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Raleigh, North Carolina
Gas prices plummet Falling crude oil relaxes prices at pump, gives students more travel options
The highest prices in the country are in Hawaii and Alaska, where the average cost for a gallon is more than $3. As prices continue to fall, stuDerek Medlin dents hoping to travel during the Managing Editor Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks have more options. Since gas price averages reached Matt Stillwagon, a senior in unheard of highs of nearly $4 a biochemistry from Brick, N.J., gallon in mid-July and again in said the falling prices will make mid-Septemhis trip home ber, the price of during Christboth crude oil mas break much and a gallon of easier. unleaded gaso“I ac t u a l ly line has fallen haven’t taken to almost half a n e x tended of its summer trip since gas peak. prices went up,� In the Raleigh he said. “I’m inarea Monday, terested to see the average for what my funds a gallon of unlook life after Matt Stillwagon, senior in leaded gasoline my trip home fell to $2.04, during Christbiochemistry accord i ng to mas break.� Triple A’s Web site. Stillwagon said gas prices going North Carolina ranks near the up during the last two years immiddle with regard to average gas pacted his ability to go home. prices by state. “I used to go home a lot more Gasbuddy.com ranks Missouri my freshman and sophomore as the state with the lowest aver- years,� he said. “Last year I actuage price for unleaded gasoline: $1.77. GAS continued page 3
“I’m interested to see what my funds look life after my trip home during Christmas break.�
CHRIS SANCHEZ/TECHNICIAN FILE PHOTO
Rachel Sheffield, a freshman in arts applications, reads one of the posters decrying “hate speech� in the Free Expression Tunnel Nov. 5. “I hate that the whole tunnel had to be painted,� Sheffield said. “It upsets me that there had to be something like this at all to elicit such a drastic response.�
Senate Select Committee receives feedback on bill COMPILED BY JAMES LAYMAN This is not an issue of white vs. black, but more of an issue of equality and safety. Many students were not surprised by the racist actions but were surprised by the University’s response. Some expressed a concern with the University not releasing the names of the students to the public. “I should not have to sit in class and wonder if I am sitting next to the person who wrote those statements,� expressed Candace Lee, a senior in business management. A lot of the students felt the University should have anticipated such events, as they did, and been proactive in the situation. Their concern is not that the Presidentelect, Barack Obama, will be in danger but that racist students will take out their anger on black students on campus.�
“The strength and positive force of spirited debate is sapped when we resort to name-calling and negativity. Worse, when we lower ourselves to engaging in racist characterizations and inappropriate statements of anger and hate, we make a mockery of our right to free speech.� Chancellor James Oblinger
Some people say it’s being blown out of proportion and is a violation of free speech. Other people say it’s offensive and the University has to draw the line somewhere. Still others say that they don’t know where the line needs to be drawn, but something different needs to happen and the current reactions are just not sufficient. Whatever students, faculty or staff think about the racist messages that appeared in the Free Expression Tunnel after Election Day, different groups on campus are holding various events in hopes to encouraging a dialogue, making change or both.
From Jade Jack’s story, “Something needs to change,� in the Nov. 12 edition of the Nubian Message
Saja Hindi’s story, “Graffiti solicits varied campus reactions,� in the Nov. 11 edition of Technician
A HISTORY OF STUDENT SENATE’S HATE SPEECH BILL In response to the incident in the Free Express Tunnel two weeks ago, the Senate Select Committee on Hate Crimes is working on a bill to present to the Student Senate on Wednesday. The original bill called for expulsion of the students who committed the acts and for the University to prosecute the students to the “fullest extent of State and Federal Law.� Since then, the committee has met to discuss changed to the proposed bill. “We went through and worked with Maritza [Adonis] to try and figure out what her overall purpose of the bill was and what she wanted to see,� Kelli Rogers, Student Senate president pro tempore, said. “We expanded that as much as we felt we could, as Student Government.� The committee met not only to address the acts but also possible punishments to discourage this kind of behavior in the
future. The committee also examined the University’s harassment policy, and found that the policy doesn’t clearly state if this kind of behavior is banned or not. “We felt that this is something that needs to be put into that policy, clearly stating that we as a University will not tolerate threats or violent acts against any individual or University protected group,� Rogers said. In researching the policies, the committee found students don’t know the Student Conduct Policies. “It’s not visible, and so when we don’t know the policy, and we’re not allowed to know the outcomes of any specific incidents, how are we supposed to learn from the mistakes of others,� Rogers said. The committee will continue meets to address the issue. The proposed bill was split into two bills because the committee
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believed they had two different purposes. The committee met again and decided to combine the two bills into one. “We got input from the sponsor who originally wrote the bill to make sure it doesn’t take away from what she originally intended it to do,� Rogers said. The committee’s next step is to continue getting feedback from members of Student Senate and Student Government. They will also meet with University administrators to see if they have any feedback regarding the proposed bill. “We will vote on it Tuesday as a committee and vote whether or not to accept the amendments we made, and then to recommend it to Senate,� Rogers said. “They’ll hear it on Wednesday, and we’ll vote on it, and pass it through the appropriate channels if it is accepted.�
NC State Bookstores November 18, 19 & 20 10am - 4pm
CHASS classes disappear CHASS faculty meeting reveals planned cuts to next semester’s schedule
or nontenure track faculty who have in many cases been asked to reduce their course loads in order to avoid layoffs. One of the results of the cuts is Russell Witham that CHASS has proposed cutCorrespondent ting 65 class sections for next semester, removing over 2,000 Yesterday afternoon, the Col- total class seats within the delege of Humanities and Social partment. Braden said that not Sciences faculty held a meeting all of the seats would be totally to address the “State of the Col- lost though, 900 of those would lege.� be switched to distance educaAfter basic regulatory affairs tion classes under the current and departmental announce- plan. ments were made, Jeffery Braden, Hans Kellner, an English prointerim dean of CHASS, ad- fessor, said that in addition to the dressed the gathering of approx- section reductions, remaining imately 30 faculty members in classes will inevitably see an inattendance. crease in size. In many cases, well “To meet the challenges of the above their national averages. twenty-first century, we must “We increased enrollment caps c h a n g e t wo in classes,� said things: the way Braden. people think Other cuts are and the way quite shocking, people ac t,� for i nst a nce, Braden said. “communica“We are not just tion has no oprelevant, we are erating budget,� central.� Jeffery Braden, interim dean Br ade n s a id, “We award meaning that of CHASS more undereven basics like a graduate dephone line must grees than any other college on come out of pocket for those in campus,� Braden said. the department. CHASS generates more credit In addition to the cuts already hours and serves more students in place, Braden warns that “there than any other college on cam- may be even more cuts coming. I pus. personally don’t know how [the In line with the University’s an- college] would do that.� nualized reduction of 4 percent, Despite the setbacks, Braden CHASS has had to make cuts this applauded the college’s work unyear out of a budget where 99.8 der the difficult circumstances. percent is tied up in personnel “Last year our faculty produced: costs. This was especially prob- 44 books, 102 book chapters, 600 lematic since CHASS started the conference papers and 62 book year with a budget deficit over reviews.� $2 million. “There is not a thing we do in This situation has left an enor- this college that is not valuable,� mous burden on the CHASS Braden said. faculty, especially the special Larry Nielsen, provost and
“There is not a thing we do in this college that is not valuable�
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