TECHNICIAN
tuesday april
6
2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Vote to decide future campus leaders Students cast their votes today to elect newest leaders for Student Government Nick Tran News Editor
Student body elections began Tuesday morning and will last until midnight. Votes can be cast at vote.ncsu.edu. Students will have the opportunity to elect candidates to the positions of student body president, Student Senate president, senior class president, Union Activities Board president, student centers president, student chief justice, student treasurer, and college senators. Current Senate President Kelli Rogers, a senior in political science, previously expected this year’s campaign to be especially competitive given the number of candidates running for president and Senate president. Jay Dawkins, current senior class president and senior in civil engineering, said the campaigns this time around have been especially noticeable with the number of signs. “There are more signs than before. You can’t walk ten feet without seeing something,” he said. “Students have no excuse for not voting, there’s so much info.” Dawkins said the majority of the candidates understand the challenges their positions entail and seem prepared. “Hopefully candidates understand the commitment and I think they do,” he said. “If you can successfully campaign on a campus this size, you’re probably a pretty good
leader.” Dawkins said, however, there have not been many creative campaigning efforts, just more signs. This should not deter people from voting, though. “The candidate’s success will depend more on their leadership and experience than the particular issues they focus on,” Dawkins said. “With a new chancellor we have an opportunity to take the University in a great direction and it will ride on those elected today.” Rogers echoed the importance of this round of elections given the presence of a new chancellor. “This year’s student leaders will be the first that Woodson remembers,” she said. “They will weigh the foundation for the relationship that students will have with this new administration.” Rogers said that while candidates have not tried anything new this year, they have made a significant effort to reach out to students. “We haven’t seen anything this year we haven’t seen in past years. There’re definitely more signs,” she said. “There has been more of an outreach to Centennial Campus this year than in past years. While candidates may not be on the Brickyard every day, candidates have come up with new ways of meeting students.” Students have definitely noticed the number of signs scattered on campus representing various campaigns. Paul Holt, an undeclared freshman, said the signs were the most apparent parts of
the campaigns. “They could have held a rally or something,” he said. “It seems like they’re getting their names out with signs more than their actual platforms.” Holt said he would vote for the candidate with the most economic campaign. “Right now we need to be focusing on what economic plans candidates have. It’s vital the student leaders know about how to handle money,” he said. James Robinson, a sophomore in accounting, said it was very important to vote because of how much power the positions hold. “I’ll vote just because the student body president makes decisions on what goes on around campus,” he said. “It should not be a popularity contest. It should be based on their ideas for their position.” Robinson said while he has not seen many candidates around campus, meeting with students is not as important as what they actually do in office. “I think [student body president] Jim [Ceresnak] has done a lot for the student body with seating and spring break and I didn’t see him a lot during his campaign,” he said. “It’s hard to see all the students on campus.” Eric Blake, a junior in chemical engineering, said the candidates have done a good job of reaching out to students. “The campaigns have been really welladvertised,” he said. “You can’t not see a campaign sign and I met some candidates on the Brickyard.”
VOTE TODAY •
Elections take place from 12 a.m. Tuesday to 12 a.m. Wednesday
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Students rank candidates from most to least preferred instead of a single vote
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Full information on election and candidates can be found at students.ncsu.edu/vote/
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Voting is done online at vote.ncsu.edu SOURCE: VOTE.NCSU.EDU
Blake said the candidates encouraged him to get more information and really seemed to be trying to earn the vote. “I’ll be voting on who will represent me and my major better,” he said. Dawkins said it was important to get as many people informed and voting as possible. “Even huge elections like this boil down to a handful of votes,” he said. “The biggest thing is to talk to candidates. Every time you go to the Brickyard there’s someone there and they’ll talk to anything that moves.” Rogers said the ability to represent the campus was an important trait to consider. “Students should vote based on who has the best leadership and ability to connect with a diverse student population,” she said. “The candidate should be comfortable not only representing you, but the entire University.”
AMANDA WILKINS/TECHNICIAN
A pollen-yellow brick path leads in between Williams, Harrelson, and Dabney Halls. N.C. State’s campus was voted the seventh most ugliest in the nation. Williams Hall was constructed in 1952, Harrelson Hall was constructed in 1961, and Dabney Hall was constructed in 1969.
DAVID MABE/TECHNICIAN
Ugly campus prompts improvements New beautification projects sparked from negative criticism made towards campus appearance Katie Maness Staff Writer
Both N. C. State students and outsiders have called the campus ugly, and it is a reputation that sticks despite campus-wide improvements. Campus Squeeze, a Web site specializing in college stories and entertainment, ranked the University the seventh ugliest college campus in the nation. With the new wolf statues outside of the Free Expression Tunnel, there is an apparent effort to change the perception many have of the campus. Taylor Johnson, a freshman in business management, said she thinks that the campus is not very attractive. “There is always construction everywhere and the entire campus is made of brick. There is one area that’s pretty, the Carolina Court,” Johnson said. Thomas J. Skolnicki, a member of the University Landscape Architects, said he does not think our campus
Brooke Griff, a sophomore in zoology, fills her tray to take it out from Clark Dining Hall Sunday at lunch. “It’s just easier. I can take it back to my room and eat while I’m working,” Griff said.
deserves to have that negative repu- the Honors Village,” Skolnicki said. tation and questions the people who “One thing everyone sees is the edges, Dan Allen Road, Western Boulevard, are putting it down. “I wonder if people have the right and Hillsborough Street. [The master framework to compare our campus to plan] addresses the edges so that they others,” Skolnicki said. “I go to other show the beauty of all the campus.” Sarah Spitzfaden, a senior in biologcampuses and I see things that are ical sciences, said she thinks whatever great, and things that are not great.” Kevin Tighe, a sophomore in me- they build next should not be brick. “Stop with the brick. There is one chanical engineering, said because building that is the students see beautiful next campus everyday the to library, it gets tiring. Patterson, be“I fe el l i ke cause it is the people have the only one that is classic ‘grass is not brick,” Spitzgreener on the faden said. other side’ perThere are many spective,” Tighe Kevin Tighe, sophomore in la rge projec t s said. mechanical engineering planned for the Skolnicki said future, such as out of the criticism came an update of the physical the renovations of Talley Student master plan of the University in 2007 Center, the Achievement Drive gatethat deals with beautification and way, and new ways to get around campus, Skolnicki said. There are aesthetics. “They [visitors] do not see all of also many smaller projects in work campus. A lot of people don’t see the Brickyard, the Court of Carolina, or CAMPUS continued page 3
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“I feel like people have the classic ‘grass is greener on the other side’ perspective.”
Take-out program success Students enjoy ease of take-out Caroline Barfield Staff Writer
For years students have asked for a system allowing them to carry out food from Fountain and Clark and this semester their request was answered. The take-out program has gained positive reception from students since it began March 22 as part of the equivalency program. Randy Lait, director of University Dining, said the University had
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wanted to make some sort of take-out plan but couldn’t figure out how to create it. They were able to do so by allowing students to fill one reusable take-out box for the price of one meal. According to Lait, the program is proving to be a success and so far there haven’t been any complaints. Lait said, “It’s worked out well so far, especially since it’s something students asked for. We did our research,
TAKE-OUT continued page 3
Gillheeney making Major League splash with Mariners See page 8.
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