Pay to Park? — Technician 1/9/20

TECHNICIAN J AN U A RY 9, 2020

VOL . 100 | NO. 17

O P I N I O N:

PAY TO PARK? See Page 5

WASTE NOT

NEW COMPOST FACILITY See Page 3

COMEBACK WIN THANKS OBAMA SECOND-HALF MARKELL See Page 9

LOCAL MUSIC BA-ROCKS See Page 7

TECHNICIAN 2

Contents TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

IN BRIEF:

POLICE BLOTTER 12/28/19

A quick look at the headlines outside of NC State

6:00 - 11:28PM | LARCENY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE

Democratic candidate Tom Steyer to visit Raleigh

NEWS Born out of NC State: Second Nature subscription promotes clean air, pg. 4

After visiting NC Central’s School of Law in Durham at 10:45 a.m., Democratic candidate Tom Steyer is set to attend a meet and greet at a DoubleTree hotel on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, close to NC State’s campus, according to The Herald Sun. North Carolina’s Democratic primary is set on March 3, “Super Tuesday,” and more candidates are visiting the state as the date approaches. Steyer’s campaign pushes his business record, action on climate change, and a focus on defeating President Donald Trump.

SOURCE: THE HERALD SUN

OPINION

GoTriangle unveils two new electric buses

Learning to love Hillsborough’s parking changes, pg. 5

The GoTriangle bus fleet has acquired two new electric buses at a total cost of $2 million, approximately half of which was covered through grant money, according to ABC11. Duke Energy Director of Electric Transportation Lang Reynolds said electric-powered transportation is not only cleaner than gasoline, but cheaper too. Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said this move is in line with growing environmental concerns from constituents. “People are really concerned about our environment and climate change — especially young people. A lot of them came out and voted for this new council because they said we want something done, and we want this to be a priority,” Baldwin said.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SOURCE: ABC11

Join the squad: Just Cuz Crew holds auditions for new talent, pg. 6

UNC Media argues against Silent Sam deal UNC-Chapel Hill’s student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, has recently reported that its parent company, DTH Media Corp, filed a legal complaint against the UNC Board of Governors regarding the recent Silent Sam confederate statue settlement. In November, the UNC System agreed to give the statue to the Sons of Confederate Veterans along with the $2.5 million for the purpose of preserving and housing the statue. DTH Media Corp argues in the complaint that the Board of Governors violated open meeting laws. Co-Editorin-Chief Emily Siegmund said that such a decision made on behalf of the community needs to be documented and public.

SPORTS Justin Williams announces return to Carolina Hurricanes. 10

Editor-in-Chief Dan Gilliam

Managing Editor Rachael Davis

323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online

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Copy Desk Chief Ben Wolf

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News Editor Boz Kaloyanov

Design Editor Rafael Zingle

technician-design@ncsu.edu

Opinion Editor Joseph Rivenbark

Photo Editor Emma Sheppard

technician-photo@ncsu.edu

Video Editor Jaylan Harrington

technician-managingeditor@ncsu.edu

technician-news@ncsu.edu

technician-opinion@ncsu.edu

technician-video@ncsu.edu

Social Media Editor Lauren Greene

Assistant News Editor Riley Wolfram

Assistant Opinion Editor Caryl J. Espinoza Jaen

Assistant Video Editor Matt Norris

technician-digitalcontent@ncsu.edu

Assistant Social Media Editors Anderson Brewer Becca Dandeneau Social Media Analytics Manager Isaac Tolbert

Arts & Entertainment Editor Antonio Dinkens

1/05/20 6:57AM| AGGRAVATED ASSAULT North Shore Condos University police investigated a report of a firearm being discharged into an occupied structure.

Investigation identified a nonaffiliated subject as being responsible, and they were subsequently arrested & trespassed for discharging a weapon into occupied property, discharging a weapon on educational property, possession of a firearm on educational property, and injury to property.

3:56 PM| HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT Hodges Wood Product University police investigated a reported collision of two vehicles, one of which fled the scene without stopping.

1/06/20 6:30 PM - 10:09 AM | DAMAGE TO PROPERTY Varsity Research Bldg.

University police investigated a report of damage.

8:00 - 1:30PM | BREAKING & ENTERING MOTOR VEHICLE Kappa Delta University police investigated a report of unauthorized entry into a vehicle.

11:03 PM | DRUG VIOLATION Parents Park University police investigated a report of unauthorized entry into a vehicle.

1/07/20 10:00AM | HIT & RUN ACCIDENT Cates Ave./Morrill Dr. University police investigated the collision of an unknown vehicle with a parked vehicle.

COVER PHOTO BY EMMA SHEPPARD Parking meters line Hillsborough Street. Students and locals must pay to park at designated spots before 8 p.m.

SOURCE: DAILY TAR HEEL

technician-editor@ncsu.edu

North Shore Condos University police investigated a report of a vehicle being unlawfully entered, a wallet taken, and credit cards being used without permission.

Sports Editor Camden Speight

technician-features@ncsu.edu

technician-sports@ncsu.edu

Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Austin Dunlow

Assistant Sports Editors Jake Caccavaro Nicholas Schnittker

Technician (USPS 455-050) is the largest student newspaper of NC State University and is published every Thursday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods.

Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on the Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by Triangle Web Printing, Durham, NC, Copyright 2011 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.

TECHNICIAN 3

News

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Counseling usage swells Cassie Englund Correspondent

NATALIE FOLSOM/TECHNICIAN

The new NC State compost facility takes compostable waste and turns it into nutrient-rich soil, on Dec. 4, 2019. The facility started running in August 2019, using natural processes over a course of 4 months to create soil that is rich in nutrients.

New compost facility ups sustainability, self-sufficiency USING OUR WASTE AS A RESOURCE Amber Detwiler Staff Writer

Waste Reduction & Recycling recently created the NC State Compost Facility and Research Cooperative. This facility, located on NC State’s campus off Lake Wheeler Road, aims to create a closedloop organic waste management system as a part of the university’s Sustainability Strategic Plan.

According to Waste Diversion Coordinator Adam Bensley, NC State previously sent its organic waste, or compost, to a commercial composter in Chatham County, about an hour’s drive from campus. Now that the product is produced at the Compost Facility and Research Cooperative, it can be used on campus in landscaping, at the Agroecology Education Farm and in research.

“Now that we have the facility open, we don’t have to take all the material an

hour each way to be composted, and we also don’t have to buy compost back,” Bensley said. “By not having to truck it all the way down there and pay someone to process [organic waste], we can do it more cost efficiently ourselves.”

After a feasibility test was done in 2015, t he on-campus compost site started development in 2016, according to Bensley.

The site has been functional since July 2019, but the official open house is planned for April 2020. Bensley said construction of the facility is being funded by Wake County as well as grants from the NCSU Student Sustainability Fund.

“We see waste as being a resource, whether that waste is recycling or whether it’s organic waste,” Bensley said. “It’s something that you can use to make a new product.”

Compost Facility Operator Matt Ball said compost is delivered to the receiving bay 2-3 days a week, including food waste and animal bedding from the veterinary school. The new campus standard is to have compost collections in all new buildings on campus, in locations like Fitts-Woolard Hall, the Plant Sci-

ences Building and the Creamery Café, according to Bensley.

“It closes the loop,” Bensley said.

“Take the Agroecology Farm, for instance; you have produce being grown for the dining hall and the restaurants on campus, and then you have scraps that are produced that go into compost, and then all the other organic waste goes into the compost, then we process it on campus, and it’s used back on campus.”

According to Ball, advanced composting technologies were used to design and build the aerated static pile system, which supplies oxygen to the pile in order to speed up the composting process. The entire turnaround time from organic waste to a useable product is three months.

“We plan on incorporating the facility into a lot of coursework and research work, having students and faculty heavily involved with that,” Bensley said.

“It’s not just a waste management facility; it is a living, learning laboratory … As a land-grant institution, we want to be able to take this technology and extend it out across the state to teach other people how to do the same thing.”

NC State’s Counseling Center saw more students in the fall 2019 semester than it did in the entirety of the 2012-13 school year, according to Monica Osburn, executive director of the Counseling Center. Around 3,900 students utilized the center in the fall compared to 3833 in 2012-13.

At a student fee town hall, representatives from the Counseling Center said that in the 2017-18 school year, over 5,400 students visited the center. Osburn said there was a 53% increase in students seeking help from the Counseling Center in 2019.

There are many possible reasons for the heightened demand, Osburn said.

“After midterms, students start to get their midterm grades back [and] haven’t done as well as they had hoped,” Osburn said. “The holidays aren’t always a joyous time for folks,” Prevention services such as NC State Cares have also seen increased interest. According to Osburn, there were over 500 reports to NC State Cares last semester. Cares Co-Coordinator Laura Boyd also mentioned academic stress as the semester comes to a close as one of the main reasons students seek more support.

“I think people are doing their best until they get to about fall break,” Boyd said. “Then, right after fall break feels like every test is happening, every paper is due. This adds a lot of stress and anxiety, because at that point, you then know we don’t have that much time left in the semester.”

Growing demand is also in line with significant increases in staff. At the graduate student town hall held on Mar. 4, 2019, Angel Bowers, associate director of outreach at the Counseling Center, said the center has experienced overcrowding. Since 2013, the number of fulltime counselors has tripled, up to 45 from 15.

At the fee town hall, Julie Casani, director of Student Health Services, said about half the budget of Student Health Services, which includes the Counseling Center, comes from student fees. In the 2012-13 academic year, Student Health Services received $267.62 through student fees. In the 2019-20 year, the fee has grown to $407.00.

The Counseling Center offers a variety of workshops and programs designed to supplement individual therapy or stand alone. According to Osburn, among the most popular are workshops helping students manage stressors in school or at home, such as Anxiety Toolbox.

Osburn said the best way for students to find programs helpful to them outside of traditional counseling is to make an appointment with a triage counselor, who will guide them in the direction of the most appropriate services.

TECHNICIAN 4

News

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Born out of NC State: Second Nature subscription promotes clean air AIR FILTERS REGULARLY DELIVERED

Alec Perrin Correspondent

Second Nature, recently rebranded from the name FilterEasy, provides a subscription service to deliver air filters on a regular basis for both consumers and businesses. Former NC State students Thad Tarkington and Kevin Barry, the current CEO and COO respectively, completed two years as business administration majors nefore leaving to start their business.

“We started out in 2012 as a directto-consumer air filter subscription,” Tarkington said. “Essentially, we deliver filters to people’s households on a regular schedule, ensuring they never forget to change them. The reason people utilize us is because we carry every size and quality of filter. We can customize a schedule right for them. We’re priced the same as a store plus the convenience of being delivered to your door.”

The premise is simple: to deliver new air filters for the same price you would buy them in the store. Realizing this was possible created excitement between the founders, who then had to figure out the logistics required to give each customer exactly what they need on time.

The quality of an air filter, according to the Second Nature website, is measured using the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) scale. The higher the MERV rating, the more effective the air filter is at “trapping airborne particles and toxins.” After a free trial, prices begin at $12 per filter, but upgrades can be made to catch different kinds of particulate matter, with the most expensive being $50+ per filter.

“Changing your air filters has three primary benefits, one of those being air quality,” Tarkington said. “The second one is energy efficiency for the home, and the third is protecting your HVAC. The indoor can be about 2.5 times worse than outdoor air, because we trap harmful particles in our home.”

Connections with NC State and the Entrepreneurship Initiative (EI) on campus provided the resources and opportunities

CONTRIBUTED BY SECOND NATURE

Second Nature, a business started by former NC State students, delivers air filters directly to consumers’ homes as part of a subscription service. The founders’ goal in this model is to provide convenience and encourage consumers to regularly change their air filters.

necessary for the startup. While at NC expand the company’s offerings under could move into and continue to expand State, Barry and Tarkington also engaged their fully established subscription ser- more once we had built up a solid base with the Collegiate Entrepreneurship Or- vice. Barry said the company plans to of customers.”

Barry provided some advice for enganization (CEO) club, allowing them provide new products to their customers to interact with a few thousand people come 2020, moving toward a larger goal trepreneurs or those interested in the as well as mentors. Despite not receiv- of eliminating worry for other household startup culture.

“The No. 1 thing for ing degrees after entrepreneurial succompleting only The No. 1 thing for entrepreneurial success that cess that I’ve seen is two years at unijust perseverance and versity, they still I’ve seen is just perseverance and sticking to it. sticking to it,” Barry h i re f r om t he sa id. “Put t ing your talent pool in the Putting your head down, knowing what you’re head down, knowing triangle area. what you’re t r y i ng “If the resources li ke EI trying to accomplish while staying smart. to accomplish while stay i ng sma r t. You or the CEO Club can’t give up early and weren’t there, we should be really focused on the longmay never have had the same connec- replacements. “ T hat ’s s omet h i ng we’ve a lw ay s term.” tions, and this may never have occurred,” Second Nature will be releasing new Tarkington said. “Some of our hires are planned on doing from the time the comfrom NC State. They’re all local to the pany began,” Barry said. “We thought products, such as fridge water filters, for there was a huge opportunity to focus on their subscription service in 2020. More area.”

Second Nature’s recent rebranding air filters to begin with, but knew logi- information about the business can be from FilterEasy is part of an effort to cally that there were other products we found on its website.

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Opinion TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Learning to love Hillsborough’s parking changes INCREASED COSTS BENEFIT EFFICIENCY, EQUALITY, ENVIRONMENT About two months ago, the parking on Hillsborough Street increased in price by 50 cents and extended the pay period’s ending from 5 to 8 p.m.

My gut reaction was negaJoey Rivenbark tive; Hillsborough felt important to me, and as an Opinion Editor off-campus student who frequently parked on the street for easy access to the library and for dinner, having to wait until 8 p.m. seemed like a real pain, almost exclusionary. I stuck with that reaction for a while; every time I would drive by, I would think to myself, “Such a dumb change, another needless obstacle to increase revenue.”

But recently, I’ve had a change of heart.

After looking into the progressive aspects of paid parking, I think there are larger issues at play than the dismissive gut reaction of calling something a “dumb change” simply because its benefits are not initially apparent.

First, let’s go over how and why this change was made. According to Alicia Thomas’s interview with Jeff Murison, president and CEO of the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation,

the change was made for the sake of efficiency. The group found that Hillsborough parking was only 5% vacant and was aiming for 20% vacancy to improve efficiency.

The group also conducted a survey, finding that parking was the “number one issue that people say needs to be addressed.”

This change was intended to increase vacant parking spaces for everyone by simply increasing the cost of parking.

And sure, increased costs did make my life a little inconvenient. More than a few times directly following the change, friends and I would ride to get food only to be greeted by a “pay to park” sign. But after a while, I just started parking on NC State’s campus (which usually has free parking after 5 p.m.) and walked, no big deal. Yes, it was a small obstacle, but perhaps not as needless as I initially thought.

Efficiency is one thing, but that didn’t bury the issue for me. In the past, there was another big reason I disliked paid parking: the slightly classist implications.

An increased cost of using a parking space seemed to me like it would make parking inaccessible to those with low income.

But paid parking actually has a strange relationship with class in this respect.

Most individuals with low income — who

would be most impacted by an increase in price for a public good — don’t drive as much. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is an entirely separate issue, but it does create a scenario that f lips my initially classist interpretation on its head.

If parking was instead paid for by taxes (how “free” parking works), rather than by meter, it would actually result in a more unequal outcome. Individuals who paid taxes yet did not park — like low- income folks — would be footing the bill for everyone else. Low- income folks aren’t the only byproduct of this; cyclists and others who use renewable forms of transportation are also on the hook to pay for free parking.

In fact, paid parking, while initially seeming to come from the seventh circle of hell, actually has several progressive merits to it, and they can even be seen on campus. With an active and effective bus system around NC State, students almost always have another, more environmentally friendly option at their disposal. Plus, the simple fact is the carbon emissions per person transported on public transportation can’t be matched by a car, and maybe increasing the cost of using a car when there are other options is something we need right now.

But I do still have reservations and critiques. For one, I’ll admit that I too find 8 p.m. to be a tad bit excessive when it comes to how late you must pay for parking. Even a reduction of an hour, or perhaps just 30 minutes, would be a big deal for students looking to get dinner at a reasonable time.

Secondly, I have some suggestions on how to spend the revenue collected from the parking meters in Hillsborough. Considering many drivers don’t have to use public transportation, many non-drivers must use it, and the world could use some more of it, I think funding the improvement of public transportation could benefit just about everyone. If public transportation is the future, we can at least start making it more pleasant now.

In the end, these changes, while simply made to improve efficiency, actually have a number of side effects so large and important to the ideal of a better world that one may hardly consider them side effects.

When a system like this is actually taking strides to a greener and less unequal society while also improving efficiency, I can hardly dismiss it as another “dumb change.”

Don’t make New Year’s resolutions, make habits

Many of us are disillusioned with the idea of resolutions due to their high failure rates, almost canceling out the idea of creating new resolutions.

Human behavior research Caryl J states that approximately Espinoza 40% of Americans formally Jaen set a New Year’s resolution.

Assistant Failure rates are not very Opinion Editor encouraging either, with approximately 80% of participants failing by the first month.

However, there’s still value in the concept of self-actualization in the new year. The fresh slate of the new year and coining a resolution is almost alluring, with this year marking the turn of the decade into the 2020s. It’s almost a timeless practice, with the first recorded resolutions going back as far as the ancient Babylonian empire. I believe we need to redefine resolutions into habits so that we can increase their accessibility and success rates.

One of the biggest points that I learned in my linguistics class last semester was that words matter. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, for example, explains to us that language

shapes our perception of our world, and I believe language is a direct cause of why our resolutions fail.

Resolution, by definition, is the firm determination to start or stop something.

W hat is lack ing in the term is the journey toward said resolution. Vaguely phrasing our resolutions, for example saying, “This year I’m going to lose weight,” leaves us with no sense of direction.

Many New Year’s resolution articles will advise readers to relabel New Year’s resolutions to goals, but while I do believe goals to be an improvement from the term “resolution,” goals themselves have their own set of problems. Goals tend to be framed very specifically, such as, “Every morning before work, I’m going to go to the gym and run a mile,” but the disillusionment now comes

from the required expectation.

Life, as we all know, is never fully predictable. There will be days where we cannot go to the gym due to work or class, days where we go hang out with friends at the mall and splurge on a fit, and days where we decide to eat at the nearby Taco Bell. The connotative meaning of goals disallows us to have breathing room in our often hectic lives. There’s conf licting advice on how to frame New Year’s goals floating around, from going extremely specific to having a “year word” to avoid breaking said goals. Goals, in my opinion, are therefore not the answer to this.

Habits, by definition, are the regular tendency to perform an activity. This solves the problem of implied specificity that goals have, and habits imply an activity that is

“The journey is

ultimately what is important when we better ourselves in the new year, so it’s about time we focus more on that process.”

sufficiently run so it doesn’t feel abstract anymore. Labeling our resolutions as, “I’m going to make a habit out of going to the gym,” leaves us with leg room to deviate from our set resolution and inherently demands a rigid enough schedule that we create a sort of plan.

Ditching the terminology of resolutions and goals for habits elevates us from focusing on the goal and rather places more value on the action. The journey is ultimately what is important when we better ourselves in the new year, so it’s about time we focus more on that process.

Most importantly, switching from resolutions to habits makes us focus more on the process of self-improvement. Breaking or making a habit is less about creating a new self but about building on and reexamining what already exists. That sparks a reflection on whether our goal comes from personal desire or from what we feel pressured to work on. Are we truly trying to better ourselves, or are we jumping on social norms regarding, for example, our weight? Once we truly find what we want to work on, the journey will not be as difficult to complete.

Arts & Entertainment

TECHNICIAN 6

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Join the squad: Just Cuz Crew holds auditions for new talent Antonio Dinkens

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Students are preparing to get back into the swing of things with a new semester, and some students will be looking for new clubs or extracurricular activities to try.

Just Cuz Crew, one of NC State’s campus dance teams, is looking for anyone who is interested in joining the campus community. The group will be holding tryouts for students to join their team on Jan. 11-12.

According to Alex Singleton, a third-year studying accounting and the director of Just Cuz Crew, the first day of tryouts consists of teaching the potential members a simple choreography.

“The second day, they come back and they perform that choreography in large and small groups, and then they have a minimum 10-second solo that they can do to really showcase their individuality and their style, and that can literally be anything,” Singleton said. “They can get the choreography from a video on YouTube, they can get it from us or they can create their own.

And then there is the interview at the end.”

Singleton said the crew doesn’t have a quota for how many people can be accepted onto the team.

“It’s whoever we see that has potential that would add to our team and to the dance community here,” Singleton said.

Just Cuz Crew does a variety of styles, from hip-hop to contemporary to ethnic dance, according to Singleton.

“We pretty much do everything based on the demographic that’s on the team,” Singleton said. “So whatever the population that’s on the team currently, that’s what we cater to, because we make our own choreography and our own routines … Whatever type of background experience or whatever the team is interested in, that’s what we perform.”

Singleton said the team has been active

CONTRIBUTED BY JUST CUZ CREW

on NC State’s campus since 2011 and maintains about 20-30 active members. However, the crew has also done a number of performances outside of NC State’s campus, according to Justin Peterkin, a third-year studying business administration and social chair for Just Cuz Crew.

“Typically we get invited to different showcases throughout the North Carolina dance community,” Peterkin said. “Last semester we went to Entropy, which was hosted by Appalachian State. They had a memorial showcase at UNC, and we did a couple of performances here as well.”

Peterkin said the team will have four

shows during the spring 2020 semester.

“This semester we are performing at the Navarasa showcase, which is primarily for the Indian community here, but they invited us as a guest performance,” Peterkin said.

“Then we have our Fusion performance, which is another one of our dance teams at NC State … Then we have our own showcase, which is coming up on April 18. We are going to perform dances we have done throughout the semester as well as some new things. And our very last performance is probably going to be Entropy, which again is going to be at App State.”

To join the group, Singleton said students

don’t need to have any kind of dancing experience to try out.

“I personally didn’t come from a dance experience coming into college,” said Singleton. “It was something I really wanted to do, that I was passionate about … Community with our team is a really big thing and making sure that you feel welcome.

We are like a family, honestly. We spend a lot of time together, so we develop close bonds, and it has transformed my college experience for the better. If you are remotely thinking about dancing, or want to join a family or join a community, then you should come out.”

Arts & Entertainment

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Raleigh locals find their song on Obama’s playlist Austin Dunlow

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor

Every year in December, former President Barack Obama releases a list of his favorite songs, movies and books from the previous year. On Dec. 30, 2019, Obama tweeted a list of his top songs from 2019, including familiar names to some NC State students.

Les Robbin-Coker Jr., a second-year studying engineering who goes by the name Lesthegenius, NC State alum Sonny Miles and Raleigh local Jaxson Free were shocked to find their song, “Raleighwood Hills” on Obama’s Favorite Music of 2019 list.

“I thought it was a joke,” Miles said. “We were up there with what you would consider professionals. [It] was crazy.”

Robbin-Coker, Miles and Free wanted to create a song that reminded them of Raleigh, and it was born out of a beat created

by Free.

“Les said he was dropping a project called ‘Raleighwood Hills,’ and he was wanting a single or something,” Free said. “He just wanted something that captured the vibe of Raleigh. I tried to come up with something that captured the vibe of being a star and how I felt about Raleighwood.”

Free said the entire song is supposed to be a love song between the collaborators and music. According to Free, the song has a double meaning and compares running the world with a partner to being big in the

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Jan. 9 SPORTS FITNESS CHALLENGE CARMICHAEL GYM, COURT 9 AND 10 FRIDAY, JAN. 10, 10:45 A.M. TO 12 P.M. Free There will be three contests held in Carmichael gym: a Wiffle ball home run derby, ultimate Frisbee threepoint challenge and a football toss contest. Competitors have a chance to win a t-shirt or $20 Target gift card.

LISTENING PARTY: THE MASCULINITY MIXED TAPE TALLEY STUDENT UNION, SUITE 5210 FRIDAY, JAN. 10, 4-7 P.M. Free

COURTESY OF FIFTHPOWER

the trio wanted to make sure they sounded cohesive as a group.

“While we were writing, me and Jaxson were trying to stay on the same path,

“He just wanted something that captured the vibe of Raleigh.” music scene.

The song was originally meant to be a solo song for Miles, but he decided to share it with Robbin-Coker.

“Jaxson made the beat,” Robbin-Coker said. “He also had the first verse. He came with the beat ready, and I think he was going to originally sell it to Sonny, but Sonny was like, ‘Y’all can hop on it.’”

Though the song was originally for Miles,

T H E R A DA R

because I hate when songs are just everywhere,” Robbin-Coker said. “I like when everybody’s verse takes different routes, but all toward the same goal. We wanted to stick to seeing the beauty in the city, seeing the beauty in love, seeing the beauty in music and all of the negative aspects in it, while also shining a light on the positive aspects of it.”

Robbin-Coker said he made sure to thank

everyone who worked on the track, including the people who mastered the song as well as the creators of the album art.

“I just wanted to make sure everyone got their just dues,” Robbin-Coker said. “We wanted them to know how important it was, not just for us, but we wanted everyone to know how much we care about them. I called my parents. They were going crazy.

They didn’t know what to do. It was just a really big moment.”

Robbin-Coker thought the song was important for local music, college musicians and Raleigh as a whole.

“It showed a lot of people that you can do s--t while still being in college,” RobbinCoker said. “The whole time we’ve been at State, we’ve been working. We’ve been in this environment and this atmosphere where we’ve been networking and meeting people. You don’t have to go through the gatekeepers. There’s no higher-ups that can lock you out of anything. Just because other people don’t see it — you still can go far.”

To learn more about Jaxson Free, Sonny Miles or Lesthegenius, visit their Spotify pages. Be sure to watch out for future performances by the three in or around the Raleigh area.

The Women’s Center and the Black Male Initiative will be inviting people to listen to DaBaby, Young MA and Hozier before discussing the plurality of masculinity over race, gender and class.

SANKOFA DRUM CLASSES WITHERSPOON STUDENT CENTER, AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER SATURDAY, JAN. 11, 11:30 A.M. TO 2 P.M. Free The African American Cultural Center will host Robert Corbit, who will guide a drumming class that will explore West African cultures and the djembe drum tradition in two sessions starting at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

GRAINS OF TIME WINTER CONCERT STEWART THEATRE SATURDAY, JAN. 11, 7 P.M. $5 for NC State students; $12 for non-NC State students Grains of Time, NC State’s all-male a cappella group, is holding their winter concert, Saturday Night Grains.

Expect songs from Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Dan + Shay.

Arts & Entertainment TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

TECHNICIAN 8 THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Sports

TECHNICIAN 9

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Men’s basketball erases double-digit second-half deficit, picks up key ACC win Jake Caccavaro

Assistant Sports Editor

&

Nicholas Schnittker Assistant Sports Editor

With its season flashing before its eyes and needing a big ACC win, the NC State men’s basketball team overcame an 11-point, secondhalf deficit to beat Notre Dame 73-68 at PNC Arena Wednesday night.

Behind senior guard Markell Johnson’s 27 points, the Wolfpack (11-4, 2-2 ACC) chipped away all second half at a double-digit deficit and used key stretches of play by redshirt junior forward D.J. Funderburk to pull out a comefrom-behind win over the Fighting Irish (10-5, 1-3 ACC).

“I’m excited tonight because I thought that was a great team win,” said NC State head coach Kevin Keatts. “We fought through a lot of adversity. When you look at the fact that we were without our leading scorer and rebounder [redshirt senior C.J. Bryce] and throughout the game, we had so many different obstacles we had to overcome … I thought we did a tremendous job.”

Both teams came out firing in the first half, and Notre Dame’s fast pace-and-space offense tore the Wolfpack up. The Irish started off the game shooting 7 for 10 from the field and 3 for 3 beyond the arc en route to an early 17-12 lead as NC State failed to keep up in transition.

A couple of 3-pointers courtesy of Johnson kept the Wolfpack in striking distance, but without Bryce (concussion protocol), the offense struggled to knock down shots. Johnson and sophomore forward Jericole Hellems scored 22 of the Pack’s first 30 points as the rest of the team combined to shoot just 38% in the opening half.

Junior guard Braxton Beverly closed out the half by drawing a charging foul in between a 3-pointer and a layup that cut Notre Dame’s lead to 39-34 at halftime. The Wolfpack was lucky to be within arm’s length by half’s end, as the Irish lit the Wolfpack up to the tune of 71% shooting from downtown.

“I did not like the way we defended the 3-point line in the first half,” Keatts said. “[Notre Dame] was 5 for 7, and we knew coming into the game they’re an elite 3-point shooting team.”

It was déjà vu all over again in the second half, as the Wolfpack struggled out of the gates and Notre Dame took advantage. The Irish opened the half on a 7-2 run and stretched its lead to 11, the largest of the game.

But the shorthanded Wolfpack refused to go down quietly, and with a couple of timely 3-pointers by Johnson and Hellems and two key offensive rebounds hauled in by graduate forward Danny Dixon, NC State slowly chipped away at its deficit.

As the Pack fought back, Funderburk put the team on his back. The all-important sixth man scored 8 of 11 Wolfpack points over a fourminute span, and the other three points came on a 3-pointer by Beverly off a Funderburk offensive rebound. Then, after knocking down two free throws with just over five minutes to play, Funderburk tied the game up for the first time since the 16:16 mark of the first half.

“I felt like he had a breakout game,” Keatts said. “One of those big games where we can say, ‘[Funderburk] made a difference,’ and he was a huge difference … He was very active and did a tremendous job.”

Once Funderburk was done, it was Johnson’s turn to play the hero for NC State. Six straight points for the senior, including a floater in the paint through contact, kept the Wolfpack evened up as the two teams traded buckets down the stretch. With 1:38 to go Funderburk drew a foul, and with the Wolfpack in the bonus, he did what he had done all second half: calmly stepped to the free-throw line and knocked down both shots to give NC State a 68-66 lead.

“I just wanted to be the best guard on the court today,” Johnson said. “Over the past couple of games, I haven’t been myself, so I just wanted to get back to that.”

An acrobatic layup by Johnson gave NC State a 4-point lead with under a minute to go, and his ensuing layups as Notre Dame frantically fouled to extend the game iced it away for the Wolfpack in what the players felt was a mustwin situation.

“After going on the road and losing down at Clemson, it was definitely a must-win game at home,” Johnson said.

Johnson finished with a team-high 27 points, four rebounds and seven assists in what was the best all-around game of his season so far.

A monster in the paint, Funderburk scored 16 points on 4-for-6 shooting and hauled in a team-high nine rebounds. Rounding out the double-digit scorers, Hellems and Beverly scored 12 and 10, respectively. “[Markell] went crazy,” Funderburk said. “I mean, that’s normal. But for everybody to see and everybody to experience it — it’s just a great time playing with him.”

The Wolfpack will return to action Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. when it travels to Blacksburg, V.A., to take on Virginia Tech. The game will be broadcast live on the Regional Sports Network.

SARAH COCHRAN/TECHNICIAN

Senior guard Markell Johnson gets a quick jump shot over the Notre Dame defense Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020 in PNC Arena. Johnson scored 27 points and had 7 assists against the Fighting Irish. The Wolfpack overcame a deficit at halftime to beat Notre Dame 73-68.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 10

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Justin Williams announces return to Carolina Hurricanes Ryan Henkel Staff Writer

It’s official. Justin Williams, Mr. Game 7, has signed a one-year, $700,000 contract to return to the Carolina Hurricanes.

In a press release on Jan. 7 after their 5-4 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Canes announced that Williams would be rejoining the team after his time away from the game.

The contract includes a potential for an additional $1.3 million in signing bonuses for a variety of different conditions. According to Chris Johnston of SportsNet, the breakdown is as follows: $150,000 if he plays 10 games, $100,000 if he plays 20 games, $250,000 if the team makes the playoffs, $100,000 for each round of the playoffs the team wins through the first three, $250,000 if the team wins the Stanley Cup and $250,000 if Williams wins the Conn Smythe trophy.

The 38-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner scored 23 goals and 53 points last season and could see himself slotted in a variety of lines this year should he be able to remain productive on the ice, but the biggest boost will be the leadership and accountability he brings to the team.

There were a few other teams that inquired about Williams, rumors being that the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs had each pitched him, but Williams stated in a press conference Wednesday that his heart’s always been with Carolina.

In true Justin Williams fashion, he is already trying to move the focus back onto the team, never one to want to steal the spotlight.

“This is about me, and people that know me here know that I don’t really like that very much,” Williams said. “Tomorrow, I want it to be about the team.

I don’t want to take anything away from the focus being them.”

In September, Williams released a statement saying he would be stepping away from hockey, the first time in his career he said he wasn’t 100% ready for the next season.

“The statement I made at the beginning of the year was honest,” Williams said. “Retirement is something you think

SARAH COCHRAN/ARCHIVE

Carolina Hurricanes captain and forward Justin Williams looks to pass the puck during the game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018 in PNC Arena. The Canes beat the Lightning 6-1.

about as you get older. I thought about it when I was 31 years old. Where is the next stage of my life going to start? You never know … There’s family decisions, kids getting older. It’s not just hockey.

There’s things more important than hockey, and that’s family.”

While there were many things keeping Williams from the ice, there were quite a few things that pulled him back.

“I’ll be excited to get back into the dressing room and see the guys and compete,” Williams said. “You only have a thin window to have an opportunity to play against the world’s best, and I’ll have that opportunity this year again, and that’s not something I take for granted.

It’s something you have to work for, and there’s only so much time in your lifetime you are able to do that.”

Williams wouldn’t say whether or not this would be his final year, saying he is focused instead on the next five months and that’s it. In terms of when Williams will see the ice, though, the answer is kind of in the air.

“[Head coach Rod Brind’Amour] and I will talk through it,” Williams said. “It’s in our hands now, but I’m going to work my way back to where I feel comfortable and Roddy feels I’m comfortable to play.

You can’t put a time on it. Whenever it happens, it happens … We have a great forward core, and I hope I can find a hole somewhere.”

Asked only moments before the signing about whether there would be any adjustments necessary to fit in Williams, Brind’Amour said he felt there wouldn’t be any for the team to make.

“There is no adjustment, because we know what he is,” Brind’Amour said.

“He’s a Hurricane. I don’t think there will be any adjustment if that happens.

It would be an adjustment just for him to get back up to speed, and that’s the whole thing … I said many times, obviously we’d welcome him back, and it would be a huge addition for us.”

A few players gave their opinions on the possibility of Williams’ return, and from the comments, it seems the room

will be more than fine with the addition.

“We’d be thrilled and really, really excited if he does come back,” said Canes defenseman Dougie Hamilton Tuesday night. “We know how good of a player he is, person, leader, everything. It’d be awesome if he came back.”

“It’d be great,” said forward Warren Foegele Tuesday. “So much he brings to this dressing room. He works so hard on the ice, and it would be great to add more depth to our lineup for sure.”

Looking forward to the future, team general manager Don Waddell said the team has $5-6 million available to pursue a player at the trade deadline after signing Williams. There are a few other contract bonuses the team has to consider as well as potential call-ups, but as of now, the team is projected to have plenty to add depth come February.

When asked if there ever would have been a scenario where owner Tom Dundon would not have looked to re-sign Justin Williams, he replied with a simple, “No.”

Sports

TECHNICIAN 11

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

COMMENTARY: Pep bands should be added to professional sports Zach Seitz

Correspondent

In college sports, you have the thrill of watching raw prospects fight for a spot in the draft, the bitter interconference rivalries and the fun of cheering on your fellow students to a victory. But one of the biggest reasons why college sports games get so hype is the bands and the fight songs.

Marching bands and pep bands are what make college football and basketball more watchable and entertaining than their professional counterparts. If professional sports were to incorporate bands, they would generate more revenue from ticket sales and TV ratings, they would increase fan attention and immersion, and most importantly, they would create jobs for many people.

Some might say increased revenue might seem a little far-fetched, but it’s not the band itself that brings in fans — it’s the atmosphere it generates. Most professional teams play pop or trap music to pump the fans up, along with graphics and instructions appearing on the jumbotron saying “get loud” or “make some noise.” Sometimes they even have a

chant, like the Carolina Hurricanes’ “Let’s Go Canes.” Chants in professional sports are nothing new; just take a look at England and its football clubs. Chants go on all the time, but most if not all of these chants start with the fans. One of the most well-known songs associated with a professional sports team is the age-old “Go Cubs Go” song for the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

College marching and pep bands have proved they are welcome additions that breed a thick atmosphere that is unique, but professional teams and their fans also like to dabble in chanting, singing and cheering. If there were a group dedicated to leading these chants, playing these fight songs and filling the stadiums up with pride and noise, fan attention and immersion would skyrocket, along with sales. If the atmosphere of a game is great enough, fans who are not as dedicated will want to come back for more.

It would certainly take time to incorporate songs and chants into a professional environment, as well as to generate and create songs and chants specific to a team. But the idea of having a band play at a sporting event is completely fine thanks to college games. We

have the information on what to do, when to play, how to play and what to play during games. All we need to do now is move it to the professional level.

One of the biggest pros from this plan, besides the atmosphere and fan involvement, is the creation of jobs. Hundreds of job openings will be created for musicians and band members — jobs that could be filled in from college programs. College is usually the last stop for marching and pep band members, but if there were a new professional program for musicians in the sporting world, college band players could easily transition from a school responsibility to a full-blown job. If young musicians had a means of continuing to grow and perform on a larger scale, that would be a huge plus.

One argument against this plan is that the reduction of seating in stadiums to fit the band would jack up ticket prices. While this may become an issue for some, I know full well that people who are fans of a sport will pay whatever they need to in order to see their favorite team. This argument could also be applied to college, yet there seems to be no issue with regard to attendance and

price. Speaking of which, college games are even pricier than professional sports games in a lot of cases, yet their turnout is just as impressive, if not more so, than those pro matchups.

The reason games are pricier is thanks to the hype and atmosphere that bands and players create. How do they create it?

Through nostalgia for an alma mater and momentum-swinging, atmosphere-building fight songs and chants led by the schools’ bands. Fight songs, chants and instrumentals add to the hype and produce a camaraderie among fans. Just like seeing a stranger with a matching jersey, singing the same song with someone will unite fans under the banner of the team they are cheering for.

With few cons and a lot of pros, I honestly don’t know why marching and pep bands haven’t been added to professional basketball and football; it almost seems like a no-brainer. Some professional teams have even stolen college chants to help build an atmosphere, like the Kansas City Chiefs stealing the FSU Seminoles fight song. All the teams need is a little executive push, and this idea could very well become a reality.

SINDY HUANG/ARCHIVE

The NC State marching band performs before kickoff during the game against ECU on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018 in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 12

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Men’s tennis to begin its dual match season with doubleheader Saturday Will Thornhill Staff Writer

The No. 23 NC State men’s tennis team will begin its dual-match season Jan. 11, with two matches at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center against Elon and USC-Upstate.

NC State played in eight tournaments in the fall, but this will be its first team event since May 2019, when it lost to Tennessee in the NCAA championships.

The Wolfpack has competed against Elon six times and has never lost, but this will be its first-ever match against USC-Upstate.

Senior Alexis Galarneau out of Laval, Canada will look to lead the way for the Wolfpack this season after finishing as a first-team All-ACC selection the past two

seasons. At the end of his junior season, Galarneau ranked No. 26 in singles, the highest finish in program history.

Another key player for the Wolfpack will be junior Tadas Babelis who posted a 14-9 record in singles play last year, including four wins in ACC action.

Redshirt sophomore Joseph Schrader is another name to keep an eye out for, as he made some noise in the fall with a singles title in the black draw at the Duke Bonk Invitational.

Babelis and sophomore Yannai Barkai will look to lead the doubles teams for NC State. The duo won the doubles title at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic in the fall.

EMMA DIMIG/TECHNICIAN The match against Elon will begin at 11 Junior Alexis Galarneau, playing first seed in singles, returns a ball during a match against a.m. and the match against USC-Upstate the South Carolina Gamecocks at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. The Wolfpack lost 6-1 to the Gamecocks and won 7-0 against the North Carolina A&T will start at 4 p.m.

Aggies later that day.

This week in sports: Jan. 9-15 Bryan Danner Staff Writer

Thursday, Jan. 9 7 p.m. Women’s basketball at UNC-Chapel Hill The undefeated Wolfpack (14-0, 3-0 ACC) will go to Chapel Hill to take on the Tar Heels (11-3, 2-1 ACC). The fierce rivalry will continue to be a focus for the Pack, which won the last matchup against the Tar Heels 74-69. Sophomore center Elissa Cunane continues to dominate on the floor, averaging a double-double in rebounds and points.

Saturday, Jan. 11 11 a.m. Men’s tennis vs. Elon 4 p.m. Men’s tennis vs. USC Upstate (J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center) The men’s tennis team will have a doubleheader Saturday. These two games are the start of the spring season, the main season for tennis. The games will be held in Raleigh and will be the only games held here this month.

1 p.m. Wrestling vs. Princeton (Reynolds Coliseum) The No. 6 undefeated wrestling team (7-0) will take on No. 12 Princeton (2-2) in Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack had a great showing in the Southern Scuffle last week-

end, where redshirt junior Hayden Hidlay won the first-place prize in his weight class, and the entire team placed second. The team has not had a home duel in almost two months, so be sure to stop by Saturday.

Wednesday, Jan. 15 1 p.m. Women’s tennis vs. Furman (J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center) The Wolfpack starts its competitive season at home against Furman, which is also starting its season. The Pack has been able to get ready for the season with multiple tournaments and invitationals in recent weeks, including traveling to Lake Nona, Florida to participate in the Orlando Invitational Jan. 10-12.

7 p.m. Men’s basketball vs. Miami (PNC Arena) The men’s basketball team (10-4, 1-2 ACC) will be hosting Miami (9-5, 1-3 ACC).

The Pack has had a good showing against nonconference teams but has struggled throughout the season with ACC teams, losing its most recent game on the road against Clemson. This will be the first of two games the teams will play Miami. Redshirt senior C.J. Bryce has helped the team with its success, averaging over 16 points DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN per game and close to seven rebounds, but Freshman wing Jakia Brown-Turner shoots against Maryland on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 has missed the last two games while in conat Reynolds Coliseum. Brown-Turner recorded seven points and five rebounds as the cussion protocol.

Wolfpack won 66-59.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 13

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

No. 6 NC State Pack By the numbers: Pack vs Notre Dame wrestling looks to tame Princeton Tigers Tyler Stocum Staff Writer

The NC State Wolfpack wrestling team welcomes the Princeton Tigers into Valvano Arena at Reynolds Coliseum this Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. for its eighth dual match of the season. The Pack (7-0) comes in ranked No. 6 in the country, while the Tigers (2-2) are ranked No. 12.

The Pack has had consistent production from redshirt junior Hayden Hidlay and redshirt freshman Trent Hidlay. Hayden Hidlay has continued his consistent dominance with an 18-1 record in the 157-pound weight class. His brother, Trent Hidlay, has posted an impressive 15-2 record in the 184-pound weight class in his first campaign.

Two of the other top performers for the Pack have been redshirt junior Tariq Wilson and redshirt junior Thomas Bullard. The team relies on its older guys as its consistent performers. Wilson

has posted an 18-4 record in the 141-pound weight class. Bullard comes into the dual with the same record at 18-4 in the 165-pound weight class.

The team’s depth and experience is something that will help as ACC play approaches, with just three more nonconference duals left.

Princeton has faced some hefty competition to begin the season, with duals against No. 7 Lehigh, No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 1 Iowa. The Tigers were able to pull off the win against Lehigh and battled closely with Oklahoma State, losing 18-15.

Its top performers have been Patrick Brucki, who is ranked third in the country in the 197-pound weight class, and Patrick Glory, who wrestles at 125 pounds and is also ranked third in the nation.

Brucki boasts a 10-2 record, while Glory is still undefeated on the season at 13-0.

This match will be one of the toughest nonconference duels the Pack will have as they hope to continue their dominance.

SARAH COCHRAN/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt junior forward DJ Funderburk celebrates in the second half during the game versus Notre Dame Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020 in PNC Arena.

Jake Caccavaro

Nicholas Schnittker

Assistant Sports Editor

Assistant Sports Editor

The NC State men’s basketball team picked up an important ACC win Wednesday night, using a ferocious second-half comeback to pull out a 73-68 win over Notre Dame. Here are some numbers from the game that won’t stand out in a traditional box score.

27 - The number of points scored by senior guard Markell Johnson, tying his career high. Coming off a rough performance at Clemson, the senior reminded the Wolfpack faithful of what he is capable of. Johnson grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, scoring 14 in the final 20 minutes. Johnson also finished the game with seven assists, three steals and three rebounds.

3:16 - The total time NC State spent leading in the game. After taking a 10-7 lead early in the first half, the Wolfpack trailed for a majority of the game until Funderburk’s free throw with 1:37 left on the clock gave the Wolfpack a lead it would hold onto until the final whistle.

71 - Percentage of 3-pointers NC State allowed the Fighting Irish to hit in the first half. Without redshirt senior guard C.J. Bryce, the Pack’s wing defense faltered, and the Irish took advantage. Guard Prentis Hubb knocked down 4 of 5 in the half.

5 - Minutes played by graduate forward Danny Dixon in the first half, the same amount he had all season entering the game. With Bryce out and redshirt junior forward DJ Funderburk in early foul trouble, head coach Kevin Keatts was forced to go deeper into his bench than he typically prefers.

0 - Combined fast break points and free-throw attempts for the Wolfpack in the first half. Despite forcing seven turnovers in the half, the Pack was unable to push the tempo on the Fighting Irish and struggled with inconsistency when attempting to run with the Irish.

48 - Number of blocks redshirt freshman center Manny Bates now has this season, a program record for a freshman. Bates finished the game with three blocks, and the record-setting 48th rejection came at the 8:18 mark in the second half.

10 - Number of second-half offensive rebounds NC State’s three big men grabbed. Dixon, Funderburk and Bates combined to play 38 minutes and battled down low all half, helping the Wolfpack score 10 second-chance points in the decisive final 20 minutes of play.

JAY ENCARNACION-RIVERA/TECHNICIAN

Tyrie Houghton, a sophomore, wrestles in the 197-pound weight class during the match against Belmont Abbey on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. He went 11-10 during the 2018-19 season.

16 - Assists for NC State in its win. Led by Johnson’s seven, the Wolfpack was spreading the ball around all night, assisting on 62% of its made buckets. With the secondary playmaking in full force, the offense didn’t go stagnant when ballhandlers other than Johnson were running the offense.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 14

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

Caleb Martin makes mark with Greensboro Swarm

NBA G LEAGUE TEAM SITTING IN LAST PLACE, LOST 10 IN A ROW

Tristan Tucker Staff Writer

The Greensboro Swarm currently hold the worst record in the NBA G League, but are giving Hornets assignees and affiliate players a good opportunity to show out. Among these players are former NC State forward Caleb Martin and former UNC-Chapel Hill guard Joel Berry II. While the Swarm has lost 10 games in a row, Caleb Martin, who is spending time with the Swarm off and on as an assignee player, and Robert Franks, one of the Hornets two-way contract players, have been going off for the team.

Martin averages 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and one block per game on 45% shooting from field-goal range and 30% from 3-point land. After joining the team on a summer contract, Martin impressed the Hornets enough that they guaranteed him a spot on the opening day roster. His contract is now fully guaranteed after successfully passing the Jan. 7 deadline for contract guarantees or waivers.

Franks joined the Hornets immediately following the draft as an undrafted free agent and quickly signed a two-way contract deal, which allows him to spend up to 45 active days with the parent club. Franks is averaging 19.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists on a strong 48/34/85 shooting split. Frank’s 34% shooting from 3-point range is especially impressive considering he takes over seven of such shots per game.

Franks might be the first player the Hornets retain, or convert, from a twoway deal in the history of the contract, which was established in the league in the 2017-18 season. In the first season of two-way deals, the Hornets had Mangok Mathiang and Marcus Paige, a member of the title-winning Tar Heels team, under contract, but neither player remained on the team after the season. The same can be said for Joe Chealey and J.P. Macura, who the Hornets had as two-way contract players last season. Chealey re-signed with the Hornets over the summer, but was waived before the season began and

is now also playing for the Swarm.

Chealey now averages 10 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game on 38% shooting, a marked downgrade in production from his impressive rookie season.

The Hornets’ other two-way contract player, Kobi Simmons, has been equally impressive for the Swarm, as he is averaging 17 points, 5.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game for the club. Simmons is another summer signing who impressed the team enough in the preseason for the Hornets to convert him to a two-way deal. Simmons and Franks are both great players for a Hornets team that needs all the youth it can get.

Another Hornets player spending time with the Swarm is former San Diego State forward Jalen McDaniels. McDaniels did not play much for the Hornets during preseason, but the team liked him enough to sign him to a standard NBA contract after selecting him in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft. McDaniels is averaging 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, stuffing the stat sheet for Greensboro. The forward is also shooting 41% on 3-pointers on around three attempts per game, a great mark for a player who shot under 30% on 3-pointers in college.

The McDaniels revelation will surely pay dividends for the Hornets, as he shows enough promise to be a good rotation player.

The other former triangle player on the Swarm, Berry, is not playing much for the Swarm, but is averaging 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and .9 steals in just 12.3 minutes per game. Berry spent time with the Lakers last summer and is looking to see an uptick in minutes for the Swarm to get another crack at an NBA roster.

The next three games for the Swarm will prove a bit easier than the rest of its schedule thus far. The Swarm will take on the Erie Bayhawks, Long Island Nets and Fort Wayne Mad Ants, respectively, which are the next three teams ahead of the Swarm in the Eastern Conference and with a combined 22-41 record.

NICK FAULKNER/ARCHIVE

Sophomore guard Cody Martin goes up for a jumper in the 76-73 buzzer beating thriller over High Point University in PNC Arena on Dec. 16, 2015.

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 9, 2020

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TECHNICIAN 15

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Coffee holder 4 “Top Chef” host Lakshmi 9 Droop 12 Tapped-off remnant 13 Thread holder 14 T’ai __ 15 Club condiment 17 “Fiddler” meddler 18 Chemistry Nobelist Otto 19 Big musical number ... or what 60-Across is to four puzzle answers?

22 “My Friend” title horse 24 Coral creatures 27 “A Legacy of Spies” author 29 Makes a mess of 30 St. Teresa’s town 31 VII x XIII 33 Rodeo performer 34 Catchall abbr.

35 Pool tool 36 Eat in style 37 Dramatic accusation 38 Paris transit 40 Deca- minus two 41 GPS part: Abbr.

42 Smart __ 43 Eco-friendly certification letters 44 Tablet named for an organ 46 Kosher food carrier 48 Preserve, in a way 51 “The Joy Luck Club” novelist 55 Philosopher __-tzu 56 Short rest 58 Word for a woman 59 Hosp. area 60 Decisive ending 64 “I like that” 65 Cool beans or warm fuzzies 66 Great Lake city 67 MC alternative 68 Yoga pose 69 Word for men

1/9/20

By Christopher Adams

DOWN 1 Dash attachment 2 NATO founding member 3 The Curies, e.g.

4 Propaganda battle 5 Tarzan raisers 6 “Cut it out!”

7 Con __: briskly 8 Syrian city 9 Member of a 1990s girl group 10 Spa sigh 11 Martini default 16 Musical revue performed in the nude 18 Musical whose first run won 10 Tony Awards 20 Gumbo pod 21 Refill a glass, say 22 Fire sign 23 Flippancy 25 Mambo legend Tito 26 Nutella, e.g.

28 Shines 29 Cutthroat, as competition 32 Meet-__: romcom device

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

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38 Musical featuring ABBA songs 39 Musical awarded a special Pulitzer in 1944 45 Radius neighbor 47 “You said it!”

48 Justice Kagan 49 Pithy saying 50 Lawn game 52 Wonder Woman topper

1/9/20

53 Pungent 54 Zaps for dinner 57 Sketchbooks 58 “The Da Vinci Code” priory 61 Supervillain Luthor 62 Hermana de la madre 63 __ B: 9-Down’s professional name