TECHNICIAN
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Raleigh, North Carolina
SG campaigning begins Tuesday Campaigns for all Student Government positions will begin Tuesday
dates in line, fielding any questions or settling disputes during campaigns. Erin Summerlin, a junior in business administration and a member on the commission, said the group mainly focuses on Chapter Samuel T.O. Branch Deputy News Editor Seven of the Student Body Statutes. “Our job is to enforce those statutes,” Summerlin said. Campaigning for Student Government elecTucker said since the commission is dealing tions is set to start Tuesday at midnight. All with the elections, and thus the future of the candidates will have two weeks to campaign Student Government, being unbiased is key. leading up to the March 24 election, Andrew “None of us have any connection [to the canTucker, the chairman of the Elections Com- didates] or hold elected offices,” Tucker said. mission, said. Summerlin said the Tucker said the election team has one or two time period is based off of meetings usually during Spring Break. Campaigncampaign season, where ing begins the Tuesday they look at complaints after the break, and then and concerns to settle elections are two weeks disputes between candiafter that. dates. The role of the Elections “We hear both sides and Andrew Tucker, chairman of the decide if the rules were Commission is important, Elections Commission according to Tucker. broken,” Summerlin said. “We oversee the elections Every member of the process,” Tucker, a senior in political science, group is expected to make time so the Elecsaid. tions Commission can function, according According to Tucker, overseeing the entire to Summerlin. process can mean anything like keeping candi“When we got appointed we needed to make
“None of us have any connection [to the candidates] or hold elected offices.”
SOME OF THE ELECTION COMMISSION’S RESPONSIBILITIES
r Hear appeals of an election
r Hear all allegations that a candidate or candidates
r Publishing names and offices from all filed intent-
r Provide a governing interpretation of the
r Notifying candidates of intent-to-run form receipt
have violated campaign rules
regulations of this chapter upon request of any candidate, campaign, or Student Government Official
r Remove unqualified candidates from the ballot
once verifying of the lack of qualification
r Certify petitions for Student Body Referenda r Grant or deny ballot access to College Councils not
inconsistent with Senate decisions on the same access
r Adopt a budget of funds appropriated to the
Board of Elections
r Certify the elections results
torun form within 24 hours of submission via the email address supplied
r Invalidating the intent-to-run form of any
candidate who supplies fictitious, misleading or incomplete information
r Producing an initial certified candidate list within
12 hours following the All Candidates Meeting
r Notifying all candidates who submitted an intent-
torun form via email of published draft ballot
r Correcting any errors in the ballot within 12 hours
of being notified that corrections are needed. SOURCE: STUDENT BODY STATUTES
sure we were as free as possible [during this period],” she said. Another major role of the commission is to deal with campaign finances. Summerlin said the group receives all of the candidates required expense reports, and then determines if the reports are in fact legitimate. According to the Elections Packet that Stu-
dent Government gives to all candidates, the expense report is very specific. It records everything from sandwich board expenses to paint to put on the Free Expression Tunnel. The new bill that was just passed through the Student Senate has changed a lot of the ELECTIONS continued page 3
Solar Center continues work despite economy University Solar Center to get expanded funding and expects to continue to make progress Alex Vaughn Staff Writer
MICHELE CHANDLER/TECHNICIAN
Jumping in as the Polar Martinis, Alycia Torbet, a student at North Carolina Central University, and Sara Williams, a N.C. State alumna, plunge into Lake Raleigh Feb. 28. Torbet and Williams represented Mac’s Tavern at the Polar Plunge.
Polar Plunge raises $13,884 T
he annual Polar Plunge, which raises money for Special Olympics North Carolina, took place Feb. 28. The event, which Campus Police sponsors, featured a 5k Run and Walk followed by an icy plunge into the waters of Lake Raleigh. The actual Plunge portion of the event raised $13,884 for the 38,000 Special Olympics athletes in North Carolina, while the 5k Run and Walk raised $4,067. The top team overall in both events was able to raise $5,035.
Iraqi university presidents visit N.C., campus Iraq university officials, Provost sign agreement to work together in the future James Cox
“It is not something we want a student or faculty to do, Iraq isn’t for tourists yet.” Bailian Li, the vice provost for International Affairs
Staff Writer
The University is looking into a partnership with Iraqi unviversities. Ali Esmail al-Sanafim, the president of Thi Qar University, and Khalil Ibrahim al-Dulemi,
the president of Al-Anbar University, signed a memorandum of understanding with N.C. State Feb. 12 to enhance educational capabilities. By signing the memorandum, both institutions agreed to
“make every effort to exchange faculty, scholars, and students,” and agreed that the universities will offer educational, research and extension materials in the best interests of cooperation. However, the memorandum
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did not say specific details about the exchanges, only saying they “will be negotiated.” “It is proposed that collaborations and exchanges be initiated in fields of common expertise and interest,” the memorandum stated. David Dixon, a coordinator in the Office of International Affairs, said the Iraqis want to send their students and faculty to N.C. State to study in their fields. IRAQ continued page 3
The University’s Solar Center is preparing for expanded funding of programs that it is involved with through the federal stimulus package, according to executive director Steve Kalland. “In the stimulus package as a whole there’s lots and lots of opportunities for clean technology and our phones are ringing off the hook here,” he said. “It’s all exciting right now.” The Solar Center is a “full service sustainable energy shop,” Kalland said, which deals with technology, policy and education for clean transportation, renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean building technologies. Kalland said local governments in North Carolina will need assistance in determining how to best utilize funds that will be available for sustainable energy and energy efficiency programs through the stimulus package. “There are a lot of people that are going to need help and the Solar Center can provide that help,” he said. “With a staff of roughly 35 folks we cover a lot of ground, but we try to be a portal where if you need help we’ll provide it and if we can’t provide it we tend to know where else to go in the University and the University system, and even the Community College system and other resources throughout the state.” The Solar Center will also assist North Carolina in maximizing its share of federal
grant money available through the stimulus bill, Kalland said. Changes to the federal tax code regarding sustainable energy and energy efficiency already took place when the stimulus package was approved, according to Brian Lips, a policy analyst at the Solar Center. Tax credits for both individuals and companies which implement energy efficient building improvements or alternative energies were increased, and a new tax credit for manufacturers of renewable energy systems was added, he said. “Maybe a company that’s looking to put a new plant in China because the labor is cheaper may be swayed to put it here in America because we have this tax credit,” Lips said. Both Lips and Kalland said further regulation and funding related to energy efficiency and sustainable energy is likely. “This administration has really taken a very serious approach to turning a corner on how we do energy,” Kalland said. “A lot of things have been laid in place so that as the economy recovers we’ll see more and more interest in this stuff.” Demand for classes the Center offers to public has increased dramatically over the past year, according to Kalland. “Our solar electric class used to be twice a year, last year we offered it four times, and this year we’ll have had four by April,” he said. Some students feel the progression of the Solar Center is a great step towards progress in energy. “It’s just really cool,” Joshua Peavey, a junior in environmental technology, said. “It’s taken a long time for Americans in general to realize that we need to change our ways with energy consumption and its really great being a N.C. State student and knowing that our college is doing so much to further that.”
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