr, a junior in mechanical engineering, bikes through the crowd and out of the Free Expression Tunnel Oct. 13, 2008. Kerr said he would ride a bike or walk over taking a car.
Wolfpack win big against wake
Student Government begins dialogue about lack of Universitywide community
“There’s not a lot of communication between the majors,” Jacob Majikes, a senior in material science, said. According to Ceresnak, the divide between Central and Centennial Campuses in particular is represenRachel Port tative of the division between colleges. Correspondent “People on Centennial are all engiThe lack of a University-wide com- neers and kind of work amongst themmunity became an important topic at selves,” Pierrea Currence, a junior in the Feb. 11 president’s roundtable. The communication, said. Currence said issue was brought on by a discussion Centennial is its “own little town.” Yan Li, a junior in accounting, said about the physical distance between rapidly growing Centennial Campus colleges close to the library have an advantage: they are more involved with and Central Campus. According to Kelli Rogers, student things happening on Central Campus. Brandon Berry, a junior in chemisenate president, the divide in the University community is not only cal engineering, said he felt student life was lacking on occurring between Centennial Campus. Centennial Campus “People on Centenand Central Campus nial don’t have the but also between all same amenities, like of the colleges. dining and housing, “We have a collegethat Main Campus first mentality,” she has,” he said. “It said. “Even our Senmakes you feel unate seats are divided appreciated.” by college.” Mostafa Saber, a Ji m C e r e s n a k , graduate student student body presiin material science, dent, said, “It has a said he didn’t feel lot to do with how Kelli Rogers, Student Senate physical distance president our University has contributed to the grown.” divide in commuThe University was intentionally built as a collection of in- nity between Centennial and Central dividual colleges because it “was built Campus. “I think it is my problem because to meet the needs of the state,” he said. “People aren’t feeling connected to I am a Ph.D. student and don’t have the University and the University isn’t time [to go to Central Campus],” Sadoing a lot to change that,” Ceresnak ber said. The lack of University-wide comsaid. Right now, “we are kind of like a degree factory. We graduate a lot of munity shows up in University statispeople with skill sets that are useful tics, Ceresnak said. to the state.” Students agree N.C. State has a coldivisions continued page 3 lege-centric attitude.
“We have a college-first mentality; even our Senate seats are divided by college.”
insidetechnician Athletics needs support and faith
An athlete explains the challenges student-athletes face and the need for all students to support them. See page 4.
viewpoint campus & capital classifieds sports
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Danny Boemermann/Technician
During Saturday’s men’s basketball game against Wake Forest, Chancellor-elect Randy Woodson and his wife received personalized Wolfpack basketball jerseys to welcome them to the University. The Pack won the game 68-54.
Campus challenged to reduce waste Recyclemania promotes sustainability through crossuniversity competition Joanna Banegas Staff Writer
N.C. State, along with 500 other colleges and universities across the nation are competing in Recyclemania this year. The program, which started Jan. 17 and ends Mar. 27, is a competition for campus recycling programs to support waste reduction activities in their communities. The University is participating in the program for its third time this year. Analis Fulghum, education and outreach coordinator for Waste Reduction and Recycling, said the University competes in the event to raise awareness and help promote recycling around campus.
“The student population and staff accept recycling as part of our day to day being on campus,” Fulghum said. She said Recyclemania also helps the University reach its goal of diverting 65 percent of waste material from the landfill by 2015. “Anything we do to raise awareness about recycling will help us reach our goal,” Fulghum said. The competition also provides a way for the University to compare and learn from the recycling strategies of other universities of the same size. Fulghum said that when competing head-to-head against UNC-Chapel Hill, the University won four out of the six categories in 2009. “It is easier to relate to schools in the ACC since we [compete against] them often,” Fulghum said. “Everyone knows we should reduce and recycle, but sometimes a friendly competition helps give people another reason to participate.” Last year, the University recycled
more than 558,757 pounds of material — placing it 23rd in the nation in the competition. “By participating in Recyclemania the University has the ability to compare our recycling rates against other schools and learn what we are doing right or where we can grow,” Fulgham said. Megan Cain, a junior in environmental technology and a Waste Reduction and Recycling intern, said the competition will make a student think twice before throwing something away. “By [competing] with other schools we get the word out about recycling,” Cain said. “It will help increase the recycling rate on campus.” For the competition, schools submit tonnage data for paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, food waste and general trash each week. They are, in turn,
recycle continued page 3
$6.00 T-Shirt Sale All Soffe brand t-shirts Reg. 2 for $20
@ NC State Bookstores