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Benefit concert raises over $2,000 for Haiti effort Students turn out for concert to support Howl for Haiti relief campaign
16 2010
State of the City addresses taxes Mayor suggests alternative property tax increase to fund public safety center
Alanna Howard News Editor
Staff report
Amanda Wilkins/Technician
At the Howl for Haiti Benefit Concert, Packabelles open their show singing “Love Will Save the Day” by Whitney Houston. Later their newest memebers came up to sing two more songs. The other performance were Grains of Time, Fusion, Andrew Poon, and Alpha Phi Alpha. All $2,000 from the proceeds of the concert went to Stop Hunger Now. CSLEPS will also be having another packaging event on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010, to package 142,000 meals to send directly to Haiti.
Also a rapper, Poon created a mix of melodies in his songs, using lyrics from Michael Jackson’s “The Man in the Mirror” and “Where is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas to express his feelings about the event. Michael Giancola, the director of CSLEPS, spoke on balancing the need to help Haitians by traveling to Haiti
with finding ways to help the Haitians in one’s community. “Although you might think it’s easiest to rush of to Haiti to help, the real way to help the victims is by donating blood at the Red Cross that will be sent to Haiti, or packaging meals being shipped to Haiti. There is so much we can do as a community from home
that will do just as much in the long run,” he said. Justine Hollingshead, the director of the GLBT Center, visited Haiti for three weeks as a medical aide. She spoke on the current conditions of Haiti and reinforced
HAITI continued page 3
Jazz Ensemble concert offers musical variety Annual Ensemble increases exposure to, appreciation for jazz music Mahamudul Islam Correspondent
The annual Jazz Ensemble concert, put on by the by Music Department and directed by Assistant Music Director Wes Parker, took place in Talley Student Center Feb. 11. Before the concert even began, Mike Davidoff, a graduate student in mathematics and a trombone player, said he was very excited to be in the band. “I just joined the band this semester,” he said. “There are a lot of talented players in the band and it’s a very laid back atmosphere.” Aaron Winesett, a junior in mechanical engineering and a trombone player, said, “I’m excited and I really enjoy being in the jazz band.” Winesett has been in the jazz band for about two years and has considered it to be a great experience. Gene Schroeder, the father of Caroline Schroeder, a senior in biological sciences, said, “I love jazz and I’m a proud parent of one of the trumpet players.” When asked about what he thought about the ensemble, he said, “It’s the best jazz around.” Winesett’s parents, both alumni, came to watch him play in the ensemble. “We live in Hickory and it’s a real treat to hear him play.” Erin Winsch, a freshman in psychology, said, “I’m here because I enjoy music and because I’m in the Scholar’s Program.” Students in the Scholar’s Program were given access to free tickets to the event. Saxophones were in the first row, trombones in the middle and trumpeters were in the back. Parker said, “We’ve got a great show for you tonight.” After the opening, the ensemble began with “Shiny Stockings.”
february
Raleigh, North Carolina
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200 people showed up to support the Howl for Haiti campaign concert Monday, which seeks to raise $50,000 for Haitian relief. Also drawing students were campus organizations and free food from McDonald’s, Papa John’s and Moe’s. The night’s entertainers were led by Grains of Time, singing popular songs such as “The Call” by the Backstreet Boys, “Down” by Jay Sean and “Chicken Fried” by the Zac Brown Band. Students applauded and cheered during the Lil’ Wayne part of “Down.” Intermittently between acts, members of the CSLEPS Global Awareness committee presented facts about Haiti as the next act prepared to come on stage. The facts covered the poverty level in Haiti, the country’s lack of development and initial figures on the number of Haitians left homeless as a result of the earthquake. “As a result of the earthquake, Haiti has over 2 million people left homeless, 3 million who need aid and over 80 percent of the country is destroyed,” a global awareness member said. Andrew Poon, senior in industrial engineering, played guitar and sang original songs from his collection.
tuesday
Mayor Charles Meeker gave his annual State of the City address Monday at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh. Meeker used the opportunity to address the city to propose a new funding plan for the Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center, which is expected to cost $205 million. The money to fund the Public Safety Center is to be drawn from an increase in city property taxes. The tax increase was initially proposed by Raleigh City Manager J. Russell Allen and was recommended to set at $0.375. Monday, Meeker said the building could be completed with just a one cent increase in property taxes, down from the initial recommended increase, according to the News & Observer. According to ABC News, the proposed tax increase would be phased in over the course of the next two years, with a half-cent increase levied in 2011 and another one in 2012. After the full tax is implemented, it will be in effect for the 25 years which it is expected to take to complete the building. A standard home of about $200,000 would see a property tax increase of about $20 a year under Meeker’s proposal, as opposed to the $60 a year increase which would have occurred with the initial recommendation. Meeker hopes to make up the cost of reducing the tax increase by deferring expenses from other public works projects, including sanitation and street maintenance. The initial recommendation made by Allen would have raised taxes by 8 percent, but would have allowed for the continuation of public works projects as well as remote operations projects which include solid waste services and operations and maintenance for the city’s park and sanitation crews. According to News & Observer, Meeker’s move is expected to be more appealing to the city council members,
taxes continued page 3
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Michael Shriver/Technician file photo
Philip Rollinson, senior in accounting, strums some chords with Jazz Ensemble 1 in their Thursday night concert at the Talley Ballroom. Rollinson is new to the group, who has their second spring concert on April 30 in Stewart Theatre.
According to Parker, the ensemble Middle.” After hearing her sing the usually doesn’t do ballads and prefers audience not only clapped, but also to use fast music. He also said it tries shouted in support. Parker said he to use modern and progressive music. loved that song. For t he song T he en semble, “Night Flight” Parkhowever, did slow er said, “The trumpieces such as peters did a lot of the “Come Sunday” and heavy lifting.” Parkolder pieces such as er included some “Deed I Do.” history between the “It’s valuable to pieces and talked do some older muabout how “Cottonsic,” Parker said. tail” was based off of The next piece, “I Got Rhythm.” according to Parker, Schwa r t z c a me would be special, Mike Davidoff, a graduate back to sing “Deal’s as they brought out student in mathematics Blue s” a nd w a s the guest vocalist, thanked by Parker Jessica Schwartz, a senior in communications and pub- once more. After the performance was finished, lic relations. Schwartz sang “Smack Dab in the Jeremy Schwartz, an alumnus, said, “I
“There are a lot of talented players in the band and it’s a very laid back atmosphere.”
enjoyed it, my sister was the guest singer.” Steven Lee, a junior in business and finance, said the ensemble had made him appreciate jazz. Jessica Schwarts said, “I’m really grateful that they invited me to sing with them; it was a lot of fun and they sounded great.” Richard Chapman, a freshman in aerospace engineering and lead trumpeter, said, “I’ve been playing for a really long time and I have had really great instructors so this isn’t terribly hard, but the practice leading up to it certainly has been.” Chapman was recognized by Parker for his performance during “Night Flight.” “We do this because we love it,” Chapman said.
High school teammates reunited in Raleigh See page 8.
Cold, rain give students the winter blues See page 6.
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