TECHNICIAN
friday october
23 2009
Raleigh, North Carolina
Library usage ranges from study to sleep after renovations Library gives students a feel of “home” Joanna Banegas Staff Writer
With up to 16,000 visits per day and 2.5 million visits in 2008, D.H. Hill has shown a trend of increased use in recent years. Visits per year rose by 42 percent last year. Studying in the library for hours on a weekday seems to be a prevailing trend for college students, leading many to pull “all-nighters.” Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Susan K. Nutter said library use has more than doubled in the past few years since the renovation of D.H. Hill’s East Wing. “Students are able to collaborate and work together in groups,” Nutter said. “Twenty-four hours is really important to us and it is good that we’re able to keep it that way through all of the budget cuts and everything. It’s something we try to preserve and we value it.” Nutter said what separates the University’s library from others is it is student-driven. “Our standard of service is that students come first,” Nutter said. “If we can inspire you to want to be in the learning environment then my God there is nothing better we can do. I think the
library should be for the social and intellectual mixes of the University where people come together.” Nutter said the library staff also strives to be receptive to ideas from students to cater its services. “Students really tell us what they want the library to be and we couple that with what we’re seeing as evidence from research on how the people are using the libraries and how they want to use it,” Nutter said. “It’s pretty exciting. What’s really incredible for all of us that work here is that our sense of engagement with students feels like we’re all part of the same team.” Karim Ghanem, freshman in biology and international studies, said most of the time people use the library for studying late at night but there are people who use it for the video games. “You can do a lot of things in the library. If you want to study you can go upstairs or go to a quiet room. I mean, there are nine floors so there is always a place to study,” Ghanem said. “If you want to socialize then you can socialize too.” Jeremiah Mangrum, a sophomore in chemical engineering, said he goes to the library to study.
LIBRARY continued page 3
ERICA HELLER/TECHNICIAN
Ken Kimber, graduate student in public administration, and Eugene Yap, junior in chemistry, play Halo 3 ODST in the D.H. Hill Library. “I prefer to play in the library because of the huge screen and the people here,” Kimber said. “I come here to study but always bring my ODST for playing after.”
‘PIE’ PHI FOR CHARITY
Perdue blocks prisoners’ release from central prison Serious offenders scheduled for release denied release Alanna Howard Staff Writer
SARAH TUDOR/TECHNICIAN
Paul Limone a sophomore in textiles, pies a Pi Phi in the face on Thursday in the Brickyard. The event, hosted by Pi Beta Phi, allowed students to pay $2 to pie members of the sorority with donations benefitting First Book, an organization that gives books to illiterate children to help them learn to read.
Study abroad financial aid funds hold steady Increase in applications for same amount of funds Alanna Howard Staff Writer
With study abroad informational sessions coming up, students are wondering where they will get money for their adventures. Carly Sanders, a junior in international studies, said she is planning to study abroad and hopes funds are continuing to stay available for the trips she wants to take. “I’m planning to study abroad in Japan, which is really expensive, so I hope there is still money,” she said. Sam Morris, study abroad assessment coordinator, said funds have not decreased significantly in the past year. “Office scholarships are down a
little, but not enough to affect lots of arship, which balances out the slight decrease in funds in other areas,” he students,” he said. The office does not said. provide independent Assistant Direcdonor scholarships. tor of Financial Aid Instead, it receives Lashaw n Cooper money f rom t he said the economy provost’s office. The has not affected the main difference over number of students the years in study applying for study abroad aid is a reabroad. sult of an increase in “St udy a broad the number of stuis still really well dents applying for participated in and Sam Morris, study abroad the same amount of increasingly popuassessment coordinator money. This money lar, even with the has not decreased, economy’s status,” Morris said. she said. “Individual colleges are offering Students are eligible to use finanmore money in some cases, especially cial aid awarded from the University CHASS. In the past they have not of- as long as they are full-time. For sumfered a specific study abroad scholar- mer programs, a student must take six ship due to some miscommunication hours to receive funds. If they are not but this year they are offering a schol- taking six hours of credit abroad then
“Study abroad is increasingly popular, even with the economy’s status.”
they will need to make up the difference during the other summer session upon their return. There are five different types of study abroad programs. To choose a study abroad program, students schedule meetings with advisers, pick what classes they want them to count for their audit and then start the process of applying and looking for aid if applicable. According to Cooper, students can use any type of aid for any program, regardless of the sponsor. Aid applications for fall and spring trips receive aid during the year which can exhaust funds for summer programs. The bulk of summer coverage is in the form of federal and private loans. Students are advised by the
HOLD continued page 3
Twenty life-sentence prisoners will not be released from Central Prison Oct. 29 as planned. The inmates received their life sentences between 1974 and 1978, when a life sentence was 80 years. In 1981, the Fair Sentencing Act was passed, which allows inmates to cut sentences in half if they have good conduct records and other sentencereducing factors. Inmate Bobby Bowden, who was sentenced to life, challenged his sentence under the Act. Bowden argued before the Court of Appeals in 2008 that since he was sentenced when a life sentence was considered 80 years, he should be up for release. He won the case, setting a precedent allowing release for other prisoners who fall under similar conditions. According to an interview with WRAL, his reasons for release were in the form of good conduct records. According to Bowden he had accumulated 210 days of good conduct credit, 753 days of meritorious credit and 1,537 days of gain-time credit. The law allowed inmates to trade a day of good credit for a day of sentencing. However, the 60-year-old has also accumulated 17 infractions in prison, including two for weapon possession, one for damaging property and several for disobeying orders. Thursday, in a decision reflecting
BLOCKS continued page 3
insidetechnician
Working for extra cash stretches some too thin See page 5.
viewpoint business & money classifieds sports
halloween spooktacular Save 31% on all reg. priced apparel, accessories, gifts & novelties, school & art supplies, Catalyst Books
Oct. 28-31 NC State Bookstores
Textbooks, year books, magazines, computers & computer supplies, diploma frames, gift cards & special orders excluded.
4 5 7 8