Technician
wednesday february
24 2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
SG considers reviving living mascot tradition Student Senate bill proposes wolflike dog to represent University alongside current mascots
“N.C. laws are strict on vaccinating a wild wolf so it was better to find a wolf-like substitute.” According to Walsh, the a full-bred Tamaskan will cost about $2,000 Nick Tran which, depending on student approval News Editor via a campus survey, will be taken Student Senate will be meeting from Student Government funds. Walsh said he was hoping to find an tonight to discuss a number of new legislations, one of which will pro- alumnus to keep and train the dog as pose a live mascot be purchased to well as adopt the food and mainterepresent the University beside Mr. nance costs. The Veterinary School is expected to help with the medical and Ms. Wuf. According to the bill to be presented responsibilities of keeping the mascot. “We talked to the people at the Vet at the Senate meeting, under consideration is reviving the Lobo wolf mascot School to find housing for the mastradition with a Tamaskan Dog which cot,” he said. “We will make sure it’ll is very similar in appearance to a wolf be a visual mascot but also that it’s and will be the fourth live mascot in treated properly.” Kevin Norris, a the Lobo line. freshman in busiT he leg islat ion ness administration, said this is not an atsaid he liked the idea tempt to replace Mr. and supported the and Ms. Wuf, who attempt to increase will still be active school spirit. mascots, but a desire “It’s pretty cool to restore historic and would make a traditions of NCSU great addition, but for the student body. we should still keep Sen. Andy Walsh, the old mascots, t he senator who Norris said. “It may wrote the bill, said not really be necesthe Senate is makKevin Norris, freshman in sary, but since I’ve ing an effort to push business administration been a State fan traditions at the since I was five, I’m University and he thought of idea after finding Facebook pro anything to promote N.C. State.” Nikhil Singh, a senior in industrial group petitioning for a real wolf. “We had one before and we wanted engineering, however, said a number to bring it back,” he said. “We want of arguments could be made for and to do something cool for the students against the bill. “As far as a live mascot, it can go and hopefully it’ll pass without probboth ways,” he said. “I think it would lems.” The decision to get a wolf-like dog be cool to see how the students reinstead of the traditional wolf came act. People will support the idea, but from maintaining the animal, Walsh I don’t see it improving anything in particular.” said.
“I’ve been a State fan since I was five. I’m pro anything to promote N.C. State.”
matt moore/Technician file photo
Mr. and Ms. Wuf show off the volume meter from Reynolds Collesium prior to the start of the game against the Tar Heels.
Singh said, however, logistical issues would raise questions about how practical having a live mascot would be. “I feel the cost will be divided among a large student body so I’m not worried about that, but an issue will arise on how the dog will be taken care of,” he said. “If the past animals expressed discontent, getting another one probably isn’t a good idea.” Sen. Kyle O’Donnell said he would oppose the legislation because of the logistical issues and the lack of specificity of the bill. “Will the maintenance costs come from fees or appropriations? There are
Alum’s database utilizes technology, offers hope to Haitians University alum provides form of relief and means of finding information surrounding the status of those affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti
of public policy communications at Facebook, said. “It was very organic. People were posting status messages about Haiti at about 1,500 per minute. That pace continued through yesterday [the day after the earthquake].” Emphasizing the word “survivor” Ann Polk throughout, Maximilien’s applicaStaff Writer tion and its accompanying twitter Haitian-born University Alum Dr. and Google map sites allows users to Eugene Michael Maximilien has made keep track of the statuses of family and a profound impact on Haitian disaster friends, as well as update and share relief by providing a way to find the information with their other friends status and whereabouts of people in on Facebook. Sticking to the term “survivor” Haiti. By creating an application on is part of the larger goal of keeping Facebook called Haiti Quake People things hopeful, and the application Finder, Dr. Eugene Michael Maxim- intends to keep the database as acilien has enabled thousands of people curate as possible. It also encourages to find, locate, and even save their own suggestions from users on how it could be more useful. and others’ loved ones. Cited from the applications “about” Haitian native and recipient of both an master’s in 2002 and doctorate in section, “The main goal is to create a socially updated 2005 in computer database of these science from N.C. ‘survivors’ that State, Ma ximis as accurate as ilien provides a possible, considparadigm of how ering the current to go about using limited means of achieved degrees communications for greater good. with Haiti.” AcWit h a n escuracy in reports t imated deat h and findings is toll at 200,000 Andrew Noyes, manager of public vital to the sucto 250,000 and policy communications for Facebook cess of the applistill rising, the cation since us7.0 magnitude ers must be able ear t hqua ke in Haiti has been called “the most de- to trust that the information posted structive natural disaster in modern for the application to continue its times” in a recent article published by grave, yet effectual, functions. Going back to the site’s insistence the NY Times. In the chaos following initial news upon calling “survivors” all but those reports on the disaster, the response unmistakably confirmed as dead, the on Facebook was almost immedi- application’s adjoining page has reate, especially in regard to statuses. quested that updates and responses “Moments after the earthquake maintain an optimistic tone. “When hit, we started seeing a response on updating survivors and victims, if a Facebook,” Andrew Noyes, manager death is not confirmed by either find-
“Moments after the earthquake hit, we started seeing a response on Facebook.”
ing the body or identified by a family member, please list as missing in respect to their grieving family and friends,” a status update from the page said. Maximilien has maintained contact with his friends and family still living in Haiti. It was through his friends on Facebook that the idea occurred to Maximilien for the database/application. With such a strong background in computer science and engineering, Maximilien believed that the best thing he could do to help the relief effort would be assisting others to communicate and collect information, according to an article published on the University’s computer science website. “That night, I realized most of the information I had was from Facebook friends explaining, ‘This person is fine,’ or ‘This person is trapped.’ By the next day, I had a simple application ready for release,” Maximilien said. With various successes numbering near 900 according to the application’s posted results, the exact future impact of provided support may never be definitive. Not only does the database provide a community of support for survivors, victims and status-unknown’s family and friends, it also offers hope. One recent status update on the application’s page voices the relief efforts and recovery’s overall theme of optimism and tenacity: “Our strength as Haitians lies in our willingness to conquer the impossible whatever the calamity, earthquake, or disaster that may strike us. We will rise again. Believe it!”
a lot of specifics missing from the bill,” he said. “I don’t think an individual alumnus should have to bear the cost of the animal and the Vet School hasn’t even endorsed the mascot.” O’Donnell said it was impractical to think the University can maintain a live animal as a mascot. “Mr. and Ms. Wuf are already properly embodying the University’s sprit,” O’Donnell said. “That spirit never dies, unlike a Tamaskan.” Katina Mitchell, a freshman in environmental engineering, said the intent of the legislation is good, but the bill itself shows how impossible the idea is.
“I like the idea and how it would help school spirit, but $2,000 upfront for a dog is ridiculous,” she said. “It wouldn’t be worth it, unless maybe it was a real wolf.” Mitchell echoed O’Donnell’s sentiment a single alumnus should not be made responsible for the animal. “It should be left at the Vet School, if we do get it. I don’t think it should be given to an alumnus,” Mitchell said. “Obviously they didn’t think it out very well. They should plan out the logistics a little better at least before voting on it.”
Sparring with wushu club
David Mabe/Technician
Sparring with a staff, Tim Nguyen, a junior in computer science, participates in the Wushu club with Ben Webster, a junior in paper science engineering, on the second floor of Talley Student Center Tuesday. Nguyen said he began participating because he liked watching martial arts movies, and he said that it was good exercise that promoted coordination and flexibility.
insidetechnician Filmakers take shot at Campus MovieFest contest See page 5.
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