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Raleigh, North Carolina
Students to face conduct review
“Hate speech is not free speech. It’s not graffiti. It’s not something you just tolerate or ignore. You punish it.�
Paul Cousins discusses the process that any student faces when appearing before the Office of Student Conduct
Rev. William Barber, President of the North Carolina NAACP
James Layman Deputy News Editor
TIM O’BRIEN/TECHNICIAN
Speaking to a overflowing crowd in the Witherspoon multipurpose room Tuesday, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Tom Stafford addresses the university’s position in dealing with those who wrote the free expression tunnel threats last week. The event was held to inform the NAACP president and representatives, which will meet with the Chancellor Wednesday, about the opinions of the NC State student body.
After four unnamed students wrote hate speech in the Free Expression Tunnel last week, students across campus are curious where the investigation is going. Paul Cousins, director of the Office of Student Conduct, has been asked several times to reveal this information, but said he is barred by federal law from doing so. “We’ve got those elements that have impaired for our ability to talk to the community about any part of the case,� Cousins said. Along with the names of the students, the Office of Student Conduct cannot give any details regarding the progress of the investigation nor can it give details of the punishment administered to the students, he said. Cousins said the processes for investigating an allegation are
very similar. “The first thing that would have to happen is we would get a report about alleged behaviors from a variety of places, such as Campus Police or Residence Staff,� he said. “We would compare those allegations to the Student Code of Conduct and use that language to make a determination about whether or not charges under the code should be filed.� If enough information is collected to suggest the code might have been broken, the student would be called in to talk with the Office of Student Conduct regarding the allegation. “There would then be a review process,� Cousins said. “The student is involved in this process and the review board must decide whether or not the code was violated.� If students were charged as a group, they could choose to meet the review board together or separately. Chancellor James Oblinger was not available for comment. Features Editor Alison Harman contributed to this story.
NAACP ADDRESSES HATE SPEECH, EXPRESSION Rev. William Barber calls for harsher punishments James Layman Deputy News Editor
About 300 students attended a forum that the N.C. State chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held Tuesday evening to get feedback from students on their opinions regarding the hate speech in the Free Expression Tunnel and whether or not the students who wrote the statements should receive punishment. “Isn’t it strange that you can get suspended for plagiarism but not for hate speech?� Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, said. “You can get suspended
NAACP MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. SOURCE: NAACP WEB SITE
if someone catches you copying out of a book or if a professor catches your eyes wondering during an exam, but we have to have a huge debate about hate speech.� The students, whose names have not been released, wrote racist remarks and made threats towards President-elect Barack Obama. The Secret Service, which conducted an investigation into the threats made by the four students,
determined that the students did not issue a credible threat. The Wake County D.A.’s office also determined no federal or state law was broken, and criminal charges could not be brought against the students. Now the University is looking into whether or not the four students broke any rules in the Student Code of Conduct. “This University is faced with a very important and difficult issue,� Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said. “I feel the anger and hurt that everyone feels tonight. A very horrible thing has happened that is contrary to the values that we believe in at N.C. State.� Barber is pushing for strong punishment for the four students. While the D.A.’s office has determined no crimiNAACP continued page 3
DREIER CARR/TECHNICIAN FILE PHOTO
Jake Anderson, a sophomore in biological sciences, and Travis Odom, a junior in biological sciences, cheer during the closing seconds of the men’s basketball exhibition game against Fort Valley Sate Wildcats in Reynolds Coliseum Thursday night, Nov. 6. “I think we are playing with great energy,� Anderson said. “I like how we never stop. I like the small feel of Reynolds, but I love the RBC Center too.�
Ticketing changes to reward seniority and loyalty only Basketball ticketing changes similar to football
Dining efforts support more sustainability Recycling cooking oil, tray elimination to make dining halls less wasteful Alex Vaughn Staff Writer
Efforts to reduce waste and conserve water in University Dining have been largely successful this year, Randy Lait, business officer for University Dining, said. The recycling of thousands of pounds of used cooking oil to produce biofuel and the elimination of trays in dining facilities has cut food waste, Lait said. “Having no tray meant you really had to get what you wanted,� he said. The University conserves about 6,000 gallons of water per week by not washing trays. A “just-in-time� automated food ordering system and batch
cooking are also used to make their actions. sure food waste is kept to a mini“Any way they can get students mum, according to Lait. involved to participate is good,� Elin Arnaudin, a senior in en- she said. vironmental sciences, said while Bobby Mills, a senior in politishe was pleased cal science and with the reduceconomics, said t ion in food projects such waste, further as the annual steps should be All Carolinas’ taken. Meal show that “We have a the University composting fais ma k i ng a cility, but they conscious efcan only do yard for t towa rds waste there,� she improving sussaid. tainability. Arnaudin said “They’re a food waste audefinitely movdit that would ing in the right Bobby Mills, a senior reveal the daily direction, but in political science and amount of garthere’s always bage collected at more work that economics the dining halls can be done,� to the students who use them, Mills, a member of the Wolfpack could make students more aware Environmental Student Associaof the environmental impact of tion, said.
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“They’re definitely moving in the right direction, but there’s always more work that can be done.�
BECOMING SUSTAINABLE Other ways University Dining is working to improve sustainability: • Catering guides are made from recycled wildflower seed paper that can be planted in the ground. • During Earth Week in April, Dining serves locally-grown and organic products in the dining halls. • Dairy products come directly from the NCSU Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. • Research is being done about cage-free egg products and organically grown produce. • Fair Trade/Organic coffees offered in Port City Java under the brand name ‘Fairganic Coffee.’ SOURCE: NCSU.EDU/DINING
Derek Medlin Managing Editor
Student Government and Athletics Department leaders have decided to make basketball ticket procedures based upon seniority and loyalty points after holding meetings to attempt to reform basketball ticketing, Student ticketing will not be general admission, but SG Athletics Commission Chair Matt Garcia, a junior in sports management, said he is excited to get the most loyal students the best seats to games. “This system is modeled after
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the football system, but it is a little more direct,� Garcia said. “This system underclassmen a chance to build on loyalty and catch up with the upperclassmen.� Another ticketing change to take effect this year comes with the size of group seating requests. The size of the groups has been reduced from 24 people to a maximum of 10, based on responses to a Student Government survey. Garcia said the Athletics Commission would eventually like to see general admission seating for basketball. “As of now, it’s not general TICKETING continued page 3
Men’s soccer advances to quarter-finals of ACC
State faces No. 1 Wake Forest today. See page 8.
viewpoint business & money classifieds sports
ering for Spring 2009 is OP d r O k o o b t EN! x e T e n i www.ncsu.edu/bookstore Onl
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